A former state Senate candidate has been named executive director of Hartford-based Connecticut Main Street Center, which advocates for downtown revitalization and management statewide.
Michelle McCabe, a Democrat, ran for the 28th Senate District, which includes Fairfield, Easton, Newtown, Westport and Weston, in 2020. She was most recently the interim executive director of HomeBridge Ventures, a nonprofit focused on holistic workforce development and re-entry programming for formerly incarcerated individuals.
McCabe leads a recently doubled staff of six at Connecticut Main Street Center.
Previously, McCabe spent seven years as director of the FEED Center with The Council of Churches of Greater Bridgeport. She built programs from the ground up and led strategic planning and fundraising efforts, the organization said.
McCabe fills the position previously held by Kimberley Parsons-Whitaker, who has served as CMSC’s interim CEO for the past year after Patrick McMahon’s departure in July 2021.
McCabe, a Fairfield resident, said she wants to help people
“better understand the powerful economic and social impacts that happen as a result of well-managed downtowns, both for the community individually and the state collectively.”
“I love how a great downtown invites you in with a charming main street, restaurants, shops and entertainment venues,” McCabe said.
McCabe was selected after a search led by CMSC’s board of directors.
