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Sharon Pearson began her role as Interim Executive Director of Oberlin Business Partnership on January 1st. (John Elrod — Morning Journal)
Sharon Pearson is only the interim executive director of Oberlin Business Partnership, following the retirement of Janet Haar on December 31st.
Pearson has decades of experience working in Oberlin and Lorain County and has extensive knowledge of the local community.
Her connection with Oberyn began at the very beginning of her life.
“I was born and raised here,” Pearson said. “My father worked for the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration).
“He was one of the air traffic controllers pulled out of Detroit to help integrate the FAA in the 1960s.”
Mr. Pearson has worked for the City of Oberlin for 25 years and also served on the City Council from 2014 to 2019.
She also worked on the Oberlin Project, a joint effort between the city of Oberlin and Oberlin College to address issues related to sustainability and the local economy.
Mr. Pearson most recently served as the Lorain County Mobility Manager for United Way of Lorain County, where he focused on transportation for seniors, people with disabilities, and low-income populations.
Pearson said his experience in all of these roles provided important connections for his interim role at Oberlin Business Partnership.
“I’ve worked with a lot of people that I need to work with right now, so I’m excited to be able to do that,” she said. “I also worked at Oberlin College for a short time.
Pearson said he is excited to work with Oberlin College, especially as it relates to sustainability and climate action efforts.
While at United Way, she drove about 30 minutes to work.
Now, her commute is just a few blocks.
“I missed working in Oberlin, so I’m very happy to be back in town,” Pearson said.
She started her role at Oberlin Business Partnership at the beginning of the month and has already hit the ground running.
“We’re looking at some unique and fun ways to engage with our existing members, but also ways to entice potential new members to join,” Pearson said. “We’re networking with other Main Street organizations and chambers of commerce in the area to understand what they’re doing and really provide the best value for a community of our size. I’m going to see if there’s anything I can collect.”
Pearson said her term could be up to six months, but someone could be hired by then.
“We don’t know exactly when hiring will happen,” she says. “The board wants to consider a number of things to make it attractive to the next person.”
Pearson said the board is looking for someone with some of the characteristics that made Haar successful in the position.
“It’s hard to believe that people stay for 12 years these days,” she said. “We want to find someone like Janet again, which is why the board doesn’t want to rush it.”
Although there is uncertainty as to how long Ms. Pearson will hold the position, it is understood that she will return to her previous role as Treasurer of the Board of Trustees of the Oberlin Business Partnership.
She said serving as interim executive director would allow her to better perform her job when she returns to the treasurer post.
“I will continue to be involved, but I may be a better board member as I gain more operational knowledge and understand the work being done here,” Pearson said.
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