About NDD
Our Mission
The Newark Downtown District (NDD), Newark’s special improvement district (SID) of the central business area, is a privately funded 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, dedicated to enhancing cleanliness, safety, and beautification in Downtown Newark, while preserving and enriching culture, commerce, and community.
NDD works hard to enrich the quality of life for those who live, labor, and leisure in Newark by providing supplemental cleaning and quality of life services, as well as physical improvements, marketing, and event programs. These efforts make downtown Newark attractive to residents, businesses, students, and visitors.
The NDD is funded through a special assessment on district commercial and residential properties, and is overseen by a Board of Trustees consisting of business and property owners within the District, representatives of non-profit organizations, as well as municipal officials and staff.
A Letter from the CEO
Dear Newark Downtown District Neighbors,
As the Newark Downtown District (NDD) approaches its 25th year, I’d like to pause and reflect on the significance of this important milestone.
The 25th is known as the silver anniversary. Silver is one of the most precious metals on Earth—versatile and strong, yet malleable. Silver is symbolic of a subtle strength—flexible enough to be molded into something better, but strong enough to keep its core integrity intact.
“The mission of the NDD remains steadfast: to make downtown Newark a place people choose to live, work, and play!”
I am proud to lead an organization that is constantly finding ways to improve our superior services. We are committed to professional growth at every level, and as a result, we can deliver unmatched excellence to our stakeholders. There is no greater compliment to the quality of our work than to be asked to expand our services again, and I am immensely proud of our hardworking Ambassador teams, whose efforts never fail to meet the highest standards.
The NDD’s Silver Anniversary will be one to shed light on the strength of the downtown district. We will be celebrating our resilient small businesses, who look forward to the increased foot traffic as our largest corporations welcome their employees back to work. Our “Shop Local” initiatives will have people patronizing small businesses instead of shopping online. And we’ll be helping property owners find new ways to use their vacant space and invigorate the downtown!
While much has changed over the past quarter century, the mission of the NDD remains steadfast: to make downtown Newark a place people choose to live, work, and play!
Anthony McMillan
NDD CEO
A Letter from the Chairman
Dear Downtown Newark Stakeholders,
The future of the Newark Downtown District is bright—both figuratively and literally! Our recently installed festival lights are cheering up the downtown, and our vision is contagious, inspiring other entities to plan installations of their own. Our Ambassador team is out in full force, our plants are thriving,
and our small businesses are working hard.
“The future of the Newark Downtown District is bright.”
As we embark upon the NDD’s 25th Anniversary, we are asking the Downtown Stakeholders to give the greatest anniversary gift possible: make an effort to patronize our local shops and let them know they have the support of their fellow stakeholders. If each of us makes a purchase for just one person from a downtown shop, we can make a positive difference in the economic viability of our downtown.
In the words of Margaret Mead, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” Let’s start in our own downtown, with the people who need us the most.
Happy holidays, and happy 25th anniversary, NDD!
Yours in service,
Michael James
NDD Chairman
NDD Staff
Anthony McMillan
Chief Executive Officer
Susan McKay
Director of Operations
Mbacke Faye
Urban Planning
Kimberly Rodriguez
Executive Assistant & Office Manager
Robert Belzer
Real Estate Analyst
Zuri Walker
Administrative Assistant
Peter Chapman
Marketing Associate
Jessica Quintanilla
Operations Supervisor
Allison Gordon
Operations Administrative Assistant
Auldon Robinson, II
Operations Manager
NDD Board Members
Michael James, Chairman
Downtown Property Owner
Regina Tokar, Vice Chair
Panasonic
Michael Bright, Secretary
Newark YMCA
Sam Chapin
L & M Development Partners
Cristina Cruz
Prudential Insurance Co.
Joseph Dabbah
Emerita Urban Renewal, LLC
Celia King
Leadership Newark
Lynette Lashawn
Off the Hanger
DJ Luccarelli
Sweetwater Coffee & Tea
The Honorable Council President LaMonica McIver
City of Newark Council
Paul Pereira
Small Business Owner
Amber Randolph
Rutgers, Newark
Roseann Smith
Onyx Equities
Darryl Walker
The Newark Museum of Art
Kyleesha Wingfield-Hill, Policy Advisor
City of Newark
Edward Zazzali
PSE&G