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FALLFALL FOFO RUM RUM Strengthening Your Economic Development Toolkit OCTOBER 25-27, 2017 PRESCOTT RESORT, PRESCOTT, AZ

#AAEDFF2017 FALL FORUM SPONSORS

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LUNCH SPONSORS NETWORKING BREAK SPONSORS National Bank of Arizona Prescott Valley Economic Yavapai College Development Foundation Embry Riddle Aeronautical University Greater Prescott Regional Economic Partnership Sigma Contracting Johnson Carlier

GOLF SPONSOR COMMUNITY SPONSORS

PICOR City of Cottonwood

City of Scottsdale property overview

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46 24 56 34 46 46 22 18 1500 Highway 69 Highway 1500 1.800.967.4637 Prescott,86301 AZ PrescottResort.com

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40 90 40 32 100 100 100 320 100 MEETING & BANQUET SPACE SPACE BANQUET & MEETING TER CLASS CONF HOLLOW USHAPE ROUNDS RECEP

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14’ 14’ 12’ 14’ 12’ 14’ 14’ 12’ 14’ 784 725 494 1568 1792 1624 2006 4200 1624 4872 1624 DIM. DIM. FT. SQ. CEILING HT. THEA 28 x 56 x 28 56 x 29 34 x 59 56 x 29 56 x 87 25 x 29 26 x 19 56 x 29 28 x 784 14’ 60 40 28 28 24 50 75 18 x 324 10’ 10 15 42 x 25 1050 80 48 28 x 19 40 532 46 12’ 40 50 70 32 75 20 18 18 30 40 56 x 58 3248 14’ 350 200 220 400 13 x 24 303 54 x 19 1026 9’ 12’ 25 100 12 48 16 32 44 30 20 60 20 70 56 x 57 3191 14’ 350 200 220 500 16 x 112 40 x 150 56 x 115 6440 14’ 700 500 490 1000 All capacities shown are without any set-up other in the room. Adding items will reduce the capacities. VERDE A VERDE B VERDE SEDONA/VERDE SEDONA/VERDE VERDE JEROME FOYER PREFUNCTION PRESCOTT SEDONA GOLDWATER BALLROOM MOUNTAIN GRANITE COTTONWOOD/SEDONA/VERDE COTTONWOOD/SEDONA/VERDE GAZEBO (OUTDOOR) 56 x 86 4816 14’ 525 320 400 600 COPPER BASIN COTTONWOOD CLARKDALE/COTTONWOOD CLARKDALE/COTTONWOOD CLARKDALE/COTTONWOOD/SEDONA FUNCTIONROOMS ARIZONA BRADSHAW CHINO CHINO/PRESCOTT CLARKDALE Wednesday, October 25th 9:00 am - 10:00 am Registration at Stoneridge Golf Course 10:00 am Shotgun Start at Stoneridge Golf Course 11:30 am - 1:30 pm Registration Desk Hours - Prescott Resort Lobby

ACADEMY 12:30 pm - 4:30 pm Building Your Tactical Marketing Toolkit: The “How-to” of Modern Economic Development Marketing Strategies (Module 4) - Clarkdale Room Danielle Casey, CEcD, EDFP, Econ. Dev. Director, City of Scottsdale Christine Mackay, Community and Econ. Dev. Director, City of Phoenix Jennifer Delaporte, Business Dev. Manager, Graycor Construction Marketing strategies are very important tools to the economic development trade. Learn strategies to attracting key industries/unique partners, how you can grow your existing community relationships and how to track your progress. (There will be an additional charge of $55 for those requesting Academy credit.) 1:00 pm - 3:30 pm Guided Hikes for all Skill Levels Guided hikes will give participants the ability to enjoy some of the best trails the region has to offer. The difficult hike up the award winning Glassford Hill Trail will raise participants 1000 feet in elevation, culminating with stunning views of Prescott Valley from the summit. The easy-moderate hike through Fain Park in Prescott Valley will show participants the rich history of the region dating back to pre-Native American days and the area’s history as a former mining town. Both hikes will be led by knowledgeable guides. Remember to bring your cell phone to participate in the geocaching games that will be available along both trails! 3:30 pm - 5:30 pm Prescott Downtown Walking Tour (Meet on the town square) Prescott is a city that embraces history – Western, Territorial, and Native. In fact, there are currently over 800 buildings in Prescott on the National Historic Register. You are invited to explore Prescott with a guided historic walking tour of downtown highlighting Whiskey Row, Courthouse Plaza, Shar- lot Hall Museum and other significant sites. At the end of the tour you will know where Doc Holiday and Big Nose Kate spent time gambling and carousing, and where Mike the Dog is buried. If you love touring and want more, take the self-guided Prescott Heritage Trail. Information may be found at the Prescott Chamber Official Visitor Center.

