Listening, learning and linking are the three guides that Rusty Worley relies upon in his work as executive director of Urban Districts Alliance, leading the Springfield area’s center city revitalization efforts.
“I try to listen and seek input from as many constituents as possible … in order to enhance our services and programs,” Worley says. “I continue to learn from others by participating in International Downtown Association national conferences, Responsible Hospitality Institute events and (Springfield Area) Chamber of Commerce Community Leadership visits. I then look for opportunities to collaboratively link organizations together to bring their scarce resources to address a common challenge.”
Worley joined UDA in 2005, following 12 years at Drury University, where he served first as athletic business manager and men’s golf coach, then director of business services and finally, as vice president for administration.
At UDA, his duties include supporting a 31-member board of directors and leading six full-time staff members. He supervises maintenance, parking image enhancement and administrative services of the Downtown Springfield Community Improvement District, executes day-to-day operational services for three merchant organizations and manages a dozen community events, as well as grant writing and conducting fundraising campaigns.
Fireworks in the Field, a 4th of July celebration he worked hard to create, stands out among Worley’s recent accomplishments.
“When James River Church cancelled its Independence Day celebration last spring, UDA quickly drew upon its well-established relationships with CoxHealth, the Springfield-Greene County Park Board, Springfield Cardinals, Springfield Regional Arts Council, the Discovery Center, City Utilities and the city of Springfield to produce an event that drew 10,000 people to center city,” Worley says. “The trust and respect developed through years of Artsfests and First Nights once again paid dividends. We look forward to building on that foundation to create a new holiday tradition for many generations to come.”
Worley is proud to say that Springfield’s center city is a “field of dreams” for many aspiring entrepreneurs, and he has metrics to support their success: $500 million in public and private investment in the last 15 years, more than 1,000 new loft residents, and double-digit growth in sales taxes for the downtown and Commercial Street CID during the past year.
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