Meet the Board: Megan O’Bryan

A Lifetime of Giving Back

By: Julieta Larios

Longtime Mount Vernon resident Megan O’Bryan is passionate about our downtown and keeping it the friendly, close-knit community she has always known it to be. We asked O’Bryan abour her outlook toward serving on the board. Here is what she had to say:

Q: Can you introduce yourself and share what inspired you to join the Mount Vernon Downtown Association?

O’Bryan: I’ve lived in Skagit County all my life, and I grew up literally in a bookstore because my mom and grandma opened a bookstore when I was six years old. I grew up in that store. My first work life for 20-plus years was actually as an employee at the store. The store closed in 2007; at that point I was the manager. It was Downtown, so I was downtown all the time. The store started right next to the Lincoln Theater in 1976 and then moved out to the malls on College Way for a minute, and then came back downtown in 1987. So I had, like, grown up downtown too, and I was on the board back in the 80s and mid 90s and helped out with the downtown association way back then. So when Ellen took over, she's just super dynamic, and I just, I don't know. I love downtown. I wanted to be part of it. I don't like being disconnected from it, so being able to be downtown and be with people who are living and working in downtown is really important to me. I want downtown to succeed. I want to see it reach its full potential. 

Q: What does being on the board mean to you?

O’Bryan: Being on the board means keeping that connection to downtown. It means knowing the businesses and the business owners, and having the ability when I'm talking to my friends, my clients, my family, having the ability to tell them about things that are going on downtown, events that we're having, growth that we're seeing. As well as comings and goings, new openings and passings and things like that. It just means feeling connected to downtown. It's just that feeling of connection, that feeling of community. 

Q: How have you noticed Mount Vernon evolve over the years?

O’Bryan: Downtown is always changing. It's not a static place. Businesses come, and businesses go. Restaurants open and restaurants close. I think there was kind of a heyday moment in the mid to late '80s, early '90s, where people shopped locally, ate locally. You know, you bought your clothes and your shoes and your kids' clothes and shoes and everything here, and malls hadn't really killed everything, and online shopping didn't exist yet. So, it definitely has changed in that regard. I think what has stayed the same is knowing the person behind the counter that hometown service. You know the person who owns the store, and you build a relationship with them, and they know what puzzles you're going to want to buy for Christmas presents, and how old your nieces and nephews. It feels good because you're supporting people that you know and who live in your neighborhood, and you want them to succeed. 

Q: Was there a moment when you felt especially proud of the work you’re doing?

O’Bryan: Lots of them. I mean, I think some really cool things have happened, are happening, such as the Summer Sips program and the concert series. And, looking for sponsors for the Halloween candy so that you can continue doing the trick-or-treating and not make businesses have to foot that bill. The Business and Occupation tax. I love that program. I think that is such a cool program that more businesses should take advantage of. That they can direct the B&O taxes that they have to pay anyway to benefit the downtown association, I think that's huge. That's kind of monumental. Also super, super proud of the Lido Collective. I think that is incredible that the downtown association has started a viable business and has this presence down here. The Lido is kind of springing out of the pop-up space that we have, which is just an incredible business incubator. For example, places like KLT Works are downtown now, because we have that pop-up space.

I take no credit; that is fully Ellen's vision and doing. But I'm proud of downtown for doing it. Also, really proud of how Ellen and Emma and the board, everybody worked through COVID. Not only just the board, but the downtown. The downtown pivoted within days of the shutdown. I was picking up puzzles in the alley behind Kids Stuff; we were gonna be home, we needed something to do, and just had to call them and tell them what I wanted, and they've had it all bagged up and ready to go. Everybody; the businesses pivoted, and the community cared. 

Q: What keeps you motivated to stay involved?

O’Bryan: I think growing up in a small community, you appreciate connections and you want to keep them and grow new ones. You don't want it to end up being another Lynwood or Seattle; you don't want to let go of that small town feel. Knowing the people in the store when you walk in, and knowing the people who are waiting on you in a restaurant- it's nice. It's a good feeling. You want that sense of community and connection with the people that you live and work around. 

Q: How has serving on the board changed your perspective on the community?

O’Bryan: In a lot of ways, my perspective hasn't changed. It's like the same conversations 30-40 years later. It's parking and business hours, and certain things never change, but there are other things that you see. For example, with the passage of time, with the advent of the internet and the way the American consumer tends to spend, valuing cheap and quick over quality, and taking a little time. I feel like there is a little bit of a trend going back to appreciating personal attention and handmade, handcrafted local items. I think that the world is getting a little bit tired of this “sameness” of everything that you see on the internet, and you know, everything you order comes from overseas, and you don't get anything that's unique and individual. If you shop down here, you can get unique, individual things and T-shirts and sweatshirts and jewelry that other places don't have, and the people that you see in a different town you've never seen before.

Q: What’s something about your role that might surprise people?

O’Bryan: How little time it really takes. They should definitely volunteer because we're not spending days and days and days on things. It's a couple of meetings and some emails every month, and once a year, a strategic planning session.  I think people think that if they say yes to volunteering, that it's gonna suck up all their time, and it's just not the case. At least with the downtown association, you have time- just how you choose to spend it- and it goes by quickly. There are term limits, and they pass very fast, and then you're at the end of it, and you have to go do something else for a while. 

Q: What do you hope to leave behind or accomplish during your time on the board?

O’Bryan: I hope I don't actually leave anything behind because I would like to come back. I guess what I hope to leave behind are lasting friendships and an invitation to come back and help out in the future. I don't want to leave them.