5:30 pm - 7:30 pm Registration - Prescott Resort Lobby 6:30 pm Welcome Reception- Eagles Nest, Prescott Resort Hosted by: The City of Prescott. Known as “Everybody’s Hometown” the City of Prescott welcomes the 2017 AAED Fall Forum attendees! Come enjoy an evening of fun as the City of Prescott welcomes you to their beautiful city and the opening of the 2017 AAED Fall Forum. Dinner, music, and networking await you as we kick off our Annual Fall Forum. Prescott, Arizona is at the center of it all, and yet - it feels intimate and isolated from the hustle and bustle of a larger city. Surrounded by ponderosa pines and granite mountains sits this unforgettable city that defies stereotypes of what Arizona is all about. Arguably the most historic city in Arizona, it was the original Territorial Capitol of Arizona and is home to historic Whiskey Row – one of the most famous streets in the west. Dress: Casual and Comfortable

COMMUNITY RECEPTION SPONSOR: Thursday, October 26th 7:00 am Registration Open 7:00 am - 8:30 am Breakfast Buffet - Sedona/Verde Room

MORNING GENERAL SESSION

8:30 am - 8:45 am Welcome - Clarkdale/Cottonwood Room Curt Woody, AZED Pro, President, AAED Ernest Jones, Sr., President, Yavapai-Prescott Indian Tribe 8:45 am - 9:30 am Arizona Economic Update and Overview- Clarkdale/Cottonwood Jim Rounds, President, Rounds Consulting An overview of the economy will be provided, where we stand as a state and various regions com- pared to competitors, and what we are doing well to enhance our position.

BREAKOUT SESSIONS BEGIN

9:30 am - 10:30 am Greyfields Reuse - Cottonwood Room Moderator: Dan Henderson, CEcD, Econ. Dev. Director, Gilbert, Arizona Panel: Neil Calfee, Principal, Calfee Development Advisors, LLC Victor Gonzalez, CEcD, Economic Development Manager, Sahuarita, AZ Micah Miranda, CEcD, Economic Development Director, Chandler, AZ Daniel W. “Buzz” Gosnell, Owner, DWG Phoenix, LLC Nearly every community has greyfields - cavernous, generic former spaces that can be challenging to repopulate. But from new town centers to public open spaces and everything in between, innovative communities have found new uses for greyfields. This session will explore successful examples, discuss developer challenges for sustainable reuse, and showcase examples of how local governments have worked with the private sector to develop these sites into projects. What you’ll learn: • Benefits and problems of adaptive reuse strategies • Examples of successful programs that developers can utilize for their projects • How public policy can motivate various stakeholders to remedy the issues of greyfields • The needs of developers as they transform greyfields into sustainable reuse projects for communities

9:30 am - 10:30 am Building your Economic Development Team - Clarkdale Room Chris Camacho, President & CEO, Greater Phoenix Economic Council There are a number of different types of Economic Development Organizations that you will find in rural and metro Arizona. How do you build your team and how do you benchmark your efforts? Who should you partner with for success? How do you put together a winning team to achieve a project?

10:30 am - 10:45 am Networking Break - Foyer

@_AAED #AAEDFF2017 Thursday, October 26th (continued)

BREAKOUT SESSIONS 10:45 am - 11:45 am Attracting Retail to Secondary and Tertiary Markets - Cottonwood Room Moderator: Kirsten Hall, Business Dev. Coordinator, City of Peoria Panel: Joshua Simon, CEO & Founder, SimonCRE Greg Laing, Principal, Phoenix Commercial Advisors Kim Ryder, Vice President, Real Estate, Goodwill of Central & Northern Arizona; President, ICSC SW Region Retailers are always on the lookout for new markets. Where is the residential growth? Where is the density and when is it expected? What are the new commercial developments that would mean an uptick in foot traffic? While the metro areas have the numbers on their side, that doesn’t mean that a rural community is out of the running. Learn to align your community goals with that of the commercial retail industry; developers, brokers and end users. This session will focus on strategies and tools that economic development practitioners in secondary and tertiary markets can use to attract new retail development to their community. 10:45 am - 11:45 am Airports as Economic Drivers: Can You Speak “Airport”? - Clarkdale Room Speaker/Moderator: Chris Andres, Chandler Municipal Airport Panel: Barney Helmick, Flagstaff Airport Jessie Baker, Prescott Municipal Airport Airports are economic engines for their communities, but opportunities can be missed because the airport manager and the economic development staff have different goals, needs, and expectations. This session will help ED practitioners understand how airports operate, what airports can (and often can’t) do, and how both parties can partner effectively to achieve wins for their community. Whether your neighborhood airport is urban or rural, commercial service or general aviation, this session will help you “speak airport”.

