••••
THE NEWSPAPER OF AVONDALE, BUCKEYE, GOODYEAR, LITCHFIELD PARK & TOLLESON
Christian Fischer
Business Briefcase PAGE
14
westvalleyview.com
INSIDE
This Week
BUSINESS .... 18 Wigwam golf shop ranked one of the best in U.S.
SPORTS ......... 20 Patriot All-America tourney includes women
FEATURES ..... 22 The 12 health screenings of Christmas
OPINION ...............10 BUSINESS.............. 14 SPORTS ..................19 FEATURES ..............22 YOUTH ..................25 OBITUARIES ...........25 CLASSIFIEDS ..........26 NORTH
PAGE
19
December 22, 2021
The Voice of the West Valley for 36 years
Longtime councilmember new Goodyear mayor BY WEST VALLEY VIEW STAFF
I
n a unanimous vote on Dec. 17, the Goodyear City Council appointed Joe Pizzillo to serve as Goodyear’s mayor. This, after the death of Mayor Georgia Lord on Dec. 12. He was sworn in shortly after the vote. “I’m honored to continue to serve our great city, and I have some big shoes to fill,” Pizzillo said. “I will certainly lean on our city council as we work as a team to continue to build upon our success.” Pizzillo was elected to the city council in 2009 and also served as vice mayor and acting mayor from 2010 through 2011. In 2013, he was re-elected to his second council term and served as vice mayor. In 2017, he was re-elected to serve as a councilmember through 2022. His vision for the city includes several initiatives. One of his top priorities is bringing high-quality restaurants and jobs for residents. As the ninth fastest-growing city, it’s important to Pizzillo to provide a place where residents can live, work and play. He has 30 years of experience in state and local government budgeting. Prior to his re-
tirement from the city of Goodyear in 2008, he served as the city’s budget manager. Currently, he is an adjunct professor of accounting and finance with Estrella Mountain Community College and Grand Canyon and Park universities. “It was the city’s sound and conservative fiscal policies that helped us get through the ’08 recession,” Pizzillo said. “It’s important that we continue to have savings set aside to continue to meet future needs without spending money that we don’t have.” Other priorities include getting a better handle on traffic flow and congestion in the city as people continue to move to Goodyear at a record pace, in addition to finding ways to maintain the pristine condition of our city through code enforcement. Pizzillo praised his colleagues on the Goodyear City Council for their commitment to working as a team to continue to build upon the municipality’s success. “We have a great council, and we will continue to meet any future challenges head-
Mayor...continued on page 7
Joe Pizzillo will serve as the new Goodyear mayor following the death of Mayor Georgia Lord. (Submitted photo)
Skyview specializes in a tailored education BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI West Valley View Executive Editor
A
manda Munoz is well-versed in creating a successful high school experience. She’s been with The Leona Group since 2017. She spent six years teaching English be-
fore she transitioned to instructional support. Now she’s the school leader of The Leona Group’s Skyview High School in Buckeye. “We specialize in providing a more tailored education because of our diverse population,” she said. “We really focus on that credit recovery piece. They have responsi-
bilities outside of school. “We increase those post-secondary education and career opportunities for them.” Students can earn on-the-job experience through Skyview’s work-credit, volunteer
The latest breaking news and top local stories in the West Valley!
Skyview...continued on page 7
www.WestValleyView.com .com
JUST A CLICK AWAY
