The Greater Arizona Development Authority introduced their new new Director Jessi Pederson, who is filling the role vacated by former GADA Director Mary Foote, who was recently named Director of the Arizona Office of Economic Opportunity. Pederson has spent more than 20 years in public service, with much of her time serving the City of Glendale Arizona and working with the Glendale Industrial Development Authority, in various roles, including as the Mayor’s Chief of Staff and the Director of Economic Development.
While in Glendale, Jessi led the efforts that saw significant development growth citywide, including the attraction of multiple major employers, a downtown redevelopment investment of $100 million, and the retention of multiple Fortune 500 companies. As she departed, the City of Glendale had over $2 billion in capital investment under construction with a growing pipeline for years to come. During her tenure, she also oversaw citywide events designed to promote arts, culture, and tourism, which included support for the T’ohono O’odham tribe’s development of two gaming facilities in the West Valley.
With a passion for servant leadership, she has spent her career focused on creating quality opportunities for Arizona residents to live, work, play, and invest in their communities.
“As a lifelong public servant, I have spent the past two decades serving our residents in the Greater Phoenix area and I am humbled by the opportunity to now make a greater impact throughout the entire State of Arizona,” said Pederson. “I look forward to engaging with our rural and Tribal communities, connecting them with affordable financing for critical infrastructure that enhances quality community and economic development.”
GADA, established in 1997, is a financing program that leverages private capital to assist rural communities and Tribal governments in developing public infrastructure projects. From 1997 to 2014, GADA supported 84 projects statewide by issuing $574 million in bonds to rural community projects, including construction of firehouses, community centers, libraries, municipal complexes and transportation improvement, in dozens of rural communities.
A program of the Arizona Finance Authority (AFA) and part of the Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO), GADA was reactivated by Governor Katie Hobbs in 2024 after ten years to further seek opportunities to facilitate economic development and infrastructure improvements throughout rural Arizona, naming current Office of Economic Opportunity Director Mary Foote to lead the organization. Since its reactivation, GADA has continued its mission by providing $1.4 million in financing for public infrastructure projects in rural communities, including granting funding to the Town of Superior, Apache County’s Escudilla Mountain Domestic Water Improvement District (DWID), and the City of Winslow to support the construction of a bridge for emergency access, the design of a community water system, and the development of land for industrial growth.
“Jessi’s experience at the City of Glendale interacting with the City Council, her experience in economic development, and her work with the Glendale IDA makes her a perfect fit for the Director role with GADA,” said Gregg Ghelfi, Director of the Arizona Finance Authority. “We’re tremendously excited to bring her wealth of knowledge and experience to the GADA team.”
“Since being reinstated in 2024, GADA has resumed its position as an important vehicle for the state to provide funding for public infrastructure projects in rural communities,” said Robin Romano, CEO of MariSol Federal Credit Union and a Board of Directors member of the Arizona Finance Authority. “Jessi’s passion for building communities aligns with the GADA mission of identifying opportunities to provide investment funding designed to improve not only the infrastructure, but the quality of life, for those who call Arizona rural communities home.”
“Thanks to the steadfast efforts and vision of Director Foote, the relaunch of GADA in 2024 has well-positioned us to continue facilitating the quality development opportunities that rural Arizona deserves,” Pederson said. “With multiple applications in the pipeline, it is my goal to maintain this momentum and further increase the awareness of GADA to ensure that every rural and Tribal community knows that GADA is a powerful tool in their tool box.”
Pederson, a native of Minnesota, moved to the Grand Canyon State to attend Arizona State University, earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration. An avid outdoor enthusiast, Pederson fell in love with Arizona’s unrivaled natural landscape immediately after arriving in the state, and remains passionate about nature and wildlife conservation.
