Downtown Rochester Seeks New Leader for Growth
Downtown Rochester businesses and entrepreneurs will see the incoming executive set a three-year plan for business attraction starting in early 2027.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Remote Work
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Rochester Downtown Development Corporation is conducting a national search for a new president and chief executive officer, with applications due November 25 and an anticipated start in early 2027. The Chason Group is running the search, and candidates submit a resume and cover letter through the firm's application form.
Why it matters
The organization drives business and investment attraction, entrepreneurship, advocacy, and market intelligence for downtown Rochester, so its leadership shapes the local conditions businesses face. A leadership transition at this stage signals a new strategic direction for downtown business development.
Applications for the president and CEO role close November 25, with the position expected to start in early 2027. The role carries three stated priorities and requires developing a three-year work plan.
The players
Rochester Downtown Development Corporation
A downtown Rochester development organization founded in 1977 that works on business and investment attraction, entrepreneurship, and market intelligence.
The Chason Group
A search firm handling the national executive search for the Rochester Downtown Development Corporation's president and CEO position.
Victoria Van Voorhis
Board Chair of the Rochester Downtown Development Corporation overseeing the organization's leadership search.
The details
Rochester Downtown Development Corporation, founded in 1977, works on business and investment attraction, entrepreneurship, advocacy, market intelligence, and public-space activation in downtown Rochester. The incoming executive is expected to turn the organization's strategic direction into a three-year work plan while coordinating downtown interests and aligning staff, resources, and measurable outcomes. The three priorities for the role are telling downtown's story, activating downtown, and improving safety, livability, and economic vitality.
Timeline
November 25, 2026: Applications due for the president and CEO position.
Early 2027: Anticipated start date for the new executive.
Market Landscape
The search runs alongside the Partnership for Downtown Rochester, a separate nonprofit that supports public-private revitalization of the downtown core. The affiliated Commissary, a food business incubator and licensed shared kitchen, adds an entrepreneurship track to the same downtown ecosystem.
Downtown Rochester businesses and entrepreneurs should monitor the incoming executive's three-year work plan, which will set priorities for business attraction and entrepreneurship. Operators seeking downtown partnerships or market data should track the organization's direction once the new leader starts in early 2027.
The takeaway
The leadership transition signals a fresh strategic direction for downtown Rochester's business development ecosystem. Operators tracking local investment should note the November 25, 2026 application deadline and plan to review the organization's priorities once the new executive takes over in early 2027.
Further reading
For broader context on how employers are structuring leadership and hiring across locations, explore Remote Work coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Fingerlakes1.
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