Information provided by Economic Development Corporation of San Benito County. Lea este artÃculo en español aquÃ.
Renee Wells is leaving her post as the Executive Director of the Economic Development Corporation of San Benito County.
The Board of Directors of the Economic Development Corporation of San Benito County (the EDC) would like to announce that Renee Wells is retiring from her position as Executive Director of the EDC. Renee’s last official day will be June 28, 2024.
Renee has served as the EDC’s executive officer since July 2021, when she was hired during the challenging times of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since her hiring, she has brought stability, leadership, strategic thinking, and coalition building not only to the EDC, but to the greater business community of San Benito County.
Renee has been instrumental in various key initiatives, including the development of the Hollister Airport and local business retention efforts. She helped the EDC secure an $80,000 grant from the Economic Development Administration (EDA) to update San Benito County’s Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) for the period 2023-2027. Before coming to the EDC, she spent 26 years as grants and contracts manager for the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation and managed a large portfolio of residential and commercial properties in San Benito, Salinas, and Monterey Counties.
The EDC will be undergoing changes in its operations following Renee’s retirement. Due to the conclusion of long-term funding from the County of San Benito and the City of Hollister in June 2024, the EDC will not be hiring a new Executive Director at this time. The organization will operate as an all-volunteer board while continuing its mission to support economic vitality in San Benito County.
The EDC will be closing its downtown office effective June 30, 2024, but can be reached by email at info@edcsanbenito.org.