‘I want people to feel empowered.’ Meet Downtown Bellefonte Inc.’s new main street manager
Jennilyn Schuster has officially called Bellefonte home for almost a year, and as Downtown Bellefonte Inc.’s new main street manager, she’s eager to help the local business community grow and thrive.
The Centre Daily Times spent time talking with Schuster about what the community nonprofit has planned to help support Bellefonte businesses and protect the borough’s history.
Below is what she had to say. (Responses have been edited for length and clarity.)
Centre Daily Times: Tell me a little bit more about yourself.
Jennilyn Schuster: My husband and my two kids and I moved here in June. I’m not new to Bellefonte though. My parents actually have a business here in Bellefonte on Linn Street. They own a bed and breakfast, and they’ve been here for almost 13 years. I did grow up in Virginia, but my parents are actually from Pennsylvania. They were high school sweethearts ... my dad went to Penn State, and most of our family is in Pennsylvania.
I am actually a licensed interior designer. I started my career in Washington, D.C. So, I worked there for about eight years, and then, I moved to Charlotte. I worked for a company called Gensler, which is a global design and architecture firm, and I worked there for about 15 years. While I was there, I was an interior designer, and I was also a studio director. It was really kind of about fostering an innovative culture of creatives to create a platform for teams, and so I collaborated with developers, with brokers, that kind of thing. The thing about that is it was always kind of about embracing culture and my community.
CDT: What brought you to Bellefonte?
JS: My parents are in Bellefonte. I think that maybe the pandemic made us do crazy things, so I was actually on maternity leave with my daughter. My husband and I decided to make the move and come. Essentially, it was just to be closer to family.
CDT: What made you apply to the DBI main street manager position?
JS: DBI is dedicated to helping businesses arrive and thrive in the 21st century. It’s about preserving and protecting Bellefonte’s historic architecture and their heritage, and so that is something that is near and dear to my heart. My design background and the architecture and preservation have a nice tie. I think the history here in Bellefonte is so incredible, so it’s important to me that this remains in the future and that the town continues to grow while preserving that charm.
CDT: What is your favorite part about Bellefonte?
JS: The sense of community. Since I’ve been here, I’ve seen it. We were moving in and having so many people just stop by. It’s neighbors that come together, and they care about who you are as a person, and they’re really genuine about that.
Starting the role with DBI, it’s the same thing. When you talk to local businesses, it’s amazing to see during a pandemic how all these businesses came together and really support each other, and I think that’s something special. You can have an adorable town, but when you really have a community that truly cares about each other and rallies around each other and is trying to keep with it by promoting the success of everyone — I think that’s something that sets Bellefonte apart.
CDT: What plans do you have as DBI’s main street manager?
JS: So many plans — I think my biggest thing is I want people to feel empowered. I want businesses to feel empowered to make decisions and do things with the community to get together and do things. And I want to make sure that DBI is their platform to do that.
Being the main street manager, it’s not my town; it’s not one individual’s town. We’re all a community, and so I think rallying around each other is really important. You do that through many different avenues. People communicate in different ways; people are looking for different resources. There are some businesses that have been here for less than a year, and then, there are other businesses that have been here for 20 years, so it’s creating that understanding between those businesses too and how do we work together to create this cohesive environment.
We want to be one community that’s united by our commitment to holistically improve the human experience, so from a design background, I really think that we can use the power of design to create these positive changes. Then, it’s about creating a future that promotes equity and resilience and well-being for everyone.
CDT: Are you optimistic about DBI hosting more traditional events?
JS: Of course, I’m optimistic, but the safety of everyone is definitely the most important thing. So, we are looking forward to having our events; I think that COVID has changed the way that events will ever occur. I don’t think that’s a negative; it’s just about everyone’s safety. Fortunately, most of our events are outdoor events, and so I think that we’re able to use that to our advantage.
