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   State Of The City 2013 - Mayor Jerry Weiers

Speech Resource Page

Brought to you by - By Ed and  Bette Sharpe Glendale Daily Planet

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Be sure to see entire program script and other chamber outgoing president
 and incoming prescient speeches also below Mayor Weiers' address.

Glendale Mayor Jerry Weiers 2013 State of the City Address
Glendale Civic Center            
February 28, 2013

GOOD EVENING ---- IT’S GREAT TO SEE SO MANY BUSINESS AND COMMUNITY LEADERS AND FRIENDS HERE TONIGHT.

I KNOW THERE ARE A LOT OF OTHER THINGS THAT YOU COULD BE DOING RIGHT NOW . . . . . LIKE WATCHING THE LATEST EPISODE OF “AMERICAN IDOL” OR DON RINEHART’S FAVORITE TV SHOW ------- “HERE COMES HONEY BOO BOO!”

BUT INSTEAD, YOU DECIDED TO BE HERE OR WERE TOLD BY THE BOSS TO BE HERE ---- SO THANK YOU FOR SPENDING YOUR EVENING WITH US.

AS ALL OF YOU KNOW, THIS IS MY FIRST-EVER STATE OF THE CITY ADDRESS AS GLENDALE’S NEW MAYOR. I WANT TO THANK THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE FOR PROVIDING ME THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK AT ITS ANNUAL MEETING.

I ALSO WANT TO THANK LONG-TIME GLENDALE RESIDENT AND HALL OF FAME BROADCASTER AL MCCOY FOR TAKING TIME OUT OF HIS BUSY SCHEDULE DURING THE SUNS SEASON TO BE MY SPECIAL GUEST AND EMCEE FOR TONIGHT’S PROGRAM. AL ---
YOU TRULY ARE THE REAL MCCOY --- THANK YOU.

I’M VERY GRATEFUL THAT GLENDALE VOTERS HAVE GIVEN ME THIS INCREDIBLE OPPORTUNITY TO LEAD OUR GREAT CITY AT SUCH A CRITICAL JUNCTURE IN GLENDALE’S HISTORY.

I’M TRULY HONORED TO BE JOINING THE SIX OTHERS ON THE CITY COUNCIL AND LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING CLOSELY WITH THEM DURING MY TENURE.

THERE IS, NO DOUBT, SOME IMMEDIATE CHALLENGES THAT ARE AHEAD OF US AS WE CONTINUE TO DEAL WITH THE NEARLY FOUR-YEAR-OLD SAGA OF THE PHOENIX COYOTES . . . . THE LINGERING EFFECTS OF A RECESSION . . . . AND BUDGET CUTS THAT HAVE REDUCED OR ELIMINATED CITY PROGRAMS AND SERVICES TO OUR CITIZENS.

ALL THESE FACTORS HAVE TAKEN A TOLL ON GLENDALE.

JUST LAST WEEK, THE CITY COUNCIL SPENT THE BETTER PART OF A DAY DISCUSSING OUR PRIORITIES FOR THE YEAR.

DURING THE RETREAT, IT BECAME CLEAR TO ME THAT WITH THE INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE AND NEW IDEAS WE HAVE ON THE CITY COUNCIL, MY COLLEAGUES AND I ARE READY AND EAGER TO TACKLE THE CHALLENGES AHEAD OF US.

AS A STATE LAWMAKER FOR THE PAST EIGHT YEARS, I WAS PART OF A TEAM THAT HELPED ARIZONA TURN A BUDGET DEFICIT INTO A SURPLUS.

IT WASN’T EASY AND TOUGH DECISIONS HAD TO BE MADE. BUT I’M CONFIDENT WE CAN DO THE SAME HERE IN GLENDALE.

I’M DETERMINED TO PUT MY EXPERIENCE TO WORK FOR OUR RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES. NOW, I’LL BE THE FIRST TO ADMIT THAT I DON’T HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS . . . . . YOU CAN JUST ASK MY WIFE, SANDY, SHE’LL BE THE FIRST TO ATTEST TO THAT!

