The Arizona Association for Economic Development (AAED) has named City of Winslow Economic Development Director Jack Fitchett its 2026 Economic Developer of the Year for a small community. The award, part of AAED’s annual Economic Development Distinguished by Excellence (EDDE) honors, was presented at the group’s Spring Conference at the El Conquistador Resort in Oro Valley. The EDDE Awards recognize standout work by the individuals and organizations that have meaningfully contributed to Arizona’s economic growth, with winners chosen from nominations submitted by AAED members.
What set Fitchett apart was the scale of what a small northeastern Arizona town has put in motion under his tenure. In just two years with Winslow, he negotiated a planned area development agreement with master developer Atlas Global covering more than 1,500 acres and has been projected over 20 years to generate 5,500 direct jobs, 3,600 indirect jobs, $2 billion in economic impact and $68 million in tax revenue.
Fitchett also secured more than $16 million in federal Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) grant funding for the I40 Trade Corridor and negotiated a 300-acre logistics hub agreement with Global Logistic Development Partners. Together, the projects position a city long defined by Route 66 and the BNSF transcontinental rail line to become a logistics and manufacturing hub serving a large share of the U.S. population within a two- to three-day drive.
Before Winslow, Fitchett spent several years with the City of Flagstaff, first as a management analyst in the city manager’s office and then as business attraction manager, where he helped land UACJ Automotive Whitehall Industries, an electric-vehicle parts manufacturer. That deal promised more than 350 jobs and a $65 million investment and was recognized as “Deal of the Year” by both the Economic Collaborative of Northern Arizona (ECoNA) and AAED. A lifelong Arizonan with a master’s in public administration from the University of Arizona, he was AAED’s New Member of the Year in 2022 and, in 2023, became the youngest person elected to its Board of Directors, where he continues to serve.
