SCIENCE FOUNDATION ARIZONA

Sandra Watson

Chairwoman

Sandra Watson is an economic development professional with 33 years of leadership experience in business attraction and expansion, innovation, entrepreneurship, economic policy and workforce development. Since 2011, Ms. Watson has served as President & CEO of the Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA), a public-private partnership that leads statewide economic development. The ACA has successfully landed 1,291 companies that have committed to creating more than 291,000 quality jobs and investing more than $166 billion in new capital in the state.

Ms. Watson is a collaborative leader who excels in strategic thinking and relationship building. She worked tirelessly to implement the new vision for the ACA, providing invaluable leadership and stability during its transition from the Department of Commerce into one of the nation’s first public-private partnerships focused on economic development. Under her leadership, she has achieved record results against two of the ACA’s five-year plans and is currently on track to exceed the goals of the organization’s third ambitious five-year business plan. From 2016-2023, Ms. Watson oversaw the Arizona Workforce Council and was the Director of the Arizona Office of Economic Opportunity, a data-driven team focused on economic and labor market analysis.

During her tenure as an economic development professional, Ms. Watson has had the privilege of serving six Arizona Governors and is currently a member of Governor Katie Hobbs’ cabinet. In 2022, Ms. Watson was selected to advise the U.S. Secretary of Commerce, Gina Raimondo, as a member of the U.S. Investment Advisory Council (IAC). The 20-member council is charged with identifying strategies for increasing foreign direct investment. In addition to her role as a member of the council, Ms. Watson is the Co- Chair of the IAC’s Workforce Subcommittee, and is responsible for leading the committees’ strategic recommendations for strengthening domestic talent. She is also a founding member and Chair of the State Economic Development Executives (SEDE) Network board, a nationwide forum for top state economic development and commerce officials.

With a penchant for science and emerging technologies, Ms. Watson holds several leadership positions across organizations that advance innovation. She is the Chair of Science Foundation Arizona, a founding partner on the Institute for Automated Mobility Board of Directors and a member of the National State Science and Technology Institute Board of Trustees. 

Ms. Watson began her career in Canada and earned an Honors Bachelor of Commerce degree from Laurentian University. She also completed the Global Leadership Certification program at the Thunderbird School of Global Management in Arizona. In addition to serving on numerous regional, statewide and national Boards of Directors and councils, Ms. Watson is passionate about her role as board member of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Arizona.

 

CRAIG BARRETT, PH.D.

Vice Chairman

Dr. Craig Barrett received a Ph.D. degree from Stanford. After joining Intel in 1974, he served as CEO and chairman, retiring in 2009. Dr. Barrett is a leading advocate for improving education and increasing awareness of the value of technology in raising economic and social standards globally. He chairs Achieve, Change The Equation, Arizona Ready Education Council, and BASIS Schools; co-chairs the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Advisory Board; vice chairs Science Foundation Arizona; and is on the Boards of Society for Science and the Public, K12, Arizona Commerce Authority, Tallwave, and Geothermic Solution. Dr. Barrett previously served as Chair of the National Academy of Engineering. He is on the faculty of Thunderbird School of Global Management, and Dr. Barrett and his wife, Barbara, founded Barrett, the Honors College at Arizona State University.

 

DONALD BUDINGER

Founding Chair

Mr. Budinger is one of the founders and president of Rodel Inc., a startup that grew to become the world’s largest manufacturer of the surface finishing chemicals used to make computer chips, rigid memory disks and specialty optics. Currently, Budinger is Chairman and Founding Director of the Rodel Foundations, and Board Member of The Morrison Institute, Greater Phoenix Economic Council, Basis Charter Schools and Greater Phoenix Leadership. In addition, Don serves on the Southern Arizona Leadership Council, Tucson Values Teachers and the O’Connor House Advisory Group.