Former Rochester Hills City Council member, and present Polly Ann Trail manager, Lois Golden will be the new director for the Lake Orion Downtown Development Authority.
Golden’s hiring was approved by the Lake Orion Village Council on April 10, and her first day on the job was to be April 17.
She will be paid an annual salary of $44,200, with benefits.
The DDA did not post the opening of the director position after the departure of former director Katie Zimmer, who left in March to accept a position with a large non-profit organization in Chicago.
Zimmer served as DDA director for about one year, after former Downtown Lake Orion Coordinator Becky Goodman resigned to accept a job in Petoskey.
Instead of posting the position, the DDA reviewed applications on file and interviewed those candidates.
The committee unanimously agreed to hire Golden based on her experience in the private and public sectors.
That experience includes a background in web design and graphics, something that greatly interested Village Council member Michael Toth.
‘She has a lot of background in web design, so I really hope she can take what the DDA’s (website) is now, and push it forward,? he said.
Toth said he also hoped Golden would encourage ‘open and honest communication? between the DDA and the Village Council.
Golden has served as manager of the Polly Ann Trail since July of 2004. In her letter of resignation to the trail council, she said May 11 would be her last day of work.
She was on the Rochester Hills City Council as District 2 representative from 1998-2003.
She serves as vice-chair for the Oakland Trails Advisory Council, and initially designed and maintains websites for the Paint Creek Trail, Rochester Heritage Festival, and Save Open Space in Rochester Hills, among others. She was the 2004 events coordinator for the Paint Creek Trail.
Listed among her experience is working at Images by Golden in Rochester Hills, from 1987 to the present, in web design, graphic artistry and computer maintenance and networking. Golden was also working in architectural drafting and graphic artistry for Xavier Design in Rochester Hills. She has also worked in real estate sales and photography.
Golden, who currently resides in Rochester Hills, said she is ‘really looking forward? to her new position in Lake Orion.
‘I’m anxious to get in there and get started,? she said.