Jacqui Hauser has plenty of community-improvement ideas for Cobleskill.
She just won’t be doing them with Cobleskill Partnership Inc.
Ms. Hauser, a charter member of the downtown advocacy group that formed in the late ’90s, resigned from the CPI board of directors earlier this month.
“It’s personal,” said Ms. Hauser, who was CPI’s executive director before becoming a board member. “I have too many things I want to do. I have two businesses to run, and I want to visit our kids. It’s time to slow down.”
The ‘partnership’ in CPI demonstrates a bond between local government and businesses, with non-profits such as Cobleskill Regional Hospital and SUNY Cobleskill as players, too.
The group formed in 1997 or ’98 with the goal of making downtown Cobleskill a better place to live, work and visit.
That’s happened, too, with several new downtown businesses––including Ms. Hauser’s Studio for Art and Craft––the community plaza at the corner of Main and Division streets, and longstanding events: the Arts in the Park summer music series, Cobleskill Day, home show and holiday celebrations for Christmas and Halloween, among others.
Ms. Hauser organized many of those and was instrumental in making sure businesses were welcomed downtown.
“I love CPI’s mission,” she said. “Small towns, the communities, are important.
“For me, the reward has been the people I met, the way we connected with people. That’s what life’s all about.”
Besides running the Studio, Ms. Hauser also manages Global Human Resources Strategies, a consulting firm. And although she’ll have more time for those businesses, she will remain a CPI member even if not on the board.
Ms. Hauser has been the moving force behind CPI for much of its existence, but she’s confident the organization will be fine as she leaves a leadership role.
“We have a lot of good people on the Events Committee,” she said. “I’m not worried. It will be different, but that’s good.
“Change is not bad. Like it or not, change happens.”
While Ms. Hauser recognizes all CPI has done, she’s most proud of the organization’s endurance and structure. It’s survived ups and downs with few, if any grants or outside money.
“We’re still going strong after 20 years,” Ms. Hauser said. “That’s pretty good for a small group. And we’ve stayed true to our objective.”
Without divulging anything but hints, Ms. Hauser said she’ll remain active in Cobleskill.
“There are so many important good works,” she said. “I have lots of ideas and causes I think about. It’s not like I’m going to disappear.”