Less than six months into the role, the second president and CEO of Houston’s Westchase District has stepped down and been replaced internally.
Irma Sanchez, who has been with the district’s leadership since 2000, is now the president and CEO, the district announced in a press release Monday.
Previous President and CEO Charly Weldon was hired after an eight-month search in May. But Weldon determined early on that her skills were better suited for the nonprofit sector, where she worked previously, Westchase District Vice President of Communications Sherry Fox told Bisnow.
“When Charly announced her decision to leave the district, the board reopened the search and interviewed additional outside candidates before deciding that the best candidate was already working for the district,” Fox said by email.
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Sanchez was most recently the district’s vice president of projects. In that role, which she had held since 2008, Sanchez managed the district’s 380 Area Agreement with the city of Houston, a 10-year agreement that has brought more than $74M of investment into the district, the press release says.
She also managed the development of Woodchase Park and played a role in the development of the 5-mile Westchase District Trail System, the rebuild of Walnut Bend Lane and other streetscape improvements, according to the release.
The district’s board said it wasn't looking for anyone to come and “fix” anything. Instead, it was searching for someone to lead the district and its experienced staff going forward, Fox said.
“[Sanchez] will continue to maintain strong relationships with our local government leaders, contractors and stakeholders,” Fox said. “She’ll also be responsible for reporting to [Houston] City Council on the successes achieved through our 380 agreement with the City of Houston, as we seek to renew the 380 for another 10 years.”
Prior to Weldon, Jim Murphy led the district since its creation in 1995. Murphy remains in a consulting role, according to the release.
The board previously approached Sanchez about the role of president and CEO, but the timing wasn’t right then, Harry Greenblatt, chair of the Westchase District board of directors, said in the news release.
“She has been front-and-center in our efforts to promote economic growth and has proven, time and again, she’s ready to step into this new role," Greenblatt said.
Sanchez was busy raising her young children when she was first approached, but she is now in a position to dedicate herself to the role, Fox said.
“I’ve enjoyed my tenure at Westchase District and look forward to bringing even more improvements to the area for the benefit of our property owners, business owners and residents,” Sanchez said in the release.
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