After a nationwide search and 65 candidates for a new director, the Capital City Public Market discovered the one they wanted was right here all along.

Lisa Duplessie has been hired to replace Karen Ellis, who was fired in August. Duplessie has served as interim executive director in Ellis’ absence and was assistant director for five years before that.

When the board started looking for Ellis’ replacement, Duplessie wasn’t interested in the job. But as the search progressed, she said, the board moved beyond the controversy and political infighting that surrounded Ellis’ firing, and refocused on its core mission. That gave her enough confidence in the market’s future to throw her name in the hat.

Meanwhile, the job Duplessie was doing in managing relationships with vendors, sponsors and the community at large made board members believe she was the best candidate, board member Kainoa Lopez said.

Duplessie said she’s not worried about conflicts with the newly announced Boise Farmer’s Market, which is run largely by former Capital City Market vendors and will operate nearby in Downtown Boise.

Sven Berg: 377-6275