Valley Partnership

2020

BUILT FOR IMPACT

By STEVE BURKS Valley Partnership perfectly positioned to play vital role in Arizona

Everything that Valley Partnership is involved with is part of its pursuit of a mission, which is to be the premier advocacy group for responsible development in Arizona. As an organization, Valley Partnership represents the commercial, industrial, multi-family and master-planned real estate development industries and works tirelessly to present a balanced, pro-development perspective and the best industry education and networking opportunities.

Being an effective advocate for such a diverse industry takes a strong organizational structure. For Valley Partnership, its structure ensures its success. Valley Partnership has a clear vision, solid leadership and a history of advocacy that has made it one of the most respected industry organizations in the nation.

“Thanks to the hard work of the membership, board, and especially VP staff, the organization is at the forefront of practically every issue facing developers today,” said Keith Earnest, executive vice president of VanTrust Real Estate and a member of the current board of directors. “The organization prides itself on working alongside the various stakeholders in a given situation to find the most advantageous result for all involved. By taking a win-win approach, Valley Partnership has continued to be a driving force in the Valley’s real estate community. ”

"By taking a win-win approach, Valley Partnership has continued to be a driving force in the Valley’s real estate community.”

– Keith Earnest

THE VISION

When Cheryl Lombard became Valley Partnership president in 2015, one thing she did was help the group come up with a well-thought-out plan of attack. The leadership of the group had spent a lot of time discussing what its priorities should be and where to focus its time and resources so that it could have the most positive impact. Early in her tenure with Valley Partnership, Lombard and the group’s board of directors had a retreat where they narrowed down their organizational goals and put a strategic plan on paper.

“We then took it to all of our committees and we had many membership discussions about it and then we finalized it,” Lombard said of that initial strategic plan back in 2015. “It was just an internal document at that point and it was for three years. I was really just using it for our advocacy efforts and what we would work on and use to attract sponsors and board members.”

This internal document was put to good use by Valley Partnership, and the group has grown since 2015, more than doubling the amount of sponsors in the organization. But, the development climate in Arizona has also changed, and Valley Partnership constantly strives to be ahead of the curve on development issues in the state.

“It is always important for any organization to periodically evaluate its mission and craft new strategic plans,” said Karrin Taylor Robson, founder and president of Arizona Strategies and a former board chair of Valley Partnership who is now an honorary board of directors member. “We live and operate in a dynamic environment and failure to recognize and adapt to changes is usually a precursor to organizational failure.”

In 2019w, the Valley Partnership executive committee set out on refreshing the strategic plan. The final document that they drafted is one that will complement the organization’s main mission, which is to be the premier advocacy group for responsible development in Arizona. The new strategic plan, which will run from 2020 to 2024, is based on two main pillars: Advocate and Build.

“Valley Partnership and the Arizona State Land Department (ASLD) have two important components in common — advocating for the prudent and professional administration of the Trust and building a longterm understanding that the Trust plays a unique role in the state’s economic development,” said ASLD commissioner Lisa Atkins, who is also a member of the VP board of directors.

Responsible use and development of State Trust lands is one of the key issues that Valley Partnership focuses on, and Atkins added, “The new strategic plan underscores the benefits of aligning our interests and partnership opportunities.”

Taylor Robson added, “The new strategic plan builds on Valley Partnership’s 30-year legacy of advocating for responsible development. Valley Partnership has to balance the interests of all segments of the development community and as

VALLEY PARTNERSHIP’S STRATEGIES FOR RESPONSIBLE DEVELOPMENT

ADVOCATE Advocate for public policies that advance the interests of the commercial, industrial, multi-family, and master-planned real estate development industries at all levels of government by creating strategic alliances, public/private partnerships, forums for education and discussion, and cooperation within the industry.

PLATFORMS

• Promote the professionalism of the real estate development industry and its role in the long-term economic health of the state and the region • Ensure the administration of taxes, fees, and regulations across jurisdictions in a manner that is fair, responsible, and that promotes economic investment • Support the development of University, Municipal, and Tribal real estate as strategic assets • Assist in the prudent and professional administration of Arizona State Trust Lands • Strengthen economic vitality tools such as, but not limited to, secure water supplies, attainable housing, a welleducated workforce, and transportation/ infrastructure including tools for public infrastructure financing

BUILD Build a legacy for the future of development with educational events, leadership development programs, stakeholder engagement, and community action.

