Water, Growth & Sustainability: Planning for the Future
Explore how West Valley communities are managing water resources amid supporting rapid growth; while navigating key issues in water policy, infrastructure investment, sustainable development, agricultural to urban transitions, and evolving Colorado River allocations.
Moderator Sintra Hoffman is the President and Chief Executive Officer of WESTMARC, representing the West Valley of Metro Phoenix where she has the pleasure of working with 15 communities, over 3,000 square miles and home to 1.9 million residents. With 25 years of experience in federal, state, local and non-profit leadership, Sintra is a natural convener, bringing key stakeholders together to advance the region's economic vitality and improve the quality of life for her community. She previously served as Assistant Division Director for the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) leading the Office of Public Affairs to build and sustain relationships in Arizona's cities, towns, counties, tribes and business community and support infrastructure investments statewide. Prior to her time at ADOT, she spent 10 years with the City of Surprise, serving as the Director of Intergovernmental Relations and Deputy City Manager where she focused on policy development and economic sustainability for the community.
Sintra was recognized by the Phoenix Business Journal as a Most Admired Leader in 2023 and one of 25 Outstanding Women in Business in 2022. Previously Arizona Business Magazine recognized her as one of the Most Influential Women in 2016. In 2019 she was recognized by Estrella Mountain Community College as their Education Hero and also received BMO Bank’s Women Who Lead award.
She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Master’s of Administration in Public Administration.
She spends her leisure time traveling the globe, hiking, staying active and of course, networking and building new relationships!
Brenda Burman joined Central Arizona Project in 2021 and has been the general manager since January 2023, the first female to lead the organization. Burman has more than 25 years of experience working on Western water and natural resource issues, where she has been committed to finding collaborative solutions to secure reliable water supplies for communities, farms, tribes and the environment.
Before joining CAP, Burman was the Commissioner of the Bureau of Reclamation and the first woman to hold that position. Burman has served in many other areas of the water community: in private legal practice; as the water and energy counsel for U.S. Senator Jon Kyl; as senior water advisor to an environmental organization; and in senior positions for water districts. Burman holds a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Arizona College of Law and is licensed to practice law in Arizona, Colorado and Wyoming.
Charley Freericks is the President of the Arizona Region for Howard Hughes Communities. He is responsible for leading the residential and commercial development, leasing, and operations of Teravalis, Howard Hughes’ new 37,000-acre master planned community located in the Phoenix West Valley.
Charley joined Howard Hughes in 2024. He is an industry veteran with more than 40 years of experience in large-scale community development throughout Arizona – including acquisition, entitlement, planning and design, implementation, and operations with an emphasis on commercial and mixed-use environments. Prior to joining Howard Hughes, Charley led Arizona operations for Catellus, the master developer of the Novus Innovation Corridor, a 355-acre redevelopment of Arizona State University’s Athletic Facilities District. Before that, he served as president of DMB Associates, the Scottsdale-based developer of large-scale, best-in-class planned communities and mixed-use commercial properties.
Charley is an active contributor to numerous non-profit organizations currently serving as chairman of the board of the Arizona Community Foundation, and board member of The White Tank Mountains Conservancy and the I-11 Coalition. He is past chairman of Valley Partnership, Arizona Advisory Board of the Trust for Public Land, and chairman emeritus of Fighter Country Partnership and Fighter Country Foundation supporting Luke Air Force Base. He served as the Arizona District Chair for Urban Land Institute and remains an active member at the local and national level.
Charley and his wife Cathy live in Scottsdale, Arizona and have two adult children living their best lives in Colorado and Oregon. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business and an MBA from Arizona State University
Vice President, Developer Services and Water Resources
Frank Metzler has devoted his entire career to water resources management and environmental planning. As Vice President of Developer Services and Water Resources for EPCOR’s U.S. Regulated Utilities, Frank leads a team responsible for identifying and securing a diverse water portfolio to support existing customers and future growth. His team is also responsible for processing and approving all new applications for residential, commercial and industrial development within EPCOR’s existing and future service areas. In this role, he works closely with the development community, municipalities, and regulatory agencies.
Frank joined EPCOR in 2013 as Engineering Project Manager, spearheading the Luke 303 initiative, which laid the foundation for approximately 4,000 acres of residential, commercial and industrial development along the Loop 303 corridor, including a new water reclamation facility and all associated infrastructure. During Frank’s thirteen-year tenure with the company, he played a pivotal role helping guide EPCOR’s development and operations functions. As Director of Operations for the company’s Central and Eastern Division from 2014 to 2023, his team served more than 300,000 EPCOR customers across the Phoenix Valley and Colorado River.
Frank has more than thirty-four years of public and private sector experience in water and environmental-related industries. Prior to his time with EPCOR, Frank worked in government services for Parsons, where he provided program management services for the US Army Corps of Engineers’ Civil Works program in southern Florida. Prior to joining Parsons, Frank worked for state environmental departments in Arizona and Florida on water supply, water quality and environmental restoration programs.
Frank holds a master’s degree in Geography from New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, as well as a bachelor’s degree in physical Geography from California State University, Fresno. He earned a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification from the Project Management Institute. Frank also serves on the Board of Trustees for the Heard Museum.
