It has been a distinct honor to lead the Southern Arizona Leadership Council the last 13-plus years. Over its 21-year history, SALC has grown from a few senior business people with a vision of prosperity and quality of life in our region to a diverse, 145-member group of CEOs and community leaders working to make that vision real.
As I now focus my attention on Arizona’s higher-education system, I am struck by how the council has evolved and am eager to see what the future holds. Succeeding me as SALC’s next staff leader is Ted Maxwell, recently retired as a major general and commander of the Arizona Air National Guard. His selection heralds a bright future for the organization and SALC’s work in our state.
SALC recognizes that Southern Arizona has significant challenges that contrast sharply with our opportunities, many of which involve education. While our region has a comparable percentage of residents with four-year degrees as the rest of the state and the nation, we lag behind the others if you omit those 55 and older, many of whom represent our educated retiree population. At the same time, according to the MAP Dashboard, our region’s rate for new patents per 10,000 workers is nearly twice that of Arizona and the nation.
The incredible opportunity we have to grow a high-tech economy and attract new businesses to the region is hampered by an insufficient level of educational attainment and technical certifications required to provide a community of skilled workers that companies seek. Through the work of its P-20 Focus Area, SALC subscribes to the Achieve60AZ initiative with the goal of 60 percent of Arizona high school graduates continuing their education to earn an associate degree, bachelor’s degree or technical certification by 2030.
SALC is engaged in an effort to secure adequate funding for Arizona’s entire education system, from early childhood to our universities. Along with strategic partners at the state level, meetings are occurring to determine responsible, sustainable sources to provide the funding necessary to ensure our students have every opportunity to live productive lives with good jobs and a high quality of life.
Beyond education, the major areas of focus at SALC are healthcare, infrastructure, governance and the innovation economy. The organization’s staying power and track record of success in these areas stem from three consistent elements: member-driven leadership, fact-based decision making and collaboration with others. This has been apparent from the passage of the Regional Transportation Authority plan to changing the City of Tucson’s Charter and establishing a trusted source of facts about our community displayed on the MAP Dashboard founded in partnership with the University of Arizona and Community Foundation for Southern Arizona.
Here are a few lessons SALC has learned over the years:
• Always start with trusted facts and address issues pragmatically. The diversity of political views within SALC is vast, yet this group of leaders puts ideology aside and works to do what is right for our region and state.
• Making significant positive changes in our region demands that all voices are heard. Starting with the RTA campaign in 2005 and continuing at the Tucson Regional Town Hall in 2007, SALC worked to bring the community together, discuss our collective challenges and identify meaningful changes to address them.
• Collaboration is key to improving our community. The success of RTA and Town Hall led SALC to bring together other groups and individuals, many from disparate points of view, to find solutions and initiate positive changes.
• Effective leadership is essential. SALC focuses on carefully selected issues, and then brings resources and leadership to the table to ensure success. The group sets a high bar before acting and prides itself on being a worthy supporting partner of others when they are best suited to lead an effort. SALC works hard to acknowledge and support the good work of others in our region.
• Focusing on successful change, not on taking credit. It is amazing what can be done when an organization cares more about solving problems than taking credit for the work.
SALC members possess a quality I call the “greater good gene.” It’s a willingness to unselfishly commit time, skills, resources and leadership necessary to pull together and focus on common priorities that improve the community.
That same commitment is necessary in SALC’s executive staff. Our members demand and deserve outstanding staff leadership and depth of knowledge on critical issues, and Ted provides both with compassion and humor. A high-integrity leader, he’s “all-in” to make Tucson and Southern Arizona a prosperous community with a high quality of life.
The members and staff of the Southern Arizona Leadership Council remain a powerful force for positive change, and I look forward to seeing what the future holds.
