BID president to focus on communication, growth in second term

Richard Vandenburgh has seen Greenport’s downtown business district through boom times and crises — and he’s betting that experience will serve him well in his return to leadership of the Business Improvement District.

When Nancy Kouris stepped down as president of the Greenport Business Improvement District during the village board’s Sept. 18 work session, Mr. Vandenburgh didn’t hesitate to step back into a role he’d held for nearly a decade before his 2023 mayoral run.

“All I can do is just try to make sense with what we’re doing, and try to keep my eye on the ball in terms of advocating for membership and providing tangible benefits to our members,” Mr. Vandenburgh, who had been serving as vice president since his return to the BID board, told The Suffolk Times.

In the interview last week, he said his second-term agenda focuses on three key areas: continuing to animate the district with events and activities, increasing support for business survival and growth, and securing more grant funding for infrastructure improvements.

“I’m just hoping that we can, from our little point in the world, provide some greater stability and vision of leadership to move us forward,” Mr. Vandenburgh said. “Another one of the things I’m hoping that I can reinvigorate is active engagement by our membership, and helping the BID be better.”

His solution involves more active dialogue and transparency: “Hopefully, making things run smoother and [increasing] communication so that when people have problems, they know they’re being heard, that we’re responding to them and hopefully engaging in a dialogue that is collaborative. Not just dictating to them what’s going to happen.”

These goals reflect lessons learned during his first tenure and working under Ms. Kouris’ leadership. While praising his predecessor’s efforts, both he and current BID secretary Linda Kessler suggested the organization needs renewed energy and clearer direction.

Mr. Vandenburgh’s first stint, which lasted just under 10 years, established him as a pragmatic problem-solver willing to think creatively about downtown challenges.

When COVID-19 threatened to devastate local restaurants, he helped orchestrate the outdoor dining and parklet program that many credit with keeping businesses alive during the pandemic’s darkest months.

“During his previous tenure, it was Rich who kept Greenport’s downtown business district vibrant and alive economically with his implementation of the parklets,” said Ms. Kessler, who owns Kessie’s women’s boutique on Front Street. “They basically saved us.”

Under his leadership, the BID also tackled infrastructure issues that might seem mundane but proved crucial to business success: fixing lighting problems, adding public bathrooms to Mitchell Park, creating a dangerous sidewalk registry and installing flower boxes throughout the business district.

Mr. Vandenburgh was instrumental in forming specialized committees that handled everything from public relations and social media to traffic enforcement.

Ms. Kessler, who has operated her boutique since the late 1990s, acknowledges that the organization faces ongoing challenges, particularly in its relationship with village government.

The communication between the BID and the village has been a little complicated and could be better, she noted, reflecting concerns shared by other business owners and board members.

Mayor Kevin Stuessi expressed optimism about collaborating with the returning president. “I very much look forward to working together with Rich, Nancy and the BID board on downtown initiatives,” he told The Suffolk Times.

Mr. Vandenburgh seems keenly aware of these communication gaps, both with village officials and BID membership itself. He recalled that even during his first term, confusion existed about the organization’s role and activities.

“What I found when I joined the BID — maybe after the first five or six years — was there was a lot of uncertainty or confusion about what members of the BID understood the BID was doing,” he said.

Mr. Vandenburgh has been both a longtime business owner and community volunteer. The Southold resident founded Greenport Brewing Company in 2009 and has practiced law since 1993, giving him firsthand experience with the challenges facing downtown businesses.

He’s also served on the boards of the New York State Brewers Guild, Southold’s Reydon Shores Property Owners Association, and currently holds memberships in the North Fork Chamber of Commerce, North Fork Advisory Business Council, Greenport Fire Department and Peconic Landing Board of Trustees.

The Greenport BID was founded in 1994 by Mayor Dave Kapell and Mr. Vandenburgh joined the organization in 2012, drawn by what he describes as genuine passion for supporting local businesses.

“When I first joined, there was definitely a lot of passion as a volunteer organization,” he recalled. “How do we support and how do we promote the business district? What do we do to support our business members?”

His return represents continuity at a time when many downtown districts face unprecedented challenges.

“Overall, people are excited to have him back,” Ms. Kessler said.