November 13, 2024
8:00am - 12:00pm
AGENDA
8:00 AM – Check In, Networking and Hot Breakfast Served
9:00 AM - Technology Summit Opening Remarks - Sintra Hoffman, WESTMARC, President & CEO
9:15 AM – Keynote Speaker - Marisa Walker, Exec. VP, Infrastructure & Exec. Director, Institute of Automated Mobility (IAM), Arizona Commerce Authority
9:45 AM - Panel 1: West Valley Technology Attraction, Strategies, Partnerships, and Future Development.
- Moderator – Suzie Boyles, Economic Development Director, City of Buckeye
- Jennifer Stein, Economic Development Director, City of Avondale
- Marisa Walker, Exec. VP, Infrastructure & Exec. Director, Institute of Automated Mobility (IAM), Arizona Commerce Authority
10:45 AM - Break
11:00 AM - Panel 2: Technology Adoption Across Education, Improving Learning Outcomes, Supporting Industry and Workforce Development.
- Moderator – David Schwartz, VP Strategic Alliances & Business Development
- Paula Livingston, VP Academic Affairs, Estrella Mountain Community College
- Lauren Owens, Exec. Director Technology, Agua Fria High School District
- John VandenBrooks, Associate Dean for Immersive Learning, EdPlus, Arizona State University
12:00 PM – Call to Action/Networking - Sintra Hoffman, WESTMARC, President & CEO
Speakers
Keynote Speaker
Marisa Walker
Executive Vice President, Infrastructure & Executive Director, Institute of Automated Mobility (IAM)
Arizona Commerce Authority
Marisa Paula Walker is a Executive Vice President, Infrastructure & Sustainability and Executive Director, Institute of Automated Mobility (IAM) at the Arizona Commerce Authority. Her portfolio for the past two decades has focused on the intersection of economic development, infrastructure and transportation innovation. She is responsible for the Arizona Space Commission, the Institute of Automated Mobility and works with a dedicated team on the state’s Semiconductor strategy.
Securing one of the inaugural USDOT SMART Grants, she leads a multi-organizational team, DRIVE Arizona, that is advancing the development of a connected vehicle innovation hub in Arizona. Prior to joining the ACA, Ms. Walker served as the Executive Director for both the Arizona Governor’s CANAMEX Task Force and the CANAMEX Corridor Coalition, where she managed multi-state and international projects in transportation, telecommunications, technology and process enhancements to facilitate cross border shipments along the western trade shed in North America. She began her professional career at the University of Arizona, where for more than a decade she held positions focused on Arizona-Mexico, NAFTA and international policy issues.
MODERATOR
Suzie Boyles
Economic Development Director
City of Buckeye
Jennifer Stein
Economic Development Director
City of Avondale
MODERATOR
David Schwartz
Vice President Strategic Alliances & Business Development
ASU Health
In August 2023, David joined ASU Health as Vice President, Strategic Alliances and Business Development. In this role, he will help shape ASU Health’s strategy and collaboratively build a portfolio of strategic partnerships to drive differentiated growth, value creation and healthcare transformation.
David Schwartz joined Mayo Clinic in 1997 as a Research Associate in Experimental Pathology to help develop xenotransplant research protocols. A third generation Mayo Clinic employee and Rochester, MN native, David attended undergraduate school at Concordia College in Moorhead, MN and graduate school at the University of St. Thomas and Arizona State University, receiving a Master of Business Administration from the latter.
David left Mayo Clinic in 2004 to become Vice President of Titan Development, where he oversaw business development, venture investment and innovation activities. In 2010, David returned to Mayo Clinic within the Office of Business Development, before transferring to Mayo Clinic in Arizona in 2012. David shifted into a hybrid role in 2016, splitting time between Corporate Development and Planning Administration, leading strategy and operational planning and working closely with executive leadership on large strategic initiatives. In January 2022, David was named Director of the newly formed Strategy Department, supporting Mayo Clinic in Arizona.
David has mentored many start-up and growth stage companies on innovation, strategy and navigating the complex healthcare environment. He has served as an advisor for a wide array of incubators and accelerators, including Tallwave High Tide, ASU Furnace and the Mayo Clinic and ASU MedTech Accelerator, amongst others. He continues to selectively consult with industry at the intersection of healthcare innovation, design and technology.
Paula Livingston, Ed.D.
Vice President Academic Affairs
Estrella Mountain Community College
Dr. Paula Livingston currently serves as the Vice President of Academic Affairs at Estrella Mountain Community College and provides collaborative visionary leadership and support to all academic and occupational/CTE divisions and programs. Before moving into the role of VPAA, Paula was the Dean of Instruction and Workforce Development at EMCC, where she provided oversight and leadership for several academic and occupational divisions and programs, as well as the work out of the Center for Workforce and Experiential Learning and the EMCC Makerspace.
