In this past webinar, our panel of industry and chamber/economic development leaders explored how large-scale solar projects can power Arizona’s future, strengthen grid reliability, and open the doors to transformative economic development opportunities. Together, the panel discussed how chambers and economic development organizations can champion policies for reliable grid and business enhancement.
Rebecca Kelly
VP, Development, Longroad Energy
Heidi Ratz
Deputy Director, Market & Policy Innovation, Clean Energy Buyers Association
Justin Peterson
Senior Vice President of Operations, McCarthy Building Companies
Presented in partnership with Chambers for Innovation and Clean Energy
In this past webinar, we dove into Arizona’s remarkable economic transformation one year after the implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act. This legislation, along with accelerated advancements in battery technology and renewable energy, propelled Arizona into a new era of unprecedented job and manufacturing growth.
Arizona’s corporate sector is driving demand for clean energy — setting carbon emission goals and developing strategies to reach them. And Arizona utilities are well underway in transitioning to clean energy and have set timelines to do so.
Join us and learn more about the challenges and opportunities for utilities and corporations as we make this transition, and how federal support from the Inflation Reduction Act will help expedite the transition.
Speakers:
Johnathan Simkins
Vice President, Planning & Administration Global Real Estate & Workplace Experience, American Express
Todd Brady
Vice President, Global Public Affairs & Chief Sustainability Officer, Intel Corporation
Todd Komaromy
Director of Resource Planning, Arizona Public Service
Trevor Ledbetter
Director, Office of Sustainability, University of Arizona
Grant Smedley
Director of Resource Planning, Acquisition, & Development, Salt River Project
Moderated by Ryan Evans, Executive Director for Chambers for Innovation & Clean Energy.
Presented in partnership with Chambers for Innovation and Clean Energy.
What does the infrastructure bill mean for Arizona? Will it drive climate action and a clean energy economy in Arizona? Can we learn from Minnesota’s efforts to implement a statewide plan for a clean energy economy?
Speakers:
U.S. Congressman Greg Stanton, Keynote Speaker
In his first term in Congress, Congressman Stanton has focused on increasing trade opportunities in Arizona, planning for the state’s water future, and investing in public transportation and infrastructure. Stanton is a member of the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee and the Judiciary Committee.
J. Drake Hamilton, Panelist
J. Drake Hamilton is Senior Director of Science Policy at Fresh Energy. An expert in climate and energy policy at the state and national levels, her responsibilities include scientific analysis and policy development of clean energy solutions to global warming that maximize economic opportunities.
Elgie Holstein, Panelist
Elgie Holstein is Senior Director for Strategic Planning for the Environmental Defense Fund. He coordinates strategy and policy work and represents EDF’s programs to policymakers, supporters, and the media. Elgie brings extensive career experience with a focus on energy, natural resources, and environmental policy.
Todd Brady, Panelist
Todd Brady is the Director of Global Public Affairs and Sustainability for Intel Corporation. In this role, Brady leads state and local government affairs, media and community relations, corporate volunteerism and sustainability at the company’s major manufacturing and office locations around the globe.
Ryan Evans, Panelist
Ryan Evans is Executive Director for Chambers for Innovation and Clean Energy (CICE). Evans is responsible for day-to-day operations, strategic growth initiatives, and policy development for CICE. He is a recognized leader and a regular speaker, both locally and nationally, on renewable energy policy, the economic impacts of air quality, community engagement, and relationship building.
Moderated by Jon Ford, Arizona Forward Board Chair
Presented in partnership with ASU Sustainable Cities Network and Chambers for Innovation & Clean Energy
Electric Vehicle (EV) companies and suppliers in the Greater Phoenix Metropolitan Area and across Arizona are now referring to the region as the “Electric Valley”. While other states in the U.S. may produce more vehicles in total, Arizona is attracting the startup EV sector, bringing thousands of additional jobs and billions of capital investment to our state.
