Arizona State University is partnering with Philip Morris International’s U.S. businesses on a new national initiative aimed at finding and funding innovative, community-driven solutions to some of the challenges facing communities across the country.

The , announced this week by PMI U.S., will award five $50,000 grants to nonprofit organizations developing practical ideas to strengthen their communities.

ASU will serve as a key partner in administering the competition and its judging process, bringing the university’s expertise in innovation and entrepreneurship to an initiative that will reach all 50 states.

“Innovation is most impactful when rooted in the needs and strengths of communities,” said Dr. Sethuraman “Panch” Panchanathan, University Professor of Technology and Innovation and Foundation Chair in Computing and Augmented Intelligence at ASU. “The Community Futures Challenge reflects a shared commitment to identifying those ideas, advancing innovation with purpose, and supporting efforts that can deliver meaningful impact across the country.”

Panchanathan, who previously served as director of the National Science Foundation, will chair the Challenge’s judging panel.

The competition is open to eligible U.S.-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations with projects serving adults age 21 and older. Projects may be in the early-stage, pilot or scaling phase.

The Challenge will also include a four-city “innovation hub” tour intended to highlight local problem-solvers and bring together business, civic and community leaders. Phoenix will serve as one of the four stops, along with Stamford, Connecticut; Pittsburgh; and Jacksonville, Florida.

“At PMI U.S., we believe America’s next chapter will be shaped by the people not afraid to tackle difficult problems, turn bold ideas into action, and open up new routes to progress for their communities,” PMI U.S. CEO Stacey Kennedy said. “As our businesses continue to invest in American jobs, manufacturing, and innovation, the Community Futures Challenge extends that commitment by backing the people and ideas helping build what comes next.”

The initiative comes as the United States approaches its 250th anniversary and is part of PMI U.S.’s broader “Invested in America” effort. The company says it has invested more than $1 billion in U.S. operations, workforce expansion and innovation capabilities since 2022.

The Challenge is built around the premise that some of the most promising solutions to community challenges originate with the people and organizations closest to them.

A recent nationwide survey commissioned by PMI U.S. and conducted by The Harris Poll found that 86% of U.S. adults believe the most meaningful innovation solves real-world problems people encounter in their daily lives. The survey also found that 87% believe communities understand their own challenges better than outside experts, while 90% believe companies should act as community partners rather than assume they have all the answers.

ASU will help oversee a selection process designed to identify ideas with the potential to produce meaningful and scalable results.

Joining Panchanathan on the judging panel are retired Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force JoAnne S. Bass; journalist Steve Clemons; longtime SXSW executive Hugh Forrest; University of Silicon Valley President and CEO Dr. Mark Naufel, who founded ASU’s Luminosity Lab; Atlantic Council Nonresident Senior Fellow Leah Pisar; Black ˿����Ƶ of Arizona President and CEO Dr. Velma Trayham; entrepreneur Ted Yang; and Neuro co-founder and CEO Kent Yoshimura.

The inclusion of both Panchanathan and Trayham on the panel, along with Phoenix’s selection as an innovation hub, gives Arizona a prominent role in the national initiative.

For ASU, the partnership is also consistent with the university’s longstanding emphasis on entrepreneurship, applied research and using innovation to address real-world challenges.

Eligible nonprofits can apply for one of the five $50,000 grants at .

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The Maricopa County Stadium District has appointed senior business executive Mark Winkleman as Executive Director.

Winkleman will serve as the Stadium District’s CEO and administrative lead – overseeing the organization’s finances and operations, and representing the group with public officials, community stakeholders and the Arizona Diamondbacks. He reports to a 9-member Stadium District Board of Directors that was created as part of legislation signed into law last year by Gov. Katie Hobbs. Chief of among the Stadium District’s responsibilities: managing $500 million worth of tax-funded renovations at Chase Field, home of the Arizona Diamondbacks in downtown Phoenix.

