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Gov Business Review: Specials Magazine
Maria Laughner
Rewriting Peoria’s Growth Equation
Maria Laughner has pushed the city to rethink the dynamics of economic development. Job creation and business attraction remain central to the role, but she treats housing, schools, infrastructure and daily life as parts of the same equation. The City of Peoria, Arizona, is known for its excellent lifestyle. Master-planned neighborhoods, wide landscaped roads and abundant parks and trails are part of the high-quality living the city offers. Yet, for a long time, this came with a cost. Many residents drove up to an hour each way to jobs elsewhere in the Phoenix region, losing close to two hours a day to the road and time away from their personal lives and families. For Laughner, bringing jobs closer to where residents already live is an important part of addressing that cost and strengthening the city’s economic development. A change of this scale needs a leadership team willing to commit publicly and repeatedly to growth. She points to the city council and city manager as the ones who set the direction for Peoria’s evolution from a bedroom community to an employment hub. Peoria is still in the middle of that shift. For decades, commercial and industrial development received less attention. The city is now making room for more of those uses through Peoria Innovation Core, 7,300 acres zoned for commercial and industrial development along a freeway corridor close to another employment center in Phoenix. The site sits far enough from existing neighborhoods that heavier industrial uses would not bother residents. Jobs remain central, since people need a way to earn a living and reach their own goals, but she treats them as just one part of what she calls a ‘live-work-play approach.’ Young residents bring spending, energy and civic engagement to the city. Planning for that population is as much a part of her job as planning for employers. A mix of housing types for different stages of life, not limited to single-family homes, matters. So do walkable and safe
Procurement
RAD Global Procurement
The Last Mile of Global Procurement
Edouard Radovic, Charles Radovic and Richard Radovic, Managing Directors
Government and defense procurement demands more than access to products. It requires technical precision, dependable suppliers, rigorous documentation, and accountability throughout delivery. RAD Global Procurement, a Canadian-based sourcing and supply chain partner with more than three decades of experience, helps government, defense, industrial, and commercial clients secure specialized equipment, spare parts, and hard-to-find components. Under the leadership of Managing Directors Edouard, Charles and Richard Radovic, the company connects international supply capabilities with Canadian procurement requirements, simplifying complex transactions from initial assessment to after-sales support.
Govt Consulting
GreenBridge Group is a policy and strategy advisory firm helping public entities and mission-driven organizations turn community priorities into actionable initiatives. Its work combines policy research, funding strategy, grant development, governance, and compliance support. Across healthcare, public health, infrastructure, and community development, the firm helps clients establish a practical path toward funding and implementation. GreenBridge Group does not treat sustainability as a fixed formula. What matters in one community may not matter in another. A city may be looking at green spaces or recycling, while another may be dealing with fleet electrification, energy storage or infrastructure resilience. It considers local priorities, procurement requirements, public health concerns and infrastructure needs before developing a strategy. The approach also puts infrastructure early in the conversation. Tiffany Alexander, President, GreenBridge Group says, “GreenBridge considers energy efficiency, mobility, stormwater, emergency preparedness, and public facilities early in the planning process to help clients avoid costly infrastructure decisions that may need to be revisited later.”
Gov Operations
City of Woodburn
Making Finance a Partner in Public Service
Anthony Turley, Finance Director, City of Woodburn
Anthony Turley is a public sector finance leader with 22 years of experience in city government, along with experience in school district finance, airport authority operations and financial reporting.
Public Services
E-Governance: Building the Digital Backbone of Modern Cities
Dr. Jon Galchik, Director of IT Operations & Support, City of Tulsa
Gov Operations
Economic Development, Traffic Congestion, and Road Safety
Emad Elshafei, Ph.D., P.E., PTOE, Chief of Traffic and Transportation, City of Rockville
Government Relations
Government Relations With a Focus on Legislative Engagement and Policy Strategy
Jenna Forty, Sr. Director of External Relations, Washington State Ferries, Washington State Department of Transportation
Gov Operations
Building Stronger Defenses as AI-Enabled Crime Evolves
Kent English, Chief Information Officer, Doña Ana County
Crisis Management
Preparing City Governments For a Digital Future
Craig Poley, Chief Information Officer, City of Arvada
IN MY OPINION
Govt Solutions
Leading Local Government through Trust, Collaboration and Long-Term Thinking
Joe Henderson, AICP, Town Administrator, Town of Sullivan's Island
LAST WORD
Public Affairs
Building Community through Events: Doing More with Less in Local Government
Amanda Wilson, Community Services Director, City of Dayton, Texas
IN FOCUS
Policy Research Services Strengthen Strategic Business Decision Making
Policy research helps organizations interpret regulatory developments, develop practical policies, manage risks, and strengthen long-term business planning.
Government Supply Chain Services Strengthening Public Sector Efficiency And Resilience
Government supply chain services leverage technology, resilience planning, and innovation to improve procurement efficiency, transparency, and public service delivery.
EDITORIAL
Public Service through Leadership, Technology and Accountability
Effective government depends on leaders who connect economic development, financial stewardship, technology and evidencebased policy with the needs of their communities. This edition of Govt Business Review examines the people and organizations contributing to public-sector capacity, responsible decisionmaking and the delivery of essential government services.
Cover story honoree Maria Laughner, Economic Development Services Director at the City of Peoria, is recognized as Economic Development Director of the Year 2026. Her involvement highlights the importance of economic development leaders in prioritizing the needs of the community. The recognition she receives shows the responsibilities that must be fulfilled by the local leaders who work at the interface of economic development and community development.
Anthony Turley, Finance Director at the City of Woodburn, earns recognition as one of the Top 10 City Finance Directors 2026, illustrating the importance of financial leadership in municipal government. Public finance directors help guide the stewardship of public resources and assist decisions that affect services and community priorities.
The edition also features RAD Global Procurement, awarded Top Government Supply Chain Services 2026 and Greenbridge Group, named Top Policy Research And Development Services 2026. Their respective categories bring procurement and policy research into focus as distinct contributors to public-sector decision-making. Together, these recognitions illustrate the importance of connecting purchasing needs, research abilities and policy development with government objectives.
The edition also features Craig Poley, Chief Information Officer at the City of Arvada and Dr. Jon Galchik, Director of IT Operations & Support at the City of Tulsa. Their inclusion brings municipal information technology leadership into the wider discussion of government effectiveness.
Together, these honorees and featured organizations illustrate the range of responsibilities involved in building capable public institutions. Read the full stories to explore how public-sector leaders and service providers contribute to stronger government decision-making and community outcomes.
