For the second year in a row, Arizona State University in Tempe is ranked No. 1 in the nation for its impact in reaching goals set forth by U.N. countries to achieve “a better world” by 2030.

The annual rankings are presented by magazine and are the only global performance tables that assess universities against the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

ASU’s ranking is a reflection of the institution’s “impressive ability to rapidly innovate, replicate and scale meaningful solutions,” said Amanda Ellis, director of global partnerships in the , which is helping lead the effort.

Goals include creating and scaling solutions for climate change, clean water and air, sustainable cities, poverty and hunger, gender equality and quality education. 

For the 2021 rankings, 1,117 universities from 94 countries and regions were analyzed. Calibrated indicators were measured to provide comparison across four broad areas: research, stewardship, outreach and teaching. 

ASU scored highest in goal of “sustainable cities and communities”

ASU received its highest scores in the goal of sustainable cities and communities followed by responsible consumption and production, eradicating poverty, clean sanitation and water, and climate action.

Overall, ASU scored 95.8 out of 100 points, placing it ahead of Purdue University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Penn State University, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

ASU ranks ninth in global rankings 

In the global rankings, ASU tied for in the world out of 1,115 institutions from more than a dozen countries, ahead of schools like King’s College London, the University of British Columbia and Western Sydney University. 

Future’s Lab, School of Global Management leading effort  

Leading the effort to attain SDGs are ASU’sand the . 

Sanjeev Khagram, CEO, director general and dean of Thunderbird, who led the establishment of a global network —the — to use data to achieve the goals, said it is the largest multi stakeholder initiative of its kind. 

“We must make this the decade of delivery worldwide,” Khagram said. 

Programs helping the planet 

Some of the ASU programs that are contributing to achieving sustainability goals include:

• Global Carbon Removal Partnership Public, private and civic members of the work to influence policy and market environments to support the rapid scale-up of carbon removal actions. 
• The Connective is a that is building a “smart region” in the greater Phoenix area with Thunderbird’s Phoenix Global Rising Initiative. This global multi-stakeholder partnership is advancing Phoenix’s goals to deploy equitable and scalable technology solutions that support sustainability and improving quality of life.
• Decision Center for a Desert City The is focused on advancing research, education and partnerships for urban water transitions through the power of data. Complementing its work is the Kyl Center for Water Policy, which promotes research, analysis, collaboration and dialogue to build consensus on sound water stewardship for Arizona and the West.
• Swette Center for Sustainable Food Systems The provides research and education options to address the integrity of the agriculture systems and the well-being of farmers, producers and providers, and help drive policy-relevant knowledge to ensure food safety.

“Our purpose at ASU is not only to support these goals by aligning our programs and service to local and global communities but to build upon them beyond 2030 so that we, as a global community, are shaping and creating bold ideas for a planet-positive future through opportunity, not sacrifice,” said Peter Schlosser, vice president and vice provost of the Global Futures Laboratory.

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Employers across Arizona and the U.S. are facing worker shortages at record levels and business leaders and chambers of commerce are urging state and national lawmakers to invest in new workforce initiatives to help fill millions of job openings.

In April, employers reported a record-high 9.3 million open jobs, said Neil Bradley, Chief Policy Officer for the U.S. С��ñֱ��app of Commerce, who spoke at the organization’s recent summit, . In Arizona, 160,000 to 180,000 jobs were unfilled in March, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor statistics.

“The problem is hurting retailers on Main Street and the nation’s largest employers in our biggest cities,” Bradley said. “When businesses do not have enough employees, they’re forced to turn down jobs and reduce the number of hours that they’re open.”

Almost 5,400 business leaders representing every state tuned in to the summit this month to discuss workforce challenges, share solutions and rally support for the С��ñֱ��app’s new America Works Agenda initiative to address the “talent crisis.” 

The initiative recommends federal and state policy changes in three areas to expand employee pools: train more Americans for in-demand jobs, remove barriers to work, and double the number of visas available for legal immigrants.  

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo was a keynote speaker who talked about the administration’s , which calls for funding 1 million apprenticeships in building trades, as well as digital apprenticeships in cybersecurity, software engineering, accounting, and quality assurance. 

America experiencing a “talent crisis”    

America is facing a double-dose of workforce challenges, Bradley said. There are too many people without jobs. And there are too many jobs without skilled people to fill them.

A recent national survey of local chambers of commerce, 90 percent reported that it is “difficult” for businesses in their area to hire workers, with two-thirds reporting it was “very difficult,” Bradley said. Less than 1 percent said it was easy to fill jobs.

Many industries are being affected including agriculture, education, manufacturing, healthcare, hospitality, computer software, and construction. A recent survey of the commercial construction industry shows that 85 percent of contractors are having difficulty finding workers, he said. Of those, 34 percent have had to turn down work. 

“All this slows down the economy. Indeed, local chambers of commerce are twice as likely to say that a lack of workers is holding back the economy as they are to say that Covid is holding it back,” Bradley said. 

Call to businesses, stakeholders to rally for initiative   

The summit is part of a new initiative by the U.S. С��ñֱ��app Foundation, called , to mobilize industry and government to act quickly to address America’s “deepening worker shortage crisis.” 

