Southwest Data Center Surge: Trends Shaping Arizona and Nevada’s Growth in 2025

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  Chris Curtis

  Global Head of Data Centers

  Prologis

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  Ian McClarty

  President

  PhoenixNAP

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  Jeffrey Moerdler

  Jeff heads our Real Estate and Communications practices in New York and has significant experience in general commercial real estate law. Jeff’s general real estate practice includes acquisitions, sales, development, leasing, and borrower’s side financing. He also has a particular focus on real estate challenges facing communications, technology, and energy companies, and represents property owners and telecom companies in telecom real estate matters, such as data center leases. His clients include both large national companies and smaller, local clients. He is frequently invited to speak on real estate, data center, and telecom topics. He also writes for several industry publications, and he is regularly quoted in national media. Jeff was a Commissioner of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and led many of its major real estate and telecom transactions.

  Mintz

  Member

  Jeffrey Moerdler

  Member

  Mintz

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  Kirk Busch

  Mr. Busch is the CEO of BigData Southwest & Chairman of Az4Solar.Org. Mr. Busch has over 25 years experience in the Global Semiconductor Industry. For the last decade, Mr. Busch has focused on Economic Development in the Energy and Data Center Industries. Mr. Busch currently serves on the Board of AzSTEM & Arizona Energy Consortium.

  BigData Southwest

  CEO

  Moderator

  Kirk Busch

  CEO

  BigData Southwest

More Compute With Greater Efficiency: Maintaining Operations and Cooling Requirements as Density Increases

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  Steve Altizer

  With nearly four decades of experience building some of the world’s most sophisticated government and commercial facilities, Steve brings our clients the leadership, commitment, and unparalleled expertise needed to deliver successful outcomes on complex highly engineered projects. Steve’s obsession with advanced technology, his real-world construction experience and his passion for highly responsive customer service provide the foundation for the Compu Dynamics service promise. In 2002, Steve founded the Andrew Browning Group (now Compu Dynamics). Prior to that, he served as a senior executive with several nationally ranked general and mechanical contractors. His work led him across the United States and overseas. Throughout his career, Steve has been a student of and thought leader in, the technology and science behind today’s modern building environments. This interest has naturally led to an affinity for clients whose requirements drive them toward facilities that are smart, clean, safe, reliable, and secure. His focus for the last 23 years has been exclusively on data centers ranging in size from 20 kW to over 100 MW. Steve earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and a Masters of Business Administration, both from the University of Virginia. For fun, Steve enjoys tennis and pickleball. When he is not competing in business, he may be found sweating it out on a racquet court!

  Compu Dynamics

  President & CEO

  Steve Altizer

  President & CEO

  Compu Dynamics

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  Bryan Darby

  VP, Strategic Technology Initiatives

  QTS

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  Ryan Gruver

  Ryan Gruver is a native Phoenician, with over 16 years of experience in the IT field, 14 years of that being in the data center. He holds a Master’s of Science in Information Management from Arizona State University, and a Bachelor’s of Science in Software Engineering from the University of Advancing Technology. Ryan has served in a variety of roles in IT from a Data Center Operator, System Admin / Engineer, and now as an IT Director. He has a passion for continuous improvement of services he manages, enabling employees to do their best, and ensuring customers get an excellent experience.

  AFCOM Phoenix Chapter

  President

  Ryan Gruver

  President

  AFCOM Phoenix Chapter

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  Sara Hitt

  Sara Hitt is a corporate account manager focused on liquid cooling technologies, HVAC optimization, and water treatment strategies. Her role lends itself to water quality management, environmental efficiency, and sustainability, as she plays a key role in optimizing data center operations to ensure reliability and resource conservation.

  ChemTreat

  Corporate Account Manager

  Sara Hitt

  Corporate Account Manager

  ChemTreat

• Moderator

  Bill Evanger

  Director MTDC & High Density Critical Infrastructure

  Wesco

Building for AI and Advanced Tech Infrastructure: Understanding Key Differences in Engineering and Design

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  Cody Bain, PE

  Since beginning his career as a structural engineer in 2002, Cody has developed a focused practice in mission critical, healthcare, education, corporate, and industrial projects across the nation. He has a passion for design and believes that collaboration is the key to a successful project. Leading all projects from kickoff to completion, Cody drives communication and facilitates collaboration between team members. He and his team of structural engineers and BIM experts stand ready to tackle any project regardless of complexity. Cody has worked on over 500 data center/mission critical projects during his tenure at AG&E, from 2006 to the present.

