AZBusiness July/August 2020

CONNECT » GUIDE » INSPIRE

JULY // AUGUST 2020

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BANKING AND FINANCE

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HEALTHCARE

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ARIZONA SOCIETY FOR HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

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WESTMARC

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Table of Contents 6

Trendsetters

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Leadership Profile

EVERY PICTURE TELLS A STORY

14 Banking and Finance 20

Healthcare

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Law

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28 Arizona Society for Human Resource Management 32

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Marketing

34 Most Influential Women in Arizona 65 WESTMARC

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JULY // AUGUST 2020

As the only boy in my family growing up, and as the only male in my household now, I have always appreciated and admired strong and powerful women. And each year, Az Business magazine showcases a new group of Most Influential Women in Arizona Business. These are the role models, leaders, and innovators that our daughters — and sons — can aspire to follow.

So the July issue of Az Business magazine is always one of my favorite issues to put together. But this year, putting together the Most Influential Women in Arizona Business issue presented some challenges. In the past, we have assembled the Most Influential Women for a group photo that became the cover image for the July issue. It’s become a powerful symbol to show how strong — in numbers and in influence — women leadership is in Arizona.

But in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, we could not do that, yet we still wanted to create that powerful image of strength and leadership for the cover of this issue. So — like most things in 2020 — we turned to technology.

Art Director Mike Mertes and Design Director Bruce Andersen photographed each woman individually, utilizing a number of different poses to give them options for the next step, which was creating a cover photo and profile photos inside this issue that give the impression that the Most Influential Women were photographed together. They were not.

The women were photographed individually over a three-day period and everyone practiced safe social distancing throughout the photo shoot.

Bruce then took more than a week to fit all the photos together to create the dynamic cover you see on front of this magazine, and the stunning pages inside.

We are honored to showcase the Most Influential Women in Arizona. Enjoy this issue.

On the cover:

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HEALTHCARE

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ARIZONA SOCIETY FOR HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

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The Most Influential Women in Arizona Business were photographed by AZ Big Media’s Mike Mertes.

Michael Gossie Editor in chief michael.gossie@azbigmedia.com

SHOUT-OUTS

President and CEO: Michael Atkinson Publisher: Amy Lindsey Vice president of operations: Audrey Webb

United Health pledges $500,000 to help vulnerable Arizonans

EDITORIAL

The United Health Foundation has committed $500,000 to provide urgent assistance to Arizona residents during the COVID-19 pandemic. The support for the Arizona Food Bank Network (AzFBN) is part of UnitedHealth Group’s more than $75 million commitment to fight COVID-19 and assist those directly impacted, including health care workers, hard-hit communities, seniors and people experiencing homelessness and food insecurity.

Interns: Peyton Clark | Sara Walker

Editor in chief: Michael Gossie Associate editors: Steve Burks | Alyssa Tufts Contributing writers: Alison Bailin Batz | Taylor Haynes Erin Thorburn | Steven G. Zylstra ART Design director: Bruce Andersen Art director: Mike Mertes

SB&H achieves platinum level of excellence

Southwest Behavioral & Health Services has been recognized by the Healthy Arizona Worksites Program (HAWP) for making efforts to positively affect the health and well-being of employees, their families, and the community. SB&H achieved platinum level of excellence, which recognizes businesses making an impact both within and beyond their walls addressing one or more of the many health challenges impacting communities across the state.

MARKETING/EVENTS

New ASU program is first in U.S.

Executive assistant: Brandi Collins

Arizona State University will launch a new Masters of Innovation and Venture Development program this fall, the first program of its kind in the United States. The program is a partnership between the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering, W.P. Carey School of Business and Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts. It is funded by a gift from ASU alumnus Tom Prescott, former president and CEO and current director of Invisalign Technologies.

OneAZ awards $200,000 in grants

OneAZ Credit Union and OneAZ Community Foundation awarded $200,000 in emergency COVID-19 Community Impact Grants to Arizona 501(c)3 organizations impacted by COVID-19. OneAZ launched the emergency grant program and received more than 300 grant applications in just two weeks. The organization selected 100 organizations in need to each receive a $2,000 grant to help them continue services.

Republic Services launches small business revitalization effort

Republic Services will partner with three national nonprofit organizations on a $3 million effort to help revitalize locally owned small businesses across America that have been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Republic Services Charitable Foundation is providing $1 million grants to longstanding partners Rebuilding Together, Habitat for Humanity International and NeighborWorks America as part of the Company’s $20 million Committed to Serve initiative.

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Marketing & events manager: Aseret Arroyo Digital strategy manager: Gloria Del Grosso Marketing designer: Heather Barnhill OFFICE Special projects manager: Sara Fregapane Database solutions manager: Amanda Bruno AZ BUSINESS MAGAZINE Senior account manager: David Harken Account managers: April Rice, Sharon Swanson AZ BUSINESS ANGELS AZ BUSINESS LEADERS Director of sales: Sheri Brown AZRE | ARIZONA COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE Director of sales: Ann McSherry EXPERIENCE ARIZONA | PLAY BALL RANKING ARIZONA Director of sales: Sheri King Az Business magazine is published bi-monthly by AZ BIG Media, 3101 N. Central Ave. Suite 1070, Phoenix, Arizona 85012, (602) 277-6045. The publisher accepts no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts, photographs or artwork. Submissions will not be returned unless accompanied by a SASE. Single copy price $4.95. Bulk rates available. Copyright 2020 by AZ BIG Media. All rights reserved. No part of this publication can be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from AZ BIG Media.

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TRENDSETTERS

WELL-HEELED

Here are the top cities for women working in STEM According to data analyzed by the National Girls Collaborative Project, women account for roughly half of the total college-educated workforce in the U.S., yet they’re represented in only 28 percent of science and engineering jobs. CommercialCafe recently took a nationwide look into the country’s top cities for women working in STEM and here’s where Arizona cities rank among western cities for women in STEM. 1 | San Francisco 2 | Fremont, Calif.

3 | Oakland, Calif.

4 | Sacramento, Calif.

5 | Seattle

6 | Modesto, Calif.

7 | Tacoma, Wash.

8 | Glendale, Ariz.

9 | Chandler, Ariz.

10 | Anaheim

Of note in Arizona: Women STEM workers’ median income increased 112 percent since 2014 in Glendale; and 13 percent of local jobs in Chandler are STEM-related, which ranks fourth for its sector size.

91-year-old Valley women invents product to protect shoes 91-year-old Valley resident Nancy Pettibone has spent the past three years developing and getting her dream product to market: DisposaBoots — Nancy Pettibone covers that protect your shoes from rain, snow and mud. The patent-pending product is made from clear, puncture-resistant material secured in place with an adhesive strip. The biodegradable material features slip-resistant shoe protection in regular and large sizes.

They come in small packaging, so women can easily carry them in purses.

“I have never shown DisposaBoots to a woman who wasn’t excited about it, and all the men in my family are excited, too,” Pettibone says.

“We all wear good shoes. Whether you’re wearing sneakers or dress shoes, if it’s snowing or raining outside, people don’t want to lug around boots. I think DisposaBoots will be very successful worldwide.

It’s been very exciting so far and it’s even more exciting now that it’s on the market.”

T he most

women directors in 2020 While women are still far from having an equal voice in boardrooms, they have made strides in the last year. According to MSCI, an independent research firm that develops global equity indexes, 20 percent of directors were women in 2019, up from 17.9 percent in 2018. How are we doing in Arizona? Here are the Arizona-based companies boards of directors that are made up of at least 25 percent women, according to Women on Boards’ 2020 Gender Diversity Index.

57%

Taylor Morrison Home Corporation

33%

Insys Therapeutics

25%

25%

(3 of 12 seats)

(2 of 8 seats)

Avnet

(4 of 7 seats)

(2 of 6 seats)

40%

33%

Freeport-McMoRan Republic Services

Knight-Swift Transportation

(2 of 5 seats)

(4 of 12 seats)

(2 of 8 seats)

38%

29%

25%

(3 of 8 seats)

(2 of 7 seats)

(2 of 8 seats)

29%

25%

Sparklight Cavco (previously Cable ONE) Industries

33%

Insight Enterprises

(3 of 9 seats)

Sprouts Farmers Market (2 of 7 seats)

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25%

Rogers Corporation

VEREIT (2 of 8 seats)

Viad

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e c i v r e S TRENDSETTERS

At your

Here are some of the women leading Arizona’s hospitality industry

By ALISON BAILIN BATZ

According to the Arizona Lodging and Tourism Association (AzLTA), there are approximately 1,160 hotels and resorts in Arizona. Last year alone, the industry generated $12 billion.

“Arizona’s hospitality industry is the lifeblood of our state, producing 10 percent of our state’s general fund budget, employing more than 300,000 individuals and welcoming nearly 44 milion overnight domestic and international visitors to Arizona each year,” says Kim Sabow, AzLTA president and CEO. Here is a look at some of the leading female executives driving this critical sector of Arizona’s business community:

Bambi Johnson Director of finance and administration, Harrah’s Ak-Chin Hotel and Casino Johnson oversees Harrah’s main cage, security, payroll and business process improvement along with overseeing all aspects of finance for the casino. She most recently worked in partnership with the treasurer of the Ak-Chin Indian Community through the recent renovation of the property, which included sweeping updates to all public areas and the addition of a new hotel tower, events center, restaurants and a full-service spa.

Lisa Mercer Director of food and beverage, The Phoenician Mercer led the recent top-to-bottom transformation of the department, including the concept development, design and operational implementation of Mowry & Cotton, Kalio Kobobery, The Marketplace and The Phoenician Tavern. She also directed the relaunch of the Thirsty Camel, a 2019 Forbes World’s Best Hotel Bar honoree, and oversaw the lauded first-ever “Fierce Females at The Phoenician” dining series in 2020.

Kelley Moreton General manager, Four Seasons Scottsdale Resort at Troon North A member of the Four Seasons family since 1999, Moreton was named general manager of the Scottsdale property in 2018. In her first six months, she oversaw a $13 million renovation of the guest rooms and suites, lobby, patios, pool and Talavera. Today, she and her team are focused on ensuring the highest levels of service and creating exceptional guest experiences daily.

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Selma Muslimovic

Director of sales, Fairmont Scottsdale Princess Director of Sales since 2014 - and the resort’s National Sales Manager before that - Muslimovic leads the 15-person sales team at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess, which is the most successful in Fairmont’s worldwide portfolio. Under her leadership, the team has been named Fairmont Sales Team of the Year, and Muslimovic has earned individual sales and leadership awards several times over.

Sally Shaffer General manager Boulders Resort & Spa Scottsdale Shaffer has served as the General Manager of the property since 2018 and prior served in general manager positions at the Hilton Sonoma Wine Country Hotel, Hilton Garden Inn Scottsdale, and others. She is also on the Executive Board of Directors for the Scottsdale Downtown Partnership Group and an elected official for both the Enhanced Municipal Service District of Scottsdale and the Tourism Development Commission of Scottsdale.

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Featured topics include: • How bankers are getting ready for the post-COVID recovery • Here are the Most Admired Companies for 2020

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• Meet the trailblazers who earned AZBio Awards • Out-of-the-box hospitality experiences in Arizona

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TRENDSETTERS

DANI HUVAL

Business development director, CHASSE Building Team: While in college, Huval became a single mother. She graduated, moved to Arizona, got married, and started a business with her husband, whom she lost in 2015 to cancer, but Dani persevered, becoming a leader in business and development for CHASSE Building Team, helping the general contractor grow to more than $250 million in projects annually.

SHELLEY OSTROWSKI MARY PURKISS Founder, Realty One Group Gateway: In 2009, Ostrowski was diagnosed with breast cancer.

After treatment, her business partner Matias Rosales was diagnosed with endocrine cancer.

Then, in 2013, her husband and business partner, Joe, passed away.

But Ostrowski forged ahead, opened her own real estate business and is today the incoming treasurer of the Arizona Association of REALTORS.

Co-founder, Iron Medical Systems: In 2000, Mary Purkiss and her husband Ed owned a call center business with over 500 employees. And then she was diagnosed with breast cancer.

Six surgeries and the sale of their business later, Mary and Ed emerged ready to repay the medical community, first as technology and business consultants to doctors and then by launching Iron Medical Systems.

JERI ROYCE

CEO, Esperança: Within four months of accepting the role as interim CEO at Esperança, Royce learned she had breast cancer. Her health crisis gave Royce a renewed commitment to be of service. In March 2018, breast cancer in remission, Royce transitioned to full-time CEO of Esperança, leading the globally and locally focused nonprofit as it celebrates its milestone 50th anniversary.

