By Bea Lueck | Golden Corridor Living
GC LIVING: So here with James Smith, the new Pinal County economic development director. Let’s start at the beginning. Where were you born and raised?
James Smith: Born and raised in San Jose, California. I went to San Jose State University for both my bachelor’s in economics and a master’s in public administration.
GC LIVING: Were you in economic development in California before you moved to Arizona?
James Smith: I actually worked in business development at the San Jose International Airport before I came to Arizona.
In 2006, we just made the decision to move somewhere a little more affordable. We had our second daughter at that point and the Phoenix area was always an area that was of interest to me. I had come here several times over the years. My dad brought me to spring training when I was in high school. And so this was always an area that I was interested in living in. So, when we were looking for something a little more affordable, this kind of was top of mind, and we decided to move down here.
