Leadership

AAED President
Economic Development Principal, SRP

Karla Moran is a Principal Economic Development Analyst for the Salt River Project. She is responsible for attracting and expanding business and industry within SRP’s service territory, providing site-specific electrical infrastructure identification and cost analysis, and working collaboratively alongside state, regional, and municipal partners to identify targeted company attraction, expansion, and retention efforts conducive to building a healthy economy to advance well-planned growth throughout the Valley.

Moran has been in economic development for over 15 years, including roles at the Arizona Department of Commerce, the Arizona Commerce Authority, and the Town of Gilbert. She earned her bachelor’s degree in business administration from Arizona State University and is also pursuing a Certified Economic Developer designation with the International Economic Development Council and Arizona Economic Development Professional certification. Moran serves on the boards of CoreNet Global (Arizona chapter), Arizona Association for Economic Development and the Real Estate Investment Advisory Council and is a GPEC-Certified Ambassador.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/karlatmoran

AAED President-Elect
Downtown Development Manager, Town of Queen Creek

Jennifer Lindley has served in the Town of Queen Creek’s Economic Development Department since 2014 and is the key staff member for all downtown economic development projects. Jennifer has over 17 years of experience in nonprofit leadership and economic development.

Before joining the Town of Queen Creek, Jennifer was the Executive Director for the Downtown Chandler Community Partnership and served as the Vice President of the East Valley Partnership.

Jennifer is President-Elect for the Board of Directors for the Arizona Association for Economic Development, Past Chair of the Board of Directors for Neighbors Who Care and a fellow of the International Downtown Association Emerging Leaders Program. She holds a Bachelor of Science from the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University and a Master in Business Administration from Benedictine University. Jennifer was recently named one of the Phoenix Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 award winners for 2022.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferlindley

AAED SECRETARY / TREASURER
Senior Vice President, Research & Analytics, Greater Phoenix Economic Council

Kristen Stephenson serves as GPEC’s senior vice president of research & analytics. Kristen rejoined the team in 2018 after previously working for the organization from 2002-2014. In her role, she leads the 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.

Prior to rejoining GPEC, Kristen worked for the City of Glendale in the Office of Economic Development, focusing on business attraction and expansion, including projects such as Progressive Leasing, Bechtel and Alaska USA Federal Credit Union. She also provided support to strategic projects and research for the city.

Kristen has a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Arizona State University and a Master’s degree in Community and Economic Development from the Pennsylvania State University. She is an International Economic Development Council (IEDC) Certified Economic Developer and serves on the Board of Directors for the Arizona Association for Economic Development. She was named one of AZ Big Media’s People to Know in 2022 and 2023. Kristen has lived in the region for over 30 years and currently resides in Glendale with her husband and two children.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristen-stephenson-cecd-0400b457