Sunset Park 5th Avenue BID Seeks New Executive Director As Renee Giordano Announces Retirement

SUNSET PARK – After more than 20 years, Renee Giordano is stepping down from her position as Executive Director of the Sunset Park 5th Avenue Business Improvement District (SPBID).

“After 20 years as Executive Director of the Sunset Park BID, I have decided to retire. It has been a real thrill working here and watching the changes 5th Avenue has gone through,” Giordano wrote on the BID’s Facebook page on November 13.

Prior to joining the SPBID as Executive Director, Giordano was a stay-at-home mom, raising her five children, and a very active participant in community groups. “My husband had always been a community leader and I became involved too then, as PTA president, president of the Friends of the Library, chair of a US Postal Community Committee, president of our block association, and an active member of Sunset Park Restoration,” she explains. “While teaching our children the necessity of community involvement, we became staunch advocates for the Sunset Park community.”

The mission of the SPBID is to revitalize Sunset Park’s 5th Avenue shopping corridor and enhance the quality of life for the community. Founded in 1995 and managed by the Sunset Park District Management Association, a not-for-profit economic development organization, the SPBID runs along 5th Avenue from 38th to 64th Streets. The organization oversees 384 properties containing more than 500 businesses—primarily locally owned mom-and-pop shops.

As Giordano has done over the years, the new Executive Director will provide leadership to the SPBID and will be responsible for administration, financial management, and the daily operations of the organization. He/she will manage the SPBID programs and services and will respond to stakeholder’s issues and/or concerns. The Executive Director will report to the Board of Directors which consists of a group of elected volunteers made up of local property owners, business owners, residents, and government officials.

“I think the new Executive Director should expect to be an advocate for the business community and the residential community of Sunset Park together,” Giordano adds, noting that important qualifications candidates should possess include the ability to work with others, the ability to understand the needs of the community, and a willingness to “think outside the box to find ways” to meet these needs.

During her time with the SPBID, Giordano introduced free Wi-Fi to 5th Avenue in 2013 and helped develop an app to promote the businesses along the avenue in 2016, according to the Brooklyn Daily Eagle.

For the 2016 holiday season, Giordano launched a project encouraging shoppers to take selfies beside signs displayed along 5th Avenue reading, “You Are Beautiful” in English, Spanish, Chinese, and Arabic, to boost morale and self-confidence in the community, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported in another article.

Giordano will be with the SPBID through the end of the year, with her last day scheduled for December 31. She’s looking forward to spending time with her husband, who retired years ago, and to not having to worry about deadlines every morning.

The couple plans to visit family across the country and to continue their work on restoring a one-room schoolhouse in Pennsylvania and learning more about that area’s history. She quickly points out—”I am still going to be in Sunset Park, so it will still be my community. I love it and will continue to care about it.”

“There is so much that is great about this community, but we should never expect someone else to advocate for us,” she says. “We should never just settle for what life gives us, because if we can make it better for others, that makes it better for ourselves too.”

Congratulations, Renee! Here’s to a happy retirement!

Interested in applying for the Sunset Park 5th Avenue BID Executive Director position? Check out the full job description here.