CARI SPARKS

Senior account manager and sales strategist, Pioneer Title Agency: Sparks got the shock of her life when diagnosed with stage 4 ovarian cancer in 1998. Despite many doctors’ outlooks, she fought to survive and thrive. By 2002, she was in the top 1 percent of producers at her then-title agency. Her climb continued until 2012, when one day Sparks felt the left side of her face sag.

She’d had a stroke.

Resilience won out again; she fought through therapy and recovered.

Here are the obstacles some local women business leaders have overcome to find success

By ALISON BAILIN BATZ

T

he events of the past several months have led to uncertainty, adversity and obstacles from which many of us continue to push through. For these female executives, their resolute and inspiring ability to help their businesses forge ahead is — in part — thanks to the perspective they have from other, very different, hurdles in their lives.

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LEADERSHIP PROFILE

WINNING HAND Kimberly Van Amburg leads Casino Del Sol through a period of unprecedented growth

By MICHAEL GOSSIE

C

asino Del Sol dealt a winning hand to the community it serves during the COVID-19 pandemic. The culinary staff prepared and delivered more than 3,000 meals to healthcare workers at Tucson hospitals and to Pascua Yaqui Tribe public service departments.

“Supporting our local community, especially those on the front lines, during this uncertain and difficult time is of the utmost importance to us at Casino Del Sol,” says Kimberly Van Amburg, the CEO of Casino Del Sol. “We must all come together and do everything we can to help those who are making sacrifices for us.

They are so busy caring for others, they don’t even have time to stop and grab lunch, so we brought lunch to them.”

Van Amburg has led Casino Del Sol through a period of unprecedented growth — adding a 151-room hotel and significantly expanding its event space in the last year. Az Business talked with Van Amburg, one of Az Business magazine’s Most Influential Women of 2015.

Az Business: What would people who work with you say are your best qualities as a leader?

Kimberly Van Amburg: As the CEO of Casino Del Sol, it’s very important that I am a positive influence for the staff and customers. I’d like to think they’d say I’m positive, caring and accessible, my door is always open to anyone.

AB: Tell us about a tough day you had at work.

KVA: The toughest day of work I have ever had is the day we closed our operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It wasn’t tough because we closed—it was tough because I could tell that our team members were afraid and looking for hope. We have the very best team members in the entire world, so I spent a good deal of time talking to people, listening to their concerns and reassuring them we would get through this — together.

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KIMBERLY VAN AMBURG: “Something that would surprise most people is that I love to scuba dive,” says the CEO of Casino Del Sol. “I became certified in 2005.”

AB: What have you learned in the last year that will help you become an ever better leader?

KVA: In times of uncertainty, people need a leader more than ever. They need someone to be transparent about what is happening and how it’s being handled from a business perspective. I learned that it is extremely important to continue to communicate throughout a crisis, not just when it happens.

AB: What advice would you give a young woman who aspires to become a leader in your industry?

KVA: I would say that a young woman starting her career in gaming has more opportunity than ever before. It’s important to be yourself and be confident in your decisions rather than trying to emulate how someone else would handle something. Trust your instincts. When I started in this business in the 1980s, it wasn’t common for a woman to be the CEO of a large company. Those roles generally went to men. Women were even expected to dress and act like a man to be successful. Thankfully, that is not the case any longer. There are lots of opportunities for women now.

AB: What accomplishment gives you the most pride?

KVA: I implemented an open-door policy at Casino Del Sol and it works. Team members — from managers to line level employees in many departments — know they can come to me and share what they are experiencing and that I appreciate their feedback.

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BANKING AND FINANCE

EXPECT THE While nothing could have prepared businesses for COVID-19, here’s what they need to do now to adapt and prosper post-pandemic

By MICHAEL GOSSIE

N

o business could have been prepared for what hit them in 2020.

Even businesses who thought they were prepared for anything likely didn’t factor a global pandemic into their plans. So, moving forward, in what areas will companies feel the greatest impact from an accounting or financial planning perspective as they adjust to a neverbefore-seen “be prepared” approach?

“The pandemic amplified the need for flexibility and adaptability — flexibility to capitalize on opportunities and adaptability to manage competitive challenges,” says Mark R. Dreher, CPA, managing partner at Wallace Plese + Dreher. “Be it the physical workplace or staffing, businesses should focus on scaling upward or downward. Challenges will be accessibility to products and services, without the obligations of control, and minimizing inventories, minus large facilities and taking risks of ownership.”

Experts say valuation may be one of the biggest economic casualties of the pandemic, and it’s an important one because valuation is used for many purposes by banks, lenders, accountants and others.

“For accounting and financial reporting, valuation is used to address the carrying value of assets including intangible assets and goodwill,” says Chuck McLane, senior managing director at CBIZ & MHM. “Impairment of assets involves some additional accounting considerations, and could also impact the overall view of the company’s valuation. Many times valuations are based on trailing 12-month data. The most recent data is going to be skewed in a negative manner. However, this may be good for transfer of wealth in succession planning.”

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David J. Cohen and CariAnn J. Todd of BeachFleischman say that while the effects of the pandemic will vary by business, the challenge for most companies is managing their liabilities, such as payments owed to vendors, suppliers, and lenders.

“For many, sales will slowly ramp up and many customers take 60-90 days to pay, while creditors don’t extend the same terms,” Cohen and Todd say. “To mitigate that concern, companies should negotiate better terms and utilize bank lines of credit to get through this cash flow issue.”

You down with PPP? Many companies received help with cash-flow issues brought on by the pandemic in the form of the The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), a $669-billion business loan program established by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act to help businesses continue to pay their workers and expenses through the tough times brought on by the pandemic.

“The biggest implication of the PPP will be whether or not the forgiven funds are taxable,” Cohen and Todd say. “Currently, the forgiven amount is nontaxable.

However, the expenses that the forgiven funds were used for are nondeductible.

Congress has expressed frustration with the IRS for taking this position since the CARES Act was very clear that forgiven amounts were nontaxable.”

While we wait for a resolution, it is challenging for companies and owners of pass-through entities to determine what estimated tax payments they should be making each quarter.

“A secondary concern for businesses that have annual financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP

(Generally Accepted Accounting Principles) will be how to account for the forgiveness,” Cohen and Todd say. “There is currently no GAAP that specifically addresses this type of income for a for-profit enterprise. Compound that with not knowing how long it will take for the lenders and the SBA to approve forgiveness applications with the pending audits for recipients of PPP funds in excess of $2 million, and preparing financial statements and related disclosures may be challenging for 2020.”

UNEXPECTED

To avoid further complication, Shayne R. Neuwirth, CPA, stresses that proper record keeping and accounting is a necessity for businesses to be eligible to have the PPP loan forgiven.

“Traditionally companies would be able to deduct the cost of payroll and rent from their income, however any PPP funds that were forgiven because they were used for wages, rent or utilities is no longer allowed as a business deduction. Therefore, a business’ tax liability may be greater than expected based on past years.”

There are tax benefits While PPP loans may increase a business’ tax liability, there are financial benefits coming on the heels of the pandemic that companies can utilize to AB | July - August 2020 15

BANKING AND FINANCE their advantage.

“Under the CARES ACT, there are benefits for businesses and individual taxpayers,” Neuwirth says. “The Employee Retention Credit is a fully refundable tax credit for eligible employers which is equal to 50 percent of qualified wages paid to employees.”

Employers also have the ability to postpone paying the employer share of the Social Security tax, which is 6.2 percent of wages.”

There are also tax benefits for some businesses to generate additional cash by electing bonus depreciation on leasehold improvements acquired in 2018 and 2019, rather than depreciating assets over 39 years, according to Dreher.

“This reduces taxes on earnings from last year, which may not have been paid or used to obtain overpayment refunds,” he says. “If losses are generated due to bonus depreciation, the loss can now be carried back for five years to obtain refunds of taxes paid in prior years. For businesses with revenues over $25 million, there is flexibility deducting all of their interest expense in 2020.”

Another significant benefit that came from the COVID-19 pandemic is the tax change related to the use of net operating losses, McLane says.

“Previously, companies would only be allowed to use net operating losses to offset future income,” he says. “The recent rule change will allow the net operating losses to be carried backward to recover taxes previously paid. The carry-back period is three years. This could have a positive impact on a company’s cash flow if they had previous taxable income that could be offset by current losses.”

Where to go from here?

While no business could have foreseen a global pandemic tossing a spike strip onto what was previously a smooth economic road, there are things experts say companies should be doing coming out of the pandemic that could help them down the road.

Internal controls: “Companies may want to take a look at their internal controls and segregation of duties within their accounting function,” Cohen and Todd say.

“What happened to those systems when 16

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them or for the next rainy day, which hopefully won’t come too soon,” says Ruth Urban, president and CEO, On the Money.

“A tax fund might be the first account for your business. Put up to 15 percent of your revenue there to cover estimated and 2020 income taxes so you are ready. The next account could be a game changer for your future: Setting up a separate account for predetermined profit. It will help you David J. Cohen Mark R. Dreher mentally see why you are working so hard, and at the same time, provide some peace of mind by having a cushion in future downturns.”

Cybersecurity: “When people left their offices, they lost access to key information and data, especially paper files,” McLane says. “It is important for companies to develop systems, including accounting systems that are cloud-based and accessible from anywhere, to ensure employees and clients have undisrupted access. Security Chuck McLane Shayne R. of that sensitive information is also Neuwirth key. With cloud-based systems and the inherent cyber risks that come with cloud access, information security protocols should be top of mind.”

Record keeping: “During these uncertain times it’s more important than ever to keep accurate, relevant and reliable financial records,” Neuwirth says.

“Businesses should be aware of each stream of revenue and its associated direct costs to determine profitability. More importantly Ruth Urban CariAnn J. Todd is understanding expenses so you can eliminate redundancies and increase cash flow, which will allow businesses to adapt everyone, or even only a few people, had to to uncertain market conditions and remain work remotely? Formulating a system that not only operational but profitable.” works, despite the physical location of the If there is one thing the pandemic individuals involved, is necessary to ensure taught us, it’s that business owners need to the company is protected from exposure be agile and ready to adjust their business to fraud.” model to respond to sudden market Technology: “Time management and changes, Neuwirth says. Moving forward, digital technologies will be critical,” Dreher they should have contingency plans and says. “Businesses should invest in clouddiverse income streams to allow them to based systems connecting businesses with continue to operate under unconventional financial professionals that will maintain economic conditions, including virtual real-time records and automate processes, workplaces and online marketing and sales without challenging existing IT hardware infrastructure. and expertise of the business. This will “There is a quote by Heraclitus: ‘The only allow businesses to have information they constant in life is change,’” Urban says. need at critical times without expanding “Hopefully, surviving business will take their payroll.” this to heart based on the experience with Tax fund: “Start or maintain separate COVID-19. There is no downside in being accounts to hold funds for when you need caught up and prepared.”

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BANKING AND FINANCE

What should the new ‘be prepared’ approach look like post-pandemic?

From an accounting and finance perspective, here’s what experts say the new ‘be prepared’ approach should look like for companies post-pandemic:

Mark R. Dreher, CPA, managing partner, Wallace Plese + Dreher: “Businesses should embrace automation, seek opportunities to reduce facility commitments, and evaluate staffing that can be performed by specialized services. Our Client Accounting Services provides a blended model of traditional accounting and cloud-based automated processes for accounts payable, cash management, general ledger and financial reporting, and analysis. Product specialists offer business coaching and advice. Our services reduce business space, provide continuous, real-time data, and accurate information for decision-making.”

Chuck McLane, senior managing director, CBIZ & MHM: “The ‘be prepared’ approach to anything requires advanced planning. Companies should take the opportunity to document their thought processes related to sudden change. This means that they should be thinking about appropriate communication protocols related to their teams both internally and externally. Communication with employees, suppliers, vendors and customers is critically important. Many companies lost the ability to communicate with these key groups or did not have a process in place to develop and deliver messages to these key groups.”

