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2022 NC Main Street Champion
One Community is the slogan and spirit that Doug McGrath brings to every task he undertakes. He first became a downtown advocate when he approached staff about the local Elks Lodge hosting a military appreciation festival on Center Street. His vision for the new two thousand seventeen festival was for a collaborative event that celebrated military members and families, with no single organization getting credit for their efforts. In his words, if his work is effective, he will fade into the background and the results will be elevated. However, his peers know that Doug’s leadership has made the most substantial impact on the event, now known as NC Freedom Fest. He has been involved with other recent successes in the heart of Goldsboro. Since two thousand nineteen, when Doug took the reins of the Downtown Goldsboro Development Corporation, downtown has celebrated ten point five million dollars in public investment, twenty-three point seven million dollars in private investment, two hundred thirty thousand dollars in non-profit funds raised, five thousand two hundred volunteer hours, and thirty-two new businesses. In addition, NC Freedom Festival brought sixteen thousand guests in two thousand twenty-two, and two hundred sixteen thousand dollars to the downtown economy. In September of two thousand twenty-two, Doug received the Department of Defense Spirit of Hope Award from the U.S. Air Force. Goldsboro now proudly recognizes Doug McGrath as its two thousand twenty-two Main Street Champion.