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 to hold that title. Previous to APS, her roles included nearly 10 years in municipal government serving as City Manager of Eloy and Town Manager of Marana; and Manager of Community/Client Development for the Western Gateway Team, an AZ regional economic development group, serving five West Valley communities. Evelyn is a Certified Economic Developer (CEcD) and serves on the Boards of Directors for Access Arizona and past chair, Business Development Finance Corp., Casa Grande Elementary School Employee Benefits Trust, Central Arizona College Foundation and past chair, and Friends of Public Radio-KJZZ and immediate past chair, Community Advisory Board for Banner Casa Grande Regional Medical Center, advisory committee to Asian Corporate and Entrepreneur Leaders. and Development Chair for Arizona Town Hall. She is the recipient of the William Lampkin Long Term Excellence in Economic Development Award and the Economic Developer of the Year from the Arizona Association for Economic Development. She received the Asian Pacific Community in Action Community Leader Award in 2015 and the Governing Board Award from Central Arizona College in Pinal County in 2013. She received a Profiles of Success Special Recognition Award from Valle del Sol in September 2016. Evelyn received her Masters of City and Regional Planning from the University of California, Berkeley and her undergraduate degree from the University of California, Santa Cruz.

Levi Esquerra Alliance Bank Economic Policy Institute Northern Arizona University

Levi Esquerra’s background includes strategic and tactical planning, general management, business negotiations, procurement, nonprofit and property/facilities management, where he initiated a 150% increase in revenue in one year and supervised all facets of financial annual budget of more than $1.5 million.

He has also been involved in research and Information management which includes statistical analysis of socio-economic data for planning purposes and creating processes and identifying tools for developing goals and measurable outcomes.

His is responsible for monitoring and evaluation of approved development plans and associated programs and projects at the regional, district and local levels: Procurement of soliciting foundation, corporate, federal and local support and procurement and administration of more than $10 million in grant and contract funds.

His past professional experience includes:

Director, Center for American Indian Economic Development (CAIED), Northern AZ University Business Development Representative, State of Arizona--Commission of Indian Affairs (ACIA) Research Associate, St. Louis Community Development Agency Interim Director. The American Indian Center of Mid-America, Inc. Chairman, The Chemehuevi Indian Tribe, Havasu Lake, CA

His education includes: MSW, Social and Economic Development, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, 1999 BA, Communications & Sociology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, 1993

Jeffrey Fairman Economic Development Eloy, Arizona Jeff Fairman began his career in development related industries in the early 70’s splitting his experience between public, private and not for profit organizations. He recently joined the City of Eloy with responsibility for economic development activities after providing the same services for the City of Avondale, AZ. For the seven years prior to Avondale, Jeff was Vice President and Business Development Manager for the Southwest District of Sundt Construction. He has also served as the Economic Development Director for Peoria, the Greater Casa Grande Valley and the Mesa Chamber of Commerce. In the late 70’s Jeff was a community development planner with the Governor’s Office of Economic Development and Planning (OEPAD), a very early iteration of the Arizona Commerce Authority. In 1995 Jeff was awarded the Arizona Economic Developer of the Year by the Arizona Association for Economic Development and in 2010 he was honored with the William W. Lampkin Award for Long Term Excellence in Economic Development. Jeff has served on numerous Boards and Commissions including the Phoenix Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, Chair of the Phoenix Chamber’s Economic Development Committee, the Greater Phoenix Economic Council Board of Directors (GPEC), chaired the Economic Development Directors Team (EDDT) and the Community Building Consortium (CBC). Jeff is a native of Phoenix and has a blended family of 4 children, 4 grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren.

Deane C. Foote, CEcD President/CEO Foote Consulting Group, LLC Deane C. Foote is President/CEO of Foote Consulting Group, LLC; a development related consulting company located in the Phoenix area. FCG provides site selection, real estate, workforce and economic development services. Deane has worked on dozens of projects in recent years, including corporate site selection related projects for Protocast JLC, a California-based metal working company; MeadWestvaco; Staples; Simplot; TranSystems; Wal-Mart; Coca-Cola; Forest City; Navajo Chapters; and Sisener, a Spanish renewable energy company; and economic development projects for the States of Arizona; Tennessee; New Mexico; Ohio and Oregon; Gallup, NM; Wayne Co (Detroit), MI; Rockford, IL; Roswell (NM); Iowa City, IA; Wayne Co, IN; Moraine, OH; Queen Creek, AZ; Jamestown, ND; Odessa, TX; Scottsbluff/Gering, NE; La Junta, CO, Huerfano County, CO and Texarkana, TX. Deane was formerly Senior Project Manager for Real Estate and Economic Development with Jacobs (formerly Carter & Burgess) where he directed site selection and economic development projects. Deane was also a Vice President with Paragon Decision Resources, Inc., a full-service relocation company, in charge of site selection and economic development. He was also President of the Greater Urbana- Champaign (IL) Economic Development Corporation. Deane is a Certified Economic Developer (CEcD) and a graduate of the University of Oklahoma. He is a founding Board Member and former Treasurer of the Site Selectors Guild, Inc., a company of the top site selectors in the world. He and his wife Jeanne reside in Glendale, Arizona.

