Colville Achieves Main Street Accreditation

Nonprofit organization Colville Together announced on May 20 that they have been designated as a 2026 Main Street America Accredited program. Accreditation is the highest designation a community can receive through Main Street America, according to an announcement from Colville Together. This is the first year the organization applied for accredited status; previously, the nonprofit was an affiliate. “Achieving Main Street Accreditation is exciting because it nationally recognizes that the work happening in downtown Colville is making a real impact. It means Colville Together meets national standards for strong leadership, community involvement, sustainability, and creating positive change,” stated Rosemary Shaw, Colville Together’s executive director. Established in 2017, Colville Together focuses on strengthening downtown Colville through a variety of avenues, including “community events, beautification efforts, small business support, volunteer-driven projects, public art initiatives, and preservation-focused revitalization efforts,” the nonprofit stated in their announcement. The nonprofit chose to pursue accreditation because “we wanted to continue to build a strong organization with a long-term vision for downtown,” stated Shaw. “Pursuing accreditation also gave us a chance to evaluate our work, strengthen our partnerships, and ensure we’re creating meaningful results for the community. It wasn’t about earning a title; it was about building a stronger foundation for Colville’s future,” she stated. To be designated Accredited status, communities must demonstrate “exceptional performance” in six areas: broad-based community commitment to revitalizations, inclusive leadership and organizational capacity, diversified funding and sustainable program operations, strategy-driven programming, preservation-based economic development, and demonstrated impact and results, stated Colville Together’s announcement. Shaw said the accreditation is a reflection of volunteers, business owners, partners, and residents who invest in Colville. “It shows that we’re not just completing projects or hosting events; we’re building a stronger downtown and a stronger community for the long term. It’s also something our community can take pride in because it puts Colville on the map as a place doing things the right way,” stated Shaw.