After a nationwide search and 145 applications, City Manager Cameron Benson has named Tanja Gerhartz the new Executive Director for the Hollywood Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA).
Gerhartz brings more than 25 years of local economic development and planning experience to the CRA ranging from real estate redevelopment and targeted business recruitment to negotiation of incentives and assessment of fiscal and economic impacts.
Gerhartz worked for the City of Orlando for 20 years, including serving as Economic Development Director where she supervised more than 200 employees and oversaw a $37 million budget. In this position, she established auditing and monitoring functions, economic investment strategies, oversaw the largest private investment in Downtown Orlando’s history, revamped the downtown marketing and events strategy and created a downtown business incubator. She is currently president of Gerhartz and Associates, a planning and economic development consulting firm based in New Smyrna Beach, Florida.
“Ms. Gerhartz brings the perfect blend of experience and expertise that is critical to moving the CRA districts forward,” City Manager Cameron Benson said. “She has a proven track record of success in addressing many of the challenges currently facing our CRA districts from retail recruitment to budgeting and economic analysis. She should be an impact player right from the start, which will be a major benefit to the City of Hollywood.”
The Hollywood Community Redevelopment Agency was created under the authority of Florida’s Community Redevelopment Act of 1969. The CRA’s mission is to encourage economic development through the use of tax increment financing by funding development, special projects and services that address areas of community concern.
