Sharon Pearson is just the person to fill in as the interim executive director for the Oberlin Business Partnership, following Janet Haar’s retirement from the role Dec. 31.
Pearson has several decades of experience working in Oberlin and in Lorain County, giving her extensive knowledge of the local community.
Her connection to Oberlin started at the very beginning of her life.
“I was born and raised here,” Pearson said. “My father worked at the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration).
“He was one of the air traffic controllers that was brought down from Detroit to help integrate the FAA in the 1960s.”
Pearson went on to work for the city of Oberlin for 25 years and also was on the City Council from 2014-19.
She also worked on the Oberlin Project, a joint effort between the city of Oberlin and Oberlin College to address issues related to sustainability and the local economy.
Most recently, Pearson worked as Lorain County mobility manager for United Way of Lorain County working on transportation with a focus on seniors, people with disabilities and low income.
Pearson said her experience in all these roles gave her key connections for her interim role at Oberlin Business Partnership.
“I worked with a lot of people that I need to work with now, so I’m excited to be able to do that,” she said. “I worked for Oberlin College for a little bit as well.
Pearson said she’s excited to work with Oberlin College, especially as it relates to sustainability and climate action work.
While at the United Way, she drove about 30 minutes to work.
Now, her commute is only a few blocks.
“I have missed working in Oberlin, and I’m thrilled to be back here in town,” Pearson said.
Although she started her role at Oberlin Business Partnership at the beginning of the month, she already is getting started with the work.
“We’re looking at some unique and fun ways to engage our current members, but also how to entice potential new members to want to join,” Pearson said. “We’re going to network with other Main Street organizations and Chambers in the area to understand what they’re doing and see if there’s anything we can glean to really offer the best value we can for our size community.”
Pearson said her position may be as long as six months, but someone may get hired before then.
“We’re not sure exactly when that hiring will happen,” she said. “The board wants to look at some things to make it appealing to the next person.”
The board looks to find someone with some of the characteristics that made Haar so successful at the position, Pearson said.
“In this day and age, somebody staying 12 years is unbelievable,” she said. “We want to find somebody like Janet again, and that’s why the board doesn’t want to rush into that.”
Although there is uncertainty about how long Pearson will serve in the role, she knows she will return as the treasurer of Oberlin Business Partnership’s Board of Trustees, a role she previously held.
She says being interim executive director can help her do that job better when she returns to the treasurer’s post.
“I’ll still be involved, but I’ll have more knowledge of the operations and might be a better board member because I’ll understand the work that’s being done here,” Pearson said.
