About

ABOUT US

The Champaign Center Partnership is a membership-based business organization providing marketing and promotion opportunities for our members as well as opportunities for collaboration, education, and networking. We now offer a residential membership component, where residents can become members to receive priority access to events, exclusive deals from member businesses, and information about our districts. See our members here. Our organization includes the districts of Downtown, Campustown, and the central commercial area along University Avenue and First Street known as Midtown. These districts are collectively known as Champaign Center.

OUR MISSION

The mission of the Champaign Center Partnership is to foster a vibrant, inviting, and active core Downtown, Midtown, and Campustown by strengthening business and building community.

Our vision is to create healthy and vibrant micro-urban areas for our residents and visitors through marketing, advocacy, and special events.

We encourage and educate the public to shop locally throughout the year. When you spend $100 at a locally-owned business, $68 stays in your community.

Membership

OUR HISTORY

We are a 501(c)6 organization founded in 2010 through a merger of the Champaign Downtown Association and the Campustown Business Group. The partnership between the two historic commercial centers of the community opened a new chapter in joint marketing and cooperation between the areas.

Our Memberships

To learn more about membership benefits and how to become a member, click here. To see what our members are saying about us, click here. Read the highlights report from our FY2019 Annual Meeting Celebration here.

MEET OUR STAFF

XANDER HAZEL, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
director@champaigncenter.com
217-352-2400

Alexander “Xander” Hazel joined the Champaign Center Partnership in March 2020 as Executive Director. Originally from a very rural town in Indiana, he completed his bachelor’s degree at Earlham College in Richmond, IN, and earned a master’s degree in entomology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Xander has several years of professional experience in the nonprofit sector where he has held positions as the events & engagement coordinator and eventually acting executive director at the Orpheum Children’s Science Museum in Champaign, IL, secretary of the board for the Champaign Center Partnership, co-chair for the Champaign-Urbana chapter of the Emerging Museum Professionals, and stewards council co-chair for the Graduate Employees’ Organization AFT/IFT 6300. He is excited to bring a fresh, data-driven perspective to propel the CCP forward.

Xander has called Champaign home since 2014. He lives in downtown with his too-many-to-count houseplants and pets. He enjoys the diverse cultures and entertainment that the Champaign community has to offer. For instance, you may encounter him enjoying drinks downtown or exploring the natural areas throughout the Midwest.

POSITION OPEN: MARKETING & EVENTS COORDINATOR

Marketing and Events Coordinator is responsible for planning and overseeing special events and promotions of the Champaign Center Partnership, a nonprofit business membership and community organization. Additionally, the coordinator develops marketing materials for print, digital and social media to promote the organization’s mission and market member businesses. This is a demanding and diverse role that includes a mix of project management, administrative tasks and creative work.