For more than two decades, Joe Spencer has engineered growth and vitality in downtown Saint Paul. As the first president of the Saint Paul Downtown Alliance, Joe works across public and private sectors to build a strong, vibrant downtown and create a positive experience for visitors, residents and workers alike. With his leadership, the Downtown Alliance created the Downtown Investment Strategy to align public and private investment priorities to transform downtown; launched a new brand and subsequent marketing campaigns that reinforce the promise that downtown Saint Paul is Your Place to Grow; and partnered with property owners to create the Saint Paul Downtown Improvement District to deliver clean and safe services, and activated the streets with hundreds of free events, public art installations and more.

Prior to serving as president of the Downtown Alliance, Joe served as director of arts and culture under former Saint Paul Mayor Chris Coleman. He played an instrumental role in 10 major capital projects downtown that were financed through grants and other innovative fundraising, including the Ordway Concert Hall, Palace Theatre and the Minnesota Children’s Museum. He also helped launch a diverse array of new music festivals that attract more than 100,000 visitors to downtown each year. Additionally, he recruited dozens of new bars, restaurants, venues and creative businesses to downtown Saint Paul.

An active member of the community, Joe serves on the International Downtown Association Board of Directors, the Saint Paul Area Chamber Board of Directors, the Saint Anthony Park Community Foundation, Minnesota Teacher of the Year Selection Board, Ordway Arts Partnership Campaign Board, and other volunteer positions.

A lifelong Saint Paul resident, Emma Burns is a motivated startup specialist dedicated to strengthening her community. As Director of Operations for the Saint Paul Downtown Alliance, she oversees the organization’s day-to-day operations and drives initiatives that enhance downtown’s safety, cleanliness, and vibrancy. Emma manages the Alliance’s public space activations, supports the Downtown Improvement District, and leads special projects that bring together business leaders, city officials, and community partners to advance downtown’s economic vitality. She also plays a key role in organizational strategy and internal systems, ensuring the Alliance can deliver on its mission at scale. Before joining the Downtown Alliance, Emma worked with two local retail startups, where she improved customer experiences, expanded into new markets, streamlined operations, and fostered community engagement. She currently serves on the Visit Saint Paul Board of Directors and is a graduate of both the Saint Paul Area Chamber’s Leadership Saint Paul program and the International Downtown Association’s Emerging Leader Fellowship. Emma lives in Saint Paul with her husband, their two babies, and their dog.

Melissa Ferlaak is a strategic communications and marketing leader with more than 15 years of experience advancing mission-driven organizations through public relations, brand storytelling, community engagement, and audience development. She currently serves as Director of Communications for the Alliance, where she leads communications strategy, media relations, marketing initiatives, and storytelling efforts that support the vitality and growth of downtown Saint Paul. Her work focuses on elevating public visibility, strengthening stakeholder engagement, and championing the people, businesses, and experiences that shape the downtown community.

Andrew Sun is the Executive Administrator at the Saint Paul Downtown Alliance, where he supports board operations, financial administration, and special projects across the organization. He has coordinated major initiatives including the Reimagine Downtown St. Paul community engagement process, the Ambassador Recognition Event, and the Annual Meeting. A Minneapolis resident who works daily in St. Paul, he brings a genuine Twin Cities perspective to his work on downtown vitality, one shaped by living at the intersection of two distinct and dynamic cities. After growing up in New Jersey and spending a formative decade in New York City, where he developed both his artistic career and a deep belief in the vitality of urban life, Andrew put down roots in Minnesota. He served at Minnesota Opera as both a Resident Artist and Executive Manager, and has taught at NYU and the Manhattan School of Music. As a classically-trained pianist and conductor, he has performed at Carnegie Hall, the Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concerts, and locally with St. Croix Valley Opera, most recently playing keyboard in the pit orchestra for the national tour of The Phantom of the Opera at the Orpheum. A Merola Opera Program and Music Academy of the West alumnus, he brings that artistic depth to his commitment to the cultural and civic life of downtown St. Paul. He is also a community mentor with Big Brothers Big Sisters and a certified Mental Health First Aid responder.

With more than two decades of experience, Dave Higgins has expertise across the life cycle of real estate development and investment. He previously worked on large-scale urban redevelopment and public-private partnership initiatives in Boston and New York City, including four years with the Boston Redevelopment Authority and the real estate group of global law firm DLA Piper. Other prior roles include chief operating officer of Business Technology Partners in New York and vice president of development for both McGough and Roers Companies in Minnesota. Higgins holds a bachelor's degree in English from Colby College in Maine and a Juris Doctor from the University of Maine School of Law.

With more than three decades of experience, John Bandemer has dedicated his career to keeping the City of Saint Paul safe. As director of safety strategies for the Saint Paul Downtown Alliance, John oversees a team of street ambassadors and staff who act as conveners for the social service providers, private building security teams and Saint Paul Police Department when it comes to responding to and communicating about issues that arise within the Saint Paul Downtown Improvement District (SPDID).
John directs the Safety Communications Center, which brings together public safety agencies and private security teams to track and share data, communicate issues, and develop innovative solutions to public safety within the SPDID. The Safety Communications Center is a key initiative of SPDID, which was formed by the Downtown Alliance and property owners in the district.
In 2025 John was recognized by the International Downtown Association as an industry leader in effective safe and clean programs for urban place management organizations (UPMO) and asked to participate in the drafting of a published brief highlighting effective partnerships between UPMO’s and law enforcement as an essential component to transforming downtowns after the Covid epidemic.

Prior to working at the Downtown Alliance, John was senior commander, chief of staff and executive officer to the Police Chief. Over the course of his career, he served in multiple districts and specialized units and coordinated a multi-agency task force to combat human trafficking in the region. He holds a B.S. degree in Criminal Justice from Bemidji State University and is a graduate of the 247th session of the FBI National Academy.