Annual Downtown Awards & Membership Meeting
Missoula Downtown Association
Annual Downtown Awards Banquet
An Evening Downtown
Step into An Evening Downtown, a celebration of the people, places, and partnerships that make the heart of Missoula thrive. Since 1986, the Missoula Downtown Association has recognized and honored individuals who have given back to the Missoula community through service to Downtown and the organizations that work to make Downtown the best it can be. Whether you come dressed for a classic night out or a modern downtown date, An Evening Downtown is your invitation to join the MDA in celebrating and to look ahead to what’s next for Missoula’s heart of the community.
January 29, 2026
5:30-8:30 pm
DoubleTree Missoula Edgewater
Attire: Downtown Date Night/Cocktail
2025 Nominees:
2025 Dan Cederberg Downtowner of the Year Nominee:
Karen Sippy
Karen Sippy has been a longtime champion of Downtown Missoula, blending leadership, creativity, and hands-on service to strengthen the community. From advancing urban forestry and restoring a landmark arts building to leading the Downtown Riverside Art Walls project and serving on the Missoula BID, her work has had a lasting impact on downtown.
2025 Downtown Business of the Year Nominees:
Funk It Coffee & Thrift
Funk It Coffee and Thrift celebrated their one-year anniversary this August and in that short time they’ve faced numerous challenges with grace and optimism- leading by example for other businesses- while continuing to foster an inclusive, welcoming third space that has already become a treasured community staple.
FMC Books
FMC Books not only offers Missoula’s first and only Romance Bookstore, but it also offers a community. Since the opening of their retail space this summer, they have held multiple events, engaged with the community and have quickly become a downtown staple.
Radius Gallery
Since opening in 2014 at their original location on Main, Lisa Simon and Jason Neal’s contribution to Missoula’s Downtown economy is quite remarkable. In just a few years, they completely outgrew their first location and moved to their current location at 120 N. Higgins Ave.
2025 Downtown Employee of the Year Nominees:
Shane Zenker, Office City
Shane is the Manager of a downtown business “staple” since 1916; Missoula’s Office City. Shane consistently greets downtown guests, employees and business owners with an exceptional greeting that keeps customers coming back for more.
Lee Dybdal, Poteet Construction
Lee Dybdal has been behind the scenes for every event involving road closures and detours: parades, marches, Santa’s arrival, River City Roots Festival and, if that isn’t enough, she designs and implements traffic plans for road, sewer and water and projects.
2025 Downtown Volunteer of the Year Nominees:
Darlene Craven, Mountain Line
Darlene was a consistent, reliable, and fun volunteer almost every week at Downtown ToNight this past summer. During a time of year when it’s hard to get volunteers, she signed up regularly and she always checked the sign-up to see if we had empty volunteer slots; many times she would step up day of to help us out.
Cindy Galt
In 2025 alone, Cindy has served as a volunteer for almost every single major event our organization has hosted. She helped out at Winter BrewFest, Garden City BrewFest, multiple Downtown ToNights, River City Roots Festival, and Holidays on Higgins.
Nicole Green
Nicole has been a rockstar volunteer for many years, maintaining a strong presence at the majority of our events. This year alone, she volunteered at Winter BrewFest, Garden City BrewFest, River City Roots Fest, and multiple Downtown ToNights—even while working with a broken foot!
2025 Committee Member of the Year Nominees:
Kelsey Krug, Big Dipper
Kelsey has been an exceptional addition to the Membership Committee, bringing thoughtful insight and engagement to every meeting. She offers smart, constructive feedback, asks the right questions, and contributes ideas that move our work forward.
Bob Nicklay, ABC Fox
Bob has been a cornerstone of the Holidays on Higgins Committee for more than a decade, and his dedication is nothing short of extraordinary. He always shows up…ready to help, ready to problem-solve, and ready to make the event better each year.
Conor Newman, Boyle, Deveny, Meyer
Conor Newman is an outstanding member of the Holidays on Higgins Committee, consistently going above and beyond to the event to life. By either helping to decorate the Santa Room with festive décor, setting up huge lights, or jumping in wherever an extra hand is needed
2025 Board Member of the Year Nominees:
Michelle McCue, Missoula Downtown Foundation
As a committed member of the Missoula Downtown Foundation Board of Directors, Michelle consistently shows up prepared, engaged, and ready to move ideas into action. She doesn’t just attend meetings. She helps shape strategy, create key fundraising events, steward philanthropy initiatives, invite donor engagement, and follows through on commitments that strengthen our downtown community.
Aimee McQuilkin, Missoula Downtown Association
Aimee is an exceptional leader and a deeply dedicated member of the DMP, making her an outstanding candidate for Board Member of the Year. As the owner of Betty’s Divine, Divine Trash Vintage, and the Clark Fork Yacht Club, she exemplifies what it means to be a resilient, forward-thinking business owner—constantly pivoting, adapting, and embracing change when the moment calls for it.