Links and media from the event: New Tucson Commercial "What Makes a Place Great?": View in High Definition Dr. Michael Crow's Sun Corridor presentation: View as pdf TREO Annual Report: View as pdf Video of Dr. Crow's entire presentation from AZ Public Media: Click here to view

Dr Michael Crow, President of Arizona State University, was the featured keynote speaker at the 2011 TREO Annual Luncheon held on September 30th.

Speaking to a capacity crowd of regional business leaders and elected officials, Dr Crow stressed the importance of collaborating regionally to promote economic development. No longer can the Tucson region rely on in-migration and residential home building to drive its economy. Promoting the assets throughout the “Sun Corridor” – a region stretching from Yuma to Flagstaff – will be the way of the future, asserted Dr Crow.

The concept of promoting a strong “megapolitan region” was illustrated with data on the demographics, economy, education, environment, and opportunities within Arizona’s “Sun Corridor,” a region with a population that is projected to approach 8 million residents by 2030.

Key challenges to address in this region include supporting educational achievement (starting with kindergarden) which will lead to building a qualified and flexible labor force. This labor pool, in turn, will be poised to embrace technological, organizational, and social innovation.

After his presentation Dr Crow took questions from the audience in an open forum format.

Joe Snell, President & CEO of TREO, also addressed the sold-out room and affirmed that the “Sun Corridor” concept is the winning formula to promoting local prosperity. Snell stressed that 90% of business expansion and relocation decisions are driven by professional site selectors. A recent TREO survey of this important key group

of influencers confirmed that some of the assets of the region that have shaped these decisions in the past have been significantly altered since the recession. TREO learned  that site selectors now look at a region’s K-12 system more closely as well as the condition of a city’s infrastructure, capacity for population growth, and incentives as more important than, for instance, a City’s “quality of life” assets.

After his remarks, Snell also unveiled a new fast-paced 2-minute commercial that is targeted to reach site selectors. “What Makes a Place Great?” whirled the viewer through the region and highlighted many business strengths while also showcasing the region’s natural beauty.

TREO Chairman of the Board, Paul Bonavia, President & CEO of Unisource Energy and TEP, presented awards to Mayor Bob Walkup, Pima County Supervisor Sharon Bronson, and COX VP Lisa Lovallo for their significant contributions to TREO in the past year.

Steve Eggen, CFO of Raytheon, accepted the prestigious “Cornerstone Award” on behalf of Raytheon’s 60 years of community building in the region.

After the luncheon a private reception was held for TREO Chairman’s Circle, TREO Board members, and selected guests to meet with Dr Crow and continue the discussion about regional issues.