11:45 am - 1:00 pm Luncheon Program - Sedona/ Verde Room Ben Hooper, Fall Forum Chair, Town of Prescott Valley Academy Graduation Jennifer Graves, CEcD, Immediate Past President, Gilbert, AZ Curt Woody, AZED Pro, AAED President, Town of Marana, AZ Ean Johnson, CEcD, Professional Education Chair, BNSF Railway Graduates: Heidi Hansen, City of Flagstaff Gretchen Kitchel, Salt River Project Lori Wedemeyer, City of Parker Randy Huggins, City of Glendale Kelsey Lamphier, City of Surprise Richard Wilkie, City of Casa Grande Gail Jackson, City of Flagstaff Marion Shontz, City of Parker Mary Wolf-Francis, City of Maricopa Thursday, October 26th (continued) Luncheon Program: Building a Workforce for a Brand New Industry - Sedona/Verde Room Speaker/Moderator: Tom Pitts, Founding President, Verde Valley Wine Consortium Eric Glomski, Award-Winning Arizona Winemaker Wine with lunch? Why not! This luncheon conversation will discuss the creation of the Arizona wine industry and the development of its workforce from scratch in the Verde Valley region of Arizona after “prohibition” was finally overcome in 2006. An opportunity to taste Mr. Glomski’s wines will accompa- ny the presentation about the renewal of this sustainable industry, its current economic impact, and its use of technology and innovation to create a new economic driver for rural Arizona.

AFTERNOON GENERAL SESSION

1:00pm - 2:00pm Federal Programs that Work in Arizona - Clarkdale/Cottonwood Gary S. Mack, Business & Cooperatives Program Director, Rural Development, U.S.D.A. Karen Allen, Commercial Officer, U.S. Commercial Service, U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration What existing and new federal programs are available to aid economic development efforts in Arizo- na? Come prepared to learn about programs that might work in your community. Representatives from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Commercial Service will join us to discuss what those programs are and how to best utilize these opportunities as another tool in your toolkit.

BREAKOUT SESSIONS

2:00 pm - 3:00 pm Maximizing Military Communities - Cottonwood Room Mignonne Hollis, AZED Pro, Executive Director, Arizona Regional Economic Develoment Foundation Dr. Joseph Cuffari, Military Policy Advisor to the Governor This session will provide information on how the state along with communities are supporting their military bases as well as an opportunity to learn how you can better engage with community members, have a positive economic impact and continue to create an economic driver for future growth.

2:00 pm - 3:00 pm Laying the Groundwork for Mega Deals!- Clarkdale Room Speaker/ Moderator: Richard Wilkie, CEcD, Economic Development Mgr., City of Casa Grande Panel: Darryn Jones, Director, Bus. Dev., Greater Phoenix Economic Council Bill Jabjiniak, Economic Development Director, City of Mesa This panel will focus on laying the groundwork for mega sites: sites in excess of 500+ acres. The discussion will cover the challenges that are associated with such sites including working with mul- tiple landowners to create a single site, addressing any annexation and rezoning issues, ensuring these sites have the necessary infrastructure to be able to meet the significant utility needs of projects and partnering with other governmental entities to address these issues.

3:00 pm - 3:15pm Networking Break - Foyer Thursday, October 26th (continued)

BREAKOUT SESSIONS

3:15 pm - 4:15 pm Broadband Grants for Schools - Clarkdale Room Andy Tobin, Commissioner, AZ Corporation Commission Vincent “Skip” Becker, Pres. & CEO, Laz Paz Economic Development Come learn how the Arizona Universal Service Fund is providing broadband to rural schools and libraries. See how local businesses can tap into this infrastructure. You will hear from Commissioner Andy Tobin about the program, and additionally learn how one community has taken advantage of the program. 3:15 pm - 4:15 pm Cultural Competence Tools for Creating Collaboration with Tribes - Cottonwood Room Ron Lee, Asst. Vice President for the Office of Native American Initiatives, Northern Arizona University Learn how tribal history impacts economic development on tribal lands and how to improve collabo- rative efforts with a better understanding of cultural differences.

