Downtown Tucson Partnership hires former editor for promotion efforts
by Teya Vitu on Sep. 30, 2008, under Edge, Local
Cara Rene
Updated version: includes Rene’s marriage to the chief of staff of a city council member.
Former Tucson Citizen senior editor Cara Rene will work to bridge the gap between what’s happening downtown and what people in greater Tucson think is happening downtown.
Rene will oversee marketing and promoting downtown in the newly created position of vice president of community development at the Downtown Tucson Partnership.
The position differs from that held by former executive director Donovan Durband, who largely administered the city’s Business Improvement District and the partnership’s maintenance and security duties. Rene starts Oct. 13.
“People always say nothing is happening downtown,” said Glenn Lyons, the partnership’s chief executive. “Every day something exciting is happening and people don’t know about it. We’ve got events. We’ve got restaurants open on Saturdays that people don’t know about.”
Rene is married to C.T. Revere, who is chief of staff to City Councilmember Nina Trasoff. Her ward includes the eastern half of downtown and Trasoff chairs the council’s Rio Nuevo subcommittee.
Lyons said Rene will work closely with neighborhood associations, arts and culture organizations and downtown businesses to best promote downtown. While at the Citizen, she was actively involved with Tucson Meet Yourself and Eat Downtown, where a dozen restaurants offered samples at Hotel Congress.
“What we need Cara to do is for people who want to know what’s going on downtown, she will get e-mail and Internet notices to them,” Lyons said.
Rene believes the best route is niche marketing for specific interests. She wonders about the disdain for downtown even though Foothills residents are regulars downtown.
“I see those people down here,” she said. “Downtown is already a happening place. We do need to get the word out. We will target people for the type of event they are interested in.”
