News & Events
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Task Force
What the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act means for Arizona
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act was signed into law in November 2021 and is the largest investment in infrastructure in generations. Through the IIJA, Arizona is receiving $30 million in guaranteed funding for broadband and oil and gas, but hundreds of billions more will be available through competitive grant funding on a rolling basis for the next several years. This discretionary funding will support projects that address heat resilience, road and bridge improvements, water conservation and more.
In 2021, the White House sent a letter to governors recommending appointing a coordinator to manage the infrastructure funding coming into their states. Gov. Doug Ducey appointed Chief Operating Officer Sarah Rose Webber to that role; she launched a task force to enhance collaboration among experts, agencies, tribes and community members to strategically address high-priority infrastructure issues in Arizona.
The Arizona Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Task Force
The Arizona Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Task Force is a group of agency decision makers and subject-matter experts who convene to maximize the opportunity for Arizona communities to receive discretionary grant funding for Arizona infrastructure projects.
The IIJA Task Force has been meeting since early 2022 and is focusing on identifying grant opportunities and supporting projects that address the following issues:
- Broadband
- Workforce development
- Cybersecurity
- Healthy forests
- Energy
The Task Force is providing support, elevating roadblocks and tracking progress and performance of grant applications through the lifetime of the IIJA funding opportunities, which run through 2026.
Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Jobs Act Tribal Task Force
The Governor’s Office on Tribal Relations has formed a task force to focus on infrastructure programs to stimulate economic growth within American Indian populations and on tribal lands in Arizona. Representatives from Arizona Tribal Nations and Communities are invited to engage in virtual town halls, office hours and more to participate in integrated proposals for transportation, broadband access and more.
Get support for community projects
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Task Force and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Jobs Act Tribal Task Force are strategically aligning Arizona’s priorities and investments with competitive federal funding opportunities. Many of those projects will be led not by state agencies but by local and rural communities, tribes and organizations.
The IIJA Task Force is not a gatekeeper of these opportunities — instead task force team members are available to help support local projects by
- Writing letters of support
- Helping search for grant opportunities
- Demystifying grant criteria
- Assisting with grant writing and data collection
- And more
Who to contact
The IIJA Task Force is made up of the directors of every state agency that is eligible to receive increased resources from IIJA or serves populations who would benefit from the grant funding. If you’re interested in learning more, please reach out to IIJA Task Force Program Manager Cindi Ptak at [email protected].
IIJA Task Force members
Sarah Webber, State of Arizona COO
Cindi Ptak, IIJA Program Manager
Kevin Biesty, Stakeholder and Federal Engagement Consultant
Josh Wagner, Government Transformation Office Director
Denise Stravia, Strategic Planning and Performance Data Manager
Andrea Hightower, Grants and Federal Resources Manager
Elizabeth Thorson, Arizona Department of Administration Deputy Director
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Jobs Act Task Force is led by the Governor’s Office on Tribal Relations and is dedicated to working with representatives serving Arizona Tribal Nations and Communities. Interested in getting involved? Learn how to establish a BILJA Tribal Coordination Team and sign up for updates.
BILJA Task Force inquiries
Kristine FireThunder, Director of the Governor’s Office of Tribal Relations