Hickory – Hickory native, Douglas Stewart, a graduate of Hickory High School and Lenoir Rhyne University, has been named the new Executive Director of Hickory Downtown Development Association.
After graduating with a degree in Communications, Stewart spent 15 years in Washington, D.C., working with Lutheran College Washington Semester, an internship program for higher education 
students, eventually advancing to Director of Operations and Communication.
His next move was to Birmingham, Alabama, where he worked as Communications Manager for City Action Partnership, a group that spearheaded the Birmingham’s City Center Framework Plan.
He is excited to be able to come home to Hickory and rejoin his family members still living in the area. Coming from a construction family, Stewart grew up with a love for urban design and hard work. He looks forward to working with business owners, community members, city officials, and HDDA members to continue Hickory’s downtown traditions and explore new innovative ideas.
Hickory Downtown Development Association is a private, non-profit association of downtown Hickory business and property owners and other individuals with an interest in Hickory’s success. Its mission is “to physically and culturally improve downtown Hickory as a place of commerce, recreation, and culture for the people of Hickory and the greater metro area.”
Douglas Stewart
