Politics & Government
La Jolla Merchants Association Welcomes New Executive Director
The association, which formed earlier this year to manage Business Improvement District funds and promote La Jolla, hired its first executive director.
The La Jolla Village Merchants Association introduced its first executive director Wednesday at its August meeting at the La Jolla Women’s Club. The merchants association hired Rosemary Murrieta.
Murrieta has more than a decade of nonprofit and planning experience. She last served as director of special events in the city of Boulder, CO.
La Jolla Village Merchants Association President Philip Coller said the search for an executive director took three months. Coller said 28 candidates were reviewed for the position.
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In her role, Murrieta will work to enhance La Jolla’s reputation as a destination for locals and visitors. She will be responsible for the daily operation of the association, including marketing, fundraising, producing events, managing volunteers, strategic planning and working hand in hand with the merchants association’s volunteer board of directors.
“It is our intention as a new merchants association to take the 1,200 businesses that we have and 100 or 200 more businesses that we think we can get into this community and put the village back into La Jolla,” said Coller.
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Coller said Murrieta, who has been busy in the past two weeks attending community meetings and meeting community stakeholders, created that motto.
“We feel the Village community typifies the sense of what most people want out of living or visiting this place. A village that offers superb accommodations, great restaurants, top line shops, perfect beaches, seals if you want seals. We have everything and people need to know about us,” said Coller.
San Diego Councilwoman Sherri Lightner, who represents District 1 including La Jolla, said the hiring of Murrieta was an important step in cementing the future of the La Jolla Village Merchants Association.
“Rosemary has the experience and passion to make our village all it can be and should be,” said Lightner.
Murrieta said all the organizations in La Jolla need to row in the same direction. She has met with numerous local organizations and plans to meet with more.
"We are all looking to make a spectacular community of La Jolla," said Murrieta.
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