After more than two decades at the helm of the Oregon Convention Center, Jeff Blosser is heading north.
The Washington State Convention Center in Seattle announced Wednesday that Blosser, the executive director of the convention center since its 1990 opening, will start Oct. 24 as that facility's president and CEO.
"The timing fit," said Blosser, whose wife's family and two sons live in the Puget Sound area. "It made sense to take a look at that opportunity, and I was fortunate enough to get it."
Blosser oversaw an extended period of growth for the convention center, including a 2003 expansion of the facility and the 2005 designation of the center as LEED-certified – the first already-constructed center in the country to earn the designation.
The expansion, Blosser said, "put us in a different market set for Portland, and for the convention center, to go after bigger business."
According to a report released earlier this year, the Oregon Convention Center generated $526 million in spending in the Portland region in 2010.
Blosser didn't achieve all of his goals – the debate over whether, and how, to build a headquarters hotel for the Oregon Convention Center continues.
"Maybe if I get out of the way they might get a headquarters hotel," Blosser said, laughing. "I'd like to see it continue to be successful in attracting business and begin the engine that drives the economic impact here in the community." He said he'd also like to see the facility achieve LEED Gold certification.
Blosser, 55, said he'll miss the convention center's staff, the city's hospitality industry and the Portland region in general.
"I'll miss the community more than anything else," he said. "Portland's a great city. I raised my family here, so it's one of those things that'll never leave me."
In Seattle, Blosser will take the reins on a convention center with a comparable budget to the Oregon Convention Center. He'll also be entering a situation similar to the one he's creating here – outgoing Washington State Convention Center president John Christison has led that facility for 21 years.
Metro officials have not announced the process for finding a new convention center director, or who will manage the facility in the interim. The announcement comes a day after Metro Council President Tom Hughes left for a trade mission to Asia.
"The Oregon Convention Center is responsible for infusing millions of dollars into Oregon’s economy each year and we’ve got some big shoes to fill in Jeff’s absence," said Teri Dresler, the director of Metro's visitor venues. "We’re going to take the time necessary to determine the best fit for this very important job."