Metro Redevelopment Coordinator Accepted Into Prestigious Emerging Leaders Program
May 11, 2021
Mayor Tim Keller announced today that a staff member from the City’s Metropolitan Redevelopment Agency (MRA), Jonathan Teeters, has been accepted into the International Downtown Association’s (IDA) Emerging Leaders Fellowship (ELF). The fellowship is a week-long experiential program bringing together a cohort of IDA professionals from within the urban district management industry.
“The Metropolitan Redevelopment Agency is thinking big, reimagining our City, and facilitating projects that have long term positive effects on Albuquerque—which are essential to the City’s economic recovery,” said Mayor Keller. “Jonathan is a leader in the downtown community, and is an outstanding addition to the IDA Fellowship.”
Teeters, the MRA’s Downtown Revitalization Coordinator, has extensive experience leading non-profit organizations, working in startups in the cannabis industry, and managing political campaigns. He has an MBA in Sustainable Business Systems from Presidio Graduate School, and bachelor’s degrees in Natural Resource Ecology/Conservation Biology and Spanish from The University of Idaho. As a sustainable business professional, Teeters is experienced in leading organizations and high-performing teams, and building and implementing effective strategies.
“I’m honored to represent the City of Albuquerque in this innovative and progressive cohort,” said Teeters. “The knowledge gained from this experience will contribute to the MRA’s mission of creating catalytic change in this City for generations to come.”
The IDA ELF program selected 30 urban district management professionals for the 2021 cohort from 27 cities around North America including Albuquerque; Cambridge, MA; Edmonton, AB; Lincoln, NE; Madison, WI; Oakland, CA; Portland, ME; and Toronto, ON. The fellows learn essential leadership and place management skills, and gain practical tools in the areas of place-based economic development, the live-work-play experience, and public-private partnerships.
"Jonathan already brought a wealth of experience to the MRA team, but this training will give him the leading edge in strategic downtown placemaking,” said Karen Iverson, MRA manager. “We’re committed to revitalizing the heart of Albuquerque and building vibrant, healthy neighborhoods that create new opportunities for residents, business owners, and investors.”
The week-long program typically takes place each June in New York City, but due to the impacts of the pandemic, this year’s participants will receive their intensive instruction over a virtual platform. The group will meet in-person in the spring of 2022, where they will continue learning with professionals from several business improvement district organizations that provide technical in-the-field training.
“The success of our Fellowship program underscores how critical this training is to our growing industry,” said David Downey, President and CEO of IDA. “This is the only program of its kind created specifically for urban place management professionals. IDA is looking to further illustrate the importance of our industry by elevating leaders with the necessary skills to champion inclusive city building. Professional development remains a hallmark of IDA.”
Alumni of the IDA Emerging Leader Fellowship program are fast becoming sought-after leaders for the future of city building worldwide. The IDA strives to build the future of the urban place management industry by educating and inspiring the next generation of leaders. For more information about this year’s cohort, visit IDA’s website.
The mission of the Metropolitan Redevelopment Agency is to make Albuquerque competitive in the global market by revitalizing downtown and the Central Avenue corridor, leading to collaborative public-private partnerships resulting in catalytic change, investing in sustainable infrastructure, and providing opportunities for local residents and businesses to thrive.