Hall now leads Greeley’s economic-development team

GREELEY – John Hall took the reins this week as Greeley’s director of economic-development and urban revitalization.

Hall succeeds Benjamin Snow, who directed the city’s Department of Economic Health and Housing since November 2018 but left that post April 21 to concentrate on his own business ventures.

Hall will steer Greeley’s economic-development vision and strategy, including attracting and retaining businesses, creating employment opportunities, generating new investments and increasing the city’s tax base.

“Recruiting and retaining businesses, industries, and a talented workforce to Greeley remains a high priority for the city,” City Manager Raymond Lee said in a prepared statement. “John’s experience in this space, particularly with communities our size, puts the city in an excellent position to build on our success.”

Hall’s professional background spans more than 23 years in state, regional, and local government roles. He served as deputy city manager for the city and county of Broomfield, business-development officer and economic-development director for the city of Westminster,  and economic-development and urban-renewal director for the town of Parker.

Hall also has extensive experience in the private sector as a consulting economist, including as principal consultant for Broomfield-based Community Economic Solutions LLC. He most recently served as chief operating officer at Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver.

Before coming to Colorado, he held several posts in the Portland, Oregon, area, including as a researcher and lecturer at Portland State University, business development officer at the Portland Development Commission and Prosper Portland, and as a senior consultant at Leland and Hobson and RCLCO. For three years he was business-development coordinator and enterprise-zone manager for the state of Oregon’s Economic and Community Development Department in Salem.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Willamette University in Salem and a master’s in economics from Portland State.