Kimberly Van Dyk serves as the Planning & Community Revitalization Director as well as the Downtown Development Director for the City of Wilson, North Carolina, which houses the divisions of Planning, Community Development and Downtown Development. Her department focuses on long range planning, smart growth and center city revitalization. In conjunction, she serves as in-kind Executive Director for two non-profit entities, Wilson Downtown Development Corporation and Wilson Downtown Properties. These three organizations work in partnership on economic development, property redevelopment, business recruitment and retention, public and private infrastructure and design improvements, historic preservation, promotions, marketing, and special events for Historic Downtown Wilson.
Ms. Van Dyk has over 20 year of experience in planning, historic preservation, community development, and downtown and neighborhood business district redevelopment. Prior to her appointment with the City of Wilson, she was Founder and Executive Director of Neighborhood Ventures, a nonprofit serving 20 historic business districts in Grand Rapids, Michigan’s 2nd largest city, where she was instrumental in establishing the State’s first Corridor Improvement District in 2009. She was also previously the Director of the Neighborhood Business Specialist Program and Assistant Director of South East Economic Development, both in Michigan. She holds a Master of Public Administration degree, a Graduate Certificate in Nonprofit and Government Leadership and Administration, and Bachelor of Arts Degrees in both Communications and German Language, all from Western Michigan University.
