2018 In-Hindsight: Mesa Mayor John Giles, "Thought Leader-of-The-Year

Can't tell from the opening image what the inside joke is or the subject that made two guys smile, but three days ago Mesa Mayor John Giles was presented with the Dwight Patterson Lifetime Achievement Award by Denny Barney at the East Valley Partnership's 2018 Thought Leadership Forum on 06 December. Believe-it-or-not
Only in Mesa, Kids, only in Mesa !!

Hard-to-believe that Giles is
THE THOUGHT LEADER OF THE YEAR 2018
OK. Hmmm...John Giles A Thought Leader?

The Dwight Patterson Lifetime Achievement Award?

Who can list all of his accomplishments to date?

John Giles, who served on the Mesa City Council for four years 1996-2000, and then 14 years later somehow 'got a calling' to fill in the seat of the highest elected in the city (mayor) left empty when ex-mayor Scott Smith vacated his elected office for higher ambitions - a gambit he lost in 2014 to Governor Doug Ducey.

John Giles, with a gap of 14 years, was the chosen successor in that Good Ole' Boys Political Machine, served for about four months as the incumbent, got challenged by Danny Ray in his run-on-his-own-dime for his first term, then ran unopposed for his second term.
All the while he's been earning a taxpayer-paid salary + a generous benefits package as the only full-time member of the Mesa City Council, he's operated a private law practice as a personal injury/accident law attorney.  

Want to hear what Giles said accepting the award >

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Mesa Mayor John Giles received the Dwight Patterson Lifetime Achievement award.

East Valley Partnership honors Intel and John Giles with 2018 Excel Awards

Emily Richardson

3 weeks ago

"According to East Valley Partnership (EVP) – a nonpartisan coalition of civic, business, education and political leaders dedicated to the economic development and promotion of the East Valley (EV) – entrepreneurs in the EV have helped reinvent the business model.
“[The] East Valley is a major driver of economic development in metropolitan Phoenix,” Denny Barney, president and CEO, East Valley Partnership, said.
“People are seeing the greatness of the East Valley, they’re learning that this is a great place to live and to work and to play. To start a family, to build a business, to make a home.”
On Dec. 6, EVP held its annual Thought Leader Forum where it honored a business and individual with the Excel Award for the “lasting impact they have made on business and the quality of life in the community.”

_______________________________________________________________________________"I am the luckiest guy that any of you guys know,” Giles said.

“I get to work for Mesa, Arizona, which is such a wonderful opportunity.
It’s a group of talented, motivated, dedicated people that make me look really, really good and as of a result of that I get to come and pick up awards.
So, I can’t thank them enough for making this possible.”

“He is truly one of a kind,” Barney said of Giles.

 “It’s not often that you don’t see him with a smile on his face. Even in difficult challenges and challenging times, he’s optimistic and upbeat. He’s a dynamic leader that served in office, stepped away, and then chose to come back. That’s a power representation of what’s really part of his DNA. I’m certainly grateful to him and his leadership.”
“Our region and our cities deserve disruptive leaders,”
Giles said.

"They deserve people who are willing to take chances and stick their neck out and take consequences for the greater good of our [home]. I inspire to be one of those and I hope that you will join me. Let’s go back to our communities and our cities and let’s cause some trouble and let’s be disruptive and let’s make things happen because that’s what the people we work for deserve.” 

Source: http://chamberbusinessnews.com/2018/12/10/east-valley-partnership-honors-intel-and-john-giles-with-2018-excel-awards/ 
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In this streaming video for State-of-the-City 2015 - his first term elected to mayor -  Giles admits publicly he needs help to get ideas:

State of the City 2015

Published on Feb 3, 2015

Views: 419

Mesa Arizona, State of the City Breakfast with Mayor John Giles.

Presented by the Mesa Chamber of Commerce.
"The right mayor at the right time" . . . he was actually interim mayor for four-and-a-half months to serve out the seat left empty when Scott Smith left for an unsuccessful bid losing to Governor Doug Ducey.
This streaming video is public testimony

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Official Bio

Born and raised in Mesa, Mayor Giles earned degrees from Brigham Young University in Political Science and Arizona State University’s Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law and has managed his own law firm in downtown Mesa for more than 20 years. 
Mayor Giles is an active marathoner and triathlete who has completed two full Ironman competitions, 20 marathons and four Boston Marathons. Mayor Giles and his wife Dawn have been married for more than thirty years. They have five children and eight grandchildren.
https://www.mesaaz.gov/city-hall/mayor-council/mayor-john-giles