Winkleman called his appointment “an honor,” adding: “My goal is to further the District’s mission by protecting and enhancing this important public asset, providing disciplined and transparent stewardship of public resources, and working collaboratively with the Arizona Diamondbacks. I believe we can successfully modernize Chase Field while maintaining strong accountability to taxpayers and ensuring that the stadium continues to provide long-term value to our community and the State of Arizona.”

Danny Seiden, president & CEO of the Arizona ˿����Ƶ of Commerce & Industry, welcomed Winkleman to the leadership role, and said the Stadium District has a vital mission to ensure Chase Field remains an essential community asset and landmark.

“Arizona loves the Diamondbacks, and the business community has worked hard to ensure they continue to have a great home right here in downtown Phoenix,” Seiden said. “I can’t wait to see the results as the Diamondbacks and Maricopa County Stadium District modernize Chase Field for the millions of people who visit this beautiful facility every year.’

Winkleman brings to the position more than four decades of executive, public-sector, real estate, legal and governance experience. He’s the founder and President of MGS Realty Partners, Inc., through which he has advised boards, investors and family offices on real estate strategy, governance, acquisitions, financing, redevelopment and asset management. Earlier, Winkleman served as Arizona State Land Commissioner, a role in which he led the Arizona State Land Department and managed State Trust land totaling 9.3 million acres.

“More than 500 people applied for this position, and Mark’s experience in leading both private and public organizations set him apart from the other candidates” said Board Chairman John Graham. “The Board is pleased to have such an experienced and qualified individual to be our chief executive.”

Winkleman, who earned his business degree from the University of Kansas and law degree from the University of Virginia, has held numerous Arizona civic and nonprofit leadership positions. He is former chairman of ULI Arizona, the McDowell Sonoran Conservancy and Valley Partnership, and served on boards of directors for the City of Phoenix Industrial Development Authority and Arizona State Parks.

Photo courtesy: “” by ,

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For years, employers and working parents have understood the practical challenges created by a shortage of affordable, accessible child care. New research and polling suggest those challenges are increasingly becoming something else, too: an economic issue with growing political salience.

The numbers help explain why.

A finds that more than eight in 10 likely voters — 82% — consider the cost of childcare part of the nation’s broader concerns with the cost of living. More than three-quarters, 76%, say the cost of care for families with young children is either a crisis or a major problem.

For parents who actually pay for childcare, the issue is even more immediate. Asked to identify the two biggest cost pressures they face, 38% named childcare, putting it virtually even with groceries at 40% and behind only housing at 56%.

Those findings come as new data illustrate the size of the challenge here in Arizona — and recent economic research makes the case that childcare isn’t simply a family issue but increasingly a workforce and economic competitiveness issue as well.

Arizona families feel the squeeze

Arizona is home to more than 481,000 children age 5 and younger, according to the First Five Years Fund, and 62% have all available parents participating in the workforce.

For those families, care can represent a significant household expense. The annual price of center-based childcare in Arizona is $16,384, or about $1,365 per month. Home-based care is less expensive, but still averages $9,339 annually, or $778 per month. FFYF estimates a 17% gap between the supply of childcare and potential need in Arizona and puts the annual economic impact of the state’s childcare challenges at $3.3 billion.

Those figures align with that found Arizona’s supply of licensed child care providers has declined dramatically even as the state’s population has grown.

Arizona had 5,126 licensed childcare providers in 2002. By 2024, that number had fallen to 2,779 — a 46% decline. Meanwhile, the median daily cost of licensed center-based infant care increased from $43.03 in 2018 to $61.40 in 2024.

The problem is especially acute in some rural areas, but it isn’t confined to them. CSI found that even Maricopa County has licensed capacity sufficient for only about 13% of its infant population.

A workforce issue hiding in plain sight

For the business community, perhaps the most consequential aspect of the childcare debate is its effect on the labor force.

When parents cannot find care, cannot afford it, or cannot find care that accommodates their work schedules, the consequences eventually reach employers. Workers may reduce their hours, turn down jobs or promotions, miss shifts, or leave the workforce altogether.