CEOs, trade associations and chambers of commerce are encouraging their employees and members to call on state and federal lawmakers to adopt recommendations in the initiative. Here’s a sampling of recommendations in four key areas:

Upskill American workers

• Fund and support employer collaboratives and sector partnerships at the state and local levels tasked with building talent pipelines based on in-demand jobs and skills using their preferred training partners

Immigration reform 

• Double the cap on employment-based immigrant visas from 140,000 per year to 280,000, including seasonal agricultural workers and high-tech professionals
• Provide international students who graduate from U.S. universities with more opportunities to obtain employment-based green cards upon graduation
• Enhance and expand the opportunities for entrepreneurs to obtain permanent residency so they can build their businesses here in the United States
• Create a new, geographically targeted visa program, along the lines of the Heartland Visa proposal, that will drive economic and population growth into American communities struggling with the serious economic and social problems caused by significant population loss

Education and training 

• Grow federal investments in employer-led job education and training programs
• Expand Pell grants for non-credit workforce training 
• Create “skills saving accounts” to help employees and employers manage continuing education costs and avoid new student debt 

Remove barriers to work 

• Expand access to affordable, quality childcare for working parents
• Improve “second chance” hiring through public-private agreements to support employment opportunities for formerly incarcerated individuals 
• Remove occupational licensing restrictions that make entering a new field time-intensive, cost-prohibitive, and restricts opportunities for mobility.

“We must arm workers with the skills they need, we must remove barriers that are keeping too many Americans on the sidelines, and we must recruit the very best from around the world to help fill high-demand jobs,” said Suzanne Clark, president and CEO of the U.S. С��ñֱ��app, one of the keynote speakers at the summit. 

To view an analysis of the numbers behind the workforce crisis, visit: To view the U.S. С��ñֱ��app’s America Works Agenda, a suite of legislative and regulatory solutions at the federal and state level to help address the crisis, go to:

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As the Fiesta Bowl marks its 50th anniversary this year, there is more to celebrate than the action on the field. Off the field, the college bowl generates about $175 million a year in direct and indirect economic benefits to the Valley and state, according to economic impact studies.

Over the past 13 years alone, Fiesta Bowl events have generated almost $3 billion into the local economy. Prior to the pandemic, the 2019 Fiesta Bowl attracted more than 71,000 visitors into the Valley, filling more than 7,500 hotel room nights, bowl officials said. 

Charitable giving is at the heart of the non-profit organization. Fiesta Bowl gives more in annual charitable giving than any college bowl organization.

“It’s written right in the Fiesta Bowl Organization mission, to create a positive economic impact for Arizona and focus on the community while having fun,” said Patrick Barkley, Fiesta Bowl chair of the board of directors. “Since our charter in 1971, the Fiesta Bowl has worked diligently to heighten our community through increased tourism, bringing positive publicity to Arizona and charitable giving. We look forward to doing so for another 50 years!” 

Every ticket sold benefits charity

Every ticket sold helps support . 

During the 2020-21 pandemic season, the organization raised a record $5.5 million for more than 44 charities and organizations including St. Mary’s Food Bank, the Arizona Science Center, the Arizona Burn Foundation, the Boys & Girls Club, Ryan House, Southwest Human Development, and others. The year’s donations made it possible to help more than 1 million people, provide 3.7 million meals and distribute 50,000 PPE face masks. 

Donations are raised through Fiesta Bowl’s two annual bowl games, the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl and the Guaranteed Rate Bowl, as well as community events throughout the year such as the Desert Financial Fiesta Bowl Parade.

Making it all happen? More than 3,000 volunteers, the of community leaders, and a staff of about two dozen.

Fiesta Bowl by the numbers 

Here’s a snapshot of some of the impacts:

• $2.9 billion Amount that the Fiesta Bowl and its surrounding events have generated for the Arizona economy over the past 13 years
• 27.3 million ESPN viewers tuned in for the Auburn-Oregon matchup in the 2011 Bowl Championship Series, making it the most-watched program in cable TV history
• $21 million Amount of charitable funds the Fiesta Bowl has contributed to non-profit organizations in the past decade
• $3.7 million in grants to teachers from the Fiesta Bowl Charities program over the past five years
• 600,000+ youth served through charitable efforts
• 300+ local charitable organizations that have benefited from Fiesta Bowl Charities

Tickets now on sale for Fiesta Bowl and Guaranteed Rate Bowl  

While the pandemic forced the game to be played “behind closed doors” on New Year’s Day this year, organizers are bringing fans back to the stands this year for its two bowl games and pregame fun. 

Fiesta Bowl and Fan Fest Pregame Party on New Year’s Day 

Tickets are now on sale for the Jan. 1, 2022 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale. Single tickets range between $165 to $360. The game will be televised on ESPN. 

Before entering the stadium, fans can explore various on-site pregame options such as the Fan Fest Pregame Party, which is free with a game ticket. Fans can also upgrade to the next level the Stadium Club Pregame Party – with big-screen televisions, live entertainment and an all-you-can-eat buffet. Premium seating options are available for luxury suites, lofts, or field boxes. 

Game tickets, premium experiences, pregame parties and reserved parking may be purchased throughor by calling (480) 350-0911.

Guaranteed Rate Bowl returns to downtown Phoenix Dec. 28

Tickets are also now on sale for the , which returns to downtown Phoenix on Dec. 28, featuring Bowl Season’s only matchup between members of the Big 12 and Big Ten Conferences. Entry prices start at $35. ESPN will televise the event. 

Game tickets, premium experiences and reserved parking may be purchased through or by calling (480) 350-0911.

