A screenshot from the Centralia Downtown Association’s 360-degree online tour of the downtown area includes text describing information about the downtown and its businesses. See the in-progress tour online at downtowncentralia.org.
The Centralia Downtown Association has a new executive director, one fresh off a cross-country move.
Teri Zambon most recently worked for the Florida National Parks Association, where she served as the Institute Program Development Manager for Big Cypress National Preserve, located about 45 miles west of Miami. She previously worked as an attorney in Texas and with community organizations such as the Holocaust Museum of Houston and Los Angeles Neighborhood Housing Services.
Zambon and her husband, a park ranger, moved to Washington a few weeks ago after he received a promotion to work out of the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge. She will oversee the daily operations of the CDA and work to advance initiatives such as the Meet Me in Centralia campaign and expanded advertising efforts.
“It’s beautiful here,” Zambon said in a statement provided by the CDA. “My husband and I are both avid birders, and we look forward to getting out and enjoying the local environment. Working with the CDA is a great opportunity. I can’t wait to get started.”
CDA board member and Centralia College President Dr. Robert Mohrbacher touted the breadth of Zambon’s retail and nonprofit experience when he announced the hire during a Centralia City Council meeting on Tuesday evening. Her official start date is Tuesday and an event to introduce her to the community will take place in the near future.
Jan Nontell, president of the CDA board for 2018, echoed Mohrbacher’s praise for Zambon after the council meeting, adding that it will benefit the organization to have someone from outside Lewis County at the helm to contribute fresh ideas and perspective to the group.
“Coming from so far away, it will probably take her a bit to fully ingrain herself with the community,” Nontell said. “But I don’t think it will take her very long. She has such a wonderful personality and will be great to work with.”
The CDA began soliciting applications for the position in April, but did not receive as many responses as it had hoped for. It resumed its search in August with an emphasis on finding someone with experience working with a diverse portfolio of organizations as well as proven marketing skills.
Nontell said previously that it had been hard for the board of directors to collectively do the job of an executive director, because their own full-time job commitments limited their ability to focus on long-term planning and other objectives.
