Crystal Tellman takes helm of Downtown Jefferson City

Changing of the guard

Hawthorn Bank's Crystal Tellman will replace Stephanie Bell as president of Downtown Jefferson City, effective Friday.
Hawthorn Bank's Crystal Tellman will replace Stephanie Bell as president of Downtown Jefferson City, effective Friday.

Starting Friday, Hawthorn Bank's Crystal Tellman will replace Stephanie Bell as president of Downtown Jefferson City, saying she wants to continue Bell's progress.

Bell, an attorney, is finishing her third year as president, and the downtown association recently elected Tellman along with other officers. Bell served the final year of Donna Deetz's term before serving a full two-year term.

"We've gotten to the point where you cannot please everyone, but Stephanie's done a great job in modifying and creating solutions for everyone," Tellman said. "I want to keep the ball rolling and keep everybody as happy and excited with what's going on downtown right now."

Tellman has been with the downtown association for the past three years and acknowledges she has "come up kind of fast and furious to the president's seat."

She is a Taos native who has lived in Jefferson City for the past 17 years.

Her husband, Matt, is a car salesman at Riley Toyota. They have three girls who she said enjoy window shopping downtown and eating at Yo-Yums. Tellman works in the commercial lending department at Hawthorn.

The organization's top priority is to promote economic development downtown, often through beautification efforts. It raises money for downtown flowers, Christmas lights and downtown advertising.

Two years ago, the organization started the Piccadilly in White. The annual event has been a success, and it is now the group's main fundraiser, bringing in around $25,000 annually. It features food from downtown restaurants, as well as beer and wine. Attendees dress in their summer white cocktail attire and have a chance to win prizes for a small amount of money through a combination raffle/auction.

Proceeds have allowed the downtown association to donate $10,000 to the city's wayfinding project, which promotes the city's landmarks and historic districts through signs.

This year, the organization is planning to spend several thousand dollars in conjunction with the city to steam-clean downtown sidewalks.

Among other things, Bell has created partnerships with Lincoln University on events such as LU Welcome Week and brought the LU farmers market downtown during May.

Bell said she's found while nonprofit association memberships are down nationwide, the downtown association has prospered - growing by about 40 percent over the three years she's been president. She said having a clear vision and goals has drawn people to the organization, whether it be members or other supporters.

Bell said she'll serve as an ex-officio board member for the next two years, so she'll still be active in the downtown association, just more in the background. She's also looking to learn and grow as an attorney at Blitz, Bardgett & Deutsch, where she performs a lot of administrative law work. She and her husband have a boy and a girl and another girl on the way.

Also elected to the downtown association board in June were:

Sheila Smith, of Mark's Mobile Glass, vice president;

Leah Toebben, of Hawthorn Bank, treasurer (She's the only new member of the board.);

Angela Nale, of Central Bank, secretary.

Directors elected were Jill Bednar, of Southbank; Lindsay Huhman, of Capital Region Medical Center; Tasir Yanis, of Coffee Zone; Tricia Workman, of Gibbons Workman lobbying firm, and Lisa Chastain, of Missouri State Museum. Chastain is the only new director on the board.