AFTERNOON GENERAL SESSION 4:15 pm - 5:00 pm What Businesses really need from Economic Development Professionals - Cottonwood Room Dave Parsell, Co-founder & CEO, Localintel Lee Anderson, Customer Success Lead, Localintel Get a glimpse into the future of economic development from award winning technology startup company Localintel. Learn why insights into local opportunities matter more to businesses than data and how innovative municipalities of all sizes are using next-generation technology to drive local businesses growth. Don’t forget to bring your business cards to enter the door prize drawing upon conclusion of the session. 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm Dinner (on your own) 7:00 pm -10:00 pm Poker Night — AAED Style - Granite Mountain Do you feel lucky? Come join us for a fun evening of poker! Everyone is welcome….all you “card sharks” and even beginners will have fun at the tables! Prizes will be awarded for the best, and worst, hands of the night, and the winner can earn, or bluff their way, to the highly coveted Card Shark trophy, and bragging rights for the year. Don’t play poker? Don’t worry! Snacks and a no-host bar will be part of the fun. Friday, October 27th 7:30 am - 9:00 am Breakfast Buffet - Sedona/ Verde Room 7:30 am - 9:00 am Rural Roundtable - Copper Basin Room Tom Pitts, AAED Rural Committee Chair Rural practitioners are invited for informative discussions and sharing of ideas at this Roundtable.

9:00 am - 10:15 am Best Practices Awards – Golden Prospector Award- Clarkdale/ Cottonwood Room “Golden Prospector Award” finalists from around the state of Arizona will be showcased for their best practices. Awards will be presented to the winners upon conclusion of the presentation. Friday, October 27th (continued)

10:15 am - 11:00 am Tools to Compete in the Site Selection Process- Clarkdale/ Cottonwood Room Russell Riblett, Director of Sales, GIS Planning Inc. Arizona Public Service has partnered with GIS Planning and Xcelignet to provide a comprehen- sive statewide database of available property in Arizona through the website ArizonaProspector. com. This partnership allows for available properties to be collected through Xcelignet and incorporated into ArizonaProspector. In addition to displaying available property throughout the State of Arizona, ArizonaProspector provides the needed data for companies to analyze the best location for their relocation, expansion or start up business needs. ArizonaProspector provides robust data sets such as demographics, labor force, consumer spending, existing business data and talent information in an easy to use public website. By combining the available property from Xceligent and the analytical capabilities of GIS Planning, APS has provided a state of the art website to meet the location selection needs of business looking to locate in the State of Arizona.

11:00 am - Noon Board Meeting/Bi-Annual Business Meeting- Clarkdale/ Cottonwood Room Noon Conference Adjourns

