Published in the March 30 – April 12, 2016 issue of Morgan Hill Life
After two decades downtown BookSmart finds new location
After 21 years of selling books and nurturing the downtown community of Morgan Hill, BookSmart is moving.
The popular community store and meeting place was forced out of its current location by a downtown redevelopment project. Owners Brad Jones and Cinda Meister will move to the former Concept Cyclery shop location at 1295 E. Dunne Ave., Suite 120.
“We spent many months mourning the loss of our current home, but we are very excited to announce we have found a new home,” Jones said. “It isn’t in the downtown (a mile away), but it is a beautiful building with a great landlord and many fine businesses all around. We are very lucky to have found such a wonderful site.”
Now the couple is trying to raise the estimated $300,000 it will cost to remodel the building and move. To do so, BookSmart has launched an Indiegogo campaign hoping to raise $75,000 to do the remodeling; and they will be relying on personal loans for the rest.
BookSmart is making changes to their business model as well. A group of BookSmart advocates came together to create the BookSmart ‘Tiger Team.’ The Tiger Team’s vision is to create a new business model for BookSmart and the community. Based on Kepler’s Books hybrid business model, Kepler’s 2020, combining the retail bookstore and nonprofit literary foundation, BookSmart is forming its own nonprofit called BookSmart Community Advantage so that the community-building and literary education programs can be expanded without jeopardizing the retail side of the business.
BookSmart hopes to be in its new home by June and asks all bookstore lovers, reading advocates and localists to consider making a small donation to their Indiegogo campaign. Jones said, “It truly takes a village and the book-loving village is strong!” To make a donation to help BookSmart move please go to www.indiegogo.com/projects/booksmart-the-next-chapter#/.
Water district names Norma Camacho interim CEO
Norma Camacho
The Santa Clara Valley Water District Board of Directors named Chief Operating Officer and Acting Chief Executive Officer Norma Camacho as the interim CEO, pending the outcome of a nationwide search for a permanent CEO.
“Ms. Camacho has the experience and know-how that we need to steer this ship while we search for a permanent replacement,” said Board Chair Barbara Keegan. “We believe that the day-to-day operation of this organization is in good hands.”
Camacho, a four-year veteran of the water district, steps into the role vacated by Beau Goldie, who retired in January. Per the board’s plan, Chief Operating Officer Jim Fiedler served as acting CEO for a month following Goldie’s departure, and the position then rotated to Camacho.
Camacho has headed up the Watersheds Division for her entire time at the district. As the chief, she has had a staff of about 200 and has overseen flood protection and stream stewardship activities.
During her tenure in Watersheds, she has led her team on significant progress on the San Francisquito, Permanente, and Upper Llagas creeks projects and has brought the Evelyn Fish Passage project to completion. Another important accomplishment was the passage of the Safe, Clean Water and Natural Flood Protection Program, an annual parcel tax approved by voters that continues to provide much-needed funding to Watersheds projects.
“I look at this as a team effort with myself and all the chiefs,” she said. “I think it’s going to take all of us to work together in collaboration to get through this gap period, to continue all the good work of the district, and to push forward on the large projects that we are going to be facing us in the future. Then, at the end of this process, we’re going to be handing the permanent CEO a solid organization that has accomplished much and is going to be working in harmony.”
Camacho will remain interim CEO until the board fills the position permanently.
Pinnacle CEO appointed to prestigious position
Susan Black
Susan Black, president and CEO of Pinnacle Bank, has been appointed to serve on the American Banker’s Association Community Bankers Council.
“Community banks play such an important role in our banking industry and our nation’s economy,” Black said. “This appointment gives me the opportunity to represent California and more specifically the communities we serve and advocate for the continued success of American hometown banks.”
Based in Morgan Hill, Black has been director of Pinnacle Bank since its inception in 2006 and was appointed president and chief executive officer in 2008. She has more than 25 years of extensive experience in the banking industry.
The ABA Community Bankers Council meets twice a year and is made up of about 100 bankers from institutions throughout the country with generally less than $3 billion in assets. Pinnacle Bank is a community business bank with locations in Morgan Hill, Gilroy and Salinas and has assets of $257 million.
– By Staff Reports
