Team
Hannah Rechtschaffen, Executive Director
Creative Placemaking & Economic Development Strategist
Hannah Rechtschaffen is an award-winning leader and community builder with over a decade of experience guiding transformative projects at the intersection of creative placemaking, economic development, and stakeholder engagement. She currently serves as the Executive Director of the Greenfield Business Association (GBA), leading a dynamic transformation of the organization at a pivotal moment in its evolution.
Hannah brings strategic vision, inclusive leadership, and boundless energy to her work strengthening the Greenfield business ecosystem. Since stepping into the role, Hannah has advanced the GBA’s visibility, connectivity, and impact—launching new networking opportunities, forging vital partnerships, and catalyzing a renewed sense of pride and possibility in Greenfield’s commercial districts. Her work is rooted in an unwavering belief that vibrant local economies are built on trust, creativity, and community input.
A graduate of Drexel University’s renowned Arts Administration program and Oberlin College, Hannah is known for building connective tissue across sectors—aligning public, private, and nonprofit stakeholders around bold, actionable ideas. Her work spans real estate development, downtown revitalization, cultural planning, and brand transformation—most recently as Director of Placemaking & Special Projects at W.D. Cowls, where she led innovative commercial development efforts in the greater Amherst area, and previously at the Lindy Institute for Urban Innovation in Philadelphia, where she leveraged creative solutions in urban design and civic engagement.
Under her leadership, the GBA has expanded its reach through creative marketing, volunteer engagement, public-private collaborations, and the establishment of a new nonprofit arm, Blooming Greenfield, focused on downtown beautification and seasonal activation. Whether organizing citywide events, advocating for the business sector writ large, or stewarding economic resilience initiatives, Hannah is redefining what a 21st-century business association can and should be.