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19 CASAGRANDEAZ.GOV/ECONDEV Live. Learn. Work. Play. Prescott, Arizona. Learn more at prescotted.com or call 928-777-1204. Speaker Bios Karen Allen, Commercial Officer, U.S. Export Asst. Ctr., U.S. Commercial Service, U.S. Dept. of Commerce Karen Allen is a Foreign Commercial Officer with the U.S. Commercial Service and is currently on duty at the Phoenix Arizona Export Assistance Center. This office is responsible for assisting U.S. companies located in Arizona to become “export-ready” in order to sell their goods and services in international markets. Ms. Allen manages several portfolios of Arizona companies in the following sectors: energy, environmental technolo- gies, water resources, automotive and transportation. She has lived and worked in both Japan and Mexico and speaks Japanese and Spanish. Lee Anderson, Customer Success Lead, Localintel As Customer Success Lead at Localintel, Mr. Anderson works closely with economic development professionals across North America. Prior to joining Localintel, he held the position of Manager of Market Research with a multi-national land development company. A primary component of his site selection role involved conducting extensive research to identify strategic growth corridors and opportunity sites across the U.S. and Canada. Chris Andres, Airport Administrator, City of Chandler Chris Andres is the Airport Administrator for the Chandler Municipal Airport, which is the nation’s 11th busiest general aviation airport and the 45th busiest airport overall. He has 20 years of economic development, aviation, and planning experience. Previously, Mr. Andres worked with Phoenix’s aviation department overseeing Sky Harbor Airport’s commerce park, rental car center, off-airport land holdings, and new development for the Deer Valley and Goodyear airports. He has also worked for Phoenix’s economic development department on several downtown redevelopment projects. Jessie Baker, Assistant Airport Manager, Prescott Municipal Airport As Assistant Airport Manager at the Prescott Municipal Airport (KPRC), Ms. Baker’s primary roles are managing all tenant leases and negotiations, monitoring and creating the annual airport department budget, including the Capital program in coordination with the FAA & ADOT. She also is the airport department representative for all development throughout the City of Prescott. Ms. Baker serves on the FlyPrescott Advisory Board, assisting in the development and promotion of aviation in the Prescott region and is an Executive Director for the Arizo- na Airport Association. Vincent (Skip) Becker, President & CEO, La Paz Economic Development Corporation Skip Becker has 30 plus years’ experience in the development industry. In 2015 he received the Arizona Asso- ciation for Economic Development Developer of the Year Award. Mr. Becker is a Certified Economic Developer receiving his certification from the National Development Council in 2002. Mr. Becker’s is responsible for the development of new business and retention and expansion of existing businesses in La Paz County, Arizona, currently with 16 projects under construction, and is working with 31 clients with a total project cost of more than 1 billion dollars. Neil Calfee, Principal, Calfee Development Advisors Neil Calfee is currently the Principal of Calfee Development Advisors, a company specializing in the creation and negotiation of public/private partnerships. For nearly two decades he has demonstrated his expertise and experience in the cultivation and management of complex development projects, involving partnerships between government entities and the private sector. He previously served as the Director of Real Estate Devel- opment for Arizona State University, and prior to that as the Deputy Community Development Manager for Re- development and Revitalization for the City of Tempe in Arizona. Mr. Calfee has served on numerous municipal boards and trade groups dealing with economic development, corporate real estate and affordable housing. Chris Camacho, President & CEO, Greater Phoenix Economic Council Chris Camacho serves as the President & CEO at one of the longest standing public private partnerships for economic development across the country. During his tenure, GPEC has led the attraction of more than 230 companies creating 38,881 jobs and $2.9 billion in capital investment. Some of the more notable projects include Apple, Silicon Valley Bank, Zenefits, GoDaddy, Yelp, Amazon, Garmin, General Motors and many others. Prior to GPEC, Mr. Camacho served as President & CEO of the Greater Yuma Economic Development Corpora- tion (GYEDC) from 2006-2008. During his tenure, GYEDC helped 35 companies and 3,500 jobs locate in Greater Yuma, resulting in more than $350M of capital investment in the region. In 2016 Mr. Camacho was appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce to serve on the U.S. Investment Advisory Council, to advise the Secretary on foreign direct investment policies and strategies. Dr. Joseph V. Cuffari, Policy Advisor for Military Affairs, Office of the Governor Dr. Cuffari is the Policy Advisor for Military Affairs for Arizona Governor Doug Ducey. His background includes more than three decades of professional experience in federal and state governments, and in the military. He served in the U.S. Department of Justice in a multitude of roles dating back to 1993. Dr. Cuffari has also served more than 39 years in the Air Force; on active duty, in the Reserves, and currently as a member of the Arizona Air National Guard. He has been a Commander with the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, served in NATO and Joint Forces assignments, and was a Deputy Inspector General at Mather Air Force Base. Eric Glomski, Arizona Winemaker After earning a degree in ecology and successfully running a river restoration business for several years, Mr. Glomski ventured to California to