Welcome Stuart Baker to Nevada City Chamber!

I was glad to read about the hire of the new Executive Director of the Nevada City Chamber — Stuart Baker.

As a UC Berkeley graduate, student in the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism, longtime journalist, and former Berkeley resident, I was glad to read about his background. YubaNet published the Chamber’s press release:

“Baker has resided off and on in Nevada City since 1997 when he first discovered the town while attending California College of Ayurveda. For four and a half years he served as the Executive Director of the Telegraph Business Improvement District (TBID) in Berkeley, CA, while also serving on the Board of Directors of the Berkeley Chamber of Commerce.

“As Executive Director, Baker led a staff of twelve, worked with over 150 merchants and nearly 200 property owners when undertaking initiatives to improve area infrastructure and district aesthetics, developed partnerships with the Berkeley YMCA and University of California at Berkeley, and worked with the City’s Planning and Zoning Commissions, developers and student activists to promote the construction of housing projects within blocks of the campus.

“Another exciting initiative Baker spearheaded was working with the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism to create a smartphone-enabled walking tour app that documents and shares the rich history of Telegraph Avenue. The app is so popular it is now part of the University’s orientation materials to all new students.”

I also wholeheartedly agree with this perspective:

“’While the pandemic has been crushing for merchants, I believe we are on the cusp of a combination of positive events,’ said Baker. ‘As many travelers will initially be inclined to avoid unnecessary air travel, there will be a great opportunity to entice Northern Californians to pay us a visit.’