David J. Cohen, CPA; and CariAnn J. Todd, CPA; BeachFleischman: “We were due for a recession as it’s part of the normal business cycle and while no one foresaw the sudden loss of all revenue in a matter of days, it emphasized the need for all businesses to maintain reserves and have low levels of Shayne R. Neuwirth, CPA: debt where possible. By nature, many of us “Business owners will need to live beyond our means and it’s very painful be able to be agile and ready to when there is zero income but lots of debt. adjust their business model to Fortunately, many mortgage lenders and respond to sudden market changes. landlords offered forbearance programs, but Companies should consider having most were deferrals and not abatement. I’d higher cash reserves to withstand also suggest that businesses establish more variations in business volume. They than one banking relationship as we saw firstshould have contingency plans hand that their long- established connections and diverse income streams to were often of little help when applying for the allow them to continue to operate PPP loan. Lastly, many companies realized under unconventional economic the strength of having great tax, legal, and conditions, including virtual insurance advisors when they needed them workplaces and online marketing the most.” and sales infrastructure.”

Ruth Urban, president and CEO, On the Money: “A new “be prepared” approach should involve a focus on cash flow. Many business owners review their income statements and balance sheets and stop there. Cash flow is just as important, if not more so. This means proactively evaluating where to reduce or increase cash. Companies should also consider options such as canceling unnecessary expenses (both business and personal) and renegotiating terms with one-time/recurring overhead expenses as well as purchases from suppliers.”

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HEALTHCARE

HOUSE CALLS Here’s how home-based healthcare is increasing efficiency for patients and providers

By ALYSSA TUFTS

T

he healthcare industry has faced countless challenges in the first half of 2020. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, patients and providers have had to adapt access and delivery of care in safe, efficient ways.

Technology advancements have led to new capabilities that are convenient and efficient. Those include telehealth and home-based healthcare services.

Telehealth appointments have become more frequent and home healthcare — where licensed nurses and physicians provide specialized care in a patient’s home — and home care — when companions or caregivers assist with daily tasks — are in higher demand.

Definitive Healthcare, a leading provider of data and intelligence on hospitals, physicians and healthcare providers, conducted a Home Health Agency Study in 2019 that surveyed 159 home healthcare agency leaders. Its research found telehealth technologies are gaining popularity, as 48 percent of respondents anticipate using telehealth offerings by 2021. According to the

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Bureau of Labor Statistics, the home healthcare industry is forecasting a 36 percent employment growth rate by 2028, adding about 1 million jobs.

Barbara Mason, executive director of Sun Health At Home, a division of Sun Health Communities, which has three independent living locations in Arizona, says Sun Health At Home is the only licensed program in Arizona that is an insurance-healthcare hybrid which provides guaranteed lifetime access to healthcare and personalized support and coordinated services provided by Sun Health.

Barbara Mason

Home-based healthcare provides services and convenience “The goal with our program is to keep folks who want to successfully age in place in their own homes, safe and secure with no worries about what would happen if they need care,” Mason says. Sun Health At Home provides services such as health and well-being, in-home functional and safety assessment, an emergency

Michael Simon

response system using GPS technology, in-home assistance through companion, homemaker and personal caregiver services, plus access to Sun Health Community locations.

“We also do a lot of preventative measures,” Mason says. “We have wellness coordinators who conduct nutritional evaluations, as well as strength and balance and cognitive evaluations with our members.

Oftentimes, we catch things before a physician would because of our regular interactions with our members.”

Mason says most Sun Health At Home members are about 78 years old, but they also have members from 55 to 95 years old.

“The earlier you join, the easier it is for us to get involved, stay involved and provide enough preventative services so, hopefully, these folks won’t ever need to be in assisted living,” Mason

says. “Even though we’re not home care, the idea is to bring care to the home no matter what it might be so that folks don’t have to move and they’re not faced with that really difficult decision of, ‘Where am I going to go?’”

Sun Health’s approach to assisting members as they live independently in their own homes has seen great results. Mason says other programs like it have about 12 new members per year, but Sun Health At Home has had 100 new members join since it was established four years ago — the fastestgrowing program of its kind in the U.S. Staying in home “Traditionally, out of the 29 years that at-home programs have been in existence, 96 percent of people who have been admitted to a program like ours has lived for the duration of their lives and died in their own home and have not needed to move to assisted living,” Mason says.

“The goal with our program is to keep folks who want to successfully age in place in their own homes, safe and secure with no worries about what would happen if they need care.”

— Barbara Mason AB | July - August 2020 21

HEALTHCARE

In addition to having access to Sun Health’s services and locations, members also utilize a personal emergency response system for member safety and peace of mind. If a member falls, they can speak directly to a response agent for assistance using a small cellular-activated GPS device, which can triangulate their location and emergency services can find them immediately if needed, Mason says. Sun Health is also notified whenever a member presses the button so they can respond.

Sun Health At Home members also have access to Sun Health Communities’ Center for Health and Wellbeing, which Mason says offers members additional education and support through services including massage, acupuncture and registered dietitians. Mason says they keep people in their own homes by encouraging Sun Health At Home members to participate in activities offered at the Sun Health Center.

“A lot of folks join Sun Health At Home because they don’t see themselves living in a retirement community, but if they change their minds, they already have this relationship with us and are given priority to move into the community,” Mason says.

Mason says she sees the home healthcare industry growing in Arizona as more people are wanting concierge-type physicians who come to their home.

“I think folks are looking for comfort and ease and there will be a larger demand for in-home services,” she says.

“It also takes pressure off people if they don’t have to worry about transportation.

I also think some of our healthcare professionals will transition to being mobile, so I see there’s going to be more need and demand for people to be able to do more from a remote setting.”

“The provision of care to patients in their homes (using telemedicine) during the recent period, has markedly increased both the provider’s comfort with the provision of care remotely and the patient’s appreciation of its convenience and effectiveness.”

— Michael Simon

with social workers working remotely who provide crisis evaluations; and an ambulatory service.

Simon says Banner’s Telehealth and Home Care offerings provide excellent care without sacrificing quality or efficiency through a careful system of matching care to the needs of the patient.

“In the traditional, on-site only practice model, all patients are processed through the front office ‘routine,’ which Telehealth improves the patient experience may alternatively provide too much or too little information,” Simon says.

Banner Health offers telehealth, “Additionally, patient compliance is limited telemedicine and home-care services that by transportation, time off work, child or provide convenient, quality care to the elder care considerations. Telehealth can patient in their own home.

Michael Simon, MD, medical director for help alleviate some aspects of a traditional Banner Telehealth, says Banner’s footprint visit by being more convenient and opening access. in telehealth includes the tele-ICU, where “Truly integrated on-site/virtual they provide remote monitoring of ICU practices will be able to offer more patients; a telebehavioral health operation

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frequent, focused virtual visits, and more extensive on-site evaluations for those either with severe, complex issues, or who are identified through a virtual means to need a more comprehensive evaluation,” Simon says.

Impact of technology “Additionally, as new technologies become more broadly available — integrated glucometers, scales for congestive heart failure patients, peak flow meters for asthmatics, connected sphygmomanometers, etc. — they can be integrated into both virtual visits and trended independently to provide an ‘athome’ surveillance mechanism.”

Banner Telehealth completed more than 22,000 virtual visits between mid-March and May this year due to increased COVID19-related appointments.

“COVID-19 accelerated the way Banner Health conducts telehealth services,” Simon says. “We had been working preCOVID to build out some other services, such as deploying a virtual primary care physician, in which a virtual visit with your primary care doctor would be fully integrated into our electronic medical record. We wanted this to take off in 2021 and we’d like it to continue now because there’s a number of inefficiencies that can be addressed via virtual care for both the patients and the provider.”

The impact of home-based healthcare has already seen noticeable results in Arizona in part because of COVID-19.

“The provision of care to patients in their homes (using telemedicine) during the recent period, has markedly increased both the provider’s comfort with the provision of care remotely and the patient’s appreciation of its convenience and effectiveness,” Simon says.

“With continued use, this approach has the promise to markedly increase patient access to both primary and specialty care, allow providers to offer more frequent and efficient ‘routine’ care, and will permit the healthcare industry to ‘right-size’ its brickand-mortar operations, thereby bending the ‘curve’ of continually escalating healthcare costs.”

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LAW

AN EPIDEMIC With a flurry of COVID-19-related legal cases expected to come, here’s how business leaders can protect themselves

By MICHAEL GOSSIE

T

here seems to be three main key types of claims that are emerging in coronavirus-related employment lawsuits: wrongful termination, discrimination, and failure to provide notice of layoffs (WARN Act violations): • WARN Act: The federal WARN Act requires, in certain circumstances, that employers with 100 or more employees provide at least 60 days’ notice before conducting a mass layoff or closing a plant.

Less notice may lead to claims for backpay and penalties. Additionally, multiple states have enacted similar “mini-WARN” acts.

Several WARN class actions already have been filed.

• Wrongful termination: As employers facing economic uncertainty have

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let workers go, their employees have responded with wrongful termination lawsuits. Such lawsuits continue to be filed as the pandemic drags on.

• Discrimination: Terminated employees have brought claims under federal and state anti-discrimination laws, challenging the purported reason they were selected for an adverse employment action.

To determine how much risk Arizona

OF LAWSUITS business leaders are facing in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Az Business talked with Stephanie Quincy, chair of Quarles & Brady’s Labor & Employment Group in Phoenix and one of Az Business magazine’s Most Influential Women in Arizona Business for 2014.

Stephanie Quincy

Az Business: How much will the unpredictability of the pandemic protect an employer from employment-related lawsuits?

Stephanie Quincy: Since mid-March, when the pandemic became a string of state and local closing orders, employers have scrambled to comply with guidelines that have changed — and to a certain extent — are still changing. Even the CDC flip-flopped on the need to wear masks.

By the time a lawsuit makes it to a judge or jury for determination, the uncertainty

AB | July - August 2020 25

LAW and impact may be distant memories.

In addition, hindsight is 20/20 and no one is certain what will happen with the spread of the virus. Judges and juries hold employers to high standards. A wise business is documenting all of its efforts to keep its employees safe during this time, including attempts to obtain personal protective equipment (PPE), cleaning and sanitization programs, and adhering to employment laws, which include safety laws, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and other laws. A wise business is also taking all reasonable precautions to keep its employees safe (PPE required, temperature testing, cleaning, etc.). This type of evidence will help demonstrate that an employer was doing its best in very challenging times.

counsel. Employers can offer employees reinstatement with back pay, which fixes much of the harm. It really depends on the mistake that was made whether a fix will make things better or just open a new can of worms. In some situations, an employer may feel bad about a decision, but the decision was completely legal. If an employer is now looking at permanent layoffs or closures, talk with an attorney about whether WARN laws apply before making any notifications.

AB: Which types of wrongful termination allegations — i.e. terminated after requesting to work from home, terminated for complaining about a lack of gloves or masks, terminated because they were a “high risk” employee, etc. — will be the most difficult for employers to defend?

SQ: Every case turns on its individual AB: Many employers were forced to make facts. That being said, terminating an quick decisions to avoid financial ruin in the face of the pandemic. Is there anything employee because they have a health an employer can do after the fact to reduce condition or are over 60 – particularly if that was the reason stated to the employee the risk of employment lawsuits that may – absolutely violates the law (Americans arise from those quick decisions? with Disabilities Act or Age Discrimination SQ: Once an employment decision has in Employment Act). That would be very been implemented, it is difficult to fix, problematic to defend. but not impossible. For example, if an There have already been lawsuits filed employer denied an employee paid leave (including against healthcare providers) under the CARES Act, it is easy to simply pay the employee for leave retroactively. If where employees allege that they were an employee was let go and the employer is fired when they complained about the lack of PPE. There are possibly some concerned that decision was legally risky, defenses to such a claim, but only where it is best to have such discussions with the employee’s complaint was made in a manner that was patently unreasonable.

For example, if an employee slapped Employers should be her supervisor when the facility ran out of gloves, that termination would be listening and talking to defensible. But bringing forward concerns about safety are protected under the law, their employees. There are and an employee has fair breadth in how they do this. widely divergent feelings For employees who are let go for about safety related to the requesting to work from home, there are more defenses for an employer, pandemic. Rather than particularly if an employee is needed at the job such as an airline or restaurant just emailing or issuing employee where the work cannot be done at home. There is no protected category memos, employers should for “working from home,” though if the employee could be more adversely reach out to employees to impacted by COVID-19 (such as having heart condition, asthma, or diabetes), understand their concerns. they are requesting an accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the employer must provide 26

AB | July - August 2020

accommodations that are reasonable and don’t create an undue burden.

AB: Which wrongful termination allegations will be the easiest for employers to defend?

