City of Mesa
Home EconDev MenuFourth Quarter 2021
THE QUICK JAB
Bill Jabjiniak, Economic Development Director
Mesa Office of Economic Development receives International Excellence in Economic Development awards, releases FY 2020-2021 annual report
The City of Mesa's Office of Economic Development (OED) has once again been honored by the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) with gold and silver Excellence in Economic Development Awards. In addition, JD Beatty, Senior Project Manager with OED, was named Young Economic Developer of the Year, and Mesa business owner, resident, and vice chair of the City of Mesa Economic Development Advisory Board, Rich Adams received the Citizen Leadership Award. The awards were presented at ceremonies during the IEDC Annual Conference held in Nashville, Tennessee. PRESS RELEASE
IEDC's Excellence in Economic Development Awards recognize the world's best economic development programs and partnerships, marketing materials, and the year's most influential leaders.
OED received a gold award in the category of "Economic Equity and Inclusion" for the Mesa CARES HUUB Digital Platform. The Mesa HUUB was launched as a digital business resource platform focused on providing business assistance and training services through webinars, bootcamps, and one-on-one consulting, and bringing together the local small business and entrepreneurial community.
Also, OED received a silver award in the category of "Economic Development Organization of the Year," competing with economic development organizations across the country for this recognition.
Additionally, OED Senior Economic Development Manager, JD Beatty was awarded the distinguished honor of “Young Economic Developer of the Year” and Mesa business owner, resident and Vice Chair of the City of Mesa Economic Development Advisory Board, Rich Adams was awarded the "Citizen Leadership Award."
We are honored to receive these awards and are very pleased with the well-deserved distinction given to Rich Adams and JD Beatty. The OED team works diligently to provide high value client services and I am thrilled to be recognized. Additionally, to have JD Beatty and Rich Adams receive individual awards this year is a tremendous win for Mesa and our community.
On that note, OED is pleased to announce the release of its FY 2020-2021 Annual Report and Video. Please take a moment to view the video and the report to see the great achievements OED has accomplished this past year.
Mesa's Office of Economic Development adds new staff members
In the first quarter of the new fiscal year, the City of Mesa Office of Economic Development hired three professionals to join its economic development team – Celine Kilic, Bryan Smith, and Yvette Armendariz.
Celine Kilic joined the City of Mesa Economic Development team in July 2021 as Economic Development Project Manager. Celine leads the Business Retention and Expansion (BRE) Program, concentrating on driving job growth and aiding Mesa's existing family of businesses.
Most recently, Celine worked for the United Kingdom (UK) Government's commercial arm, The Department for International Trade, in Boston and San Francisco where she focused on economic development activities and management of Foreign Direct Investment/Trade projects between the U.S. and UK.
Celine is originally an Arizona native and graduated from Arizona State University with a B.A. in Political Science and a Certificate in International Relations. She speaks fluent German and elementary Turkish. Celine.Kilic@mesaaz.gov
Bryan Smith joined the City of Mesa Economic Development team in September 2021. As Economic Development Project Manager, Bryan works on economic development projects across the city focusing on business attraction and site selection efforts.
Most recently, Bryan worked for Goodwill of Central and Northern Arizona, leading labor and economic analytics for workforce development services and strategy, as well as government relations efforts to launch Excel Center Adult High Schools in the state. Previously, Bryan worked at the Greater Phoenix Economic Council where he held various roles on both the research and business development teams, improving the region's economic competitiveness while attracting new business operations and investment.
Bryan was born and raised in New Jersey before attending Arizona State University, graduating with a B.A. in Sustainability and a Master of Urban and Environmental Planning. Bryan.Smith@mesaaz.gov
Yvette Armendariz joined the City of Mesa Economic Development team in September 2021 as a Marketing/Communications Specialist II. In this position, Yvette is responsible for developing and implementing marketing communication strategies and outreach campaigns.
Previously, Yvette managed marketing and media relations for the i.d.e.a. Museum, part of the City of Mesa's Department of Arts and Culture. She has a long history as an award-winning business journalist with Gannett, working for both The Arizona Republic and the El Paso Times. Her career includes freelance writing and editing for various magazines, social media management, and public relations consulting.
Yvette earned a B.A. in journalism, with a minor in economics, from New Mexico State University. Yvette.Armendariz@mesaaz.gov
Help Shape the Future of Mesa
City encourages businesses to participate in Footprint for the Future campaign to develop a collective vision for Mesa
Mesa launched the Footprint for the Future Campaign to encourage businesses, residents, and stakeholders alike to provide input in the City's first-ever Climate Action Plan. The City is seeking public participation in planning efforts to develop a collective vision on how to make Mesa a more vibrant, prosperous, and thriving city for generations to come.
Leading companies are recognizing climate change as both a risk and an opportunity. Additionally, a growing number of businesses in Mesa are taking steps to strengthen their resilience to climate impacts, improve their energy efficiency, green their supply chains and inventory, reduce their emissions, and invest in innovative low-carbon technologies. The City wants to learn from businesses on successful efforts and hear priorities to support companies in the future.
The Climate Action Plan, a City Council priority initiative, calls for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and establishing strategies to increase sustainability. The plan focuses on six areas to guide City efforts towards a healthy environment. Those focus areas will be the topic of a series of virtual lunchtime meetings on Wednesdays from 12-1 p.m. starting October 13 through November 17.
For more information and to engage in upcoming virtual forums and meetings, visit www.footprintfuturemesa.com.
