Carolyn Stark named executive director of Sonoma County Vintners

The major advocacy and promotional trade group for Sonoma County wineries has chosen a local economic development official as its new executive director.

Carolyn Stark will join Sonoma County Vintners as its top executive Feb 1. For the past three years, she has served as executive director for Sonoma County BEST, a Santa Rosa Chamber of Commerce initiative to promote job growth throughout the county.

Stark informed Sonoma County BEST board members via email of her new job on Tuesday. She did not respond to an email and telephone calls seeking comment.

By choosing Stark, the vintners’ board opted for someone who is experienced in leading trade groups and is knowledgeable about North Bay business circles rather than a candidate with a background in the wine industry.

Before joining Sonoma County BEST, Stark served as executive director of the Palm Desert Graduate Center, a teaching and research center for UC Riverside, and president and chief executive officer for the Austin Technology Council in Texas.

She replaces Honore Comfort, who announced her resignation in September after serving nine years in the challenging job. The group represents more than 250 wineries and wine-related businesses and has a budget of $1 million.

The position is more difficult than top spots at other regional wine trade groups such as Napa Valley Vintners, given the vast diversity of the county’s wine region with an estimated 550 wineries and 15 distinct regions from the Sonoma Coast to Carneros. It also represents very small vintners to high-profile wineries such as E&J Gallo Winery and Jackson Family Wines.

Also like Napa County, Sonoma County wineries are coming under greater scrutiny for the crowds and traffic they attract for events and tastings.

The vintners group sponsors the Sonoma County Wine Country Weekend with the Sonoma Valley Vintners & Growers Alliance over Labor Day weekend. The event’s Sonoma Harvest Wine Auction raised more than $4 million this year for county charities.

Sonoma County BEST was formed in January 2012 and established a goal to help develop 2,570 jobs within five years.

The initiative, which is funded by private investors, the county of Sonoma and several cities, says it has helped businesses create more than 1,600 jobs.

You can reach Staff Writer Bill Swindell at 521-5223 or bill.swindell@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @BillSwindell.