Batavia MainStreet leader leaving to finish master's

Batavia MainStreet Executive Director Britta McKenna is leaving the post at the end of December, the organization announced Monday afternoon.

According to the news release, McKenna is stepping down to devote more time to finishing her studies for a master's degree in public administration. She has been pursuing the degree at Northern Illinois University for a few years, and hopes to graduate in May.

“Britta has been a terrific advocate for downtown Batavia. She is the type of person who commits her heart and soul in all that she does,” said Mike Kluber, president of the organization's board of directors.

McKenna worked on a year-to-year contract for the downtown improvement organization since 2004. She also ran for mayor of Batavia in 2009, and was a key player in the volunteer effort to build the Batavia Riverwalk in the 1990s.

In the prepared statement, McKenna said she accomplished the three primary goals she had when she started the job: Restoring trust and credibility in the organization, to make Batavia MainStreet a leading MainStreet in the state, and to oversee the downtown during the construction of the new Wilson Street bridge.

She started as a part-timer in 2004, then became full-time in 2005.

The credibility issue came about after a former executive director stole $48,000 from the organization while working for it in 2001 and 2002. The woman pleaded guilty to forgery in 2004.

The nonprofit organization's mission is to enhance the downtown, concentrating on design, economic restructuring, organization and promotion. For more information, e-mail britta@downtownbatavia.com.