43. Powered by local business
On this episode of Storylines, hosts Juliana and Ricky highlight Valley Metro's partnerships with minority-owned and small businesses. First, they speak with Jonathan Thatcher to learn how Valley Metro finds the businesses it contracts with. Then, they interview small business owner and photographer Zee Peralta about her experience working with the organization.
Transcript
Have you ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes of your daily commute?
Ricky:Or how transportation impacts the community you call home?
Juliana:Maybe you want to explore outside your community and don't know where to start.
Ricky:Well, you're in luck because this is where you hop on.
Juliana:I'm Julianna Vazquez-Keating.
Ricky:And I'm Ricky Tejada.
Juliana:We work for Valley Metro and together we'll discover all the ways that public transit enhances lives across the cities we serve.
Ricky:And we might even make some new friends along the way.
Juliana:Welcome to Storylines.
Ricky:On this episode of Storylines, we're taking a look at all the partners that help make Valley Metro run.
Juliana:From our operators, to our construction crews, to even the people that print our maps, our agency has a lot of moving parts.
Ricky:And we don't just work with the big guys. Valley Metro partners with many small businesses owned by the community to help our organization.
Juliana:Now let's chat with someone from our Contracts and Procurement Department to help break down the process and explain just how we focus on minority owned and small businesses.
Jonathan:My name is Jonathan Thatcher and I'm the Director of Contracts and Procurement with Valley Metro.
Juliana:So can you walk us through Valley Metro's contractor and vendor selection process?
Jonathan:Valley Metro, we don't really select or approve specific vendors, but we do invite all vendors to register through our vendor registration portal with OpenGov and that can be accessed through the Valley Metro website from the procurement page. Setting up a vendor profile there will also give vendors access to government contracting opportunities throughout Arizona and nationally. In addition, we also encourage vendors to get certified with the City of Phoenix's Disadvantaged and Small Business Enterprise group if they're eligible. Similarly, the Arizona Department of Transportation, or ADOT, maintains a small and disadvantaged business certification program as well. And we encourage businesses to register there too.
Ricky:Thank you, Jon. And what criteria is used to evaluate potential contractors and vendors?
Jonathan:Yes, so each of our procurement projects will have its own evaluation criteria. based on the need of the agency and the good or service that's being sought. Valley Metro articulates and describes the need and the scope of work section of our solicitations. While the criteria may vary, there are some common elements to it. So for example, when we're using an invitation for bid or an IFB solicitation, contract award in those cases is based solely on pricing. And so you always want to put your best pricing foot forward when responding to an IFB. When we're processing a request for proposal or RFP, we're looking at selecting the best value for the agency. And so, best value can include pricing, but it also includes additional considerations. And those are things like the method of approach or how a vendor proposes to provide the good or service to the agency. This is very much dependent on the nature of the good or service being procured and the requirements that the agency is looking for. We might also ask or use as part of our criteria the company's qualifications and experience in providing the goods and services being sought. In some cases, we'll look at the management structure of the company or the background of key personnel who will work on the account and provide service to Valley Metro. In this case with RFPs, we aren't necessarily looking at just the lowest price. But rather, the overall best value for the agency between skills, qualifications, experience, and price.
Ricky:Does that usually take a long period of time?
Jonathan:Panel evaluations can take a while. Usually there's five or more members on a panel and so it also depends on how many offers we receive. If we receive 10 or 15 offers, the panel of evaluation members have to meet and they discuss each of the offers as they're going through making their notes and comments, and independently determining their scores and points. For each of the criteria, we always completely disclose the criteria that are going to be used and the points that are associated with each of the criteria. But it can take a while and in the RFP process, we usually go into negotiations. So we give offers an opportunity to improve their proposal to us and the evaluation panel comes back once again and has to rescore that and also, update their comments based on the revised submission that the agency has received.
Ricky:So could you share some metrics about Valley Metro's annual contracting? Both overall numbers and participation from disadvantaged business enterprises.
Jonathan:Sure so in terms of overall spend, Valley Metro between its capital and operating budget spends about seven to eight hundred million dollars a year. Valley Metro operates under a race and gender-neutral policy, which means we do not have specific set asides for spend with small or disadvantaged business enterprises. However, Valley Metro is committed to a market-based approach of supplier engagement to extend the opportunity to participate in its contract opportunities as a subcontractor or as a direct or prime offer on one of our solicitations. So, I'm happy to share a few examples of how our spend on a couple of recent projects has gone So for example, on the Northwest Extension II project. which was about 300 million dollars in spend, about 5 percent of that or 15 million dollars, has been with City of Phoenix Certified Disadvantaged or Small Businesses. And on the South-Central Extension, which is opening mid-2025, spend on that right now is roughly around 890 million dollars. And about 45 million of that, or again, about 5 percent has been with City of Phoenix Certified Disadvantaged or Small Businesses. Agency wide, about 17 percent of our registered vendors are Certified Small Businesses, 9 percent are Minority Owned Businesses, 7 percent are women owned businesses, and 5 percent are U.S. Department of Transportation Certified Disadvantaged Businesses, and then we have about 2 percent that are veteran owned businesses. Businesses can exist in more than one of those categories, so one business could be in multiple categories, but we seek to engage and collaborate with a whole range of types of businesses. And concentrate spend with businesses based in the communities that we serve.
