Director Sought for Pumpkin Festival

Overwhelmed last year by the task of organizing the Calabasas Days Pumpkin Festival, the Calabasas Chamber of Commerce is seeking a paid director to help run the 1996 event.

The festival director would assist in recruitment and supervision of hundreds of volunteers, as well as help manage day-to-day operations, according to a request for proposal sent out to chamber members.

The two-day event is held each October at Paramount Ranch in the Santa Monica Mountains. Last year, according to the chamber, the festival drew 16,000 people.

The director, who would be paid a negotiable fee, would work an estimated 30 hours or more per week during September and October, said Carol Amenta, the chamber’s chief executive officer.

The director, she said, would also be expected to attend weekly steering committee meetings from July to October.

The festival director, among other things, would need experience in producing community events staffed primarily by volunteers and setting up internal control systems for handling cash, according to the request for proposal.

The director would also have to be a chamber member. Priscilla Brehm, chairwoman of this year’s festival, said she is confident the right person will be found.

“There is a lot of talent in the Calabasas area,” she said.

Written proposals must be submitted to the chamber by Monday.

The selection will be made Feb. 20. For more information, call (818) 222-5680.