Joyce C. Grossman, AZED Pro Executive Director Arizona Association for Economic Development

Joyce Grossman has served as the executive director for the Arizona Association of Economic Development (AAED) with a membership of 470+ since 2011. AAED’s mission is to serve as Arizona’s unified voice advocating for responsible economic development through an effective program of professional education, public policy, and collaboration. Previously, Grossman was a Deputy Director with the City of Phoenix having served in departments including Community & Economic Development, Mayor’s Office, Equal Opportunity Department, and Phoenix Convention Center.

Ms. Grossman has a B.A. from the University of California--Davis, a M.P.A. from California State University—Sacramento and is a designated Arizona Economic Development Professional (AZED Pro). She is a member of Valley Leadership Class XXV. Grossman has been an honoree of Phoenix Business Journals’ 25 Dynamic Women in Business for 2014, Most Influential Women in Commercial Real Estate for 2016, AZ/RE People & Project to Know—Economic Developers for 2015 and 2017, and AZ Business Leaders – Economic Development 2017. She is Chair of the International Economic Development Council’s Basic Economic Development Course Committee.

LaSetta Hogans, MSW, GCDF Phoenix Business and Workforce Development Board, Executive Director ARIZONA@WORK City of Phoenix

LaSetta Hogans has been in the workforce profession for close to fifteen years and has helped impact economic growth and eliminate poverty by advancing the skills of job seekers to meet business needs in both western Pennsylvania and the Phoenix Metro Area. LaSetta earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Social Work from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania and completed her Masters in Social Work at Walden University in May 2016. LaSetta is certified as a Global Career Development Facilitator and is a member of the Arizona Association for Economic Developers (AAED).

Jeremy Legg, AZED Pro Special Projects Manager Phoenix Convention Center

Mr. Legg has more than a decade of experience working as a local government manager and economic development professional in Arizona. He is currently a Special Projects Manager at the Phoenix Convention Center, overseeing or negotiating real estate deals for City of Phoenix sports and hospitality assets such as Talking Stick Resort Arena, Major League Baseball spring training facilities and Arizona’s largest hotel, the Sheraton Grand Phoenix. Jeremy also works on long-range strategic planning efforts for City of Phoenix convention facilities. He has been responsible for more than $1 billion in assets, including real estate development of the Arizona State University Downtown Phoenix campus, urban residential and mixed-use projects as well as the Phoenix Biomedical Campus. Jeremy has worked on various strategic initiatives for the City of Phoenix, from collaborating on its 2009 All- America City award, to administering a business improvement district, to planning and implementing marketing partnerships. Jeremy has managed other programs and projects, many of them focused on the continued revitalization of downtown Phoenix. He married his high-school sweetheart and has two amazing children. Jeremy earned his Bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois and his Master’s degree in Public Administration from Northern Arizona University.

Rob Millar Economic Development Acting Director Scottsdale, AZ

Rob began his career with the City of Scottsdale in 1992 in the City’s Municipal Services Department, and since then has gained significant experience and yielded positive impact across multiple departments. In 1994 Rob was hired to help create and implement the City’s very first Citizen Service Center located at Los Arcos Mall, the City’s One Stop Shop for City services. He spent the next two years opening various community relation offices throughout Scottsdale until he received an opportunity in 1996 to become the city’s first Neighborhood Services Liaison where he implemented Scottsdale’s first neighborhood college program. Rob then went on to become a Citizen Liaison where he established a citywide call center that significantly streamlined access to city services and automated how citizen inquiries are documented, tracked and followed-up on. He then served as the Mayor’s Chief of Staff from 2006-2008.

As Economic Development Acting Director, he is responsible for overseeing all departmental activities, which include attracting new companies, retaining and growing existing companies, marketing Scottsdale as a play to locate and live, and increasing revenue to the City of Scottsdale. Rob’s background in contract development, negotiations and administration, automotive dealership attraction and retention efforts, and redevelopment initiatives serve as a valuable resource in the City’s economic development strategies.

Rob holds a Bachelor of Arts in Public Administration, serves on the Board of Directors of the Arizona Association for Economic Development, is a graduate of Scottsdale Leadership Class 17, and the Arizona State University Institute for Public Executives.