The latest polling suggests the effects extend well beyond parents themselves. Nearly 40% of all voters surveyed said their own ability to work is affected by coworkers’ childcare challenges. Almost half of working parents said childcare challenges affect their ability to work, and one in five parents with young children said those challenges frequently do so.

CSI attempted to put an economic value on addressing that problem.

Its analysis estimates that making childcare sufficiently affordable and accessible could draw between 15,500 and 87,800 additional Arizonans into the labor force. Under CSI’s midpoint scenario of 50,000 new workers, the effects ripple well beyond those individuals: The modeling projects 131,700 additional jobs by year five, approximately $17.5 billion in additional state GDP, more than $13.5 billion in additional personal income and an estimated $188 million in additional state income tax revenue.

Those are significant numbers in a state where employers regularly identify access to talent as one of their most important considerations when deciding whether to expand, relocate or invest.

Political salience is growing

None of this means there is an obvious policy answer.

The childcare market presents a particularly difficult economic equation. Care is expensive for parents while wages for childcare workers remain comparatively low. Providers operate in a labor-intensive business with narrow margins, and regulations intended to ensure children’s health and safety can also increase operating costs and create barriers to adding capacity.

CSI’s research cautions against viewing increased subsidies as the only answer. It points to regulatory reform, expansion of home-based and alternative models, and policies that encourage more providers to enter the market as ways to increase supply and put downward pressure on costs.

But what does appear to be changing is the political environment surrounding the issue.

The FFYF poll found broad support for several basic objectives: 83% support ensuring that parents can choose the type of childcare that works best for their family, 73% support lowering monthly child care costs, and 71% support expanding the supply of care. Nearly half of Democratic voters surveyed said congressional Democrats should work with Republicans and President Donald Trump to pass childcare legislation.

That is noteworthy at a time when affordability is likely to remain central to the political conversation.

Housing, groceries, energy and other household expenses tend to dominate discussions about the cost of living, but for many families with young children, childcare increasingly belongs in that conversation, representing one of the largest bills they pay.

And unlike many other household expenses, the availability and price of childcare can determine whether a parent is able to work in the first place.

That makes childcare unusual in the affordability debate: Addressing it has the potential not only to reduce pressure on household budgets, but also to increase labor-force participation and expand the pool of workers available to employers.

This latest research suggests policymakers should expect childcare to command greater attention, not simply as a family issue, but as an affordability, workforce, and economic growth issue with increasingly significant political implications.

Image courtesy Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License

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The Arizona ˿����Ƶ of Commerce & Industry has been named the recipient of the 2026 Conference of State Manufacturers Associations Leadership Award, a national honor recognizing work on behalf of the manufacturing sector.

The National Association of Manufacturers this week during COSMA’s annual meeting in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

COSMA members serve as the NAM’s official state partners, representing manufacturing priorities at the state level while helping elevate federal policy issues from across the country. A selection committee made up of previous award recipients evaluates nominees based on advocacy, organizational excellence, innovation, industry promotion and growth.

The Arizona ˿����Ƶ was selected in part for its work on a first-in-the-nation federal air-quality policy outcome affecting the Phoenix-Mesa region.

Earlier this year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency approved Arizona’s Clean Air Act Section 179B demonstration, preventing the region from being reclassified to “Serious” ozone nonattainment based on pollution originating largely outside the state’s control.

The ˿����Ƶ and Arizona Manufacturers Council had spent years advocating for the change alongside state, regional and federal partners. The decision spared manufacturers and other employers from additional permitting requirements, emissions-offset mandates and other regulatory costs that would not have addressed the primary sources of the region’s ozone levels.

“The Arizona ˿����Ƶ of Commerce & Industry has blazed a trail for all manufacturers by helping the EPA align federal policy with scientific reality and pragmatic solutions,” said Michele Siekerka, president and CEO of the New Jersey Business & Industry Association and COSMA chair.

Siekerka said the Arizona effort provides other states with “a replicable playbook for collaborative and effective advocacy.”

NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons also cited Arizona ˿����Ƶ President and CEO Danny Seiden’s bipartisan approach and broader advocacy on behalf of manufacturers.

“Danny Seiden exemplifies the best of manufacturing association leadership in the United States,” Timmons said. “By leading with integrity, focusing on bipartisan solutions and delivering an impact across our sector and the communities we serve, Danny has earned wide respect not only from the business community but lawmakers of both parties and at all levels.”

Timmons said manufacturers and families across Arizona benefit from Seiden’s “care, drive and stewardship,” adding that the NAM was proud to recognize his advocacy.

Seiden said the award reflects the work of the ˿����Ƶ’s staff, members and partner organizations across a range of policy and economic-development priorities.

“We’re grateful to COSMA and the NAM for this recognition,” Seiden said. “It means even more coming from organizations that understand the work it takes to support a strong manufacturing sector.”

He said the ˿����Ƶ’s efforts have included work on federal air-quality policy, building public support for new investment and advancing the infrastructure needed to support Arizona’s continued economic growth.

“This award reflects the effort of our entire team, our members and the partners who have worked alongside us,” Seiden said.

The Arizona ˿����Ƶ works with the Arizona Manufacturers Council to advocate for policies affecting manufacturers across the state, including regulatory, workforce, infrastructure and economic-development issues.

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A broad coalition of U.S. business organizations, including the Arizona ˿����Ƶ of Commerce & Industry and the Arizona Manufacturers Council, is urging Congress to approve a long-term reauthorization of the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM), arguing the agency plays a critical role in helping American manufacturers compete globally.

In a July 21 letter to lawmakers, 319 companies, trade associations, state chambers of commerce, manufacturers’ groups and local business organizations from all 50 states called on Congress to pass a robust 10-year reauthorization of EXIM before its authorization expires later this year.

The coalition argues that export financing has become an increasingly important competitive tool as foreign governments expand support for their domestic industries. The letter notes that more than 115 foreign export credit agencies are actively supporting exporters in their respective countries and points to China’s estimated $24 billion in medium- and long-term export credit support in 2024, more than four times the volume officially supported by the United States.

“EXIM is an essential tool that helps American exporters compete globally and level the playing field,” the organizations wrote, adding that the bank’s financing programs can determine whether U.S. companies win international contracts, expand operations and create jobs.

According to the coalition, EXIM authorized $8.7 billion in transactions during fiscal year 2025, supporting approximately 40,000 American jobs. More than 87% of those transactions directly benefited small businesses. Since 1992, the bank has generated a net $9.8 billion for the U.S. Treasury while maintaining a low default rate.

“Arizona manufacturers compete in a global marketplace every day. The Export-Import Bank helps ensure that American companies aren’t forced to compete with one hand tied behind their backs while foreign governments aggressively finance their own industries,” Arizona Manufacturers Council Executive Director Grace Appelbe said. “A long-term reauthorization of EXIM will provide the certainty businesses need to invest, grow, and support high-quality manufacturing jobs here in Arizona and across the country, which is why we’re urging Congress to act.”

Beyond extending the agency’s authorization for a decade, the letter calls on Congress to strengthen EXIM’s ability to operate during board vacancies, expand its China and Transformational Exports Program, and revise lending restrictions that the coalition says unnecessarily limit the bank’s competitiveness against foreign export credit agencies.

Arizona organizations signing the letter include the Arizona ˿����Ƶ of Commerce & Industry, Arizona Manufacturers Council, Arizona Regional Economic Development Foundation, Buckeye Valley ˿����Ƶ of Commerce, Chandler ˿����Ƶ of Commerce, Coolidge ˿����Ƶ of Commerce, Fountain Hills ˿����Ƶ of Commerce, Greater Phoenix ˿����Ƶ, Mesa ˿����Ƶ of Commerce, Nogales Santa Cruz County ˿����Ƶ of Commerce, PHX East Valley Partnership, Scottsdale Area ˿����Ƶ of Commerce, and The ˿����Ƶ of Southern Arizona. The National Association of Manufacturers coordinated the nationwide sign-on effort, which drew support from major corporations including Boeing, Ford Motor Co., Lockheed Martin, Siemens Energy, Toyota Motor North America and the U.S. ˿����Ƶ of Commerce, along with hundreds of state and local business organizations.