apprentice as a winemaker. While in California, he worked his way from cellar worker to co-winemaker at David Bruce Winery from 1997-2002. Upon leaving California, Mr. Glomski became winemaker at Echo Canyon Winery in Cornville. He then left in 2003 to plant his own organic vineyards while building his family winery, Page Springs Cellars. Page Springs Cellars is now in its 14th year of operation with Mr. Glomski fulfilling roles of General Manager, Director of Winemaking and Director of Winegrowing. Mr. Glomski also co-founded Arizona Stronghold Vineyards and Winery in 2007 and Provisioner Wines in 2015. Victor Gonzalez, CEcD, Economic Development Manager, Town of Sahuarita Victor Gonzalez has over 15 years of economic development, organization strategic planning, and community partnership building. As the Economic Development Manager for the Town of Sahuarita, he has provided leadership and coordinated the efforts for the Town’s economic, marketing and place-making strategies as well as establishing programing for small businesses. He recently spearheaded the successful application for $3 million Economic Development Administration grant for the Town of Sahuarita’s SAMTEC project. Daniel “Buzz” Gosnell, Founder and President, DWG Phoenix LLC Led by Founder and President Daniel “Buzz” Gosnell, a native Phoenician, DWG Phoenix has focused on retail, restaurant, entertainment and residential mixed-use projects that bring a unique vibe and character to the valley scene. Like Mr. Gosnell’s award winning Kierland Commons project, while President of Woodbine Southwest Cor- poration, DWG Phoenix sets its sites on out-of-the-box development opportunities that don’t rely on standard suburban development models. In addition, his relationships with the full spectrum of retailers allows him to have creative license regarding placemaking and the careful balance from one tenant to the next. These retail relationships are especially important at the local level, where Mr. Gosnell is well known as an innovator in the field of restaurant and entertainment settings. Kirsten Hall, Economic Development, Business Development Coordinator, City of Peoria As the Economic Development and Business Development Coordinator, Ms. Hall is responsible for retail infill, workforce development and business retention and expansion efforts at the city of Peoria. Ms. Hall’s background is in higher education, workforce development and economic development. She was at Thunderbird Graduate School of International Management for ten years, Estrella Mountain Community College for five years. Her workforce development experience was at the city of Phoenix and at the Arizona Commerce Authority. While at the Arizona Commerce Authority, she acted as Workforce Navigator for companies moving into Arizona, such as; Apple, Northern Trust, Silicon Valley Bank, State Farm, Phacil, IO (expansion), RioGlass Solar, Silent Aire Mfg., USAA (expansion), General Motors Dream Center (software), and others. Ms. Hall is currently the ICSC P3 Public Chairperson. Barney Helmick, A.A.E., Director, Flagstaff Airport Barney Helmick began his 29-year career in Aviation working on the front line with an FBO as an aircraft re-fueler, ground handling charters, and customer service representative. During his career with the City of Phoenix, Mr. Helmick supervised the crew repairing runways and roadways at Sky Harbor Airport, served as a supervisor for Sky Harbor’s Communications/Emergency Operations Center and served as the Airport Manager at the Good- year and Deer Valley Airports. Currently he is the Director at Flagstaff Airport. He is a licensed private pilot and an accredited member of the American Association of Airport Executives. Dan Henderson, CEcD, Economic Development Director, Gilbert, Arizona As the Economic Development Director for Gilbert, Mr. Henderson’s oversees the administration of economic development, redevelopment (the Gilbert Heritage District), and site selection through a $2 million operation- al budget and a $5 million economic development reserve fund for deal closing. In Fiscal Year 2017 the Gilbert team ended year five of its five-year strategic plan with capital investment activities exceeding $1.1 billion and over 10,600 job announcements. In 2013 the Gilbert Office of Economic Development earned its status as an Accredited Economic Development Organization (AEDO), the first organization in the State of Arizona, through the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) and in 2017 announced its reaccreditation. Prior to his employment with Gilbert, Mr. Henderson was employed by the City of Tempe for six years as an Economic Devel- opment Specialist where he was responsible for implementing projects and programs that support commercial, office, and industrial expansion Mignonne Hollis, AZED Pro, Executive Director, Arizona Regional Economic Development Foundation Mignonne Hollis has over 30 years of hands-on business and economic development experience. She has been responsible for business and personal tax advice and preparation, to promoting and supporting industries such as aerospace and defense, small business, health care, Arizona/Mexico commerce, and transportation, which have provided thousands of new jobs throughout the state. Although her focus is on rural Arizona, she is ded- icated to making an economic impact throughout the entire state. In addition to being on the board of the Arizona Association for Economic Development, Ms. Hollis sits on the board of the Arizona Commerce Authority. She was also appointed by the Governor to the Greater Arizona Development Authority and the Aerospace and Defense Commission. Ben Hooper, Economic Development Coordinator, Town of Prescott Valley As the Economic Development Coordinator for the Town of Prescott Valley, Mr. Hooper has focuses on retail/commercial and business attraction. During his first year he oversaw the addition of 100,000 square feet of