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June 2022 Business Spotlight
HATS OFF TO TIM SCHMAND FOR A MAGNIFICENT JOB ON LINCOLN ROAD
Every Lincoln Road business owner knows Timothy Schmand as the man in a stylish fedora who is always willing to assist. Many, however, do not know the many other hats that Tim has worn throughout his career. Originally from Buffalo, NY, he loves to tell the story about his arrival to Miami Beach. In 1979, he hitchhiked from Buffalo to Key West and then to Miami Beach, which was a quiet little town. His first job in South Florida was training mentally disabled adults in janitorial skills near the Miami train yards (in what is now Wynwood). At the time, the circus would base camp near the train yards, but the performances were in the Miami Beach Convention Center. He fondly remembers watching the iconic walking of the elephants across the Venetian Causeway, an unforgettable sight.
After some time, Tim put on another hat as part-time security guard at the Historical Museum of South Florida, where after two years he was promoted to Associate Director of Marketing, Publications and Communications, and served as Manager of the museum store. Also an aspiring writer, Tim pursued and obtained a Master of Fine Arts. This academic achievement led him to his next chapter as a grant writer for the Science Museum (now the Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science), Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, and Bayfront Park Management Trust.
While working on a Shakespeare Festival grant for the Bayfront Park Management Trust, Tim was asked to assist with the operation of the Shakespeare Festival. This new hat led to a 25 year career as executive director of the Bayfront Park Management Trust, where Tim managed all aspects of Bayfront and Museum Parks. Under Tim’s leadership, the parks achieved $7.5 million in net revenue between 2003 and 2016 and attracted 8.5 million attendees to concerts, special events and community activations. One of his major accomplishments is the 2008 Ultra Music Festival in Bayfront Park that garnered numerous accolades, including inclusion in the Rolling Stone magazine Top 10 Concerts of the 20th Century in the United States—an honor shared with Woodstock Music and Art Fair (1969) and Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.
Never one to shy away from a challenge, although he had been thinking about retiring, Tim picked up his hat in 2017 and joined the Coconut Grove Business Improvement District as Interim Executive Director, where he lent his expertise and knowledge to the transformation of the business corridor.
Tim attributes his interest in urban placemaking and vast knowledge of energizing outdoor spaces to, “The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces”, a book by William H. Whyte. Tim credits the Whyte book, which launched a mini-revolution in the urban planning and design of public spaces, to guiding and transforming his views and management acumen on how public spaces contribute to the wellness of a community.
In 2017, Tim upgraded his hat to serve as the executive director for the Lincoln Road Business Improvement District.
“I bought my first gift for the love of my life on Lincoln Road,” shared Tim. “We bought our wedding rings on Lincoln Road, before we were married in old City Hall. Lincoln Road will always hold a special place in my heart.”
With his hat and heart in hand, Tim has led the mini economic revolution of Lincoln Road in his 5-year tenure. He has nurtured and built an internationally known destination robust with art and culture, world-class cuisine and retail, and family friendly programming. During the pandemic, Lincoln Road was severely impacted, like every global business district. Yet Tim embraced the challenge and his cultural experience to exhibit 13 monumental Botero sculptures on the pedestrian promenade from fall 2019 through spring 2020 — encouraging residents and visitors to enjoy Lincoln Road’s open space and engage with merchants offering take-out and socially distanced artistic entertainment.
When asked about his legacy, the soft spoken, charming, stylish and affable Tim shared that he wants to be remembered for being an urban and open space champion who dedicated his professional life to assisting merchants and evolving spaces from simple urban placemaking into memorable and near perfect commercial and outdoor spaces. Likewise, he hopes his influence has inspired residents, businesses and tourists.
“I am pleased and proud that Lincoln Road has emerged as an inviting urban public space with sun, shade, food, trees, fountains, entertainment and people,” said Tim. “As Whyte wrote 30 years ago, public spaces bring people together and Lincoln Road serves as an excellent sustainable example that continues to thrive. I am proud that, during the recent pandemic, the Lincoln Road leaders, members, team, and community opened and curated spaces that changed lives by uniting, engaging, and healing this community. Lincoln Road is special – it is where two strangers can meet and have a conversation, a couple can leisurely stroll, teens can enjoy a pizza, colleagues can have a cafecito, and everyone can partake in retail therapy.”
A graduate of State University College of New York, Tim also holds a Master of Fine Arts degree from Vermont College. Tim plans to add to his collection of books he has authored and published - “Just Johnson; The London Delivery,” and “The True Tales of Bad Benny Taggart.”
Hats off to Tim for everything he has done for the City of Miami Beach and Lincoln Road. His contributions and accomplishments are celebrated and we wish him well in his next chapter!
