Nancy Sands

Develop, lead, and assess organization- and community-wide projects for the Economic Development and Open Government Department, including IT initiatives to boost staff productivity and community initiatives related to Economic Development and community health. My duties include the following:

• Serve as liaison between City and business community, with special emphasis on nurturing City's relationship with Downtown Business Improvement District (BID) and Petaluma Downtown Association.
• Help businesses and nonprofits navigate City processes and access resources to successfully start, connect, and grow. Work with City leadership and other staff to understand Petaluma's economy so that we can deliver services and infrastructure to support long-term economic health in our community.
• Plan and deliver organization-wide communications and training materials related to Information Technology infrastructure initiatives, including the move to a new permitting system (EnerGov), phone system (RingCentral), and cloud-based file storage system (SharePoint).
• Lead the preparation and monitoring of budget for the Economic Development and Open Government Department.
• Represent City interests with regional Economic Development working group, Petaluma Downtown Association/Business Improvement District meetings, and Blue Zones Petaluma Transformation subcommittee; represent departmental interests on internal Wellness and Holiday Planning committees and Management Analyst working group.
• Negotiate and administer contracts and/or leases for equipment (e.g., copiers) and services (e.g., graffiti abatement, IT consulting, and communications).
• Plan, prioritize, and review work of interns, temporary staff, and contractors as related to Economic Development and Downtown Beautification.
• Analyze data and make recommendations in development and administration of programs in Economic Development (e.g., community gift card) and IT (e.g., use of productivity applications).
• Prepare and present staff reports and presentations to City Council and Commissions, Committees, and Boards on topics related to Economic Development and Information Technology.
• Receive, research, and respond to questions and/or complaints from outside agencies, other City departments, and the general public, ranging from simple requests or inquiries to items of a more complex or sensitive nature.
• Act as "utility player" who provides administrative, project management, and communication leadership on interdepartmental projects, as needed. Examples include serving as a moderator at City Council meetings and assisting with tenant outreach and task management during a transition period at the City's Fairgrounds property.

Part-time Employee - August 2014 through September 2019

Full-time Employee - September 2019 through August 2021

Develop and implement programs and policies related to economic and community development.

• Led City's coronavirus business response and recovery efforts, including development of Free Range temporary parklet program that approved outdoor business operations in 54 locations on public right-of-way and private property.
• Developed staff report, led community outreach, and ensured compliance related to Council adoption of the Petaluma minimum wage, effective in January 2020.
• Implemented new customer relationship management program for Economic Development Division, using Salesforce platform.
• Served as project lead in launch of new city website (cityofpetaluma.org) in 2019.
• Provided strategic insight, creative content, and technical assistance in award-winning Petalumastar business attraction and retention campaign, launched in 2013. Over 10 years, campaign included an advertorial insert in San Francisco Business Times; a 58-page business toolkit and 32-page career and lifestyle guide; 5 branding and informational brochures; public relations campaign; quarterly email newsletters; and a website (petalumastar.com).
• Built relationships with business owners, nonprofits and other entities to generate awareness of city programs and tools.
• Improved community engagement by organizing events, workshops, and seminars focused on economic development.
• Collaborated with government agencies and private sector partners to align efforts towards shared economic objectives.

• Supported business development efforts by creating persuasive marketing collateral that showcased clients' products and services.
• Contributed to successful software product launches by crafting tailored communication campaigns that resonated with target audiences.
• Wrote freelance articles about healthcare, wellness, philanthropy, and technology for business magazines.