Designed for practitioners working in or with Main Street programs, community development organizations, municipalities, and related fields, the MSARP credential recognizes individuals who demonstrate deep expertise in place-based revitalization and the Main Street Approach.

Earning the MSARP signals to peers, partners, funders, and community stakeholders that you bring the knowledge, strategic insight, and practical skills needed to guide transformative, locally rooted economic development. 

The MSARP is more than a credential — it’s an investment in your professional growth and your community’s future. It’s designed to recognize not only your knowledge, but your actions and the real impact that happens through hands-on leadership, community engagement, and systems-level implementation. 

A Powerful Credential Program for the Full Spectrum of Main Street Leaders

The MSARP credential is designed for Main Street leaders who are ready to elevate their impact, strengthen their professional credibility, and demonstrate mastery of both the theory and practice of place-based revitalization. This credential is especially valuable for:

• Executive Directors and Program Managers — Leaders responsible for guiding strategy, managing operations, and engaging deeply with stakeholders who want to validate their expertise and showcase the measurable impact of their work.
• Seasoned Practitioners Ready to Formalize Their Experience — Professionals with years of on-the-ground service who want a credential that affirms both their knowledge and their hands-on leadership in driving Main Street transformation.
• Community and Economic Development Staff — Municipal staff, planners, and economic development professionals who collaborate with Main Street programs and want to deepen their understanding of the Main Street Approach and its applied practice.
• Board Members and Organizational Leaders — Volunteers and governance leaders who want to strengthen their strategic insight, elevate program impact, and better support high-performing Main Street organizations.
• Professionals Building a Career in Main Street Revitalization — Individuals seeking a comprehensive learning path and a nationally recognized credential that communicates readiness, capability, and commitment to the field.

As a Main Street America Revitalization Professional, you will: 

• Strengthen your credibility as a trusted leader capable of driving long-term, measurable change.
• Demonstrate both expertise and execution through a credential that rewards what you know and how you contribute to the Main Street movement through practice — projects completed, partnerships built, policies implemented, and outcomes achieved.
• Build critical competencies across all Four Points: Organization, Economic Vitality, Design, and Promotion.
• Access exclusive learning opportunities that deepen your expertise and connect you with a national network of revitalization professionals.
• Increase your value to employers and funders through demonstrated proficiency aligned with national standards and documented applied practice.
• Position your community for success by applying proven strategies that improve organizational health, strengthen partnerships, and catalyze sustainable revitalization.
• Whether you’re advancing your career or elevating the impact of your local Main Street program, the MSARP equips you with the tools, experience, and recognition to lead with excellence — and to show the measurable difference you make in your community. 

A Pathway that Nurtures Learning and Leadership

At the heart of the pathway is a point-based system that rewards a wide range of activities across five essential categories. Practitioners earn points as they participate in educational offerings, apply their knowledge in the field, contribute to the movement, engage in reflective learning, and elevate their work through systemic innovations and change. The cumulative total of points, paired with a balanced distribution across learning categories, determines a participant’s pathway tier. Upon reaching the highest tier, participants will be awarded the Main Street America Revitalization Professional (MSARP) credential.