Dr. Livingston is a champion of the community college mission and strongly believes in the critical role community colleges play in supporting the economic vitality of the communities we serve. Paula’s experience in higher education spans across academic areas, including special focus on workforce initiatives, experiential learning opportunities for students, accreditation and compliance, and strategic planning. Utilizing the principles of shared governance, Paula has worked collaboratively across all areas of the institution to foster a sense of inclusion and diversity of perspectives and voices in the decision-making process.
In her work, Dr. Livingston develops and fosters relationships with business/industry, education partners and community organizations to further EMCC’s mission of student success. Paula has collaborated with faculty in developing and expanding educational offerings to support the socio-economic mobility and educational advancement of students. Her focus has been on promoting teaching excellence, fostering an environment of inclusivity and teamwork, and championing innovation across the college. She has worked collaboratively with faculty and provided academic leadership to support strategic and sustainable growth for EMCC, including the Microsoft Datacenter Academy and the development of the first 2-year Artificial Intelligence program in the United States. Additionally, Paula has been integral in garnering millions in grant funding and donations to support teaching and learning, student scholarships, and curriculum development and programming.
Paula holds a Doctorate in Educational Leadership – Higher Education/Community College, a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership, and a Bachelor’s of Science in Accounting. In her spare time, Paula enjoys outdoor activities, including mountain biking, scuba diving, and exploring new places, but her passion is being grandma to the cutest grandbabies.
Lauren Owens
Executive Director Technology
Agua Fria High School District
Lauren Owens has a diverse work experience spanning over several years. Lauren started their career in 2005 as a Steak n Shake employee and later worked as a Temporary Summer worker at District 87 maintenance from 2006 to 2011. In 2011, they joined Darden and worked at Longhorn Steakhouse until 2012. During this time, Lauren also served as a Head Coach for Clinton Junior High Softball Team. Lauren then worked as a Spanish Teacher at Clinton Public Schools from 2012 to 2014, while also serving as the Head Coach for Clinton High School Softball Team. Lauren continued their teaching career as a Spanish Teacher at Agua Fria School District from 2014 to 2018. Additionally, they served as the JV softball coach during this time. In 2015, they became the NHS Sponsor at Verrado High School. Lauren's most recent positions include being the Technology Integration Specialist at AGUA FRIA UNION HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT from 2018 to 2021, the Director of Technology and Innovative Solutions from 2021 to 2023, and currently the Executive Director of Technology.
Lauren Owens earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Spanish Language Teacher Education from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 2012. Lauren later pursued a Master of Education degree in Educational Leadership and Administration, General at Arizona State University from 2015 to 2017. Additionally, during their undergraduate studies, they had the opportunity to study Spanish Language and Literature at the Universitat de Barcelona from 2010 to 2011.
John VandenBrooks
Associate Dean for Immersive Learning
EdPlus, Arizona State University
John VandenBrooks is a Professor in the College of Integrative Sciences and Arts and the Associate Dean of Immersive Learning in EdPlus at Arizona State University. He earned his bachelor's degree in chemistry at the University of Michigan, his doctorate in geology and geophysics at Yale University, and was a postdoctoral fellow in physiology at Arizona State University.
Previously, VandenBrooks was an Associate Professor of Physiology at Midwestern University (2014-2022). While there, he served as the Associate Director of Veterinary Physiology in the College of Veterinary Medicine. In this role, he was a founding faculty member of the College of Veterinary Medicine and led the development, alignment and mapping of the basic science curriculum culminating in the successful accreditation of the college. In recognition of his outstanding achievement as an educator in the field of veterinary medicine, he was awarded the American Association of Veterinary Colleges Distinguished Veterinary Teacher Award. At Midwestern, VandenBrooks also served as the chair of the IACUC overseeing all animal use for research and teaching on campus and he was the core facility director managing centralized research facilities on campus and multi-million dollar capital equipment budgets.
He is best known for his paleophysiological research on how variation in atmospheric oxygen levels affected the physiology and evolution of animals over geologic time including the evolution of insect gigantism, but he has also worked on why animals die when they overheat, the epidemiology of tick borne diseases, cyborg beetles, storage systems for alternative fuels and more. His research has been covered by a variety of media programs including on the National Geographic Channel, the History Channel, the BBC, and the Science Channel.
VandenBrooks accepted a position as the Associate Dean of Immersive Learning in EdPlus at Arizona State University in 2022. In this current role, he co-leads the Dreamscape Learn and Neo Bio initiatives. Dreamscape Learn is a partnership between ASU and Dreamscape Immersive that combines Hollywood storytelling and cutting-edge technology to enable students to conduct collaborative research in a virtual world. Neo Bio is a fully aligned adaptive biology curriculum that combines innovative skills-based pedagogy with narrative-driven Dreamscape Learn VR experiences to increase student outcomes.
