WESTBROOK – The Westbrook Downtown Coalition, a group working toward downtown revitalization, has hired a coordinator to lead the effort.

Abigail Cioffi, introduced at Monday’s City Council meeting, was chosen by the coalition’s three-member executive committee to steer the group on a daily basis.

Just a few weeks ago, the group was officially welcomed as a Maine Downtown Network, a program of the Maine Development Foundation that works under a national model for revitalizing downtowns.

Cioffi, originally from Virginia, has a master’s degree in history from West Virginia University, and moved to Maine in early 2014. A resident of Biddeford, she serves on a committee with the downtown group Heart of Biddeford, known as a recent success story among programs in Maine.

“Abigail comes to us with a great pedigree and very high marks from the people who have worked with her,” said Bill Baker, Westbrook’s assistant city administrator for business and community relations on Tuesday.

Baker spearheaded the process in Westbrook early this year, when he convened a large group of business and property owners, landlords and others invested in Westbrook’s downtown. Since that time, the group has tightened, held monthly meetings, elected an executive committee and been named a Downtown Network.

Baker said the hiring of a coordinator was an early goal of the group, and is seen as a vital step.

“As I have said before, we are poised for greatness here and this is a major step forward,” he said.

Cioffi, with a nervous energy, addressed city officials Monday, stating that she is “really honored” to be chosen as coordinator for the coalition.

Lee Hews, publisher of the American Journal, is a member of the executive committee. Ed Symbol, also an executive committee member, introduced Cioffi, stating that the coalition of some 25 people has been working on the advertising, resume and selection process since May.

“The hiring of a dedicated coordinator will certainly help us move in a positive direction,” said Mayor Colleen Hilton on Monday.

Working part time, Cioffi will be paid $25,000, with funds coming from the Westbrook Environmental Improvement Corp., and the Westbrook Recreation and Conservation Committee.

Symbol said the coalition’s first promotion will be a downtown window art competition leading up to the holiday season.

“We have a lot of work to do, and it won’t happen quickly,” he said. “We need to get buy-in from downtown businesses, landowners, and the whole community to get the downtown to where it was before.”

Since the effort began in early 2014, Baker has said the new coalition would stand out from past attempts at revitalization in the city because of the relationship between Westbrook and the Maine Development Foundation, and the foundation’s “track record of success” with the national Main Street program.

“This is our best hope in a long time to have key stakeholders all pulling in the same direction toward a healthier and more robust Main Street,” Baker said. “A healthy Main Street carries important symbolism in terms of the health of the city.”

Cioffi, 25, who officially starts Thursday, Nov. 6, said Tuesday that she’s excited to work on a project “from the ground up.”

“I was really interested because it was an amazing opportunity in my field, but also something where I feel that I can really make a difference,” she said.

Cioffi co-chairs the Heart of Biddeford’s design committee, where she formulates ideas for downtown decorations and improvements. The Heart of Biddeford is an established Main Street community, working under the national model.

As a Maine Downtown Network, Westbrook’s new program is seen as a platform to begin revitalization. According to the Maine Development Foundation website, the Maine Downtown Network was launched in 2009 as a sister program to Main Street Maine using the same four-point approach but at a lighter, less rigorous pace. It says the downtown network is “ideal for communities in the early stages of downtown revitalization.”

While new to Maine, Cioffi said her experience so far in Biddeford, and in learning about Westbrook, has her ready for what’s ahead. But first, she said, she has to immerse herself in the Westbrook community. Cioffi said she’d like to host a community forum as a way to hear how the public views the downtown.

“To get people who are interested in changing Westbrook to come and be able to voice their opinions,” she said.

Abigail Cioffi