PLATFORMS

• Maintain a diverse and committed membership group representative of the real estate development industry • Continue to promote the value of the Valley Partnership membership and encourage the use of our member companies • Grow and support Valley Partnership Advocates Program and its alumni as future leaders of the organization including committee leadership • Plan and execute an annual Community Project to benefit the Valley’s at-risk and underserved populations and to benefit our communities • Ensure meaningful networking opportunities for members through Events and Committees

BRASS RING

Work

Life

CULTURE

Success is not merely measured by wealth and prestige. Real success grows from achievement and ful llment in multiple aspects of life. Colliers International in Arizona fosters a business culture that encourages work-life balance. This commitment translates into a comprehensive response to client needs and creates unparalleled performance.

colliers.com/arizona

Phoenix +1 602 222 5000 Scottsdale +1 480 596 9000 Flagsta‡ +1 928 440 5450

“There are also several issues facing the real estate industry where a united voice is needed. Valley Partnership is special in that we have the ability to align our voices on pivotal issues for our industry.”

– Tim Brislin

such the organization is considered a reasonable and well-respected voice in public policy discussions.”

THE LEADERSHIP

One thing that is unique about Valley Partnership’s organizational approach is the number of board members it has. The board is set up with a six-person executive committee, the board of directors and then an honorary board of directors, which is comprised of longtime Valley Partnership leaders and icons Grady Gammage of Gammage & Burnham PLC; John Graham, president of Sunbelt Holdings; and Taylor Robson. The main board of directors is 32-members strong and is a true representation of Arizona’s diverse development world.

“The Valley Partnership Board of Directors is a reflection of our industry as well as the strategic direction of the organization,” said Tim Brislin, vice president of Harvard Investments and chair of the Valley Partnership executive committee. “(Valley Partnership president) Cheryl Lombard and our executive committee strive to bring in a diverse group of developers and key consultants from each of the real estate disciplines. Additionally, we include state and municipal partners to seek their input and create relationships that are integral to addressing industry issues.

“As part of the executive committee my responsibilities include being mindful of the issues facing real estate development, to actively participate in the many dialogues we have as a group, and always strive to find solutions that advance responsible development.”

Brislin is joined by vice-chair James Kenny, president of El Dorado Holdings, Inc.; treasurer Brandon Dillingham, managing director of Hines; secretary Laura Ortiz, managing director of Evergreen DevCo; general counsel Jay Kramer of Fennemore Craig, P.C.; and past chair Jill Hegardt, vice president of DMB Associates, Inc.

The board has attorneys, brokers, engineers, general contractors, city and university leaders, subcontractors and even the director of the community initiatives team at Luke Air Force Base, Rusty Mitchell.

“We understand that while each discipline is unique, there are many areas of overlap where our members can share ideas, best practices, and solutions,” said Brislin. “There are also several issues facing the real estate industry where a united voice is needed. Valley Partnership is special in that we have the ability to align our voices on pivotal issues for our industry.”

With members from all facets of the industry, the Valley Partnership board is uniquely positioned to provide an informed perspective on an issue that could affect the industry. It is this in-depth understanding of the issues that allows Valley Partnership to take up the organization’s positions and

2020 VALLEY PARTNERSHIP BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Lisa Atkins, Arizona State Land Dept. Bob Bambauer, Sunbelt Holdings Rob Bassett, Pederson Group Chapin Bell, P.B. Bell Companies Ben Butler, Fidelity National Title Group Todd Chester, WDP Partners John Creer, ASU Real Estate Development Kimberly Davids, Weitz Keith Earnest, VanTrust Nic Fischer, Merit Partners Mari Flynn, Ashton Woods Homes Benjamin Graff, Quarles & Brady

Ron Hilgart, Hilgart Wilson Brett Hopper, The OPUS Group Donna Kennedy, City of Tempe Doug Clock, Lincoln Property Company Bryce Lloyd, FirstBank Nicole Maas, Kitchell Michael Martin, APS Rusty Mitchell, Luke Air Force Base Jeff Moloznik, RED Development Garrett Newland, Macerich Carolyn Oberholtzer, Berlin, Frankes, Smalley & Oberholtzer Carl Perrone, Brookfield Residential Properties

Michele Pino, Land Advisors Inc. Jennifer Pokorski, Maricopa County Paul Rhodes, Vestar Jim Rounds, Rounds Consulting Alan Stephenson, City of Phoenix Rob Taylor, SRP Cathy Teeter, CBRE Brad Wright, Squire Patton Boggs HONORARY BOARD OF DIRECTORS Grady Gammage, Gammage & Burnham, PLC John Graham, Sunbelt Holdings Karrin Taylor Robson, Arizona Strategies

BOARD: Valley Partnership board members pose for a picture with Phoenix mayor Kate Gallego before a Friday Morning Breakfast event in 2019. Board members are, from left, John Graham, Molly Greene (former board member), Karrin Taylor Robson, Gallego, Molly Carson Ryan (former board member), Jill Hegardt, Valley Partnership president Cheryl Lombard and Brandon Dillingham. (Courtesy Valley Partnership)

effectively lobby leaders at the local, state and even national level.

