The Pinal Partnership forum lineup was Superior Mayor Mila Besich, from left, Bryan Seppala, principal adviser for Resolution Copper; Maricopa Mayor Nancy Smith, Ron Fleming, president and CEO of Global Water Resources; Apache Junction Mayor Chip Wilson; and J. Brian O’Neill, executive director of the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport Authority. Courtesy of Pinal Central
By Jodie Newell | Pinal Central
CASA GRANDE — A Pinal Partnership breakfast forum highlighted the importance of business and civic partnerships.
Friday morning’s proceedings held at the Radisson Hotel convention room began in rather dramatic circumstances when participant Ron Fleming, president and CEO of Global Water Resources, took a tumble from his chair on the raised dais. Fleming quickly regained his composure with a joke and a smile and joined Superior Mayor Mila Besich, Maricopa Mayor Nancy Smith, Bryan Seppala, principal adviser for Resolution Copper Mine, Apache Junction Mayor Chip Wilson and J. Brian O’Neill, executive director of the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport Authority.
Forum moderator, Jordan Rose Founder and President of Rose Law Group, asked each participant to provide a brief background and summary of partnerships that they had recently built.
Maricopa’s Smith told the gathering that her city recently had celebrated 20 years of incorporation and described the current local economy as “booming” with Maricopa as the 12th fastest-growing economy in the nation. Smith went on to emphasize the importance of the partnership that her city had with Global Water Resources for increased development.
“We’re moving fast, which is why our partnership with Global Water is so critical and so important,” she said. “We’re lucky one of the most exciting things besides looking for a lot of economic development within the city is the fact that we’re working on a master plan for an industrial park. We want to bring high-paying jobs to the city of Maricopa and it’s really key and important to us. I think that’s one of our exciting elements.”
