PENDLETON — The Pendleton Downtown Association announced it was hiring John Hart as its next director on Dec. 15, 2020, but it was almost a missed connection.

Hart had already visited Pendleton several times over the years during trips from Boise, Idaho, to Portland, but by the time he learned of the open position with the downtown association, the application window was already closed.

But the position opened up again, allowing Hart to apply for and eventually become the top employee at the nonprofit.

Although his roots were in Idaho Falls, Idaho, Hart’s first career was in academia, including a stint as a professor of visual design at Rowan University in New Jersey.

But as he and his then-wife started a family, they decided they wanted to return to the West, which was more suitable to an outdoor lifestyle.

“Once we had kids, we had the heartstrings pulling at us,” he said.

By the time the Pendleton job became open, Hart was based in Boise and had built up a second career as an economic development consultant, including time spent advising small businesses development centers.

While traveling between Boise and Portland, Hart always liked to stop in Pendleton, not only for its downtown area but also for the community spirit that helps animate it.

As an example, Hart remembered a recent experience he had at Hamley Steakhouse, where he stopped for a drink. He told the bartender that he wanted to find a cap with the Round-Up’s bucking horse logo on it. The bartender connected him with a Pendleton Whisky distributor who also happened to be sitting at the bar, and a short time later, Hart had his hat.

Hart now reports to the downtown association’s board and will work under the umbrella of the Pendleton Chamber of Commerce.

“We are lucky to have someone of John’s experience join our community,” Pendleton Downtown Association President Angela Thompson said in a statement. “It is a testament to the success of our downtown community and the beauty of our downtown area to be able to recruit John to join us. He has extensive business and community development experience that will take our efforts to the next level.”

Hart said one of his first tasks as director has been to get caught up on the association’s parklets initiative. After using on-street parking spaces as extra dining space for Main Street restaurants, the association is interested in making parklets a semi-permanent feature of downtown Pendleton.

With the area still reeling from the effects of the state’s COVID-19 shutdowns, the association and chamber thinks they could play a key role in helping restaurants recover when they reopen.

Hart said he’s telecommuting from Boise currently, but he intends to move to Pendleton, where he intends to reside in the downtown area.