Simon Vuong

Background

About Simon Vuong

After I receiving my Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from the University of California, Riverside and my Master’s Degree in Planning at the University of Southern California, I began my pursuit of a career in Urban Planning and started with the City of Cupertino doing entry level planning work, staffing the counter, managing residential review applications, and reviewing building permits. I subsequently moved onto the City of San Mateo performing advanced long range planning work within the Community Development Department/Planning Division. For more than seven (7) years, I managed projects through the entitlement process, worked with both the development and business community in understanding the local regulatory structure, and provided applicants insight into the historical and economic conditions unique to each community. A key part of my responsibilities was to coordinate with multiple agencies, manage and direct consultants and contractors to perform technical studies, interact with the public at large, and be in constant communication with business leaders, policy makers, elected officials, external stakeholders, and the community. I was a lead member of the City of San Rafael’s Economic Development Department, having created and supervised the permitting and application process for cannabis applicants and operators, supported our businesses during the pandemic, managed the outdoor dining and parklet program, strengthened our economic and tax base, retained our commercial base of businesses, attracted and recruited small and large companies, guided developers through the City’s planning and permitting process, marketed the City as a desirable place to be, and created an overall positive business environment. Currently I am with the City of Redwood City, leading the Economic Development Division as Economic Development Manager. In this capacity I am managing the City's Cannabis Retail Program for both Storefront and Non-Storefront operators, leading the development and implementation of the City's first permanent Parklet Program, acting as primary City contact to stakeholders and economic development groups, and supporting our businesses to ensure they have what they need to succeed. Throughout my career I have worked and collaborated with many large companies, including Apple, Salesforce, Symantec, Seagate, GoPro, Oracle, Impossible Foods, and Box to strengthen the bond between local government and the business world, leveraging our shared resources to better serve our community and bolster the City’s economic health.