PHOENIX, ARIZ. (June 3, 2025) — The Arizona Association for Economic Development (AAED) has welcomed new members to the organization’s Executive Committee and Board of Directors, who began their term on June 1st.
Founded in 1974, AAED has represented diverse rural, suburban, and urban interests in key sector development across the state. As the leading statewide advocate for economic development, AAED’s foundation is rooted in three fundamental pillars—educate, advocate, and collaborate—all of which consistently drive positive change and enhance Arizona’s competitive edge by supporting industry professionals.
AAED’s Executive Committee and Board of Directors play a crucial role in upholding this mission, providing strategic oversight, ensuring fiscal responsibility, and guiding the organization’s initiatives to further economic growth and prosperity for all Arizonans.
For the 2025-2026 fiscal year, the Executive Committee includes:
- President — Jennifer Lindley, AZED Pro
- President-Elect — Heath Vescovi-Chiordi, AZED Pro
- Vice President — Kristen Stephenson, CEcD
- Secretary/Treasurer — Suzanne Boyles, AZED Pro
- Immediate Past President — Karla Moran, AZED Pro
Together, the Executive Committee brings more than 80 years of experience in economic development.
Incoming President, Jennifer Lindley, has been with the Town of Queen Creek’s Economic Development Department since 2014, playing a pivotal role in driving downtown economic development initiatives. With over 20 years of experience in nonprofit leadership and economic development, Jennifer brings a wealth of expertise to her work. Prior to her tenure with Queen Creek, she served as the Executive Director of the Downtown Chandler Community Partnership and as the Vice President of the East Valley Partnership. Jennifer is also responsible for co-founding AZ Downtowns, a group that was created to ensure there is better statewide collaboration and legislation for downtown development and redevelopment. Jennifer was named AAED’s Economic Developer of the Year (Medium Community) in 2021 and on the Phoenix Business Journal 40 Under 40 list for outstanding contributions to the field and her community.
President-Elect, Heath Vescovi-Chiordi, serves as the Director of Economic Development for Pima County, focusing on economic development and workforce development initiatives. Heath brings 10 years’ experience in economic development and is responsible for the attraction and retention of industry across Southern Arizona. In addition, Heath holds an Adjunct Faculty position at the University of Arizona, where he designed and teaches a class on the essentials of economic development and local government administration to Masters of Public Administration students. In 2024, Heath received AAED’s Economic Developer of the Year (Large Community) and the International Economic Development Council’s Future Leader Award.
Vice President, Kristen Stephenson, is the Senior Vice President, Research & Analytics with the Greater Phoenix Economic Council (GPEC) where she leads innovative research programs such as the community partnership program, market intelligence and competitor market analyses, while supporting the efforts of the business development and marketing teams. She brings over 20 years of economic development experience, including 19 with GPEC. She is an International Economic Development Council certified economic developer and was named 2023 Member of the Year by AAED.
Suzanne Boyles has served as a Metro Director on AAED’s Board since 2021 and joins the Executive Committee as the incoming Secretary/Treasurer. She brings more than 12 years of economic development experience to this role and is currently the Economic Development Director for the City of Buckeye, where she spearheads a diverse range of economic development activities. Her role encompasses driving business attraction, developing strategic marketing initiatives, advancing workforce development, fostering entrepreneurship, and implementing business retention and expansion strategies. Suzanne was named AAED’s Member of the Year in 2021 and one of AZBigMedia’s Most Influential Women in 2022.
Completing her presidential term and moving into her role as the Immediate Past President, Karla Moran remains on the Executive Committee to guide fellow members and assist the board in its continuing efforts. Karla is an Economic Development Principal with Salt River Project (SRP) and brings more than 20 years of economic development experience, including roles with the Arizona Department of Commerce, the Arizona Commerce Authority, and the Town of Gilbert. She is responsible for attracting and expanding business and industry within SRP’s service territory to advance well-planned growth throughout the Valley. Karla received AAED’s Member of the Year in 2020.
AAED also elected/re-elected 13 members to its Board of Directors.
Metro Directors
- Michael Jansen, CEcD, AZED Pro — Manager, Economic Development & Strategic Accounts, Trico Electric Cooperative
- Jaye O’Donnell — Economic Development Director, City of Mesa
- Bryan Smith — Business Development Program Manager, City of Phoenix
- Rebecca Timmer, AZED Pro — Business Development & Strategy Manager, Stantec
Rural Directors
- Jack Fitchett, AZED Pro — Economic Development Director, City of Winslow
- Maggie Holmberg, AZED Pro — Economic Development & Intergov Manager, Town of Chino Valley
- Steve North, AZED Pro — Economic Development Director, City of Show Low
Advisory Directors
- Neil Calfee — Executive Director of Economic Development + Innovation Zones, Arizona State University
- Mike Czechowski, CEcD, AZED Pro — Economic Development Senior Project Manager, City of Tucson
- Jaime Embick, AZED Pro — Planning & Community Development Director, City of Safford
- Fernando Garcia, AZED Pro — Executive Vice President of International Trade & Development, Arizona Commerce Authority
- Francesca Miller, AZED Pro — Vice President, Business Development, Multistudio
- Bryan Seppala, AZED Pro — Principal Advisor – Economic Development & Social Investment, Resolution Copper
About the Arizona Association for Economic Development
AAED, founded in 1974, has a mission to serve as Arizona’s unified voice for responsible economic development through professional education, public policy, and collaboration. For more information on AAED, visit www.aaed.com or call (602) 240-2233.
