Association Exec
Scott Knies
Hired to run a small business association operated from a folding table in Metro’s office, Scott Knies understood the potential. Working with a band of upstarts in their late 20s and a thirtysomething lawyer named Chuck Reed, the group cobbled together a business improvement district and launched Music in the Park. Today, the San Jose Downtown Association operates an Ice Rink and a street maintenance district and influences a wide range of downtown policies. Still at the helm, Knies was instrumental in forging better relations between his alma mater, San Jose State, and the downtown business community.