By: Tyler Graf//September 16, 2009//
Tyler Graf//September 16, 2009//
Beaverton has a new community development director, and it’s a familiar name for the city, still in the midst of contemplating how it could become the new home for the Portland Beavers Triple-A baseball stadium.
The city of Beaverton today announced that Don Mazziotti, the former executive director of the Portland Development Commission, would become the new head of Beaverton’s development department.
Most recently, he acted as a development consultant for the Portland Beavers Triple-A baseball team, as the Beavers’ owner Merritt Paulson began eyeing land in Beaverton for the development of a new Triple-A baseball stadium.
Mazziotti said his former job as a consultant for the Beavers will in no way influence his development decisions at the city.
Those decisions will remain up to Gary Brentano, Mazziotti said. Brentano is Beaverton’s business development services director and is the point person at the city for the stadium project.
“I just plan to do a lot of listening and a lot of learning,” Mazziotti said.
Amy Miner, public information manager for Beaverton, said Mazziotti would play a major role in urban renewal efforts and redeveloping downtown Beaverton. The ballpark would be a part of the larger revitalization effort, Miner said.
Mazziotti said he had his sights on the position before his last day as a consultant for the Gallatin Public Affairs, which was July 29. Mazziotti applied for the community development director position on July 20, he said.
There were 83 applicants for the position, Miner said.
According to the city of Beaverton, Mazziotti was hired because he brings more than 35 years of development experience to the position. In taking the position, Mazziotti replaces Steven Sparks, who had operated as the interim community development director for two years.
Mazziotti also belongs to a number of boards as a paid member and does not plan to step down once he starts his new position on Sept. 28.