Tim Pickering, CEcD President & CEO Interim Public Management LLC (IPM)

Mr. Pickering began Interim Public Management, LLC (IPM) in 2010 to assist communities through the realities of changing leadership. Interim Public Management is made up of over 220 tenured city and county department directors, manager and officers who have experience at over 70 municipalities and organizations in 15 states. IPM has provided more than 100 interims for over a third of the cities and counties in Arizona.

Tim Pickering has served communities for over two decades in the capacity of city manager or CEO, including Fountain Hills, Arizona and Salt River Devco in Arizona; Collinsville and Freeburg, Illinois; and Olivette, Missouri — all in major metropolitan areas.

He served on the Valley Leadership Board of Directors in Phoenix and the Greater Phoenix Economic Council. Tim served on the Board of Directors of the Arizona City Management Association and as President of the St. Louis City Management Association and has received the Dr. Leo Cohen Urban Management Award. He is a 25-year member of International City/County Managers’ Association (ICMA) and is a Credentialed ICMA Manager.

Mr. Pickering has his BS and Masters of Public Administration from Southern Illinois University and is a graduate of Harvard University at Cambridge’s program for Senior Executives in State and Local Government. He is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma’s Economic Development Institute and has been one of the country’s approximately 1,100 Certified Economic Developers for eighteen years. Additionally, he has taught administrative topics in graduate programs at Arizona State University.

During his career, Mr. Pickering specialized in helping communities through difficult financial and political times, as evidenced by guiding Fountain Hills from a dysfunctional political situation and bleak financial outlook to being named by Phoenix Magazine as the best place to live in the Valley of the Sun. Mr. Pickering is a Credentialed City Manager and Certified Economic Developer.

David B. Roderique, CEcD Economic Development Director City of Buckeye, AZ David Roderique recently began serving as the Economic Development Director for the City of Buckeye, Arizona, a rapidly growing community on the west side of metro Phoenix. He is responsible for all aspects of the City’s economic development efforts, including growth of the employment base, the attraction of new retail, tourism and services to the community, and the redevelopment of Historic Downtown Buckeye. Prior to that, he served as Associate Principal of Gruen Gruen + Associates, a national real estate and economic consulting firm, where he specialized in economic, fiscal, and market analysis; economic development strategic planning; and predevelopment entitlement, marketing, and implementation support. Between 2008 and 2016, he served as the President of the Downtown Phoenix Partnership, a Business Improvement District whose mission is to provide enhanced services to the core area of downtown Phoenix. Dave joined DPP in early 2008 and oversaw a staff of 40 with an annual budget of $3.5 million. Downtown Phoenix is currently undergoing a major renaissance, with over $5 billion in new investment underway in all sectors over the past 10 years, including a new convention center, several new hotels, a new downtown Arizona State University campus, several new high-rise office towers, a biomedical campus and medical school, a light rail system, new retail, and numerous residential projects. Downtown has also become a major event venue, including hosting 2015’s Super Bowl Central, with over 1 million visitors. From 1985 and 2008, Mr. Roderique worked for the City of Scottsdale as the General Manager of Economic Vitality, where he oversaw the City’s economic development, redevelopment, tourism, and business service areas. Between 2000 and 2008, Scottsdale added over 30,000 new jobs, increased sales tax revenues by 90%, saw its bond rating increased to AAA by all 3 national rating agencies (one of only 8 cities in the country), and realized over $2.5 billion in new downtown reinvestment. Prior to his service with Scottsdale, Mr. Roderique worked in corporate real estate in San Francisco, and as an economic/real estate development consultant in Tucson. He is a Certified Economic Developer (CEcD) by the International Economic Development Council (IEDC), and has received many awards and accolades, including the “Economic Developer of the Year” and the “Economic Development Organization of the Year” awards by the Arizona Association for Economic Development (AAED). He was the co-recipient of the City of Scottsdale “Bill Donaldson Award” (employee of the year), and has been acknowledged by the Phoenix Business Journal as one of the Valley’s “Most Influential Business Leaders”. He serves on a variety of Boards, including the Urban Land Institute Arizona District Council and the Herberger Theater. He is the past Chairman of the Greater Phoenix Economic Council’s E.D. Director’s Team, is a graduate of the Scottsdale Leadership program, and is active in a variety of other community groups. His memberships include the International Economic Development Council (IEDC), the Urban Land Institute (ULI), and the Arizona Association for Economic Development (AAED). Mr. Roderique received both BA and MA degrees in Geography and Regional Development from the University of Arizona, and he has continued his education through such programs as the IEDC Economic Development Institute, and Harvard University’s executive/professional program. He resides in Scottsdale with his wife and two children.

Colleen Schwab Senior Vice President, Marketing & Communications Greater Phoenix Economic Council

Colleen Schwab is a marketing and communications professional that has dedicated her life to purpose- driven work. She currently serves as the Senior Vice President, Marketing & Communications and prior to this role she served as the Vice President, Marketing.

