Tammy Ackerman: Falling in love with Biddeford

A story by Biddeford Cultural & Heritage Center Voices of Biddeford project from 2004-2021

"Voices of Biddeford" interview with Tammy Ackerman

How long does it take the be part of Biddeford? For some, it takes being here for generations. For Tammy, it was a matter of just walking down Main Street for the first time in 2004 and resulted in her playing a pivotal role in Biddeford's downtown transformation. An entrepreneur "from away" with a small graphic design business, she chose Biddeford as her new home. It didn't take long for her to be recruited to be an active participant in a cultural planning grant and the downtown master plan.

Her volunteer work led to being President of the Heart of Biddeford's board. She eventually founded the non-profit, Engine. She helped organize a wide array of events from high-quality artist exhibitions to shows where anyone in the community were contributors. "It illustrated the power the arts have in community building and marketing Biddeford itself." In her interview, she shared her thoughts on MERC (the trash incinerator), the donation by the Reny's family of the Marble Block, the impact of COVID, and the evolution of the food culture wave in downtown Biddeford. Recorded April 1, 2021.

View a transcript of this interview and more pictures/additional information at Tammy Ackerman - Biddeford Cultural and Heritage Center.

See more stories from the Voices of Biddeford project.

Tammy Ackerman

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