For REACH, the new year kicked off with a couple new faces around the virtual office, further expanding our capacity to support private- and public-sector partners in driving our long-term economic vision for the Central Coast.
As the new Director of Strategic Initiatives, Julie Sinton Pruniski brings a wealth of project management experience to REACH’s initiative work. She spent the last 12 years advising philanthropic organizations on strategic planning and organizational development. She also helped launch a women’s fertility preservation start-up, developed custom publications for Fortune 500 clients and worked at consulting giant Arthur Andersen. She holds a BA from Stanford and an MBA from Vanderbilt.
Fun fact: A fifth-generation SLO County native, Pruniski grew up on the family cattle ranch in Shandon, where her high school graduating class had just 27 students.
Pandemic pastime: learning to play golf (poorly)
Heather Muran also brings a rich background to the new role of Director of Investor Relations. Many around the region know Heather from her time as executive director of the SLO Coast Wine Collective, where she significantly increased the organization’s funding. She has also lent her marketing experience to organizations from Visit SLO Cal and the SLO Chamber to Lindamood-Bell, CoastHills credit union and Clear Channel Radio and recently co-authored a book about SLO County’s wine region through the Wine History Project.
Fun fact: Heather met her husband, winemaker Patrick Muran, at a Chamber mixer.
Pandemic pastime: Homebrewing kombucha (new) and singing (always)
We are thrilled to welcome them both to the team and look forward to sharing more from them down the road. In the meantime, feel free to reach out to Julie or Heather to say hi.
Also on the move
• Danna Stroud, the former executive director of Travel Paso, has joined the Paso Robles Chamber of Commerce in a new position as the government affairs and public policy coordinator.
Raised in Paso, Stroud’s deep community roots and long experience in the tourism/recreation industry, brings a strong new voice advocating for the city’s business community. Read more about the appointment.
• Dee Dee Myers has taken the reins as director and senior advisor at GO-Biz, the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development.
Myers was the White House’s first woman press secretary, under President Clinton, and more recently headed worldwide corporate communications and public affairs for Warner Bros. Read more about her diverse background.
• GO-Biz also welcomed new regional specialists focusing on the Central Valley, North State and Inland Empire regions. The office is still seeking a Central Coast specialist and will be reposting the position shortly, GO-Biz senior business development specialist (and founding REACH board member) Derek Kirk told the REACH practitioner network last week.