SQ: Employees asking to remain on “furlough” so they can continue to received heightened unemployment benefits is pretty easy to defend. That is not a “wrongful termination” claim when the employer ends their employment permanently. Employees asking to work from home or remain on a leave because they are afraid of contracting COVID-19 — without more, such as a disability — also don’t have a claim. These are situations that being faced by employers who are returning their workers to work. It is a difficult balance, but legally, employees who don’t return for these reasons have no claim.

AB: What is the most important thing employers should do to prepare for the potential of coronavirus-related employment lawsuits?

SQ: Employers should be listening and talking to their employees. There are widely divergent feelings about safety related to the pandemic. Rather than just emailing or issuing memos, employers should reach out to employees to understand their concerns. Most employers want to do the right thing.

It is important to understand why an employee may be hesitant to return to work (for example a cancer survivor with a compromised immune system). Simply sending out a note saying everyone must return by a certain date does not work.

Employees often have good ideas about safety. Listening is important.

AB: What should employers do if an employee does test positive for COVID-19 after everyone returns to work?

SQ: As Arizona continues to reopen, businesses will likely have an employee test positive for COVID-19. How an employer should respond depends on many factors, including how recently the employee has been in the workplace, the nature of the work, and whether guests or employees are following social distancing guidelines.

Think through how you would handle such a situation now, including what you would say to guests and other employees.

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ARIZONA SOCIETY FOR HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

The abnormal

normal Here’s what employers need to know to reduce their legal risks as employees start coming back to work in greater numbers

By MICHAEL GOSSIE

T

his year has taken the trendy catchphrase “the new normal” to an unforeseen level.

“Employers are in a constant state of flux with the many new employment laws and regulations enacted in response to COVID-19,” says Susie Ingold, a shareholder at Burch & Cracchiolo and one of Az Business magazine’s Most Influential Women of 2019. “There is whole new level of vigilance required to not only ensure

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understanding and compliance with these new laws and regulations, but also to be flexible and supportive of individual employee needs in the context of an unprecedented health crisis.”

As businesses reopen and employees return to work, the question Ingold says she hears most often from clients is, “How do we do this?”

“The answer is, we don’t,” she says. “That is, we don’t return to the same workplace without first taking necessary steps to help ensure the safety and protection of our employees, clients and customers.

With Arizona’s shutdown orders subsided, employees can be required to come to work — but employers must carefully navigate the risk of bringing employees back to work and, at the same time, mitigate that risk by adopting measures to promote a safe and healthy work environment.”

Mitigating risk Ingold says an effective way to mitigate that risk is to track and follow official COVID-19 guidance concerning safe workspaces from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA).

Using these official guidelines, employers can develop response plans to reduce workers’ risk of exposure. Safety measures that may be contained in such a response plan include: • Implementing prescreening procedures for employees attending work.

• Adopting and enforcing social distancing measures.

• Instructing employees to stay home if they feel sick or have any symptoms.

• Identifying high-risk employees and whether reasonable accommodations are necessary and can be made.

• Revising policies concerning schedules, leave, and working remotely.

• Implementing staggered shifts and extended “work from home” allowances.

“Clear communication to employees about the response and return to work plan is critical, as is enforcement of the plan,” Ingold says. “A carefully crafted return to work plan means nothing if your employees aren’t following the protocols.”

But, as employees return to work in greater numbers, there will be more challenges to our “new normal.”

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ARIZONA SOCIETY FOR HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

“We will continue to see more employees working remotely even after the pandemic,” says Andrea Lovell, a shareholder at Littler and one of Az Business magazine’s Most Influential Women of 2020. “While businesses and employees alike can benefit from increased flexibility and potentially lower overhead, employers will also face unique challenges.”

Other challenges Lovell says cybersecurity awareness will be critical as remote workers access the company’s network — and confidential information — from their homes.

“Accurately tracking the time worked by remote non-exempt employees is also critical to ensure compliance with state and federal wage and hour laws,” Lovell says. “In addition, maintaining a clear company culture that encourages interaction and collaboration among remote workers — including newly onboarded team members — will require careful thought and planning.”

Experts say working from home during the stay-at-home orders arising from the COVID-19 pandemic has also created a cultural shift in business.

“Already, Twitter has announced that even when the stay at home orders are lifted, it is allowing employees to work from home permanently if they choose to,” says Robert Reder, managing partner at Blythe Grace. “It’s also been reported that Apple, Facebook, and Google will likely revise their employment policies regarding working from home. This change will eventually trickle down to even small businesses, whose operations are in a single state. So, employers of all sizes should be prepared to look at their workforce and determine whether any of those jobs can be performed by a stayat-home employee, or an independent 30

AB | July - August 2020

Susie Ingold

John Lomax

Andrea Lovell

Robert Reder

contractor — which has substantial cost savings, such as the elimination of payroll taxes.”

Reder says having stay-at-home workers can substantially reduce the need for physical office space and the likelihood of viral transmission.

“Still, a business should also look at whether its workforce will be able to maintain productivity concerning at-home workers,” Reder says. “In that regard, employers should look at their policies to ensure that they contain procedures to secure production. Indeed, as productivity and project tracking services, like Slack, become more mainstream, employers will need to adjust their employment policies regarding employee hours, communication, and reporting.”

Balancing act To balance all the changes coming with the “new normal,” Ingold says employers

may also consider designating a channel through which employees can seek clarification, voice concerns or ask for exceptions to certain procedures.

“Revisiting your response plan week to week, and month to month, is also key in order to address issues specific to your workplace and as modifications become necessary with updated federal and local guidance,” she says.

When it comes to new employment laws governing paid and unpaid leave for certain COVID-19 related reasons, experts say employers must also navigate the risk of violating these new requirements and depriving their employees of necessary leave, whether paid or unpaid. This also opens employers up to potential legal claims and damages, Ingold says.

Employers should make sure that they have professionals who are familiar with all new federal, state and local leave policies and determine how their existing leave policies correlate with these new obligations. Given the novel working conditions created by COVID-19, Ingold says employers may also want to update their employee handbooks and guidance accordingly.

“The coronavirus pandemic has caused upheavals in workplace practices, but employers’ emphasis on safety in the workplace is unlikely to disappear,” says John Lomax, a partner at Snell & Wilmer. “Some employers will point to the transition to remote working as a lasting change, but that change affects only certain industries. All employers and employees will not forget the hazard of infectious diseases and the steps to mitigate that risk. Over time, temperature screens, employee wellness checks, face masks, and social distancing may disappear, but infectious disease policies, hand sanitizers, disinfectants, and, hopefully, good social hygiene are here to stay.”

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MARKETING

How to use

CONTENT MARKETING AS A GAME-CHANGING SALES TOOL

D

oes your business view sales and content marketing as equally important channels that run parallel but don’t intersect?

Businesses that fail to integrate sales with content marketing efforts often hit roadblocks. These obstacles may include an incomplete understanding of the target customer, missed opportunities to enhance client conversations or interdepartmental miscommunications.

Breaking down this siloed approach not only yields dynamic and profitable results, but a strong content marketing strategy that effectively speaks to customers’ concerns and questions can also free up time for your busy sales professionals. Instead of constantly answering FAQs, they’ll have more time to focus on closing leads.

How can content support customer service and sales in the best way possible?

Make content buyer-focused, not just product-focused Of course, you think your company’s offerings are the best – but your content marketing represents an opportunity to communicate how your offerings can make your customers’ lives easier, answer their most pressing questions and present your company as an indispensable partner.

Buyer-focused content makes them the hero of the story – and that’s much more intriguing than a thinly veiled sales pitch.

Strengthen communication between marketing and sales teams Does your sales team know what content materials are available for them to use? Do sales reps have a way to provide feedback to the marketing team, and vice

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Taylor Haynes Marketing

versa? To avoid this common mistake, make interdepartmental communication a priority. Schedule regular meetings between content developers and sales professionals to discuss content opportunities, ask questions and improve processes.

case studies support product claims with hard evidence. Blogging is an easy and cost-effective way to disseminate education. Email newsletters can be effective for sharing updates and keeping your brand top-of-mind among your audience. Video is an engaging way to communicate your company’s key messages. Moreover, don’t forget social media: it gives curious consumers a dedicated space to ask questions and learn more about your company. You might even use chat capabilities to provide customer support.

Use analytics to examine and respond As with any marketing approach, Match content to customer’s journey measurement matters. In this context, The customer’s journey is an easy way it’s imperative to track how your content to visualize the steps a potential buyer development efforts are performing. takes before making a commitment. Most Whether monitoring website traffic, social often, it begins with brand awareness, media inquiries or how many case studies gaining more insight and education, then are downloaded within a designated time selecting the right service and/or product, period, statistics illustrate not only how integrating into their lives and, finally, well your content is working, but also how maintaining a relationship with your it can improve and further catalyze sales. business. Your content should align with Sales-enabled content could prove a each step in this journey, nurturing them critical aspect of your outreach strategy. toward a purchase and brand loyalty. A When effectively developed and skilled marketing team can identify the distributed, content can lead to highappropriate types of content for each stage, quality leads, improved customer retention while taking your business goals into and stronger brand loyalty. A sales team consideration. with good content is an empowered sales team: your business, audience and Leverage different mediums and channels customer service will all benefit. for greatest impact Taylor Haynes is a content marketing Your content marketing strategy might specialist with Aker Ink, which provides combine several types of content across integrated public relations and marketing many channels – both on and off-line. services to help companies increase brand awareness, enhance thought leadership and One-page talking points may be kept on generate leads. Learn more at akerink.com. hand for customer conversations, while

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2020

THE STATE OF WOMEN IN TECH

As we celebrate the Most Influential Women in Arizona Business for 2020, what can be done to attract more female talent to technology?

T

he technology industry is one of the fastestgrowing and most prosperous sectors in the world economy today. The latest Arizona Technology Council Industry Impact Report reveals there are nearly 197,000 technology jobs in the state and nearly 10,000 technology companies headquartered or operating here.

Despite the explosive growth of the industry and the capital pumped into it, industry leaders have yet to conquer one major disparity: the gender gap.

The national statistics You can’t deny the deficient representation of women in major technology companies. According to Tech Jury, only 25 percent of Google, Apple, Facebook and Microsoft employees are female. The gender gap is significant and remains a challenge today because of a few systemic issues.

One pervasive issue is what is referred to as “bro culture,” which prioritizes young macho men with obnoxious and toxic behavior above all else. This is a culture that has risen and prevailed due to not enough women in technology, and it alienates women from joining the table still today. And for those in power who think this is a myth or “it doesn’t happen here,” the same Tech Jury study found more than 70 percent of women in technology have worked at a company with a strong bro culture.

We’re all well aware of the gender pay gap in technology and other industries but there’s also a significant disparity in ownership. Software company Carta’s study of more than 6,000 companies, 15,000 founders and 180,000 employees discovered that overall, men own 91 percent of employee and founder equity in Silicon Valley, leaving women a scant 9 percent. The average female founder owns just 39 cents in equity for every dollar a male founder owns. (Thomas, CNBC).

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The lack of young women in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) is another major problem. The issues begin at the elementary and middle school level, as there aren’t enough advocates, mentors and peers to inspire young women to pursue careers in STEM. A Microsoft study suggests the reasons range from peer pressure Steven G. Zylstra to a lack of role models and Technology support from parents, as well as teachers, to a general misperception of what STEM careers look like in the real world. This leads to a lower representation of STEM-educated women at the postsecondary level. Women earn only 35.5 percent of bachelor’s degrees in STEM fields in the United States, and only 32.6 percent of master’s degrees and 33.7 percent of doctorate degrees.

Leaders in technology and education need to change the context of their environment to not only become more accepting and empowering towards women but also to support the

elimination of gender biases that disrupt the learning cycle.

Empowerment programs aren’t enough if we don’t make changes at the psychological level.

How Arizona rates One of our technology ecosystem’s greatest strengths is its outstanding women in leadership roles. There are a growing number of organizations—from startups to large, well-established companies—with founders, owners, CEOs, C-level and senior staff who are women. Some also hold positions on the Council’s board of directors and we’re focused on recruiting more technology leaders to achieve gender parity on our board.

In Arizona, we’re working hard to close the gender gap. The March 2019 version of our Industry Impact Report indicated 33 percent of Arizona’s technology jobs were held by women. While still nowhere close to an acceptable number, a 2018 Small Business Trend report found only 20 percent of technology jobs in the entire country were held by women.

