Santa Monica Pier exec resigns after six-year run
An executive credited with leading the Santa Monica Pier through a six-year expansion resigned last week.
Jan Palchikoff resigned her post as executive director Friday to pursue “other business interests.”
“I have learned so much in my position in this job,” Palchikoff said. “I am trying to be expansive — and now I’m trying to find my next perfect job.”
She agreed to stay on as a consultant for the next three months while the city conducts a nationwide search for her replacement.
In her six years at the pier’s helm, Palchikoff — who was an event planner for the Olympics and World Cup Soccer — brought corporate sponsorship to the pier, helped trademark its world famous sign and attracted more film shoots.
“When I came on they were looking for more of a focus on marketing the pier,” she said. “We developed a comprehensive approach to public relations, event promotion and filmmaking.”
But Palchikoff’s approach to bringing in more revenue for the pier has been called into question by a slew of recent city council appointees to the pier’s board of directors. In the past year and a half, seven of the commission’s 11 seats have changed hands.
Instead of seeking national endorsements, the board has advocated services that focus more on local residents.
“Our direction is always changing in little ways,” said Michael S. Klein, chair of the pier’s board. “I suspect we will focus on local things.
“I don’t think we’ll continue to seek out national corporate sponsorship. The corporate sponsorship program didn’t produce a huge source of income. It did-n’t succeed the way we would have liked, but then many things never do for us.”
However Klein said the difference in opinion had little to do with Palchikoff’s resignation.
“It’s not an easy job,” he said. “You’re dealing with a tough city here, and there are lots of different currents and lots of different directions all going on at the same time.”
Palchikoff said she enjoyed the position and that her job remained interesting because it was politically complicated.
“I am somebody who really enjoys a wide variety of challenges and problem solving,” she said. “And this job definitely provided many challenges.”
One of the most recent challenges was the city’s eviction of the Boathouse Restaurant, which until April 15 had been a 50 year pier tenant. The pier’s board decided to end the month-to-month lease with the Boathouse and decided instead to bring in Bubba Gump Shrimp, a movie-themed chain restaurant.
Boathouse owner Naia Sheffield has filed a $50 million lawsuit against the city and the Pier Restoration Corp., claiming her restaurant was kicked off the Santa Monica Pier unfairly. Sheffield is demanding a jury trial, claiming breach of contract.
Officials say they are working to make the pier a more family-friendly environment, a direction the pier has been steadily moving in since Palchikoff was brought on board in 1996.
“We have a good constituency now and we want to maintain that,” said Linda Sullivan, a longtime pier commissioner.
Councilman Herb Katz, a council liaison to the pier’s board, said Palchikoff has been invaluable in sculpting the pier into its current incarnation.
“She’s one of the best directors we’ve ever had,” he said. “I definitely think she put the pier in the right direction and she had to work really hard to do it.
“I am going to miss her a lot.” When asked what words of advice she would give to her successor, Palchikoff said, “I would tell whomever it is the same thing I tell my kids when they go on the rollercoaster at Pacific Park, ‘Take a deep breath and enjoy the ride.’”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on June 11, 2002. Read the original PDF.