The Downtown Fresno Partnership has ended a nationwide search for a new leader

The Downtown Fresno Partnership has ended a nationwide search for a new leader, tapping former downtown city manager of Albany, Ga. Aaron Blair to head up the organization. Blair begins his position in July 2014. He replaces interim president and CEO Craig Scharton and former head Kate Borders who stepped down in March to run the Downtown Tempe Community in Arizona. As the downtown city manager in Albany, Blair was instrumental in recruiting more than 28 new businesses to the area and attracting $4 million in new private investment in one of the nation’s poorest communities.

He also oversaw several infrastructure projects to revitalize aging streets. Before that, Blair was the executive director of the Albany-Doughterty Inn City Authority charged with revitalizing and redeveloping the downtown Albany area. Blair received a bachelor’s degree in urban planning in 1999 from the University of Cincinnati.