The solution for expansive change isn’t obvious but many in technology are having serious conversations about gender and racial equality. It’s up to leaders like myself and others in Arizona’s ecosystem to empower women by funding equal education

opportunities and providing avenues for them to pursue career paths in technology and other STEM fields. To move forward, we must continue to foster a willingness to develop solutions.

The Council has become a leader in advocating for diversity in technology and working to propel, educate and empower women in technology, as well as young girls interested in STEM careers.

One of our most successful programs has been our Tech Inclusion Forum. The name was changed from the former Phoenix Women in the Workforce series in order to address a broader set of challenges involving diversity on different levels.

This quarterly series focuses on highlighting the inclusion, diversity, equity and awareness (IDEA) challenges facing women and minorities in STEM fields today, and showcasing the many extraordinary and accomplished women in Arizona’s tech ecosystem.

These events are designed to provide women and minorities interested in technology with an outlet to meet and learn from a diverse group of mentors who have found success in the industry and discuss solutions for challenges they face.

We’ve also made excellent strides within the SciTech Institute’s programs, SciTech Festival and Chief Science Officers (CSO) program.

The annual SciTech Festival hosts roughly 4,500 expos, workshops, conversations, exhibitions, and tours in diverse neighborhoods AB | July - August 2020 35

THE MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN IN ARIZONA BUSINESS // 2020 throughout the state. Many of these events are specifically targeted towards young women to teach them the possibilities of a career in technology, as well as provide an outlet to become inspired.

The CSO program seeks to enhance the workforce and employability skills of student CSOs and their peers; cultivate a pipeline of diverse STEM leaders prepared for college, careers and civic engagement; and increase the engagement of STEM professionals, higher education and community organizations with K-12 schools as both partners and mentors. Our CSOs consist of girls and boys between 6th and 12th grade committed to promoting STEM and getting their peers of all genders and nationalities more involved in STEM. The CSO program began in Arizona in 2015 and has expanded to 720 children in 10 states and three countries around the world.

It aims to solve the challenge of gender disparity by attacking the problem at the beginning of the pipeline through getting young girls involved in STEM at an early age. We have been successful in this regard because more than 50 percent of our CSOs in 2020 are girls. This next generation of technology talent will help inspire more women to get involved with STEM programs and education to help us reach parity and eliminate gender bias in our industry.

Female technology and science leaders must continue to pave the way into a world without gender disparity in technology or any other industry.

Advice to technology leaders The excuse from technology CEOs across the country is that their talent pipeline of women is sparse. They claim not enough women are looking for technology jobs. I know because I made this same excuse for years when recruiting new board members for the Council.

And for many years this excuse may have been accurate or at least seemed to be. But I had the opportunity to read an article about the software engineering program at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) in Pittsburgh. They set a landmark goal to recruit more women to the program. Rather than make excuses, the software program at CMU focused heavy attention on this goal and ultimately achieved close to parity between men and women. If you can do it in a software development program, you can do it almost anywhere if you focus.

There are countless examples of this, so it appears to come down to staying hyper focused on the goal of recruiting women.

This example from CMU inspired me to implement and stay focused on the same goal. I have committed to only seek women for our board until we reach parity unless it is to find a replacement for a director from one of our member companies.

Achieving gender parity in the technology industry is a key challenge that every leader in the industry must commit to solving. If you’re interested in getting more involved with workforce initiatives related to Arizona women in technology, please visit the Council’s website at www.aztechcouncil.org. You can also reach out to one of the many women on our board who can help you get involved with other organizations prevalent throughout our state.

We’re making strides towards gender parity but we’re not there yet. It’s critical that we come together to make the technology industry an ecosystem where all have an equal opportunity to prosper, find comfort and enjoyment, and innovate for the future of our world.

Steven G. Zylstra is president and CEO of the Arizona Technology Council.

MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN IN ARIZONA BUSINESS FOR 2020 Megan Ackaert P. 58 | Ann-Marie Alameddin P. 62 | Susan Anable P. 38 | Ginny Arnett Caro P. 44 | Tracy Bame P. 40 Marjorie Bessel, MD P. 54 | Franki Buckman P. 58 | Susan Chetlin P. 56 | Cara Christ, MD P. 46 | Rebecca Clyde P. 40 Barb Dawson P. 62 | Kim Dees P. 62 | Kathleen Duffy Ybarra P. 54 | Brenda Ferraro P. 46 | Marchelle Franklin P. 38 Adaliz Gimenez P. 46 | Brittney Griner P. 52 | Jenny Holsman Tetreault P. 50 | Cheryl Hyman P. 44 | Heather Kane P. 38 Anette Karlsson P. 58 | Vickie Larsen P. 44 | Julie Laulis P. 56 | Dr. Winnie Liang P. 40 | Andrea Lovell P. 46 Morag Lucey P. 54 | Coree Neumeyer P. 60 | Deborah Pearson P. 48 | Danna Pratte P. 50 | Karilee Ramaley P. 54 Regina Romero P. 42 | Diana Taurasi P. 52 | Ann A. Scott Timmer P. 38 | Debbie Shumway P. 50 | Karen Stafford P. 44 Carol Stewart P. 56 | Lauren Stine P. 60 | Julie Tomich P. 42 | Carla Vargas Jasa P. 62 | Monica Villalobos P. 50 Suzanne Wilson P. 42 | Laura Worzella P. 48 | Nancy Zezza P. 40

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Marchelle Franklin Director of human services City of Phoenix

Professional advice: “Be self-aware and authentic, share power and develop people to perform as highly as possible.

Be an aggressive listener, give your undivided attention in the moment. Look people in the eye and recognize that individuals are ‘human beings’ first and labels (i.e. employee) second.”

Surprising fact: “I am a NASCAR junkie … At least once a year, you can find me at Phoenix Raceway sitting in the front stretch right before Turn 1.”

Heather Kane

Susan Anable

Professional advice: “Don’t lock yourself into a single career path too early, which can often be self-limiting. Know what motivates you, remain flexible and be open to different opportunities as they arise. That approach can lead you to much greater success by leveraging your strengths as your career evolves.”

Lesson learned in 2020: “When the unexpected happens, it presents an opportunity for good leaders to rise and poor leaders to fail. Not everyone experiences crisis the same way and I have learned a great deal about the importance of understanding what people need in order to successfully manage teams through epic change and challenges.”

CEO UnitedHealthcare of Arizona and New Mexico

Lesson learned in 2020: “Take the time to really listen to your team. They are often the first to identify business challenges or issues, as well as the best way to solve them.”

Vice president of government and public affairs Cox Communications

Surprising fact: “I was once trained to operate a utility bucket truck as part of a summer job during college.”

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Ann A. Scott Timmer

Vice chief justice Arizona Supreme Court Professional advice: “Learn to self-promote. The notion you will be noticed and rewarded for your labors in silence is largely a fallacy. Many people don’t recognize good work, and it must be called to their attention.”

Lesson learned in 2020: “In this time of extraordinary crisis management, I have learned the value of resisting the urge to take immediate action and instead invite input from a diverse pool of creative thinkers.”

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THE MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN IN ARIZONA BUSINESS // 2020

Dr. Winnie Liang Nancy Zezza

Divisional chief credit officer Alliance Bank of Arizona Background: Zezza oversees loan portfolios by managing risk and asset quality.

Rebecca Clyde Co-founder and CEO Botco.ai

Background: With more than 20 years in technology industry marketing, Clyde is the CEO of Botco.ai, a startup offering intelligent chat nurturing solutions for business. Prior to Botco.ai, she co-founded Ideas Collide Surprising fact: “Spanish was my first language and I grew up outside of the U.S. in five Latin American countries. I spent all of my upbringing in third-world countries, where I survived many earthquakes, economic collapses, dictatorships, extended water and energy outages — you name it. This year’s pandemic didn’t scare me.”

Tracy Bame

President Freeport-McMoRan Foundation Background: Bame is the president of the FreeportMcMoRan Foundation and director of community development for Freeport-McMoRan. She has responsibility for leading the company’s social responsibility and compliance programs in the Americas (including the company’s operating portfolio in the U.S., Chile and Peru). She sets strategic direction and provides oversight for the function, including stakeholder engagement, social investment, social risk management and other sustainable development initiatives.

She regularly participates in national and international forums related to social development.

Professional advice: “You miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take.

This mantra speaks to embracing a can-do attitude, a fervent belief in yourself and all you can achieve. As a woman in banking, approaching every challenge with a positive mindset and strong work ethic will help you rise above and find success.

Although the tasks you face may seem challenging, and you may even occasionally miss the mark, over time you will improve and achieve more success than if you never took a risk.”

TO READ FULL PROFILES OF ALL THE MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN OF 2020, VISIT AZBIGMEDIA.COM. 40

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Director of scientific operations TGen

Background: Dr. Liang has more than 18 years of biomedical research experience with a focus on genomic technologies and translational research; the process of quickly moving laboratory discoveries to the clinic in an effort to benefit patients in need of new medical treatments.

Professional advice: “In science, it is important to question everything; to be flexible and open-minded, and to not limit your ideas based on how research is currently performed or has been performed in the past.

What may be considered as established concepts continue to evolve as we unearth new findings through research.”

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THE MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN IN ARIZONA BUSINESS // 2020

Julie Tomich

Regina Romero

Suzanne Wilson

Background: Tomich brings broad global Fortune 100 management experience in sales, servicing operations, client relationship management, global operations, and organizational re-engineering.

Background: In 2019, Romero became the firstever Latina mayor of Tucson.

Background: Wilson has an extensive background in both the performing arts and in education.

Professional advice: “If or when you are the only woman or non-binary person in the room, or the shyest, the smallest, the newest, or the only person of color or bilingual speaker, do not let these things that set you apart intimidate you – instead, embrace them, as they should empower you. Sometimes it can be hard to be ‘the only one’ or ‘the first one’ at the table, but that is what progress looks like, and I believe the impact we can make with our work and each other is worth it.”

Lesson learned in 2020: “Last year, I left a beloved job in New York City and relocated to Arizona to support my husband who had a once in a lifetime opportunity. Never would I have imagined in the months that followed that my dream job at The Phoenix Symphony would present itself. By taking a leap of faith, my professional and personal trajectory was completely transformed. As a leader, this was an invaluable lesson in the power of trust, timing and flexibility while embracing change and pursuing the unknown.”

Senior vice president and general manager American Express

Lesson learned in 2020: “I’ve learned the importance of recognizing when you need to pivot your strategy, expectations or approach.

COVID-19 has tested nearly every leader in every industry and forced rapid change. Leaders who remained resilient and positive when facing change and ambiguity were in the best position to pivot themselves and their organizations to succeed in the new environment.”

Mayor Tucson

Surprising fact: “I went to college on a basketball scholarship.”

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President and CEO Phoenix Symphony

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THE MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN IN ARIZONA BUSINESS // 2020

Vickie Larsen

Senior vice president and market director BOK Financial Private Wealth Background: Larsen leads a wealth management team that provides integrated strategy and execution in investment management, expert financial planning, and private banking for high-net-worth individuals and families.

Surprising fact: “I did not attend college. I became a teller at 19 and never looked back. I enjoyed learning all aspects from the front line and moved into my first management role at age 22. I have enjoyed working with — and learning from — amazing leaders. Learning is continuous, and I appreciate the opportunity every day.”

Karen Stafford Cheryl Hyman

Vice provost for academic alliances Arizona State University Background: Hyman is leading academic partnerships between ASU and other educational institutions both locally and nationally, helping undergraduate students successfully transition to ASU. Lesson learned in 2020: “Patience, tolerance and more grounded in a faith that everything in life works out if we let it.”

Surprising fact: “I’m very adventurous and not afraid to try things I haven’t done before and, frankly, a bit scary. On that note, I have swam with, held and fed sharks (a number of times).”

Ginny Arnett Caro

Senior vice president Copperpoint Insurance Companies Background: Caro has led the claims division through the transformation of SCF Arizona, a single-line, single-state insurance carrier, to CopperPoint of today, a multi-line, multi-state super regional insurance carrier. Caro serves on the East Valley Partnership board of directors.

Professional advice: “I would emphasize the key attributes that have served me well in the insurance industry and are transferable to all industries: resilience, adaptability and genuineness. I’d also say that personal and professional integrity are absolutely crucial.”

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Arizona president Employers Council

Background: Stafford leads a team of employment law attorneys, HR consultants, trainers, and other specialists to provide excellent service to member organizations.

Lesson learned in 2020: “During the most difficult times, focus on taking care of your employees and the results will follow. Over-communication is key so all team members feel updated and included.