THAT’S WHY I WILL MAKE IT MY PRIORITY TO LISTEN TO ALL OPINIONS. UNDOUBTEDLY, WE WILL – ON OCCASION – DIFFER ON HOW TO BEST HANDLE OUR CHALLENGES.

BUT, REST ASSURED ---- THE COUNCIL AND I WANT THE VERY BEST FOR OUR RESIDENTS, BUSINESSES, COMMUNITY GROUPS AND CITY EMPLOYEES. WE’LL BE WORKING TOGETHER ON BEHALF OF ALL OF OUR COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS TO HELP THE CITY GET BACK ON SOLID GROUND ONCE AGAIN.

AS LONG AS WE ALL STRIVE TO DO WHAT IS BEST FOR GLENDALE, THE END PRODUCT WILL BE A GREAT CITY WHOSE VERY BEST DAYS ARE AHEAD OF US!

THOSE OF YOU WHO KNOW ME KNOW THAT I RECENTLY BECAME A PROUD GRANDFATHER FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME. I KNOW I LOOK TOO YOUNG TO BE A GRANDPARENT, BUT DON’T LET MY HAIR FOOL YOU, I’VE HAD THIS SAME HAIR COLOR SINCE I WAS IN THE 6^TH GRADE.

BUT SERIOUSLY, JUST LIKE MY GRANDSON IS STARTING HIS NEW LIFE, I TOO AM LOOKING AT MY TENURE AS MAYOR AS A “NEW BEGINNING.”

ALTHOUGH I’VE STOPPED COUNTING THE NUMBER OF DAYS I’VE BEEN IN OFFICE, IT HAS BECOME VERY CLEAR TO ME OVER THE LAST 44 DAYS . . .  8 HOURS AND  . . . .  23 MINUTES THAT WE HAVE TREMENDOUS OPPORTUNITIES TO BRING EVEN MORE QUALITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS TO OUR CITY.

ATTRACTING ECONOMIC ACTIVITY NOW AND INTO THE FUTURE IS ONE OF THE KEYS TO MAKING GLENDALE FINANCIALLY SOUND FOR YEARS TO COME!

SOME OF MY TOP ECONOMIC PRIORITIES AS MAYOR ARE:

TO BUILD THE CITY’S ECONOMIC BASE AND MARKET GLENDALE AS A LOCATION FOR BUSINESSES AND RESIDENTS . . . .

. . . . . TO ENHANCE SERVICES TO MAKE GLENDALE THE MOST BUSINESS FRIENDLY CITY . . . .

. . . . . AND TO FURTHER DIVERSIFY THE MIX OF BUSINESSES THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE IN OUR COMMUNITY.

PROVIDING AN EXPANDED VARIETY OF JOB OPPORTUNITIES WILL HELP OUR CITIZENS FLOURISH --- AND A HEALTHY BUSINESS COMMUNITY WILL ENABLE GLENDALE TO GENERATE THE REVENUES NECESSARY TO CONTINUE PROVIDING A QUALITY LIFESTYLE FOR OUR CITIZENS.

ONE OF MY FIRST OFFICIAL DUTIES AS GLENDALE’S NEW MAYOR WAS TO SPEAK AT THE GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONY LAST MONTH FOR DIGNITY HEALTH’S 35-ACRE MEDICAL CAMPUS NEAR THE LOOP 101 AND GLENDALE.

ANCHORING THIS NEW DEVELOPMENT WILL BE THE
$44 MILLION DOLLAR ST. JOSEPH’S WESTGATE MEDICAL CENTER
--- OR, AS I AFFECTIONATELY REFER TO IT AS “JOE WEST.”

THIS IS A GREAT PROJECT FOR SEVERAL REASONS AS IT WILL . . . .

