River District Association gives leader a title upgrade

Diana L. Schwartz’s title is changing from executive director to CEO of the River District Association, the Danville downtown revitalization association announced Monday.

The title more accurately reflects her role, according to an RDA news release. It has shifted from creating and managing programs for the downtown business community to putting greater emphasis on growing local leadership, forming strategic relationships and serving as a community and economic development resource.

“Over the past several years, Diana has positioned RDA as a collaborative leader in the region and garnered national recognition for its work in the River District,” RDA Board President Rachel Covington said in a statement. “As the organization grows and begins to influence social and economic development in areas beyond the River District, the RDA board feels that this title change will more accurately reflect the next chapter of the organization.”

The RDA Board of Directors hired Schwartz in 2017. She has overseen the creation of the six-week RDA Dream Launch Bootcamp for entrepreneurs, secured grant funding through programs like Main Street America’s Vote Your Main Street — receiving $150,000 in 2018 to renovate two storefronts into a business incubator and a space to celebrate the area’s civil rights history — and built relationships across the Dan River region. Schwartz has led the association’s growth from a staff of one person to five and tripled the annual budget.

The River District Association was formed in 1999 as the Downtown Danville Association to coordinate downtown revitalization efforts. The RDA and the city of Danville achieved accreditation from the Main Street America and Virginia Main Street programs in 2016.