Mark Ozias, Sequim Open Aire Market's manager, has resigned to concentrate on his day job.

He submitted his resignation two weeks ago and will continue working through Dec. 31 unless a successor is found earlier.

The application deadline is Dec. 4, with interviews in mid-December and the new person hopefully starting at the end of the month.

Ozias, 39, has been the Sequim Open Aire Market manager for four years.

He and his wife, Lisa Boulware, moved to Sequim to start their own business, A New Leaf Plants & Produce, on Happy Valley Road.

"Then the market manager position came up and I was interested in applying. It's been a really excellent four years," he said.

Ozias said the market, held Saturdays on Cedar Street, has grown significantly since he took over.

"From 2006 to 2007 we doubled both in the number of vendors and in sales. We've continued to see a very strong market," he said.

Farm vendors historically accounted for 16 percent of sales and now that figure is 28 percent, Ozias said.

"So that shows a lot more people who live here are using the market to shop," he said.

Ozias said his business is undergoing a significant expansion that will include a downtown storefront, a different name and "a little something different."

He plans to continue working with the Sequim Earth Day committee.



Reach Brian Gawley at bgawley@sequimgazette.com.