Juliana:And I know that's a real focus, especially with our capital projects kind of focusing on those small and local businesses. So how does Valley Metro ensure competitive opportunities for those small and local businesses?
Jonathan:Yeah, we make all of our solicitations publicly available through our website. We also do promote them in advance of their publication as well. Registering with our vendor list through OpenGov will provide notification of the opportunities with Valley Metro. But also you'll get access to many other government agencies across the state and the nation. So, for example, the City of Tucson uses the same system. And so you can actually get notified of City of Tucson. A lot of school districts use the same system and the City of Phoenix is soon going to be there as well. Businesses can also reach out to Arizona Apex Accelerator. It was formerly known as the Arizona procurement technical assistance center, which I always call AZP Tech, but now it's called Apex Accelerator. And they're wonderful because once a solicitation is published, we have to treat everyone the same. So we're limited how much assistance or help we can give, any particular offeror. But the Apex Accelerator can assist small businesses in the government procurement process. And they also offer one on one counseling to small businesses as well.
Ricky:So what unique services or expertise do small businesses bring to Valley Metro projects?
Jonathan:Yeah, this was a really interesting question. I liked it very much because there's a wonderful example that you can walk out the door see right now today. So small businesses bring a number of unique services to Valley Metro, but one of the very visible examples are the art installations that are across our light rail system. Almost all of the art is contracted with local artists who operate their own small businesses. And Valley Metro really seeks to engage with businesses along our light rail alignment, especially when we have construction going on. Construction can be very disruptive to local businesses, and we do seek to support them, especially when they're impacted by our activities locally.
Juliana:I hadn't thought about the art, but that is a good one. They are their own small business.
Jonathan:Yes, they are. And it's wonderful to go out and see it. And especially the new stuff that's opening up and just being installed now down in South-Central. And it was, also, if you haven't been up there, even just take a ride up to the end of the Metro Center, station and the installations up there. And there's also a light installation coming across, a bridge, I believe, going to Tempe as well. So,
Juliana:Yeah, the Tempe Bridge lighting is back on and we're also installing lighting on the Salt River Bridge, so some really cool stuff is coming.
Ricky:I think the one that comes to mind for me is the really big phoenix that we put on one of the signal buildings, in South-Central. I think it's a little south of Lincoln. Driving by there now, it's, it's this really big bird, but it's kind of that like pinnacle, you know, where the two tracks meet and then they go south. That's kind of like one of the big takeaways for me.
Juliana:And it lights up too, which is really cool.
Ricky:I haven't seen it at night, so maybe I need to make my way down there.
Juliana:Yeah. So, Jon, looking ahead, what opportunities do you see for expanding Valley Metro's contractor partnerships?
Jonathan:So we're constantly seeking to expand our vendor list and engage the supplier community. Registration is a great first step to get plugged in. So you can get proactively notified whenever one of our projects comes up. That is within the good or service that a business is seeking to provide. We also participate in vendor outreach events with ADOT, the city of Phoenix, the city of Glendale, and many of our 18 other member cities that we work with here. And then Valley Metro also engages with local business associations, such as the Greater Phoenix Economic Council, or GPEC as it's known, the Chamber of Commerce. The Black Chamber of Commerce, the Arizona Minority Contractors Association, and many other local business associations to promote our projects to their membership base. And it's a great way for us to try and reach out to a lot of smaller companies, who are members and it brings value to their membership with that association as well.
Ricky:Is there anything else you'd like to add?
Jonathan:I would just really like to, encourage everyone to obviously register in OpenGov is a first step, as I said, that's a great way to get access, not only to Valley Metro, but to literally thousands of government agencies that are in that network already across the country, and also across the state. So, it's a great thing to do. not only to be aware of Valley Metro opportunities, but it makes it really easy to follow a lot of opportunities here in the state of Arizona that are very tangible and local and available to small businesses located here. The other piece that I would also encourage is to take a little bit of time on the front end understanding what's going to be required when submitting. And again, you can do that through the Apex Accelerator. They do have one on one counseling, because the solicitation process, once we publish, it starts moving, and like our trains you know, it's going to keep going until it reaches its conclusion. And usually that's within 30 or 45 days, by the time the proposal has to be submitted. So being prepared in advance and knowing what are the things that are typically going to be requested of, for a submittal, that's a very important piece and something that folks can do very much on the front end and be prepared. And also, please, I can’t emphasize this enough, do go in and get certified through the City of Phoenix and the State of Arizona through ADOT. Those are all tracked and the spend with those organizations are tracked and actually reported up federally as well.
Ricky:If you're a small business and are looking for an opportunity to work with Valley Metro, make sure you create an OpenGov account and be on the lookout for future opportunities.
Juliana:As Jonathan mentioned, many of the artists we partner with run their own small businesses. Now let's hear from one of our frequent collaborators and former spotlight artist about her experience working with Valley Metro.