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The Arizona Supreme Court has declined to review a legal challenge involving a planned hotel development in Marana, leaving in place an appellate ruling that the project’s development agreement is not subject to referendum.

The Arizona ˿����Ƶ of Commerce & Industry participated through the Arizona ˿����Ƶ Legal Center, filing an amicus curiae brief urging the Supreme Court to let the lower court ruling stand.

“This is a significant result for Marana and for communities across Arizona that rely on a predictable development process,” said Vanessa Pomeroy, chief counsel of the Arizona ˿����Ƶ Legal Center. “The courts have now consistently recognized that the referendum power cannot be used to reopen every administrative action taken to implement a land-use plan that has already been publicly considered and adopted. Businesses need to know that when they follow the rules and a project receives the required approvals, those decisions will carry some measure of finality.”

The case began after Marana rejected referendum petitions challenging a development agreement for a planned hotel project. A Pima County Superior Court judge sided with the town, and the Arizona Court of Appeals later upheld that ruling, finding the agreement carried out an existing development plan and was therefore not subject to referendum.

The agreement covers approximately 19 acres of town-owned property near Marana Main Street and Civic Center Drive and is tied to the Rancho Marana West Town Center Specific Plan, adopted in 2008. The plan calls for a mixed-use town center that could include commercial, retail, office, entertainment, residential and hospitality uses.

Arizonans for Responsible Development sought to place the Town Council’s approval of the agreement before voters. Marana declined to process the petitions, arguing that the resolution implemented an existing development plan rather than creating new policy.

That distinction is central under Arizona law. Legislative actions can generally be challenged through referendum, while administrative actions ordinarily cannot.

In its June ruling, the Court of Appeals said the development agreement “furthers an already-declared policy” and concluded that the resolution was “not legislative but administrative and is therefore not referable.”

The court also rejected the challengers’ broader argument that all municipal development agreements are automatically subject to referendum, finding that state law does not eliminate the traditional distinction between legislative and administrative actions.

Pomeroy said the outcome matters beyond the Marana project because businesses, developers and local governments rely on clear rules and dependable timelines when making investment decisions.

“The referendum is an important constitutional safeguard, but it’s not a tool for creating perpetual uncertainty around approved development,” Pomeroy said. “There has to be a clear line between creating new policy and implementing policy that has already been adopted. That distinction matters for communities, employers and developers trying to move projects forward.”

The Supreme Court’s decision leaves the appellate ruling intact, ending the challengers’ effort to place the development agreement before voters.

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The U.S. Forest Service earlier this month issued the Final Record of Decision (ROD) for the Hermosa Critical Minerals Project in Southern Arizona’s Patagonia Mountains, completing the federal environmental review required for portions of the project planned on National Forest land. The decision follows several years of environmental study, public input, tribal and interagency consultation. 

Project developer South32 says Hermosa could produce up to five federally designated critical minerals, including zinc, silver, and manganese. The project includes a broader land package with potential for additional polymetallic and copper mineralization, positioning it as a significant domestic source of minerals tied to energy, manufacturing and supply-chain needs. 

The decision paves the way for South32 to fully develop the project beyond its privately held land, including building ancillary infrastructure such as a primary access road, a secondary dry-stack tailings facility, and allowing utility UniSource Energy Services to build a portion of a 138-kV power line on Coronado National Forest land.  

Construction is already halfway complete on private land. It was the first mining project accepted into the federal FAST-41 permitting program, which is reserved for nationally significant infrastructure projects meeting rigorous criteria.  

