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After seven months at the helm of the Pleasanton Downtown Association, Zac Grant resigned last week as executive director “to seize another opportunity,” he confirmed to The Weekly on Tuesday.
“While my tenure at Pleasanton was brief, it was both fun and productive during a very difficult time,†Grant said in an email.
“Because resources are still scarce at PDA, this was a good time to leave for both the organization and for me,†Grant said. “I look forward to continuing to support PDA with friendly advice, volunteer support and always good wishes. “
During his tenure as executive director, Grant said the association “began a process of navigating the COVID era to a new normal, including the foundations for longer-term programs such as Weekends on the Hill. hand and table service at the Main Street Outdoor Parks “, and that” he is “grateful to the Board of Directors, members and our partners in the Town of Pleasanton.”
While the search for Grant’s replacement is ongoing, longtime former PDA executive director Laura Brooks – who changed her last name from Olson after getting married – is temporarily returning to her old job.
Grant was hired to lead the PDA in May after former executive director Tiffany Cadrette – who held the position for almost two years after Brooks left – resigned to take on a marketing role with the fairgrounds at the Alameda County.
Brooks told The Weekly that she has been involved with the PDA for the past six months, and said Grant specifically asked if Brooks will take over at this time. “I’ll be available to train whoever they hire, but I’m definitely not coming back (permanently),†Brooks said.
It’s not just because Brooks started her own consulting business after leaving PDA in 2019, having overseen the association for 10 years, but also because she now lives in Alabama.
Although not able to handle affairs in person, Brooks said there were currently two staff members on site acting as “boots in the field”, and her decade of experience should also help while the PDA searches for a new permanent leader.
“I’ve been on it for six months so I don’t get cold, which I think made it doable,†said Brooks. “We make sure businesses know the PDA is fully operational and behind them. “
Brooks added, “Obviously COVID has shown us that we can work from anywhere with enough success. Being able to work on certain projects – parklets, Weekends on Main – is not difficult for me, I have Been an executive director for 10 years, so those relationships still hold true. And again, it’s just for the interim; that wouldn’t be doable in the long term, of course. “
PDA Board Director Terri Terry said Brooks “knows the business inside and out. We are very fortunate that she has the time to take care of this project.
According to Terry, the executive director position will open next month, with interviews slated to start in February and someone hired by March.
The PDA is looking for a very experienced leader, said Terry, and “we’ll definitely be looking for someone who has an executive director with nonprofit experience and someone who has a background.”
While an ideal candidate is “someone local, who already knows our city and how it works, they don’t have to be from Pleasanton,” said Terry. “We really want someone who is qualified to do the job.”
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