Exemplifying cross-jurisdictional collaboration, Former Flagstaff City Manager Josh Copley was nominated by neighboring Coconino County for his Hero designation. While he has more than 25 years of experience on the city’s police force, the hallmark project of his nomination is the joint city/county court building that is to be co-owned by the two jurisdictions. When completed, the building will provide updated court facilities and appropriate parking capacity to help alleviate a persistent and ongoing parking shortage issue in downtown Flagstaff.

This is just one example of how Josh provided valuable leadership for the city and engaging in an active partnership within the community to make government across the region operate in an efficient and reasonable manner.  

The trust that Josh engendered as a police officer is evident as we witness other communities experiencing increasing tensions among their citizens and law enforcement. Josh and his captain, Kevin Treadway, were instrumental in building effective and open relations with the diverse communities of the region. These channels of communication and relationships, and the history and trust that accompany them, have proven beneficial to all citizens.

Josh’s unique and collaborative approach continues in city management where he launched an ongoing program called “TEAM FLAGSTAFF,” which engages city employees to collectively identify the mission, vision, and goals of the city. Josh has been instrumental in showing that all engagement is important to the future of Flagstaff and establishing common purpose between city leadership and the organization toward these tenets:

• Provide exceptional service.
• Invest in people.
• Foster a resilient and economically prosperous city.
• Work in partnership to provide a safe and livable community.

These goals work in concert with the elected council and mayoral leadership goals, which are adopted on an annual basis. Josh has also been a pioneer in Arizona public/private partnerships and is adept at bridging the gap between council and management.

"I want to fulfill the mission of the City of Flagstaff, which is to improve the quality of life for all in our community"