Mesa Arts Center to begin accepting applications for The Collective, a certificate program in creative leadership, Oct. 1, 2021
Deadline to apply: November 1, 2021
Mesa Arts Center's Creative Catalysts initiative will accept applications to The Collective, a certificate program in creative leadership, October 1 through November 1, 2021. The Collective is a 12-week experiential program that builds leadership skills through creative thinking and practices. In the interactive, hands-on program, up to 24 participants will grow their leadership prowess through practicing collaboration, embracing and learning from failure, applying innovative thinking, and improving mindfulness. The Collective costs $800, which covers a 12-week long program, including six half-day sessions, three arts experiences, and one overnight retreat-style experience per participant. The Collective is sponsored by CORE Construction. For more information visit MesaArtsCenter.com/TheCollective.
Ondre Seltzer brings international economic development experience to Mesa's Falcon Field Airport
Ondre Seltzer has joined the City of Mesa's Falcon Field Airport as Economic Development Project Manager. As project manager for the airport, Ondre will oversee business attraction and retention programs as well as strategies for future development of the airport to incorporate new business sectors and technologies. Currently, the airport has more than 100 businesses that provide more than 1,400 local jobs.
Ondre brings various experience in corporate business development, foreign direct investment, and government relations supporting global companies exploring expansion opportunities across industries including semiconductors, renewable energy, financial technology, manufacturing, aerospace, and infrastructure. Ondre previously served as Vice Consul with the United Kingdom's Department for International Trade (DIT) based at the British Consulate-General in Los Angeles and Vice President of International Business Development/Attraction with the Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA).
For information about aviation business or development opportunities at Falcon Field Airport, contact Ondre at (480) 644-4276 or ondre.seltzer@mesaaz.gov.
Aviation-themed photographic murals
Falcon Field Airport receives $4.6 million in grants for improvement projects
Numerous improvements are currently underway or will soon begin at Mesa's Falcon Field Airport to ensure safe services for airport tenants and users, as well as unique experiences for visitors. The projects are included in the airport’s eight-year capital improvement program and include more than $4.6 million in grant funding from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Arizona Department of Transportation.
Falcon Field’s main runway (Runway 4R/22L) will receive an asphaltic overlay October 18-29 which will require closure of the runway to all aircraft operations. The runway will also be closed November 15-16 for re-striping. The airport's second runway (4L/22R) will remain operational throughout the project for continued aircraft operations.
Aviation-themed photographic murals will be installed along the McDowell Road underpass on the north side of Falcon Field Airport. Some of the photos will be historical to celebrate the World War II history of Falcon Field, and others will be modern to reflect the current flight and aviation business activities at Falcon Field Airport and in Mesa's Falcon District.
Landscaping in the medians along Falcon Drive will be updated and improved by the end of year with new, colorful, desert, low-water-use plants, as well as metal aviation-themed art pieces, in a new rock base. This project is among numerous improvements within Falcon Field's Historic Zone, which is the original area used by the British Royal Air Force and U.S. Army Air Corps for pilot training during World War II.
The airport's Higley Ramp West will be reconstructed beginning in December with $3.3 million grant from the FAA. Construction is expected to be completed in early 2022. The airport's East Ramp will be reconstructed beginning in early 2022.
The public aircraft viewing park on the east side of the airport terminal building will receive a variety of improvements expected to be completed by the end of the year. www.FalconFieldAirport.com
Visit Mesa release FY 2022 Business Development Plan, tourism rebound begins, summer months gain occupancy
Visit Mesa's annual program of work is available now online. The 2021-2022 Business Development Plan outlines all the destination marketing and outreach efforts that will be deployed over the next year to continue to support tourism recovery in Mesa.
Key insights tracked during the pandemic showed demand for outdoor activity-focused travel increased putting Mesa at an advantage with Mesa's wide-open spaces and Visit Mesa's City Limitless® branding. With domestic trip planning continuing to dominate travel plans, Mesa has access to a large collection of new visitors that have a high propensity to select this region as their travel destination of choice in the coming winter and spring seasons.
Visit Mesa tracks insights into domestic travel sentiment and monitors consumer behaviors and patterns to ensure Mesa's hospitality community is ready for any disruption, while at the same time listening for key signals that indicate when to expect waves of leisure travel activity and prepare for surges as demand for travel continues to peak. The summer months showed gains in occupancy and hotel performance outpacing pre-pandemic levels in several instances. The latest Smith Travel Research (August, September 2021) shows that midscale and economy class hotels across the U.S. have exceeded 2019 occupancy levels, well in advance of the 2023 rebound predictions. More pertinent to Mesa's hotel industry is the news that non-luxury hotels are leading ADR growth. Mesa's hotel and motel product mix is benefiting from the climbs the U.S. travel industry is seeing in daily rate. As Visit Mesa embraces the new priorities of visitors – safety, family connection and self-restoration – it is planning a dynamic return to business as usual across Sports Sales and Leisure Travel.
Visit Mesa's Business Development Plan and Travel Schedule can be downloaded at www.VisitMesa.com/partners.
Arizona State University No. 1 on Sierra magazine's 15th annual "coolest schools" ranking of the most environmentally friendly colleges and universities in North America
This marks the first time the university attained this honor out of a record 328 institutions, rising from No. 4 previously, thanks to its comprehensive approach to sustainability that spans academia, campus operations, student life and endowment investments. This is the fifth year ASU has scored in the top 20 of the Sierra Club's national publication.
"Sustainability at ASU is an enterprise-wide effort," said Morgan Olsen, ASU executive vice president, treasurer, and chief financial officer. "It’s not just recycling and energy conservation. It's integrating sustainability in everything we do: academic offerings, the research we conduct, the way we operate campus, student experiences, investments we make with our endowment, and even the food we serve." ASU has been a leader in sustainability since 2006 when the first School of Sustainability in the U.S. was launched.
ASU has achieved this and other high sustainability rankings during campus expansions and increases in student enrollment, both of which can affect carbon neutrality. The rankings look at ASU's efforts across all its campuses. SEE RANKINGS