. . . .  SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASE CAPITAL INVESTMENT IN ONE OF THE CITY’S KEY ECONOMIC FOCUS AREAS. . . . .

. . . . .EXPAND GLENDALE’S LOOP 101 COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT WEST OF THE FREEWAY. . . . . .

. . . . . AND, OFTEN TIMES, THESE TYPES OF PROJECTS DRAW OTHER HEALTHCARE-RELATED BUSINESSES AND WELL-PAYING JOBS TO THE AREA.

ALL WE HAVE TO DO IS LOOK AT OUR MEDICAL CORRIDORS ON THUNDERBIRD ROAD AND UNION HILLS DRIVE TO SEE, FIRSTHAND, HOW HOSPITALS HAVE SERVED AS MAGNETS IN ATTRACTING HEALTHCARE RELATED AND MANY OTHER BUSINESSES TO OUR CITY.

IN FACT, AT THE DIGNITY HEALTH GROUNDBREAKING EVENT, COMPANY OFFICIALS ANNOUNCED THAT ANOTHER CORPORATION -- INTEGRATED MEDICAL SERVICES -- HAS JOINED THE PARTNERSHIP AT THE GLENDALE SITE.

THIS WILL RESULT IN IMS CONSTRUCTING A 3-STORY, 60,000-SQUARE-FOOT MEDICAL OFFICE BUILDING ADJACENT TO THE HOSPITAL. THE IMS FACILITY WILL HOUSE DOCTORS AND OTHER MEDICAL PROVIDERS FROM BARROW NEUROLOGICAL INSTITUTE AND PHOENIX CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL.

ST JOSEPH’S HOSPITAL WILL INITIALLY CREATE 200 NEW JOBS WHEN THE MEDICAL CENTER OPENS EARLY NEXT YEAR. AND, 200 ADDITIONAL JOBS WILL BE CREATED FROM THE ADJACENT MEDICAL OFFICE BUILDING – FOR A TOTAL OF 400 NEW JOBS!

THE HOSPITAL HAS THE POTENTIAL TO ADD EVEN MORE JOBS AS DEMAND IN THE AREA GROWS AND MORE PATIENT BEDS ARE ADDED TO “JOE WEST.”

THIS EXPANSION MAY OCCUR SOONER RATHER THAN LATER DUE THE WHIRLWIND OF ACTIVITY TAKING PLACE NEAR WESTGATE AT GLENDALE’S NEWEST RETAIL DEVELOPMENT -----
TANGER OUTLETS WESTGATE.

I RECENTLY TOURED THE PROPERTY WITH TANGER’S GENERAL MANAGER, WHO TOLD ME THE OUTLET EXCEEDED ITS HOLIDAY SALES PROJECTIONS . . .  . AND IS CONTINUING TO EXPERIENCE A HIGH SALES VOLUME.

THIS IS GREAT NEWS!

THE NEW 85-STORE OUTLET CENTER, WHICH CREATED 900 NEW JOBS, IS ALREADY CONTRIBUTING SIGNIFICANTLY TO OUR LOCAL ECONOMY.

IN FACT, I JUST RECEIVED THE FOURTH QUARTER TAX REPORT FOR TANGER. THAT REPORT SHOWS THAT IN JUST SIX WEEKS DURING NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER, GLENDALE COLLECTED MORE THAN $1 MILLION DOLLARS IN TAXES AS A RESULT OF THIS NEW ECONOMIC ENGINE IN OUR CITY.

THIS NEW REVENUE, IN TURN, IS HELPING FUND OUR POLICE, FIRE AND OTHER CITY SERVICES TO MEET MY PREVIOUSLY STATED PRIORITIES.

FOLKS, THESE ARE THE TYPES OF REVENUE-PRODUCING DEVELOPMENTS THAT ENABLES GLENDALE TO PROVIDE THE QUALITY SERVICES YOU HAVE ALL COME TO EXPECT FROM OUR DYNAMIC CITY.

