Hal Issente, Rutland’s downtown dynamo and champion of community collaboration

One of the most fulfilling aspects of my work as a strategic growth consultant to nonprofits is advising the emerging generation of optimists running charitable and educational organizations in Vermont. Nonprofit directors today must navigate an ever-changing political, social and economic landscape, in addition to juggling fundraising, marketing, and meeting donors’ increasing demands for quantitative impact.

Enter Hal Issente, executive director of Downtown Rutland Partnership (DRP). Issente, 38, is a whirlwind of positivity, a relentlessly engaging advocate and ambassador for the Rutland region. The DRP is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that works with the City of Rutland to organize events, marketing, business development, and streetscape initiatives for the Rutland downtown.

“Right now there is a great surge in optimism about Rutland,” Issente related in an interview for this article. “We [recently] did a survey, where we asked folks to rate how optimistic they felt about downtown on a scale of one to five, and generally people were voting three to five, which is really wonderful,” he added.

Downtown Rutland has seen a revitalization in recent years. There’s something for everyone of all ages — from diverse clothing stores, grooming salons, and independent bookshops to a renowned landmark theater and innovative children’s museum designed by a former Disney Imagineer, featuring exhibits funded by local corporations such as Casella and Killington Ski Resort.

For Issente, the DRP’s most important value is in creating and championing a sense of place, the almost intangible but palpable sensation in one’s heart and soul that defines a community as connected, collaborative and compassionate.

In fact, DRP is a Main Street America™ Affiliate, part of a national network of more than 1,200 neighborhoods and communities that share both a commitment to creating high-quality places and to building stronger communities through preservation-based economic development.

On a recent frigid Friday, Issente was in his brick lined storefront office on Center Street, fielding phone calls while enthusiastically welcoming drop-in visitors. He looked like a young college professor, wearing glasses, warm slacks, a nubby gray vest, plaid shirt, and a scarf tied nattily around his neck. With his wholesome good looks, Issente could easily play a community crusader in such popular TV series as Netflix’s “Virgin River” or Hallmark’s “Heartland” — which attract fans who enjoy comforting storylines while they’re cozying under a quilt and munching on popcorn.

Issente is the real deal: Through social media campaigns, seasonal events like “sip-and-shops,” summer’s Friday Night Live festivals, the Holiday Tree Lighting, and collaborations with other organizations like Real Rutland, Rutland County Pride, and Come Alive Outside, Issente showcases local businesses and nonprofits alike, year round.  

Overseen by a volunteer board of directors, DRP’s workplan clearly defines objectives, strategies and tactics designed to boost awareness, attract visitors, and, ultimately, increase revenue for Rutland’s businesses.

“Some of the organizations the DRP represents don’t have the advertising dollars to do radio, print and social media,” Issente acknowledged. “In our social media features, we spotlight them, in effect bringing people into the stores visually, either in a video or a photograph.”

In an email for this article, DRP board chair Casey McNeil, the third-generation owner of popular men’s clothing retailer McNeil and Reedy, commended Issente’s dedication to boosting awareness and engagement for Rutland’s downtown.

“Downtown Rutland has seen impressive growth over the past 12 to 18 months, with the DRP playing a key role in promoting this progress and highlighting the area’s historic charm,” McNeil wrote. 

“Hal has brought the community together to showcase all that downtown has to offer,” McNeil added. “His leadership has helped establish Downtown Rutland as a vibrant center for community, commerce, and culture.”

While some older Rutlanders may gripe about the DRP’s efforts — their common refrain summed up by caveats such as “Yes, but…” — the naysayers are in the minority. They’re outnumbered by newcomers and multi-generational Vermonters alike, whose response to the bustling Rutland downtown is more in line with “Yes, please!”

Fans of downtown Rutland flock to veteran thriving businesses that, in addition to McNeil and Reedy, include SpeakEasy coffee shop, The Bakery, Roots the Restaurant, Hand-carved by Ernie’s, Hop ‘N Moose pub, Michael’s (handmade) Toys, the Rutland Restaurant, The Sandwich Shoppe, Fruition Fineries, and Phoenix Books, among others.

They are also welcoming the newer businesses that have sprouted downtown over the past few years, such as: Loose Loona tea salon, Prouty’s ice cream parlor, GreenSpell plant shop, Wild Kind toy shop, Mad Rose cocktail lounge, Divine’s boutique, Taco Fresco, and Ana’s Empanadas. 

A native of Woodstock, Hal Issente is a graduate of Goddard College. His partner, Spencer Fenn, works in Vermont as a recruiter for a Palo Alto-based technology think-tank. Fenn’s grandmother is Ann McFarren, an octogenarian who is one of Vermont’s most beloved artists. So it’s not surprising that several prints of McFarren’s beautiful New England landscapes grace the walls of Hal Issente’s office. 

McFarren’s artwork is a meaningful backdrop for the mission and vision of Hal Issente, a downtown dynamo and committed champion of community collaboration, one who exudes purpose, pride and pleasure in his work. 

In the uncertain political, social and economic landscape that all nonprofits are navigating, Issente is an advocate and ambassador not only for the businesses he represents but for the heart and soul of the Rutland community — and by extension, Vermont itself. 

For more information, visit:
downtownrutland.com.

Liz DiMarco Weinmann, MBA, is a strategic growth specialist, nonprofit leader, business educator, and author. Her L3C consulting firm works exclusively with charities and educational institutions, on strategic planning, organizational development, and fundraising: lizdimarcoweinmann.com.