News & Events Newsletter Archive Newsletter October 2025

October 2025

New Research: The Economic Payoff of Acting on Arizona Voters’ Priorities

Global Apprenticeship Convening in England

We’re excited to share Unlocking Potential: Turn Arizona’s Priorities into Economic Gains, our first-of-its-kind economic analysis measuring the benefits of acting on the priorities Arizonans share.

Developed in partnership with Rounds Consulting Group, the study quantifies how advancing voter-backed priorities — childcare access & affordability, dual enrollment expansion, post-secondary attainment, housing affordability, and transportation infrastructure — could generate billions in economic output, strengthen the workforce, and improve quality of life statewide.

The findings reveal a powerful truth: what Arizonans want for the state also fuels growth and prosperity. Listening to voters isn’t just good politics, it’s a smart economic strategy. We hope these insights help leaders across sectors make long-term decisions and smart investments that reflect public priorities and build a stronger, more resilient Arizona.

Explore the full report

Finding Connection in a Divided Time:
Dr. Sybil Francis at AZ Blue Foundation’s State of Mind Mental Health Summit

CFA Chair, President & CEO Dr. Sybil Francis speaks at AZ Blue Foundation's 2025 State of Mind Mental Health Summit.

At the AZ Blue Foundation’s 2025 State of Mind Mental Health Summit, CFA Chair, President & CEO Dr. Sybil Francis joined mental and behavioral health professionals, educators, and community leaders to share a message of hope, unity, and action.

The presentation drew on CFA’s extensive statewide research revealing that Arizonans agree on a powerful set of shared public values that, together, reflect what makes communities strong — health, education, meaningful work and opportunity, leaders who listen and collaborate, and more. She emphasized that these priorities are deeply interconnected and are essential to mental health and well-being across Arizona.

Dr. Francis also reminded attendees that Arizonans care deeply about the work they do — and that by working across silos and building on what’s working, we can strengthen connection, foster resilience, and build The Arizona We Want, together. Across the state, stories of progress and collaboration are already taking root, giving Arizona real momentum and a reason for hope as we move forward.

CFA Joins Statewide Partners to Expand Skilled Trades Pathways

Special guests at the Blackstone Skilled Futures launch Friday at South Mountain Community College include Alex Katz, Senior Managing Director of Government Relations at Blackstone; Todd Sanders, Greater Phoenix Chamber President and CEO; Ruben Gallego, U.S. Senator; Greg Blank, CEO of Blackstone Infrastructure Strategies; Kate Gallego, Mayor of Phoenix; Erica Lock, Vice President of Blackstone Charitable Foundation; Steven Gonzales, Maricopa Community Colleges Chancellor; Sybil Francis, Chair, President & CEO of Center for the Future of Arizona; Maura Pally, Executive Director of Blackstone Charitable Foundation; Greg Stanton, U.S. Representative; Mike Forman, Head of Digital Infrastructure of Blackstone Real Estate; Kyle Squires, Dean of the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering; and Nancy Gonzales, ASU Executive Vice President and University Provost.

CFA is proud to partner with the Blackstone Charitable Foundation, Arizona State University, and Maricopa Community Colleges to launch Blackstone Skilled Futures — a $3 million initiative expanding access to high-quality training and careers in the skilled trades.

CFA Board Member Kate Baker joined Dr. Francis at the launch.

The collaboration — also supporting the Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce and the Mayor of Phoenix's Future Talent Fund — will increase opportunities for Arizonans to pursue high-wage, high-demand, and high-skill jobs in construction and advanced manufacturing. In addition to providing financial support for students, the initiative will strengthen workforce pipelines by supporting high school career-connected programming that builds pathways into post-secondary training and industry credentials.

Through Arizona Pathways to Prosperity, CFA connects education and industry leaders to build seamless college and career pathways in high-demand sectors. This investment deepens those efforts, ensuring more young people have access to the training, credentials, and opportunities to thrive in a growing, skilled economy.

