The job she’s been waiting for

New executive director of Port Main Street Inc. has had her eye on position for years, brings experience leading honor society, planning Marquette University events

AS THE NEW executive director of Port Main Street Inc., Kristina Tadeo is in charge of helping downtown businesses thrive. Tadeo, who replaces Melissa Alexander, will begin her new job on Monday, May 3. Photo by Sam Arendt
By 
KRISTYN HALBIG ZIEHM
Ozaukee Press staff

Kristina Tadeo will take over the reins of Port Washington Main Street Inc. on Monday, May 3.

Tadeo succeeds Melissa Alexander as the organization’s executive director.

It’s a job Tadeo said she’s been thinking about since she read about Alexander’s hiring in 2019.

“I thought, ‘Wow, that sounds really great,’” Tadeo said. “I tucked it in the back of my mind. I even told people, that’s one job that if it opened up, I would apply for it.

“And when it did, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity.”

Tadeo has worked for the past 10 years as associate director of Alpha Sigma Nu, an honor society for Jesuit universities, which is headquartered at Marquette University.

She previously worked at the university as an event planner for 4-1/2 years.

“Many things I do in this role (at Alpha Sigma Nu) are directly applicable to the Main Street role,” Tadeo said, noting both are nonprofit organizations. “My experience and background lines up with this job.

“I have to have a job that I feel passionate about, that has a mission, and this job certainly does.”

Nate Sherper, president of the Main Street board, said Tadeo was selected from a group of 12 applicants for the job, many of whom were “very qualified.”

Tadeo’s passion for Port Washington and knowledge of the city, along with her 10-plus years working with non-profit groups put her at the top of the list, Sherper said.

“Kristina is just a super passionate person and has a great attitude,” he said. “She has a good understanding of business. She’s very well rounded, and I think she’ll bring skill sets we haven’t had before.

“Now, I think we’ll really be able to take Main Street to the next level.” 

Tadeo, a Random Lake native who has lived on a hobby farm in the Town of Port Washington with her husband and two children since 2013, said she’s excited about her new career.

“I love the thought of being more a part of the community,” she said. “I think Port Washington has a lot of energy right now, and there’s so much happening. Knowing I will be working and giving back to the community is really important to me.”

“There’s new leadership in Port Washington, and I think it will be an exciting time to work with them and all the people in the downtown.”

Tadeo said she wants to create a vision for downtown and help provide more of a community feeling to the area.

“We need to figure out what each of the businesses is looking for and how to help them,” she said. “We need to really listen and strategize how to move forward with their objectives and make them reality.”

Sherper said one of Tadeo’s first jobs will be to rework the Main Street strategic plan in light of the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as meeting with all the business owners downtown.

“We want to see how Main Street can help them, especially with what we hope is the end of Covid,” he said.

Tadeo will also begin work on the Main Street events, starting with a Memorial Day promotion, followed by the farmers market, which opens on June 19.

Community Street Festival and a grand opening for the Heart of the Harbor plaza are slated for July, Sherper said, with a beer garden and other events to follow.

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Wisconsin’s largest paid circulation community weekly newspaper. Serving Port Washington, Saukville, Grafton, Fredonia, Belgium, as well as Ozaukee County government. Locally owned and printed in Port Washington, Wisconsin.

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