We have revamped a few things. Friday in the ‘Fonte, it’s about creating an atmosphere for both our residents and outside guests to come in and support businesses, so we have created a summer series for Friday in the ‘Fonte. This year, we’re focusing on four Fridays, and we will have live music and activities for the entire family. Each of them will be a little different.
One of the Fridays (will focus) on our local artists and also bringing in the schools as well — they’re art programs and then all of the local community artists as well. It’s really about creating an event that kind of alleviates ... some of the stresses that businesses may have to stay open later. We’re creating something and hoping to drive people to Bellefonte.
We are planning our Under the Lights event, and what that event looks like, we’ll wait and see. That event is set for Sept. 3. Also, our Outdoor Adventure Expo, we are planning on having that as well this year. That event will be in the fall, and it’s set for Oct. 3.
I do want to mention that we are also looking to partner with some organizations in our community as well, so I’ve had several calls with Habitat for Humanity. DBI and Habitat for Humanity are actually doing a ‘Cleanup Your Community’ event that will occur in October. We’re also looking at partnering on a few things with the Red Cross, so that’s something that is a little bit new for DBI this year as well.
More to come on all of those things, but the safety of our community is definitely at the forefront of all of our minds.
CDT: What are the strengths of Bellefonte’s business community?
JS: The business community is supportive of one another. That is very important; I think the diversity of businesses is very important.
You look at Bonfatto’s that has been here for such a long time. It is a staple in our community, and they moved from their old location down to Talleyrand Park and just celebrated their two-year anniversary there. You have Lock Boutique that is getting ready to celebrate a year anniversary. We have By a Thread; they actually started and came to Bellefonte because of the Friday in the ‘Fonte pop-up event. And then, you have businesses like Belle Mercantile. Seeing the progression from when they opened just a year ago, they’re getting ready to have their grand opening, and it’s family-owned. They did all of the work in that space themselves. You have companies like Jabebo, who I just found it really inspiring and seeing their process. They essentially make everything out of recycled cereal boxes. Those are just the retail businesses that are here. Springboard is here; you have all of the service providers that are here. You have bed and breakfasts, the restaurants.
I think you just have a really strong sense of community, the diversity, and there are just a ton of really, really smart business owners here. A lot of neighborhood members, if they don’t work downtown, they sit on boards; they volunteer their time and bettering the downtown. It’s everybody working, and everybody has this sense of pride. Everybody’s really proud to live, work and play in Bellefonte.
CDT: When long-term projects like the waterfront development and Gamble Mill are complete, how do you think Bellefonte will change?
JS: I think that, depending on who you talk to, some people are very excited about the change. Others are a little skeptical. I think you get that with any project, but you know, change is hard, but it’s really important because that’s what keeps us relevant as a community.
I’m excited about the changes. I hope most of the community is. I think it’ll definitely, as far as just the economics, that things are going to generate, and I think there’s a trickle effect. There are a lot of other developments in the works and being discussed right now too, so I think it’s a really exciting time to be part of it.
CDT: Do you see potential room for growth and how can DBI help foster that growth and attract new business opportunities?
JS: There’s always room for growth. I think as a community, we should open our arms and definitely welcome new businesses in. I think that there is a huge potential as far as the sporting world, whether that be outdoor or indoor sports.
Living in an area that is a premier fishing and kayaking area, I think that there’s huge (room for) growth. One thing that is a huge part of the Outdoor Adventure Expo is about showcasing how the event is meant to position Bellefonte as a hub for outdoor recreation. That specific event is really what we want to help draw in potential businesses.
CDT: Is there anything else you would like to add?
JS: I would just hope that people ask questions and remain curious about our town. I would just encourage them to go to our website, stop by Springboard to reach out to any of us about how to get involved and ask questions. Of course, our events are wonderful; they’re very purposeful. It’s all about supporting our town and businesses and bringing interest to Bellefonte.
This story was originally published April 21, 2021 at 7:00 AM.