Valley of the Sun United Way and CFA Advance Shared Goals for Arizona

CFA Chair, President & CEO Dr. Sybil Francis poses alongside fellow presenters and speakers at the MC2026 Scorecard report event.

For more than two decades, Valley of the Sun United Way (VSUW) has worked in close partnership with CFA to build a stronger Arizona. Together, we’ve translated data into action, bringing energy, collaboration, and accountability to efforts that advance opportunity and well-being across the state.

Carla Vargas Jasa, President & CEO, Valley of the Sun United Way

“Systemic challenges require bold, coordinated action — and that’s what our MC2026 framework and community goals are all about. We believe progress should be measurable, adaptable, and sustained over time. CFA’s data and tools help us do just that, turning shared priorities into collective action that drives meaningful change for our community.”
— Carla Vargas Jasa, President & CEO, Valley of the Sun United Way

Throughout the MC2026 plan, VSUW has woven insights from CFA’s first-of-its-kind Gallup Arizona Survey and the Arizona Progress Meters into its planning and evaluation — using them to guide decisions, track outcomes, and inspire others to coalesce around shared priorities. VSUW has also invested significantly in CFA initiatives that align with their MC2026 framework areas of focus, such as education and workforce development.

VSUW’s partnership is a powerful example of how mission-driven organizations can leverage shared knowledge, mutual trust, and collective commitment to drive measurable change across Arizona. CFA is honored to recognize their leadership and long-standing partnership to building a better future — for every child, every family, and every community in our state.

Opportunity Ahead: Revitalizing Job Growth Across Arizona

	0.7% Arizona	vs.	1.3% National
Arizona’s average job growth for the last three quarters of 2024 as compared with the nation as a whole.

As of the most recent data available, Arizona’s job growth, once outpacing the national rate, has slowed significantly — recording net losses in five of the past eight quarters. Nationally, job growth remains steady, averaging over 1% year-over-year.

WHY IT MATTERS
Job growth is a key indicator of economic health: positive numbers signal expansion as more jobs are being created than are lost, while negative numbers indicate elimination of jobs, higher unemployment, and potentially a contraction or recession — often forcing workers to shift into less desirable positions, relocate to find new opportunities, or retrain for skills that are in higher demand.

Arizona’s declining rate is a warning that overall economic growth has slowed over the past 18 months. That slowdown is starting to translate to other indicators — including unemployment, which as of March 2025 has nudged over 4% for the first time since August 2022. These trends underscore the need for a resilient economy and employment mobility to reduce the impacts of a slowdown.

CFA Cultivates Next Generation of School Leaders

At Mason High School in Cincinnati, Emerging Leaders participants engage in interactive learning sessions and observe exemplary personalized learning environments in action.

Through its new Emerging Leaders Cohort, CFA is helping prepare Arizona’s current and aspiring school and district leaders to ensure every student can thrive. Building on more than two decades of success through our Beat The Odds School Leadership Academy, the Cohort equips educators in the Arizona Personalized Learning Network with the tools and strategies to lead schools where every learner is known, supported, and challenged.

In partnership with national innovator KnowledgeWorks, CFA recently hosted an immersive learning experience in Cincinnati, where participants visited Mason High School — a nationally recognized model for personalized, competency-based learning. The trip gave Arizona leaders the opportunity to see effective practices in action, collaborate with peers, and set bold goals for their own schools.

By investing in leaders’ development, we're advancing a future where every Arizona student has access to an excellent, equitable, and personalized education.

CFA’s Amanda Burke Honored Among Arizona’s Top Women Leaders

Dr. Sybil Francis joined Dr. Amanda Burke and other honorees at Arizona Capitol Times' award ceremony.

CFA is proud to celebrate Executive Vice President Dr. Amanda Burke, named one of the 2025 Women Achievers of Arizona by the Arizona Capitol Times.

This prestigious statewide recognition honors women whose leadership, vision, and impact are shaping Arizona’s future. Amanda was recognized as a nonprofit bridge-builder and innovator, whose decades of leadership have strengthened Arizona and CFA’s role as a trusted resource for the state — advancing initiatives that connect education, workforce, and civic life to build The Arizona We Want.

The 2025 class of honorees includes many CFA partners and collaborators whose work reflects a shared commitment to creating a stronger, brighter future.

Congratulations to Amanda and all this year’s inspiring honorees whose leadership continues to move our state forward.

New Report Shows Economic Payoff From Investing in Arizona’s Future

Dr. Sybil Francis & Jim Rounds joined Ted Simons on Arizona PBS’ Horizon to explore our new report, Unlocking Potential.

From Arizona PBS

Dr. Sybil Francis Joins Arizona's Morning News to Explore How Voter Priorities Can Become Real Gains

Dr. Sybil Francis joined Arizona’s Morning News with Jim Sharpe & LaDona Harvey to share new findings from Unlocking Potential: Turn Arizona’s Priorities into Economic Gains.

From KTAR News

This Analysis Shows Arizona Would Gain $13.6 Billion From Affordable Housing, Child Care Investments

Jim Rounds joined Lauren Gilger to discuss how investing in essential infrastructure like housing and childcare can create measurable returns.

From KJZZ

Report: Arizona Could Reap Billions by Addressing Voter Priorities

"Center for the Future of Arizona releases a report on economic potential attached to bipartisan voter priorities.”

From Daily Independent

Households Gain, Jobs & Economy Grow: New Report Quantifies Payoff of Acting on Arizona Voter Priorities

New analysis from CFA shows households gaining thousands more each month, tens of thousands of jobs created, and statewide growth accelerating.

From Yahoo Finance

Expanding Childcare Access, Affordability Could Unlock $12B in Annual Economic Gains for Arizona

New analysis from CFA reveals childcare’s role as critical infrastructure.

From Yahoo Finance

Postsecondary Accessibility Could Bring in Millions for Arizona’s Economy

“The new Unlocking Potential study from Center for the Future of Arizona showed dual enrollment programs and postsecondary attainment could have major impacts on the economy if made more accessible.”

From KTAR News

Delivering on Voter Priorities for Housing Affordability Is Key to Arizona’s Economic Future

CFA’s new analysis reveals $13 billion in untapped economic gains if housing costs are addressed, underscoring its role as essential infrastructure for the state’s growth.

From PR Newswire

Smart Transportation Investments Could Yield Billions and Deliver What Voters Want for Arizona’s Future

CFA’s new Unlocking Potential report finds long-term transportation infrastructure investments can strengthen Arizona’s economy, lower household costs, and secure economic competitiveness.

From PR Newswire

Yavapai Future Ready Council Discusses Future Of Education

"Part of the solution is being able to offer career exploration for students at the middle school level. Jennifer Hernandez, from Center for the Future of Arizona, explained that middle school is the most effective time for career guidance to occur and that evidence shows career guidance supports keeping students engaged in school."

From Daily Courier

Yavapai Future Ready Council Discusses Future Of Education

The State of Our Schools: Arizona Town Hall

Peter Boyle, CFA Senior Director of Education, shares how personalized learning can increase student engagement as part of a recent statewide town hall on education.

From KVOA 4 Tucson

The State of Our Schools: Arizona Town Hall

The Right to Disagree: A Special Roundtable with KTAR, Arizona Talks & ABC15

Dr. Sybil Francis also joined Arizona Talks Foundation and KTAR News to explore how civil discourse can help Arizonans move toward a stronger, more connected future.

From KTAR News

The Right to Disagree: A Special Roundtable with KTAR

Local First Arizona Implements Final Phase of Partnership Program to Grow Northern Arizona's Rural Workforce

“The Northern Arizona Good Jobs Network is a first-of-its-kind program, based entirely on broad, regional collaboration of multiple sectors across rural Arizona,” said Holly Kurtz from Center for Future of Arizona. “Together, we’re launching new resources geared to rural communities and to helping rural businesses become more competitive employers.”

From Local First Arizona

Center for the Future of Arizona brings Arizonans together
to create a stronger and brighter future for our state.

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