Absent certainty (especially in uncertain times), we as leaders can provide clarity to employees – clarity of our purpose, our direction, our path to get there, and how they fit in to the plan.”

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THE MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN IN ARIZONA BUSINESS // 2020

Brenda Ferraro

Andrea Lovell

Adaliz Gimenez

Background: Ferraro was named one of the Top 25 Women Leaders in Cybersecurity of 2020.

Background: Lovell’s labor and employment practice is devoted to counseling and defending employers faced with claims of sexual harassment, disability, gender, age, race, national origin and religious discrimination, wrongful discharge and employment-related torts.

Background: Gimenez’s specialty is in developing account relationships for commercial customers, including her niche expertise in working with professional medical and legal businesses.

Vice president of third-party risk Prevalent

Professional advice: “Women make up 20 percent of the cybersecurity industry with a smaller percentage as leaders.

Build a solid network of mentors for support. Continuously learn about your industry to keep up with the changing threat landscape. In the face of adversity focus on being resilient in your area of passion.”

Lesson learned in 2020: “Diverse innovation is key to influencing others.”

Shareholder Littler

Professional advice: “Demonstrate integrity in everything you do. You will earn – and keep – the trust of your clients, your colleagues, and even your opponents. Be the kind of lawyer you would want to hire.”

Lesson learned in 2020: “Resilience. In the face of unpredictability and change, I have learned to adapt to the unexpected.”

Vice president and commercial banker Bell Bank

Professional advice: “Embrace, accept and adapt to change but always stay true to yourself, to your values and to the things that define you as a professional and, more importantly, as an individual. Be unapologetically yourself and be proud, especially of being a woman.”

Surprising fact: “I love repurposing and fixing old pieces of furniture.”

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Cara Christ, MD Director Arizona Department of Health Services

Background: Among her accomplishments at ADHS, Dr. Christ helped develop strategic plans for infectious disease prevention and control, including the Governor’s Council on Infectious Disease Preparedness and Response.

Lesson learned in 2020: “At the start of 2020, nobody could have ever predicted that in less than a month we would be responding to a global pandemic. You need to be prepared to be flexible and change course quickly. Even when you have the best plans, you can’t plan for everything.”

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THE MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN IN ARIZONA BUSINESS // 2020

Dynamic Duos Deborah Pearson and Laura Worzella, OneAZ Credit Union

Background: As a credit union, OneAZ is owned by its members and its earnings are returned to its members in the form of better interest rates and lower fees for service. With 21 locations and more than 140,000 members, OneAZ Credit Union has been serving Arizona since 1951, when two state employees recognized the need for a member-owned credit union.

Laura Worzella

Executive vice president and chief retail officer Background: Worzella leads all retail operations, including branches, member call center and the growing digital channels for consumer loans and mortgages.

Professional advice: “I have three key pieces of advice: First, there will be times when you are too much for some people and not enough for others. That’s OK — just stay true to you.

Second, feedback is a gift. Take it, learn from it, but don’t let it define you. Trust your instincts.

Finally, be courageous. Apply for that promotion, even if you don’t feel 100 percent ready. When you get the job, you can learn it as you go.”

Deborah Pearson

Executive vice president, strategy and brand Background: Pearson leads marketing strategies with a focus on driving brand affinity and loyalty. Always advocating for the credit union member, she’s passionate about knowing their needs and wants while delivering the best products and services to them.

Lesson learned in 2020: “The COVID-19 pandemic has tested my leadership abilities and pushed me to think about contingencies I never imagined. Leading during a pandemic has been challenging and humbling. It has also been extremely gratifying to watch team members lift one another up in challenging times. Seeing their resilience is inspiring.”

Surprising fact: “From kindergarten through eighth grade, I attended a one-room schoolhouse in rural South Dakota.”

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THE MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN IN ARIZONA BUSINESS // 2020

Danna Pratte CEO Nutritional Brands

Background: Pratte is founder and CEO of NB Pure, an Arizonabased nutritional supplement and wellness company. She is also founder of The Candidly, a digital wellness brand.

Lesson learned in 2020: “Continued education and adaptation are the keys to sustained success. No one could have foreseen what Covid-19 would do to the world, but by staying up on industry trends, innovating and positioning our brand to be a thought leader in the wellness space, we have been able to see continued growth and success.”

Jenny Holsman Tetreault

Assistant general counsel, field operations, West and Northwest US Foods Background: In her current role, Tetreault supports nearly 7,000 associates in 13 states, 70 retail stores, and nearly a dozen functional areas.

Professional advice: “My philosophy as a young attorney was to ‘raise my hand.’ New case, new client, new practice area? In, in, in! By doing this, I expanded my responsibilities, grew my expertise and cultivated a vast professional network.”

Surprising fact: “I was the mascot at Arizona State University — Sparky the Sun Devil. Go Devils!”

Monica Villalobos

CEO Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Background: Villalobos is president and CEO of the Arizona Hispanic Chamber after serving as its vice president and foundation executive director for seven years. She is also editor of 18 research publications, including the annual DATOS: State of Arizona’s Hispanic Market.

Professional advice: “You are not just defined by what you do but rather how many you lift up. Build coalitions, collaborate and create circles of influence.”

Surprising fact: “I’m a soccer mom with two yellow cards.”

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Debbie Shumway CEO Hospice of the Valley

Background: Shumway leads one of the largest not-for-profit hospices in the nation, with 1,500 staff caring for 5,000 patients needing palliative, dementia, home-based primary care and end-of-life care.

Lesson learned in 2020: “I have learned that constant and consistent communication is vital to understanding employee needs – especially when facing new uncertainties as we are now. I value each employee’s perspective and use that knowledge to grow and support our mission.”

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THE MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN IN ARIZONA BUSINESS // 2020

Dynamic Duos Brittney Griner and Diana Taurasi

All-star basketball players Phoenix Mercury Taurasi and Griner are two of the most celebrated and skilled players in the WNBA. In 2014, the two all-stars helped the Mercury set an all-time WNBA record for wins in a season, with 29, and breezed through the playoffs to claim the franchise’s third WNBA championship.

Brittney Griner

Diana Taurasi

Professional advice: “It’s a process, and takes a lot of hard work and dedication. You don’t become a leader overnight. You have to be willing to put in the extra work and go hard every day. Let your output speak for you rather than what others may say.”

Background: Taurasi is considered one of the greatest female basketball players of all time. Since Taurasi was drafted by Phoenix first overall in the 2004 WNBA draft, she has won the WNBA Rookie of the Year Award (2004), three WNBA championships (2007, 2009, and 2014), one WNBA Most Valuable Player Award (2009), two WNBA Finals MVP Awards (2009 and 2014), four Olympic gold medals, (2004, 2008, 2012, and 2016), and five WNBA scoring titles (2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011). She has also been selected to nine WNBA All-Star teams and 10 All-WNBA teams. And on June 18, 2017, Taurasi became the WNBA all-time leading scorer.

Lesson learned in 2020: “I’ve really been able to learn how to work better with people over the last year. Being a good leader, knowing how to connect with different backgrounds, people, and demographics really helps. When you know how to connect with someone, you learn how to motivate them and bring out the best in that person.”

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THE MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN IN ARIZONA BUSINESS // 2020

Karilee Ramaley Senior principal attorney SRP

Background: Ramaley focuses on utility regulation and compliance. She also serves on the boards of Child Crisis Arizona and the Desert Mission Food Bank.

Lesson learned: “I’ve learned to be multi-dimensional both in work and life. I do this by giving my all at work, but also by mentoring others and being involved in the community. These multiple dimensions are of so much value; many things I’ve learned outside of the office can be applied at work.”

Kathleen Duffy Ybarra President and CEO Duffy Group

Background: In 1991, Duffy Ybarra founded Duffy Group. Using an innovative model called recruitment research, the firm matches top talent with companies that need them at about half the cost of traditional recruitment firms.

Professional advice: “There is a lot of ‘noise’ in the recruitment industry. As such, up-and-coming leaders must master the art of building trust. To be successful, clients must know that their recruitment partner is working in their best interest. It’s all about doing the right thing.”

Morag Lucey

Marjorie Bessel, MD

CEO Televerde

Chief clinical officer Banner Health

Background: Lucey boasts nearly 20 years of executive leadership experience in marketing and technology.

Background: Since joining Banner more than a decade ago, Dr. Bessel has served in leadership positions including chief medical officer for several Banner hospitals, the Arizona Division chief medical officer, and vice president for Continuum Management and Clinical Integration.

Lesson learned in 2020: “I’ve learned the importance of having massive amounts of empathy in business. Prior to joining Televerde, I was highly results-oriented at the expense of building personal relationships. I’ve evolved. I’ve learned to balance the two because I now believe that the emotional side of work is equally as important as the results. Relationships drive performance. The stronger the relationship, the stronger the results.”

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Surprising fact: “I was featured in Sports Illustrated’s Faces in the Crowd section with my mom. We were a formidable mother-daughter running team. My best childhood memories are related to athletics.

My mom and my dad, who was my running coach, are the reason for my successes.”

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THE MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN IN ARIZONA BUSINESS // 2020

Susan Chetlin Of counsel Burch & Cracchiolo

Background: Chetlin is a registered patent attorney, focusing on intellectual property protection strategies (patent, trademark, copyright, trade secret).

Professional advice: “Be thoughtful. That’s useful on a number of levels. To me it means, think about how your work and actions affect your clients, colleagues, adversaries, decision-makers and yourself. And, it means be thoughtful in how you do your work – think first about how to solve the problem before taking action and be deliberate in how you go about solving the problem.”

Carol Stewart

Associate vice president Tech Parks Arizona at the University of Arizona Background: Stewart leads two UA Tech Parks as well as the UA Center for Innovation. She has served the high-tech industry to promote university-based economic development for more than 20 years.

Professional advice: “My lessons learned to share with any woman or young person that wants to become a leader in an industry they are passionate about is never put on blinders, be open to all opportunities, function outside your comfort zone, and don’t be afraid to build the playbook.”

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Julie Laulis

Chair of the board, president and CEO Sparklight (previously Cable ONE) Background: Laulis serves on the boards of The AES Corporation, CableLabs, The Cable Center, and C-SPAN. Professional advice: “Gain deep knowledge in a functional area, but also have broad knowledge in many others. In the connectivity business, for example, that may mean having in-depth experience in marketing, but a willingness to work in other areas to gain exposure to the overall business. By understanding how all the pieces fit together, one will be in a better position to bring value to the organization.”

Congratulations and Well Done!

FRANKI BUCKMAN

And to all of the amazing women awarded this prestigious honor by AZ Business Magazine for 2020.

We are so proud to celebrate our friend, partner and colleague for being recognized by the AZ Business Magazine as one of the Most Influential Women in Arizona for 2020.

Well Deserved!

“Leadership is not about being in charge. Leadership is about taking care of those in your charge.�

- Siman Sinek

A Leader Who Lives United for Our Entire Community Carla, you inspire us!

The Valley of the Sun United Way Board of Directors and staff are thrilled to join AZ Big Media to celebrate our President and CEO, Carla Vargas Jasa, among the 2020 Most Influential Women.

As our first woman and Latina leader, Carla creates an atmosphere of inclusivity, collaboration and action within our organization and our community. Her passion for United Way, and compassion for our most vulnerable neighbors, inspires us all.

Congratulations, Carla. Vive Unido!

vsuw.org

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Franki Buckman

Anette Karlsson

Megan Ackaert

Background: Buckman, the former CEO of Bondurant High Performance Driving School, shifted gears to work with The Molly Project, a startup focused on providing transitional, safe and sober living for single moms.

Background: In 2019, Karlsson became the first female chancellor in the aviation and engineering school’s 41-year history.

Background: Ackaert is the region manager for JPMorgan Chase’s Middle Market Banking group serving Arizona, Southern Nevada and Southern Utah.

Executive vice president The Molly Project

Lesson learned in 2020: “Effective communication and passion for the product will motivate your employees far greater than increase in compensation packages.”

Surprising fact: “I always thought I would be a marine biologist and spend my career on the ocean. Funny thing is, on my first deep-sea fishing trip, I got terribly sea sick.”

Chancellor Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

Professional advice: “Very few leaders set out to become a leader – they typically get there by taking one step at a time. I recommend doing two things: First, find a position where you can work on something that you are good at and that you enjoy doing. Second, get involved and take on leadership roles in your professional organization to build your network and develop your leadership skills.”

