Gilroy Downtown Business Association Looks for Part-Time Coordinator

Interested in helping shape and develop Gilroy’s downtown?

The Gilroy Downtown Business Association may have the position for you: part-time coordinator for the GDBA.

The deadline to apply for the position was originally Wednesday, but the association extended it until Friday in hopes of attracting more locals, said Larry Mickartz, who sits on its board of directors. As of Tuesday, 30 people from all around the Bay Area have applied.

“We’re looking for a super man or a super person who does work for next to nothing,” said Mickartz about the position, which pays $20-$23 an hour, depending on experience. “They have to have a passion for developing the downtown.”

In recent years, volunteers have carried out the work the position entails, as Gilroy has not had a funded GDBA coordinator position since the 1980s, said Mickartz. Yet the downtown business association recently received money from the city to fund the position for two years.

The position is multifaceted: The coordinator will provide education on “best practices” for downtown development, implement business marketing strategies and coordinate special events, among many other tasks.

“We want someone who will help us plan and grow the association,” said Mickartz.

Specifically, the ideal candidate will have business planning experience, be it in the public or private sector, said Mickartz. They should have also demonstrated prior success with fundraising and have marketing and advertising skills that include social media.