The Downtown San Diego Partnership has announced the appointment of Betsy Brennan as its new President and CEO. Brennan is a respected and innovative leader with vast experience in business and economic development, quality of life initiatives, public relations, marketing, fundraising, and political advocacy. A New York native, Brennan returns to San Diego after seven years to lead the local nonprofit into a new and exciting era of growth and transformation.
Craig Benedetto, Chairman of the Downtown San Diego Partnership Board of Directors, expressed his excitement for Brennan's appointment, stating that with over 400 applicants, the selection process was robust, and Brennan's leadership abilities and experience stood out. Benedetto and the entire board of directors are confident in Brennan's ability to take the organization to the next level.
Brennan obtained her Juris Doctor, with a specialization in land use, at the University of San Diego. From 2002 to 2008, she worked for San Diego's first-ever City Council President, Scott Peters, where she was instrumental in the transition to a strong-mayor form of government, as well as in the establishment of the roles and policies for the San Diego City Council President's office. Brennan also served as Chief of Staff to former San Diego State University President Stephen L. Weber and held executive leadership roles at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo and the Tahoe Forest Health System in Incline Village, Lake Tahoe. She is a proud graduate of several statewide leadership programs, including Lead San Diego, Class of 2006, and has served on several local nonprofit boards of directors.
Brennan is excited to lead the Downtown San Diego Partnership and work together with the board of directors, staff, residents, business owners, government officials, civic and business associations, and tourism industry representatives to further propel San Diego as a world-class destination. She believes that San Diego is the perfect place to start and grow a business, live in a clean and safe community, and continue to attract visitors to our beautiful Downtown, which is beneficial to our region as a whole. Her tenure begins in late February and she will be formally introduced during the Installation Dinner at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront Hotel on March 1st.
The Downtown San Diego Partnership is a member-based, nonprofit organization focused on representing Downtown San Diego as the leading economic, cultural, and government center of the region to its more than 11,000 property owners and 400 business members. For more information, visit www.downtownsandiego.org.
See more in News.