Meeting/Event Information

Southern AZ on the Global Stage: Insights in Regional Foreign Direct Investment Initiatives

What opportunities emerge when Southern Arizona takes its message directly to international investors? Join us for a conversation on the recent Taiwan economic mission and the partnerships being developed to support long-term regional growth. The program will highlight economic development successes, foreign direct investment initiatives, strategic land opportunities, and the collaborative efforts of Pima County, City of Tucson, University of Arizona, and Arizona Commerce Authority to attract leading technology and advanced manufacturing companies to the region.

Heath S. Vescovi-chiordi
Director of Economic Development
Pima County

Heath S. Vescovi-Chiordi, MPA, AZED Pro is the Director of Economic Development for Pima County, where he leads regional initiatives focused on business attraction, workforce development, foreign direct investment, and economic growth. He has played a key role in major projects, including American Battery Factory and Project Blue, while helping shape the County's Economic Development Strategic Plan.

A graduate of the University of Arizona with degrees in Political Science, Spanish, and a Master's in Public Administration, Heath previously held several leadership positions with the Town of Marana. He is President of the Arizona Association for Economic Development (AAED), a recipient of AAED's 2024 Economic Developer of the Year for a Large Community award, and teaches Economic Development and Local Government Administration at the University of Arizona's School of Government and Public Policy.

Mike Czechowski, CEcD is the Chief Economic Development Officer for the Office of Economic and Community Impact with the City of Tucson. He is the Economic Development lead and supervisor for marketing and attraction, business retention and expansion, international trade, as well as annexation.
 
Since July 2012 Mike has served the City of Tucson and the public constituency in this position. During this time, he has completed more than 40 annexations, totaling just over eleven square miles. Mike has also negotiated and completed more than two dozen development agreements with new companies locating to Tucson and local companies wishing to expand, including American Battery Factory, Bass Pro Shops, AC Marriott, and Northwest Hospital Houghton. This has resulted in investments of more than one billion dollars and the creation of more than 3200 jobs.

Mike was named AAED Economic Developer of the Year for large communities in 2025.

Krishna Muralidharan is a Professor in the department of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Arizona, with joint appointments at the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, and the Graduate Interdisciplinary Program in Applied Math. He currently serves as the Director of the Center for Semiconductor Manufacturing at the University of Arizona. His research focuses on implementing integrated computational materials engineering paradigms to push the frontiers of semiconductor device technologies, advanced manufacturing, multiscale energy storage systems, and planetary materials analysis. Muralidharan got his PhD from the University of Arizona in 2004, and prior to joining the University of Arizona as a faculty member, he worked at Los Alamos National Laboratory and at the University of Florida.

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The last day to register for the upcoming luncheon is September 3rd, 2026 by noon. Please be advised that no refunds will be issued after this date.
Walk-ins will be admitted after 12:00 PM, space permitting, with an additional $10 charge.

By registering for this event, you consent to the use of your photograph on social media platforms and acknowledge that your details may be shared with our event sponsors. If you have any concerns or objections to this, please contact us before registering.

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