After being designated 2017 official Texas Main Street City by The Texas Historical Commission in October, Buda announced the hiring of its first Main Street manager today. Maggie Gillespie is coming to Buda from San Marcos, where she worked with the San Marcos Main Street program as a program coordinator for nearly two years. The Main Street Program’s purpose is to stimulate the economy of downtown areas and help retain, expand and recruit local businesses. Gillespie will lead Buda in preserving and revitalizing downtown. “I started my career with working with the Kyle Area Chamber of Commerce, and I really loved working with small businesses. I also worked with Community Relations at Texas State [University],” Gillespie said. “I feel that Main Street brings the two of those together. We get to help small businesses and, at the same time, help the community and address their needs.” Gillespie will start her position in Buda Jan. 24. “It’s really exciting,” Gillespie said. “The really neat piece is knowing everyone I’ll be working with in Buda has the same passion I do for small businesses and growing the historic downtown.” Gillespie said her first priority is to get together a Main Street Advisory Board and figure out their vision for Buda. “Hiring a Main Street Manager is an important, critical step as Buda joins the Texas Main Street Program,” Assistant City Manager Chance Sparks said. “Together with the soon-to-be-appointed Main Street Advisory Board, Ms. Gillespie will help us build a framework to positively influence and impact the economic health and preservation of historic downtown Buda based in the Main Street Program’s Four Point Approach to organization, promotion, design and economic vitality. Her passion, interest and enthusiasm for assisting downtowns in revitalization will help focus energy and efforts to continue to make downtown Buda the economic, social and cultural center of the community.”