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MEET THE EXECUTIVE BOARD

The Executive Board of REAL AZ is comprised of powerful and dynamic business leaders from throughout the community. These business leaders help spearhead powerful network connections to link prospective industries to the resources they are in need of.

Chris Pasterz

Executive Director
REAL AZ

Chris Vasquez Pasterz, a citizen of both the United States and New Zealand, currently serves REAL AZ members utilizing his executive level leadership experience from multi-national business operations, business development and commercial and residential community lending. Chris believes that “creating economic opportunity in rural areas takes equal parts knowledge, access to capital and simply doing”. Delivering knowledge and financing with thousands of people and hundreds of businesses as the Director of a Community Development Financial Institution in eastern Washington, shaped his approach to economic development. “Respecting people, understanding their perspectives first and honestly contributing when the opportunities present themselves brings about economic stability for the residents of Navajo and Apache Counties and beyond”.

Having successfully navigated senior roles in multi-national corporations, partnerships in owning small-businesses and expanding the capacity of a non-profits have developed his diverse work background. In serving the members of REAL AZ, Chris seamlessly draws from multiple and contrasting work experiences and cultures to creatively and collaboratively solve problems. Examples include pioneering Economic Development work in a neighboring rural Northern Arizona county, to develop Forest Industry to attach major energy and infrastructure businesses to Northern Arizona. His ability to bring people, programs and resources together across multiple disciplines, multiple organizations and regional areas has created inter-connected network of development solutions available to residents of Navajo and Apache counties.

Creative problem solving can only be as effective as the human connections that are built amongst those involved. Chris’ leadership and involvement with community includes  Economic Development Committee Member of NACOG  (Northern Arizona Council of Governments), Chair of the NACOG Broadband Working Group, member of Navajo County’s Leadership Team, and regular contributor for multiple economic task teams, including the NACO (National Association of Counties)  Building Resilient Economies in Coal Communities – Northern Arizona Team, and alumni of the NACO Economic Mobility Network. Chris’s outgoing, affable, driven and kind personality quickly enables him to make friends and positive impacts for people and businesses across diverse cultures and backgrounds. Chris is a ‘need to know’ professional for business owners seeking to start or expand operations in Northeastern Arizona. He is willing and able to answer your questions and quickly help you find the right fit for your business in the REAL AZ.

Jason Whiting

Supervisor
Navajo County
Jason E. Whiting has served on the Navajo County Board of Supervisors since 2014. Supervisor Whiting represents District III, which includes the communities of Holbrook, Snowflake, Taylor, Woodruff, Shumway, Silver Lake Estates, White Mountain Lakes, Clay Springs, and a portion of Heber-Overgaard. Supervisor Whiting has served in the past on the Snowflake Town Council for six years, including as Vice-Mayor. He currently serves on the boards of several local and state organizations, including RealAZ, the Chairman of the Eastern Arizona Counties Association (ECO), the Chairman of the Natural Resource Working Group (NRWG), Arizona County Supervisors Association Legislative Policy Committee, President of the Arizona County Supervisors Association, 4-FRI Stakeholders, and the National Association of Counties Organization Public Lands Steering Committee. Community involvement and service is very important to Supervisor Whiting. Since moving home, Supervisor Whiting has served on the Northland Pioneer College (NPC) Foundation, the Snowflake/Taylor Chamber of Commerce, the Snowflake/Taylor Economic Development Committee, the Snowflake/Taylor Tourism Committee, and the Snowflake/Taylor Youth Football Board. Supervisor Whiting is a partner with The Mahoney Group, one of Arizona’s largest privately owned independent insurance agencies. He is active in his church and enjoys working with youth in our area as a football coach at Snowflake High School. Supervisor Whiting and his wife, Shanda, were both raised in northeastern Arizona and love raising their four children in District III. His family has been in this region for multiple generations and have served and partnered with its communities in many capacities over the years.

Preston Raban

Economic Development Director
Apache County
Preston Raban is the Economic Development Director for Apache County, Arizona. Before his role at Apache County, Preston served as a property procurement specialist seeking bank-owned, probate, bankruptcy, REOs, and other distressed properties that could be purchased, revitalized, and then sold to qualified investment partners all over the globe. His time spent serving in this capacity taught him what effects adding value to real property can have in reshaping depressed communities all over the country. His efforts helped give investors the opportunity to use real estate as a means to diversify their investment portfolios, all while revitalizing neighborhoods that have fallen subject to socio-economic stressors that had caused degradation to the communities where they are located. Being raised in small-town U.S.A., Preston has a strong desire to help communities maintain the values that made them great despite constant economic changes that have negatively impacted so many of our communities nationwide.  He is currently working to prepare his county for the next economic chapter of its life as two coal-burning power plants systematically cease their operations. Preston’s educational background includes a Master of Business Administration from Western Governors University, a Bachelor of Science in Education from Utah State University, and an Associate of Science from Dixie State College.

Neil Traver

APS Northeast
Division Manager

Neil Traver is the APS Northeast Division Manager. A certified public accountant by training, Neil started with APS in financial operations in 2006. In 2011, he joined APS’ Fossil Division and moved to the Cholla Power Plant in Joseph City, where he oversaw the financial operations for Cholla and the Four Corners Power Plant near Farmington New Mexico. He transitioned to the Transmission and Delivery organization within APS in 2018 to manage the energy delivery for communities throughout Northeastern Arizona including Winslow, Holbrook, Snowflake, Taylor, Show Low, Payson and Star Valley. In 2021, his role expanded to include APS’ entire Northeast Division which added Flagstaff, Ash Fork, Seligman, Williams, Grand Canyon and Hopi to his area of responsibility.

Having grown up in St. John’s, Neil is grateful that APS afforded him the opportunity to return to Northern Arizona. He is committed to the communities he serves and is active on a number of boards. He is a member of the Summit Healthcare Board of Directors, the Summit Healthcare Foundation, the Show Low Chamber of Commerce board of directors, and a graduate of the 2018-19 White Mountain Leadership program. He has also participated as a Boy Scout troop leader and as a youth sports coach. He is looking forward to extending his service to organizations in the Flagstaff region now that his APS duties have expanded.

Neil enjoys anything outdoors and is an avid hunter, fisher, camper and skier. He and his wife, Beth, have three children and are splitting their time between Flagstaff and Snowflake.

Hunter Moore

Cazador Consulting
Owner
Hunter Moore is a business consultant who specialize in implementation, coalition building, policy development, and negotiation for complex projects that involve multiple stakeholders.  Hunter owns Cazador Consulting, an agency that knows how to guide its clients through different levels of government and advance their causes. Hunter is an experienced public and private sector leader with eighteen years of expertise in federal, state and local levels of government. He also has experience as in-house legal counsel for professional sports franchises (KC Chiefs & Minnesota Vikings). He served from as the Natural Resource Policy Advisor to Arizona Governor Doug Ducey and oversaw the policy, budget, administrative, legal and project-management parameters of twelve state agencies covering water, energy, environmental quality, land management, forestry & fire, game & fish, agriculture, cultural resources and parks.  Hunter also served as an executive staff member for Navajo County in Arizona working on behalf of its citizens at the local, state and federal levels on policy and economic development issues. Hunter brings exceptional legal, policy, operations, and management experience to his work, along with an extensive network of relationships and practical experience.  He is known for completing difficult tasks within complex policy and legal areas. Hunter and his wife Julie have lived across the United States, but Arizona has always been home. They have five awesome children and two fantastic sons-in-law.

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