Business Tips, Radio Show

Community Collaboration in Arizona – E10

community collaboration

Community collaboration in Arizona is on the rise. Business leaders, Tempe residents, and small business owners learn how to make a bigger impact by listening to this episode of Collaborative Connections Radio Show and Podcast.

Everything from COVID-19, to Black Lives Matter, to supporting local businesses, police reform, giving back, and more was discussed! During this time it is more important than ever for community collaboration to solve the problems we are facing.

Thomas Barr, Executive Director of Local First Arizona, Corey Woods, newly elected Mayor of the City of Tempe, and Jihan Cottrell, Account Executive at Cox Business joined Kelly Lorenzen on-air for this very special episode. They had a great conversation about current events, local business, and collaborative efforts to move us forward.

Now On YouTube: Collaborative Connections Radio Show and Podcast

Collaborative Connections Podcast

Listen to Collaborative Connections on Apple PodcastGoogle PodcastSpotifyPhoenix Business Radio X, or live every third Thursday of the month at 1 pm MST.

Special Guests for this episode were…

Mayor Corey Woods - Tempe
City of Tempe

City of Tempe, Mayor Corey Woods

Corey Woods was elected mayor of the City of Tempe in March 2020. In his professional career, he is the chief of staff at ASU Preparatory Academy. Woods is responsible for assisting the managing director with operations, external partnerships, and strategic initiatives. He previously served as the chief operating officer for the Greater Phoenix Urban League, director of college and career articulation for the Phoenix Union High School District and director of government relations for the American Lung Association of Arizona.

His personal commitment to community service extends to board memberships for many organizations including, Newtown Community Development Corporation, Friendship Village, and Landings Credit Union. Woods is also an emeritus board member of Equality Arizona, active member and past president of the Kiwanis Club of Tempe, former board chair for Children’s Action Alliance, and former two-term board president of the Tempe Boys and Girls Club – Ladmo Branch.

Woods served as a Councilmember for the City of Tempe from July 2008 – July 2016. He was elected to the Tempe City Council in May 2008 and reelected in March 2012. Woods was instrumental in guiding city policy that led to Tempe's perfect score in the Human Rights Campaign’s “Municipal Equality Index.” He championed initiatives in the areas of affordable housing and human services while working tirelessly to improve community development standards to attract business investment and protect neighborhoods.

Woods graduated from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor in April 2000 with a B.A. in Political Science, and a minor in African-American Studies. After college, Woods was a teaching assistant at ASU for three years. In May 2018, Woods earned a Master of Arts in Educational Policy from ASU’s Mary Lou Fulton College of Education.

Thomas Barr - Local First Arizona
Local First Arizona - Nonprofit business organization

Thomas Barr

Thomas Barr is the Executive Director for Local First Arizona, the largest coalition of local businesses in North America. He advocates for a strong local business community that contributes to building vibrancy, equity, and prosperity across the state. A proud Arizona native and graduate of Arizona State University, Thomas leads the business coalition of Local First Arizona. He advocates for the economic and cultural benefits provided by building strong local economies and leads the resources Local First provides to its network of over 3000 small businesses.

Outside of Local First Arizona, Thomas has participated in volunteering his time to many causes and organizations throughout Arizona including Young Nonprofit Professionals – Phoenix, Equality Arizona, Arizona Commission on the Arts, Heritage Square Foundation, Valley Leadership, and Phoenix Legal Action Network. Additionally, Thomas is a 2018 Phoenix Magazine 40 Under 40 honoree, alumni of Arizona Leading for Change, and alumni of Valley Leadership Institute’s 40th cohort.

Local First Arizona is a nonprofit organization that celebrates independent, locally owned businesses. We support, promote, and advocate for a strong local business community and raise public awareness of the economic and cultural benefits provided by strong local economies. Local businesses contribute to a sustainable economy for Arizona and build vibrant communities we’re all proud to call home.

Jihan Cottrell - cox business
cox business

Jihan Cottrell

Jihan Cottrell is an Account Executive with Cox Business and has fifteen years of telecommunications experience. He has had various sales, marketing and leadership roles. Jihan considers the opportunities to represent the Cox Business brand as an ambassador within the community as a highly engaging and fulfilling attribute of his role. Each client is a business partner to Jihan and is committed to delivering a level of customer support that is rarely experienced in the telecommunications industry today.

Jihan has served on board of directors for the Tempe Chamber of Commerce for four years and is currently the past chair. His direct involvement with the Tempe Chamber has served as a best practice within Cox Business by illustrating the value of developing key partnerships within the cities and communities that Cox Business serves.

He graduated from the University of Phoenix with a B.S. in Business Marketing & Business Management. Jihan moved to Arizona in 1998, becoming rooted in the valley with his wife of 21 years and 4 children. Outside of work, Jihan volunteers his time by coaching a variety of youth sports, most recently his daughter’s soccer team and son’s flag football team.

Cox Business provides Internet, transport, cloud and managed services, voice, video, network and physical security services to businesses across the country. They recently formed Cox2M to leverage smart technologies for its customers.  Within Arizona alone, Cox owns and manages a fiber optic network covering both the Phoenix and Tucson metropolitan areas. The Cox national network reaches from coast-to-coast, enabling Cox Business to be one of the largest providers of business Ethernet services in the U.S. In addition to the technology Cox provides, the company is committed to the local communities, which it serves through programs and charitable giving with primary focus on education, sustainability, and diversity.

Cox Communications is known for its pioneering efforts in broadband, voice and commercial services, industry-leading customer care and its outstanding workplaces. For 10 years, Cox has been recognized as a best operator for women by Women in Cable Telecommunications; Cox has ranked among DiversityInc’s Top 50 Companies for Diversity 13 times.


Tune in on the third Thursday of every month at 1:00 PM MST to hear amazing stories from phenomenal people that are impacting our community. Listen Live Here


Contact Information:

Kelly Lorenzen, CEO of KLM Consulting. klmconsultingaz@gmail.com, klmconsultingandmarketing.comLinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Youtube

Mayor Corey Woods, City of Tempe. corey_woods@tempe.gov, tempe.gov/goverment/mayor-and-city-council/corey-d-woods-mayorFacebook, Instagram, Twitter

Thomas Barr, Executive Director of Local First Arizona. thomas@localfirstaz.com, localfirstaz.comLinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter

Jihan Cottrell, Account Executive at Cox Business. baron.cottrell@cox.com, cox.com/businessLinkedIn

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