Gaslamp Quarter Council Names Executive Director

The Gaslamp Quarter Council has selected a San Diego government analyst and consultant as executive director.

Craig Lee, 35, of Harris & Lee Governmental Relations, learned Tuesday of his appointment and plans to begin as the full-time executive director with an annual salary of $52,000 on Aug. 1. Lee, who “brings tremendous enthusiasm to the job,” is working limited hours in his new post while phasing out his own business, Kay Carter, the council’s outgoing executive director, said Friday.

Lee will replace Carter, who became acting executive director in May, 1987, when Larry Monserrate resigned. Carter has been executive director since December, 1987.

Carter submitted her resignation to the council at the end of April and will be joining her husband in his mass-transit consulting firm after the transition.

“I am amazed at the progress that’s been made in the last four or five years. Everywhere you look there is revitalization,” Lee said of the Gaslamp Quarter, which was designated as a nationally registered historic district in 1980.

Lee, of Point Loma, said his first order of business is to work on updating the Gaslamp Quarter’s Planned District Ordinance, which sets the guidelines for height, density and bulk of the districts’ 91 buildings.

Lee said he plans to concentrate on two areas: business development and special promotions, and communication to improve the district’s retail sales. He said he also hopes to stabilize funding for the 16 1/2-block downtown district.

The Gaslamp Quarter, between 4th and 5th avenues from Harbor Drive to Broadway, is “rapidly becoming the jazz quarter and international food district” of San Diego, Lee said.

Lee has participated in the selection of a marketing and business development director to assist in filling vacancies in the district’s buildings. That appointment will be announced next week, he said.

Lee described his background as one of “public administration with an emphasis in public finance.” Before establishing Harris & Lee with Jim Harris, Lee was the executive director of the San Diego Taxpayers Assn.