Dye, who is due to assume her new role on Jan. 19, succeeds Kevin Palmer, who has moved to Burlington Northern Sante Fe (BNSF) Railroad. She has been in the Chula Vista post since 1991.George Caravalho, Riverside city manager, says Dye's mission will be to continue the city's efforts in key target areas, such as job attraction, high tech expansion, retail recruitment, small business support and development and overall marketing. He notes that the city is implementing an aggressive economic development strategy that includes transforming the downtown into a center of arts, culture, retail, housing, and entertainment, and the expansion of the City's commercial and industrial economic base. In her new position, Dye will oversee a budget of nearly $1.3 million and a staff of five.

Dye's experience includes founding Chula Vista's first economic development program, overseeing the development of a 500,000-sf regional retail power center, working for the annexation of Chula Vista land into existingstate-designated enterprise zones, and the relocation of companies like Raytheon and Japan-based Hitachi's North American corporate headquarters to the city.