“From the beginning, we designed Hermosa to be a different kind of mine, and the federal review process helped make it even better,” South32 Hermosa President Pat Risner said. “Years of agency review, Tribal consultation and community engagement strengthened environmental protections, informed project refinements and shaped a project that can transform the local economy. We are grateful to everyone who participated throughout the process and look forward to continuing that engagement as we move from construction and development into operations.” 

The Final ROD also represents an important milestone in the broader national conversation around domestic critical mineral development and permitting reform. Hermosa’s advancement under FAST-41 did not reduce the thoroughness of environmental review or limit public input. Rather, the process helped improve interagency coordination, transparency, and accountability across federal agencies while ensuring the project moved through permitting in a timely and disciplined manner.  

Danny Seiden, president and CEO of the Arizona ˿����Ƶ of Commerce & Industry, said the Hermosa project also demonstrates the value of a predictable and transparent permitting process. 

“South32’s Hermosa project represents the kind of investment Arizona needs to strengthen domestic supply chains, support critical minerals production, and create long-term jobs in Santa Cruz County and across the state,” he said. “It’s also a model for how permitting should work. Hermosa has gone through years of environmental review, public input, and interagency consultation, and the project remains on track under the federal permitting schedule. That’s the kind of predictable, transparent process Arizona needs more of if we want to lead in industries critical to our economy and national security.” 

Over the course of the review process, Hermosa underwent extensive federal environmental analysis and consultation including more than 120 days of formal public comment periods, coordination across six federal and state agencies and consultation with 12 Tribes with historic affiliation to the region. 

“If we’re serious about bringing supply chains back to America and reducing our dependence on foreign countries, we need to responsibly produce more critical minerals here at home. This is exactly what the Hermosa project is doing,” said U.S. Senator Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.). “This milestone shows we can move projects through an efficient permitting process to create good-paying jobs while strengthening our national security.” 

South32 conducted extensive baseline environmental studies and community engagement before permit applications were formally submitted, allowing project alternatives, water management approaches, access roads and mitigation measures to be shaped by stakeholder input early in the process. 

The Final ROD confirms that environmental protections, mitigation commitments, and adaptive management measures are integrated into the approved project. Throughout the review process, South32 refined Hermosa’s design in response to agency feedback, Tribal consultation and community input, including: 

• Redesign of the dry-stack tailings facility to avoid sensitive plant species; 
• Design of a Primary Access Road, necessary for expansion, to also reduce traffic impacts to Patagonia and outdoor recreation areas; 
• Surface and ground water quality and quantity monitoring beyond state level requirements; 
• Wildlife crossings and habitat protections; 
• Cultural resource avoidance measures; and 
• Operational refinements are designed to reduce emissions, noise, and surface disturbance. 

In total, South32 committed to more than 135 conservation, mitigation and monitoring measures developed in coordination with federal agencies, Tribes and local stakeholders. Many of those commitments will become federally enforceable components of the final Mine Plan of Operations, and associated management plans outlined in the Final ROD. 

“The Final Record of Decision for Hermosa is another important milestone for Nogales. It reflects years of collaboration to ensure the Hermosa project is developed in a way that balances economic opportunity with environmental stewardship,” said Nogales Mayor Jorge Maldonado. “South32 is making a long-term investment in the people and future of Nogales through investments like its remote operating center “Centro”. Hermosa has the potential to create new opportunities to support good-paying jobs and help ensure that more of our young people can build successful careers right here at home, and we appreciate South32’s commitment to developing Hermosa responsibly while creating opportunities for local families, students and businesses.” 

With a surface footprint of 750 acres and projected to use approximately 90% less water than other mines in the region, South32 designed Hermosa to minimize its environmental impact. Once in operation, Hermosa would help transform and grow the local economy and create up to 900 good-paying jobs during peak operations, and support investment across surrounding communities for decades to come. 

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Arizona small businesses struggling with rising health insurance costs will soon have more coverage options after Gov. Katie Hobbs signed HB 2693, legislation spearheaded by the Arizona ˿����Ƶ of Commerce & Industry that expands access to multiple employer welfare arrangements, or MEWAs.

