City of Tempe Mayor Corey Woods Thomas Barr with Local First Arizona and Jihan Cottrell with Cox Business E10
Are you a business leader in Arizona, Tempe resident, or small business owner? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you will definitely want to listen 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 covered!
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.
City of Tempe is a government organization providing public services and programs.
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.
Connect with Mayor Woods on Facebook and Twitter.
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.
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.
Connect with Thomas on LinkedIn and follow Local First Arizona on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Cox Business provides Internet, transport, cloud and managed services, voice, video, network and physical security services to businesses across the country. Cox 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.
Jihan Cottrell is an Account Executive with Cox Business and brings fifteen years of telecommunications experience which has encompassed 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.
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.
Before working for Cox, Jihan was the office manager for various national & regional optical chains, where he enjoyed developing, cultivating and leading teams that provided excellent customer care for clients. 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.
He views each client as a business partner and is committed to delivering a level of customer support that is rarely experienced in the telecommunications industry today.
About the Show
Kelly Lorenzen started the “Collaborative Connections” show to bring her clients and favorite charities together to meet each other, connect and collaborate in life and business. She hopes to build a stronger community one show at a time. 
About Our Sponsor
KLM Consulting is a business concierge and project management firm. They help small business owners and non-profits build, brand and brag about their businesses.
About Your Host
Kelly Lorenzen, CEO of KLM Consulting, is an award-winning entrepreneur with over 15 years of business-ownership experience. She is also a certified project management professional.
Kelly’s expertise is in business development, customer service, marketing, and sales.
Connect with Kelly on LinkedIn, and follow KLM Consulting on Facebook.
