Geoff Hulse honored for his downtown efforts
By Matt Caulder
Published in News on October 23, 2013 1:46 PM
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Geoff Hulse
Former Downtown Goldsboro Development Corp. President Geoff Hulse has been named the 2013 North Carolina Main Street Champion for Goldsboro.
Hulse and other Main Street town champions will be presented with certificates in New Bern on Jan. 30, 2014.
Each year, the N.C. Department of Commerce allows its Main Street communities to nominate someone, a couple or organization that has made a significant contribution to the success of the local downtown.
"Geoff is downtown's best friend," DGDC Director Julie Metz said. "He has loved downtown with a conviction I've never seen in anybody else. Geoff has a sincere loyalty to this space."
Hulse's goal for downtown is not to make it better for himself but for future generations so they can experience it the same way he did when he was growing up, she said.
"He wants to make it a place to entice youth to come back to after college," Ms. Metz said.
Hulse served as the DGDC board president for five years and has been a member of the board for 10.
Hulse stepped down as the president last month and former Vice President Terry Light moved into his shoes as board president.
"It is a well deserved honor," Ms. Light said. "He has put his heart and soul into downtown Goldsboro and is an example for downtowns everywhere. Geoff puts people before himself and gives of himself continually."
Hulse, true to form says that others should have won this year's award.
"I can think of a lot more people more deserving of this, but I am very honored to receive this award," Hulse said.
Hulse was instrumental in a number of downtown projects including the Paramount Theatre reconstruction, Center Street Streetscape, the renovations to City Hall and the DGDC building renovation as well as many more.
The N.C. Main Street program helps communities restore economic vitality to their historic downtowns by encouraging economic development alongside historic preservation.