2024 CANDIDATE EDITION
With a dynamic career spanning over two decades in the energy, water, and infrastructure sectors, I currently lead as a Senior Engineer within the Electric Vehicle (EV) group at Salt River Project (SRP). At the forefront of SRP's managed charging initiatives, my role is crucial in shaping the future of electric vehicle integration. My work is driven by a passion for innovation and sustainability, evidenced by significant achievements, including being named in the Phoenix Business Journal's 2018 40 under 40 for my impactful leadership and my involvement as a member of the 2023 class of the Flinn-Brown Fellowship through the Arizona Center for Civic Leadership.
My professional journey is marked by a commitment to excellence and a deep understanding of energy efficiency and sustainable infrastructure development complexities. As a registered Professional Engineer, Certified Energy Manager, and Certified Demand Side Manager, I specialize in leading complex projects to fruition. My approach combines advanced business analytics and systems engineering principles to address the pressing challenges of energy and water resource management. Outside of SRP, I contribute my expertise as the Chairman of the Planning Commission for Gilbert, Arizona, guiding urban planning and community development towards sustainability. Furthermore, as the Founder and former President of Nexus Integrated Solutions, I played a pivotal role in establishing the firm as a leader in sustainability solutions in Arizona. My transition to a private investor and shareholder status allows me to focus on strategic projects at SRP and continue my extensive civic engagement, reflecting my unwavering dedication to making a lasting impact on the community and the environment.
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Guiding Growth: Conversations with Community Leaders
Join our hosts, Sarah Watts and Ben Kalkman, as we explore the human journey of leaders - their stories of humility, triumph, roadblocks, and lessons learned - as they reflect on how they became who they are today and share stories of inspiration and hope with listeners. We'll take away the title, just for a moment, and enjoy a connection with the soul.
Be sure to subscribe to our show for more interviews with community leaders.
This podcast is brought to you by the Gilbert Chamber of Commerce and Modern Moments. Learn more about our show at https://guidinggrowth.co. View our Privacy Policy at https://modernmoments.com/privacy
Guiding Growth
Conversations with Community Leaders
So often, we define ourselves and others by a title or label. But, who is the person behind the success? Leaders are inspiring, memorable, and often a mystery to those whom they inspire.
Join our hosts, Sarah Watts and Ben Kalkman, as we explore the human journey of leaders - their stories of humility, triumph, roadblocks, and lessons learned - as they reflect on how they became who they are today and share stories of inspiration and hope with listeners.
We'll take away the title, just for a moment, and enjoy a connection with the soul.
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Guiding Growth is brought to you by the Gilbert Chamber of Commerce and Modern Moments
Meet the Hosts
Sarah Watts was named the President & CEO of the Gilbert Chamber of Commerce in July 2020. She joined the Chamber’s team in 2008, and throughout her career, has placed emphasis on collaborative dialogue across industry sectors and job functions and enjoys bringing diverse groups together to solve the challenges that the community may encounter.
Sarah is a graduate (summa cum laude) of Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication with a BA in Journalism, emphasis in Public Relations, and a minor in Communication (2002). She is a graduate of the Gilbert Leadership program (Class 21), and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Talent Pipeline Management (2019) and Institute for Organizational Management (2020) programs.
Sarah lives in Gilbert, Arizona, with her husband, two children, and two dogs.
Ben Kalkman is the founder of several businesses, including Rocket Media, a marketing agency, and Modern Moments, a wedding and event venue. Creating solutions to solve problems is a key ingredient in what drives Ben’s professional inspiration. Ben lives by a simple purpose, to lead, by living a balanced and focused life and caring enough to make a significant difference in all that I do.
Ben is a graduate of Kansas State University with a BFA degree in graphic design and communication arts. He is a graduate of the Gilbert Leadership program (Class 25), currently serves on the board for Gilbert Parks & Recreation, and is part of several podcast shows, including, Guiding Growth, Shorts-N-Suits, and Modern Moments Blogcast.
Ben resides in Gilbert, Arizona, with his wife and nine children.