Next AZDCA event | Building Community Trust Part Two September 17, 2026
June 25, 2026 Working Session
On June 25 we brought state and regional economic leaders, mayors and county supervisors, operators, utilities, and community voices into one room to talk about data center growth and how to do community engagement better. Here is who took part and the groups they represent.
On June 25, more than 100 people gave us their morning at ASU SkySong to do something harder than sit through a panel: get in one room, operators and mayors and utilities and residents together, and work through the questions Arizona is actually asking about data centers. Thank you. Whether you were in the room, joined on Zoom, or wanted to be there and couldn't make it, you are part of this conversation.
This page is the record of that day. Below you'll find what the room told us in the live poll, the full agenda with who sat on each panel, photos from the morning, and short profiles of every speaker and the organizations they represent.
The work doesn't stop here. We're turning what surfaced on June 25 into a plain-language Arizona engagement standard, and we'll bring a draft back to this group at Part Two on September 17. If you have something to add, the survey at the top of the page takes about three minutes.
During the session we ran an anonymous live poll. The answers were consistent: engage earlier, talk plainly, and treat engagement as a shared responsibility. A few of the clearest signals:
said engagement should start before site selection, the earliest point in a project.
The top answer on who owns engagement: everyone together, operators, developers, cities, utilities, and economic development groups.
What communities need most: honest discussion of tradeoffs and clearer information about water and power.
Small-group conversations and community advisory groups, ahead of ads or social posts.
Source: anonymous live poll of June 25 participants. These findings are shaping the agenda for Part Two on September 17.
How June 25 ran, from the plain-English baseline through four panels, the live poll, and the working segments.
| Time | Session | Speakers / Panelists | Moderator / Lead |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10:00 to 10:10 | Welcome and Ground Rules | Opening comments | Ryan Gruver and Kirk Busch |
| 10:10 to 10:25 | What Arizona Is Saying | Framing remarks | Andrea Clinton |
| 10:25 to 10:40 | Plain-English Baseline | Ryan Gruver | Andrea Clinton |
| 10:40 to 11:10 | Panel 1: Arizona Competitiveness and Responsible Growth | Ryan Ruiz, EVP Business Development, Arizona Commerce Authority Brad Smidt, SVP Business Development, GPEC Colin Diaz, Western Regional Director, Chambers for Innovation and Clean Energy Jimmy Lindblom, VP Economic Development and Infrastructure, Willmeng Construction |
Russ Smoldon, CEO, B3 Strategies |
| 11:10 to 11:50 | Panel 2: Responding to Community Concerns | Russ Smoldon, CEO, B3 Strategies Jessica Western, Ph.D., Institute for Rural Collaboration Kelly Patton, Economic Development Manager, Arizona Public Service |
Colin Diaz, Chambers for Innovation and Clean Energy |
| 11:50 to 12:20 | Lunch and Live Poll | Full room | Andrea Clinton |
| 12:20 to 12:50 | Panel 3: Where Trust Broke | Supervisor Rich Vitiello, District 1, Pinal County Mayor Keith Eaton, Town of Florence Mayor Andy Sutton, City of Eloy Mayor Eric Orsborn, City of Buckeye |
Cepand Alizadeh, Esq., Arizona Technology Council |
| 12:50 to 1:20 | Panel 4: What Good Engagement Looks Like Operators, Customers, and Host Communities |
Chris Neil, Microsoft Bill Jabjiniak, SVP National Community Engagement, EdgeCore Dr. Nana Appiah, Development Services Director, City of Mesa |
Mark Bauer, Vice Chairman Data Center Solutions, JLL |
| 1:20 to 1:40 | Build the Checklist | Facilitated working segment with all speakers and the room | Andrea Clinton |
| 1:40 to 1:55 | Commitment Round | All speakers | Andrea Clinton |
| 1:55 to 2:00 | Close and Next Steps | Andrea Clinton and Kirk Busch | Andrea Clinton and Kirk Busch |
AZDCA is a coalition. These are the associations, chapters, and partners it works with: who they are for, how to join, and where they publish events. Pick the ones that fit and plug in.
Local chapter
For the people who run facilities: operations directors, critical environment managers, mission critical engineers, and the consultants who serve them. Monthly luncheons, socials, golf, and chapter awards.
Local chapter
For mission critical infrastructure professionals focused on end to end reliability. Spring and fall regional events, charity golf, and monthly luncheons.
Global society
For digital infrastructure professionals worldwide, organized into regional and country chapters, with the iMasons Climate Accord and Education Foundation.
iMasons initiative
For women across data center infrastructure: mentorship tracks, leadership development, and networking socials, with an active Phoenix presence.
Listed by the session each took part in. Click any name to read their bio, or use the LinkedIn icon to reach them directly.
A few moments from June 25 at ASU SkySong.
A short read on each group at the table and why their voice matters to data center growth in Arizona. Links go to each organization's own site.
Arizona's lead economic development organization. The ACA recruits and grows employers across the state, including the large data center and semiconductor investments shaping Arizona's tech economy.
GPEC is the regional economic development engine for Greater Phoenix, working with the region's cities and the private sector to attract and expand employers, including digital infrastructure.
The state's largest technology trade association, representing technology companies and professionals across Arizona on policy, talent, and industry growth. Represented by Cepand Alizadeh, who moderated Panel 3.
A national network connecting local chambers of commerce with clean energy and innovation interests. Western Regional Director Colin Diaz works with chambers and economic development groups across Arizona and the Mountain West, and moderated Panel 2.
One of the fastest growing counties in the country and a focal point for new data center and industrial development. Represented by Supervisor Rich Vitiello.
A historic Pinal County town weighing growth against community character. Represented by Mayor Keith Eaton.
A Pinal County city positioned along the I-10 corridor that has drawn major industrial and data center interest. Represented by Mayor Andy Sutton.
One of the fastest growing cities in the West Valley, managing rapid residential and industrial growth side by side. Represented by Mayor Eric Orsborn.
A major data center hub in the East Valley with an established track record of hosting large operators. Represented by Dr. Nana Appiah.
A hyperscale operator with a significant Arizona data center footprint. Represented by Chris Neil.
A wholesale data center developer and operator building large campuses in Arizona. Represented by Bill Jabjiniak.
Arizona's largest electric utility and a central player in how data center load is planned, powered, and paid for. Represented by Kelly Patton.
“Growth pays for growth.”Kelly Patton, APS
A global real estate and data center advisory firm tracking Arizona's market and capacity. Mark Bauer moderated Panel 4.
An Arizona commercial general contractor active in mission critical and industrial construction. Represented by Jimmy Lindblom.
A government affairs and strategy firm advising on energy and infrastructure in Arizona. Russ Smoldon moderated Panel 1 and joined Panel 2.
Supports collaborative public engagement for rural communities exploring renewable energy and other development. Represented by Jessica Western, who sat on Panel 2.
A nonprofit serving veterans in transition, and an AZDCA partner on workforce and community pathways. Confirm participation and speaker before listing.
Have a question, a comment, or feedback from the June 25 session? Tell us below. It goes straight to the AZDCA team and helps shape Part Two.
Take our short community survey, three minutes, attended or not. It shapes Part Two on September 17. Or send your questions and comments straight to the AZDCA team.