Chad Guzmán

Credentials

B.A. Political Science, Arizona State University¹

Background

Chad R. Guzmán is an Arizona lobbyist who has worked in the energy and water utilities sectors.

As of at least 2023, Chad Guzmán is listed as affiliated with a business called Fillmore Strategy on the Valley Young Professionals Board web page. ² According to state incorporation records, Fillmore Strategy LLC was formed on November 28, 2022, its sole two members are Chad Guzman and Joseph Wolf, its business type is “any legal purpose,” and its mailing address is 200 W Portland St. #813, Phoenix, Arizona, 85003.³

In 2020, the Arizona Capitol Times lobbyist directory listed Chad Guzmán as a lobbyist for utility company EPCOR Water. ⁴ In July 2020, the Greater Phoenix Chamber identified Chad Guzmán as EPCOR’s director of government relations, when it appointed him to its “Valley Young Professionals” board of directors.⁵

From 2011-2019 Chad Guzmán was the government affairs representative for Arizona Public Service (APS),⁶ an investor-owned electric utility that provides services to a significant portion of Arizona, including the Phoenix area. APS is owned by Pinnacle West Capital Corp..⁷

According to his LinkedIn profile, prior to working for APS, Guzmán worked for less than a year as a Legislative Liaison for the Arizona Attorney General’s Office.⁸

Fondomonte Contract

On July 28, 2023, The Arizona Republic reported that Chad Guzmán, described as a “prominent politico,” had been hired as a lobbyist by a Saudi Arabian company with controversial groundwater pumping leases in Arizona – a notable development given his political connections to Gov. Katie Hobbs:⁹

“A Saudi Arabian company at the center of controversy over leases allowing it to pump groundwater under state land recently hired a new lobbyist: The business partner of Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs’ top campaign adviser.

“Fondomonte, the foreign company, inked a contract with Chad Guzman and his firm, Signal Peak Consulting. Guzman is the sole member of Signal Peak, according to Arizona business records, which show he also co-manages a lobbying firm called Fillmore Strategy with Hobbs’ senior adviser to her campaign, Joe Wolf.

“Both companies list the same address on state business registration records. Wolf is close with Hobbs and serves as her spokesman for campaign-related issues, but said he has stopped receiving payments from the governor’s campaign.”

Ties to American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC)

Guzmán has been a regular attendee of American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) meetings.¹⁰ The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) is a right-wing organization that creates and promotes templates for state legislation. The corporations ALEC has worked with include Arizona Public Service, ExxonMobil, Koch Industries, Peabody Energy, and Reynolds Tobacco.

Association with Todd Wynn

Chad Guzmán received a positive LinkedIn recommendation from former ALEC employee and climate change denier Todd Wynn on June 9, 2017. ¹¹

In the recommendation, Wynn wrote:

“I give Chad [Guzmán] my highest recommendation. Too many words describe him but here are a few. Professional, hard working, strategic, motivated, and driven. From the moment, I met Chad I could tell he was a fantastic asset for Arizona Public Service.”

Chad Guzmán posted a LinkedIn recommendation of Todd Wynn:

“I have worked closely with Todd Wynn over the past four years in my capacity as a Government Affairs Representative at Arizona Public Service – a member company of the Edison Electric Institute. Todd is an invaluable resource to my team as we confront unprecedented policy challenges in the electric utility industry … With the help of Todd’s guidance and expertise, my company has been able to accomplish many legislative goals in the state of Arizona over the past several years.”

Todd Wynn was director of the Office of Intergovernmental and External Affairs at the U.S. Department of the Interior during the Trump administration, from October 2017 to August 2019.¹² ¹³

Wynn was previously the director of external affairs for Edison Electric Institute (EEI), and was a staffer on the ALEC Energy, Environment and Agriculture Task Force from 2011 through 2013.¹⁴ While vice president of the Cascade Policy Institute, Wynn stated, “It’s absolutely ridiculous to say that they know that human activity is the major part of that [climate change].” ¹⁵

Stance on Climate Change

Chad Guzmán does not appear to have made any public statements on climate change.

