Main Street Washington Executive Director Sarah Grunewaldt is stepping down after nearly a decade at the helm.  The Washington Chamber of Commerce and Main Street Washington will host a going away party for Grunewaldt at JP’s 207 at 207 W Main St in Washington on Tuesday, August 23rd, from 2:00-4:00 pm.

Grunewaldt spoke with KCII and reflected on her time and some of the memorable experiences she’s had as the Executive Director. “I’ve been going through projects we’ve done and things we’ve accomplished as I’ve prepared to leave, and I added it up, and we’ve had over one million dollars worth of grants sourced since 2012 when I took over. That has turned into over $12 million worth of re-investment within our community, which is just a staggering number to me.”

“Emotionally, I love the holidays; the Santa’s House, the breakfast, and the letters to Santa box we put up in the park bring me so much joy. Those are the emotional things that I’m going to miss, but I still always go back to that big number of projects we’ve done, and it reminds me just how important Main Street is to the community.”

Main Street Washington did play a role in Washington winning the 2022 #IowansUNITE CommUNITY contest. Grunewaldt says that she and her husband will remain in Washington but is looking forward to beginning her new journey as the Outreach and Engagement Coordinator for Johnson County Public Health.