IN JUST A FEW MONTHS, WE WILL BE BREAKING GROUND ON THE NEW ARROWHEAD CADILLAC DEALERSHIP ON BELL ROAD. THIS LUXURY DEALERSHIP REPRESENTS A $16 MILLION DOLLAR CAPITAL INVESTMENT IN OUR COMMUNITY.

THE PROJECT WILL ALSO CREATE 140 NEW JOBS AND GENERATE A NEW SOURCE OF REVENUE FOR GLENDALE BY UTILIZING ONE OF THE FEW REMAINING VACANT PARCELS ON BELL ROAD.

AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME THE DEALERSHIP BEGINS CONSTRUCTION, GROUND WILL BE BROKEN ON THE FIRST VETERINARY SCHOOL IN ARIZONA --- AND IT’S HAPPENING RIGHT HERE IN GLENDALE.

THE COLLEGE OF VETERINARY MEDICINE AT MIDWESTERN UNIVERSITY WILL INJECT A $100 MILLION DOLLAR INVESTMENT INTO OUR CITY. THE PROJECT WILL INITIALLY CREATE 60 NEW HIGH-PAYING JOBS.

THIS WILL BRING THE TOTAL NUMBER OF JOBS AT THE UNIVERSITY TO 660!

WE LOOK FORWARD TO WELCOMING THE INAUGURAL CLASS OF 100 MEDICAL STUDENTS TO THE COLLEGE OF VETERINARY MEDICINE. THERE IS NO DOUBT THIS NEW COLLEGE WILL BECOME A KEY ASSET ON MIDWESTERN UNIVERSITY’S BEAUTIFUL AND EVER-EXPANDING CAMPUS.

WHILE I WAS A MEMBER OF THE STATE LEGISLATURE, WE PASSED PRO-BUSINESS LEGISLATION THAT ENABLES US TO ATTRACT NEW COMPANIES AND BRING ADDITIONAL JOBS TO OUR COMMUNITIES.

MY FOCUS REMAINS THE SAME AS WHEN I SERVED IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ----- BUT NOW, AS MAYOR OF GLENDALE, MY ATTENTION WILL BE ON ENHANCING THE ECONOMIC VITALITY OF THIS CITY!

IN LIGHT OF THIS, ONE OF MY TOP PRIORITIES AS MAYOR IS TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT GLENDALE HAS AGGRESSIVE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT POLICIES AND EXPANDED PROGRAMS IN PLACE ----- SIMPLY PUT, I WANT TO ENSURE COMPANIES KNOW THAT GLENDALE IS ACTIVELY SEEKING AND EAGER TO ASSIST IN THE SUCCESS OF THEIR BUSINESS!

FROM SLAPPING BURGERS AT JACK-IN-THE-BOX AS A TEENAGER AND BEING A PARTNER IN SEVERAL RESTAURANTS IN TEXAS TO HAVING ESTABLISHED AND OPERATED A LOCAL TRAILOR MANUFACTURING AND RETAIL SALES COMPANY, I’VE BEEN INVOLVED IN MANY FACETS OF BUSINESS DURING MOST OF MY LIFE.

I’VE BEEN IN THE TRENCHES . . .

. . . . . I’VE TAKEN CALCULATED RISKS . . .

. . . . . I’VE BEEN CHALLENGED AS A BUSINESS OWNER . . .

. . . . AND THERE WERE EVEN TIMES WHEN I HAD TO KEEP MY OWN PAYCHECK IN A DESK DRAWER TO MAKE CERTAIN MY EMPLOYEES PAYCHECKS CLEARED FIRST.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, I’VE BEEN THERE . . . .

. . . . . YET, I’VE ALSO REAPED THE REWARDS OF OWNING A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS.

AS MAYOR, I’M GOING TO DO ALL I CAN TO SHOW BUSINESSES, DEVELOPERS AND COMMERCIAL BROKERS THAT GLENDALE IS . . . .