“Bowl Season is the best season of the year. We’ve been waiting with excitement to kick off the Guaranteed Rate Bowl with the Big 12 and Big Ten Conferences matching up in a Major League Baseball ballpark, live on ESPN,” said Mike Nealy, executive director of the Guaranteed Rate Bowl, who expects a high turnout this year as fans let loose after a year of COVID-19 restrictions. 

Nine community leaders founded Fiesta Bowl in 1971 

Fifty years ago, nine got together and made Arizona’s first college football bowl game a reality. They were: Don DuPont, Karl Eller, Glenn Hawkins, George Isbell, Jim Meyer, Don Meyers, Bob Shover, Jack Stewart, and George Taylor. 

The first game pitted Arizona State University (ASU) against Florida State. Head coaches were Frank Kush for ASU and Larry Jones for Florida. In a classic offensive battle, the game was not decided until the final minute when ASU’s Woody Green scored on a two-yard burst with just 34 ticks on the clock.

ASU won 45-38. The combined 83 points was the highest ever for a major bowl game. The crowd was one of the largest at the time with 51,098 fans at in Tempe where the game was held until it moved to in 2007. 

“The Fiesta Bowl was created by nine visionaries and community trailblazers, and since that time we’ve built a community crown jewel that is also a nationally-recognized leader in college football,” said Patrick Barkley, chair of the Fiesta Bowl board of directors.  “We’re proud to highlight our history over the year and start the next 50 years of memories.”

Highlights, history over 50 years 

To commemorate the game’s 50^th anniversary this year, the Fiesta Bowl created a new website with highlights from over the years, the history of the “Yellow Jackets,” podcasts and more at: .

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A commercial real estate broker who is a household name in metropolitan Phoenix received the top honor for his “significant and positive” impact to the industry at the annual awards ceremony of the Arizona Chapter of , the voice of commercial real estate. 

R. Craig Coppola, the highest-producing broker in the 40-plus history of the largest broker-owned firm in the country, Lee & Associates, received the top honor, the Award of Excellence at the annual 2020 Best of Arizona NAIOP Awards ceremony at WestWorld of Scottsdale.

Coppola received one of 34 awards handed out at the event to recognize the most successful commercial real estate projects, companies and individuals in the prior year. 

Other longtime Arizona institutions also were winners at the event including Willmeng, which was named the General Contractor of the Year; Cushman & Wakefield, the Brokerage Firm of the Year; and Butler Design Group, Architect of the Year.

Winners helped state weather pandemic 

It was an incredibly rough year for the industry but developers remained “bullish on Arizona’s future,” said Suzanne Kinney, president and CEO of the Arizona chapter. 

“Creative mixed-use projects like The Collab in Gilbert’s Heritage District, Helios Education Foundation’s new building in Central Phoenix, and the Grand2 in Tempe, a spec project that brought DoorDash to our market, are examples of award-winning projects that exhibit excitement for and commitment to Arizona’s future,” Kinney said.   

The industrial sector had an especially strong year, she said. 

“Our members worked at a break-neck pace to implement advanced logistics capabilities, increase warehousing capacity and build state-of-the art fulfillment centers to respond to the increased demand for e-commerce and the warehousing of essential goods. For example, two large Amazon facilities won awards: Amazon Final Mile Facility in the Chandler Airport Commerce Park and the Amazon GYR3 IXD.”

Winning projects fed local economies 

Dozens of projects across the state also helped cushion the blow to the state economy during COVID-19 shutdowns and disruptions, Kinney said. 

For example, the Economic Impact Project of the Year award, the Novus Innovation Corridor – Phase III, generated a $277.8 million impact in 2020, she said. Located near Arizona State University, the public-private project is a mixed-use corridor for housing, retail, and space for leading-edge technology companies who have access to the university’s research and talent pipeline.  

Award of Excellence recognizes significant impact to industry 

Coppola received the top award, the Award of Excellence, which is given to individuals who have made a “significant and positive impact” on the commercial real estate industry in Arizona over at least 15 years, along with direct volunteer contributions to the chapter.

For more than 37 years as a founding principal of Lee & Associates Arizona, Coppola has specialized in the representation of landlords and tenants in the leasing and sale of office properties in the Valley. He has completed more than 3,800 transactions totaling more than 15 MSF valued in excess of $4 billion. 

The Arizona MBA grad is a 24-time top producer at Lee & Associates, six-time NAIOP Office Broker of the Year, and a 25-time finalist for NAIOP Office Broker of the Year. He also is the author of five books including, How to Win in Commercial Real Estate Investing and The Art of Commercial Real Estate Leasing. 

In his volunteer service, Coppola has served on the NAIOP board of directors; Arizona С��ñֱ��app of Commerce board; St. Vincent de Paul Advisory Council; Banner Health Foundation; Xavier College Preparatory Board of Trustees; and more. 

“I can’t think of anyone more deserving of this award than Craig,” said Danny Swancey of ViaWest Group, NAIOP Arizona board chairman. “His hallmark qualities of integrity, high-energy, discipline, and perseverance positively impact our organization and the entire commercial real estate community.  It’s a pleasure to honor someone who has consistently contributed on so many levels for over three decades.”

Best of NAIOP 2020 winners

Award of Excellence: R. Craig Coppola, Lee & Associates Arizona

Architect of the Year: Butler Design Group

Brokerage Firm of the Year: Cushman & Wakefield

Firm of the Year: Willmeng

General Contractor of the Year: Willmeng

Interior Architect of the Year: Phoenix Design One, Inc.

