Among many key assets, the consensus report trumpeted, “Arizona’s greatest economic strengths are the diversity and entrepreneurial spirit of its people.” Within my panel, a subgroup of the Town Hall, the most lively and progressive discussions were “chicken-egg” debates. Second, Brian Cole, a community and economic development consultant hailing from rural Oregon, highlighted his 25-point methodology for strategically building communities.Īny forward-thinking gathering worth its salt considers the current situation: a good old-fashioned SWOT analysis. Not surprisingly, themes with the fit of an old glove continued to reverberate: quality of life, and top notch education. First, Joe Kalt, Tucson native and Harvard economist, spoke from the heart-rather than charts and graphs-about Arizona towns and cities being “top feeders” in recruiting high-paying jobs. The study is notable for its depth and breadth, with 20 contributing authors collaborating to conduct and publish this report under unprecedented budgetary pressure.Īt the summit attended by 140 Arizonans from diverse backgrounds and communities, two keynote speakers addressed the issue of competitiveness in economic development. The University of Arizona led the 96th Town Hall’s effort, coordinated by Eller College of Management’s Vera Pavlakovich-Kochi. Participating in Town Hall is exposure to consensus-building at its best, but the “rubber meets the road” in the months and years following each session, where members, participants and community leaders work to implement Town Hall recommendations.īackground reading for each Town Hall includes an extensive research document, produced by one of Arizona’s public universities. What is Arizona Town Hall? Arizona Town Hall is an independent, nonprofit membership organization that serves as a “think tank” for Arizona leaders and a catalyst for important policy changes. Days after Arizona’s debate-provoking passage of the nation’s toughest immigration law, the 96th Arizona Town Hall convened in Tucson under the banner “Building Arizona’s Future: Jobs, Innovation & Competitiveness.” Against a backdrop of both real and perceived economic impact, the timing resulted in a sense of urgency for Town Hall participants to craft strategies and solutions that would best posture Arizona for economic opportunity.įirst, the forum and format.
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