Walesh Joins San José
Economic Development Team
San José, CA ----
Kim Walesh, a nationally recognized economic development strategist, will join
the City of San José as Assistant Director of Economic Development early
next year, it was announced today by City Manager Del Borgsdorf. In her new
position, Walesh will lead the team responsible for San José's economic
development strategy.
Walesh, who will join the City on January 20th, 2003, is co-founder
and director of Collaborative Economics, a firm that advises business
and civic leaders nationally and has supported influential Silicon Valley
organizations such as Joint Venture Silicon Valley and Community Foundation
Silicon Valley. Walesh, who will take a leave of absence from Collaborative
Economics, has worked with business, civic and elected leaders in more
than 30 metropolitan regions in the United States and abroad.
"Kim Walesh is a highly regarded expert with national experience
in the creation of economic development strategies," Borgsdorf said
in announcing her appointment. "With her appointment, the City's
Office of Economic Development has the best of two worlds--a director
(Paul Krutko) with national experience in business attraction and development,
and an assistant director with enormous knowledge and experience in the
Silicon Valley economy."
Walesh, who authors Joint Venture: Silicon Valley's annual Index
of Silicon Valley, brings a wealth of relationships with the public,
private and non-profit sectors within the valley. In her new position
Walesh will work with the City's Director of Economic Development, Paul
Krutko who joined the City of San José in February 2002 after leading
economic development efforts in Cleveland, Ohio and Jacksonville, Florida.
The economic development team, which also includes the directors of Planning,
Building and Code Enforcement; Public Works, and Housing, and the executive
director of the San José Redevelopment Agency, is part of a City initiative
to emphasize the economic benefits of locating businesses in San José.
The team will develop a data driven economic development strategy, which
is a priority for the mayor and city council. The strategy will guide
policy, projects, and outreach over the next 3-5 years.
"I am excited about bringing regional, national, and international
perspectives gained from my work with Collaborative Economics to help
nurture and competitively position San José, a community I care very passionately
about," said Walesh, who lives in downtown San José.
Walesh has a graduate degree from Harvard University's Kennedy School
of Government, and an undergraduate degree in Economics from Valparaiso
University. Prior to co-founding Collaborative Economics in 1993, she
was Senior Policy Analyst at SRI International's Center for Economic Competitiveness.
She is co-author of the book Grassroots Leaders for a New Economy:
How Civic Entrepreneurs are Building Prosperous Communities (Jossey-Bass)
with colleagues Doug Henton and John Melville.
If you'd like to contribute your ideas on how to strengthen San José's
economy and position it for future success, please e-mail Paul Krutko,
Director of the Office of Economic Development, at economic.development@ci.sj.ca.us.
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