Owner/Developer of the Year: Lincoln Property Company

Tenant Improvement Contractor of the Year: Willmeng

NAIOP Arizona’s Official Branding Sponsor: TRADEMARK

Developing Leader of the Year: Michael Strittmatter, CBRE

Emerging Broker of the Year: James Cohn, CBRE

Healthcare Broker of the Year: Perry Gabuzzi, Margaret Lloyd, Bill Cook and Mike McWilliams, Plaza Companies

Industrial Broker of the Year: Tony Lydon, Marc Hertzberg, Riley Gilbert and John Lydon, JLL

Investment Broker of the Year: Will Strong, Cushman & Wakefield

Office Broker of the Year: Kevin Calihan and Bryan Taute, CBRE

Retail Broker of the Year: Dave Cheatham and Darren Pitts, Velocity Retail Group, LLC

Rookie Broker of the Year: Matt Baniszewski, Colliers International

Tenant Representative Broker of the Year: Pat Williams, JLL

Economic Impact Project of the Year: Novus Innovation Corridor – Phase III

Industrial Build-to-Suit Project of the Year: Amazon Final Mile Facility (DPX7)

Industrial Tenant Improvement Project of the Year: Amazon GYR3 IXD

Medical Office Project of the Year: Wexford PBC1

Mixed-Use Project of the Year: The Collab

Office Build-to-Suit Project of the Year: Helios Education Foundation Campus and Vince Roig Convening Center

Office TI Project of the Year (Less Than 60,000 SF): Carvana HQ3

Office TI (More Than 60,000 SF): DoorDash

Redevelopment Project of the Year: ADOT Flagstaff offices

Retail Project of the Year: Volvo Arrowhead Dealership and Site Development

Spec Industrial Project of the Year (Less Than 365,000 SF): Gilbert Crossroads

Spec Industrial Project of the Year (More Than 365,000 SF): Chandler Airport Commerce Park

Spec Office Project of the Year: Union Building 1

Sustainable Project of the Year: 777 Tower at Novus Innovation Corridor

Transaction of the Year: Grand2

Talk of the Town: 777 Tower at Novus Innovation Corridor and Grand2/DoorDash (tied)

To learn more about NAIOP, visit:

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In a glimmer of hope for American businesses, President Joe Biden’s administration appears to be steering away from hardline Democrats who want to impose the highest corporate income tax in the industrial world — 28 percent. 

Now, White House officials said that Biden is willing to bend on his tax proposal to gain GOP support for a substantial infrastructure bill.

“He is personally leaning in, willing to compromise, spending time with senators — Democrat and Republican — to find out what is the art of the possible,” Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo . “The only thing he won’t accept is inaction. It has to be big and bold, $1 trillion or more.”

Bipartisan groups in both houses also indicated Wednesday that they are working to find alternatives to tax increases to pay for the package. 

That doesn’t mean the threat of a harmful tax increase is going away anytime soon, said Erik Paulsen, a former U.S. congressman who now is a consultant with political consulting firm , which is headquartered in Washington, D.C. and has in Arizona.  

“It’s good that the new administration is floating new ideas as alternatives rather than just a straight increase to 28 percent, which is what many Democrats in the House and Senate would still like to see,” said Paulsen, a former leading member of the chief tax writing House Ways and Means Committee. “It’s important to really view these proposals with a lot of caution because the devil is in the details. There’s lots of fine print.”

Compromise possible?  

Biden is backing off of his original request for $2.2 trillion for the infrastructure package, which would be financed by relying heavily on tax increases on corporations and the wealthy. The current corporate income tax rate is 21 percent.

With little support from the GOP, Biden is now calling for at least $1 trillion for the package.

“If anything, it’s pretty safe to assume that Democrats want a rate increase,” Paulsen said. “And they want it badly. Some say 28 percent. Some are saying 25 percent is an acceptable level.”

Congress needs to act with care in considering changes to the current tax code, which came out of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 and has fueled jobs, innovation and tax revenues in Arizona, he said. 

“There is the potential that you would be giving up some very real economic incentives that are in the tax code right now and those could go away. These are incentives like research and development or clean energy for instance.”

Bipartisan groups in both houses seeking to avoid tax hikes 

After negotiations with Republicans failed this week, in both houses are working to find consensus on an infrastructure package.    

On Wednesday, a member of the Senate group, which includes Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D), told that it is taking tax hikes off the table as they try to reach consensus on how to pay for the plan after White House negotiations with GOP leaders failed. 

“That’s my understanding. I think there’s ways to do that; hopefully it won’t be smoke and mirrors. Bottom line, this is probably the hardest part from my perspective, is how you get it paid for,” Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., said.

The group is expected to produce a $900-billion plan. 

Meanwhile, in the House on Wednesday, the bipartisan released a $1.25 trillion infrastructure plan. It also indicated it is avoiding tax increases right now as they enter into discussions about how to pay for it. Among the proposals being set forth are increased tax enforcement, reducing inheritance tax breaks for the wealthy, and using unspent Covid-19 relief funds. 

Increase would punish more than 1 million small businesses

Pro-business groups, trade associations and chambers of commerce including the Arizona С��ñֱ��app of Commerce & Industry are calling on Capitol Hill to tread lightly when it comes to raising taxes on companies right now, particularly small businesses.

About 1.4 million small businesses that are organized as C-Corporations will pay the higher rate, according to an by Curtis Dubay, senior economist for the U.S С��ñֱ��app, the world’s largest business organization. 

