One of the most frequent questions I get from our city's business operator is, "Who do I call for … "
It's understandable. The government structure can be confusing, and some cities are organized differently than others. The City of Carlsbad has made it a priority to be more responsive to businesses, especially in the current economic climate when speed and efficiency are more important than ever. One of the ways we're trying to help is by assigning single points of contact to help businesses with their needs.
Kathryn Dodson joined the city in May as our economic development manager, a new position that focuses on working with the business community and supporting a strong local economy.
Kathy will serve as the business community's main point of contact with the city, helping to identify ways the city can help businesses prosper. She will also work with companies considering relocating to Carlsbad that have the potential to bring new revenues and jobs to the city. One of her first steps will be refining the city's economic development strategy, which identifies the types of businesses that would be the best fit for Carlsbad.
Kathy brings to Carlsbad more than two decades of experience working for public and private sector organizations and advanced degrees in business and tourism. Just prior to accepting her new position in Carlsbad, Dodson served as planning and economic development director for the City of El Paso, Texas, where she oversaw major redevelopment and downtown revitalization projects, a nationally recognized green building program and successful business attraction and retention initiatives.
Before that, she was the president and chief executive officer of the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce, where she worked with local and state government agencies, the business community and non-profit sectors to improve the local business climate. Other experience includes serving as the vice president of a commercial and industrial real estate firm and director of marketing for a real estate development company.
Kathy is looking forward to getting to know the Carlsbad business community. She can be reached at 760-602-2744 and [email protected].
In addition to Kathy's role as a general point of contact to help local businesses, the city has established a position to help businesses through the permitting process, whether it's a new building project, an expansion of an existing building or improvements for new tenants. Mike Peterson, our development services manager, took on this role following an assessment of our development review process a few years ago.
Mike's job is to help members of the public, including businesses, through the building and construction permit process. He serves as a central coordinator for construction permit approvals, working with all the city departments and divisions involved. When applicants have questions about where their permit is in the process or what the next step is, Mike is there to help. His job is also to ensure the city provides excellent customer service throughout the permit process and meets or exceeds plan check turnaround times.
Mike has been with the city for more than 27 years, and his vast experience makes him uniquely qualified to assist businesses and home owners through the building and construction permit processes. If you need help with or have questions about a building or construction permit, contact Mike at 760-602-2721 or [email protected].
As the city continues its transition from a growing city to one where much of the major development has already occurred, we are adapting to a new way of doing business. Fostering a strong and diverse local economy where businesses thrive is key to maintaining the excellent quality of life our community enjoys.
With a strong team in place, and an approach based on providing excellent customer service and working in partnership with the business community, Carlsbad's future has never looked brighter.
It's understandable. The government structure can be confusing, and some cities are organized differently than others. The City of Carlsbad has made it a priority to be more responsive to businesses, especially in the current economic climate when speed and efficiency are more important than ever. One of the ways we're trying to help is by assigning single points of contact to help businesses with their needs.
Kathryn Dodson joined the city in May as our economic development manager, a new position that focuses on working with the business community and supporting a strong local economy.
Kathy will serve as the business community's main point of contact with the city, helping to identify ways the city can help businesses prosper. She will also work with companies considering relocating to Carlsbad that have the potential to bring new revenues and jobs to the city. One of her first steps will be refining the city's economic development strategy, which identifies the types of businesses that would be the best fit for Carlsbad.
Kathy brings to Carlsbad more than two decades of experience working for public and private sector organizations and advanced degrees in business and tourism. Just prior to accepting her new position in Carlsbad, Dodson served as planning and economic development director for the City of El Paso, Texas, where she oversaw major redevelopment and downtown revitalization projects, a nationally recognized green building program and successful business attraction and retention initiatives.
Before that, she was the president and chief executive officer of the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce, where she worked with local and state government agencies, the business community and non-profit sectors to improve the local business climate. Other experience includes serving as the vice president of a commercial and industrial real estate firm and director of marketing for a real estate development company.
Kathy is looking forward to getting to know the Carlsbad business community. She can be reached at 760-602-2744 and [email protected].
In addition to Kathy's role as a general point of contact to help local businesses, the city has established a position to help businesses through the permitting process, whether it's a new building project, an expansion of an existing building or improvements for new tenants. Mike Peterson, our development services manager, took on this role following an assessment of our development review process a few years ago.
Mike's job is to help members of the public, including businesses, through the building and construction permit process. He serves as a central coordinator for construction permit approvals, working with all the city departments and divisions involved. When applicants have questions about where their permit is in the process or what the next step is, Mike is there to help. His job is also to ensure the city provides excellent customer service throughout the permit process and meets or exceeds plan check turnaround times.
Mike has been with the city for more than 27 years, and his vast experience makes him uniquely qualified to assist businesses and home owners through the building and construction permit processes. If you need help with or have questions about a building or construction permit, contact Mike at 760-602-2721 or [email protected].
As the city continues its transition from a growing city to one where much of the major development has already occurred, we are adapting to a new way of doing business. Fostering a strong and diverse local economy where businesses thrive is key to maintaining the excellent quality of life our community enjoys.
With a strong team in place, and an approach based on providing excellent customer service and working in partnership with the business community, Carlsbad's future has never looked brighter.