“Valley Partnership takes a proactive approach in researching the needs of their constituency then supporting, or initiating policy that advances responsible development at the city and state level,” said Keith Earnest, vice president at VanTrust and a Valley Partnership Board of Directors member. “The organization is well known for collaborating with all levels of government in providing thoughtful solutions to complex issues.”

“Having input and leadership from each affected group in our industry is critical to finding the right solutions,” Brislin said. “Cheryl has done a great job working with our board to synthesize and communicate Valley Partnership’s strategic goals.”

THE PILLARS

Of the two pillars of Valley Partnerships strategic plan, it’s easiest to see what the group has done to Build. Each month, Valley Partnership hosts its Friday Morning Breakfast events, which informs the membership about critical issues and provides valuable networking opportunities. There are also opportunities to build relationships at other events, such as the annual golf tournament and day at a spring training game.

Valley Partnership has also done an effective job of building its organization with a large and diverse membership that represents all parts of the industry.

The group also builds community spirit with its Community Project that has impacted thousands of lives in the Valley, as well as building the next generation of industry leaders through its ADVOCATES program, which is for members 35 years old and younger.

“Valley Partnership’s ‘Build’ mission focuses on building on its 30-year legacy of responsible advocacy for the industry, providing education for its members, developing future industry leaders and continuing to build on a robust history of giving back to our community,” said Taylor Robson.

While Valley Partnership has been effective as the industry has been thriving during the past decade, its strength as an advocate and a builder really began to show during the COVID-19 crisis in the first half of 2020. As business slowed due to new social distancing guidelines and stayat-home directives, Valley Partnership was working to build solutions to problems that arose and advocate for the industry.

Lombard said that Valley Partnership would have weekly calls with its members who are developers. The calls

LIFE IN EVERYDIRECTION ESTRELLA.COM

There’s something to satisfy every lifestyle at Estrella, the community where modern living meets the natural thrills of the High Sonoran Desert. Explore today from the comfort of your home by taking a virtual tour of our model homes and amazing amenities like the StarSplash WaterPark, Presidio Residents Club, Star Tower, and more. Your virtual Estrella experience starts here: Estrella.com/Virtual

New homes from the low $200,000s to over $400,000s

Beazer Homes • D.R. Horton • Gehan Homes • Lennar • Mattamy Homes • Pulte Homes Richmond American Homes • Rosewood Homes • Taylor Morrison • William Ryan Homes

CantaMia® by Taylor Morrison 55+

Coming Soon: Terrata Homes Custom Home Sites from the $40,000s For more information or questions you can call or live chat with us daily between 10 am - 5 pm. Exit I-10, south on Estrella Parkway, then turn right on Hillside Drive 623.386.1000

@EstrellaAZLife

Newland is the largest private developer of planned residential and urban mixed-use communities in the United States. We believe it is our responsibility to create enduring, healthier communities for people to live life in ways that matter most to them. newlandco.com

Brandon Dillingham

Managing Director, HINES

Tim Brislin

Vice President, Harvard Investments

would inform the members on Valley Partnership efforts to get construction deemed an essential business, the importance of federal guidance on commercial loans, extending the deadlines on 1031 exchanges and opportunity zones, as well as how to best re-open the state economy.

Valley Partnership also worked closely with the Governor’s office to come up with executive orders on essential businesses and a commercial eviction moratorium. Lombard also held regular calls with local, state and national officials to keep the membership updated.

There are a couple of key development issues that Valley Partnership’s work has stood out on in terms of its Advocate pillar. One is water policy and the other is how to best utilize our state lands in Arizona.

