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Galin Brooks, president and CEO of Rochester Downtown Development Corp., is leaving the organization. Former RDDC president and CEO Heidi Zimmer-Meyer will serve as interim president, effective June 1.
Brooks, who was named president and CEO in 2022, expanded the organization’s programming, partnerships, and visibility through a period of renewed momentum for downtown Rochester, officials say. Her tenure saw the RDDC welcome more than 67,000 people to outdoor community events, with programmatic activities growing threefold.
“On behalf of the RDDC Board of Directors, I want to thank Galin for her leadership, energy, and commitment to downtown Rochester,” says Steve Dubnik, chair of RDDC and president and CEO of the Strong National Museum of Play. “Galin has helped strengthen RDDC’s role as a catalyst, connector, and advocate for our city center. Her work has helped create a solid foundation for the organization’s next chapter. We are grateful for her service and wish her continued success in Washington, D.C.”
Brooks is leaving to pursue an undisclosed new opportunity in Washington, D.C. She came to Rochester from that city, where she was the former director of planning and placemaking for the DowntownDC Business Improvement District.
“The trajectory for downtown Rochester is up, and RDDC will continue to do great work to help realize its full potential,” notes Brooks.
One significant initiative during her tenure in Rochester included an attempt to create a business improvement district in the downtown core, drawing on previous expertise. The BID’s coverage would have stretched mostly over the area inside the former Inner Loop and was linked to greater downtown revitalization efforts with Roc the Riverway development plans. The BID would have provided services such as marketing and beautification with a levy on owners in proportion to their buildings’ assessed value.
The proposal was met with opposition and accusations of gentrification, largely from the arts community as well as several downtown business owners, ultimately resulting in inadequate support from City Council. The BID proposal ended in March 2024.
Most recently, Brooks led the RDDC board through a strategic planning process.
“RDDC is entering this transition from a position of strength,” Dubnik says. “With a recently ratified strategic plan, an engaged board, dedicated partners, and Heidi’s experienced interim leadership, the organization is well positioned to continue advancing downtown’s momentum.”
A regional search for Brooks’ replacement will begin following the RDDC’s annual meeting next month.
Narm Nathan is a Rochester Beacon contributing writer and a member of the Oasis Project’s inaugural cohort.
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