Vienna’s first-ever economic development director is saying farewell to the town.
Natalie Guilmeus will officially step down from the position she inaugurated after today (Friday) to take a new job as deputy director for the Virginia Beach Economic Development Department, according to the Town of Vienna.
Hired in November 2019 as the town’s first economic development manager and later promoted to director after a second staff member was hired for her office, Guilmeus hoped to use her previous experience in Arlington and Prince George’s counties to boost Vienna’s local businesses and turn the town into a destination.
Exactly how to make that happen was a daunting question at a time when the town was mired in a debate over Maple Avenue’s redevelopment potential, and businesses throughout the region were scrambling to adjust to the unanticipated challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Shortly after coming on board, Guilmeus helped the town reach an agreement with Fairfax County for the distribution of $2.7 million in relief grants to local businesses affected by the pandemic, the Town of Vienna says.
“We all had plans for her, and she had plans, and then the pandemic hit, and she had to switch everything,” Mayor Linda Colbert said when Guilmeus’s departure was announced at the Vienna Town Council’s Oct. 7 meeting. “It was so impressive to watch her do that so smoothly and help all our businesses get through the pandemic.”
When addressing the town council, Guilmeus thanked Town Manager Mercury Payton for giving her the opportunity to lead Vienna’s economic development efforts and reflected on the changes she has seen over her nearly five-year tenure, which included an overhaul of the town’s outdoor dining regulations, the introduction of Vienna Restaurant Weeks and a landscaping refresh along the commercial corridors of Maple Avenue and Church Street.
Still underway is a collaboration with the City of Fairfax to provide culinary training to boost staffing at the two jurisdictions’ restaurants and bars.
“I’m really grateful for the leadership lessons I’ve learned, for all the challenges, for all the wins, and I really have valued being here in the Town of Vienna,” Guilmeus said.
She noted that she and her husband had been talking about the value of having community and a support system both professionally and personally the previous weekend.
“I just know that that’s really been what I’ve tried to do in this role: make sure the business community felt loved, supported, cared for and understood where all of their resources, but also just someone who understood what their problems may be on a day-to-day basis,” she told the town council, giving a shout out to her colleague in the economic development office, marketing specialist Ashley Curtis.
At the Oct. 7 meeting, Colbert said she learned “a lot” about economic development from Guilmeus.
“I think you’ve taken this town, the way we look at businesses and the way we look at doing business to just a whole other level,” the mayor said.
With Guilmeus enjoying her last day on the job today, the economic development director role will be temporarily filled by Vienna Planning and Zoning Deputy Director Kelly O’Brien until a permanent successor is appointed, according to Town of Vienna spokesperson Karen Thayer.
The town is accepting applications for the position until Nov. 11, after which potential candidates will be selected and scheduled for interviews. The job listing, which went online on Monday (Oct. 21), advertises a salary range of $129,260 to $208,109.