new commercial/retail space in Prescott Valley. He also currently serves on the Arizona Association for Economic Develop- ment’s (AAED) Northern Arizona Committee and as Chairman of the AAED Fall Forum Planning Committee. Prior to his current position, Mr. Hooper served as the Redevelopment Coordinator for the Detroit-based RACER Trust, a bankruptcy trust formed following the 2009 bankruptcy of General Motors. Prior to his position with the Trust, Mr. Hooper served in the Department of Economic Development for the City of Toledo where he administered the city’s CDBG-funded façade grant program. Bill Jabjiniak, Economic Development Director, City of Mesa Bill Jabjiniak brings more than 30 years of results-driven leadership in revitalization strategies, public/private partnership opportunities, project financing and business recruitment. His mission is to grow the local economy through the strategic expansion of the City of Mesa’s industries of opportunity - Healthcare, Education, Aero- space, Aviation and Technology/Tourism (H.E.A.T.). With thousands of acres of available shovel-ready land, his team has worked on mega-site projects such as Apple’s 1.3-million-square-foot global command center, First Solar’s panel manufacturing facility, Tesla’s gigafactory, and Boeing’s Dreamliner assembly plant, among others. Darryn Jones, Director, Business Development, Greater Phoenix Economic Council (GPEC) As Director of Business Development at the Greater Phoenix Economic Council, Mr. Jones leads the organization’s cybersecurity technology attraction efforts. Prior to joining GPEC, he spent two years as an economic development specialist for the City of Avondale where he successfully deployed a strategy to attract data center development to the city’s new technology corridor. He also served in the offices of governors Martin O’Malley in Mary- land and Jan Brewer in Arizona, where he performed econometric analyses on each state’s respective capital and operating budgets. Greg Laing, Co-Founder, Phoenix Commercial Advisors As co-founder of Phoenix Commercial Advisors, Mr. Laing has 30 years of commercial real estate experience including 11 years with CB Commercial Real Estate Group. He represents regional and national retailers including AMC Theatres, Bed Bath & Beyond, buybuy Baby, Costco, Fresh & Easy, Kohl’s, Staples and Dick’s Sporting Goods with a strong track record of successfully leasing power centers throughout the State of Arizona. Ron Lee, Assistant Vice President for Native American Initiatives, NAU As Assistant Vice President for Native American Initiatives, Mr. Lee’s responsibilities include strengthening NAU and its tribal partnerships “to become the nation’s leading university serving Native Americans.” Formerly, Mr. Lee served as District Director & Intergovernmental Relations for Congresswoman Ann Kirkpatrick in Arizona’s First Congressional District. He led a congressional staff located in seven district offices to provide constituent services, district-specific policy priorities and policy recommendations. For 8 years, Mr. Lee was owner and president of Na- tive Policy Group, an independent political consulting firm that advocated for Arizona public schools located on Indian reservations, tribal colleges and universities, telecommunications and healthcare. He also served 6 years as Executive Director of the Arizona Commission of Indian Affairs to help the State of Arizona build better communications and relations with Arizona’s 22 Indian tribes/nations. Gary S. Mack, Business & Cooperative Program Director, Rural Development, USDA Gary Mack has worked for USDA for over thirty years. In June 2003, he was promoted to the position of Business & Cooperatives Program Director. Mr. Mack’s goal has always been to expand activity for all business programs across Arizona, focusing on business development in the areas with the most economic need through the administration of the business loan, grant and energy programs for Rural Development. Prior work includes Assistant County Supervisor and County Supervisor in three county offices in Arizona which were involved with the delivery of single family housing and direct and guaranteed farmer program loans. He then became Assistant District Director and Farmer Program Loan Specialist with responsibility and oversight of Agency farm activity in south- ern and central Arizona. When USDA was reorganized in 1995, he was named Business and Cooperative Program Loan Specialist and assigned the primary responsibility for the delivery of all business programs within Arizona, working out of the State Office in Phoenix. Micah Miranda, CEcD, Economic Development Director, City of Chandler As the Economic Development Director for the City of Chandler, Mr. Miranda leads Chandler’s economic development division where the focus is to enhance a thriving and successful local economy through business attraction, retention, entrepreneurial development and tourism. He has extensive experience in municipal and state economic development organizations as a leader, manager and professional. Prior to joining the City of Chandler in 2014, he was the City of Maricopa Economic Develop- ment Director and worked as a Business Attraction Manager at the Arizona Department of Commerce. He also worked for the City of Tempe and City of Mesa economic development offices for a combined seven years. Dave Parsell, Co-founder, Localintel Dave Parsell is co-founder of Localintel, a technology startup company, making it easier for municipalities to pro- mote their strengths, share market intelligence and support local business growth. His professional background includes senior roles in local government and consulting where he specialized in economic development and urban planning. Mr. Parsell’s career also includes roles with Deutsche Bank, Standard Chartered Bank, Bank of Scotland and the Australian Army. Tom Pitts, Founding President, Verde Valley Wine Consortium