Don Cardon

President and CEO, Arizona Commerce Authority

Don Cardon's background includes a combination of successful private sector entrepreneurial activity and public service. Wherever he participates, Don Cardon is a visionary leader who thrives on implementing creative strategies and consensus building.

Don Cardon began his career in Longview, WA as Director of the Longview Housing Authority. He also worked for Longview as Economic Development Director where, against great obstacles, he attracted high-tech and electronics manufacturers to develop a vitally needed industrial park. In Arizona, Mr. Cardon has served as the Deputy Housing Director for the city of Phoenix and at the state level as Director of the Arizona Department of Housing.

In the private sector, Mr. Cardon leveraged his entrepreneurial creativity as President and CEO of Cardon Development Group, where he successfully competed for public financing to create substantial multi-family housing developments throughout Arizona. Also as a private developer, he applied his visionary and consensus building abilities through the creation of Phoenix Future — a collaboration of key business, political and financial leaders who initiated CityScape, a three city-block mixed-use $1.2 billion development in downtown Phoenix. Mr. Cardon's obstacle hurdling tenacity and leadership has been widely acknowledged as the sole catalyst for this development — Phoenix's largest mixed-use commercial project located in the very heart of the city.

In May 2009, Mr. Cardon accepted a challenge offered by Governor Jan Brewer to become the Director of the Arizona Department of Commerce. Applying his typical innovative approach, Director Cardon assessed the need for change and has led the organization into reformation as a more effective economic development organization. In February 2011, Governor Jan Brewer signed into law The Arizona Competitiveness Package that implemented Mr. Cardon's vision for vast changes to the way Arizona attracts, grows and retains businesses. In addition to creating many new economic business incentive tools, the legislation freed the Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA) from a host of mandates and empowered a new public-private board to actively participate in leading the state forward. The ACA Board provides a unique blending of top government officials and impressive Arizona business leaders including notable business and sports leader Jerry Colangelo who co-chairs the board with Governor Brewer. Don Cardon serves as President and CEO for the new organization.

Mr. Cardon completed his undergraduate studies at Point Loma College and he was awarded the "Outstanding Graduate Award" upon completing his Masters of Public Administration from Lewis and Clark College in 1996.

In May 2011 Don Cardon was recognized by the Phoenix Business Journal as one of the Valley's 25 Most Admired CEOs.