Tim Colbeck sees his recent hiring as executive director of the Ypsilanti Downtown Development Authority as a fresh start for the organization.

He started the new position June 21 as head of an organization that has undergone a lot of change in the last year.

In the past, Ypsilanti had two DDAs — one for the downtown area along Michigan Avenue and another for historic Depot Town. The two organizations merged in June 2009 but purposely held off on hiring a permanent new director, Colbeck said, until the two boards, budgets and sets of bylaws could be streamlined into one.

“The board made a decision to have no (permanent) director for a while, not until they’d finalized the process,” Colbeck said. “Now I can step in and start fresh. And the beauty of the thing is that July 1 was the start of a new fiscal year, so it’s a whole new start for us all.”

While the two organizations are now one, many area residents still see the two areas as separate, he said.

“When people say ‘downtown,’ they mean Michigan Avenue,” Colbeck said. “Now that it’s all one district, we want people when they refer to ‘downtown’ to be thinking Michigan Avenue and Cross Street, Historic Depot Town and Washington Street.”

Colbeck said that Ypsilanti “has its problems” but added that there is “still a lot going on here.” The city’s people, he said, are its biggest assets.

“You have a committed population,” he said. “I get a real sense that people who live in Ypsilanti are really proud they live in Ypsilanti. It’s not just where they come home to sleep. They support the businesses and events going on and spend their money and time here.”

Colbeck said his job isn’t so much to come up with a vision for the community as to support the vision of the DDA’s board members.

“I come in with a level of expertise, training and background, and maybe I’ll be able to give suggestions and prod them in a certain direction I think is best,” he said. “But the bottom line is it’s their mission, their agenda. Right now, my job is to figure out their agenda and make sure we’re moving in the same direction.”

His immediate goals are to get out into the community, meet people, make sure they know him and feel comfortable approaching him and educate residents about all the things the DDA does that benefit the community.

Colbeck said he thinks many people aren’t quite sure what the DDA does and why they should care about the DDA’s agenda.

“Here’s a concrete example,” he said. “We came to an agreement with the city of Ypsilanti to pay half the salary of a police officer dedicated to the downtown area. We want ample coverage because there are often events going on here.”

He gave a further example of the flower planters that adorn the sidewalks and medians downtown and three trash container corrals the DDA built. The DDA also pays to have the trash removed from those corrals. This gives the downtown a neater look, he said, and it also helps companies with the cost of doing business.

Future items on the DDA’s agenda include physical improvements, like streetscaping, new sidewalks and tree planting. Those physical improvements are meant to support the larger goal of attracting more business to Ypsilanti’s downtown area.

“All of this is geared toward how we can fill the empty storefronts,” Colbeck said. “We need to think about what we’re lacking business-wise and what we can attract here that fits our model but is unique and not cookie cutter.”

Besides getting out and meeting people, another of Colbeck’s biggest goals is promoting Ypsilanti as a great place to visit, live and do business in.

“What I hear over and over from board members is that we want to be the downtown for a bigger region. Ypsilanti Township, Superior, Pittsfield — when they think of going downtown, we want them to be talking about here.”

Colbeck said that Ypsilanti, as a university town, has a lot of opportunities for “great partnerships,” between businesses, customers, Eastern Michigan University and students.

“I’m really excited about being here,” he said.

Background

Age: 41.

Education: Bachelor’s degree in geography from Eastern Michigan University, 1991; master’s in urban planning from Wayne State University, 2007.

Family: Married to Tricia. One son, Lucas.

Residence: Livonia.

Business Insights

Best business decision: There is none in particular, but I’m pretty pleased with where my career is at.

Worst business decision: Same as above.

Best way to keep a competitive edge: Continuing education is very important in my field. I also try to give myself a good base in as many areas of expertise so that I have at least a working knowledge of anything that may arise.

Personal hero(s): Ronald Reagan and Pope John Paul II.

How do you motivate people? Treat everyone with respect. I never expect anyone to do a task that I am not willing to do myself and will take my turn at all of the dirty tasks that have to be done.

What advice would you give to yourself in college? Study what makes you happy but seek advice from those that came before you to know how to use that knowledge professionally.

Word that best describes you: Eclectic.

First website you check in the morning: Detroit Freep.

Confessions

What keeps you up at night? My 1-year-old son.

Pet peeve: Why is everyone in such a hurry?

Guilty pleasure: '80s New Wave music.

First job: I had a Detroit News paper route.

First choice for a new career: Teacher.

Treasures

Favorite cause: Education opportunities.

Favorite book: Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Favorite movie: “Caddyshack.”

Favorite hobby: Collecting and reading comic books.

Favorite restaurant: Doc’s Sport Retreat in Livonia.

LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter? Facebook

Typical Saturday: Chores around the house and then dinner out with my wife and son.

What team do you root for? All of the Detroit teams, Plymouth Whalers and EMU.

Wheels: 2004 Oldsmobile Alero.

Who would play you in a movie? Adrien Brody.

Sarah Rigg is a freelance writer and a frequent contributor to AnnArbor.com. You can reach her at sarahrigg@yahoo.com.