The Phoenix Industrial Development Authority, established by the City Council to provide bond financing for educational facilities and community and economic development projects, announces the election of its 2014 Board officers.
Don Keuth – President Tommy Espinoza – Vice President Christa Severns – Treasurer Judy Bernas – Secretary
Serving a one-year term beginning this month, the officers lead the nine-member Board and govern the Phoenix IDA, which has issued more than $840 million in bonds since 2009. “The board officers bring decades of experience and incredible expertise in shaping community development programs in Arizona,” said Juan Salgado, executive director of the Phoenix IDA.
Don Keuth is president of the Phoenix Community Alliance, a nonprofit organization that creates a dynamic and vital central city core. In addition, Keuth is president of the Discovery Triangle Development Corporation, a nonprofit that facilitates the redevelopment of a 25-square-mile area in Phoenix and Tempe. He began his Phoenix IDA Board tenure in 2003 and served as Vice President in 2013.
As president and CEO of Raza Development Fund, Inc., Tommy Espinoza oversees the largest Latino Community Development Financial Institution in the U.S. with total assets in excess of $100 million. Under Espinoza’s leadership, the Raza Development Fund has served 132 organizations that have received over $135 million in community development loans, leveraging nearly $1 billion in private capital for projects serving low-income individuals and families nationwide. He joined the Phoenix IDA Board in 2006, serving as treasurer in 2013.
Christa Severns is the owner of Christa Severns Communications, a firm specializing in strategic planning and implementation of public relations and public affairs campaigns. Severns also serves as board vice president for the Cancer Treatment Centers of America Western Regional Medical Center in Goodyear. She joined the Phoenix IDA Board in 2011, serving as Secretary in 2013.
As the University of Arizona’s associate vice president for external relations, Judy Bernas oversees and coordinates the university’s presence in Maricopa County. Bernas is working on the Phoenix expansion of the UA Colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy, and coordinating the growth of the Phoenix Biomedical Campus. She was appointed to the Phoenix IDA Board in 2013.
The Phoenix IDA, established in 1981 by the Phoenix City Council, has a long history of providing low-cost access to capital for qualified economic development projects and reinvesting in community projects. By establishing public/private partnerships through bond financing mechanisms for educational facilities, manufacturing facilities, company and corporate headquarter office buildings, healthcare facilities, housing and facilities operated by non-profit organizations, Phoenix IDA strives to address needs of underserved communities. Phoenix IDA does not rely on taxpayer or general fund dollars.
