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A Conversation with Jeri Lynn Schulke, Executive Director of the Chapel Hill Downtown Partnership

Jeri Lynn Schulke became the executive director of the Chapel Hill Downtown Partnership in January, after previously serving as its interim leader and its director of arts and culture.

There are three full-time staffers on the team, including Schulke. Carter Hubbard is the director of operations and business services, and Stephanie Cobert is the director of marketing and engagement. All of them have a background in the arts or in museum work. Plus, there’s a part-time marketing/content creation team member who works about 10 hours per week.

Jeri Lynn Schulke, Executive Director; Stephanie Cobert, Director of Marketing and Engagement; Carter Hubbard, Director of Operations and Business Services.

The Partnership’s offices are located above Johnny T-shirt downtown, on the 100 block of East Franklin Street.

“We’re in a university-owned property, which is life-saving for us,” says Schulke. “… We pay utilities. We pay a rent that’s very nominal.”

The Partnership got its start about 20 years ago, with a mission of supporting the downtown district, which now consists of more than 200 businesses. What does that look like exactly?

“We advocate for their needs with the town or the university or whoever. We are a liaison between their needs and resources that are available in the community or beyond,” Schulke says. “Then, on top of that, is marketing. That’s something we’re working toward this year, getting away from just social media. Developing a game plan for marketing that’s all-encompassing.”

The Partnership also manages a team that cleans downtown. And they occasionally host, sponsor, or partner on special downtown events.

“Every day, we interact with the town in some capacity, some department. Whether it’s about safety or waste management or public works, there’s always some department that we’re passing information back and forth about,” she says.

Haven’t been downtown in awhile? Look for new offerings in the 100 block of East Franklin Street by the end of the summer, including a new Starbucks underneath Top of the Hill, Pulp Juice and Smoothie Bar, Zayka Indian Grill and Bar, and VooDoo Wing Company.

“I think there are businesses out there that have done their due diligence and seen that maybe this is a good bet, to be in this area,” Schulke says. “There’s going to be more people working down in this area. Eventually more people living down here. They’re looking at what’s happening and saying, ‘Let’s make a go of it, and let’s do it here.’ Which I think bodes well for the efforts that the town has been making and putting forth with the Innovation District and the new parking deck and in putting a lot of attention in downtown.”

Schulke, who previously worked as the producing artistic director for The ArtsCenter in Carrboro and a producing associate at Playmakers Repertory Company, thinks of downtown as an ecosystem – a living, breathing organism that changes over time, due to varying factors. Currently, fewer students are downtown than has been the case in the past because they rely more on Door Dash and other delivery services that bring food to them. Plus, campus has added more varied food options, which means students don’t go out as much.

“They’re not venturing out as far,” she says. “There aren’t as many students in Carrboro or the West End [of Franklin Street] as there used to be.”

Downtown has lost some of its iconic spots over the years, such as Pepper’s Pizza, Linda’s Bar and Grill, Crook’s Corner, and Ye Olde Waffle Shoppe. But Schulke says that existing places fill the void in their own way.

“These places that are here now will mean something to these [students],” Schulke says. “The one thing that’s constant is change.”

Thinking futuristically, Schulke says that as more people live and work downtown, more retail options will crop up.

Previously, the Partnership focused heavily on economic development efforts, including recruiting new businesses, but Schulke says that’s somewhat redundant when the town and the county have economic development teams. Her team is more committed to marketing the businesses that are already here – for example, this summer they launched a summer hotline. Call 919-338-1331 to hear what’s hot and happening every day this summer. Messages are updated weekly and recorded by the business owners themselves.

By being a certified living wage employer, the Partnership hopes to inspire other downtown businesses to emphasize a work-life balance among team members. “We try to just really be mindful of taking care of ourselves,” says Schulke. “Everybody here has a family of some sort that needs attention or taking care of. And we believe that’s really important for people – that work-life balance.”