who’s who // ECONOMIC DEVELOPERS
A DENNY BARNEY President and CEO // PHX East Valley Partnership // phxeastvalley.org Barney is president and CEO of the PHX East Valley Partnership, a non-partisan coalition of civic, business, education and political leaders dedicated to economic development and promotion of the region. He balances that role with his work as principal of ARCUS Private Capital Solutions. Personal strengths: “I am fortunate to be able to look at a situation and see a solution, even when one doesn’t seem readily apparent. I also enjoy working alongside others as part of a larger team whose combined and concerted effort makes a positive, measurable difference in our community.” Professional advice: “Those entering the field should seize opportunities to talk about and celebrate all that’s good in their city, region or state, while doing all they can to make business and the quality of life there even better.”
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B CHRIS CAMACHO President and CEO // Greater Phoenix Economic Council // gpec.org A proven leader with more than 10 years in executive management roles, Camacho leads the Greater Phoenix Economic Council, 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 280 companies, creating 47,011 jobs and $4.4 billion in capital investment. Some notable projects include Apple, Silicon Valley Bank, Zenefits, GoDaddy, Yelp, Amazon, Garmin and General Motors. Personal strengths: “Being able to set a vision and execute has been pivotal to success. Additionally, possessing a level of grit and tenacity but with balanced humility in a spirit of cooperation for the greater good has allowed me to excel.”
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C SINTRA HOFFMAN President and CEO // WESTMARC // westmarc.org Hoffman’s career includes mopre than 20 years in local, state and federal government. Prior to joining WESTMARC, she served as assistant division director for ADOT and deputy city manager and intergovernmental relations director for the City of Surprise. Her career has focused on building sustainable relationships with elected and business leaders in Arizona. She has been recognized for successful transportation lobbying and problem solving. Personal strengths: “People describe me as energetic, tenacious and enthusiastic. I describe myself as a team player and connector. This combination attracts people to me, and me to people with great ideas and resources to accomplish amazing things for our community. This perfect formula has yielded many successes throughout my career.”
D JOE SNELL President and CEO // Sun Corridor Inc. // suncorridorinc.com Snell brings more than 30 years of experience leading regional economic development organizations in communities of various sizes. His knowledge on building strategic, competitive and balanced economic development efforts have resulted in Snell being nationally recognized for creating strong economies in high-growth regions. Personal strengths: “I believe that my tenacity has helped me greatly. I embrace the ‘why we can’ and avoid all those that tell you why something can’t be done.” Industry outlook: “Tucson and Southern Arizona have finally shed the chains of the recession. Recent trends are positive and growth is fully occurring. Outside of a recession or other major disrupter, I see more positive development of our economy and our region in the years ahead.”
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E CAROL STEWART Associate vice president // UA Tech Parks // techparks.arizona.edu As the associate vice president for Tech Parks Arizona at the University of Arizona, tewart is responsible for the UA Tech Park at Rita Road and the UA Tech Park at the Bridges and serves as president of the Campus Research Corporation. She is also president of the UA Center for Innovation, a technology business incubator serving the University of Arizona and Tucson community. Stewart is an experienced research park leader with a more than 30-year career serving the academic/not-for-profit sector, as well as the high-tech industry. Previously, she was the chief executive officer for the Association of University Research Parks and helped to expand the organization’s international credibility by showcasing best practices to research parks across the globe. 258 ABL | Nominate at azBIGmedia.com
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