Nationally, the pressure is especially acute for the smallest employers. A 2024 JPMorganChase Institute analysis found that health insurance premiums consumed a larger share of compensation costs for lower-revenue businesses, with firms under $600,000 in annual revenue seeing a median health insurance payroll burden of nearly 12%, compared with 7% for firms above $2.4 million.

Sponsored by Rep. David Livingston (R-Peoria), the legislation allows small employers to join qualifying organizations, like the Arizona ˿����Ƶ, that can negotiate health benefits on behalf of a broader pool of participants. For Arizona’s smaller employers, the MEWA model offers a framework to build greater purchasing power in a market that often gives larger businesses more leverage.

“This bill is about giving small businesses more choices,” Rep. Livingston said. “When employers can come together through an association, they have a better opportunity to access coverage the way larger employers do, with more people in the risk pool and more leverage to manage costs.”

The law also expands eligibility to include sole proprietors, working owners, and employers with as few as two eligible employees. When coverage is available, eligible employers may be able to seek plans through a qualifying statewide chamber of commerce or a statewide business league.

Arizona is not starting from scratch. Similar MEWA models are already in use in other states, including Missouri, where the Missouri ˿����Ƶ Federation’s ˿����Ƶ Benefit Plan has used a MEWA structure since 2017 to help small employers join a larger self-funded pool. The Missouri ˿����Ƶ says the plan has grown to nearly 4,000 covered groups and more than 45,000 covered individuals.

As HB 2693 moves into implementation, Missouri’s experience provides Arizona policymakers and business leaders with a useful point of reference for how a similar model can expand coverage options for small employers.

“HB 2693 allows for greater flexibility, expanded choice, improved stability, and lower costs,” said Danny Seiden, president and CEO of the Arizona ˿����Ƶ of Commerce & Industry. “For small businesses working to attract and retain talent, those benefits can make a meaningful difference for employers and employees across Arizona.”

Thanks to this legislation, the ˿����Ƶ is launching a MEWA program that will help Arizona’s small businesses, the backbone of our economy, have access to more affordable and flexible health coverage.

As that program takes shape, the Arizona ˿����Ƶ of Commerce & Industry has created an HB 2693 website where employers can learn more about MEWA and add their support for expanding health coverage options for Arizona small businesses.

For small employers facing rising benefit costs, HB 2693 creates a new option for more stable, affordable coverage, helping businesses better support employees and compete for talent.

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The Arizona ˿����Ƶ of Commerce & Industry has installed Monica Coury, vice president of external affairs at Arizona Complete Health, as chair of its board of directors, as the organization begins its new fiscal year.

Coury officially assumed the chairmanship during a ceremonial passing of the gavel at the ˿����Ƶ’s June 26 board meeting. She succeeds Ted Geisler, president and CEO of APS, who served as board chair over the past two years.

As chair, Coury will lead the ˿����Ƶ’s board while helping guide the organization’s efforts to advance policies that strengthen Arizona’s economy, improve the state’s business climate, and promote long-term prosperity.

“It is an incredible honor to serve as chair of the Arizona ˿����Ƶ of Commerce & Industry,” Coury said. “I want to thank my fellow board members for the confidence they’ve placed in me, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to work alongside the ˿����Ƶ’s outstanding team. The ˿����Ƶ has long been one of Arizona’s most effective and respected advocates on behalf of the state’s job creators, and I look forward to building on that legacy as we continue working to make Arizona the best place in the nation to live, work, and do business.”

Coury has served on the ˿����Ƶ’s board for several years. She previously chaired the Public Affairs Committee and most recently served as chair-elect. In her role at Arizona Complete Health, she oversees one of the state’s leading health plans and has been a prominent voice on issues involving healthcare access, workforce development, and Arizona’s economic competitiveness.

“Monica is an exceptional leader whose collaborative approach, strategic vision, and deep commitment to Arizona make her the ideal person to lead our board,” said Danny Seiden, president and CEO of the Arizona ˿����Ƶ of Commerce & Industry. “She understands that a strong economy depends on smart public policy, and she has consistently brought thoughtful leadership and sound judgment to the ˿����Ƶ. I look forward to working closely with Monica as we continue advancing policies that help Arizona employers create jobs, invest, and grow.”

