Downtown Denton Main Street, Inc.

About

About Denton

Denton, Maryland - the pace is different here.

We are the quintessential Eastern Shore town.

A place where farmers still gather on the courthouse lawn, where shops and restaurants line Market Street, and where kids gather after school at the library downtown.

The importance of small businesses to the Town of Denton and creating a place where people want to go and to visit. Creating a sense of community where people want to be.

We look forward with measured steps…with creative spaces for artists inspired by the spectacular scenes of life on the Eastern Shore and places where you can dine on its bounty. We live life unhurried and unhassled yet we look forward with foresight and vision.

Our history is tightly woven with farms and fields, African American freedom, and the dark Choptank water that laps on our shore.

Discover our place…

Downtown Denton staff and board consist of a variety of skill sets; non-profit, bookkeeping, small business owners, government employees, code enforcement, writers, leadership development, farming.

Our Team

Audrey Clemens

Main Street Manager

[email protected]

    Since moving to Denton in 2010 Audrey Clemens has been a bookkeeper for about six years, an office administrator, a volunteer coordinator and event/fundraiser.  Audrey started managing Downtown Denton Main Street in January 2019. Audrey has a love for Denton and is very happy to be a part of it.

    Patti Wood

    President

      Patti Wood lives in Historic Downtown Denton and has been a resident of Denton for 32 years. Patti opened Patti's Petals Florist, Gardens and Gifts in Downtown Denton in 2008.  Patti has been with Main Street since the beginning and has worked hard to keep Downtown Denton vital and viable.  She has been involved with most of the Downtown Denton Community projects and events. Keeping this a small quaint town is very important to her and her family.  It is Patti's desire to see all storefronts filled and increasing foot traffic to our downtown historic businesses.  She wants this town and businesses to thrive and be a place where people want to get out of their cars and explore our quaint town and want to stay a while.  Patti also works as a full time Administrative Aide with the Denton Police Department.

      Leslie Grove

      Vice President

        Leslie Grove, with her husband Taylor Hale, owns and operates Luck and Love Homestead located in Downton Denton.  In 2019 she opened at the table as a studio and retail space next to Luck and Love Homestead. Upon moving to the Eastern Shore more than ten years ago, she developed a passion for regenerative farming and creating a food system that supports local producers and consumers.  Leslie and Taylor live and garden on two and a half acres outside of Denton with their menagerie of dogs, cats and chickens.

        Chris Pummer

        Treasurer

          Chris Pummer is a longtime financial journalist, and more recently, an investor and director for small affordable-housing projects in California, Delaware and Maryland. He rose from business writer for The News Journal in Wilmington DE to regional reporter for The Los Angeles Times; executive Director of the Daily Record, Maryland's business and legal newspaper; technology editor for Bloomberg News in San Francisco, top columnist and editor for CBS.MarketWatch.com, and content director for SkyGrid, the top streaming news app on iPad upon its launch. He and his wife own the historic Dawes House next to Town Hall and have been working to improve and update one of Denton's signature properties.

          Kim Crispino

          Secretary

            Kim Crispino lives in Denton and she jointed DDMS in 2019 as a volunteer board member, and then Secretary of the board in 2019.  She has been the part-time Tourism Coordinator at the Wharves of Choptank Visitors Center in Denton since October 2017.  Kim worked for the State of Maryland for 41 years, her last nine years with the Office of the Governor when she retired from State service January 1, 2017.  Kim has volunteered at Compass Regional Hospice Camp New Dawn Grief Camp for Children in Queen Anne's County, and her hobbies are grandchildren, crabbing and fishing.

            Bill Clemens

            Board Member

              Bill Clemens moved to Denton in 2010 when he became the Executive Director of Tuckahoe Habitat for Humanity.  Since leaving Tuckahoe Habitat, Bill started working with the Town of Denton, Planning and Codes Department in August, 2017.  Bill has been volunteering for Downtown Denton Main Street since January, 2018 and has been involved with most of the Downtown Denton Community projects and events.

              Jennifer Hodge

              Board Member

                Jennifer Hodge, Passion for both the arts and business? Yes. Jennifer spent 10 years working in the socially responsible investment industry, while also working as a professional belly dancer in the greater DC area, before moving to our wonderful town.  With a lifelong passion for the arts and business experience, Jen set out to determine how she could best contribute to the community. Working for the Caroline County Council of Arts combines these passions and fulfills her mission to contribute to the community.  Jennifer enjoys contributing to Downtown Denton Main Street as the Denton Arts and Entertainment board representative.  We all hope to add our little piece of culture to the town and county and serving in this way has been such a joy and privilege.  Jen received her Bachelor's degrees from Lehigh University in Economics and German.  She also received her MBA from Syracuse University and Masters in Environmental Science from State University of New York, College of Environmental Science and Forestry, in a dual enrolled program in 2002.