By Joshua Benton
Blade Staff Writer
Page 16
The city of Toledo will have a new downtown development manager Friday, when Tara Barney resigns her post.
She will be replaced by Margy Poorman, who will be in charge of bringing businesses and people to Toledo’s downtown. “The city has made some excellent inroads downtown, and I hope to continue that,” said Ms. Poorman, 33.
Ms. Barney is leaving to move to Florida, where her husband, Jim, has accepted a job. Mr. Barney was the city’s parks and recreation director for two years before resigning last year.
Ms. Poorman will be in charge of all development efforts in downtown, the Warehouse District, and International Park. They include projects ranging from the completion of the Valentine Theatre renovation to attracting a health club downtown.
Before coming to Toledo’s development department in July, Ms. Poorman had worked at the Youngstown-Warren Regional Chamber of Commerce as an economic development and international trade specialist.
Before that, she worked for the foreign trade division of the U.S. Department of Commerce as a commodities analyst. She is a graduate of Youngstown State University.
Ms. Barney has been with the city since 1997, and has been downtown development manager since April, 1998. “I think that downtown is showing great signs of vitality, and I’ve enjoyed being part of it,” she said.
She left open the possibility she might return to the city. “The mayor has been very kind in assuring me that I would be welcome back,” she said.