Bo Martinez exits as Broomfield economic development director

BROOMFIELD — Bo Martinez, the director of economic development for Broomfield, is resigning from his position to become director of economic development for Miami Beach.

Martinez, a Colorado native, has served his role in Broomfield for eight years. His last day will be March 8.

“I think it’s a unique opportunity to go to an international city and build on the great brand they have globally,” Martinez told BizWest. “We can focus on business development, culture, sustainability. It’s a great opportunity to be part of a diverse community.”

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Martinez said he is proud of the legacy he is leaving behind in Broomfield.

“One of my goals, whenever I’m going into a community, is to leave it a better place than when I arrived,” he said.

He said he was able to do that through collaboration with Broomfield’s public and private partners, chambers of commerce, the Metro Denver Economic Development Corp., the mayor and with the city council.

“It’s been an amazing run,” Martinez said.

In his eight years leading economic development, Broomfield has had more than 130 companies announce their relocation and expansion, including international companies from Switzerland, Germany and other locations. Those companies represent 8,000 new jobs to the community. Small businesses were served through programs to help them grow. There has been more than $1 billion in capital investment in the city from companies large and small. And Broomfield has consistently been named a top city by publications like USA Today and the Wall Street Journal.

During his transition out, Martinez said he will be working with the city and county manager’s office. He will be focusing on development and a strategic plan for the future.

A successor has yet to be named, but after Martinez’s departure, Jill Mendoza will be the primary point of contact for the economic development office.

Martinez does have some advice for his future successor: “My big thing, as I work with businesses and entrepreneurs, is to make sure I roll out the red carpet and not red tape when working with the business community. You have to be open to ideas, be entrepreneurial, be transformative and look to leverage existing resources from the city council, chambers, any private and public sector partners. It takes a village to make this happen.”

Martinez is a native, and prior to his work in Broomfield, he headed up a neighborhood development organization, was a small-business owner and led downtown development for Phoenix. But Martinez said he is ready to swap the mountains for an ocean breeze.

“It’s definitely going to be different,” he said. “I’ll miss the Denver area and the Rockies will always be home to me. But this is a new, unique opportunity I couldn’t pass up. Miami Beach is a very international city, it’s the gateway to Latin America and all the European markets. It’s a growing and developing community. It’s a global destination for business. I’d like to leverage what I’ve done here in Broomfield, take it to Miami Beach and grow it.”