  AG&E

  Principal

  Cody Bain, PE

  Principal

  AG&E

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  Dipto Mukherjee

  Curious, innovative, and customer-obsessed program manager with 15 years of experience in the High Tech construction industry with an emphasis on pre-construction, design-build construction, value engineering, project estimation, and engineering - design management. Lead inception to delivery of projects for engineering and construction scopes valued up to $ 3 Billion. Responsible for project financial reporting; completed quarterly or as required. • Stanford Certified Project Manager • Campus Construction Manager Data Center scope for Microsoft Full Campus Release • Lead Construction Manager Data Center scope of more than $3 Billion for Meta Full Campus Release (Facebook Arizona Data Center). • Major Construction Projects at Tesla Gigafactory 1 and 2, Intel, Global Foundries, IM Flash. • Scopes Managed valued at $1MM to $ 2B - Lump Sum, GMP, T&M. • Pre Construction services, design-build construction, engineering management. • Negotiated and closed MSA, proposal, and contracts for various services.

  Microsoft

  Manager, Construction - DCD Campus

  Dipto Mukherjee

  Manager, Construction - DCD Campus

  Microsoft

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  Brian Pung

  Director, Preconstruction

  JE Dunn Construction

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  Blaine Warden

  12 years of multi-discipline electrical and mechanical engineering experience in the data center industry

  Telios Corporation

  VP & MSCR Practice Lead

  Blaine Warden

  VP & MSCR Practice Lead

  Telios Corporation

• Moderator

  Travis Tomanek

  Executive Manager, Sales - Mission Critical Infra.

  USG

Fireside Chat: Data Centers and Physical Security

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  Rhett Weddell

  Rhett has worked as a servant leader and mentor across multiple lines of business and around the world with his family accompanying him whenever possible. His 24+ year military career as a U.S. Army Military Police Officer, non-commissioned officer and commissioning through Officer Candidate School and retiring as the Director of Emergency Service, senior law enforcement officer partnering with Homeland Security and Customs and Border patrol at Fort Huachuca, Arizona. This progression laid the foundation for Rhett of seeing things from the ground up and developing a “task deliverable empathy and mindset. Some highlights include nuclear weapons physical security; Senior Law Enforcement executive supporting Multi-national Operations including United Nations /Combined Forces Command, Eighth United States Army, Korea; Allied Command Europe Rapid Reaction Corps / North Atlantic Treaty Organization / Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe. He and his family served overseas for 13 years not including deployments. Post retirement Rhett remained in uniform as the Executive Officer / Asst Professor of Military Science as faculty for Claremont McKenna Colleges. Transitioning from the military he worked in Crisis Planning and Emergency Management then as a Program Manager for 10 years as a vendor delivering Protective Services for the following Government agencies; NASA HQ, Ames, Goddard, and Langley; Securities and Exchange, Federal Trade and Federal Energy Regulatory Commissions; and National Parks Service (Liberty Bell Center and Independence Hall). Nominative Assignments include the 57th Presidential Inaugural Committee, Southern Nevada Counter Terrorism Fusion Center, Homeland Security Advisory Committee and FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force. Rhett has worked most recently in the Data Center Security arena and developed an appreciation and Love for the cross functional, one-team approach to success in this environment. Similar to a military garrison, this “small town vibe” and shared success strategy is a key component to operating and securing this part of our National Critical Infrastructure. Rhett is a subject matter expert based on work/ life experiences in Phyiscal Security, Contracts and Requests for Proposal, Service Agreements/Key Performance Indicators (KPI) / Service Level Agreements (SLA). The whole team approach to security is enhanced when the vendor team knows the expectations and requirements. OPS office serves as the focal point for policy formulation, oversight, coordination and management of the Agency Protective Services, fire and security services, counterintelligence (CI), counterterrorism (CT), emergency management planning, and continuity of operations functions Rhett’s fun facts: Married 42 years, Service oriented family, Katrina our 3 impactful daughters, sons-in-law and 2 grandkids I adore. Retired after 24 years US Army Military Police Corps as the Commandant and Director of Public Safety / Emergency Services, Fort Huachuca, Arizona. Transitioned into a Protective Services contract Program Manager delivering Physical, Technical and Uniformed Security Services with NASA Ames and Langley Research Centers, Goddard Space Flight Center, and NASA Headquarters. The past 7 years Rhett has worked in the data center security world. I enjoy spending time living and discussing topics I am passionate about; family, friends, travel, and being a valuable ally in navigating the private sector or corporate security environment.

  Meta

  Global Physical Security Expert, U.S. Army Retired

  Rhett Weddell

  Global Physical Security Expert, U.S. Army Retired

  Meta

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  Brandy Byrd Chapman

  Brandy Chapman is a seasoned Business Development Specialist with a passion for safeguarding Mission Critical Sites. Collaborating closely with Directors of Security, Construction Managers, Architects, and Security Consultant firms, Brandy focuses on fortifying site perimeters to ensure utmost security. She firmly believes that the integrity of a high-security site begins with its perimeter, setting the standard for the level of protection afforded to valuable assets within.

