The Greater Phoenix Chamber Foundation recently hosted our annual Workforce Summit, bringing together leaders in workforce development, education, and business for a day of meaningful conversations, collaboration, and connection focused on the future of Arizona’s workforce.
We were honored to welcome our keynote speakers:
▪️ Mary Foote, Director, Arizona Office of Economic Opportunity
▪️ Lauri Perdue, National Workforce Director, University of Phoenix
A special thank you to our general session speakers for sharing their expertise and insights:
▪️ Tiffany Andrade, Recruiter, Rummel Construction
▪️ Haley Ast, Associate Director, K-12 Education, Stand Together Trust
▪️ Azra Baab, Manager, University Relations & Workforce Development, Amkor
▪️ Brendon Bartholomew, General Manager, USAA
▪️ Pearl Esau, Founder & CEO, TechSmart Learning Fund; Founder & CEO, Shan Strategies
▪️ Jaimie Francis, Vice President, Programs and Policy, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation
▪️ John Garcia III, Ed.L.D., Executive Director, Pathways Impact Fund, Strive Together
▪️ Nan Gibson, Executive Director, JPMorganChase PolicyCenter
▪️ Valerie Jones, Vice Chancellor of Workforce and Economic Development, Maricopa Community Colleges
▪️ Jay Kaprosy, Director, Veridus
▪️ Selena McDonald, Director of Workforce Development, Banner Health
▪️ De Anne Russell, System Vice President, Talent Acquisition, CommonSpirit Health
We’re incredibly grateful to all of our speakers and panelists for bringing valuable perspectives and thought-provoking discussions to this year’s Summit. From talent development and career-connected education to workforce partnerships and innovative approaches to preparing Arizona’s future workforce, their insights helped spark important conversations and ideas.
We also want to extend our sincere thanks to our 2026 Workforce Summit sponsors for their generous support and continued commitment to strengthening Arizona’s workforce. Thank you to JPMorganChase, Education Forward Arizona, Maricopa Community Colleges, University of Phoenix, Arizona Public Service (APS), Southwest Airlines, Southwest Gas, Stand Together, Maximus, and Salt River Project (SRP) for helping make this event possible and supporting meaningful conversations around Arizona’s talent pipeline.
To everyone who joined us, thank you for your commitment to building a stronger Arizona. Together, we’re working to expand economic opportunity, strengthen our talent pipeline, and ensure Arizona’s workforce is prepared to grow and thrive for generations to come.
We look forward to seeing the impact of the connections, conversations, and ideas sparked at this year’s Workforce Summit!
