Martin brings record of success to SBC
Nancy Martin does not look the part of a rainmaker.
Sitting in a tiny office that could only be described as modest,
tucked behind the unemployment office off a frontage road at the
north end of Hollister, it would be too easy to dismiss the
newcomer with a quick smile and a warm wit. That would be a
mistake.
Martin brings record of success to SBC
Nancy Martin does not look the part of a rainmaker.
Sitting in a tiny office that could only be described as modest, tucked behind the unemployment office off a frontage road at the north end of Hollister, it would be too easy to dismiss the newcomer with a quick smile and a warm wit. That would be a mistake.
Martin came to San Benito County earlier this month as the new executive director of the Economic Development Corp., an organization devoted to bringing employment to a growing commuter enclave since 1982.
She arrives in San Benito County from Southern California, where her Midas touch appeared again and again.
As economic development manager for the Riverside County city of Corona, Martin played a key role in bringing more than 5 million square feet of retail, industrial, manufacturing and office space to the city. More than 15,000 jobs were created, and sales tax revenues grew to $3 billion per year, tripling contributions to the city’s general fund.
Before that, she launched an advertising, public relations and marketing firm from her home. The company’s explosive growth led to her supervising 40 employees and more than $30 million in annual revenues. After receiving national awards for her work, Martin sought to slow down, and sold her firm to a worldwide advertising company.
That’s when others came knocking.
Martin began working with nonprofits, and it was not long before people noticed things were getting done. “People sad, you’re good at getting people to volunteer, so the next thing, I got into economic development,” she said in a recent interview.
That led to Corona, and to a consulting business providing business development, marketing, advertising and public relations to a wide range of clients.
What would bring a person to leave a successful consultancy to land in a Northern California farm town struggling with the mortgage crisis, a sewer moratorium and unemployment levels that nearly lead the Bay Area?
Opportunity for change, Martin said. “I was looking for a change – new challenges,” she said. “This seemed to be the right experience to jump into.”
Martin cited Hollister’s genuine downtown district and San Juan Bautista’s rich history and scenic values as assets.
Then there’s the human component.
“We have a unique opportunity to create a world class workforce,” she said. “It’s an opportunity to capitalize on newer technologies coming out. I love this kind of economic development.”
Martin replaces the only executive director the EDC has ever known, Al Martinez. Martinez, who has been assisting Martin during her transition into the job, will officially retire at month’s end.
The imminent end to Hollister’s 6-year-old sewage hookup moratorium is a key to economic development, she said.
“Rooftops are necessary if you’re going to bring in businesses,” she said. “But how do rooftops fit in with views, so you’re not losing what makes San Benito County a unique spot,” she said, citing available land, a workforce that mostly commutes outside the community and what she described as a supportive government climate.
Ultimately, Martin believes her job is to give people back the community they call home.
“Economic development keeps people here,” she said. “I want them to stay here to enjoy our community, and I want people to come from outside to enjoy what’s here as well.”
Martin spent much of her first days on the job meeting people and getting to know the county she intends to call home.
One key role Martin sees for herself is that of a bridge between a variety of government agencies and private sector organizations working toward local economic development.
As Martin comes to have a deeper understanding of the community, she is anticipating the results of a survey from the county Council of Governments that will offer insights into where out-of-county commuters work and shop. Armed with that data, she hopes to lure employers to open local facilities, or to develop innovative partnerships to save people commute hours.
Describing her own minutes-long commute, Martin raved about the quality of life in her adopted hometown.
“We have a lot to offer, and I’m optimistic about the future,” she said.
Nancy Martin can be reached at 636-1882.
