Celebrating 50 years of working better.
The Tallahassee Downtown Improvement Authority (TDIA) was created by an act of the Florida Legislature in 1971. This act created a special assessment district to assist property owners, businesses, and individuals in the promotion of downtown as a hub for development, business, hospitality, government, art, and culture. The TDIA is governed by an eleven-member board of directors that are appointed by the Mayor of the City of Tallahassee. Members of the board have rotating terms and can be reappointed. Board members must be property owners and taxpayers in the TDIA downtown district. The activities of the TDIA include:
DEVELOPMENT
PLANNING
PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS
SPECIAL EVENTS
PROMOTIONS
BEAUTIFICATION
Additional representation and support from City Staff.
Be a part of it.
Interested in making Downtown work better? Click the link below to learn more about working with us.
Our Board members are required to be property owners, managers, or lease holders within our district. We have appointees from City Commission, County Commission and the Planning Department.
TLH DOWNTOWN STAFF
Elias Mathes
Chief Executive Officer
Make Our Vision A Reality.
Elias is a community and economic development specialist with more than a dozen years of experience working with cities and counties across the nation in the areas of downtown development, urban planning, and project management. Elias is a native of Thomasville, GA and originally moved to Tallahassee in 2010 to attend Florida State University where he obtained master's degrees in Urban Planning and Business Administration. Elias was previously an intern with the TDIA, the Vice President of the All Saints District Community Association, and a partner in several local businesses including, the All Saints Hop Yard, the Grain Restaurant, and the Fermentation Lounge.
Elias previously served as a Division Manager with the City of Asheville, NC where he led efforts to overhaul the city's transit system and develop a 10-year transit master plan. He was an Economic Development Manager with the Chicago-based consulting firm Baker Tilly and a Manager with a DC-based national nonprofit, the Rural Community Assistance Partnership.
Alexis Bondi
Operations Manager
Cultivate It.
As the Operations Manager, Alexis works closely with stakeholders and vendors to plan programming and marketing aimed at benefitting the downtown community and its residents. She also oversees the everyday operations of the office. A graduate of Florida State University and long-time Tallahassee resident, Alexis is passionate about fostering community pride, small businesses, sustainability, and helping people fall even more in love with living in Tallahassee.
She currently serves as the TalTech Alliance Communications Chair and recently joined the Junior League of Tallahassee.
Amy Comstock
Downtown Events Manager
Execute It.
As the Downtown Events Manager, Amy is responsible for managing and curating events and projects that showcase Tallahassee's downtown while creating added value for the community. With a strong belief in the power of community events to bring people together, she is dedicated to creating memorable experiences that enhance local culture and strengthen community bonds.
Amy began her career in Tallahassee while earning her bachelor's degree at FSU and then moved to Houston, where she completed her master's degree at UH. She has a decade of experience successfully organizing events, including with the Peach Bowl, the Atlanta Super Bowl Host Committee and locally with FSU CollegeTown.
2023 Interns
Social Media, Events, and Admin Positions
Grow with It.
Our team is made better by Interns from Higher Education Establishments, and High Schools. While most of our team stays with us for over a year, we have positions that span one semester, one summer- or many.
Our interns range from having Majors in Business, Hospitality, Communications, Finance, Urban Planning- even music. If they have the skills and the drive to help us create a better downtown, we can work together to develop the skills they need for future jobs while helping us drive value to our community.
We are so proud of our past and present interns and the impact they leave.
If you’re interested in working with us, check out talgov.com for opportunities.
Find Agendas, Meeting Minutes, Annual Reports and more.
Learn more about our work.
Projects. Events. Collaborations.
Improving downtown begins one block, one project at a time.
Check back soon to take a look at some of the things we’ve accomplished, and find out how you can work with us to be a part of a better community core.
