New year, new Pinal County Board of Supervisors
By Madelaine Braggs | Rose Law Group Reporter
Pinal County supervisors have a few tricks up their sleeves for 2021. The Board welcomed new members this year, and with them a fresh perspective on how to continue developing business in the area. Supervisors Kevin Cavanaugh, Mike Goodman, Steve Miller, Jeff McClure and Jeff Serdy joined Pinal Partnership Friday for a moderated discussion by Rose Law Group founder and President Jordan Rose to reflect on their successes from last year and new projects going forward.
Here are some excerpts from the conversation:
What’s your favorite thing about being supervisor and the most surprising?
Chairman Steve Miller:
“Nothing surprises me anymore. Every day’s a new day and we never know what’s gonna come about. I just take it all in stride. My favorite thing is having the ability to help the guy on the street navigate through the waters of government. I enjoyed that as a city councilman and I enjoy it now as a supervisor. It can be daunting at times, but what seems small to one person can be a big deal to someone else. The most rewarding part of the job is to help someone get an answer.”
“Our job is to represent the public not just in policy decisions but to also advocate for them through the process,” he added.
Vice Chairman Mike Goodman:
“I love the people and being able to work with them. I got in to this to make a difference, to look at some of the issues around us and be an influence in the community for the good. The most challenging part of the job was when I first came in to office. I saw the disconnect between different governing agencies and focused on improving those relationships, because we count on each other, from the ACC all the way down to transportation.”
Supervisor Jeff McClure:
“My favorite thing is the support I’ve found in the county agencies. Like Serdy said, it’s hard to be out in a remote area, but you make a phone call and someone will get whatever information you need on your computer. I ran business for 30 years and it was always me who had to do everything but now you have people behind you. You ask ‘who takes care of that’ and boom- you are pointed in the right direction. I’ve been watching the process for a few years and the amount of information you have to find and shuffle together is the most surprising part, but I’m having a lot of fun.”
Supervisor Kevin Cavanaugh:
“My favorite thing is providing new or better solutions for problems in the district. I’m a systems person, so I’m developing procedures and processes that people can follow and improve over the course of time. Whether I’m there for just four years or whether someone takes over, I want to leave whoever follows a good legacy to follow. The most surprising is the number of hours I’ve been putting in, 10-12 hours a day and a little bit on Sat. It’s a lot of time learning every nook and cranny of the district, the people and the processes.”
(Supervisor Jeff Serdy served as Apache Junction Mayor for two terms before joining the Pinal County Board of Supervisors.)
More coverage: Pinal ‘slowly transitioning’ to a manufacturing economy
Pinal Partnership members can view a recording of the event for free. Reach out to Melissa Johnson if you are a member needing the access code or if you are a non-member interested in learning more about joining. You can view our various membership opportunities here.
