FROM YOUR STEERING COMMITTEE

Thomas Maynard

>> Favorite thing about your job: The mission - our job is to help grow the Greater Phoenix economy. I am from Arizona and I am proud to be part of an organization that is actively working to make our community a better place. Shortly followed by the people – GPEC attracts very smart and well-rounded individuals from all over the world. I love coming into work everyday.

Senior

Vice President of Business Development at

Greater Phoenix Economic Council (GPEC) .

BY ASHLEY WYSOR-ESTRADA

>> Favorite project you’ve worked on: Years ago, I worked on a project for USAA. They have a great company culture and brand. They were offering relocation packages for their employees and invited me and a few partners from the City of Phoenix to present to their employees about living in AZ. It was great to be an ambassador for the region!

>> Backstory: I grew up in Tucson and went to ASU. I graduated with a degree in Journalism with a focus in public relations. When I graduated, I was interning with the Diamondbacks with no clear picture of where my career would go. I took an internship with GPEC in the marketing department and have never looked back.

>> What got you interested in the CRE industry:

I did not have a strong interest in joining the CRE industry out of college. I started as an intern at the Greater Phoenix Economic Council (GPEC) shortly after I graduated from ASU. I figured I would be there for a few months until I figured out what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. Plans changed slightly, however. This Fall will mark my 10th year mark at GPEC!

I am now the Senior Vice President of Business Development at GPEC. I co-lead our business attraction team with a goal to help companies grow/expand to Metro Phoenix.

>> First job out of college: Game Operations Intern with the AZ Diamondbacks. It was the most fun I had in a professional setting. It was the summer of 2013 - the Dbacks were having a tough year but it was an amazing experience.

>> What role did mentors play in your career:

Mentors played a huge role, especially in my early career when I was trying to figure out my role at GPEC and my professional life in general. My first boss at GPEC (Shelley Parnell) was the one that pushed me to apply for a full-time gig. I didn’t think I was qualified for the event planning job that was open. Shelley told me, “You’re an idiot. Just apply and see what happens.” Turns out to be one of the best pieces of advice I have received.

>> How has Phoenix changed and how do you see it changing in the future: Metro Phoenix has seen a huge change over the last decade. When I first started, we were just coming out of the Great Recession. Greater Phoenix was in the recession longer and deeper than almost every other metro region because we were reliant on construction and real estate.

Now, our region is much more dynamic and we are attracting investments from all over the world. In 2022, Arizona had the most Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the US and the US had the most FDI in any country in the world. In other words, AZ is on the map.

Now, the real work starts. We can’t rest on our laurels as a market so GPEC has been working as hard as ever to make sure we remain competitive as a region to continue to win projects.

>> What is it like working for your company:

GPEC is a fast-moving and dynamic work environment. We have a great reputation in our industry and as a result, we have been able to recruit some of the best people from the economic development community nationally to join our team. The people that do well at GPEC are mission driven and care about the community. We have a team of +/- 30 people that are passionate about their work and the community we represent.

>> What is the most challenging part of your position?

Projects are becoming more and more complex. Many of our clients have short deadlines and have high demands from a utility & workforce perspective. We have to remain on the edge and work closely with our partners to remain competitive. That is the most challenging but also the most fun part of the job.

>> What advice would you give to a DL who is early on in their career: Plug in as much as you can. NAIOP does a great job organizing events and giving the DLs opportunities to learn and meet others in the industry. I would tell new DLs to try to make a new friend at each event. Take that person to coffee or lunch to get to know them and build your network. Don’t worry if that contact can’t bring you business day 1. Business opportunities will come later; focus on making connections and relationships first.

>> What are your passions outside of work:

I love to golf! I am a solid bogey golfer so I am not going to set any course records, but I am always down to get out there and play. I am a solid scramble partner!

>> Where do you see yourself in 10 years:

I have no idea! I am passionate about the economic development profession and can see myself continuing in that realm and making it my career. I still have a lot to learn but I want to work with the next generation of economic developers.