Nancy Gregg Poss' family laughs at her, but she loves municipal government.

"It's where the buck stops," she said. "It's where you get to interact with businesses, with citizens, and you get to see results firsthand. That's just addictive to me."

Poss began her position as Thurmont 's Main Street manager in July, after the town was without a manager for about a year.

Most recently, she worked as the public information officer for the City of Frederick.

"That gave me a wealth of knowledge," Poss said. "It was there that I truly found a passion for municipal government."

When Thurmont 's Main Street designation came in 2003, Poss has just had her second daughter, and thought the part-time job in town would be great. But she wasn't ready to leave her full-time career just yet.

"When I saw it advertised again last year, I thought, 'This is ideal for me,'" she said.

Taking care of three children, Poss hadn't been working and was looking for something part time.

"The fact that it was here, in my hometown, where I live, just made it a great fit for me," she said.

Poss' main goal is to make sure that the businesses that are in Thurmont , within the Main Street boundaries, are happy.

Also, "That I know what they need, what their expectations are; as well as trying to attract new businesses," she said.

The town's 501(c)(3) status has to be a top priority, Poss said, because in order for businesses within Main Street boundaries to get state and federal funding, the town has to be registered. It will open up the town for more grants, when available.

Her job responsibilities include planning special events such as the annual Christmas in Thurmont and March's business expo. Poss is also getting to know the businesses and learning what their expectations are for their Main Street manager.

"Another thing that I really need to overcome, and it's a goal of mine, is the perception of Main Street managers," Poss said.

The notion that they serve mostly as cheerleaders or special events coordinators is only a quarter of what Poss does, she said. Her four main focuses are design and organizational guidelines, promotion and economic restructuring.

"The way Main Street is supposed to work is you're supposed to have a Main Street manager who is kind of the puppeteer and organizes a whole bunch of committees," she said.

Poss lives in Thurmont with her family, including three daughters, 14, 5 and 3.

"What happens in town is important to me. I'm the Main Street manager who actually works and lives on Main Street."