Key Quotes

2018

On Twitter, Chad Guzmán regularly attacked Proposition 127, an Arizona ballot measure that would have required the state’s 16 regulated utilities to obtain 50 percent of their energy from renewable sources by 2030.¹⁶ Utility Dive reported that APS spent millions opposing the ballot measure.¹⁷

For example, Guzmán tweeted, “This language, which will appear on your ballot to describe #Prop127, is indisputable and a huge red flag,” along with an image reading, “Proposition 127 – constitutional mandate that – irrespective of cost to consumers.”

Guzmán’s Twitter profile linked to the website Votenoprop127.com run by Arizonans for Affordable Electricity, a group that reportedly received at least $3,512,000 from Pinnacle West Capital Corp. , the utility holding company that owns Arizona Public Service.¹⁸

Key Deeds

July 28, 2023

The Arizona Republic reported that Chad Guzmán had been hired by Saudi Arabian company Fondomonte, “at the center of controversy over leases allowing it to pump groundwater under state land”:¹⁹

April 2018

The Energy and Policy Institute (EPI) reported that Arizona Public Service (APS) had lobbied against a ballot initiative that would have required more than a dozen utilities to source more energy from renewable sources.²⁰

The EPI investigation found that groups that had received APS funding had paid Arizona state Sen. Robert Meza, one of two Democratic state senators who broke from their peers and opposed the measure, for work he’d done for groups.²¹

Chad Guzmán had supported Meza’s position in a post on Twitter: “It’s so refreshing to see some fellow Democrats willing to stand up against @TomSteyer and his regressive agenda.”²²

Meza denied this income had affected his position on the initiative, and said the relationships had created “no conflict of interest.”²³

Shortly after EPI sent Meza a request for comment, Chad Guzmán posted a tweet criticizing EPI’s reporting:²⁴

“The anti-utility hit piece factory masquerading as a ‘watchdog’ schtick has been done so many times in AZ. @EnergyandPolicy and @DavidPomerantz are trying it again, but we’ve seen this movie before. Tactics have been overused here and are seen as boring. No one is intimidated.”

The original tweet appears to have been since-removed.

July 2017

Chad Guzmán attended ALEC’s 44th annual meeting in Denver, Colorado, according to documents revealed by Documented Investigations.²⁵

June 2016

The Arizona Daily Independent released emails illustrating the close ties between APS and the Arizona State Legislature.²⁶

In one set of emails, Chad Guzmán, on behalf of APS, offered to buy lapel pins for legislators. In response, a staffer wrote to Guzmán: “Rep. Townsend informed me you have graciously offered to pay for the new lapel pins for the 53rd Legislature. Thank you!”²⁷

Affiliations

Greater Phoenix Chamber: Member of Valley Young Professionals: Board member (2020-present)
American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC): Attendee of ALEC annual conferences²⁸
Resilient Health (Formerly PSA Behavioral Health) — Director (2017 – 2020)²⁹
Utilities State Government Association (USGO) — Vice president, board of directors (2017 – 2020)³⁰
Leading for Change — Has been a member of the leadership board³¹
Hispanic Leadership Institute — Graduate³²

