WPCNR MAIN STREET JOURNAL. By John F. Bailey August 21, 2004: Jeffrey Stillman of the White Plains Downtown Improvement Association told WPCNR today that Kathleen Gunn, Executive Director of the BID had resigned Wednesday from her position to take the job of Deputy City Manager of Fort Lauderdale to George Gretsas, the former Executive Officer of the City of White Plains who started as City Manager of “The Venice of the South” on August 2.
COMING ON DOWN: Kathleen Gunn, Executive Director of the BID, left, with Acting Executive Officer Paul Wood of the Mayor’s Office on the balcony at Zanaro’s Restaurant Monday at the Trump-Cappelli affair. Photo by WPCNR News.
JEFFREY STILLMAN, Chairman of the BID at the City Center Movies Opening,December, 2003. Photo, WPCNR News Archive.
Stillman said Ms. Gunn’s resignation came as a complete surprise, but that “Mr. Gretsas made her an offer she could not refuse.” (That offer, according to the Sun-Sentinel in an article appearing on their website Sunday by Brittany Wallman was $124,000 and she will be starting in October. Gretsas is reported by Brittany Wallman, the Sun-Sentinel city hall reporter as about to announce a third hire Monday.)
Gretsas, a guest at Ms. Gunn’s wedding last May, hired Ms. Gunn as a receptionist. He describes her in the Sun-Sentinel as a “Policy Specialist,” when she was hired in the Mayor’s Office about four years ago from which she moved to her position as Executive Director of the BID.
Gretsas terminated the Assistant City Manager of Fort Lauderdale Tuesday of this week. The next day, according to Stillman, Ms. Gunn announced her resignation. Stillman said he expected her to start her assignment in Fort Lauderdale “soon.” He said Ms. Gunn had assimilated an excellent staff at the BID during her tenure there, and he had looked forward to her being there for years to come.
Ms. Gunn was a liaison with merchants, landlords, and members of the downtown businesses who comprise the BID, handling complaints, working for improvements and sampling their opinions and turning their suggestions into accomplishments. During her tenure the Downtown Ambassadors program was begun, the street cleaning crews were implemented, and she also helped plan and implement public events to draw persons to the downtown, and was responsible for creating a new BID newsletter.
Stillman reports he will convene the Board of Directors of the BID this week to determine how to conduct a search for Ms. Gunn’s successor. Ms. Gunn could not be reached for comment.
Ms. Gunn was appointed Executive Director of the BID in April, 2002. Prior to this she worked on grants for the Mayor’s Office, in addition to her other duties in the Mayor’s office, and was a community liaison in Congresswoman Nita Lowey’s office.