Early in 2019, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey signed legislation that enabled the Drought Contingency Plan (DCP) to go into effect in Arizona. The DCP is a stewardship plan for the state’s water supply and provided a greater amount of certainty for water uses and gives more water management control to the state of Arizona. Then, on May 20, 2019, representatives of all seven Colorado River Basin States (Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming) and federal officials signed DCP plans for the Upper and Lower Colorado River basins. Together, the plans are designed to help stabilize the river system, and to help reduce the risk of the system reservoirs falling to critically low levels. The plans represent a tremendous degree of collaboration and compromise among the seven States, as well as by the

Jill Hegardt

Vice President, DMB

Jay Kramer

Fennemore Craig Attorneys

system’s water users.

Lombard was a member of the Lower Basin Drought Contingency Plan Steering Committee that helped establish these vital plans for the region.

“The Drought Contingency Plan, which was signed last spring, protects water supplies for 40 million people who rely on the Colorado River for their drinking water and to sustain their communities,” said Morgan Snyder, program officers, environment program for the Walton Family

“The existence of an

umbrella organization

like Valley Partnership is critical to giving the development

community the breadth of perspective necessary to be influential in water

issues.” – Grady Gammage

Foundation. “As we face the fast growing threat of a global pandemic, a safe and secure water supply is a cornerstone of public health.

“Valley Partnership did a lot to facilitate agreement among the interested parties. The VP perspective tends to have a broader and a longerterm view than other parts of the developer community. Because of this, their interests align well with long-term water sustainability. Having Cheryl at

James Kenny

President, El Dorado Holdings, Inc.

Laura Ortiz

President & Managing Principal, Evergreen Devco, Inc.

the helm, who has a deep knowledge of the issues, makes all the difference.”

Gammage, whose law firm focuses on issues relating to real estate, development and public policy, including water issues, said that having Valley Partnership involved in setting water policy is important because of the groups’ understanding of the “big picture of Arizona’s water situation.”

“The existence of an umbrella organization like Valley Partnership is critical to giving the development community the breadth of perspective necessary to be influential in water issues,” Gammage said. “In this cacophony of voices, Valley Partnership is nearly unique. While Valley Partnership explicitly represents urban interests in the Phoenix metro area, it has appreciated the relationship between Arizona’s agricultural heritage and the economy of the state. It has championed cooperative, constructive and creative solutions to water management decisions.”

On the State Land Trust topic, having Commissioner Atkins as a board member speaks volumes for how important the group feels this item is in advancing responsible development in the state.

“Valley Partnership members recognize the purpose of the Trust; to provide a revenue stream in perpetuity to support 13 defined Beneficiaries, the largest of which is K-12 Education,” said Atkins. “The VP strategic plan recognizes and is committed to fulfilling the purpose of the Trust through a clear statement and commitment to assisting the Land Department in the prudent and professional administration of the Trust in its advocacy platform.”

City of Surprise Public Works Operations Facility

BUILDING THE VALLEY A BETTER WAY SINCE 1978.

WEITZ.COM / 602.225.0225 / ROC165033 2111 E. Highland Avenue, Suite 400, Phoenix, AZ 85016

Role with Valley Partnership is a perfect fit for Martin Tailor Made

By STEVE BURKS

The strength of any organization is in its membership, so attracting and retaining a vibrant, diverse group of participants is a top priority for any organization that wants to succeed. Few commercial real estate organizations in Arizona have thrived in the last decade like Valley Partnership, and much of that is due to the work of Carrie Martin.

Martin is the vice president of events and membership for Valley Partnership. She is second in command of a two-person team with president Cheryl Lombard. Together, they lead an organization that has doubled its amount of sponsors in the last five years and is a leading advocate for responsible commercial real estate development in the state.

“As a small company, you tend to do it all, which is the best!” said Martin. “The organization continues to grow on both the events and the advocacy level, which is fantastic. No day is ever the same.”

Valley Partnership was searching for an executive to handle events and membership in 2016, and the position seemed tailor-made for Martin. After graduating from the University of Arizona, Martin began her career in commercial real estate with SunCor Development Company. At SunCor, Martin worked in the marketing

department, handling marketing efforts for the company’s residential communities. She later moved on to DMB Realty Launch, and was in charge of marketing DMB’s services to luxury residential communities. She had been a member of ULI Arizona for a few years before going to work for the organization in 2012, focusing on events and membership initiatives. After nearly four years with ULI, Valley Partnership was a natural next step.

“The role was a newly created one,” said Lombard. “When I came in, I had three part-time people and the job of membership and events was spread out amongst them all, with no ownership of it. With events, especially our Friday Morning Breakfast, and membership and engaging with them was so important, I collapsed that into one full-time job.”

Lombard said she wanted to find someone with experience staging events, which wasn’t difficult. What made Martin stand out from the pack of people interested in the job, however, was her development background.

