The National Main Street Program, part of the National Trust for Historic Preservation based in Washington, D.C., recently accredited the Emmaus Main Street Partners as a 2013 National Main Street Program. The accreditation acknowledges the work of EMSP in 2012.

Gene Clock, president of the Emmaus Main Street Partners, commented on the importance of the accreditation in a press release.

"It outlines what we must do to be accredited and . . .it shows that we accomplished the goals and objectives of the accreditation. Kudos to our executive director and the many volunteers who give their time and talents to the Emmaus Main Street Partners for this recognition," Clock wrote.

The EMSP met the commercial district revitalization peformance standards set by the national group. EMSP's performance is annually evaluated by the Pennsylvania Downtown Center, which works with the National Main Street Center to identify the local programs that meet 10 performance standards.

Evaluation criteria determines the communities that are building comprehensive and sustainable revitalization efforts and include standards such as developing a mission, fostering strong public-private partnerships, securing an operating budget, tracking economic progress and preserving historic buildings.

Emmaus Main Street Partners is a non-profit program established to support and revitalize the Emmaus' historic downtown.