Seiden also thanked Geisler for his leadership during a period that included significant legislative successes and continued growth for the ˿����Ƶ.

“Ted has been an outstanding chairman, a trusted partner, and a friend,” Seiden said. “His steady leadership, business acumen, and unwavering commitment to Arizona’s economic future have helped position the ˿����Ƶ for continued success. We are grateful for his service and look forward to his continued counsel and involvement on our board.”

The ˿����Ƶ also installed the following governing board officers:

• Chair-elect: Jimmy Lindblom, Willmeng Construction
• Vice-chair, audit & finance: Don Isaacson, Isaacson Law Firm
• Vice-chair, manufacturing: Angela Creedon, Intel

The Arizona ˿����Ƶ of Commerce & Industry is Arizona’s leading statewide business advocacy organization, representing employers of every size and industry across the state. The ˿����Ƶ’s mission is to advance Arizona’s competitiveness through policies that foster economic growth, job creation, and opportunity for all Arizonans.

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Honeywell Aerospace is preparing to launch as an independent, publicly traded aerospace and defense company headquartered in Phoenix, placing the global operation of one of the industry’s largest suppliers at the center of Arizona’s growing advanced-manufacturing economy.

The company is expected to separate from Honeywell International on June 29 and begin trading on the Nasdaq stock exchange under the ticker HONA. The planned spinoff is part of a broader restructuring of Honeywell into more focused standalone businesses.

Honeywell Aerospace marked the milestone last week with its inaugural Investor Day in Phoenix, followed by an evening reception at its Sky Harbor hangar for state and local leaders. The events offered a look at the company’s strategy as an independent business, along with aircraft, engines, and other aerospace and defense technologies bearing its newly unveiled branding.

The company reported $17.4 billion in global net sales in 2025 and is one of Arizona’s largest employers, with more than 7,000 workers in the state. Honeywell Aerospace operates across commercial aviation, business aviation, defense, and space markets.

“This is a major vote of confidence in Arizona’s economy and in the people who have spent decades building our aerospace and advanced-manufacturing base,” Arizona ˿����Ƶ of Commerce & Industry President and CEO Danny Seiden said. “The impact goes well beyond the thousands of high-paying jobs Honeywell supports today. A headquarters means the big decisions are made here, and that creates opportunities for investment, suppliers, small businesses, and communities across our state.”

Honeywell Aerospace’s portfolio includes avionics, navigation systems, sensors, aircraft engines, auxiliary power units, electric-power systems and thermal-management technologies. The company will be organized into three operating segments: Electronic Solutions, Engines & Power Systems and Control Systems.

Honeywell has deep roots in Arizona. Its aerospace operations have been based in Phoenix for decades, and the company has played a role in developing technologies used across commercial aviation, defense and space exploration.

The Phoenix headquarters designation takes on greater significance as the newly independent company lays out plans for its next phase of growth. Honeywell Aerospace told investors it expects sales to grow between 6% and 8% annually through 2030, driven by demand from commercial aviation, aftermarket services, defense and space customers. Its backlog has grown to $19 billion, up 20% from a year earlier.

CEO Jim Currier said the company plans to prioritize investments in manufacturing capacity and its supply chain as it moves forward as a standalone business.

Grace Appelbe, executive director of the Arizona Manufacturers Council, said the headquarters announcement highlights the importance of Arizona’s advanced-manufacturing sector and the skilled workforce supporting it.

“Honeywell’s presence in Arizona is a reminder that advanced manufacturing is not an abstract concept here,” Appelbe said. “It’s skilled Arizonans building technologies that power aircraft, support national defense and shape the future of flight. Anchoring that global operation in Phoenix strengthens Arizona’s broader manufacturing ecosystem and reinforces our state’s position as a hub for advanced industry.”

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