Jimenez steps down from state commerce department

BYLINE: James Kindle

When Gilbert Jimenez became director of the Arizona Department of Commerce in 2003, he was stepping into an embattled agency that some legislators wanted to eliminate.

Four years later, the agency is alive and expanding, and the man who guided it through its rough times has stepped down.

Jimenez, who announced his retirement at the beginning of January, left his post as Commerce director Jan. 15. Gov. Janet Napolitano named her top Tucson aide, Jan Lesher as his replacement.

"It's a very demanding, time-sensitive four years," Jimenez said, adding that after retirement he will "probably relax a little bit and reflect a little bit on where one's been and where one should go."

Jimenez, who entered office as Napolitano was sworn in to start her first term, previously worked in banking administration for about 35 years, including six years as senior vice president for Bank One in Dallas.

Communication was a major problem during ADOC's precarious period, Jimenez said.

"We needed to do a better job of communicating what the job of the agency was to the stakeholder group," he said.

Jimenez cites a quality staff and the office's trademark slogan, "Our job is jobs," as helping to communicate the goals of the agency.

During his tenure, Jimenez worked to build rural representation for increased development. He said some of the department's main achievements were directed at providing financial assistance to communities and helping small technology companies and small to medium-sized companies grow.

"Arizona is not a large company (state)," Jimenez said. "We do not have a lot of Phelps-Dodges; we have a lot of small to medium companies."

Jimenez, who also worked to increase international trade, said Arizona's international exports should total $18 billion for 2006 once all the numbers are crunched. That's up from $12.3 million in 2002, according to federal data.

Newcomer Lesher will face some challenges in office, including bringing together the different roles of the department, dealing with funding shortages and prioritizing technology and innovation, Jimenez said.

"I feel we somewhat have turned the corner in that area, but there's still a long way to the finish," he said.

Tim Lawless, who served as Jimenez's assistant deputy director for three years, said Jimenez also tried, in a time of budget deficits, to eliminate excess spending.

"His pet peeve was government waste and inefficiency," said Lawless, the current president of the Arizona chapter of the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties. "He had a zest for (pinching dollars)."

Professionalism also highlighted Jimenez's leadership style, Lawless said.

"He was always a gentlemen," Lawless said. "He never raised his voice or had a cross word."

For his part, Jimenez said his staff was crucial to his success as director. "I could not have done it on my own," he said.

In a statement, Napolitano said Jimenez will be missed at the Capitol and thanked him for his hard work.

"Under Gil's leadership, Arizona has seen the creation of more than 27,000 new and high-wage jobs, in addition to a 21 percent jump in the number of business projects locating or expanding to Arizona just this past fiscal year," she said.