Life & Work with Leah Polzien

Today, we’d like to introduce you to Leah Polzien.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I was introduced to Main Street Calumet, the organization I work for, by a friend who had been volunteering with the organization for several years. She invited me to help her with a vacant storefront window staging project that she was leading.

I was happy to be able to do something to make a tangible difference in the appearance of our downtown, so I helped. From there, I began attending committee meetings and volunteering more, and when the previous director moved on, I made the Board of Directors an offer to work part-time. The opportunities to drive change just continued to arise, and now it’s been 11 years since that first volunteer project.

Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Economic development in a small, rural community with extremely limited resources has been very challenging and rewarding, too. The lack of human capacity and financial resources has made prioritization of activities paramount, and I’d say this has ultimately been the toughest part.

Both due to the large range of projects and work that needs to be done and because any disagreement in the community about those priorities can result in a lot of time (the most precious commodity) being spent getting and keeping people on the same page.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Working in economic development can take a lot of different forms, and here in Calumet, it absolutely does. Due to the low population and large amount of work that needs to be done, I have wound up wearing a great number of different hats.

My work seems to be ever-changing and includes event planning, advertising, volunteer recruitment, basic bookkeeping, administrative work, interagency communication, and public engagement. I don’t have a specific project that I am most proud of, but I will say that when I look at Calumet today, compared to 8 years ago when I started, I think it’s come a long way. I was able to work with community members to establish and build a farmers’ market that is now very successful, and helped to create a non-profit organization, From the Ground Farmers Market Collective, to run that and two other area markets.

We’ve seen about $10 million in investment over that period, 43+ properties change hands (in a district with about 115 parcels), seven sites demolished and cleaned up, installation of a community garden, and we are waiting for construction to begin on a greenspace this summer. I couldn’t say what I specialize in or am known for, but I hope that people see me as someone willing to take on the tasks that need to be tackled and someone who can take advantage of windfalls when they come.

Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
Patience and it’s one I continue to struggle with.

Economic development takes time. I’m a person who likes instant gratification, and taking the time to develop policy, conduct planning, pass ordinances, etc, so that you get the best possible outcome has been hard.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.mainstreetcalumet.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/mainstcalumet
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/mainstreetcalumet