@ChadGuzman on Twitter
Chad Guzman on Facebook

Publications

Other Resources

Resources

1
“Chad Guzman,” LinkedIn. Accessed June 11, 2021. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
2
“VYP Board of Directors,” Greater Phoenix Chamber. Archived July 28, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.li/wip/DKW4
3
Arizona Corporations Commission entity number 23452718. Search date: July 28, 2023. Archived .pdf on file with DeSmog
4
“Lobbyist Directory,” Arizona Capitol Times. Archived June 14, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/nCR7G
5
(Press Release) “Next Generation Leaders Named to Chamber Young Professionals Board,” July 8, 2020. Archived July 28, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.li/wip/rJKKr
6
“Chad Guzman,” LinkedIn. Accessed June 11, 2021. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
7
“Company Profile,” APS. Archived June 4, 2019. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/kxts5
8
“Chad Guzman,” LinkedIn. Accessed June 11, 2021. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
9
“Stacey Barchenger. “Saudi company hires new lobbyist; Guzman is partner of key adviser to Hobbs,” The Arizona Republic, July 28, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/ZEQY8
10
Jamie Corey. “REVEALED: NAMES OF ALEC LOBBYIST AND LEGISLATOR MEMBERS,” Documented, March 8, 2018. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
11
“Chad Guzman,” LinkedIn. Accessed June 11, 2021. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
12
Steve Horn. “Former Head of Energy, Environment at ALEC, Todd Wynn, Hired by Trump Interior Department,” DeSmog, October 18, 2017.
13
Michael Doyle. “2 more Zinke appointees head for the exit,” Greenwire via Politico Pro, August 29, 2019. Archived September 3, 2019. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/rediV
14
“Wynn, Todd.” Linkedin. Accessed October 18, 2017. Archived .pdf file on DeSmog.
15
“Todd Wynn discussing energy and the climate on Populations TV,” (At 15:40), Vimeo Video uploaded by Cascade Policy. Video no longer available online.
16
Bryce Newberry. “Costly and nasty: Failure of Prop. 127 won’t stop renewable energy push, experts say,” Cronkite News, November 8, 2018. Archived July 28, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/3tXaU
17
Herman K. Trabish. “APS spent millions defeating Prop 127. Is a clean energy compromise ahead?,” Utility Dive, November 14, 2028. Archived July 28, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.li/wip/t8a7R
18
Matt Kasper. “Pinnacle West Corporation, Parent Company of Arizona Public Service, Contributes Another $3.5 Million to Arizonans for Affordable Electricity,” Energy and Policy Institute, August 21, 2018. Archived June 14, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/wc0Nx
19
Stacey Barchenger. “Saudi Arabian company pumping Ariz. groundwater hires partner of Gov. Hobbs’ top adviser,” Arizona Republic, July 26, 2023. Archived July 27, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/ZEQY8
20
David Pomerantz. “AZ legislator who slammed renewable energy initiative collects income from multiple organizations tied to APS,” Energy and Policy Institute, April 9, 2018. Archived June 11, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/IHqJj
21
.David Pomerantz. “AZ legislator who slammed renewable energy initiative collects income from multiple organizations tied to APS,” Energy and Policy Institute, April 9, 2018. Archived June 11, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/IHqJj
22
David Pomerantz. “AZ legislator who slammed renewable energy initiative collects income from multiple organizations tied to APS,” Energy and Policy Institute, April 9, 2018. Archived June 11, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/IHqJj
23
David Pomerantz. “AZ legislator who slammed renewable energy initiative collects income from multiple organizations tied to APS,” Energy and Policy Institute, April 9, 2018. Archived June 11, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/IHqJj
24
David Pomerantz. “AZ legislator who slammed renewable energy initiative collects income from multiple organizations tied to APS,” Energy and Policy Institute, April 9, 2018. Archived June 11, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/IHqJj
25
Jamie Corey. “REVEALED: NAMES OF ALEC LOBBYIST AND LEGISLATOR MEMBERS,” Documented, March 8, 2018. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
26
Laurie Roberts. “Roberts: Why don’t elected officials challenge APS? This explains it,” AZ Central, September 18, 2017. Archived June 10, 2019. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/n6Kiu
27
”RE: Member Pins,” (PNG), December 13, 2016. Retrieved from Arizona Daily Independent.
28
Jamie Corey. “REVEALED: NAMES OF ALEC LOBBYIST AND LEGISLATOR MEMBERS,” Documented, March p, 2018. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
29
“Chad Guzman,” LinkedIn. Accessed June 11, 2021. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
30
“Chad Guzman,” LinkedIn. Accessed June 11, 2021. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
31
“About Chad,” Facebook. Accessed June 14, 2021. Archived .png on file at DeSmog.
32
“About Chad,” Facebook. Accessed June 14, 2021. Archived .png on file at DeSmog.

DeSmog

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Chad Guzmán

Chad Guzmán

Credentials