Economic panel member steps down after 19 years
Jun. 12—Brian Campbell attended his last meeting of Mesa's Economic Development Advisory Board last week — 19 years after he first joined. As a board member, Campbell played a role in hiring current city manager Chris Brady, recruiting recently retired Economic Development Director Bill Jabjiniak and advising the city on numerous initiatives over the past two decades. He also chaired the East ... Brian Campbell, a member of the Mesa Economic Development Advisory Board for 19 years, has stepped down after a successful 19-year career. Campbell was instrumental in hiring current city manager Chris Brady, recruiting recently retired Economic Development Director Bill Jabjiniak, and advising the city on numerous initiatives over the past two decades. He also chaired the East Valley Partnership's efforts to secure the region's share of infrastructure dollars from the half-cent regional transportation sales tax. The board now includes many business leaders, including executives from some of Mesa's major employers, Boeing and Salt River Project. Campbell's parting words to colleagues were encouraging them not to get discouraged by disappointments and to acknowledge setbacks in their efforts to create quality jobs and diversify the city's economy.
Publicado : Hace 6 días por Scott Shumaker, East Valley Tribune (Mesa, Ariz.) en Sports
Jun. 12—Brian Campbell attended his last meeting of Mesa's Economic Development Advisory Board last week — 19 years after he first joined.
As a board member, Campbell played a role in hiring current city manager Chris Brady, recruiting recently retired Economic Development Director Bill Jabjiniak and advising the city on numerous initiatives over the past two decades.
He also chaired the East Valley Partnership as it worked to secure the region's share of infrastructure dollars from the half-cent regional transportation sales tax.
Current and former economic development board members described the attorney as a mentor with deep institutional knowledge.
Campbell grew up in Page and moved to Mesa after marrying into the Tyler family of ranchers and citrus growers.
Former Mayor Keno Hawker asked Campbell to join the board during a time of transition for Mesa.
The board today includes many business leaders, including executives from some of Mesa's major employers, such as Boeing and Salt River Project.
Regional business influencers pay court to the group, including in the past year Chris Camacho, CEO of the Greater Phoenix Economic Council and Vic Narusis, vice president at the Arizona Commerce Authority.
As each local and regional business leader came to the board, Campbell asked his trademark question: "What can we do to help?"
In his parting words to colleagues last week, he told the next generation of business leaders not to get discouraged by disappointments.
"The losses and misses are sometimes actually your biggest wins," he said.
He recalled numerous times Mesa faced setbacks in its efforts to create quality jobs and diversify the city's economy.
A glass maker for cell phones that planned to use an industrial building on Elliott Road went bankrupt, but that turned into the $1 billion Apple command center.
The long-hoped for Gaylord Resort in southeast Mesa was killed by the recession. The area later became the Elliot Road Tech corridor and attracted Meta.
The Waveyards water park planned for northwest Mesa fizzled and later turned into the Cubs' stadium, the largest draw in Major League Baseball spring training.
Campbell told the board that when life delivers a setback, "keep slugging."
Being involved in Mesa's economic development for so long, he was a resource to members less familiar with the long arc of Mesa's story, said former board chair Rich Adams, who stepped down from the board this year to run for the District 1 city council seat.
"Brian never in my estimation tried to dominate anything, but because he has such a broad background in Mesa history ... he was always able to color in the lines and give perspective to issues as they came up," he said.
Campbell is also an "ethical guy" who was "not afraid to speak up," Adams said.
Campbell retired last year from his law practice. He says he will be doing a lot of traveling with his wife in the near future, but he's excited to stay involved with Mesa's economic development.
He thinks Mesa has many opportunities, and he's excited to see the future unfold. Giving one example, he says Mesa is poised to be a hub for the drone industry "and its marriage with AI."
There are challenges, too. Many of the people who brought Mesa to its current economy are moving on, and younger people are needed to step in and carry the torch.
Future leaders will face different challenges, such as growing the economy as Mesa transitions to a "landlocked" community with less land avilable for development.
"The city is going into a next generation," Campbell said. "It really will be interesting what the next generation is going to tackle."