The Civic Champion Dinner, hosted by Arizona Democracy Resilience Network and Mormon Women for Ethical Government Arizona, took place on Tuesday, May 6. It was a truly inspiring evening celebrating Arizona business leaders dedicated to strengthening civic trust across the state.
The event successfully highlighted the crucial work being done by the seven honorees to bridge divides and foster constructive dialogue, including John Fees, CEO of GradGuard and Adam Goodman, CEO of Goodmans, co-chairs of Leadership Now Arizona – an affiliate of The Leadership Now Project, a national organization that engages centrist business leaders in protecting and renewing democracy.
During his acceptance speech, Adam powerfully articulated why this work is important to the business community and transcends traditional political lines:
“I understand the instinct to stay silent for business leaders; it’s messy and risky getting involved in politics, and it’s a no-win situation. But what John and I are doing, and the way we explain this to business leaders, [it] isn’t about politics. This is about the very infrastructure of our system. This is about the rule of law and democracy. And without rule of law and democracy, you can’t have markets functioning properly, you can’t have contract enforcement, you can’t have employees protected, you can’t hold leaders accountable. That’s what we’re talking about here. This is not about politics.”
The evening featured inspirational stories and remarks from all honorees, highlighting the many ways that business leaders are working to build a stronger, more resilient and connected Arizona, regardless of party affiliation.