New Downtown Association Director Wants to Get Everyone Involved

By Denise Howe, Hacienda Network Staff Writer

Pamela Stoddard has been the new executive director of the Pleasanton Downtown Association since November 12 and she is thoroughly enjoying her job.

"I am very happy to be here and I'm having a great time," she explains. "My initial reaction to Pleasanton has been so positive. People have been so warm and welcoming and I really appreciate that."

Stoddard, who holds a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Florida, spent a great deal of time meeting local business people during her first weeks on the job.

She says that she is very impressed at the wide variety of businesses, services, and restaurants in the downtown, and that they represent a fine cross section that provides something for everyone n the community.

People in Pleasanton are proud of their downtown, she adds, and that sense of pride fits right in with the PDA's mission to promote the economic vitality and hometown character of hometown Pleasanton.

"It's quite remarkable how they parlay that pride into action either as a committee member or volunteer for the downtown association. We could not do what we do on such a large scale without the support of the community, especially the volunteers."

The downtown association has four major committees-design and beautification, economic restructuring, marketing and promotions- and membership is open to anyone who lives or works in Pleasanton.

Stoddard explains that the PDA and the City of Pleasanton are partners in the economic vitality and management of downtown. "We contract with the city to take care of those items on their behalf for the benefit of the entire community. Even though our membership is specific to the businesses and organizations that are located within the PDA district, our job is broader than that. It's to create atmosphere in downtown that brings everyone in the community down here to participate and to patronize the businesses."

During her college years, Stoddard began developing a personal commitment to working and volunteering for community organizations. She also continued developing her interest in historic preservation.

While attending classes, she worked first as a project assistant and then as the membership manager for the National Alliance of Preservation Commissions, a non-profit organization that provides a resource and advocacy network for the nation's more than 3,000 local historic preservation commissions and review boards. She is currently completing her thesis toward a Masters degree in Historic Preservation.

Returning to California in 1998, she located in Hanford, near Fresno, where she served as the director of the Hanford Carnegie Museum for two years. During her 5-month tenure as Main Street Hanford's Economic Restructuring Committee chair, Stoddard guided the committee through a downtown shopper's survey update, a business retention and recruitment grant project, a commercial realtors' luncheon, and an annual dinner. She was then hired as the assistant director and undertook organization of the 20-week Thursday Night Market Place.

She looks forward to increasing the membership in the PDA Associate Member program that any business outside of the downtown can join. Current Hacienda business members include ASYST, CarrAmerica, Four Points Hotel, Lee & Associates, and the Tri-Valley Herald. A number of Hacienda businesses also serve as sponsors of PDA downtown festivals, including CarrAmerica, PeopleSoft, ProBusiness, Robert Half International and the Tri-Valley Herald

Benefits of associate membership include participation in the PDA activities, the PDA directory website listing, all the mailings and e-mails, the opportunity to be highlighted in the monthly newsletter, and priority signups for events such as the 1st Wednesday Street Party. If you would like more information about the Pleasanton Downtown Association, visit www.pleasantondowntown.net or call the PDA office at (925) 484-2199. The e-mail address is dtpleas@pacbell.net.

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