. . . . SERIOUS ABOUT ATTRACTING NEW CAPITAL INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES . . . .

. . . . COMMITTED TO PARTNERING WITH BUSINESSES . . . .

. . . . AND, ONCE COMPANIES START THEIR BUSINESS OPERATIONS IN GLENDALE, WE WILL DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE FOR THEM TO THRIVE HERE.

TO THAT END, TONIGHT I’M ANNOUNCING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF MY NEW MAYOR’S ADVISORY COUNCIL ON BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT. THE ADVISORY GROUP WILL BE MADE UP OF BUSINESS LEADERS, WHO WILL MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO ME ON WAYS TO SPUR BUSINESS GROWTH AND JOB CREATION.

I WILL RECRUIT A VARIETY OF BUSINESS  REPRESENTATIVES IN GLENDALE AND THROUGHOUT THE VALLEY TO SERVE ON MY NEW ADVISORY COUNCIL. AND, I WILL BE LOOKING FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO REALLY WANT TO PARTICIPATE AND SHARE THEIR EXPERTISE AND RESOURCES.

YOU WILL BE HEARING MORE ABOUT MY INITIATIVE IN THE COMING MONTHS.

NOW, ANOTHER ONE OF MY TOP PRIORITIES IS TO WORK MORE CLOSELY WITH OUR SURROUNDING CITIES ON REGIONAL ISSUES.

WORKING TOGETHER AS A REGION BEYOND OUR CITIES BORDERS CAN BE VERY BENEFICIAL FOR ALL OF US ---- ESPECIALLY WHEN ADDRESSING IMPORTANT ISSUES AND PROTECTING THE VITAL INTERESTS WE ALL SHARE IN THE WEST VALLEY.  

ECONOMIC PROSPERITY IS ONE OPPORTUNITY WE CAN CAPITALIZE ON AND BENEFIT FROM AS A REGION.

WHILE SOME PARTS OF THE METRO AREA ARE LANDLOCKED, WE ARE PRIMED FOR NEW GROWTH AND WELL POSITIONED TO CAPTURE A MIX OF QUALITY DEVELOPMENT IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE ----- SOME OF WHICH I’VE ALREADY SHARED WITH YOU THIS EVENING.

I THINK EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM TONIGHT WILL AGREE WITH ME THAT THE WEST VALLEY WILL CONTINUE TO GET STRONGER AS THE ECONOMY IMPROVES. AND, THERE IS NO DOUBT IN MY MIND THAT GLENDALE WILL LEAD THE WAY!

LUKE AIR FORCE BASE REPRESENTS ONE VERY LARGE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ENTITY THAT WE’LL CONTINUE TO STRONGLY SUPPORT TOGETHER AS A REGION.

AS MOST, IF NOT ALL OF YOU KNOW, THE WEST VALLEY WILL SOON HAVE THE WORLD’S MOST-ADVANCED FIGHTER JET --- THE F-35 --- AND IT’S STATIONED RIGHT HERE IN OUR OWN BACKYARD.

THIS PRESENTS US WITH A GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY TO FURTHER DIVERSIFY OUR REGION’S ECONOMIC BASE.

THE NEW F-35 ALSO HELPS JUMP START THE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE LOOP 303, WHICH IS NOW ALSO UNDERWAY.

THERE ARE BOTH LARGE AND SMALL COMPANIES THAT BUILD COMPONENTS AND OPERATING SYSTEMS FOR THE F-35. AND, I CAN’T THINK OF A BETTER PLACE TO HAVE THESE BUSINESSES EITHER MOVE OR EXPAND THEIR OPERATIONS THAN HERE IN GLENDALE.

THE OPPORTUNITIES WILL BE HUGE ----- BUT, IN ORDER TO BE SUCCESSFUL, WE MUST ALL WORK TOGETHER AND POOL OUR EXPERTISE AND RESOURCES.

