Every Tuesday at 10 a.m., Paradise Valley town staff gather around a long conference table to go over the week ahead.
Employees from departments ranging from finance and public works to the police department come together for the weekly meeting, which Town Manager Andrew Ching said helps keep the small municipality coordinated.
The meeting begins with an exercise Ching calls “Did you know?”
The exercise gives staff an opportunity to share something about their work or personal lives that their colleagues might not know, helping build relationships among the employees responsible for running the town.
“We go around the table and people share a little something, a nugget of information, if you will, that we might not otherwise know,” Ching said.
Running a town with a small-town, rural feel in the middle of the Valley requires coordination among a relatively small staff, Ching wrote in an email. Ching said in the 2027 fiscal year, the town has the manpower equivalent of roughly 115 full time employees.
“Unless a resident is seeking a building permit or some other type of permission to do something on their property, they probably don’t think much about other town functions and services, such as street sweeping, street repairs and managing a full municipal court docket,” Ching wrote. “We are fortunate to have skilled, professional staff in each of our departments who work together to set priorities.”
Chief Financial Officer Leslie DeReche wrote in an email effective communication between departments is key to keeping the town operating smoothly.
“Strong communication and close working relationships between departments help ensure everyone stays informed, coordinates effectively and works together to keep the town running smoothly day to day,” she wrote.
DeReche has worked for Paradise Valley for two and a half years and has found working for a small municipality has given her a stronger connection to her colleagues and a sense of pride in her work, she wrote.
“One of the things I value most about working for a smaller municipality is the opportunity to know the people I work with and to feel a strong sense of community,” she wrote. “That personal connection is one of the things that makes the work especially rewarding and keeps me here.”
Erin Sweeney, a part-time Town Hall staff member, was initially introduced to the town through the Arizona State University Marvin Andrews and Jane Morris Local Government Fellowship. The program places graduate students pursuing public administration or public policy degrees with local governments for hands-on experience.
Sweeney said the collaboration between departments has allowed her to gain experience across several areas of local government.
“I really got to kind of wade into a bunch of different areas of local government,” she said. “I have budget experience now, I have grant writing experience, I worked with HR and with the police department and with legal. I feel very much like I developed a really wide skill set rather than specializing in one area.”
Ching, who has been with the town for three years, said he has found support from town staff, the Town Council and residents throughout his time in Paradise Valley.
“The organization is small in numbers but talented and does great work every day, and the community cares deeply about the town, and has been incredibly kind and welcoming from my first day to today,” he wrote. “I feel very fortunate to be a part of the town.”
Examples of the coordination that can happen behind the scenes include the drainage and streetscape project along Mockingbird Lane and Invergordon Road, the town’s response to residents’ concerns about speeding in their neighborhoods, and the finance team’s work to ensure newly introduced projects are financially feasible.
The Mockingbird Lane project has required extensive coordination with surrounding neighborhoods, utility providers and the Maricopa County Flood Control District to improve drainage while making the streets safer and more visually appealing, Ching wrote.
If a resident raises a concern about speeding, the Police Department will take an active role in responding, which is what residents might expect. But addressing the issue may also require coordination with other departments. The Engineering Division of the Community Development Department may get involved by analyzing data from speed studies, reviewing the posted speed limit and signage in the area and evaluating the roadway design, Ching wrote.
Community: I live in central Phoenix and my writing focuses on Fountain Hills education, and the Paradise Valley and Scottsdale communities.
Education: I graduated from Arizona State University in May 2026 with a bachelors degree in Journalism and Mass Communication. My studies focused on writing and visual story-telling.
Random Fact: Growing up I had over 10 pets including 6 cats, 1 dog, 2 hermits crabs, and too many fish to count!
Hobbies: I like to spend my free time hiking, crafting, cooking, reading, and spending time with friends and family.
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