The Prince Albert Downtown Business Improvement District is beginning a new recruitment process for its executive director position following the end of its contract arrangement at the close of January.
Board chair Stacy Coburn confirmed that Rhonda Trusty most recently held the executive director role. However, the position itself was contracted through Capstone Media.
“The executive director job was actually held by Capstone Media, and she was one of the directors of Capstone Media,” Coburn said.
“The board and Capstone Media have not come to terms on a new contract, so Capstone Media has chosen to leave the position because we did not come to terms on a new contract,” she said.
While PADBID has previously operated with more than one person in leadership years ago, Coburn said the executive director role has been structured as a single position for numerous years.
“It’s been quite a while since it’s been a two-person job. It’s been a one-person job for numerous years,” she said.
The new posting is also for a single executive director position.
PADBID is advertising the opportunity on SaskJobs and Indeed. Applications are open until February. Coburn described the role as central to downtown advocacy and event coordination.
“It’s a nonprofit organization, so somebody preferably that’s had some experience with nonprofits. Somebody with strong computer skills, media, marketing, putting on events, fundraising, that sort of thing, and can work well independently,” she said.
The board is open to hiring either an individual directly or entering into another consulting arrangement, though Coburn indicated a preference.
“If we get another consulting company that’s qualified, we’d go that route, or it will just be a qualified individual. We would prefer a qualified individual,” she said.
The executive director works closely with the board and downtown businesses, cooperates with City Hall and other stakeholders, coordinates events, and pursues grant funding. One of the first major responsibilities for the successful candidate will be preparing for the annual Street Fair scheduled for June.
Downtown continues to face challenges, including vacant storefronts and uncertainty surrounding the city’s major infrastructure project commonly referred to as the Big Dig.
“We have a high vacancy rate. I’d like to see those filled,” Coburn said. “We have the Big Dig with the city coming. We’re uncertain of a start date on that.”
The executive director role has also involved direct advocacy at City Council. During recent municipal budget deliberations, then executive director Rhonda Trusty appeared before council to raise concerns about downtown safety and the sustainability of PADBID’s contracted security services, connecting public safety pressures and vacancy challenges to broader revitalization efforts.
At the same time, Coburn pointed to the presence of the University of Saskatchewan, the First Nations University of Canada, and the Gabriel Dumont Institute as positive anchors in the downtown core.
“Our mandate is clear: to create a vibrant downtown,” Coburn said. “We’re constantly trying to change and adapt and do what’s best for our members.”
Coburn said she is confident the recruitment process will bring renewed energy to the organization.
“Sometimes with new people comes new energy and new ideas, It’s an exciting time to see what would come about.”
arjun.pillai@paherald.sk.ca
