The executive director of the MHDA, Theresa Kiernan, has resigned and Jorge Briones II, events coordinator, has been tapped to fill the position.

"I resigned as executive director for the MHDA last week on Tuesday, and the board decided this morning that they would like to promote from within and name Jorge Briones to take my place," Kiernan wrote in an e-mail to the Times Tuesday. "We will start the hiring process to fill the position of the Event coordinator rather quickly."

Board member Brad Jones said Kiernan improved communication with the city during her tenure as executive director.

"Everyone thinks she did a great job bringing the association forward, keeping the lines of communication open between the association and the city," he said.

The board decided to move forward with Briones' appointment because they were pleased with the work he has done for the association in his role as event coordinator.

"We didn't want to miss the opportunity to keep Jorge because of his background and proven ability and aggressive schedule for upcoming events," Jones said. "It also seemed to be a great time to give him the opportunity to move up into a full-time position."

Board President Eric Wallace said though he was not happy to see Kiernan leave the position, the way things worked out was a "real blessing."

"Theresa really turned things around for the association, helped us get things going in the right direction," he said. "Jorge has been a real part of that, a big part of the equation. Everything that he has done, that he has planned on doing, enhances that which she's already done ... I was surprised that she is leaving, but the timing is perfect, she has groomed someone to succeed her. People like Theresa are always going to be sought after."

Kiernan was a corporate trainer before moving to California, but was unable to pursue that career at the time of her relocation, and now the timing is right with her family situation and the association to step out of her position as executive director, she said.

"Because of Jorge's background, his qualifications, and the rapport he has developed with the merchants, I feel more than comfortable about him stepping in," she said.

Briones will officially assume his new position on March 7.

"None of us knew Jorge, but we felt very fortunate when he first came on board, and with the way things have worked out, it's like we planned it," Wallace said. "We were amazed, really, that we found someone as qualified as Jorge, and I'm really thrilled that things will continue to flow in the right direction. It's really a blessing for us."

Article Written By:
Marilyn Dubil - Morgan Hill Times
Marilyn Dubil covers education and law enforcement for The Times. Reach her at (408) 779-4106 ext. 202 or send her an email.