“There is a false assumption that only big businesses will pay a higher rate. In fact, over a million small businesses— ‘Mom-and-Pop’ retailers, small manufacturers, and professional services firms that often suffered the worst during the pandemic—would also see their tax bills increase significantly,” Dubay said. 

These small businesses employ almost 13 million American workers across various sectors. Most are small businesses and many are very small: over 84 percent have fewer than 20 employees. 

“Hardest hit would be the sort of skilled jobs that politicians love to praise, but often in practice, do too little to support,” Dubay said. 

They include manufacturing small business C-Corps which employ the most workers, about 1.8 million; professional, scientific, and technical services are next with 1.3 million employees, followed by retail with about 1.2 million workers. 

Report shows more than half of small businesses need time to recover 

Many of these small businesses are just now beginning to return to normalcy, surveys show. According to the latest , 59 percent of small businesses believe it will take more than six months to return to normal.

That should be reason enough to hold off on a punishing tax hike right now, Paulsen said. 

“We’re coming out of a significant economic crisis coming out of the pandemic and we don’t want to see that stall out —and it is stalling out right now. Unfortunately, despite the rebound, it’s not coming back out as robustly as it should be.”

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Pima Community College unveiled its new automotive tech center in downtown Tucson with a goal to help meet high demand for skilled technicians in the industry, including Arizona’s growing electric and autonomous vehicle manufacturing sector. 

The opening of the Automotive Technology and Innovation Center is just the start of a by the district to expand technical training to produce tech workers in other fields and stimulate the local economy. 

It’s also the realization of a long sought-after goal for Chancellor Lee Lambert, who came to the district in 2013. 

“I think there’s many of you in this community, I know especially the dealers and all the other automotive folks, you’ve been waiting for this moment,” Lambert said at the recent ribbon cutting for the center. 

Programs in diesel, electric and autonomous vehicles 

Located at the school’s downtown Tucson campus, the two-story, 50,000 square feet center will support programs in diesel, electric and autonomous vehicles and increase training for specific brands such as Ford, Fiat-Chrysler and Subaru. 

Students can study engine diagnosis and repair, electrical fundamentals, steering, alignment, brakes and other programs. 

Education paying off for grads 

Automotive technicians who complete a two-year Automotive Technology Associate degree earn over 20 percent more, on average, than a technician without a degree, college officials said. An automotive technology degree also is a step towards other careers in the field, whether as a dealership manager, mechanic, salesperson or specialist focused on improving the future of automotive technology, school officials said.

Technicians in Arizona are earning an average $22.41 per hour, about 8 percent higher than the national average, according to employment website .  

Severe auto tech shortage 

There are plenty of positions available for grads. By 2024, the industry is projected to be short by approximately 642,000 automotive, diesel, and collision technicians, according to a issued by the Phoenix-based TechForce Foundation last year.

Citing both increasing demand for professional techs and a declining supply of new techs entering the industry, the study concluded that the technician shortage continues despite a slight uptick in new post-secondary degrees and certificates for diesel technicians.

Other Centers of Excellence: aviation, IT, healthcare, hospitality, and more 

Under Lambert’s vision, Pima is developing other Centers of Excellence in applied technology, information technology, health professions, public safety and security, hospitality and tourism, and arts and humanities. 

The centers pair state-of-the-art facilities with industry partners to prepare students for new generation careers. Here’s a look at a few of them:

Aviation technology 

Located at Tucson International Airport in dedicated hangar space, the new Aviation Technology Center is part of the Center of Excellence in Applied Technology. The Center, which will make it possible for the college to double the number of students currently in the program, is under construction and slated for completion by early 2022.

Health professions 

The Center of Excellence in Health Professions is based at Pima’s West Campus and provides state-of-the-art training in multiple healthcare programs including nursing, surgical technology, respiratory care, medical laboratory technology, dental studies and more.

Information technology/cybersecurity

Located at the East Campus, the program is centered around the Arizona Cyber Warfare Range, the only “live-fire” cyber range at a community college. The range is operated by students and volunteers and provides a safe zone where IT professionals, community members and students can explore cyber attacks and defenses. 

Public safety and security

This center features fire science and emergency medical services, law enforcement and administration of justice, and transportation and logistics.

Pima partners with industry and government including the U.S. Air Force to provide Medical Readiness Agency () to train airmen as nationally credentialed paramedics in an expedited program.

In a partnership with TuSimple, Pima also created the country’s first certificate to upskill truck drivers in autonomous truck operations — Autonomous Vehicle Driver and Operations Specialist Certificate.

For more information about these and the other centers, visit:

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As Arizona industries produce products in high demand like semiconductors, aircraft engines, electric vehicles and copper ore, the state is well poised to help the world recover from the pandemic.

But strong U.S. leadership is needed to ensure that Arizona and other states are able to flourish on the international stage, said government and business leaders from across the world who spoke at the U.S. С��ñֱ��app of Commerce’s inaugural Global Forum on Economic Recovery. 

“We now join a small number of generations that have collectively experienced disruption on a  global scale“ the president and CEO of the , Suzanne Clark, said at the event. 

Moving forward, the chamber is advocating for policies that will help American businesses better reach the 95 percent of customers that live outside of U.S. borders, she said. 

“The wrong policies from government could stop the U.S. economic recovery in its tracks. That’s why the С��ñֱ��app is fighting back against proposals such as raising corporate tax rates to the highest in the developed world, which would disincentivize inbound investment. And it’s why we are fighting for policies to rebuild our infrastructure, welcome global talent, and enable our workforce to get back on the job and drive our economy forward.”  

