Cleveland business recognized by Mississippi Main Street Association

June 16, 2023

Story Books owner Brittany Meador accepts award from Thomas Gregory, MMSA Executive Director

Story Books in downtown Cleveland received the Outstanding Community Engagement Effort award at the Mississippi Main Street Association (MMSA) Annual Awards Luncheon at The South Warehouse in downtown Jackson.

Story Books owner Brittany Meador was recognized for her number of creative marketing efforts that leaned towards experiential strategies that engaged customers and their families. Events like Fender guitar pop-up sales, teddy-bear sleepovers, book clubs for all age levels, song-and-story time, reading challenges, and book signings are just a few of the events that Story Books has held in only half a year of operation.

By working with a local public school, Story Books hosted their “Read in a Book Store” night for children in kindergarten through sixth grade. Story Books serves as a local partner with Reading at the Park (aka RAP), a book giveaway ministry, to encourage better literacy and academic outcomes in underserved areas. Story Books also served as a stop on the Young Professionals’ Caroling Pub Crawl and hosted a Celtic Music Night during extended hours in October.

The Annual Awards Luncheon honors Main Street directors, board members, and volunteers and recognizes the most outstanding downtown revitalization projects and events from Main Street communities throughout Mississippi. 

“Each year, the Annual Awards Luncheon highlights the people, projects, and initiatives that drive economic development in Mississippi’s Main Street communities,” said Thomas Gregory, MMSA Executive Director. “Our local Main Street programs are strategic in their downtown revitalization work, and we are proud to recognize their accomplishments over the past year.”

Team Cleveland Main Street also received the Main Street Circle of Excellence award and was recognized for their notable efforts in running efficient local programs and excelling with all state requirements of a designated Main Street program.

As a Main Street America™ Coordinating Program, MMSA helps lead a powerful, grassroots network consisting of more than 40 Coordinating Programs and over 1,600 neighborhoods and communities across the country committed to creating high-quality places and to building stronger communities through preservation-based economic development.