A new era in economic development in the Silicon Valley City of Mountain View will begin in May, when John Lang takes the Economic Vitality reins, with a practiced eye on supporting businesses large and small. Lang currently works for the City of Morgan Hill, in the South Bay. City Manager Kimbra McCarthy made the announcement Friday.
“John lives and breathes economic development, and he is very passionate about Mountain View’s future for both businesses and the community at large,” said McCarthy. “John has proven that he can successfully lead innovative projects and collaborate with businesses on solutions, especially during economic downturns … He is ready to fully engage with developing and bringing our economic development strategy to life.”
TBC is thrilled to have worked with the City to bring such a seasoned pro to the job.
“Mountain View has an exciting past, present and future,” Lang said in the City announcement. “The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the need for cities to be flexible and adaptable in order to support the local economy and the people behind it. I look forward to working with our business community, the Mountain View Chamber of Commerce, the Mountain View Downtown Business Association and other community organizations to demonstrate why Mountain View is the city where you want to live, work, learn and play.”
In his 20-plus years in the field, worked for both Morgan Hill and the City of San Jose, as well as lecturing on economics at San Jose State University for 14 years. He has three economic development strategies under his belt, most recently Morgan Hill’s Economic Blueprint for growing the City’s business investment, and has developed use tax programs for both San Jose and Morgan Hill. He also directed San Jose’s Innovation Hub program with the State of California, which supports emerging technology start-ups and entrepreneurs with growing their operations.
He is also well connected in the industry, having served as chairperson for the Silicon Valley Economic Development Alliance and partnering with the San Jose/Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce and Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce in supporting local business growth through collaborative programs.
He has a master’s degree in Public Administration, a master’s degree in Economics and a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Economics, all from San Jose State University in San Jose, Calif.
In this new role as head of the Economic Development Division, Lang will lead a nimble team in the creation of a new Economic Vitality Strategy that will define the future of economic development in Mountain View. He will also support the City Council-appointed Visual Arts Commission and the Downtown Committee, and manage the City’s Downtown Parking District. In addition, Lang will drive the implementation of the Small Business Action Plan that is designed to assist Mountain View’s small businesses during the pandemic and strengthen their resilience for the longer term.
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