NDD has exciting news to share.
Jodi Anthes from Orleans started this week as our half-time Director of Programs and Promotions. We had a strong field of interested candidates, and we were thrilled when Jodi said yes!
Jodi has her own business, SocialbyJodi, to support businesses with their social media strategies. She will be bringing her skills to the challenge of telling the story of the many things that NDD is involved with in downtown Newport and the surrounding area.
In addition to her work on social media, Jodi will be tasked with helping to manage the programs that NDD either sponsors or supports. Her first one will be the Forage Fest on May 16th, but the big events are organizing Food Trucks on Main during the Wednesdays on the Waterfront series (Every Wednesday in July and the first Wednesday in August), the Fall Festival with the Chili competition and the Winter Saturdays Dance Series.
However, the thing that we are most excited about is that Jodi will be bringing her entrepreneurial skill set to the Tasting Center.
NDD has signed a lease through the end of the year for the space we used for the Winter Saturdays dances. In cooperation with the other businesses in the Tasting Center (Eden Specialty Ciders, The Witch’s Brew, Flaky Crust and Sol Cafe, Jodi will be trying out ideas to turn that part of the Tasting Center into a consistent venue.
Poetry readings, concerts, private parties, craft fairs, art exhibits: reach out if you have an idea you want to try there!
Welcome Jodi – and thanks again to Felicia Updyke for her work as our Associate Director for 18 months and as our fill-in social media guru for since she stepped back from her full-time position in January.