Kirk Hand

The Executive Committee meeting commenced with a roll call establishing a quorum. Key actions included moving into and subsequently returning from an Executive Session. Upon returning to Public Session, the Committee approved changes to the ACA CEO Employment Agreement as discussed during the Executive Session.

The agenda for the public meeting of the Arizona Space Commission Board of Directors includes several key discussion points. These cover remarks from the City of Yuma Mayor, an update on the Yuma Spaceport, and several Commission Updates, specifically concerning the Charter, Strategic Planning and Working Groups, the Space Marshall Designation Process, and Legislative Strategy. The updates also mention a joint session planned for February 11th with the Arizona House Committee on AI & Innovation/Arizona Aerospace State Association. A working lunch is scheduled to discuss Yuma A&D Regional Assets.

The agenda for the meeting includes a Call to Order and Roll Call, followed by the consideration for approval of a Recommendation Letter to the Arizona Commerce Authority from the Municipality Time Frames Advisory Committee. The agenda also sets aside time for the public to comment before adjournment. The committee retains the right to enter into executive session to obtain legal advice on any listed matter.

The committee reviewed the results of the Fiscal Year 2025 Municipality Time Frames Data Collection Survey, noting challenges in obtaining responses from over 30 municipalities and referencing a well-attended informational webinar. Discussions focused on the usefulness of year-over-year data comparisons, the variation in permitting timelines across cities, and the process for distributing the final report (to the Governor and State Legislature). Action items included suggesting a thank-you letter to participating municipalities. During a subsequent discussion on recommendations for economic development projects, the committee emphasized the need for data-driven recommendations focusing on identifying trends, best practices, and ways government can reduce timelines. Specific topics mentioned included sharing best practices from larger cities, considering regional economic development framing, and addressing software system differences and high workloads. The committee also noted future interest from the Cities of Phoenix and Mesa to present findings.

The meeting commenced with a welcome from the Dean of the College of Business, Security and Intelligence at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, affirming their partnership. A significant portion of the meeting involved remarks from former NASA CFO Jeff DeWitt, who offered insights on international competition, the success of NASA iTech, and advised on advocating for Arizona projects at NASA. In strategic planning, subcommittees were tasked with drafting and uploading SWOT analyses before the next meeting. Working group leaders provided updates on infrastructure, capital formation, research and development, and public policy. Progress on legislative strategy included setting a goal to estimate potential project costs for presentation to the State legislature. Updates on space-related events included scheduling a major conference in Tucson and considering an endorsement and logo usage request for the Arizona Rising event.