Pinsonneault leaves BEC for job with city

BOULDER – Boulder Economic Council director of marketing and communications Jennifer Pinsonneault will begin working next week as the city of Boulder’s business liaison, giving the city’s economic vitality office greater reach in working with area companies.

Pinsonneault’s new job is a two-year, fixed-term position for 2014 and 2015 that will support economic vitality coordinator Liz Hanson.

Hanson said Monday that Pinsonneault will be teaming with her on implementing the economic vitality office’s work plan. Tasks will include coordinating the city’s flexible rebate business incentive program, working on business outreach and business retention, and providing business assistance.

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Pinsonneault will help implement the economic sustainability strategy that was adopted by city council last year as a way to approach growing Boulder’s economic sustainability by doing things like enhancing amenities, making city processes easier for businesses to navigate, and helping coordinate with businesses on issues like transportation.

“It really provides us with the opportunity to have two fulltime economic vitality staff that can meet the needs of the businesses in the community,” Hanson said. “Having Jennifer’s talent and skills will be a huge plus for both the economic vitality program and the city in general. She brings a level of professionalism and a really wide background that can help enhance the service that the city provides to the community.”

Pinsonneault’s position is newly created, or at least revived. Hanson first joined the economic vitality department with the city in 2006 as the business liaison. But her title changed in 2009 as she took on a broader role to help improve business services throughout the city.

For the past year, Anna Gerstle has served as economic vitality assistant on a full-time basis. But she is leaving the city to attend graduate school and do work for the Local Environmental Action Division. Hanson said the business liaison position replaces the economic vitality assistant position, and is a higher-level role. In addition to Hanson and Pinsonneault, the economic vitality office also has a part-time intern.

Pinsonneault said her new role will be a continuation of a lot of what she does now for the Boulder Economic Council, though she’ll likely work more directly with businesses.

“There are a number of things that intrigue me about the city’s new business liaison position,” Pinsonneault said. “It represents an opportunity to be more involved in a number of exciting projects for the city while continuing to work closely with Boulder businesses and community leaders.”

Pinsonneault will work with the BEC through this week, and the organization has posted the soon-to-be vacant position on its website. The duties include marketing and communications as well as helping coordinate research done in collaboration with the University of Colorado’s Business Research Division and the city of Boulder.

The job title has shifted to that of economic development manager. The reason, BEC executive director Clif Harald said, is to convey that the role requires a broad range of skills. The job posting is available on the Boulder Chamber’s website. The deadline for applications is March 24.

“We want to make it clear that this is not just a marketing position, not just a research position but really kind of a generalist economic development position,” Harald said.

Both Harald and Hanson noted the broad collaboration that goes on between their two organizations on economic development and business retention.

“I think the partnership … will continue to be very strong,” Hanson said.