But the question is: With fierce competition from other regions in the U.S., how can Arizona continue to the grow the EV manufacturing sector? What does this mean for Arizona in terms of associated tax revenue, investment, clean jobs, and clean air? According to EPA, the cleanest car manufactured in the U.S. today is built in Arizona.
Let’s leverage the momentum and grow and support Arizona’s Electric Valley.
Speakers:
Britta Gross Managing Director, Carbon Free Mobility, Rocky Mountain Institute & Orlando Public Utility Commissioner
Renée Louzon-Benn Executive Director, Greater Casa Grande Chamber of Commerce
Marisa Walker Sr. V.P., Arizona Commerce Authority & Executive Director, Institute of Automated Mobility
James Smith Economic and Workforce Development Director, Pinal County
Jon Ford, Moderator Community Development Regional Manager, Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco
Presented in partnership with Chambers for Innovation and Clean Energy.
Is Arizona fully prepared for climate risks that will affect our long-term water supplies? Hear from Arizona’s water supply experts on the answers to this critically important question. Learn what it means for you, your business and Arizona’s water future.
Speakers
Robert Anderson, Moderator
Anderson is Shareholder and Director in the Natural Resources Practice Group at Fennemore. He is one of the Southwest’s most recognized water attorneys, focusing primarily on water rights and water resource issues, as well as water quality, wetlands, and endangered species.
Cynthia Campbell, Panelist
Campbell is the Water Resources Management Advisor for the City of Phoenix. She manages the City’s water portfolio and advises the City Manager and Water Services Department on policy issues relating to long-range water planning and strategy. She is the City’s liaison with the State of Arizona, Central Arizona Project, Salt River Project and other organizations on water resource issues.
Patrick Dent, Panelist
Dent is CAP’s Director of Water Policy, overseeing Colorado River Programs, Resource Planning & Analysis, and the Central Arizona Groundwater Replenishment District. His group is responsible for long-range planning, policy analysis, development and program implementation for the CAP service area, the Colorado River and the Central Arizona Groundwater Replenishment District.
Bruce Hallin, Panelist
Hallin is the Director of Water Supply at SRP and has over 30 years of experience in the water and power industry. Serving on multiple water-related local and regional water resource committees, boards, and business groups, he has worked in the fields of water resource development and management, water resource planning, water rights, and forest health.
Jake Lenderking, Panelist
Lenderking is the Senior Vice President of Water Resources and Legislative Affairs at Global Water Resources and has more than 10 years of leadership experience in water resource management, water policy formation, and conservation program development and compliance. He also has experience with representing water utilities before the Arizona Corporation Commission, and with city and town councils on the formation of water policy, rates and regulation.
Timothy Thomure, Panelist
Thomure is the Director of Tucson Water and has 22 years of experience working in public utilities, private industry, and consulting. He leads the utility in developing the next generation of water leaders internally, while pushing the boundaries of holistic water management externally to achieve sustainability across the urban water cycle.
Covering nearly 21 million acres in Arizona, our forests are a vital resource that impact our state on many levels – as a natural treasure, environmental asset and economic driver. In 2021, our forests are at the brink of catastrophic wildfire. With creative solutions and collaboration between key stakeholders, we can create a sustainable path forward. One of Arizona’s legacies will be the effective stewardship of our forests for future generations.
In this informative webinar, learn why climate action is critical to the health of our forests. All Arizona Forward members and partners can be more informed and better understand the increasingly severe and catastrophic impacts of climate change on Arizona’s forests. Swift and bold action is needed. Hear from experts on efforts underway and how you can help today.
Opening Remarks
Congressman Tom O’Halleran, Keynote Speaker.
O’Halleran is a member of the House Committee on Agriculture and is an advocate for climate and environment.
Panel Discussion
Joanne Keene, Moderator
Keene is the deputy county manager for Coconino County. She has 25 years of experience in local, state and federal government. Keene recently served for five years as the Executive Vice President and Chief of Staff to Northern Arizona University.
