DDA Names Joyce Blackley as Clayton’s 2008 NC Main Street Champion

The Clayton Downtown Development Association announced at its Annual Meeting last night that DDA Chair Joyce Blackley was named Clayton’s 2008 NC Main Street Champion. Each of the state’s active Main Street programs is given the opportunity annually to recognize a local Main Street Champion. Mrs. Blackley was selected for this special recognition by the DDA in appreciation of her exceptional contributions to the downtown revitalization process. She has served on the DDA, a town council-appointed advisory committee, since 1988. She has been chair since 2006 and will step down from the DDA when her current term ends at the end of December, due to term limits.

The DDA also unveiled a plaque Monday which will honor past and future recipients of the recognition. Last year, Barry Woodard was recognized as Clayton’s first Main Street Champion.

Joyce Blackley has been a staunch supporter of downtown Clayton for many years,” said Mayor Jody McLeod. “Among other things, Joyce has a special passion for the appearance of downtown and the Tree Lighting Ceremony which she organized for 18 years.”

A certificate commemorating this honor will be presented to Mrs. Blackley at the NC Main Street Annual Awards Dinner which is being held in Statesville on January 29, 2009.

In recognizing Mrs. Blackley for this designation, the Clayton Downtown Development Association offered the following:

Joyce Lee Blackley is the owner of Blackley’s Printing Company. She started the business in her garage in 1976 and moved it to the center of downtown Clayton in 1986 where it has been located ever since. Joyce has been active in downtown activities since the mid-1980’s. In 1989, Joyce was one of the original town appointees to what was then known as the Downtown Advisory Committee. One of her passions is the annual Tree Lighting Ceremony and she has been in charge of that event for 18 years. Joyce has served as chair of the Downtown Development Association for the past three years.

Just prior to her tenure as DDA chair, the Town created and hired a downtown staff position. Since that time she has overseen a number of organizational changes as well as the Town’s application to and ultimate selection into the Main Street program. Joyce has been strongly involved in improving the appearance of downtown, and pushing to get a new entrance sign into downtown.

On top of running a busy and successful business, she is also involved in her church, is a Rotary Club member and is a board member of the Clayton Woman’s Club.

Joyce’s reign on the DDA has come to an end this year, the “victim” of term limits imposed several years ago, but plans to remain an unabashed champion of downtown Clayton.

“Main Street” is a downtown revitalization program for smaller towns based on economic development within the context of historic preservation. Clayton has been a “Main Street Community” since 2006. The North Carolina Main Street Program, which provides technical assistance to its communities, is part of the Office of Urban Development in the Department of Commerce’s Division of Community Assistance.