Jamestown Mayor Sam Teresi (left) introduces Vince DeJoy as his appointment to be the city’s next Director of Development. (Photo courtesy of www.JamestownNY.net)
JAMESTOWN – Mayor Sam Teresi has announced his appointment to be the city of Jamestown’s next director of development. On Wednesday afternoon, the mayor held a news conference to introduce Vince DeJoy as his appointment to serve as development director and Executive Secretary for the Jamestown Urban Renewal Agency (JURA).
DeJoy is a Jamestown native who currently serves as the a city council member for Ward VI. He is the chair of the council’s finance committee and also currently sits as a board member of the Jamestown Local Development Corporation (JLDC) and the Jamestown Board of Public Utilities (BPU). In the past he has also served as a board member of JURA and the Downtown Jamestown Development Corporation.
DeJoy said that when he learned the position was opening, he approached Teresi and expressed interest in being the next development director. Teresi said once DeJoy came forward, he knew he had the right person for the position…
“This has been a quick but difficult process for me. but the process was made a little bit easier in the past couple of weeks when Vince expressed his interest and decided to come forth and express his interest in the position,” Teresi said, adding, “The other night somebody asked, ‘has there been a national search?’ There wasn’t a national search, but I feel I have found a national-quality candidate in our own front yard on Baker St. here in the city of Jamestown.”
DeJoy says he’s hoping to bring a new era of development to the city, and that will start with trying to work with as many business, agencies and organizations as possible.
“The one word that mayor mentioned here is one that I want to define my tenure here as the director of development: collaboration. Collaboration with public agencies, private agencies, foundations, civic groups within the city; I think working together we will do the things that needs to be done to make Jamestown the place that we know it can and should be.”
Mayor Teresi added that in addition to collaboration, the city will also become more aggressive in how it works toward new development.
“We’re looking to launch a new, aggressive era for the Jamestown Urban Renewal Agency and the Jamestown Department of Development, in being the defender and advocate for our changing neighborhoods in the community, whether it be to be promoter of business development in this city, marketing this city, whether it be for the development of our natural assets that can become economic assets for this community [Like the] Riverfront. We’re looking for an aggressive, dynamic new period for the department of development,” Teresi said.
Before becoming official, is appointment must first be approved by JURA board members as well as the Jamestown City Council. JURA will meet today to act on the appointment and the city council will meet on Feb. 25 to vote on. If approved, DeJoy will vacate his city council as well as his seats on the JLDC and BPU. Mayor Teresi will then have to appoint a new resident from Ward VI to finish the current city council term, which ends at the end of this year.
DeJoy currently works as the Director of Business Development and Marketing for the Windsong Radiology Group with offices in Williamsville, Hamburg, Lancaster and West Amherst, NY. In the past he has also worked in sales and marketing positions with various local and national businesses during the past decade.
He holds a Bachelor’s degree from the State University of New York at Geneseo and has completed professional and graduate work at SUNY Fredonia and the Rochester Institute of Technology. He and his wife Norma have three daughters, all of whom reside in Jamestown.
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