GOVERNMENT, BUSINESS AND COMMUNITY LEADERS NEED TO TAKE THE NEXT STEP AND BEGIN IDENTIFYING COMMONALITIES AND PROJECTS THAT WE, IN THE WEST VALLEY, CAN PARTNER ON TOGETHER -- PROJECTS THAT WILL BENEFIT THE ENTIRE REGION.

THIS IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE REGIONAL PARTNERSHIPS WILL ALSO HELP MOVE US FORWARD POLITICALLY AT THE STATE AND FEDERAL LEVELS.

IT IS MY SINCERE HOPE THAT, THROUGH MY EXPERIENCE AT THE STATE LEVEL, I CAN HELP ENHANCE  REGIONAL PARTNERSHIPS IN THE WEST VALLEY.

THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT WEST VALLEY CITIES HAVE ALREADY BEEN WORKING TOGETHER ON KEY PROJECTS, SUCH AS LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, TRANSPORTATION, WATER TREATMENT AND TOURISM.

I’LL ALSO BE USING MY EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE THAT I’VE ATTAINED THROUGH MY 8 YEARS OF WORKING AT THE STATE CAPITOL TO HELP WEST VALLEY LEADERS WORK MORE EFFECTIVELY WITH OUR ARIZONA’S LEGISLATORS.

BUT, WE COULD AND SHOULD BE DOING MORE. THUS,
I’M GOING TO DO ALL I CAN TO BE THE CONDUIT BETWEEN THE STATE AND THE WEST VALLEY CITIES.

THIS WILL SIGNIFICANTLY MOVE OUR REGION FORWARD!

ALTHOUGH REGIONAL ISSUES AND LARGE DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS ARE IMPORTANT, A BIG PART OF KEEPING GLENDALE ECONOMICALLY VIBRANT WILL BE TO FOCUS ON SUPPORTING OUR SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZE BUSINESSES.

AS MOST OF YOU KNOW, SMALL BUSINESSES ARE THE “LIFE BLOOD” OF OUR DOWNTOWN AS THE AREA IS MADE UP LARGELY OF INDEPENDENTLY OWNED SHOPS AND RESTAURANTS.

OUR DOWNTOWN IS ONE KEY ASSET THAT GLENDALE HAS OVER OTHER VALLEY CITIES.

WITH ITS UNIQUE TOWN SQUARE, DOWNTOWN GLENDALE REMINDS LOCAL AND OUT-OF-STATE VISITORS OF THEIR HOMETOWNS . . . . PEOPLE LOVE VISITING THE AREA  . . . . IT’S A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE WANT TO GO.

WE NEED TO TAKE GREATER ADVANTAGE OF THAT FACT AND CREATE OTHER EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES WHICH ENHANCE THE AREA AS A DESTINATION AND VISITOR ATTRACTION THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.

THUS, MY PLAN FOR THE DOWNTOWN IS TO BRING MORE EVENTS – NOT LESS – THAT WILL SERVE AS AN ECONOMIC STIMULUS FOR THE AREA.

EVENTS HAVE PROVEN TO BE EFFECTIVE ECONOMIC AND REDEVELOPMENT TOOLS FOR OUR DOWNTOWN ----- NEW BUSINESSES HAVE LOCATED HERE AND BUSINESS ACTIVITY HAS INCREASED DUE TO THESE EVENTS.

I HAVE SPENT A LOT OF TIME DURING MY FIRST MONTH IN OFFICE SPEAKING WITH DOWNTOWN MERCHANTS ABOUT BRINGING MORE EVENTS TO THE AREA THAT WILL HELP THEIR BUSINESSES.

THEY HAVE SEEN WHAT FESTIVALS LIKE GLENDALE GLITTERS AND THE CHOCOLATE AFFAIRE HAVE BROUGHT THEM IN TERMS OF INCREASED COMMERCE AND FUTURE SHOPPERS.

