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Donna Gross Named Heritage Ohio’s 2026 Main Street Manager of the Year

October 1, 2026

TIFFIN, OHIO – October 1, 2026 – Donna Gross, Downtown Tiffin Main Street Manager, has been named Heritage Ohio’s 2026 Main Street Manager of the Year. Gross received the statewide honor Wednesday, September 30, during the Heritage Ohio Awards and Film Festival at the Woodward Theater in downtown Cincinnati.

The award recognizes outstanding leadership and commitment to downtown revitalization and Ohio’s Main Street Program. Gross has served as Downtown Tiffin’s Main Street Manager since February 2023 and has played a leading role in supporting downtown businesses, historic preservation, community events, volunteer engagement and continued investment in the downtown district.    

“Donna leads with a genuine kindness and care for the people around her,” said Molly Armstrong, chair of the Downtown Development Board. “She is always willing to listen, lend a hand and go the extra mile for our downtown businesses, volunteers and community. Donna cares deeply about Downtown Tiffin and the people who call it home, and that comes through in everything she does. We are incredibly proud to see her recognized with this well-deserved honor.”

Since taking on the role, Gross has worked closely with downtown business and property owners, volunteers, community partners and local leaders to continue the momentum of Downtown Tiffin’s revitalization. In 2025 alone, she helped facilitate 14 new, expanded or relocated downtown businesses, processed 15 Façade Enhancement Grants and 14 Certificates of Appropriateness, and coordinated numerous initiatives promoting Downtown Tiffin and its businesses. 

Gross has also helped continue Downtown Tiffin’s standing as a nationally accredited Main Street America program. In 2025, Downtown Tiffin celebrated 10 years of accreditation, marking a decade of work focused on economic vitality, historic preservation, promotion and creating a welcoming downtown district. 

Her leadership has extended beyond Tiffin. Gross has presented at Heritage Ohio’s statewide conference on the role partnerships play in downtown revitalization and was elected to serve on the Ohio Main Street Managers Advisory Committee, giving Tiffin a voice in Main Street efforts across the state. 

The recognition continues a strong history for Downtown Tiffin within Heritage Ohio’s statewide awards program and reflects the work of the businesses, property owners, volunteers and community partners who continue investing their time and resources in the downtown district.

 

About Downtown Tiffin

The revitalization of Downtown Tiffin began in 2011 with the formation of Tiffin Tomorrow, a grassroots initiative led by community members dedicated to promoting economic development and ensuring the long-term prosperity of the downtown district. Today, Downtown Tiffin operates under the Seneca County Collaborative, with the Downtown Development Board serving as the governing body for downtown revitalization efforts. Since 2015, Downtown Tiffin has participated in Heritage Ohio’s Main Street Program and is recognized as a nationally accredited Main Street America program.

 

About the Seneca County Collaborative

The Seneca County Collaborative brings together the Seneca Regional Chamber & Development, Downtown Tiffin, and Destination Seneca County under one unified structure to better serve the businesses, communities, and residents of Seneca County. This integrated approach aligns economic development, tourism, downtown revitalization, and business services to create greater impact, improve access to resources, and drive long-term success across the county. Learn more at www.OneSeneca.org.

About Downtown Tiffin

The revitalization of downtown Tiffin began in 2011, when a group of community members came together to form “Tiffin Tomorrow”, with the goal of promoting and encouraging economic development in Downtown Tiffin, and creating plans, programs, and actions to ensure long-term vitality and prosperity. In 2014, the City of Tiffin contracted with SIEDC to act as the downtown organization and “Tiffin Tomorrow” came under the SIEDC (now TSEP) umbrella as the “Downtown Development Board,” which serves as the governing board of the downtown organization. In 2015, Tiffin joined Heritage Ohio’s Main Street Program. For more information, click here.

About Heritage Ohio

Heritage Ohio promotes economic growth through the preservation and revitalization of downtowns and neighborhoods across Ohio. Heritage Ohio is the coordinating agency for the Ohio Main Street Program and is the designated statewide Ohio preservation partner with the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Through saving the places that matter we can all build a community and live better. Learn more about how to become involved by visiting www.heritageohio.org.

About Main Street America

Main Street America leads a movement committed to strengthening communities through preservation-based economic development in older and historic downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts. For more than 40 years, Main Street America has provided a practical, adaptable, and impactful framework for community-driven, comprehensive revitalization through the Main Street Approach™. Our network of more than 1,600 neighborhoods and communities, rural and urban, share both a commitment to place and to building stronger communities through preservation-based economic development. Since 1980, communities participating in the program have generated more than $101.58 billion in new public and private investment, generated 168,693 net new businesses and 746,897 net new jobs, rehabilitated more than 325,119 buildings, and levered over 33.7 million volunteer hours. Main Street America is a nonprofit subsidiary of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. For more information, visit mainstreet.org.

 
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