Blaise Cordill turned to public service nearly a decade ago when he saw a “face he’ll never forget.”
An energy policy adviser to Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs, Cordill graduated from Arizona State University in the spring of 2017 with a master’s degree in public administration majoring in urban management. Faculty of Public Relations Teacher assistant.
Blaze Cordill
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“In some of my classes, we talk about identifying your personal ‘why’, and most of the time it comes through the ‘aha’ moment,” he said. “Even when work is hard, it’s what drives you forward. For me, that moment was right out of college.”
Cordill worked at the Flagstaff office of St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance. The alliance hosted a mobile food pantry in Winslow, about an hour’s drive east of Flagstaff, which Mr. Cordill likened to a kind of drive-through food bank.
Like the better-known story, this Winslow story involves a girl and a truck, but that’s where Cordill’s experience and the Eagles’ hit “Take It Easy” part. .
Mr. Cordill was helping near the cash register.
“A truck came with a woman and a girl who I thought was her daughter. I offered her an apple, and she smiled and happily accepted it.
“A short time later, the same truck came through the line again, but without food. I thought there might be one, so I went to the truck and instead the young girl gave me a folded piece of paper,” Cordill said. “She drew me a picture as a thank you for the apples. I can still see her smile and it motivates me to give back every day.”
To learn more about Caudill’s ASU journey, read on.
Note: Answers may have been edited for length and clarity.
Question: Tell us a little bit about yourself. where did you come from?
answer: Arizona is my hometown. I am his 3rd generation from Arizona and my family roots are in Bisbee. My family moved to Tucson when I was five, so I really grew up there. I moved to Flagstaff in August of 2009 to attend Northern Arizona University for undergraduate work. I loved the mountain air so much that I stayed in Flagstaff until August 2014, after which St. I moved to Phoenix because
Q: You work in Governor Katie Hobbs’ office. Tell us a little bit about your job and what you used to do at Southwest Gas.
answer: In his State of the Union address, Governor Hobbes established the Governor’s Office of Resilience, which focuses on the relationship between energy, land use and water in long-term sustainability and economic vitality. As the governor’s energy policy advisor, I am very grateful to be able to offer my perspective on energy policy. Prior to his arrival in the Governor’s Office, he worked on the public relations team for the Southwest He Gas Company, particularly in the East He Valley, where he helped connect the company with cities. In addition, I will emphasize the promotion of molecular energy sources such as renewable natural gas (RNG) and hydrogen in the larger energy debate to complement solar and wind energy in complex energy systems. I was.
Q: What is the outlook for molecular energy sources? How soon will they become part of Arizona’s energy future?
answer: RNG is now available and there are multiple RNG projects in the state. For example, the Pima County sewage treatment plant recovers RNG from it for reuse.
The future depends heavily on ensuring that we produce the clean, renewable electricity that powers our homes and cars. It’s a huge tool that we can use. And we also need molecular energy. What I really like about the different forms of energy is that they complement each other. All of them stack up to form a beautiful ecosystem. We provide power to our communities, but we are careful not to cut power to the most vulnerable. Electricity is expensive, but having multiple sources of energy can make energy affordable for your family. I am excited about this collaboration. This allows us to look at many opportunities, rather than just using solar power or only using wind power.
Q: In what areas do you advise governors?
answer: Energy will adopt many sustainability policies as well as air quality policies. A lot of the work I do looks not only at the grid and the energy system as a whole, but also at improving air quality as a whole. …I didn’t know what companies would want to come to Arizona and how much we would be doing with economic development.
Q: How did your time at Watts prepare you for life after college?
answer: Watts College has helped build connections with an extensive network of movers and shakers throughout the Valley and state. I am very grateful to have been able to participate in Watts. Marvin Andrews Fellowship in Urban Management, which focuses on municipal services. The supportive networks that were automatically available to me thanks to the Marvin Andrews Fellowship and Watts College have been invaluable to my career growth.
Q: Which professor taught you the most important lesson while at ASU? Are you still in touch?
answer: George Pettit, was the director of the Marvin Andrews Program at the time. Jim Thompson was the then mayor of Casa Grande, Arizona and currently serves as mayor of Scottsdale.and margareta bentley All have had a huge impact on my career and have taught me many lessons beyond career lessons.
This program helped me understand on a deeper level what it means to be a civil servant. I am forever grateful for the opportunity they gave me. It allowed me to grow as a person and learn about the intricacies of government. After all, all of these institutions are here for one reason: to make government stronger and more resilient.
Q: During your time at ASU, what did you learn in the classroom that surprised you or changed your perspective?
answer: I knew it was important, but I also realized how important it is for people to be able to perceive the world through different lenses, and how those different perspectives work together in the workplace and in life. I didn’t fully understand the importance of being understandable.
Q: If you were to experience college again, what would be different? Same?
answer: I have always tended to hold back and play small. I’m still mostly working on it, but I encourage myself to learn how wonderful it is to be fully committed and present instead of doing small things.
Q: What are your top 3 favorite music artists right now?
answer: It’s hard to list my top 3 favorite music artists, but it helps narrow down (by name) current music artists: RosalÃa, Trevor Hall, Headspace Podcast (that’s what I’m going to call artists). right now).
Q: In a nutshell, what is your life motto?
answer: The longest way is the shortest way home.
Faculty of Public Relations Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions.
