From the press release:
The Champaign Center Partnership (CCP), an organization focused on jointly marketing the Downtown, Campustown and Midtown areas of Champaign, has announced the hiring of a full time executive director. Erin Lippitz will join the organization on approximately September 15th.
Ms. Lippitz will replace the part time executive director, TJ Blakeman, who was on loan from the City of Champaign Planning Department for the past two years. Lippitz will join Robb Tobias, the CCP’s Community Outreach Director on staff.
Lippitz has been with the News-Gazette for the past nine years and was most recently the Marketing Supervisor. In addition, Lippitz has been an active community volunteer including: President of 40 North/88West; a member of the C-U One to One Mentoring program; member of the C-U One to One Scholarship Board; a 2011 graduate of the United Way’s Emerging Community Leaders program and currently serving on the Emerging Leaders Advisory Board. In 2012, Lippitz was named one of the Central Illinois Business Magazine’s 40 Under 40.
“The Champaign Center Partnership Board is ecstatic to name Erin Lippitz as our first full time Executive Director. We embarked on a search for an executive director earlier in the year and were amazed by the quality and quantity of applicants. Erin’s resume, experience and her passion for the community moved her to the top of our list very quickly. I am extremely excited to move forward in this next chapter of the CCP and am looking forward to working closely with Erin. In addition, the CCP will be forever indebted to TJ Blakeman and his work and commitment to the CCP in our early years. His passion for our community is amazing!” stated Jill Guth, Chair of the CCP Board of Directors.
“I am thrilled to be joining the Champaign Center Partnership and I greatly look
forward to being involved with our community on a whole new level” added
Erin Lippitz.
The Champaign Center Partnership works cooperatively with businesses as well as other organizations in the Center City area of Champaign to promote the three districts. Signature programs include: Parade of Lights, Shop Local Saturdays, Thirteen Thursdays, Restaurant Week, Summer Stage as well as significant ongoing advertising and cross marketing of retailers. CCP also actively participates in Friday Night Live, College Gameday on Green Street, Make a Real Change Campaign, and many more.