Tom Pitts has had an extensive career in the broadcasting, publishing, and entertainment industries. He then went on to create a marketing and consulting firm to develop projects and create new companies while operating a sports promotion company and very successful resort development, marketing, and management companies. Throughout this time, his interest in wine grew until it became a true passion. When Arizona changed the law, ending Prohibition in 2006, he took a leading role in championing the growth of the new industry. As the long-time President of the Jerome Chamber of Commerce and a founding Director of the Verde Valley Economic Organization, Mr. Pitts has also served as the Founding President and Chairman of the Board of the Verde Valley Wine Consortium. Russell Riblett, Vice President of Sales, GIS Planning Russ Riblett has over twenty years of experience in local economic development and the use of geographic information systems in the economic development arena. At GIS Planning he is showcasing how GIS Planning’s tools and technology can assist the economic development community to achieve their goals of business attraction and retention. Prior to GIS Planning Mr. Riblett was an Economic Development Specialist with the City of Tucson where he co-authored the City’s Economic Development Strategy and Integration Plan. Jim Rounds, President Rounds Consulting Group, Inc. Jim Rounds specializes in economic development and tax policy research; data collection and analysis; fiscal planning including revenue forecasting and budget development; strategic planning and marketing; impact and market studies; and litigation support. He regularly provides advice to policymakers at the State Capitol, mayors throughout the state as well as city council members, county board members, and other public and private sector leaders in the community. He has delivered hundreds of economic presentations and is regularly quoted on television, radio and in printed media. Kim Ryder, Vice President of Real Estate, Goodwill of Central and Northern Arizona As Vice President of Real Estate for Goodwill, Kim Ryder has led the expansion and development efforts in Central and Northern Arizona over the past 20 years. Goodwill’s recent entry into rural markets and future rural market expansion planning has brought up new challenges, changing the way Goodwill evaluates business operations and market research. Acquiring the Northern Arizona territory has given Goodwill tremendous opportunity to expand and serve many rural markets making the timing of this panel an ideal discussion. Joshua Simon, CEO & Founder, SimonCRE Joshua Simon founded SimonCRE in 2010 to carry out his vision of building a real estate development company that focuses on using impeccable service and superior technology to assist clients. A seasoned real estate professional with 13 years of experience in leasing, development, and finance, Mr. Simon leads SimonCRE’s growth strategy. He has grown SimonCRE from three employees doing a handful of projects a year, to more than 20 employees working on roughly $80 to $100 million worth of projects a year. Prior to founding Simon- CRE, Mr. Simon spent more than six years as an independent contractor for Sandor Development as a Develop- er and Senior Leasing Associate. His primary role was the due diligence, acquisition, design, development, and leasing for more than 1.6 million square feet of retail space throughout the country. Kristen Stephenson, Economic Development Officer, City of Glendale Kristen Stephenson serves as the Economic Development Officer for the City of Glendale, primarily focusing on business attraction, research, and analytics. She is responsible assisting companies in their location to the city by providing companies with the data and support they need to make an informed decision. Prior to working for the City of Glendale, Ms. Stephenson was employed by the Greater Phoenix Economic Council (GPEC), a non-profit, public-private partnership serving the Greater Phoenix area. While at GPEC she was responsible for the economic and competitive analysis for the organization including tax policy, incentive analysis and impact modeling, in addition to supervising interns participating the company’s Research and Strategy Internship program. Ms. Stephenson is the Vice Chair of AAED Fall Forum. Andy Tobin, Commissioner, Arizona Corporation Commission Commissioner Tobin is a well-known leader in Arizona state government. Prior to his appointment to the Ari- zona Corporation Commission, he was appointed by the Governor to serve as director of the Arizona Depart- ment of Insurance in October 2015. In addition, he was appointed acting director of the Arizona Department of Financial Institutions. He also served previously as the director of Arizona Department of Weights and Mea- sures. Commissioner Tobin was a long-time member of the Arizona House of Representatives, representing rural Arizona from 2006 to 2014. He was Speaker of the House from 2011 to 2014. Prior to his speakership, he served as the House Majority Leader and Majority Whip. Tobin was instrumental in passing landmark economic development tax reform, reinventing Arizona’s Commerce Authority, and establishing the Department of Child Safety. Richard Wilkie,CEcD, Economic Development Director, City of Casa Grande Richard Wilkie has over 20 years of government experience and has been with the City of Casa Grande for eleven years. During the past four years he has helped facilitate the locating of manufacturing, logistics, health care and commercial companies representing over 2,700 new jobs and over $870 million dollars in capital investment. His experience working with Mega site projects include: PhoenixMart (585 acres), Lucid Motors (500 acres), Dreamport Villages (1,300+ acres), and Attesa Motorsports ((2,300+ acres). Together these projects represent over 25,000 potential jobs and more than $5B in capital investment.