During her time at GPEC, Colleen launched The Connected Place campaign and built a regional identity around the Internet of Things and sensor technology. She has also been instrumental in telling the story of the region and showcasing how it is not only a place where business thrives, but where families can flourish.

Prior to the Greater Phoenix Economic Council, Colleen was the VP of Marketing at the Colon Cancer Alliance in Washington, D.C. She also has served many other Arizona-based urban and rural organizations by providing marketing services and raising millions of dollars for causes such as affordable housing, drug prevention and education, support for survivors of domestic violence and much more.

She currently serves on the Board of Directors for Arouet Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering women and bettering the community by providing a hand-up to those exiting the prison system.

Colleen graduated from Arizona State University with an undergraduate degree in Communications and a minor in PR. She resides in Scottsdale, Arizona with her husband and two dogs, Captain and Bentley.

Brad Smidt, CEcD Senior Vice President, Business Development Greater Phoenix Economic Development Council

Brad Smidt is the Senior Vice President of Business Development for GPEC. He manages the team that works with companies considering large industrial, office and data center projects in the Phoenix area. During his time at GPEC, Brad has helped more than 150 companies expand or relocate to the Greater Phoenix area.

Prior to GPEC, Mr. Smidt worked in economic development in both the cities of Mesa and Chandler. He is a native Arizonan who grew up in Greater Phoenix. His local ties have contributed to his vast knowledge of the area and familiarity with the unique assets of its workforce.

In 2008, he received the Economic Developer of the Year award from the Arizona Association of Economic Development.

Mr. Smidt is an active member of the Fiesta Bowl Committee and serves on the University of Arizona Eller MBA Industry Advisory Board. He earned a bachelor’s degree in regional development from the University of Arizona. He holds a Certified Economic Developer Certification from the International Economic Development Council.

Robert Stenson, MBA Business and Workforce Development Center Supervisor City of Phoenix Rob Stenson is the Business and Workforce Development Supervisor with ARIZONA@WORK, City of Phoenix. With over 20 years of private sector sales and operations leadership, Rob has spent much of his career as a change agent, taking stalled businesses to new heights by disrupting norms and increasing organizational performance. In his current role, Rob has worked to bridge the gap between economic and workforce development, creating new ways to leverage workforce programs that attract, retain, and expand businesses.

Russ Yelton President/CEO, Yelton and Associates, LLC

Russ Yelton is President/CEO of Yelton and Associates. Yelton and Associates is a consulting firm that provides community development services to municipalities and scaling businesses. Utilizing extensive business incubation experience and professional contacts, the firm assists business incubation projects, as well as private companies, to scale to obtain angel investment, private equity, as well as venture capital. Previously, Yelton served as Chief Executive Officer of Pinnacle Transplant Technologies (PTT). PTT is a regenerative medical company, which operates a human tissue bank. PTT develops allograft tissue for transplant, along with an amnion fluid product line. Yelton was responsible for strategic direction, corporate culture and overall growth management. Under Yelton’s leadership, PTT scaled from 20 to over 100 associates, grew to distribute products in every state in the United States, as well as 19 countries, increased processing and administrative space from 25,000 to 40,000 sq. ft. and grew revenues from $3.6m to over $18.5m. Russ currently sits on the Advisory Board for PTT and retains an ownership interest. Prior to PTT, Russ was President/CEO of the Northern Arizona Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology (NACET). At NACET, Russ oversaw the development of multiple business incubation sites across the State of Arizona, including the Center for Entrepreneurial Innovation at Gateway Community College (CEI), the Maricopa Center for Entrepreneurship (MCE) in the City of Maricopa, as well as the Native American Incubation Network (NAIN). Upon his departure, 62 companies were in the current portfolio, and clients raised over $82 million in capital in 4 years. He also served as the founding President of the Arizona Business Incubation Association (AzBIA). Previously, he worked with a community college in North Carolina to convert an abandoned 141,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility into a mixed-use incubator consisting of an FDA approved commercial food kitchen, biotechnology research labs, light manufacturing, and executive offices. The program also established agreements with seven incubators in six foreign countries, which led to its recognition by the International Business Incubation Association (INBIA) as the second most innovative program in the world in 2008. Yelton has served as President and Vice-President of the North Carolina Business Incubation Association (NCBIA), Chair of the Mountain South Incubator Alliance, past Founding President of the AzBIA, and currently serves as Chairman of the Board of AzBIO, Chair of the Flinn Bioscience Entrepreneurship Committee, a Member of the Arizona District Export Council (DEC), as well as several others. Russ received his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA) from Appalachian State University and his Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Western Carolina University, where he also completed continuing doctoral coursework. He also completed Economic Sustainability training from the Vienna School of Economics, and he is a Flinn-Brown Fellow.