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Region manager JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Lesson learned in 2020: “Our current situation presents challenges that I haven’t faced before.

It has driven new ways of working and creative approaches to problem solving—and we’re more connected than ever through remote meeting technology. It has also taught me to be more resilient and flexible when approaching situations, which has helped me to become a stronger leader.”

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Dynamic Duos Lauren Stine and Coree Neumeyer, partners, Quarles & Brady

Background: Quarles & Brady is a U.S. law firm with 11 offices nationwide, including Phoenix. Quarles & Brady has practices in commercial litigation, product liability, environmental law, regulatory compliance, corporate law and securities law, mergers and acquisitions, private equity, antitrust, tax law, intellectual property, and real estate.

Coree Neumeyer Background: Neumeyer is a member of Quarles & Brady’s Litigation & Dispute Resolution Practice Group.

Neumeyer also serves as Free Arts for Abused Children of Arizona’s vice president, a Quarles Cares Capitol School homeroom parent, and a Maricopa County Bar Association litigation section board member and bench-bar committee member.

Professional advice: “Seek out mentors both inside and outside of your industry.

The more perspectives from which you have to draw will broaden your knowledge base and challenge your own mindset.”

Surprising fact: “Before I was an attorney, I worked as a stage manager in the theater industry for years.

Most notably, I worked on an early production of the Tony Award-winning musical ‘Memphis.’”

TO READ FULL PROFILES OF ALL THE MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN OF 2020, VISIT AZBIGMEDIA.COM.

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Lauren Stine Background: Stine is a member of the Litigation & Dispute Resolution Practice Group and co-chair of the firm’s Healthcare Litigation practice.

Lesson learned in 2020: “The events of the past year have taught me how critical it is to adapt. I’ve also learned the importance of cutting myself some slack.

The ‘best-laid plans’ adage is truer now more than ever, so being nimble is key.”

Surprising fact: “I know all of the choreography in the ‘Thriller’ music video. On a few occasions, I’ve shown these moves to colleagues, and one of them caught it on tape. The day I became a partner, the tape was played as part of my roast for the entire firm to see.”

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Carla Vargas Jasa

President and CEO Valley of the Sun United Way Background: Vargas Jasa has opened up Valley of the Sun United Way to the community, its 90,000 individual donors, 4,000 volunteers, and partners to determine the United Way’s role in solving pressing issues.

Professional advice: “My philosophy is say ‘yes’ to new opportunities. Every opportunity is a chance to learn and grow.

Raise your hand for new projects.

Take on something outside of your role. Don’t say, ‘That’s not my job.’ You will learn, grow and ‘be seen.’”

Kim Dees

Senior vice president and Southern Arizona division manager WaFd Bank Arizona Background: Dees is a past recipient of the Tucson Women’s Council of REALTORS Lifetime Achievement Award and Tucson REALTOR Affiliate of the Year Award.

Professional advice: “Be nimble and both a seeker and gatherer of information on all things within your industry and in the world around you. Also, start at the branch level.

Learn every position so that when in a leadership role, you intimately understand the needs of your team and potential challenges.”

Ann-Marie Alameddin

President and CEO Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association Background: Alameddin has more than 16 years’ experience in healthcare law and administration.

Lesson learned in 2020: “In dealing with the healthcare response to the COVID-19 pandemic, I’ve learned the importance of listening, working hard in a rapidly changing environment and coming to the table with the mind-set of a problem solver. No one has all the answers. But act with integrity, ask good questions and invite others to the table to help figure it out.”

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Barb Dawson Partner Snell & Wilmer

Background: Dawson serves on the Executive and Compensation Committees of Snell & Wilmer.

She leads teams that represents companies in high stakes investigations and litigation throughout the West.

Lesson learned in 2020: “I have seen so much exciting innovation during the pandemic.

I expect to carry forward a stronger appreciation for how well teams can function if members are allowed more freedom to contribute as they can in conditions best for them.”

Surprising fact: “I am completely tone deaf. Please never ask me to sing karaoke.”

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F OL L O W T HE S E

LEADERS

Meet the business leaders that are changing the face of Arizona business.

Celebrating the accomplishments of executives in: Banking & Finance | Healthcare | Law | Technology & Manufacturing Tourism | Professional Services | Real Estate

HAVE YOU BEEN FOLLOWING OUR LEADERS?

LEADERS 2020

Available at azbigmedia.com VISION | INFLUENCE | POWER

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2020

ROAD TO PROSPERITY WESTMARC and regional leaders help West Valley evolve into an economic powerhouse

Photo by Dicklyon

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WESTMARC

GROWTH Over the last decade, the West Valley has created an environment of diverse industries and built the talented workforce they need

By ERIN THORBURN

R

emember the lyrics from Janet Jackson’s “Love Would Never Do (Without You)?”

“They said it wouldn’t last. We had to prove them wrong … There’s no easy explanation for it. But whenever there’s a problem, we always work it out somehow.”

If the West Valley could sing, she would likely select this tune (and maybe sing the praises of regional economic developers, too).

After all, not everyone may have anticipated the kind of growth the West Valley has experienced — currently with upwards of 1.6 million residents, a population that is projected to rise to 2,094,824 by 2030.

And, unlike the lyric about “no easy explanation for it,” there is.

WESTMARC has teamed up with city economic development leaders, organizations, educators, local businesses and community advocates to collectively commit to aggressively and comprehensively branding the West Valley’s strengths. Even during times of economic stress and strife, they still manage to work it out.

Preparing for the sprint and marathon “Dealing with the economy is a team effort, not an individual sport,” says Vic Narusis, senior vice president of business attraction at the Arizona Commerce Authority. “Not only is our current pipeline growing, but we’re also continuing to bring new businesses into the West Valley.”

The new businesses Narusis speaks of join the existing and expanding

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MODE

West Valley industries of healthcare, aerospace, financial services, advanced manufacturing, information technology, startups, and more.

Adding to the exponential growth and diversity of industries in the West Valley has been the arrival of unique entertainment and recreational opportunities, paired with luxury housing and highly rated K-12 and post-secondary education options.

“The interesting thing about the West Valley,” says Jeanine Jerkovic, economic development director for the City of Surprise, “is that we don’t have a fixed idea about what our industry growth will be, and there is tremendous power in that.

We are not locked into showcasing one particular sector. We need great jobs and if a company is innovative and scalable, keeping that openness about us makes us a great host.”

Jerkovic has witnessed this firsthand in Suprise’s AZ TechCelerator, a 66,000-square-foot business incubator she helped create for innovative startups and entrepreneurs.

The TechCelerator is a microcosm of West Valley business diversity and ingenuity.

A mere sampling of occupants includes a nonprofit cybersecurity training company (Cyber Warfare Range); a company specializing in early-stage epilepsy detection (Korwave); and HealthBotsLab,

which helps encourage independent living for seniors, disabled individuals and injured veterans by equipping them with smart machines equipped with artificial intelligence.

Globetrotting While many of TechCelerator’s occupants are local, there are plenty of opportunities to not only attract scalable out-of-state businesses, but also global interest as well.

“After helping one of our international companies, we applied for and became the only certified soft-landing program in the state of Arizona (two years ago),” Jerkovich says. “We are one of just 31 organizations worldwide.”

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Randy Gibb

Sintra Hoffman

The soft landing program helps international firms, as well as domestic companies headquartered outside the region, quickly adapt and connect with the local business community.

TechCelerator’s MagQu, a company developing highly-sensitive, bloodbased assays for the early detection of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, came to Surprise by way of Taiwan.

And, AZ TechCelerator is not alone in attracting new and innovative businesses from surprising places. Strategically located at 27th Avenue and Camelback Road, near Interstate-17, Canyon Ventures, a collaborative partnership of angel investors Canyon Angels and Grand Canyon University, is another burgeoning West Valley startup hub.

Canyon Ventures currently serves as home to 32 startups, including companies in red-hot industries such as MedTech, EdTech, FinTech, e-Transport, construction technology, and SaaS (software as a service). And, collectively, these startups employ nearly 100 Grand Canyon University students and recent graduates.

“Grand Canyon University and Canyon Ventures have strong relationships with a global network of partners who refer us to some of the most promising and exciting tech startups from around the world,” explains Randy Gibb, dean of the Colangelo College of Business at Grand Canyon University.

Among its international residents are SignAll, a Hungarian startup 70

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Jeanine Jerkovic

Vic Narusis

responsible for creating “the SignAll system,” which uses leading-edge technology that translates and teaches American Sign Language.

Also in residence is ZorroSign, which based in Dubai, and was referred by Hank Marshall, economic development officer for the City of Phoenix, according to Gibb.

“When ZorroSign decided to move to the United States, they did an extensive search in California, the East Coast and other major cities, but ultimately selected Phoenix,” Gibb says.

And closer to home, Canyon Ventures’ first virtual startup in the incubation community is AlexMath, based out of Coronado, Calif., which is an educational technology company.

“We have and continue to invest in a workforce strategy that focuses on professional and tech-based companies,” says Sintra Hoffman, president and CEO of WESTMARC. And, as evidenced by Canyon Venture’s first virtual startup, more and more companies and employees — those in California as a prime example — are seeking a home where like-minded tech hubs are planted. But, that’s not the only reason they’re coming to the West Valley.

“Two-thirds of remote workers are willing to leave the Bay Area for a more affordable place to live,” says Frederick Van Den Abbeel, vice president of attraction at the Arizona Commerce Authority. “The West Valley is a lifestyle play for future business owners and entrepreneurs.”

Frederick Van Den Abbeel

Supplying the pipeline While businesses and companies are successfully pulled into the tractor beam of the West Valley’s plentiful offerings, the cities, educational organizations and communities who have arduously worked to get them here, don’t stop there.

To help ensure the pipeline of talent remains strong and ready to fill the needs of these varied industries, there is a shared commitment to keep local graduates rooted.

Canyon Ventures helps foster this endeavor by making it a requirement for their companies in residence to hire GCU students as a condition of acceptance.

“Students work as W-2 or 1099 staff of the individual startups,” Gibb says.

“Canyon Ventures vets companies seeking space and mentors the businesses once set up in the center because the startup must be in revenue or have some funding source in order to hire students.

“The startup’s success is critical to continuing to hire more students,” he adds.

“Startups have limited resources and must hire the right person with the right skills, so competition for these jobs is tough.

With more and more companies joining Canyon Ventures, more students are able to be hired and, in turn, graduate with real-world experience.”

“It’s important now more than ever to train a talented workforce even more rapidly,” Jerkovich says, “That’s why the West Valley is so important. We are growing in development and people.”

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Recent economic development wins for the West Valley In a year packed with significant economic development successes for the West Valley across a variety of industries, here are some of the game-changers that WESTMARC helped the region lock down last year:

ADVANCE BUSINESS SERVICES

WEST VALLEY’S HOT CORRIDORS

Farmers Insurance: In 2019, the company announced a 150,000-square-foot expansion at its operations center off I-17 and Happy Valley Road and will add more than 900 new jobs before 2023.

Loop 101

AEROSPACE AND DEFENSE

Hot properties: Desert Diamond Casino, Westgate Entertainment District, Topgolf, Park West

Parker Fasteners: The company bought a Buckeye facility that will serve as its headquarters and manufacturing facility for fasteners used in aerospace, automotive, industrial, military and commercial applications.

Planned uses: Office employment, entertainment, retail

HEALTHCARE

Loop 202

AKOS Medical Group: Akos which debuted AI-powered, virtual medical clinics, is moving into a new, state-of-the-art medical office building campus in Avondale.

Planned uses: Advanced manufacturing, future employment corridor

Iora Health: With 15 primary care practices in the East and West Valleys, Iora Health’s latest Arizona practice opened in Avondale in 2019.

Loop 303

MANUFACTURING AND LOGISTICS

Planned uses: Industrial, advanced manufacturing, distribution, retail, manufacturing, logistics

Ball Corporation and Red Bull: Longtime partners Ball Corporation, Raüch Fruit Juices and Red Bull announced a 700,000-square-foot distribution center expansion in Glendale.

Construction began in early 2020 and the facility is expected to be operational in 2021.

Daimler Trucks North America: In 2019, the company opened its 10th parts distribution center in Goodyear. The 268,000 square-foot facility stocks more than 10,000 parts and serves over 130 DTNA dealers in the Southwest region. fairlife: The company is building a new 300,000-square-foot production and distribution facility in Goodyear. The more than $200-million plant will create more than 140 jobs and is slated to begin operations in late 2020.

