Curt Watts Chosen to Lead Cathedral City’s Economic Development – Former Rancho Mirage and Palm Springs Administrator brings years of experience
After an extensive search process , the City of Cathedral City announced today that it has selected former Rancho Mirage Economic Development Director and Palm Springs Redevelopment Administrator Curt Watts to lead the City’s Economic Development Department. Mr. Watts will join the City’s Economic Development Manager Leisa Lukes to strengthen Cathedral City’s ability to entice new businesses and development as the City continues to grow through its recent annexation of land north of Interstate 10 as well as the redevelopment of the downtown corridor along East Palm Canyon Drive.
Mr. Watts brings more than 25 years of public agency and private sector management experience in project management, economic development, redevelopment and real estate. Most recently, he served as the Development Services Director for the City of Rancho Mirage and previously as its Economic Development Director. Prior to serving Rancho Mirage, Mr. Watts acted as the Redevelopment Administrator for the City of Palm Springs managing the City’s former Redevelopment Agency and development of a 400,000 square foot retail shopping center.
“Mr. Watts has lived and worked in the Coachella Valley for more than a decade and has an intimate knowledge of economic development opportunities available for Cathedral City,” stated City Manager Charlie McClendon. “I look forward to working with him as he brings his vision, experience and leadership to promote Cathedral City as a viable option as the center of the West Valley.”
Mr. Watts’ career extends over several decades originating in the San Francisco Bay Area as a real estate portfolio manager, economic development specialist for the City of San Mateo, and development project coordinator for the Port of San Francisco.
He has a record of professional and academic achievement earning an M.B.A. from Stanford Graduate School of Business, an M.Ed. in Counseling and a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Missouri-St. Louis.
