Leadership and Purpose
Arizona continues to distinguish itself as a place where business can grow and innovate. Our natural climate plays a role, but our business climate is earned — shaped by leaders who favor collaboration over division and remain focused on the state’s long-term prosperity.
What’s becoming increasingly clear is how much that prosperity depends on stability. Employers today are navigating heightened uncertainty around healthcare costs, workforce availability, global markets, and state budgeting. In moments like this, leadership is not only about managing through complexity — it’s about reinforcing the conditions that allow businesses to plan, invest, and compete with confidence.
That’s why the connection between democracy and economic strength matters. Leadership Now Arizona unites business leaders who believe democracy is a competitive advantage. John Fees and I launched Leadership Now Arizona in 2024 because threats against election workers made it evident that our civic foundation needed reinforcement.
Leadership Now’s Harris Poll shows 84% of executives view the current political instability as a threat to U.S. competitiveness. Here in Arizona, that concern is mirrored. At our recent statewide economic briefing, 88% of participants reported more negative sentiment in their business networks over just the past six months.
The headwinds are significant: An analysis by economist Jim Rounds for the Arizona Chamber of Commerce earlier this year warns that every $1 billion cut to Medicaid funding would cost Arizona roughly 36,000 jobs, $138 million in annual state and local tax revenue, and $3.7 billion in economic activity. Rural, tribal, and local leaders also report that shifts in federal funding have put critical projects at risk: in a survey of Arizona grant recipients, about half said their projects could continue only in reduced form, while 43% described theirs as “dead in the water.”
Companies evaluating Arizona — particularly international prospects — increasingly cite uncertainty itself as the decisive barrier. Businesses can adapt to competition; what they cannot price is unpredictability.
Across all of these issues, one theme stands out: leadership that strengthens both our civic and economic systems is now essential to Arizona’s competitiveness.
You’ll see that theme reflected in this month’s cover story, which highlights 16 leaders across the Valley who have navigated complexity with clarity and purpose. Their decisions — and their willingness to share what shaped them — offer valuable insight for leaders charting their own course.
This edition also examines the factors that influence the decisions executives make every day. Eddie Pinto reframes how employers approach benefits, reminding us that employees often make decisions in silos. Ronak Bhavsar explains why AI succeeds or fails based on data quality — not hype. Grant McGaugh addresses the funding barriers minority-owned businesses continue to face and the innovations that can open new doors. And our legal features examine intellectual property protection and emerging drug-policy changes that every employer should watch closely.
Other articles dig into Arizona’s role in the semiconductor economy and the measurable impact of air quality on workplace performance. Together, they reinforce a simple truth: Arizona’s future competitiveness will be shaped by the systems we strengthen today — civic and economic alike. I encourage leaders across the state to remain active in shaping those systems: sharing insights, supporting evidence-based policy, and investing in the stability our economy depends on.
I’m pleased to work with the editorial team on this December edition. Happy holidays and my best wishes for the New Year.
Sincerely,
Adam Goodman
Chief Executive Officer
Goodmans
Adam Goodman, CEO of Goodmans, is the third generation to lead the 71-year-old family business.
Under his leadership, Goodmans won the first-ever ACE Award for Community Impact in 2009 and became the third certified B Corp in Arizona in 2011. Numerous other recognitions include the Better Businss Bureau’s International Torch Award for Ethics in 2013 and being named to the Game Changers 500 list as one of the top 500 companies in the world using business as a force for social change. In 2018, Adam Goodman was honored with the Greater Phoenix Economic Council’s Community Impact Award.
Goodman currently serves as board chair for the Banner Health Foundation and the Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting. In addition, he is the co-founder of Leadership Now Arizona, the immediate past chair of The Phoenix Symphony and currently serves on the boards of Greater Phoenix Leadership, Greater Phoenix Economic Council, Flinn Foundation, the Arizona Local News Initiative and the Jewish Community Relations Council. Previous leadership positions span diverse community organizations.
A Flinn-Brown Fellow (2023) and graduate of Valley Leadership Class 39, Adam Goodman has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Texas at Austin.
