New director for Batavia MainStreet
Batavia MainStreet has named a new executive director.
It is Christopher "Chris" Faber, a former North Aurora village trustee.
He replaces Jamie Saam, who announced in June she was stepping down to focus more on her family business, Bulldog Plumbing.
Faber, 39, of North Aurora, has been president of Northlight Media Solutions since 2014. He served eight years on the North Aurora village board, is on the executive board of the North Aurora River District Alliance, was chairman of the Youth Service Bureau of Illinois Valley, and once was president of the Elburn Chamber of Commerce.
He coaches underclass boys basketball teams at West Aurora High School.
"As a lifelong area resident, I've had an eye on the incredible things that Batavia MainStreet has accomplished going back a couple of decades," Faber said, in a news release. "I've had the pleasure of knowing all of the previous directors, so I'm honored and super excited to be offered the opportunity to take the reins here. Things have really been soaring in the past few years, and my goal is to continue the great momentum that the current board and staff have built up."
Batavia MainStreet is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization that promotes the health of downtown Batavia. That includes offering events such as the Batavia Farmers Market, the Batavia Community Dinner Table, Oktoberfest and BatFest.
Saam was the director for three years.
Besides fundraising and sponsorships, the organization receives money from the city, via a special property-tax assessment on properties downtown. It is requesting $40,000 for the 2018 levy, to be collected in 2019, the same as last year.