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Longtime Hacienda Business Park leader and Pleasanton community member James Paxson was named as this year’s Mayor’s Award recipient during the city’s Commission and Committee Recognition Dinner and Mayor’s Award Celebration on April 17.
Paxson told the Weekly that while he was not able to attend the event due to personal reasons, he was “floored” when he heard that Mayor Jack Balch chose him as this year’s awardee.
“I was speechless … I’m absolutely grateful,” Paxson said in an interview April 29 about the recognition.Â
The city told the Weekly that Paxson will also be recognized at the May 6 City Council meeting during public comment — Paxson confirmed that he plans on attending that meeting.
Every year, the city of Pleasanton’s mayor nominates an individual whose contributions to the city are, as Balch said in his speech at the April 17 event, “exceptional and deserve special recognition”.Â
“Conceived as an 875-acre business park, Hacienda’s and James Paxson’s leadership and legacy are evident through milestones achieved over the years,” Balch said in his speech — the transcript of which was obtained by the Weekly. “In his role as Hacienda’s general manager, James Paxson is a strategic partner with the city, and an unwavering advocate for sustaining Pleasanton’s economic success and quality of life.”
Paxson has been with Hacienda for the last 38 years and has served in various capacities but in his current role, he oversees all programs operated within the business park.
According to Balch’s speech, Paxson started his career in Pleasanton’s business park as an environmental supervisor before eventually moving up to assistant general manager and finally as general manager — a position that he has held for 30 years.
From the growth of the business park itself to the addition of various retail, commercial and residential spaces, Balch applauded Paxson and Hacienda for everything they have given to the city.
“In recent years, and despite the dot-com bust, the Great Recession and a pandemic, Hacienda has continued to prosper under his management,” Balch said in his speech.
Paxson said it was “a tremendous gesture from Jack” to select him as this year’s winner and that his love for the community and for the residents who continuously show up to support their city in various ways is one of the main reasons he continues to do the work he does.
“Some of my happiest moments in my career have been working with great people in Pleasanton,” Paxson said.
He called Pleasanton residents some of the most engaged citizens he has ever seen and he appreciates how the community rallies around important issues in the city.
With the city’s current budget reductions and potential cuts due to a structural deficit, Paxson said that community engagement will be more important than ever and that he and the business park will continue to work on ways to contribute to the city’s economic growth.
“We are working with the city’s Economic Development Department to find ways to innovate growth,” Paxson said, adding that he feels like the city will pull through and figure things out.
In addition to his work at the business park, Paxson was also recognized for the various roles he holds as an advisory board member for the Three Valleys Community Foundation; a board member of the Tri-Valley Nonprofit Alliance; a board member and chair of the Pleasanton Chamber of Commerce; and as past chair of the Axis Community Health Center board.
“This is what 40 years of community service looks like,” Balch said.
