Mayor appoints two economic development assistants

Boise Mayor Dave Bieter has appointed two people, Cece Gassner and John Brunelle, to be his new economic development assistants. John Brunelle, former general manager of the Idaho Stampede and a principal at the public relations firm The Brunelle Agency, and Cece Gassner, an intellectual property attorney with significant regulatory experience, start on Monday with annual salaries of $75,000 each.

They fill two vacant positions in the city’s economic development department, including one from the recent resignation of the interim economic development manager, Jennifer Pirtle.

Bieter on the new hires: “It’s vital to Boise’s future that we continue the mission of the city’s Economic Development Division to bring energy and innovation to our economic development efforts, particularly in the high-tech industry and in retaining and expanding existing businesses. That’s why I am so excited to have Cece Gassner and John Brunelle joining my office as the new Assistants to the Mayor for Economic Development. I’m confident their hard work will bring great benefit to the business community and the city at large.”

The mayor’s office offered the following information on Brunelle and Gassner in a release:

Brunelle possesses 25 years of experience in a wide range of business environments, from independent enterprise to Fortune 500.

-As general manager and co-owner of the Idaho Stampede, he demonstrated a talent for taking an underperforming company and turning it into a thriving venture.

-His strong marketing background will be invaluable as Boise continues to seek new and effective ways to promote, attract and retain companies and talent.

-As principal of The Brunelle Agency, he co-founded Catholic Charities of Idaho’s “Loaves and Fishes” event, successfully tapping into the community to create a signature philanthropic event.

Gassner brings exemplary credentials as an attorney with experience practicing business law in Idaho, New York and California.

-She has particular experience in intellectual property matters, giving her a unique understanding of the high-tech industry so important to Boise’s and Idaho’s economic future.

-As counsel to the Public Utilities Commission in the Idaho Attorney General’s Office, she worked closely on matters relating to the telecom, gas, water, and electric industries, whose activities are intimately tied to both municipal government and economic development.

-She is co-founder of “Divas for a Difference,” a Web site and newspaper column that seeks to educate and mobilize the community to support local charitable causes.