In just 3 short years, Mesa Mayor Scott Smith has shown that, with vision and passion, you can actually change the way a city does business.
Mayor Smith has been an integral part in some of the most significant economic development opportunities for our region. Under Smith’s leadership, the Chicago Cubs will continue to train in Mesa, First Solar will make their panels at a huge campus near the planned Gaylord resort, and top-secret research will continue at AZLabs at Gateway. The key is that these aren’t just big wins for Mesa – the entire region benefits from these opportunities.
Understanding this, the Greater Phoenix Economic Council (GPEC) wisely awarded their first “Outstanding Regional Contribution Award” to Mayor Smith.
It is said often that a rising tide lifts all boats, and Mayor Smith is doing a great job raising the tide in Arizona. The Mayor told a story about how as a homebuilder he built homes in nearly every city in the Valley, plus Tucson, Show Low and Flagstaff. When he sold his company to a national homebuilder from New Jersey, they didn’t care which city they built in and barely knew the difference between Phoenix and Tucson – they just wanted to know they could succeed in Arizona.
We hope the this more regional approach to thinking becomes the norm here in our state. We have endless opportunities for success here in Arizona. What’s good for Mesa can be good for other cities as well; as long as we provide the right opportunities for companies to succeed.
We would like to congratulate Mesa Mayor Scott Smith for setting a great example which we all can follow and truly reap all of the rewards this great state has to offer.