  Ameristar Perimeter Security

  Business Development Specialist l Mission Critical

  Moderator

  Brandy Byrd Chapman

  Business Development Specialist l Mission Critical

  Ameristar Perimeter Security

Site Selection to Delivery: Adapting Data Center Development For Mega Campuses and Unprecedented Demand

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  Daniel Cheney

  Daniel is responsible for mission critical construction for new and existing Doxel customers. He and his team help clients identify use cases for Doxel’s AI solutions to reduce construction costs and accelerate progress. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Finance and a Masters of International Business from the University of Florida. Outside of work, he enjoys surfing Ocean Beach in San Francisco and snowboarding in Lake Tahoe.

  Doxel

  VP, Mission Critical

  Daniel Cheney

  VP, Mission Critical

  Doxel

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  Chad Riddle

  With over a decade of experience in land development consulting, Chad Riddle has established himself as a leader in the data center and mixed-use development sectors. As Civil/Site Department Manager in Colliers Engineering & Design's Atlanta office, Chad brings a wealth of expertise in site selection, entitlements, and navigating complex jurisdictional approvals. Chad has worked on large-scale residential, mixed-use, and infrastructure projects across the Southeast and the Washington, D.C.-Maryland-Virginia (DMV) region, including Northern Virginia – one of the most active data center markets in the country. During his pivot into the data center industry, he played a key role in securing and executing multi-million-dollar data center projects. His strategic approach to rezonings, entitlement processes, and jurisdictional negotiations has made him a trusted advisor in the evolving data center landscape.

  Colliers Engineering & Design

  Department Manager, Civil & Site Development

  Chad Riddle

  Department Manager, Civil & Site Development

  Colliers Engineering & Design

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  Blake Roskelley

  An experienced Structural Engineer and Development manager, Blake Roskelley brings 14 years of experience in the construction industry to his current role at Clark Pacific, a leading provider of innovative engineering and construction solutions. Blake works across a spectrum of roles - Business Development, Preconstruction, and Product Management. He is on the front lines of project pursuits, developing innovative gravity and lateral systems while working closely with design teams to ensure project goals are met. Post award he continues to refine project specific solutions having successfully standardized these project-based solutions into cost effective market facing products. In addition to his role at Clark Pacific, Blake serves as a Director on the board of the US Resiliency Council. He endeavors to increase awareness of the importance of resiliency in building design, an issue of significant importance to the Mission Critical and Data Center market. His commitment to this cause underscores his dedication to the advancement of the construction industry and his drive to promote sustainable and resilient building practices.

  Clark Pacific

  Development Manager, Building Systems

  Blake Roskelley

  Development Manager, Building Systems

  Clark Pacific

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  Kurt Lindorfer

  Kurt’s professional engineering career spans over 40 years. His expertise includes structural engineering design for Mission Critical Facilities such as Data Centers, Health Care Facilities such as Hospitals and Clinics and Life Sciences Facilities such as Biopharmaceutical Pilot Plants and Production Facilities around the United States and the World. His area of expertise is in designing buildings to be occupable after natural disasters including Tornados, Hurricanes and Earthquakes. He has been the structural engineer of record for conventional “fixed Base Buildings” ranging from 1-23 stories, “Base Isolated Buildings” ranging from 1-5 stories, and the retrofit and new construction of buildings incorporating Fluid Viscous Dampers ranging from 1-22 stories. He has published numerous papers on passive energy dissipation and presented the findings at various conventions in Boston, San Francisco and Milan. For over 23 years as the Founding Principal at PARADIGM Structural Engineers, Kurt spends most of his time developing new leaders at PARADIGM and mentoring staff in Chicago and San Francisco.

  PARADIGM Structural Engineers

  Founding Principal

  Moderator

  Kurt Lindorfer

  Founding Principal

  PARADIGM Structural Engineers

Top Ten Data Center Legal Issues for Leases and MSA's That You Should Know About

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  Jeffrey Moerdler

  Jeff heads our Real Estate and Communications practices in New York and has significant experience in general commercial real estate law. Jeff’s general real estate practice includes acquisitions, sales, development, leasing, and borrower’s side financing. He also has a particular focus on real estate challenges facing communications, technology, and energy companies, and represents property owners and telecom companies in telecom real estate matters, such as data center leases. His clients include both large national companies and smaller, local clients. He is frequently invited to speak on real estate, data center, and telecom topics. He also writes for several industry publications, and he is regularly quoted in national media. Jeff was a Commissioner of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and led many of its major real estate and telecom transactions.

