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David Bentler Manager, Statewide Economic Development Department Arizona Public Service David Bentler is the Manager of the APS Statewide Economic Development Department. David believes strongly in the “Arizona Team” concept: working in unity with all Arizona economic development organizations such as Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA), Greater Phoenix Economic Council (GPEC), and other public and private economic development agencies towards the common goal of the recruitment of quality jobs into Arizona. David received his Bachelor and Master degree from Truman State and is a graduate of the Economic Development Institute in Norman, Oklahoma. David is Past President of the Electric Utilities Economic Development Association (UEDA), on the Board of Directors for the Economic Collaborative of Northern Arizona (ECONA), on the Board of Directors for the Scottsdale Area Chamber of Commerce, and Past President for the Arizona Association for Economic Development (AAED) and on the Board of Directors for Pinal Alliance for Economic Development. He was honored by AAED as the Arizona Economic Developer of the year in 2003, received the Distinguished Service Award from GPEC in 2009, and in 2016 was honored with the William Lampkin Long Term Excellence in Economic Development Award. Aric H. Bopp, CEcD Deputy Director for Strategic Initiatives, Office of Economic Development City of Mesa, AZ Aric Bopp joined the City of Mesa in August of 2016 as the Deputy Director for Strategic Initiatives in the Office of Economic Development. One of his major roles is to help develop the Gateway region of Mesa that includes Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, ASU-Poly, and approximately thirty-two square miles of development potential. Previously he worked for the City of Phoenix as the Program Manager for Business Retention and Expansion in the Community and Economic Development Department. He was tasked with developing an outreach strategy to enhance the business community in Phoenix and work with the 16,000+ businesses that resided there. Prior to working for the City, Aric led a regional economic development organization in/around Blacksburg, VA (the New River Valley Economic Development Alliance). During his twelve+ year tenure as Executive Director he helped land new projects to the region creating thousands of jobs and totaling just over $1 Billion in investment including projects from Poland, Germany, Mexico, and Colombia. Aric has been actively getting involved with economic development organizations throughout Mesa and Phoenix including working with the Arizona Technology Council, Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce, Black Chamber of Arizona, Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Greater Phoenix Economic Council, Arizona Association of Economic Development, and many others. Aric’s major interests outside of work include home remodeling and spending as much time as possible with his wife and four children, often coaching their various sports teams (soccer, baseball, and basketball). Aric was educated at the Johns Hopkins University, attended graduate school at the University of Virginia, and received his economic development certification through IEDC (International Economic Development Council). Michael Boule Senior Project Manager City of Surprise Michael Boule is a west valley native and joined the Surprise Public Works Department in 2008. Michael’s primary focus includes delivering capital improvement projects along with developing and administering the city’s capital improvement program. Michael has delivered nearly $40 million in capital projects since 2009 and is leading the implementation of the city’s 2017 bond election. Michael also works hand in hand with the City’s Economic Development Department assisting in their goals and initiatives. Mr. Boule is an active member of the Arizona Chapter of the American Public Works Association. Michael holds a Bachelor of Science in Design from Arizona State University and an MBA from Ottawa University. Suzanne “Suzie” Boyles Economic Development Manager City of Buckeye Ms. Boyles returned to the City of Buckeye this October as an Economic Development Manager. She most recently was an Economic Development Project Manager with the City of Surprise. Her primary focus there was around business attraction and marketing efforts within a variety of industries, specializing in advanced manufacturing, distribution and logistics, data centers, retail & entertainment, and healthcare. During her tenure in Surprise, Ms. Boyles successfully worked on multiple projects representing over 600,000 square feet of new industrial developments, over 70,000 square feet of healthcare and numerous retail and entertainment developments. Prior to joining the City of Surprise, she was in the Economic Development Department for the City of Buckeye where she successfully implemented strategies designed to attract, retain, and grow businesses in the City. During her time in Buckeye she led incentive negotiations in support of new retail developments, was instrumental in implementing the city’s first ever Lodging Tax to support the city’s tourism initiatives and facilitated changing the Transaction Privilege Tax rate to further advance business attraction. Ms. Boyles has her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Business Administration from Western New Mexico University. Chris Camacho President and CEO Greater Phoenix Economic Council A proven leader with over 10 years in executive management roles, Chris Camacho serves as the President & CEO at one of the longest standing public private partnerships for economic development across the country. He previously served as the organization’s Executive Vice President. 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. He oversees the domestic and international business development and market strategies while serving as GPEC’s executive leader in community interactions. He has particular expertise in emerging technology, tax policy and international economic development. Since 2008, he has taken an active role in addressing the region’s competitiveness position on cost and taxation. In 2015 and 2016, Chris was named to Consult Connect’s Top 50 U.S. Economic Developers. In 2013, he was named among an international group of “40 Under 40” by Development Counsellors International, a New York-based firm recognizing rising talent in economic development. And in 2012, he also received a “40 Under 40” award from the Phoenix Business Journal, which each year identifies talent throughout Arizona. Camacho is the past president of the Arizona Association for Economic Development (AAED), the statewide association of economic development practitioners. In 2011, AAED named him Economic Developer of the Year. Prior to GPEC, Camacho served as President & CEO of the Greater Yuma Economic Development Corporation (GYEDC) from 2006-2008, after serving as the Business Development Manager for two years. 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. Some of the larger manufacturing projects included Alside Window and Door, Northwestern Industries Inc., Johnson Controls, and Shaw Industries. Viewed as a dynamic community figure, Camacho was recognized as the Chamber of Commerce Leader of the Year in 2007. In 2006, he served on the Arizona Global Network Board, which was developed to create a foreign-direct investment platform for the State of Arizona. He also developed Yuma’s first Business Retention and Expansion Program to support the local manufacturing and food technology sector. Prior moving to Arizona, Camacho worked as a research analyst at The Alliance, a regional economic development firm in Greater St. Louis. He is involved in community non-profits including Chicanos Por La Casa, and sits on the boards for the Arizona Business Education Coalition, Year Up, the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the Valley of the Sun United Way, as well as the International Economic Development Council and the Economic Innovation Group Policy Council. In 2016 he 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. Camacho graduated from Southern Illinois University with an undergraduate degree in Psychology and a graduate degree in Public Administration and Policy Analysis. He also attended the University of Oklahoma for the Economic Development Institute. He resides in Scottsdale with his wife and three children. Evelyn Casuga, CEcD Senior Advisor, Community Relations, Office of the President Central Arizona College Consultant to Center for the Future of Arizona ASU Evelyn is currently serving several roles in part time, consulting, and volunteer capacities in the areas of economic and community development, education, and civic engagement. After 25 years, Evelyn retired in December 2014 as General Manager of Community Affairs at APS, the largest and longest serving investor-owned utility in Arizona. Her area encompassed community relations, corporate contributions and volunteer programs, economic development, and strategic partnerships. She served in numerous leadership roles during her tenure at APS including Southeast Arizona Division Manager, the first female