Name, title & city/town
Gilbert Lopez, Councilmember and past Vice Mayor, City of Coolidge
Year elected to office
1998
Years served on Executive Committee
Almost five years.
Hometown
I was born in El Paso, Texas, but moved to Arizona when I was six years old.
I consider Coolidge my real hometown. I just recently attended my 30 year
Coolidge High School Reunion, which turned out to be a wonderful gathering
of friends.
Why did you pursue a career in local government?
As many of my colleagues believe, local elected officials are closest to the
people and the issues. I decided to apply what I had learned in my private
and government careers to help the community (people) that I care so much
about, by making good informed decisions and making a difference. I was
fortunate to have been exposed to the political process early on by some
very close friends and their parents. One of my mentors at Coolidge High
School, my Future Farmer of America Vocational Agriculture teacher, Cy Henry,
taught me the importance of leadership and community involvement. Later in
life, with encouragement from friends and family, I applied for and was
appointed to the Planning and Zoning Commission, then went on to serve on
the City Council.
What are the biggest challenges facing your city or town today?
Continuing to meet current needs and provide quality customer and community
service continues to be a challenge in the current economic environment. We
were fortunate to have taken steps to ensure that new growth pays for itself,
and that our city staff took some proactive steps at the first sign of a
downturn in the economy. As we come out of one of the worst recessions in
our history, I see economic development (employment), transportation, and
the financial resources to support the services that a fast growing (it will
come back) community needs as being the most pressing amongst many. We are
also working with our partners to support the maintenance of existing state
highways and the construction of the new roads and freeways that central Arizona
will need to prosper into the future. We must be sure that future growth
continues to benefit our residents and improves their quality of life. We must
also continue to support our educational systems at all levels and develop quality
job opportunities, especially for our young people.
What opportunities do you see for your community?
Working with existing business on expansion and regionally with our partners,
the City Manager and staff, with support from the Mayor and Council, have succeeded
in attracting a variety of economic development opportunities that include energy
distribution, manufacturing, and others that will provide jobs and a balanced
economic base. We have also worked tirelessly to ensure that the future north-south
freeway comes to fruition and that the economic activity at Coolidge Airport continues
to support its regional/employment hub designation.
We are fortunate to be located in the heart of central Arizona, along the Sun Corridor,
where Arizona's future growth has taken hold. We are blessed with having the Casa Grande
National Monument in our community and continue to work with the National Parks Service,
and surrounding stakeholders to preserve and protect the history while exploring site
expansion, enhanced tourism and recreational opportunities for our community.
These and other activities support our existing citizens, businesses, and our agricultural
industry, while embracing our historical past.
What are you most proud of during your tenure on the Executive Committee?
Working with such an influential and dedicated group of leaders and professional
League staff has been an extremely rewarding experience. The careful and thoughtful
discussion on critical issues provides knowledge and confidence that we have taken
the correct actions and made the best possible decisions for our citizens.
I am especially proud of the League's influence on the outcome of legislation and the
success of legal challenges to adopted laws that would have crippled our cities and towns,
directly impacting our citizens. It is critical to our success to have experienced
leadership and professional staff proactively working with the Legislature and the Governor
to shape legislation that is fair and equitable to all of our communities. We are all in
this together and League is the perfect venue to work together, working to provide the
services that continue to make our cities and our state a great place to call home.
Why is the League important to cities and towns in Arizona?
The League is an invaluable resource for all communities, big and small. The vast
diversity of member cities and towns makes the League a strong advocate for our citizens.
Having a strong collective voice is vital to having a seat at the table on important issues.
The League, through its members, has crafted some very specific goals and objectives that are
critical to the success of all communities. The investment of time and funding into the League
provides its members a great "return on investment".
League of Arizona Cities and Towns
1820 W. Washington St.
Phoenix, AZ 85007
Phone: 602-258-5786
Fax: 602-253-3874 http://www.azleague.org
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