  Mintz

  Member

  Presenter

  Jeffrey Moerdler

  Member

  Mintz

Powering the Future of Infrastructure: Energy Utilization, Efficiency and Sustainability in Data Centers

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  Megan Baker

  As Vice President of Engagement, Megan Baker is responsible for development and implementation of GBI’s global marketing and communications strategies. She joined GBI in 2017 and held roles in client services, business development, and education before rising to her current role in 2023. Megan is a passionate advocate for increasing accessibility of sustainable, healthy, and resilient buildings through education and assessment. She creates strategic partnerships, identifies recognition opportunities, and opens markets to increase the visibility of GBI’s flagship offering: Green Globes certification. Her outreach efforts helped GBI reach 500 million certified square feet in 2022 and more than quadruple membership in three years. Megan serves on ASAE’s Marketing Professionals Advisory Committee and was a subcommittee chair in 2022. She also held the position of Membership Chair for the SAME Pikes Peak Post in Colorado in 2022-2022. Megan serves as an Ambassador for Nomad Futurist, to promote access and opportunities for workforce development in the digital infrastructure industry and is a recipient of the 2024 IM100 Award. Megan has significant experience in content creation, event management, public speaking, stakeholder relations, and strategic planning, and has worked in luxury hospitality and environmental consulting. She holds an MBA from Regis University with a specialty in Operations Management and a BA in Geography from the University of Mary Washington. She resides in Colorado with her family and two dogs.

  Green Building Initiative

  VP, Engagement

  Megan Baker

  VP, Engagement

  Green Building Initiative

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  Jan Buijk

  Jan Buijk is a Sales Director for AB Energy, an organization that is specialized in providing energy solutions with best-in-class gas engine technology for On-Site Power, CHP, biogas and other gaseous fuelled power generation applications, as well as Renewable Natural Gas systems. Over the past 30+ years Jan has had engineering, project management and direct sales and marketing responsibilities for dozens of CHP, and other distributed generation projects currently in operation across North America. Jan received a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Utrecht in The Netherlands, where he also wrote a thesis on the use of landfill gas for power generation applications.

  AB Energy USA

  Director

  Jan Buijk

  Director

  AB Energy USA

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  Stuart Lawrence

  Stuart leads the support of client technical needs and assists the Stream design, engineering and construction team with overall site layout and design. With 20+ years of mission-critical mechanical systems experience, Lawrence is instrumental in ensuring Stream’s customers can enjoy the highest standard of service excellence and data center solutions. Lawrence collaborates closely with Stream’s customers, developing the next generation of highly effective, sustainable colocation data centers and helping customers secure the flexibility and agility they need to remain competitive in today’s rapidly evolving environment. Stuart is a sales and engineering expert that has spent decades working across various forms of mission-critical infrastructure. Prior to joining Stream, he served as an executive at Schneider Electric and a sales director at Aligned Energy. Having lived and worked in London, New York City, and most recently Austin, TX, he has participated in projects in several locations around the world, including the United States, UK, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Thailand, and Brazil. This global mindset and wealth of knowledge allows him to collaboratively problem-solve and help both Stream and its customers overcome complex IT challenges. Stuart holds a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom.

  Stream Data Centers

  VP, Product Innovation & Sustainability

  Stuart Lawrence

  VP, Product Innovation & Sustainability

  Stream Data Centers

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  Jim McDonald

  As a Co-founder in 1992, and currently the Director of Environmental Impact at MIRATECH Corporation, Jim provides leadership, strategy and product design expertise for their Power Generation division. Jim rejoined Miratech Corporation in 2019 heading up the ENP Concepts consulting arm after management positions at Rypos Corporation and leading the environmental department at PowerSecure’s microgrid group. In charge of tracking all Federal, State and Local emissions regulations as they pertain to backup generators located at Datacenters in North America and Europe, he ensures MIRATECH’s products and services offer ongoing compliance. Mr. McDonald has testified before the Federal EPA numerous times and is considered a valuable stakeholder on several rulemaking teams at the State Level. For 15 years he has been an instructor for the Advanced School of the Electrical Generating Systems Association on the subject of Emissions from Diesel engines and has authored the textbook chapter on the same. He has a Patent Pending on the use of wire mesh DPF substrates in the pre-heating of SCR catalyst blocks. As the originator of the ‘GVU’ measurement parameter, Jim performs analyses to show the relative comparison on Ultraclean diesel generators versus grid supplied power. As such he advocates for the environmentally justifiable use of stationary generators until emerging renewable technologies are proven and cost effective. Jim holds a B.S in mechanical Engineering from the University of Delaware.

  MIRATECH Corporation

  Founder & Director, ENP Consultants, A Miratech Group

  Jim McDonald

  Founder & Director, ENP Consultants, A Miratech Group

  MIRATECH Corporation

• Moderator

  Erik Brumbaugh

  Sr. Manager

  INNIO Jenbacher