AND THE BUSINESSES I’VE SPOKEN WITH ARE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT HAVING EVEN MORE ACTIVITIES AND MORE PEOPLE IN THE AREA.

WITHOUT A DOUBT, THE COUNCIL AND I WANT TO SEE OUR DOWNTOWN PROSPER AND CONTINUE TO EVOLVE. AND I WILL WHOLE-HEARTEDLY LOOK AT ANY OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR DOWNTOWN.

THERE ARE MANY OTHER THINGS I WANT TO ACCOMPLISH DURING MY FIRST YEAR AND MY FOUR-YEAR TERM IN OFFICE, BUT I MADE A PROMISE TO MYSELF TO KEEP MY SPEECH SHORT – UNLESS, OF COURSE, ALL OF YOU DEMAND AN ENCORE . . . . I DIDN’T THINK SO!

SO, WITH THAT, I WANT TO CONCLUDE MY FIRST STATE OF THE CITY ADDRESS BY SAYING THAT I’M VERY EXCITED AND OPTIMISTIC ABOUT GLENDALE’S FUTURE ---- AND I’M GOING TO DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO MAKE GLENDALE A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE AND BUSINESSES WANT TO BE.

IT IS MY HOPE THAT RESIDENTS AND THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY WILL COME TO KNOW ME AS SOMEBODY THAT IS GENUINE ---- I’LL NEVER SAY SOMETHING THAT I DON’T PLAN ON DOING, AND I’LL NEVER MAKE A PROMISE THAT I CAN’T KEEP.

MY DOOR IS ALWAYS OPEN. IF YOU HAVE CONCERNS, I WANT TO HEAR THEM. IF YOU HAVE IDEAS OR HEAR OF OPPORTUNITIES THAT WOULD BENEFIT OUR CITY, I REALLY WANT TO HEAR THEM TOO.

I WILL MAKE MYSELF AVAILABLE TO ANYONE WHO WANTS TO MEET WITH ME ----- I’LL EVEN MEET WITH YOU AT YOUR BUSINESS. JUST CALL ANNE IN MY OFFICE AND SHE’LL TAKE CARE OF SCHEDULING THE MEETING FOR US.

I LOOK FORWARD TO MEETING EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU. YOUR SUPPORT AND COMMITMENT WILL PLAY AN ESSENTIAL ROLE IN OUR CITY’S SUCCESS.

FINALLY, I’D LIKE TO CONCLUDE MY SPEECH TONIGHT WITH A QUOTE FROM MOTHER THERESA, WHO RECEIVED A NOBLE PEACE PRIZE IN 1979 FOR HER CHARITABLE WORK AROUND THE WORLD.

AND, THE QUOTE GOES:  “I KNOW GOD WON’T GIVE ME ANYTHING I CAN’T HANDLE. I JUST WISH HE DIDN’T TRUST ME SO MUCH.”

THANK YOU!

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Mary Pritchard – The Pritchard Group

Dr. Elizabeth Langland – Arizona State University

Randy Johnson - WalMart

Steve Hopkins - Wells Fargo Bank

Patrick McDermott – APS

Jean Higginbotham – Humana

Jeff Blake – DeVry University

Bill Toops – Glendale Star / Pueblo Publishers

Laura Witt – Banner Thunderbird Medical Center

Scott Spillman – BNC Bank

Ex-Officio

Mayor Jerry Weiers - City of Glendale

Colonel Robert Webb  - Luke Air Force Base

Dr. Donna Lewis – Glendale Elementary Schools

And now I would like to ask Mayor Weiers and Al McCoy back to the podium for our special Auction.

Auction of Coyotes Suite and Ceretta’s Package

Concluding Remarks – Al McCoy

Adjournment – Al McCoy

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Sandy Petraitis Speech for Chamber Annual Meeting 2013

It has been my pleasure to serve as the Chamber’s Chairman of the Board for 2012.  The lackluster economy this past year continued to be a challenge for our Chamber…as well as for many of our business members.  Despite those challenges, I am happy to report that our Chamber did have a pretty good year.