Jeremy Kruger, Panelist
Kruger is the Chief Executive for Four Forest Restoration Initiative at U.S. Forest Services. Kruger has over 25 years of experience in natural resource management and forest fire management.
Bruce Hallin, Panelist
Hallin is the Director of Water Supply at SRP and has over 30 years of experience in the water and power industry. He advocates for re-establishing healthy forests to maintain and protect the health of the Valley’s water supply.
Amy Waltz, Panelist
Waltz is the Director of Science Delivery with the Ecological Restoration Institute at Northern Arizona University. Waltz works with land managers and diverse stakeholders to deliver peer-reviewed science relevant to ecological restoration.
Travis Woolley, Panelist
Woolley is a forest ecologist at The Nature Conservancy. Some of his research issues include wildlife habits, disease environment interactions, and post-fire tree mortality.
Future mobility is about striving toward options that are environmentally friendly, clean, integrated, automated and allow for personalized travel on demand. Working collaboratively to deploy solutions that incorporate new technologies and benefit individuals and businesses is key. Join us and learn more about innovative solutions underway in Arizona communities.
Speakers Lava Sunder, General Manager, Culdesac Tempe
Elizabeth Fretheim, Head of Business Development and National Accounts, Nikola
Chris Hawley, Director of Marketing, Honeywell
Eric Back, Vice President Hardware Engineering, Lucid Motors
Moderator
Jon Ford, Director of Strategic Initiatives, Vitalyst Health Foundation
Special Remarks
Stephen Anderson, Member, Gammage & Burnham
Arizona Forward and our partners from national organizations, the Clean Energy Business Network and Chambers for Innovation & Clean Energy will convene a conversation on how businesses are elevating Arizona to attract investment in clean energy. As well, the recently launched report conducted by the Clean Energy Business Network will highlight how Arizona ranks.
Guest Speakers
Stephanie Healy, Director of Public Affairs, Cox Communications
Steven Lopez, Senior Director, Customer Strategy, SRP
Lisa Jacobs, President, Business Council for Sustainable Energy
Chamber of Commerce Introductions
Lynn Parsons, Executive Director, Coolidge Chamber of Commerce
Renee Louzon-Benn, President, Greater Casa Grande Chamber of Commerce
Sukki Jahnke, VP Marketing and Programs, Tempe Chamber of Commerce
Special Remarks
Gary Gold, Esq., Policy Advisor, U.S. Senator Kyrsten Sinema
What You Will Learn and What You Can Do
Hosted by
Arizona Forward, Clean Energy Business Network and Chamber for Innovation and Clean Energy
Arizona is at a unique crossroad and the impact of climate change, in the form of extreme heat, wildfires and extended drought, can no longer be ignored on a local and statewide basis. Nationally, Fortune 500 companies and metropolitan cities have paved the way forward on sustainability planning and climate action. As Arizonans acknowledge this new reality, its public and private sectors must coordinate and collaborate to have a significant impact. In this webinar, Arizona businesses will highlight their sustainability best practices and actions to address climate change, and discuss strategies for collaborating with local municipalities to bolster statewide climate action planning and sustainability. Learn more about what you can do as an Arizona business or municipality.
Speakers
Michael Bernier, Sustainability Director, Swire Coca-Cola USA
Sukki Jahnke, Vice President Marketing & Programs, Tempe Chamber of Commerce
Ashley Mulhall, Senior Associate, High Performance and Sustainability Leader, Orcutt Winslow
Jon Ford, Director of Strategic Initiatives, Vitalyst Health Foundation, Arizona Forward, Board Chair
What You Will Learn and What You Can Do
This panel is in partnership with the Sustainable Cities Network’s Climate Action Planning series involving the City of Tempe’s Office of Sustainability, ASU School of Sustainability, and the Center for Emergency Management and Homeland Security.
