Kate Roberts is back at the helm of the Monterey Bay Economic Partnership (MBEP), which has asked her to step in as interim CEO effective immediately. Roberts ran the organization for six years, from 2015 through the end of 2021, and now steps in following the departure of Tahra Goraya. In the meantime, a search committee formed by the board will look for a permanent replacement.
"Kate's deep familiarity with MBEP, its members and regional partners will help provide continuity during this transition," said MBEP Board Chair Faris Sabbah in the press release. "We are grateful to Tahra for her service and wish her well."
"MBEP plays a unique role in bringing together business, government and community leaders to tackle the region's most pressing economic challenges," Roberts said. "I'm pleased to support the organization during this transition and help maintain momentum on the important work ahead."
As leadership changes hands, MBEP says its strategic goals stay front and center, and its programs, partnerships and regional efforts will carry on without interruption.
A Return to Familiar Ground
Roberts was first named president of MBEP in September 2015, replacing founding president Jennifer Dossett when the organization was less than a year old. Before MBEP, Roberts ran The Wired Woman, her own management consultancy, and spent more than two decades in high tech, including a decade at Cisco Systems, in leadership roles, partnerships, business development and corporate philanthropy.
Under her leadership, MBEP grew from a startup nonprofit into a respected regional voice. Highlights included founding the Monterey Bay Housing Trust, which turned $1.4 million into $24 million for local affordable housing projects in partnership with Housing Trust Silicon Valley, and helping set a regional broadband standard of 100 Mbps down and 20 Mbps up. MBEP also launched the Equal Access Monterey Bay fund with the Community Foundation of Monterey County to close funding gaps for broadband infrastructure.
In 2021, the California Economic Summit named Roberts California Regional Steward of the Year. She retired from MBEP at the end of that year, and Tahra Goraya was later named president and CEO.
Deep Roots with Santa Cruz Works
MBEP and Santa Cruz Works share a common origin. Santa Cruz Works was founded in 2012 by Bob Cagle, Bud Colligan and Bonnie Lipscomb, and MBEP was created in 2015 to extend that same vision across the tri-county region of Santa Cruz, Monterey and San Benito. Colligan, who co-chaired MBEP at its founding, later served as Roberts' board chair and nominated her for the Regional Steward award.
Roberts joined the Santa Cruz Works Board of Directors in August 2019, shortly after Santa Cruz New Tech merged into Santa Cruz Works. At the time, she called Santa Cruz "the engine of the Monterey Bay's tech scene" and said she wanted to help build an economic base that keeps local talent close to home.
The two organizations have worked side by side for years. MBEP leaders have spoken at Santa Cruz Works New Tech events on topics such as regional housing, and Santa Cruz Works regularly shares MBEP news, including its annual State of the Region and Regional Economic Outlook events and its work securing broadband expansion funding for the Central Coast.
What's Next
Roberts will guide MBEP while the board's search committee looks for a permanent CEO. Her return gives the organization a steady hand who knows its members, partners and priorities, including its longstanding ties to Santa Cruz Works and the Santa Cruz innovation community.
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