| | Published October 27th, 2010
| New Development Director(s) for Moraga
| | By Sophie Braccini |  | | Moraga's newest team attended the Chamber of Commerce Business Forum at SMC. From left: Chamber president Edy Schwartz, Mary Coe, Richard Larsen and Renée Zeimer. Photo Sophie Braccini |
The Town of Moraga has a new Economic Development Director...or make that three. Town Manager Mike Segrest introduced the trio of volunteers at a business forum at Saint Mary's College, which was organized by the Moraga Chamber of Commerce and Mechanics Bank. Mary Coe, Richard Larsen and Renée Zeimer are the bold souls who have volunteered to tackle a Herculean challenge: promoting shopping in Moraga. A combination of diverse experiences increases their odds of success.
"We have very complimentary backgrounds that will work well toward our purpose," commented Zeimer, "it is critical that we are visible and engaged, because the team who will make this economic change happen is really going to be the Town of Moraga. Our job will be to mobilize all the stake holders, and build buy-in."
Mary Coe is a Business Statistics Instructor at the School of Economics and Business at Saint Mary's College; prior to that she was co-instructor, with Tom Terrill, for the Jan Term course Urban Renewal and Design. Material covered in this class included urban infill planning, community marketing, city planning, smart growth and urban limit lines strategies. She has sponsored many students in internships out in the community. Coe holds an MBA with an emphasis in Quantitative Business Analysis from Arizona State University.
Richard Larsen is a commercial real estate broker, with extensive experience in appraisal, development and marketing strategy. Larsen is semi-retired, but still active in a large development in Walnut Creek. His marketing experience includes the promotion of industrial parks and commercial buildings. He is also experienced in property management. Larsen holds an MBA from UCLA.
Renée Zeimer was, until recently, the assistant to the city manager in Walnut Creek. Prior to holding that position she was a project manager in the Art, Recreation and Community Department for that city. She has extensive knowledge of citywide project development and financing, including the new downtown library in Walnut Creek. She holds a Master Degree in Public Administration from the University of Oregon.
"I believe it is a very important step for Moraga's economic future to have three professional people that will work together as Moraga's Economic Development Team," said Chamber president Edy Schwartz, "I had a chance to be involved in the interview process, and I am excited about the diverse talent, experience and knowledge each one of these individuals brings to this position. From the Chamber, the community, the Revenue Enhancement Committee and the Town government I have heard the need for a clear economic vision for our Town. We now have the possibility to move toward this goal. We also have the possibility to take the initiative to reach out to businesses that would meet the community's needs and thrive as successful entities in Moraga. This team can bring this knowledge to the property owners of our shopping centers. I urge the community to get to know these individuals who have volunteered their time to improve our Moraga economy and let us all work together to help Moraga thrive."
The team will be introduced to the Town Council on October 27. Their office will be located at 329 Rheem Blvd.
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA