The City of Tempe Economic Development Department is proud to be an AAED Premier Partner. Our team has some new faces, so it’s time we reintroduce ourselves!
Mike DiDomenico, Director
Mike joined the City of Tempe as the Director of Economic Development in 2023, bringing his extensive knowledge of the Tempe and Greater Phoenix economic landscape and experience in real estate and development. Having lived in Tempe for over 40 years, Michael is deeply embedded in the community and has served on numerous civic and business organizations within the city. With his leadership, the Tempe Economic Development team is driving initiatives to bolster small businesses and entrepreneurship, fortify workforce strategies, encourage responsible development, and safeguard Tempe’s status as an economic powerhouse.
April Kroner, Deputy Director
In January, April Kroner, AICP, joined Tempe’s Economic Development team as the Deputy Director. April comes to Tempe with over 25 years of experience as a passionate economic and community development professional who led Wisconsin and Colorado municipal teams before relocating to Arizona. While she is well-versed in land use, sustainability, and public policy, economic development is her forte. April is excited to take on new initiatives to advance community goals and share her technical expertise and enthusiasm for the profession with her team and peers. She is an outdoor enthusiast, mom to 3 adult ‘kids’, loves donuts and pineapples, and looks forward to never again enduring cold winters.
Josh Rutherford, Special Project Administrator
Josh has a background in economic development, project management, engineering, and development coordination for private development and capital improvement projects spanning over 24 years with the City of Tempe. Josh became a member of AAED in 2022 and loves being a part of the economic development community. Josh’s role on the Tempe ED team focuses on redeveloping city-owned properties and restaurant/retail recruitment for the downtown core. Josh is working on a very exciting project: redeveloping the historic Hayden Flour Mill. Josh enjoys the outdoors, hiking, surfing at the lake, and sitting on the beach when not at work.
Meg Zemlicka, Program Manager
Meg’s background is in economic development, marketing, and sustainability. She has been involved with AAED since 2019 and loves being part of the ED community here in Arizona. Meg’s role on the Tempe ED team focuses on Business Retention and Expansion, workforce development, and small business assistance. Economic Development is her jam! Outside of work, Meg spends her time with her husband (Zach), her daughter (Zoey), and their Great Dane (Josie).
Madalaine McConville, Management Assistant
Madalaine’s background is in intergovernmental affairs, local government, and legal. She recently graduated from Arizona State University with a Master’s in Public Policy through the Marvin Andrews Fellowship Program in Urban Management. Passionate about local government, Madalaine is thrilled to be a part of the economic development community. In her role, she manages ED contracts and budgets while also supporting the team’s various programs and initiatives. Outside of work, you will find Madalaine at the gym, playing competitive sports, and spending quality time with her dogs, Finn and Hartley.
Caitlin Boarder, Specialist
Caitlin has a background in marketing, sales operations, and campaign management. She recently joined the City of Tempe and is excited to be part of the economic development team. Previously, she worked in broadcast radio and commercial real estate and is looking forward to her time in local government. She likes relaxing by the pool, hiking when the weather is nice, and enjoying life with her husband, Grant, and their two cats.
What Gets Our Team Excited?
Tempe Town Lake Turns 25! We’re all looking forward to the upcoming anniversary celebration in the fall!
Development & Redevelopment Projects – We have over twenty active development and redevelopment projects in the works, including housing, office, retail, and hospitality.
Business Retention & Expansion Launch – Beginning this fall, our team is (re)launching our BRE program with new tools to engage and support our business community.
Mill Avenue Revitalization – Our team is working to revitalize our historic downtown core, Mill Avenue, to make it a downtown unlike any other in Arizona.
Marketing & Communications – We are refreshing our marketing to reflect Tempe’s exciting and ever-evolving economic landscape.
New and Reinvigorated Partnerships – We are casting a wide net with our local, regional, and statewide partners to meet our goals and support others in reaching theirs. If you would like to collaborate, please reach out!