Phoenix Local Chapter

Join the Phoenix Local Chapter on December 12th to connect with other industry professionals and join the conversation as the members tackle the strategic review for the Phoenix Region. Education will be the main pillar of this gathering.

iMasons Phoenix Local Chapter Meeting
Date: Dec. 12, 2023
Time: 3:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Location: Palm Valley Golf Course
Register Below

Held in conjunction with the Big Data Southwest National DataCenter AI HPC & Cloud Summit 2023, join the Phoenix Local Chapter for a meeting to share updates for the local chapter around education, workforce development, and community engagement. There will be panels on education, work force and community engagement. Each section will be followed by an interactive Q&A session with iMasons members and a call to action.

Agenda

3:00 – 3:15: Welcome and Introduction

3:15 – 4:15: Education and Workforce Development Discussion

Panel Summary: The growing Phoenix data center market is going to need the workforce to continue to grow. This panel will discuss the education and workforce challenge in the valley, what workforce development opportunities are currently available, and what we need from the data center community to continue to support these education and workforce efforts.

Moderator: Bryan Darby – Vice President, Strategic Technology Initiatives, QTS

Speakers:

Ken Hackler – Mesa CC – Residential Faculty \ Program Director supporting the DC Cert Program

Paula Livingston – Estrella CC – VPAA Leading the Microsoft Data Center Academy

Andrea Schauer – Glendale CC – Occupational Program Director – Cisco Academy

4:15-4:30: Break

4:30-5:30: Economic, Environmental, and Social Impact of Data Centers in the Phoenix Area

Panel Summary: Phoenix is now one of the largest data center markets in the world, having had more than 400 MW of absorption in 2022. Construction and investment activity in the market indicate that growth will continue or accelerate in the coming years. This panel discussion will bring together a variety of stakeholders to discuss the role data centers play within their communities as their presence increases, including how they have and can continue to improve upon the way they serve and support their communities as they design, build, and operate.

Moderator: JD Beatty – Senior Manager Site Selection, Iron Mountain

Speakers:

Bill Jabjiniak – SVP, National Community Engagement, EdgeCore

Kevin Thompson – Arizona Corporation Commissioner and former SE Mesa councilmember

Dan Diorio – Director of State Policy, Data Center Coalition

Shelbe Hunsake – Manager, US SW / West & Mountain, Public Policy, Amazon Web Services (AWS)

5:30 – 6:00: Wrap up discussions

6:00 – 8:00: Evening Reception

This meeting is open to iMasons members as well as interested professionals in the digital industry looking to build a strong local community!

Please complete the registration form below to let us know your plans to attend!