“I knew Carrie when she was over at ULI, but when she expressed her interest in the role and wanted a fulltime position, she was just a perfect fit because of her knowledge of the development industry,” Lombard said.

“I was a member at Valley Partnership at various times in my career and was very familiar and excited about the organization,” Martin said. “It was a win-win for both parties. I was doing the ULI thing and the Valley Partnership position gave me more of an opportunity to be in a leadership role.

“What I really enjoyed on the ULI and Valley Partnership side is the giving back and the connecting people. That’s really what I enjoy, is connecting people, making those introductions and meeting people and bring people together for the good of the community.”

Martin’s role at Valley Partnership

is quite large. She oversees the events committee, which includes the monthly Friday Morning Breakfast event, the annual golf tournament and the annual Cactus League game. The committee is made up of Valley Partnership members, who all volunteer to sit on the committee. The leadership of the events committee includes cochairs Kristina Locke, the director of business development with Coe Van Loo Consultants, Inc., and Karen Ratliff, marketing manager at Advance Structural Engineering, Inc. (ASE). The committee meets monthly to go over what topics will be discussed at the Friday Morning Breakfast. There are

ANNUAL EVENT: Carrie Martin, left, poses for a photo with Kelly Patton, senior economic development consultant of statewide programs for APS and a Valley Partnership sponsor, at the annual spring training event at Sloan Park in Mesa. (Photo courtesy of Valley Partnership)

certain topics that are set each year, like the annual visit from Grant Woods or a discussion about State Land, but the committee works hard to bring something to the table that will inform the Valley Partnership members.

“We brainstorm topics that are timely and relevant and what we think everyone would want to hear,” Martin said. “Other than the topics that are set each year, we do try to get pretty far ahead of ourselves throughout the year.”

Martin also is responsible for the committee that organizes the Community Project, which is something Valley Partnership does each year. Since 1988, Valley Partnership has selected a charitable non-profit organization that can benefit from the skills, efforts and supplies provided by the groups’ members to renovate and enhance outdoor facilities. In its history, Valley Partnership has raised, designed, and constructed over $4.2 million of enhancements for these non-profit

organizations around the Valley.

Martin also helps guide the committees that handle popular annual events like the Valley Partnership Golf Tournament and the organization’s day at the ballpark for a Cactus League game.

“When you work for a non-profit, it is all volunteer driven, Martin said. "So you have your golf committee and you’ve got your community project committee and your events committee, these are all volunteers, they all have real jobs, so it’s really hard to not give them 100 percent of your time, all of the time.

Another thing Martin has going on is organizing the Valley Partnership ADVOCATES program, which is a learning and networking program for commercial real estate professionals under the age of 35. The group has monthly, in-depth learning sessions with various industry experts, giving these young professionals valuable exposure to leaders in the industry.

For Martin, it is these kinds of connections that she cherishes the most in her role with Valley Partnership, “I truly love bringing people together and helping the community.”

During the recent stay-at-home mandate due to the Covid-19 pandemic that has spread throughout the globe, Martin and Valley Partnership had to cancel or reschedule several key events, such as the Cactus League networking event, the golf tournament and two Friday Morning Breakfast events. Her hope is that aside from providing its members some guidance through the economic pause caused by the pandemic, Valley Partnership can play a role in helping its members get back to a sense of normalcy when the Friday Morning Breakfast events resume.

“It’s going to be very important, but it’s going to be different,” said Martin of things returning to a sense of normalcy. “People want to get back to normal, so the breakfasts are important and then the topics will come. From my part, probably more one-on-one personal meetings will be important. I want to ask people how they are doing and how we can help and really just check in with people on a personal level.”

Custom T-Shirts & Promotionals

OpportuniTees is located in central Phoenix on the Neighborhood Ministries campus on Van Buren Street. We are a small business under the Ministry. We bring HOPE back to the community by walking along side of them. Our priority is to provide custom quality products such as apparel and promotional items. Please consider OpportuniTees for your next apparel and/or promotional order.

nmphx.com/opportunitees | 602.718.1770 | salena@nmphx.com OpportuniTees, LLC. 1918 W Van Buren St., PHX, AZ 85009

Make a BIG difference in your morning.

Log on to azBIGmedia.com to get the most up-to-date news in Arizona business, real estate, travel, lifestyle, and more! Check us out today at:

azBIGmedia.com

SIGN UP to recieve your FREE Daily Newsletter

Limited time offer