Business and political leaders from 140 countries attend   

Attending the virtual event were government leaders and business executives from 140 countries across six continents. Amazon, Google and UPS were the sponsors. Participants spoke about strategies for recovery. Free enterprise and strong alliances with trading partners were overriding themes. 

Among the speakers were: Janet Yellen, U.S. Secretary of the Treasury; the president of Kenya, Uhuru Kenyatta; the president of Colombia, Iván Duque Márquez; the prime minister of Singapore, Lee Hsien Loong; the co-founder of Microsoft Corporation, Bill Gates; and others.

Creating roadmap for recovery with U.S. in leadership role  

С��ñֱ��app officials emphasized the need for U.S. leadership to ensure the nation can compete against global rising giants like China.

Clark outlined the chamber’s top three top priorities to accomplish that — strengthen international trade and investment; advocate for policies to allow data and innovation to flow and flourish; and promote legislation to stimulate innovation in technology to reduce greenhouse emissions for a sustainable planet.  

First priority: managing the pandemic

All participants agreed that the most important task is the rapid development and deployment of COVID-19 vaccines worldwide. While 35 percent of the U.S. population is fully vaccinated, other countries are not faring as well, Clark said.  

“A strong U.S. recovery is needed to help lead the global recovery. We also understand that the pandemic won’t be over anywhere until it is over everywhere—no nation will truly get back to strength until all nations get back to health,” Clark said.

To that end, the С��ñֱ��app has teamed up with the Business Roundtable, an association of CEOs of America’s leading companies, and leaders of more than 50 top American companies to form the —a public-private  partnership to coordinate relief for COVID-19 surges globally. Currently, the Task Force is working to address the India crisis.  

Global leaders talk top priorities 

Here are takeaways from some of the speakers:

Janet Yellen, U.S. Treasury secretary 

“America needs to have a strong presence in global markets. We will fight for a level playing field for trade and investment, and we will confront adversaries who take advantage by ignoring or abusing rules and norms of behavior.”  

Kent Walker, senior vice president for Global Affairs, Google 

“As hard as the last year has been, it’s shown the value and the potential of technology – millions of small businesses coming online for the first time. A third of businesses are saying that they were able to stay open because of digital connections.” 

Uhuru Kenyatta, President of Kenya 

“I personally am very keen on seeing the arrangement between Kenya and the United States under the free trade arrangement coming into force as two countries who understand each other and have similar and shared values. [Who] understand the private sector is really the driver of growth and job creation.” 

Antoinette Sayeh, deputy managing director, International Monetary Fund

“Right now, vaccine policy is the most important economic policy. Investing in ensuring everyone rapidly has access to vaccines may well be the highest return public project. If you consider that faster progress in ending this crisis would add almost $9 trillion to global GDP by 2025, enabling over $1 trillion in additional tax revenue, coordinated international action on vaccines is key.”

Iván Duque Márquez, President of Colombia 

“We have to do something very significant in terms of protecting the poorest of the poor and the people who will be the most affected by the crisis and that’s why we launched a social safety net program that has allowed us to attend to almost 10 million families around the country.”

Bill Gates, co-chair, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation 

“You know, the actual cost of being ready for the next pandemic is not gigantic—if you look at the precautionary measures of what we spend on our defense budget, you know this won’t be more than about 1percent of that. Even our overall health research budget, the overall cost of what we, the U.S. teams do, will be about 10 percent of that…Climate on the other hand, the numbers are quite large.”

Lee Hsien Loong, prime minister of Singapore  

“You’ve got global trading needing to be on a stable basis in order for companies to import and export trade and develop their business and prosperity. The two countries (U.S.& China) must work together.”

Tom Bell, CEO and chairman, Rolls-Royce North America 

“…Incentivizing these sustainable alternative fuels production: It’s wonderful that yesterday an Air France jet left Europe and landed in Canada on sustainable aviation fuel. In this particular case it was a kitchen grease that was repurposed. But let’s be honest, we all don’t want to eat enough french fries to feed that stock, that’s not healthy for the world. So, how are we going to really bring to scale sustainable alternative fuels?”

Carol Tomé, CEO, UPS 

“When we think about the impact of the pandemic, we know that women were impacted more than any other group and even before the pandemic women had barriers for global trade… we really gotta think about how we can leverage women at the top and down to grow global trade.” 

Erik Oswald, vice president, strategy and advocacy, ExxonMobil Low Carbon Solutions 

“We’ll need support from many different parties, both private and public, to succeed. Regulatory and legal support at all levels of government will be crucial for establishing incentives and attracting investment. First, we need Congress to allow for Co2 from non-coal sources to be stored offshore. Second, we need a significant increase in the production tax credits in Section 45 to allow more difficult but abundant sources to be captured. And finally, we need government grants for transportation and storage infrastructure that will ultimately facilitate market growth.”

Charlene Barshefsky, chair, Parkside Global Advisors 

“Xi Jinping believes that China’s model and its focus on innovation, that its programmatic desire to dominate in industries of the future is the direction of the world. As he says, history is on China’s side and the momentum is on China’s side. And for the United States, the key and most important factor in the nature of the relationship with China is a strong United States economically and militarily—nothing compensates for that and nothing substitutes for it.”

Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) 

“We can’t be fighting with Mexico and China, and the EU, and South Korea and Japan, we’ve got to come together and say we collectively are going to have to make sure that China understands what the rules of the road are.”

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The federal Paycheck Protection Program officially ended on Monday but there still are many programs available to help small businesses, including grants for business assistance groups to support socially and economically disadvantaged entrepreneurs. 

The new program, launched by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), is offering grants of up to $5 million to nonprofits, chambers of commerce, and tribal and government agencies to conduct outreach to small businesses that were left out of previous federal relief efforts.

“These businesses – the smallest of the small in rural and urban America, and those owned by women, people of color, or veterans – have suffered the greatest economic loss from this pandemic,” said Isabella Casillas Guzman, administrator of the , in announcing the launch. 

Arizona U.S. Senator Mark Kelly was among those who fought to include the program in the recent to help disadvantaged entrepreneurs, particularly in rural and tribal areas.   

“I’ve spoken to small businesses in every corner of Arizona. Far too many of them, especially tribal and minority-owned businesses and those in rural communities, have been unable to get the support they need,” Kelly said, adding that the pilot includes assistance in Spanish for business owners.

Organizations can apply for grants of up to $5 million 

Business assistance programs can use the Community Navigator grants for to help small businesses get the resources and support they need. This can include hiring staff dedicated to outreach activities and hiring culturally and linguistically knowledgeable experts – certified public accountants, attorneys, and other professionals – to work with business owners to complete applications for programs. 

Grant awards will range from $1 million to $5 million for a two-year performance period. Applicants have until July 12, 2021, to submit their applications at . 

For more information, visit . 

Many other grants, loans, programs available   

A number of other programs are available for small businesses, including these SBA programs: 

R&D accelerator competition The SBA recently launched its 6th annual to recognize “the most innovative organizations with inclusive approaches towards supporting entrepreneurs in research and development.” Prizes go to successful applicants focused on assisting women entrepreneurs, minority entrepreneurs, entrepreneurs building technologies to address key policy issues such as clean energy and supply chain resilience, or an underserved target group identified by the applicant such as rural, veterans and individuals with disabilities. Applications are being accepted until June 25.

Business development to compete for federal contracts The program connects “socially and economically disadvantaged” small businesses with opportunities to compete for federal contracts, get assistance with navigating federal contracting, create joint ventures with mentor companies and receive training and development help. 

HUBZone Program The works to give more contracting opportunities to small businesses located in HUBZones, which are typically areas with above-average economic development needs. To qualify, a company’s principal office must be located in a HUBZone, about a third of employees must live in a HUBZone, and the company must be at least 51 percent owned and controlled by U.S. citizens, a Community Development Corporation, agricultural cooperative, Native Hawaiian organization, or Indian tribe.

Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses Program The works with veteran-owned small businesses to help them receive federal contracts. To qualify, a small business must be at least 51 percent owned, controlled and managed day-to-day by one or more service-disabled veterans. 

Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer These were created to help small businesses compete with larger companies in the areas of research and technology. These programs provide grants to companies to help create physical and digital tools for federal agencies like the Department of Defense. Examples include advanced chemical compositions, military-grade sensors, radar devices, lasers, health monitoring tools, and high-tech clothing.

Women-Owned Small Business Federal Contracting program The program helps women-owned businesses compete for federal contracts in industries where women-owned small businesses are underrepresented. A list of qualifying industries includes bakeries, commercial and industrial building construction, oil and gas pipeline construction, roofing contractors, sewage treatment facilities, tax preparation services and more. More information is available at:

Even more…

To learn more about the many programs available for small businesses, the U.S. С��ñֱ��app of Commerce has compiled a list of more than than 30 grants, loans and programs at:

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Arizona’s Sandra Day O’Connor, the first woman to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court, was honored for her decades of work to raise funding and awareness about Alzheimer’s at the 11th annual Great Ladies Symposium, hosted by the . The organization has helped raise more than $2.5 billion for public and private research efforts. 

O’Connor, an ADDF honorary board chair, and her family were recognized along with other “extraordinary Alzheimer’s advocates” at the event. More than 200 supporters tuned in to learn about the latest developments in Alzheimer’s drug discovery and celebrate the honorees, who raised more than $460,000 this year. 

Now, suffering from the disease herself, O’Connor, 91, was unable to attend the virtual event. Family, friends and colleagues accepted the award for her and talked about her legacy, including as caregiver to her husband.

O’Connor’s late husband, John, also had Alzheimer’s. O’Connor, who was appointed to the high court in 1981, stepped down from the bench in 2006 to care for him. In 2018, she announced she was in the early stages of the brain disorder. 

Sons talk of struggle with both parents afflicted

Two of her three sons, Jay and Scott, accepted the Great Ladies Award on O’Connor’s behalf. They spoke about how torn she felt upon leaving the bench, and the toll of being a caretaker to a loved one who has the disease.   

“When she rose to the court, she felt she owed it to the country to do the best as the first woman on the court. She’d had a tremendous sense of obligation and guilt to take care of dad. But she couldn’t do both and it was crushing her,” Scott said. 

A family intervention then occurred, he said. Family members continued to carry on her efforts to advance research. 

“We need to find a treatment or cure, and ADDF is playing an invaluable role in finding the most promising avenues for research,” Jay said. 

Arizona-raised with a pioneering spirit

O’Connor’s accomplishments during her lifetime were also highlighted at the event. Her official biographer, Evan Thomas, talked about her life and her pioneering spirit. 

