TODD CUTTS A Champion for Business Success and a Thriving Downtown Olympia
Todd Cutts, Executive Director, Olympia Downtown Alliance, in front of "Tiger", one of downtown Olympia's many murals. "Tiger" is located at 109 Capitol Way N.
by Heidi Smith | Photos by Poppi Photography
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or Todd Cutts, downtowns are more than just a collection of buildings and businesses. He sees them as living things, organisms that need to be cared for in order to stay healthy. It’s an attitude that informs every aspect of his work as Executive Director of the Olympia Downtown Alliance, a role he assumed in March 2017.
When he first met the organization’s former director over coffee, Cutts went home and told his wife that he’d identified his dream job. As a former city manager and economic development director with an extensive background in working with downtowns, he saw Olympia’s potential. “You can tick off all the boxes,” he says. “It has everything you need for a thriving, vibrant downtown community: amazing small and
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locally owned businesses, historic architecture, walkable streets, public assets with parks and open spaces, and waterfront.”
they’d like to see, even if that meant that we would be taking things on organizationally that we haven’t in the past,” he explains.
Since taking the helm, Cutts has made a point of actively listening to downtown business owners and creating strategic priorities based on what he hears. Within the first year, he did 75 stakeholder interviews and held five focus groups with different industry sectors. “We wanted to know what
At the ensuing board retreat, Alliance board members developed a vision, mission, core values and strategic priorities, using business owners’ feedback as a guideline. The priorities that emerged were Advocacy, Clean and Safe, Imagemaking, Business Assistance and Financial Health.
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