New NBA Economic Development Director Appointed

The Niwot Business Association (NBA) has announced the hiring of a new Economic Development Director (EDD), Niwot resident Catherine McHale. McHale’s first day on the job was Sept. 1 and she steps into what she described as a “vibrant business community.” The first thing on her to-do list: getting personally acquainted with each Niwot business.

According to the formal job posting for McHale’s new position, it is best summed up as “the vanguard of NBA’s vision for the community’s commercial corridor, from the Historic District to Cottonwood Square, with the intent to create and support a flourishing commercial area with a healthy balance of restaurants, retail, service, arts and entertainment businesses.”

McHale said her 15 years of marketing experience in diverse businesses ranging from high tech to real estate, her business coaching where she has shaped and executed on stated objectives, her promotion of business growth through social media and print, and her ability to forge meaningful relationships are the foundations of her qualifications.

A native of the UK, McHale moved to Niwot six years ago. She holds a master’s degree in European and International Law from the University of Toulouse in France and a postgraduate degree in marketing from the Chartered Institute of Marketing in the UK.

While looking for the perfect landing place near Boulder for her family, she discovered Niwot and immediately recognized that it has a “special downtown area that a lot of communities don’t have,” she said. Her connection with the town is deep, and combining that loyalty with her professional background makes her an excellent resource to promote and cultivate support for Niwot’s commercial base.

McHale is filling the shoes of the previous Niwot EDD, Julie Arkenbrandt, who recently relocated out of state.

As McHale gets her feet on the ground in her new career, she doesn’t see an immediate need to change what efforts are already in place. She feels the present business environment here is “doing great,” so she anticipates continuing with online community newsletters, social media campaigns using Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, and networking with existing businesses.

Reaching out to EDDs in similar communities to see what has been successful for them, honing in on businesses that could expand or move to Niwot, being involved with community organizations such as the Niwot Historical Society, and using the abundant calendar of Niwot events will help McHale to stimulate cooperation, creativity and growth opportunities, she explained.

By design, an EDD’s role is to work on behalf of the community to proactively enhance and expand on the business atmosphere. In Niwot’s case, being a unique, semi-rural town, for McHale this means parking challenges will be addressed, the historic aspects of the area are paramount going forward, and the need to make Niwot a shopping destination is a priority.

McHale’s personal life within the community revolves around spending time with her seven-year-old son, Edsel, enjoying salsa dancing, and working toward her upcoming martial arts black belt testing through Itsera Martial Arts (previously located in Niwot’s Cottonwood Shopping Center).

McHale plans to maintain her freelance marketing practice while working half-time in her EDD position. McHale’s philosophy of, “You can’t sit still,” will fuel her momentum as Niwot’s Economic Development Director.

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