Zee:
I'm Zee Peralta. I'm a photographer and creative director based in Phoenix. I work with Valley Metro to capture images that connect people to transit, whether it's through showcasing the riders, community events, new developments, or key initiatives. My goal is to tell the story on how transit impacts daily life here in the Valley.
Juliana:What inspired your journey into photography and how did you develop your professional style?
Zee:That’s a great question. I received my first camera as a high school graduation gift. And that summer I took it to the Middle East and shot about 6 to 8 rolls of film. And that's where I fell in love with storytelling. Over the time my style evolved into shooting the streets. I started doing commercial projects, large scale campaigns. So I focus on strong composition and, capturing real impactful moments. So yeah, it started back in 1992.
Ricky:That's over 30 years of work, right?
Zee:Yeah.
Ricky:Am I right or wrong there?
Juliana:Yeah like check my math.
Ricky:Check my math really quick. Fact check me, please. Can you walk us through the process of establishing your photography business?
Zee:Sure. I mean, it started as a passion and it naturally grew into a business about 13 years ago. My background is in corporate sales and marketing. That helped me out a lot. I knew how to handle my clients, logistics, deadlines. So the key was building relationships, refining my craft and staying adaptable to my clients.
Juliana:Your background actually makes a lot of sense with how you photograph people, like I've seen you in action multiple times and like you just know how to take control and get what you need but like in a very positive way. I love it.
Zee:Thank you. Yeah, I definitely bring some energy to it where I'm comfortable and, you know, I just love what I do. And you can't go wrong when you love what you do.
Juliana:Exactly. So, besides photography, you were actually our spotlight artist back in 2018. Tell us a bit about it and what was that experience like? Mm hmm.
Zee:That was an incredible opportunity. That was about the peak of my career, and it was great to see my work being displayed in a space where so many people could see it daily. It was surreal. The project reflected movement, transit, and the stories of real commuters, which made it even more meaningful. It was a really exciting moment for me.
Ricky:Could you describe some of the recent projects you photographed for Valley Metro, and what's been your favorite to capture?
Zee:Absolutely. I love the community events. It really brings a lot of joy to me just to see how people interact in the city with our transportation. And just to see how much Valley Metro gives to our community. And me capturing those moments really fills my heart. One of my favorite projects was capturing the NCAA Final Four in 2024. This is where I felt at my best, you know, hitting the streets and documenting the energy in the city. Phoenix was alive with excitement. I loved capturing how transit played a role in moving fans, locals, and the visitors through the action. There's something special about seeing the city come to life and being able to tell that story through my lens.
Juliana:I will say that your passion was reflected in that work because those pictures were great.
Zee:Thank you. I love to hear that.
Ricky:That was you on Roosevelt Platform, right? Taking all the pictures?
Zee:Yeah, I think we did two platforms that time. One was at Roosevelt and the other one was closer to the event by the convention center.
Juliana:You were working as a CEC at that time, right, Ricky?
Ricky:Yeah, pretty sure I had my yellow shirt on at that particular point in time.
Zee:You know, I spent a lot of years shooting the streets in the city at the beginning of my career for no reason, like I would just go out there and shoot as a hobby. And it was kind of therapeutic for me just to get away. And my kids were in school. At the time I was married, hubby was at work. So it was kind of my time to myself. So I became really, really comfortable with the streets, the people. I navigated really well. I know there was times where, you know, you have some shady people coming at you or whatnot, but for some reason, I think my comfort level really does allow me to do what I do. So that event really, tied into my past street photography and currently where I'm at today in my professional career.
Ricky:You know, thinking back, I think you took one of my favorite pictures of myself and my coworker, Jefferson, on that platform working that, so thank you for the memory.
Zee:Of course, my pleasure. I love to hear that.
Juliana:Yeah, one thing she's good at doing is getting people in their natural element but still making you look good, like you're not posing. That's what I love.
Zee:Yeah, the candids are great.
Juliana:Yes. So how would you describe your experience collaborating with Valley Metro? What do you think makes this partnership unique?
Zee:Well, the experience has been great. I feel very blessed to be a part of Valley Metro's media team. I've been working with you guys for many years. And what makes this unique is Valley Metro trusts my creative vision, which makes for great collaboration. They value my authenticity and that aligns with how I approach storytelling. It's not just about capturing images, it's about showing the real impact of transit and the community.
Ricky:Is there anything else you'd like to add?
Zee:Yeah, I would love to say, just a big thank you to Valley Metro for trusting me with their visual storytelling. It's an honor to work on projects that make a real difference in the community. So thank you.
Ricky:
It's not always I get to interview a photographer that was able to get my good side.
Juliana:I will say, you are one of the biggest stars in our Valley Metro content from your CEC days, and I'm sure there's no bad side. That's it for this episode of Storylines. Don't forget to subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts. For Valley Metro, I'm Juliana.
Ricky:I'm Ricky.
Juliana:Thanks for riding with us!
Ricky:We'll meet you at the next stop.
Juliana:Storylines is produced by Alex Tsotsos Peter Corkery is the executive producer. For Ricky Tejada, I'm Julianna Vasquez-Keating, thanks for listening
