Photo: Contributed

Paula Quinn is the new Downtown Kelowna Association executive director.

The new executive director has landed at Downtown Kelowna Association.

Paula Quinn, who recently served in the same role at KF Aerospace Centre for Excellence, will sit in the DKA big chair when Mark Burley retires early next month.

“This announcement is bittersweet in that we’re delighted to welcome a very capable, experienced leader in Paula Quinn, but at the same time we’re bidding farewell to a champion of downtown in Mark Burley who has spent the last six years working so hard on behalf of the organization,” DKA board president Renata Mills said in a press release.

“However, after a highly competitive selection process, we have the privilege of continued leadership excellence with Paula, a highly regarded member of Kelowna’s business community.”

Quinn’s business background includes aviation, entrepreneurship and civic engagement. She has served on multiple volunteer boards, including the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce, where she was elected as a director in 2022. Her other board roles were with Regional District of Central Okanagan, BC Cancer Foundation and YLW Airport Advisory Committee.

“With my background in strategic leadership, community development and stakeholder engagement, I will bring a passion for collaboration and innovation to support the continued growth and vibrancy of downtown Kelowna,” Quinn said. “I’m excited to build on the important work of the association and am committed to helping everyone experience and fall in love with the heart of our city.”

DKA will make the transition from Burley to Quinn on June 4, when it holds its annual general meeting.