Original Article By Srianthi Perera of East Valley Tribune

Maricopa County Supervisor Denny Barney is poised to take the baton from John Lewis and head the East Valley Partnership on a part-time basis from June.

Former Gilbert Mayor Lewis, who has headed the partnership since 2016, is planning to resign in May to take up a mission leader position for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Cambodia.

For Barney, 48, who did not seek the position but was offered it, the move seems seamless.

As county supervisor, Barney oversees the municipalities of Tempe, Chandler, Ahwatukee Foothills, Gilbert, west Mesa and Queen Creek. As president and CEO of the partnership, he will oversee the economics and quality of life improvements in Tempe, Chandler, Mesa, Gilbert, Queen Creek and Apache Junction.

“So it’s a lot of the things I’m doing already,” said Barney, who, on his sixth term on the County board, has decided not to run for another term and to work fulltime for the partnership from early next year.

Alongside him, former Mesa city manager Mike Hutchinson will serve as full-time executive vice-president of the partnership.

Meanwhile, Barney will also balance his duties with his role as principal of Arcus Private Capital Solutions, a specialized realty investment and finance company.

Just now, his hands are full with several new initiatives he’s helping develop for the county, he said, and they have to be completed before he can step down.

In addition to overlapping jurisdictions, Barney has a broad understanding of the area and familiarity with its leaders.

His initiatives at the county includes seeking ways to reduce inmate recidivism, improving regulatory processes and customer service and collaboratively addressing regional homelessness.

“My role at the county has given me a much bigger perspective of some of the regional strengths, and some of the regional challenges,” he said. “I’ve been able to work closely with the mayors and with the members of the business leaders in the community to understand what the weaknesses and the challenges are.”

“Because of those relationships and because of the perspective, I think it’ll help me pick up the baton that John Lewis has been carrying and Roc Arnett beforehand; those are great leaders who understand the needs of our communities and my goal is to stand on their shoulders and take the experiences and the perspective that I have from the county and go to work,” he added.

The East Valley Partnership was created in 1982 as a nonpartisan coalition of civic, business, education and political leaders dedicated to the economic development and promotion of the East Valley. The partnership advocates in areas such as economic development, education, transportation and infrastructure, arts and healthcare.

“It’s a collection of both private sector and public sector and leaders in the community that have come together in a shared vision of building and strengthening the East Valley,” said Barney, who deems this combination a core strength of the partnership. “It’s not just government, it’s not just the private sector, it’s all together and that’s what really makes it strong.”

 

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For more on East Valley Partnership’s Leadership transition: