Imagine you’ve just moved into the Arizona State Capitol – great bones, but it’s a bit of a fixer-upper.

You need to find a school for your 7^th grader. Within a mile-and-a-half, there are 5 middle schools. But inside 3 miles, your options expand to 19 public schools – many with high ratings and strong reviews.

Just one problem: like thousands of Phoenix families, you don’t have a car – meaning your child is effectively limited to the single middle school served by the school bus route. So much for school choice.

Gov. Ducey and legislators began that process this year with approval of a $20 million competitive grant program. The pilot will enable district and charter schools, local governments and non-profit groups to submit innovative proposals for student transport.

The fact is, more than half of K-8 students in metro Phoenix attend a school other than the one assigned to them according to their address. A growing number of families are taking advantage of a broad menu of school options, including district, charter, online, micro-schools and more. Yet, until now, Arizona’s K-12 transport system – and the funding that supports it – has remained yoked to the increasingly outdated model of diesel-belching yellow school buses we all remember from our childhood.

Today, nearly 2 out of 3 students nationally travel to school each day in a household vehicle, walk or ride a bike;. The trend long preceded the pandemic, but has accelerated in the past two years amid a widespread bus driver shortage that has sent schools scrambling and led to canceled routes and frustrated families.

Just like there is no single style of school that meets the needs of all students, Arizona requires a multifaceted approach to student transport. The first round of, with awardees proposing everything from on-demand micro-transit solutions like vans, to app-based carpooling, rideshare and more. Midtown Primary School in central Phoenix will even use grant funds to create what it calls a “walking school bus,� which will involve use of staff members, adults and walking ropes to help young students safely walk to and from school and navigate busy intersections.

Another common sense solution involves realigning municipal bus routes and bus stops so that they can be more useful to students. A Minneapolis program to give monthly bus passes to high-school students resulted in reduced truancy and improved GPAs. Surveyed students said the added flexibility of the municipal system helped them both get to school and participate in afterschool activities. Arizona schools have the opportunity to partner with local governments and non-profits to create similar cooperative efforts.

During the past legislative session, South Phoenix parent Alysia Garcia told lawmakers that – as an open enrollment transfer family for the last decade – her family has solely borne the expense of taking her kids to and from school every day. That’s 5,600 trips totaling over 62,000 miles.

“What is the point of having a great open enrollment policy if families aren’t able to utilize it?� Garcia asked. “I’m fortunate to have a vehicle to transport my kids. What about the kids who don’t have vehicles?�

She’s right. Arizona families already pay taxes to support a wide array of public school options. They deserve a modern student transport system designed with this flexibility in mind to help their kids get to and from these schools safely.

Matthew Ladner is the Director of the Arizona Center for Student Opportunity

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Hydrogen-powered big-rig company Nikola and Arizona Public Service (APS) have received the go ahead from state utility regulators for an agreement to use surplus electricity to generate clean hydrogen gas to power fuel cell vehicles. 

The deal provides Phoenix-based with a competitive electric rate specifically designed for the production, processing, and dispensing of hydrogen to accelerate the development of carbon-free vehicles and fueling stations for the transportation industry. 

It’s another step forward to the realization of a zero-emission heavy-duty freight corridor along the I-10 freeway between Phoenix and Los Angeles, company officials and state regulators said.  

“The approval of this special rate for hydrogen production is critical for advancing the future of zero-emissions transportation and building a hydrogen economy,� Nikola CEO Mark Russell said.

Advancing hydrogen economy in the state

The Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) unanimously approved the application from APS for the new rate structure this month, which  could serve as a national model for additional hydrogen production facilities, ACC Chairwoman Lea Márquez Peterson said. 

Arizona will benefit with cleaner air, jobs for the new economy, and increased economic development, she said. 

“For decades, hydrogen has been a promising, but elusive, source of clean energy for both the transportation and power sectors. We simply haven’t done enough to bring hydrogen to the mainstream,� Márquez Peterson said.

Under the rate structure, Nikola officials said they will be able to deliver hydrogen at “market leading pricesâ€� and within the ranges required for Nikola to offer competitive lease rates for its trucks’ customers. 

The company anticipates deploying hundreds of millions of dollars in capital to construct its hydrogen facilities throughout the state and employ a diverse workforce in doing so, they said.  

Win-win for electric customers and APS, too 

APS, which filed the application for the unique rate structure in December, will also benefit from the agreement. The hydrogen fueling stations will require a very high load capacity, above 92-percent. Customers with high load factors provide operational and other economic benefits to the distribution system. 

These customers help to reduce the overall cost for APS to serve all of its customers, flattening the overall load profile and allowing APS to operate its power plants in a more efficient manner, reducing the per kilowatt hour costs to APS customers, APS officials said.

Production of hydrogen-electric long haul trucks coming

Phoenix-based is a designer and manufacturer of zero-emission battery-electric and hydrogen-electric vehicles, electric vehicle drivetrains, vehicle components, energy storage systems, and hydrogen station infrastructure. 

In a venture with Italian industrial truck maker , Nikola is planning production of a battery-electric semi truck next year in Ulm, Germany. 

Nikola also has begun construction of a $600-million electric truck assembly plant in Coolidge, Ariz., where it plans to start constructing a fuel-cell semi truck in 2023. The hydrogen-electric powered semi-truck is for the medium and long-haul trucking sectors, with more than 1,000 horsepower and 2,000 ft. lbs. of torque.

To power these trucks, Nikola plans to build hydrogen across Arizona and North America. 

To view Nikola’s Two hydrogen-electric powered semi trucks in action, visit .

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The Arizona Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ Foundation released a new policy brief Monday that indicates the new decade is likely to see substantial growth in Arizona’s autonomous vehicle industry.

“Economic Impacts of Advancing Arizona’s Competitive Position in the Autonomous Vehicle Industry,� the analysis authored by economist Jim Rounds and his team at Rounds Consulting Group, said Arizona is well positioned to capture a disproportionate percentage of the long-term economic benefits of the industry.

“Autonomous vehicle technology and testing has been growing in Arizona because of a strategic effort by the governor and other state and local lawmakers,” Rounds said. “When new technology is being developed such as AV, those early entries into the development process tend to earn a higher share of future economic activity.”

The national AV industry is expected to grow to $557 billion by 2026, and the automotive and tech sectors will have invested about $61 billion in development by 2023.

Rounds’ analysis also found that Arizona could increase its state and local tax collections by approximately $500 million by 2030, a number he said is conservative.

“We calculated the impact of the autonomous vehicle industry in Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­sing various models and assumptions, and any way you cut it, it’s clear that Arizona’s policies have positioned our state to reap a disproportionate share of the benefit from this growing industry,â€� Rounds said.

Glenn Hamer, chairman of the Arizona Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ Foundation, said the data makes it clear that Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey and the state Legislature are making a conscious decision to welcome new and growing business into the state, leading to the development of “the most exciting technological advancement in the 21^st century’s third decade.â€�

“Since 2015 when Gov. Ducey issued an executive order establishing the state’s support for AV technology, research and development, manufacturing and testing have all taken off,� he said. “That doesn’t happen without a regulatory environment that is encouraging this burgeoning sector to get off the ground.�

Arizona is one of just 11 states whose governors have issued executive orders specifically encouraging growth in the AV tech sector.

Ducey issued a second executive order in 2018 updating guidelines to meet technological developments and creating the Institute of Automated Mobility under the Arizona Commerce Authority, a public-private consortium of businesses, higher education institutions and government officials to promote greater collaboration in the AV industry.

According to the analysis, if Arizona companies invest just $6.1 billion in AV-related research and development, it would lead to nearly 40,000 direct new jobs and $4.3 billion in economic output, with another 35,000 new indirect jobs.

“The ideal situation is for the state to be the Southwest hub for not just testing, but for R&D and manufacturing of related products,” Rounds said. “This industry is going to be very large, and even a small share of the economic and fiscal benefits will be sizable.”

Rounds said the return on investment for the AV industry is among the highest he’s ever seen for a policy-related issue.

The policy brief also addressed road safety, a widespread issue in Arizona, where more than 1,000 people die each year due to auto accidents. Automation could dramatically reduce the danger of vehicular travel if used more broadly, according to estimates from national consulting firms.

“As the father of a teen driver and two more who will be behind the wheel very soon, the positive effect this technology has on driver safety can’t be ignored,� Hamer said. “Safer roads, lower insurance costs, and more jobs is a sort of triple crown of transportation public policy.�

To read the full analysis,

Banner photo source: Waymo

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Hawaiian Airlines celebrated its new IT Center in Tempe with a traditional Hawaiian blessing ceremony Monday.

The 15,000-square-foot facility first opened its doors at the Hayden Ferry Lakeside multi-use development at Tempe Town Lake on July 1, 2019.

The formal Hawaiian blessing of the airline’s first tech-centric office space outside of Honolulu was preceded by words from corporate and local leaders.

‘Ohana’ means family

“This is very much a tradition for us,â€� said Peter Ingram, president and CEO of Hawaiian Airlines. “One of the things that’s really important for us as we branch out to this new facility is to make sure that all of you that have joined our ´Ç³ó²¹²Ô²¹Ìýknow that you are very much a part of the Hawaiian Airlines team.â€�

Ohana is the Hawaiian word for “family.�

The airline has more than 7,300 employees, about 90 percent of whom work in or around the corporate headquarters in Honolulu, according to Ingram.

Ingram told his Tempe employees he wants them to feel just as comfortable working for Hawaiian Airlines as their counterparts in the Pacific, and “part of that is bringing the tradition of the blessing.�

“I’ve had the pleasure in my going-on-15 years at Hawaiian of being a part of a lot of blessings as we’ve brought in new facilities and new aircraft and started new ventures,� he said.

John Jacobi, senior vice president of information technology (IT) for Hawaiian Airlines, spoke next, remarking about how quickly the office had grown since opening in its current space.

“Now, we’re about 60 strong, so we’ve created ohana of 60 great individuals here,� he said. “And I’ll tell you, every time I come here the energy of this place just gets me fired up, and it’s such a pleasure to be a part of this.�

Tempe Mayor Mark Mitchell, also in attendance, said Tempe is a city of choice and that he was glad Hawaiian Airlines chose his city.

“You could have picked anywhere to locate,� he said. “ is the No. 1 job creator and industry, not only in this state but in Maricopa County, so having your IT office here for Hawaiian Airlines really does make sense.�

Ingram credited Mitchell and Kevin Sullivan, executive vice president of sales and client services for the Arizona Commerce Authority, for their help opening the new office.

“As the mayor mentioned, you have choices,� Sullivan said. “The location, the amenities and the accessibility to ASU is tremendous.�

The blessing

Keoni Martin from the Hawaiian Airlines community relations team introduced the formal Hawaiian blessing.

“The first thing in the blessing is the chant, and the one thing I want to recognize is the native people of this place in Arizona and say ‘a±ô´Ç³ó²¹â€™ to the natives and thank you for your hookipa, your hospitality here on this land,â€� Martin said.

Martin pointed to a large wooden bowl:

“In the koa bowl, we have water, and we all need water to survive; it sustains life,� he said. “We have Hawaiian salt — paakai — and that’s to preserve: To preserve everything about the blessing, to preserve… all of the mana, or the energy that we’re all sharing with each other today.�

Simple, yet elegant

After the blessing, employees and visitors were led into the IT Center itself — a clean, modern, open workspace with panoramic views of Tempe Town Lake and a cafeteria that looks out across the lake at Papago Park and Camelback Mountain beyond it.

Ingram said the proximity of the offices to reminds him of downtown Honolulu, where the buildings overlook the airport (and the airline’s headquarters) and onlookers can see planes taking off before banking out over the ocean.

He said the idea of an IT office in another state has been a topic of conversation, especially because robust tech talent is difficult to come by in Hawaii, where Hawaiian Airlines is already one of the largest private employers.

“We’ve supplemented that by bringing in a lot of contractors through third-party developers and different service providers,� he said.

But outside contractors are expensive; talented, in-house employees are much more valuable to a company looking to completely modernize and integrate its tech platforms. Ingram and his team decided to finally take the plunge.

“We looked at a lot of things, including livability, access to technology talent, places where there might be some people with airline experience,� he said. “And as we stacked up all of those and started to build a relationship with Arizona State University, the Greater Phoenix area really rose to the top of the list.�

Tempe’s proximity to ASU sealed the deal, and Ingram said he “couldn’t be happier.�

‘The high-tech stuff’

Jacobi said the company needed specific technology talent — “some of the high-tech stuff.�

Hawaiian Airlines has been revamping its customer interfaces to create a better user experience and stay competitive with other airlines.

“Most of it’s been around integrations — getting unlike systems to talk to each other,� Jacobi said. “And then, too, our customer touch points: The mobile, the kiosks, the web, and those kinds of things, to improve the guest experience.�

But the company needed “different ponds to fish in,� according to Ingram.

Jacobi said Hawaiian Airlines hired , an Irish-owned multinational professional services company, to help analyze what city would work best for an IT Center in terms of cost of living, skill sets of workers, local government, community, universities and more — and Tempe rose to the top.

“We get some really good technical talent that are employees instead of contractors,� Jacobi said. “Basically, our development arm and our technical kind of skill sets are going to be located here — developers, testers and stuff like that — the people that interface with the business are going to primarily be in Honolulu.�

Hawaiian [Airlines] culture

Ingram said Hawaiian Airlines has “a strong culture and a tightknit sense of ohana.�

“That is something that we’ve recognized over the last couple of years as we expand and grow and add new people to the organization and expand geographically,� he said.

The company went through an exercise last year to seek out some of its best employees who exemplify the airline at its optimal standards. The findings helped determine the company’s key values, Ingram said.

Moving forward, the company will be focused on four ideals: ²ÑÄå±ô²¹³¾²¹, which means caring; hookipa, which means hospitality; ±ôÅ�°ì²¹³ó¾±, or togetherness and unity; and ±è´Ç’o°ì±ð±ô²¹, which is about striving for excellence.

“The four of those, when we do those, and we’re all focused on that as our core values — I think we’ve got an unstoppable team and we can really do great things together,� Ingram said.

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Arizona elected officials and business leaders are voicing support this week for new legislation to advance the development of Interstate 11, a proposed highway route between northwestern Nevada and Arizona’s southern border.

Interstate 11 Coalition executive director Scott Higginson, coalition chairman John Ragan, president David Martin and board member Glenn Hamer, president and CEO of the Arizona Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ of Commerce and Industry, wrote a letter to members of the Arizona congressional delegation — Sens. Martha McSally and Kyrsten Sinema and Reps. Greg Stanton and Paul Gosar — urging them to consider the bill to advance the I-11 project.

“On behalf of the Board of Directors of The Interstate 11 Coalition we offer our thanks and express our full support for the legislation you have drafted to advance the development of Interstate 11 and bring the resources of the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) into the process at such a critical time,� the letter began.

“The development of Interstate 11 is crucial to the economic viability of Arizona and Nevada, as well as the entire Intermountain West,� the letter continued. “Completion of Interstate 11 will enhance the commerce connectivity with Mexico and the growing industrial markets of both states.�

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey wrote a letter to McSally last month also asserting support for expanding Arizona’s transportation infrastructure.

“As one of the fastest-growing states in the nation it is critical that our infrastructure keep pace,� Ducey said. “Arizona has added more than 300,000 new private-sector jobs since 2015, and Arizona exported more than $9.7 billion to Canada and Mexico in 2017 alone. Modernizing our trade routes is important to the continued growth of our state and nation.�

John Halikowski, director of the Arizona Department of Transportation, also wrote a letter to McSally.

“I am writing to express my appreciation for your efforts to acquire additional technical and financial assistance for transportation infrastructure projects in Arizona,� Halikowski wrote.

“As you know, Arizona continues to grow as a destination to live, work and play,� he continued. “Since the end of the Great Recession, Arizona has returned to its prominent place as a leader in job growth and economic opportunity. However, the economic and population growth requires additional transportation options.�

Halikowski said the proposed legislation would recognize that current (Tier I) funding for I-11 should continue while additional financial and technical support will be required from USDOT to begin the Tier II Environmental Review Process, the next necessary step in making I-11 a reality.

“As you know, Arizona’s growth has required us to innovate and use every resource available to provide the safest and most effective transportation system available,� Halikowski said in his letter. “In order to ensure that Arizona does not lose resources for projects in the state’s current transportation plan, it’s critical that the financial assistance provided by the Secretary of Transportation not be reallocated from existing formula funding.�

Ducey reiterated that last point in his letter, calling I-11 a “key route� for trade in Arizona and nationwide.

“Interstate 11 will be a significant improvement to Arizona’s system of high-priority, high-capacity, access-controlled transportation corridors in the state,� Ducey said. “Specifically, Interstate 11 will increase capacity for trade and commerce with Mexico and Canada throughout the Intermountain West and is expected to relieve congestion in downtown Phoenix.�

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Transportation network and ride-hailing app developer Lyft opened its first fully-integrated Driver Center in Phoenix with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Tuesday.

The new 20,000-square-foot Driver Center is meant to save drivers time by creating an ultra-efficient vehicle maintenance and service station that offers all necessary vehicle services in one convenient location, at or below market prices.

“Drivers have been telling us for a long time that maintaining their vehicle and getting repairs and services is a considerable expense for them,� said Neha Ajmera, senior director of fleet services for Lyft in San Francisco.

Repairs and routine maintenance can sometimes comprise 50 percent of a driver’s operating costs, she said.

“Generally, 60 percent of drivers say that they distrust their repair shops and are dissatisfied with their service,� Ajmera said. “The other thing is — it’s kind of slow.�

Lyft’s new Driver Center is focused on completing services more quickly in order to get drivers back on the road sooner.

“Our services are quite cutting-edge in that we try to minimize the time that the vehicle actually spends in our shop,� said Drena Kusari, regional director for Lyft’s southwest region. “It’s kind of like a race car pit stop mechanism in that we have multiple mechanics working on the car at the same time. This gets the car in and out of the shop as quickly as possible in an effort to optimize the time that the driver actually has access to the vehicle and therefore are able to earn on the road.�

Kusari said Phoenix is one of the largest markets in the country and continues to grow rapidly, making it a good location for a center.

The Driver Center offers a complete experience, with free refreshments and Wifi and plenty of Lyft team members present to answer drivers’ questions, she said.

“In Phoenix, aside from the Driver Center, we also have three Express Drive locations connecting Lyft drivers to rental vehicles with standard maintenance and insurance coverage,� Kusari said.

Another new service Lyft is offering is called Lyft Direct — a bank account and debit card that are tied directly to the driver’s Lyft account, making their earnings available instantly.

“Let’s say a driver gives a ride, they earn $15 — they can access that money instantly, which is fantastic,� Kusari said. “At the same time, the card enables them to get money or cash back.�

Aurelia Barbour, who drives for Lyft, said the new center would prove beneficial in a lot of ways.

“I’ve gone to so many places to get my vehicle fixed, and I was wondering if they were up-selling me,� she said. “Now, I feel comfortable bringing it here, because they know that I need to get back out on the road, so it’s going to be done quickly, and I can afford it.�

Barbour, who has five children, said a normal mechanic’s shop has a number of ways for kids to get hurt or break something, but the new Driver Center has space for kids to sit or play safely.

Glenn Hamer, president and CEO of the Arizona Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ of Commerce and Industry, congratulated Lyft at the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

“The Arizona Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ has been proud to advocate on behalf of the ride-sharing industry, alongside our great Gov. Doug Ducey, who since taking office in 2015 has made great strides in creating a welcoming environment for next-generation technology in Arizona,â€� Hamer said. “We’ve seen first-hand the significant impact Lyft has had in our communities, both in Arizona and across the country.â€�

According to Hamer, Lyft has made communities safer by reducing the number of impaired drivers on the road, reducing traffic and greenhouse emissions and making transportation more accessible to all communities.

The work that all of you are doing isn’t just important for Lyft — isn’t just important for Lyft employees and the company — but it’s important for the broader community,� he said.

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The Arizona Department of Transportation was honored in Washington, D.C., last month for its wrong-way driver detection system being tested on Interstate 17 in Phoenix.

ADOT’s project is one of seven in the United States to receive the 2019 National Roadway Safety Award from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Roadway Safety Foundation, which recognizes roadway safety achievements that move the U.S. toward zero vehicle-related deaths or serious injuries.

“I’m gratified that the hard work of our team in developing this first-in-the-nation system is recognized,� ADOT Director John Halikowski said.

“This award acknowledges a key part of Arizona’s aggressive, coordinated response to reduce the risk of serious crashes caused by wrong-way drivers and make our roads safer,� Gov. Doug Ducey said.

The $4 million system is the first of its kind in the nation. It was installed along 15 miles of I-17 and uses 90 thermal cameras to detect and track wrong-way drivers entering off-ramps or traveling along I-17, immediately alerting ADOT and the Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS).

Wrong-way driving incidents have only been increasing in Arizona in recent years. From Jan. 1 to mid-August of this year, there were 1,175 wrong-way incidents in the state, up from 1,057 during the same time in 2018, according to from the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety.

A wrong-way driver injured two Tempe police officers , colliding with their vehicles on State Route 51 in the early morning hours of Nov. 4.

“The results have been promising as we work to reduce risks associated with often-impaired wrong-way drivers,� Halikowski said.

ADOT’s system is intended to save DPS troopers valuable time responding to incidents rather than waiting for 911 calls from other motorists. The system also lets ADOT post immediate alerts to drivers on lighted signs overhead. Detection also triggers illuminated wrong-way signs with flashing red lights to try and get the wrong-way driver’s attention.

“In addition to innovative engineering that’s leading the nation, we’ve increased penalties for those who drive the wrong way while impaired and invested in having more state troopers patrolling during nighttime hours, when wrong-way driving occurs most,� Ducey said.

Since the system was installed in early 2018, it has detected more than 90 wrong-way driving incidents.

ADOT said it is completing an evaluation of the system to determine which elements can be used on other freeways, including Loop 202.

“We have more work to do, and improving safety for all our road users will continue to be a priority,� Ducey said.

Photo by Doc Searls .

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Self-driving truck company TuSimple and Pima Community College announced a new autonomous driving certificate program for truck drivers.

The will teach experienced truck drivers how to operate and work with autonomous trucks in a 12-credit program that can be completed in as little as one semester. The program requires a Class A Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) prior to enrollment, and drivers will build on their existing knowledge.

“Today is another important milestone in the transformation of Pima Community College, as well as the community of Tucson and the greater Pima County and beyond,� said Lee Lambert, chancellor of Pima Community College. “At Pima, we’re not interested in being mediocre; we’re not interested in status quo. We’re interested in major disruption that these technologies I referred to earlier are really driving in every sector of our economy.�

and Pima Community College co-created a program curriculum comprising five classes: Introduction to Autonomous Vehicles, Industrial Safety, Computer Hardware Components, Electrical Systems I, and Transportation and Traffic Management.

TuSimple said it will prioritize hiring graduates of the program for jobs at its Tucson .

“It’s one-of-a-kind, first of its kind — and for the whole industry,� said Robert Brown, director of public affairs for TuSimple. “We hope this is the basis for a program for other companies to use… Arizona is a Mecca for autonomous vehicles, and we hope that this program grows beyond TuSimple and .�

The program — and the self-driving truck industry — is meant to be a “positive disruption,� offering new, more exciting opportunities to drivers rather than eliminating the need for them, Brown said.

“We want drivers to be able to go up-skill themselves, get a better wage, have a better lifestyle and be home with their families every day and every night,� he said.

The program will be offered at Pima Community College in Tucson starting September 2019, with registration opening in August. Pima and TuSimple said they plan to collaborate with other schools to expand the program after it launches.

“We commend Pima Community College for offering this innovative and exciting program that can help address the acute driver shortage,� said Dr. Xiaodi Hou, founder, president and chief technology officer of TuSimple. “The program offers driving professionals a smooth transition into an emerging field that requires different skill sets in addition to existing truck driving knowledge by providing training.�

The that goes into creating autonomous vehicles require advanced degrees, but operating and maintaining the vehicles can be done by skilled technicians, said Tucson Mayor Jonathan Rothschild.

Because of the nature of the new technology, must be created to meet the needs of industry, developing skills specific to emerging technologies, he said.

“When we’re talking to companies, trying to bring companies to this community, one of the things everybody is always concerned about is, ‘Do you have the appropriate workforce?’â€� Rothschild said. “Well, technology moves so fast now that we can say ‘yes,’ but a year from now the answer could be ‘no,’ unless we have places of higher education that are willing to go out to these companies and say, ‘What do you need? We will get it for you,’ and that’s exactly what Pima’s doing.â€�

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