Quarter 4 Message from the Chair: Reflections on the Past Year

When I accepted the gavel from Chandler Mayor Kevin Hartke last year, I spoke about the importance of listening, building trust, and ensuring every community across our region had a voice at the table. Over the past year, I have seen that commitment in action. Time and again, this Council has come together to address complex challenges with a shared sense of purpose, demonstrating the strength of regionalism.

Together, we advanced work that will shape the region for years to come. We successfully submitted and received EPA approval of our 179B ozone demonstration of the contribution of international emissions, a significant milestone that reflects MAG’s technical expertise and our ability to advocate effectively on behalf of the region. This achievement helps protect our economic competitiveness while continuing our commitment to improving air quality and public health.

We also completed a leadership transition by selecting Audra Koester Thomas as Executive Director of MAG.

Audra brings vision, experience and a deep understanding of this region, and I am especially proud that she is the first woman to serve in this role.

This year also marked the start of implementing Proposition 479. With the groundbreaking of the I-17/Loop 303 system interchange groundbreaking of the I-17/Loop 303 system interchange, a voter-approved vision is now becoming reality.

This project represents more than transportation infrastructure. It is a symbol of what can be accomplished when we align around a common goal and follow through on our commitments.

Beyond transportation and air quality, we continued to work to better understand and respond to homelessness through the Point-in-Time Homelessness Count and Arizona’s first-ever homeless youth count. We launched the 2026 Heat Relief Network, which has helped reduce heat-related illness and deaths for the second consecutive year.

Each of these efforts reflects something larger than any one project or program. They reflect our shared commitment to regionalism and the understanding that we are stronger when we work together, share responsibility, and make decisions with the entire region in mind.

As I pass the gavel to Buckeye Mayor Eric Orsborn, I do so with great confidence in the path ahead. The MAG member agencies, working together, have shown that we can take on big challenges and deliver meaningful results. It has been a privilege to serve our region in this role.