Two Arizona Leaders Named as part of ‘20 Under 40’

In May, the National Association of State Chief Administrators announced that State Procurement Administrator David Steuber and Chief Strategy Officer John Owens were both named as 2026 NASCA 20 Under 40 Awardees.

Founded in 1976, the National Association of State Chief Administrators (NASCA) is a nonprofit association representing state chief administrative officers across all 50 states and U.S. territories. The 20 Under 40 Awards recognize 20 exceptional young leaders from across the country who are making significant contributions to state government. NASCA's announcements emphasize that the 2026 honorees represent the very best of public service - exemplifying innovation, collaboration and a dedication to improving the lives of those they serve every single day.

"Our state government is filled with talented and inspiring professionals, and as you can imagine I am especially proud of our colleagues here at the Arizona Department of Administration," said ADOA Director Elizabeth Alvarado-Thorson. "We have many remarkable public servants at ADOA, and this is a fantastic recognition of talented leaders with a long career runway ahead of them."

As State Procurement Administrator at the Arizona Department of Administration, Steuber addresses and solves enterprise problems through procurement-based solutions. He oversees contracting and purchasing activities across Arizona, ensuring processes are consistent, compliant and effective. Steuber prioritizes professional development and strives to place procurement at the forefront of operational issues, including forging a partnership with Arizona State University to support students to build supply-chain management skills.

As Arizona embarks on an ambitious plan to identify efficiencies under Governor Katie Hobbs' Arizona Capacity and Efficiency initiative - seeking to save $100 million for the state by FY2029 - Steuber and his procurement team are at the forefront of the strategy and implementation of many of these concepts, including contract consolidations, seeking better bulk-purchasing rates from suppliers, renegotiating contracts where it makes sense and supporting agency efforts to move into statewide alignment.

As Chief Strategy Officer for ADOA, Owens leads strategic planning and performance improvement efforts, oversees the Government Transformation Office, and coordinates sensitive inter- and intra-agency matters to successful outcomes. He oversees ADOA's legislative strategies and works closely with the Governor's Office to achieve positive results for both ADOA and the State, including through work implementing the Arizona Capacity and Efficiency initiative.

Prior to joining ADOA, Owens served as a policy and operations advisor to Governor Katie Hobbs, helping launch and guide key initiatives across multiple operational domains. Owens spearheaded the creation of Digital Dash, a statewide digital accessibility initiative, through which the state achieved substantial progress towards compliance with federal accessibility guidelines. He also played a key role in the design and implementation of paid parental leave and enhanced paid family sick leave for State employees.