After leading the Downtown Denver Partnership for 17 years, CEO and President Tami Door announced Wednesday she plans to step down later this year.

Over the years, Door steered the economic development organization and the city through a period of historic growth, including leading the investment of $13 billion in development and managing downtown’s biggest expansion in decades.

“I am making a move because it’s the right time for me and it’s the right time for the organization,” Door said. “The Downtown Denver Partnership is in extremely strong shape. It is really poised for its next chapter and to begin to look at what the next decades of downtown will look like.”

Door will step down from her position in mid-November. She became CEO and president of the Downtown Denver Partnership in 2004.

During her time in the position, Door was named one of Denver’s Most Outstanding CEOs by the Denver Business Journal in 2019, chaired the International Downtown Association from 2018 to 2020 and was selected as the 9NEWS Leader of the Year in 2012.

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“Tami’s spirit embodies that of Downtown Denver and its people: innovative, collaborative and bold,” said Mayor Michael Hancock in a statement. “Her leadership has been integral in the growth of our downtown and in forming strong, collaborative working relationships across sectors. Tami is a visionary whose legacy will be felt in this city for years to come.”

Door said her highlights with the Downtown Denver Partnership include redeveloping the Union Station neighborhood, advocating increased mobility options, redeveloping 14th Street and completing the groundwork for the upcoming redevelopment of the 16th Street Mall.

In addition to leading these projects, Door founded Denver Startup Week and The Commons on Champa entrepreneurial center. But she said her proudest achievement is setting the city up to thrive long after she is gone.

“The work I’ve done that I believe is most impactful is helping create a network of interconnected leadership,” Door said. “Helping bridge conversations and collaboration between the public and private sector, nonprofits, businesses. That is the thread that ties together how you build a city not just to be successful in the short term, but to be resilient in the long term.”

During her career, Door has also served as part of the Auraria Higher Education Center Board of Directors, Urban Leadership Foundation, Denver Commission to End Homelessness, VISIT Denver, the Denver Theatre District and the Young President’s Organization.

Though her time with the Downtown Denver Partnership is coming to an end, Door said she plans to stay in Denver and continue her work building cities.

“My love for building cities is as strong as ever. I am deeply committed to Denver and downtown Denver,” Door said. “My transition is going to be focused on building cities, building places and connecting communities. I’m going to work through what that looks like over the coming months.”

Before coming to Denver, Door served as executive vice president of the Detroit Regional Chamber of Commerce for 10 years and led a five-state division of the First Chicago NDA bank before that.

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Door said she intends to assist in a smooth transfer of power before she departs in November. The Downtown Denver Partnership will begin a national search immediately to fill the role, led by Board Chair Sarah Rockwell.

“Tami’s expertise, tenacity and powerful ability to convene stakeholders across sectors allowed us to thrive as an organization and led Downtown Denver to be the world class center city it is today,” Rockwell said in a statement. “Our downtown and this organization will feel Tami’s tremendous impact for generations to come.”

In the meantime, Door said she hopes to continue inspiring Denverites to do their part to make the city great.

“I deeply believe that leadership comes from all sectors of our community. Great cities are built by everyone,” Door said. “Every day is our chance to make the city a better place and I will continue to call upon everyone to look at what they have to give the city and bring those gifts forward.”