The Chamber’s membership numbers continued to see a slight decline, however, not nearly as severe as in previous years.  We did see great support from many of our corporate sponsors , receiving our 2^nd  highest dollar level ever in sponsorship support for 2012. We are optimistic that 2013 will bring modest improvements to our local and Valley economies.

I pledged my year as Chairman to be one of renewal for the Chamber, and I believe we were successful.  We assembled a board of directors that was committed to creating new initiatives and programs, restructured some of our staffing, initiated a number of cost containment measures without sacrificing member benefits in order to balance our budget, and worked more closely with the City of Glendale Economic Development staff and our higher education partners to promote business procurement opportunities for Glendale small businesses by hosting one of the most successful Procurement and Trade Shows in Arizona.

The Chamber also worked closely with the City of Glendale in helping to find solutions to their budgetary and sale tax issues.  We proposed a compromise for the city sales tax increase that was accepted by the City Council and ultimately approved by voters in November.

Our Chamber website continued to receive more than 20,000 requests for business information each month, referring potential customers to our member businesses.  We hosted dozens of networking opportunities, provided social media interfacing for our members, and offered a number of member benefit programs to help them lower the cost of doing business.  The Chamber continued to be actively engaged in promoting Luke Air Force Base as the training home for the F35 fighter jet, and is a leader in the West Valley Chamber Alliance that provides local and regional public policy programs for business.

We continued our great partnership with the City of Glendale, and are proud to be able to provide assistance in promoting City events, as well as convention and visitor bureau and economic development initiatives to our business community.    

I would like to thank all of you in attendance today for your commitment to, and investment in Glendale…as well as your assistance in making my year as Chairman of the Board a fulfilling one. Together, we were able to accomplish great things!

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Dawn Johnson Speech for Annual Meeting 2013

I am honored to have been chosen by my business peers to serve as Chairman of the Board for the Glendale Chamber in 2013.  I remain cautiously optimistic that this will be a better year for our businesses, and our community.

2013 promises to be exciting for the Chamber.  We are in the process of completing the sale of our office building, and look forward to moving to our new home in the Glendale Civic Center Annex, located just in front of this building.  Our new location will give the Chamber much higher walk-in traffic and greater visibility during the many events hosted each year in Glendale and at the Civic Center.  We expect to make that move in May or June of this year and will be excited to host all of you for an open house sometime this summer!

I believe there is a new energy in the Glendale Chamber.  We have already established new membership recruitment and military affairs committees to create different programs in those areas, and will be initiating a new Young Entrepreneurs program to encourage young business people to get more involved with the Chamber.  We will also be expanding our Procurement and Trade Show to include all of the Chambers in the West Valley in an effort to make it the largest procurement effort in  the State.  Additionally, we are offering a number of new small business development programs on a monthly basis, all designed to help you improve your bottom line.

We are cognizant of the role social media plays in today’s business world, and are working to better position our Chamber as a leader in the West Valley.  The Chamber maintains an active Facebook page, and even has a Mobile Application!  You can literally have the Chamber everywhere with you 24/7, if you want!  Additionally, our homepage gets hundreds of thousands of hits, and provides more than 20,000 direct online referrals to our members each month!

I would also like to congratulate our new Mayor, Jerry Weiers and new city council members Ian Hugh, Sam Chavira and Gary Sherwood on their success in the election.  I would also like to recognize former Chamber Chairman of the Board Yvonne Knaack for her recent appointment to the post of Vice Mayor.  The Chamber pledges to work with you and the existing council members on the difficult issues that you are facing.    I believe the business community can provide valuable input and assistance to you in your decision-making processes, and would like to personally extend my offer of support to you in those efforts.

At this time I would like to introduce our new board of directors, our team, that will lead the Chamber in 2013 :