Gilbert AZ

PHX East Valley Celebrates National Small-Business Month with Purpose

Original Article Published via Phoenix Business Journal

The origins of PHX East Valley — which includes Apache Junction, Chandler, Gilbert, Mesa, Queen Creek and Tempe — are rooted in farming, ranching, small business, education, manufacturing, technology and the Wild West.

Our heritage is one we honor. But fitting for National Small Business Month, we also celebrate our region’s entrepreneurial spirit, one united in purpose, more collaborative and less competitive, where creative ideas bubble up, and residents, economic developers and elected officials are open and relational.

PHX East Valley, which has nearly 61,000 businesses with 10 or fewer employees, boasts many amenities today’s talented workforce demands, including:

Top-notch education: The region is home to Arizona State University and also served by a number of other educational institutions. The U.S. Census Bureau reports 36 percent of the population over age 25 have bachelor’s degrees or higher, compared to 29 percent nationally.

Affordable housing and cost of living: The median value of an owner-occupied unit here is $187,600, compared to the national average of $265,600, according to the Census. Additionally, the average cost of living in the PHX East Valley is well below the national average and comparative business markets.

Outdoor leisure and recreation: The region is home to six Major League Baseball teams during spring training, as well as 380 miles of regional paved trails — which has more than doubled during the past decade.

Mix in our growing world-class health-care facilities, and a visionary transportation plan for expanded freeways, bus lines and light rail, a self-driving vehicles pilot and a major regional airport, and you’ll see the infrastructure is in place to support our projected population of more than 1.4 million by 2020.

PHX East Valley uses a number of strategies to attract and support new entrepreneurs and assist small businesses. These include innovative co-working spaces and a vibrant angel investing program focusing on enhancing access to early-stage funding for technology start-ups.

The Gilbert Chamber of Commerce’s Partners in Progress program, for example, fosters a pro-business environment with specific focus on the growth, expansion and retention of companies. Roundtable meetings with businesses representing various sectors help local officials gain insight on how they can best foster growth and retention.

Our work is paying off with numerous success stories in diverse industries. Barnone is one of those companies. In a setting that’s all about community, thiscollection of skilled craftsmen, from woodworkers and restaurateurs to experimental winemakers, make and sell their handcrafted goods.

Barnone is housed at Agritopia, a residential and commercial area in Gilbert that was part of the farm where entrepreneur Joe Johnston was raised. With a vision of preserving his family’s land, Johnston created a village surrounded by urban farmland, where the small-business spirit is encouraged.

It’s all about relationships, and it’s the model for what PHX East Valley is doing.

East Valley Partnership Names Gilbert Mayor John Lewis President and CEO

After conducting a thorough search over the last four months that drew candidates from across the country, East Valley Partnership has named Gilbert Mayor John Lewis President and CEO.

Lewis succeeds Roc Arnett, who served as President and CEO of East Valley Partnership for the past 13 years.

Formed in 1982, East Valley Partnership is a regional nonpartisan coalition that actively advocates in areas such as economic development, education, transportation and infrastructure, healthcare and others to improve the business climate and overall quality of life in the East Valley. Phoenix East Valley communities are leaders in Arizona economic development that is driving advanced business expansion, specialized job growth, higher wages, and innovation.

East Valley Partnership’s leadership is currently working closely with the Town of Gilbert on a transition plan for Mayor Lewis to assume his new role as the President/CEO during the summer of 2016. East Valley Partnership’s Project Manager, Mike Hutchinson, will serve as interim President and CEO until Lewis assumes his new role. Hutchinson was a long time senior executive for the City of Mesa serving as the City Manager from March of 2000 until his retirement in 2005. He has worked at the East Valley Partnership managing a variety of projects since May of 2008.

Lewis has served as Mayor of Gilbert for nearly seven years and has 28 years of private sector business experience. He spent 19 years with Apollo Group (parent company of University of Phoenix) and nine years with Ernst & Young in various roles including information technology management, leadership development and management consulting.

He also served in a staff position with U.S. Senator Jake Garn in Washington, D.C. Lewis is currently an adjunct professor in the business department at Mesa Community College.

“It’s been an honor to work with John Lewis during the past four-and-a-half years,” said Gilbert Town Manager, Patrick Banger. “Since he was elected mayor in 2009, he’s been fully dedicated to promoting the East Valley throughout the state and on a national level. He’s a proven consensus builder who serves on many boards and committees in various leadership roles. This new role will allow him to continue to be an advocate and champion for all East Valley initiatives for many years to come,” Banger said.

Lewis and his family have lived in Gilbert for 30 years. He serves on regional boards and committees for the Arizona League of Cities Executive Committee, Maricopa Association of Government (MAG) Regional Council and Economic Development Committee, Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport Board, Greater Phoenix Economic Council and Arizona BrainFood. He earned his MBA from the University of Houston and a bachelor of science degree from Brigham Young University.

“I am pleased Mayor Lewis will be carrying the torch of the PHX East Valley advantages envisioned by the original Partnership Founders. John’s background in business and government affairs will be a strong resource and catalyst for future growth of the region,” said Roc Arnett, retiring President and CEO.

“John Lewis is a very dynamic and collaborative leader who has successfully led the Town of Gilbert in an unparalleled business-building and sustainability process for the past seven years,” said Brian Campbell, chair of the East Valley Partnership Board of Directors. “We are very excited to have his vision and commitment for the future leadership of East Valley Partnership and in particular our very successful on-going PHX East Valley campaign,” Campbell said.

The PHX East Valley marketing campaign is a national initiative led by the East Valley Partnership in partnership with the cities and towns of Tempe, Mesa, Chandler, Gilbert, Queen Creek and Apache Junction to advance business and quality of life in the region. Campaign efforts include coordinated business market reports, public and private sector promotion events, and recruiting emerging economic clusters based on the unique educational, economic and lifestyle assets of the East Valley. Global companies that already have made substantial investments in the region include The Boeing Company, General Motors, GoDadddy, Intel, Insight, Santander Consumer USA, Wells Fargo, Yelp, Insight, and emerging leaders such as Able Engineering, InfusionSoft and more. Growth among advanced industries has aided a commercial and residential real estate recovery, transforming local cities into bustling urban hot spots attractive to younger workforces, families and empty nesters.

 

For more on this transition please contact: 

Town of Gilbert: Dana Berchman
(480) 540-8396 | dana.berchman@gilbertaz.gov

Downtown Gilbert Serves the Future

GIlbert Hertiage District

It’s the past, present and future of Gilbert’s Downtown Heritage District. Mayor John Lewis noted that the family friendly atmosphere was a large part of Gilbert’s success in re-developing the area, as well as being a reflection on Gilbert’s overall ethos during our October board meeting.

He shared the history of both Gilbert’s formation as a community, as well as the Heritage District, with credit going to the early settlers of Gilbert, and both Joe Johnston (Joe’s BBQ, among others) and the founders of Hale Theatre, who had a vision for the Heritage District area and served as catalysts for the incredible growth and success that is currently being enjoyed by the area.

ICYMI:

  • There are currently 15 places to eat in the Heritage District area, with 6 more planned in the upcoming year alone.
  • Ticket Force will also be moving their HQ into the area, which will bring more pedestrian traffic and need for restaurants and retail.
  • Various other RFP’s are in the works for other spaces in the District, and Lewis called these results a “30 year overnight success” that was the result of “aggressive patience” and planning by all involved.
  • There was a deep commitment to the vision and infrastructure required to successfully develop the area, both by Town leadership and by residents.

For more on Gilbert’s Economic Development visit: www.gilbertedi.com

View Board Presentation