East Valley Partnership Names Gilbert Mayor John Lewis President and CEO

PHOENIX (Dec. 9, 2015) After conducting a thorough search over the last four months that drew candidates from across the country, East Valley Partnership has named Gilbert Mayor John Lewis President and CEO.
Lewis succeeds Roc Arnett, who served as President and CEO of East Valley Partnership for the past 13 years.

Formed in 1982, East Valley Partnership is a regional nonpartisan coalition that actively advocates in areas such as economic development, education, transportation and infrastructure, healthcare and others to improve the business climate and overall quality of life in the East Valley. Phoenix East Valley communities are leaders in Arizona economic development that is driving advanced business expansion, specialized job growth, higher wages, and innovation.
http://www.evp-az.org/

Lewis has served as Mayor of Gilbert for nearly seven years and has 28 years of private sector business experience. He spent 19 years with Apollo Group (parent company of University of Phoenix) and nine years with Ernst & Young in various roles including information technology management, leadership development and management consulting.
Lewis and his family have lived in Gilbert for 30 years. He serves on regional boards and committees for the Arizona League of Cities Executive Committee, Maricopa Association of Government (MAG) Regional Council and Economic Development Committee, Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport Board, Greater Phoenix Economic Council and Arizona BrainFood. He earned his MBA from the University of Houston and a bachelor of science degree from Brigham Young University.

East Valley Partnership’s leadership is currently working closely with the Town of Gilbert on a transition plan for Mayor Lewis to assume his new role as the President/CEO during the summer of 2016. East Valley Partnership’s Project Manager, Mike Hutchinson, will serve as interim President and CEO until Lewis assumes his new role.

Hutchinson was a long time senior executive for the City of Mesa serving as the City Manager from March of 2000 until his retirement in 2005. He has worked at the East Valley Partnership managing a variety of projects since May of 2008.
He helped shape and develop Mesa into a place of great neighborhoods, outstanding cultural institutions, vibrant and bustling businesses and a place where civic leaders from both the private and non-profit sector pulled together in times of need. In 2012 he was named Mesa Man of The Year