DANA QUITTNER HONORED WITH LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD AT ECEDC’S 30TH ANNIVESARY EVENT

Photo, above: Dana Quittner, holding flowers, accepts Lifetime Achievement Award

Photo, right: Assemblyman Jones honors ECEDC; with Jo Marie Diamond and John Minto

By Miriam Raftery

November 8, 2014 (El Cajon)—An airplane hangar glitzed out in a Back-to-the-Future theme set the backdrop for the East County Economic Development Council (ECEDC) 30^th anniversary celebration.  The event drew leaders from across the region including Assemblyman Brian Jones, who presented a legislative proclamation honoring the ECEDC.

The ECEDC, a nonprofit business growth organization, presented a Lifetime Achievement Award to Dana Quittner, a founding ECEDC board member. Presenting the award to Quittner was Jo Marie Diamond, ECEDC president/CEO, along with John Minto, ECEDC board chair and Santee City Council member, and Deanna Weeks, the first ECEDC CEO, now retired.

Quittner, president of Quittner Consulting, an education communication services firm, helped found ECEDC back in 1984 while serving as a staff member for County Supervisor George Bailey. Over the past 30 years, she has worked in government affairs, workforce training, economic development and public information in the public and private sectors and at local, regional, state and national levels.

“Our organization would not be where it is today without the vision, dedication and hard work of Dana Quittner,” said Diamond (photo, left). “Her support, insight and community connections have been invaluable. She is one of the most talented individuals I have ever met.”

Quittner worked with the county from 1985 to 1993, when she joined the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District. She spent 16 years with the college district before retiring in 2009 as associate vice chancellor, overseeing government relations, economic development and public information. Since 2011, she has consulted on education policy issues as director of communications with the San Diego-based Institute for Evidence-Based Change.

The ECEDC’s 30th anniversary, attended by about 150 people, was held on Oct. 25 inside a hangar at High Performance Aircraft in El Cajon. The event, themed “Back to the Future,” showcased a dual focus of highlighting previous ECEDC successes and looking ahead.

Scattered throughout the 20,000-square-foot hanger were table displays from East County-based companies touting their history of growth—as well as an airplane and a DeLorean car wheeled in for the occasion.

Guests vied for prize drawings including a DeLorean model (photo, left) and bid on silent auction items such as a  Taylor guitar (photo, right).

Major sponsors at the 30th anniversary event included San Diego Gas & Electric, Cox Communications, Barona Casino, and the San Diego County Water Authority.