“It’s commonplace now to have women in government, but in 1981 when she came on court, she was still unusual. This was before Sally Ride was an astronaut or Madeleine Albright was Secretary of State,” Thomas said. “She wasn’t chief justice, but she was the center of that court. It was often called the O’Connor court because of her personal power and her ability to compromise and get along with sometimes difficult people. 

“She could be tough. All through her life, she was challenged because she was a woman in a man’s world as she was growing up. But she could also be warm.” 

Also honored was a leading Alzheimer’s advocate and international interior designer Thomas Pheasant who received the second annual Estelle Gelman Award at the event. 

Past recipients of the awards include former First Lady Nancy Reagan, basketball coach Pat Summitt, and Washington Capitals team member and Stanley Cup winner T.J. Oshie, who’s father died of Alzheimer’s last month. 

Current research and treatments 

At the annual symposium, experts detailed research and promising treatments. ADDF is helping fund 20 percent of all treatments for Alzheimer’s currently in clinical trials.

The foundation also seed-funded research for the first diagnostic test for Alzheimer’s. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the test, called Amyvid, in 2012. Amyvid is the first project the organization funded to receive FDA approval but many more are now in or advancing toward human clinical trials, organization officials said. 

To view the event in its entirety, visit:

About the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation

Founded in 1998 by Leonard and Ronald Lauder, the foundation’s mission is to rapidly accelerate the discovery of drugs to prevent, treat and cure Alzheimer’s disease. Through the generosity of its donors, the ADDF has awarded more than $168 million to fund over 650 Alzheimer’s drug discovery and biomarker programs and clinical trials in 19 countries. To learn more, please visit: 

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A new wildfire season is here and it’s early. That means it could be another record-breaking summer due to excessive drought, fire officials warn.

Arizona is already experiencing record-shattering dry conditions due to the drought, which has dragged on for more than two decades. Currently, the is designating most of Arizona under the two highest categories, “extreme” and “exceptional” drought. 

Windy conditions make fires more likely to spark. Public officials, fire agencies and private organizations are taking steps to prevent disasters and calling on everyone to be extra cautious this year. 

“To help prevent wildfires, it is important that Arizonans enjoy our beautiful outdoors responsibly,” Gov. Doug Ducey said. “There are many common sense precautions we can all take to minimize fire risk, including making sure campfires are out cold before walking away. My sincere thanks to the firefighters, safety officials and everyone working to protect lives, pets and property this season.” 

A typical fire season runs from May to July. This year, the season started in March with the northwest of Roosevelt Lake where about 350 acres burned. So far this year, Arizona fire crews have battled around 100 wildfires. 

As of Tuesday, there were more than 40 fires across the state including 11 active fires involving more than 1,000 acres, according to the tracking website, the .

State and feds investing in resources to help 

State and federal officials have been preparing for an intense fire season. 

In Arizona, Gov. Ducey successfully pushed for $24 million to increase workforce and partnerships through the , initiating new funding for programs and public-private partnerships to clean up hazardous fuels, thin out forests and attract forest industries to the state. 

More inmates trained to fight wildfires 

Part of the initiative is funding to expand a to train and deploy low-risk inmates to fight wildfires, learn job skills in the process, and transition to work upon release. This year, about 700 inmates can participate in the program. 

Arizona’s congressional members push for more firefighters 

Arizona’s U.S. congressional delegation members have also pushed for legislation to fund wildfire assistance, including funding from federal pandemic recovery packages. 

Arizona U.S. Senator Kyrsten Sinema, for example, worked to get the assess the hiring and retention of federal wildland firefighters for effective fire management and issue recommendations to strengthen Arizona’s federal firefighting force.

“Wildfires in Arizona and across the west are a near-constant threat,” Sinema said. “I am glad the federal government listened to our calls to take common sense steps to better protect Arizona communities from dangerous wildfires.” 

Forest mechanical thinning industries wanted  

To address the huge need for forest thinning industries in Arizona, a unique public-private partnership, known as 4FRI (the Four Forest Restoration Initiative), whose ultimate goal is working to achieve an ultimate goal of thinning 2.4 million acres of forest land. 4FRI is a collaboration between the U.S. Forest Service, other public agencies and private and non-profit organizations.  

As part of the project, the U.S. Forest Service is for one of the largest forest thinning initiatives ever issued. To attract bidders, the RFP is the first 20-year contract in the agency’s history.

It calls for awarding contracts to companies to mechanically thin 605,000 to 818,000 acres of forests in Northern Arizona. The RFP is available to both small and large businesses and seeks proposals that are “sustainable, innovative, feasible, and cost-effective to increase the pace and scale of forest restoration.”

The Forest Service plans to spend $550 million over the next 20 years to work in four national forests: Apache-Sitgreaves, Coconino, Kaibab and Tonto. Business and industry will play a key role in this effort by harvesting, processing, and selling wood products.

Humans are first line of defense 

Most fires are caused by human activity. State leaders and fire officials are encouraging citizens to be more aware this summer. Here some tools:

–A free fire info app that offers citizens access to real-time wildfire information. They can also send in tips and sign up for alerts. Download the app from iTunes or Google Play by searching for: Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management.

–Current fire restriction websites Currently, all 13 counties in Arizona are under fire restrictions. For a listing, visit:   

Simple tips to practice:

• Always extinguish campfires
• Dispose of cigarettes and matches properly
• Never drag chains on the roadway
• Never fly drones in or around an active wildfire area

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