Taronis Fuels: Taronis Fuels, a clean technology company and a worldwide producer of renewable fuel products, announced it will be locating its corporate headquarters and advanced manufacturing operations in Peoria, creating up to 500 new jobs.

XPO Logistics: The transportation and contract logistics company with facilities along the redhot Loop 303 corridor is the 7th best-performing stock of the last decade on the Fortune 500.

TECHNOLOGY Compass Datacenters: The company has chosen to build its newest campus on 225 acres of land at the northwest corner of Bullard Avenue and Yuma Road in Goodyear, with future phases to include six additional data centers.

Microsoft: The technology giant announced in 2019 that it planned to construct three new “world-class” data center campuses in El Mirage and Goodyear and will be fully powered by renewable energy sources.

Stack Infrastructure: In June, the company announced plans to expand its North American footprint with a new 79-acre site in Avondale, which will add one million square feet of data center space.

Stream Data Centers: The company acquired a 418,000-square-foot facility on 157 acres of land in Goodyear, where it will establish a data center campus for hyperscale and enterprise customers.

Vantage Data Centers: The leading provider of wholesale data centers in North America chose Goodyear to build a 50-acre, mega-scale data center campus.

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Hot properties: Ball Metal Beverage Container Corporation, Red Bull, Arizona Isotopes Corp., Daimler Trucks North America, XPO Logistics serving Boeing, SubZero, REI, Dicks Sporting Goods, 83 Marketplace, Prasada, Auto Show

Interstate-10 Planned uses: Retail, healthcare, technology, industrial Hot properties: Microsoft, Vantage, Compass, Stream, Cancer Treatment Centers of America, Abrazo West Campus, Adelante Healthcare, IMS, AKOS Medical Group, Iora Health, Copper Springs Hospital, IMS

Interstate-17 Planned uses: Education, advance business services, financial services, industrial, retail Hot properties: Farmers Insurance

State Route 85 Planned uses: Industrial, gateway to Mexico trade opportunities, aerospace and defense Hot properties: Parker Fasteners

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BEST

IN CLASS West Valley K-12 and post-secondary partnerships are prepared to meet the growing demands of current and new industry workforce needs

By ERIN THORBURN

T

ogether, James Watson and Francis Crick discovered the existence of the DNA double helix. Steve Jobs, Ed Catmull and John Lasseter catapulted Pixar into the powerhouse it is today.

John Lennon and Paul McCartney brought us the Beatles. Partnerships encourage progress. Collaboration cultivates creativity. Great events, discoveries, and accomplishments are made when great minds mesh — this is the modus operandi of West Valley educators — and it shows.

As one of the fastest-growing regions in the nation, the West Valley has changed drastically over the past two decades, as has the educational landscape (both locally and nationally). With increasing

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and constantly evolving demands placed on school districts, educators, parents, and communities, collaboration has become increasingly important.

West Valley educational leaders, community organizations and various industries and businesses have created a symbiotic infrastructure that starts with K-12 institutions and carries through to post-secondary and CTE programs. This collaborative pipeline continues to produce the talented workers needed to support the West Valley’s rapidly expanding economy, while creating endless opportunities for local students and ensuring that area industry needs will be supplied with homegrown and highly skilled talent.

Homegrown health talent, here to stay The old narrative of, “Why choose the West Valley,” is gone. With 11 different K-12 school districts, many of which contain A-plus rated schools and nationally-recognized charter schools; upwards of 25 post-secondary education options; combined with increasing employment opportunities and an enriched quality of life; the narrative is now, “Why not choose the West Valley?”

“At Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine (AZCOM), we have found that if a student from Arizona completes his

or her osteopathic medical training at Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine and enters a residency in Arizona, there is a 97 percent likelihood that student will remain in Arizona to practice,” says Lori A. Kemper, dean Midwestern University’s Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine.

“Why not let that pipeline remain in the West Valley?”

And again, partnerships are part of what fuel the pipeline and change dated perceptions of the West Valley — something which Kemper knows well, as exemplified by Midwestern University’s

partnership with neighboring Abrazo Arrowhead Hospital.

“Students have been training at Arrowhead Hospital since the late 1990s,” Kemper says. “Additionally, we have many adjunct faculty who primarily practice there. As a result of some of our graduates ultimately practicing with Sound Physicians and other medical groups at Abrazo West, we have also developed clerkships in collaboration with Abrazo West Campus.”

In 2015, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) and the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) began to join all residencies under an ACGME single-accreditation system, an agreement that finally came to fruition this year, according to Kemper.

“About that same time, Abrazo, under the leadership of Bill Ellert, MD, really began moving forward in its due diligence to create a multi-year plan for new graduate medical education (residency) development,” Kemper adds.

This collaborative effort to churn out more talent in the healthcare sector

BY THE NUMBERS

Here is a look at the educational attainment of West Valley residents:

269,394

High school graduate or equal

335,508

Some college or associate’s degree

202,763

Bachelor’s degree or higher

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Greg Donovan

Lori A. Kemper

Maria Lacal

Paula Livingston

“The programs that have already been established and those that are continuing to be developed through this strong partnership are creating the workforce of the future and helping to build a stronger economy for the long-term,” — Maria Lacal

support and involvement by each partner.

“From there, the energy program was designed,” Donovan says, “built and implemented at West-MEC’s Southwest Campus, where each of the partners has a permanent presence and ongoing commitment to that industry.”

This hands-on collaboration has enabled students and industry professionals to interact on a regular basis, allowing students to see that industry professionals never cease to continue their education.

“The partnership between APS, WestMEC and EMCC has been a fantastic example of how we are preparing a strong pipeline of workers in support of the needs of our local businesses and communities,” says Maria Lacal, executive vice president and chief nuclear officer at APS’ Palo Verde Stewards of energy and talent Generating Station.

“About seven or eight years ago Randy “The programs that have already been Edington, former chief nuclear officer of Palo Verde Generating Station, approached established and those that are continuing to be developed through this strong West-MEC about partnering with Estrella partnership are creating the workforce of Mountain Community College and its the future and helping to build a stronger energy program to start promoting the economy for the long-term,” Lacal adds. energy industry to an even younger group In addition to feeding the pipeline and of students and better fill the energy pipeline of future employees,” explains Greg talent within the West Valley’s energy sector, this particular partnership also Donovan, superintendent of West-MEC. serves as a valuable template for other Donovan went on to describe that the education-industry mashups. conversation around “real partnerships,” “Another great component of the that would be truly committed and partnership,” says Paula Livingston, dean ongoing, with on-site and continuous is crucial, as this market continues to grow exponentially. Turn your attention to Goodyear, as an example, with The Goodyear Medical Innovation Corridor housing 200 medical-related businesses, including Abrazo West, Banner Health, Cancer Treatment Centers of America, Integrated Medical Service, Phoenix Spine Surgery Center, and many more.

“Healthcare, in general, is an essential service, whether it be delivered by physicians, graduating from the residency programs that Abrazo has to offer, or receiving care from pharmacists, podiatrists, physician assistants, physical therapists and occupational therapists training at Abrazo hospitals,” Kemper says.

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of Estrella Mountain Community College, “is that Palo Verde donated equipment to the program.”

A donation, that according to Livingston, provides students with hands-on, real-time exposure to a decommissioned flow loop.

“Educational institutions are typically scraping for funding and resources, making it that much more difficult to fulfill equipment-related needs,” Livingston says. “To have a partner willing to provide this type of equipment is invaluable in establishing these kinds of partnerships.

And, because the programs yielded by these partnerships are offered in conjunction with Estrella Mountain Community College, high school students are co-enrolled and acquire up to one year of college credits as they complete their last two years of high school. Upon graduation, students can complete an additional year of college for an associate’s degree, or enter a four-year college program at the sophomore level.

Additionally, students involved with high school Career and technical education (CTE) programs have a much higher graduation rate than the average graduation rate in Arizona from a regular high school program. In fact, since the program began in the fall of 2016, all

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RECORD ENROLLMENT: Last school year, Ottawa University-Arizona (OUAZ) celebrated its largest student enrollment levels since opening its West Valley residential campus in fall 2017. The Surprise residential campus welcomed 819 graduate and undergraduate students for the fall 2019 semester, which is a 33-percent increase over the prior year, while the university’s adult campus enrollment in Phoenix grew to 934 students, which marks a 25-percent increase over the prior year.

enrolled students have stayed in the program and graduated from high school.

Onward and outward As the West Valley continues to expand, so will the needs of its growing industries.

To meet the anticipated employment demands and skills in areas such as healthcare, energy, technology and advanced manufacturing, partnerships continue to evolve and the West Valley education sector is poised to produce the talent.

“The growth ahead puts us in a wonderful position to see what’s coming,” Livingston says. “And, it’s much easier to prepare than to retrofit after the fact. We are getting more industries interested in partnerships as economic development offices bring in more business.”

“We have open land, good weather, and can provide energy and service that reach globally, as well as just locally,” Donovan adds. “With the West Valley pro-business and pro-growth attitudes, it is ripe for all industry, but especially energy and the entire skilled workforce gamut. The West Valley is smart-growth and pro-growth, while keeping an eye on water and energy consumption for the future. Together, the future in the West Valley is bright.”

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WEST VALLEY ADVANCED EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS PUBLIC kASU West Campus kNAU at Glendale kNAU at Estrella Mountain kNAU at North Valley k Thunderbird School of Global Management

t

COMMUNITY COLLEGES kBuckeye Education Center k Estrella Mountain Community College kGlendale Community College kRio Salado Community College

t

PRIVATE kArizona Automotive Institute kArizona College kDeVry University kFranklin Pierce University kGrand Canyon University kHuntington University kITT Technical kMidwestern University kOttawa University kUniversal Technical Institute

t

CTE/JTED k West-MEC (Central Campus, Northeast Campus, Southwest Campus, Northwest Campus, Diesel Campus, Start@WEST-MEC)

t

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WESTMARC

GREAT OFFICE VIEWS

WESTMARC forum has developers buzzing about adding Class A office space in the West Valley

By ERIN THORBURN

D

espite the challenges and uncertainties ahead, West Valley economic leaders retain optimism for the future, by looking back in the past. Developers and West Valley city leaders gathered for the Class-A Office Forum sponsored by WESTMARC, Globe Corporation, John F. Long Properties, CBRE and LBA Realty.

The forum, met with collective positive feedback and increased interest, offered a unique platform for investors, developers, and participating West Valley cities.

“It provided a venue to tell a story that not many people may know,” said Ken Chapa, economic development director for the City of Avondale. “In the past, it was easy for investors to ignore that there was anything west of 75th Ave. It can’t be ignored any longer, especially when you see the data and the demographics. The Class-A Office Forum provides compelling real data and opportunities for development.”

In addition to Avondale, representatives from Goodyear, Phoenix and Surprise were also in attendance. During the forum, each city was granted a pitch session to

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commute sheds of the 10, 101, 303, 202 and 17 interstates and highways.

“I truly believe when you look at market entry you have to assess both data and information,” said Stephanie Fogelson, vice president of project development for Venn Construction. “When the brokers and developers began to read the data, they were impressed and paused to say ‘hmm.’ That pause in assessment is a great first step but it won’t move the needle; we need to then West Valley buzz bring the information of how great these The buzz following the forum has been communities are to overlay it with the data.” and continues to be, that not only is West And each city did exactly that, Valley Class-A office space availability no expanding on the areas of quality of longer a secret, the perks that come with life, entertainment and recreation it are more clear than ever. As part of a opportunities, job availability and more.

CBRE report delivered by Cathy Teeter, In vetting the West Valley’s various CBRE director of Advisory and Transaction assets, the success of existing office spec Services for Phoenix, several heat maps space was also highlighted including the displayed robust skilled employment fact that 67 percent of spec space since density pools within the West Valley.

2018 has been leased.

Trained and experienced office employees are ready and waiting.

Dynamic demographics And, best of all, the talent saturated “The employment and demographic in the West Valley (such as those data speaks for itself now, and spec office with technology skills and back-office is definitely an area of interest given the operations) is embedded along the highlight their combined benefits and ready-made Class-A office opportunities.

“For us, it’s about continuing to develop our value proposition and communicating it effectively to investors and end-users,” Chapa said. “The worst compliment you can pay an economic development professional is that their community is a ‘Best kept secret.’”

West Valley growth. There’s a growing belief among investors, developers and brokers that corporate employers can be pulled out of Scottsdale, Tempe and the East Valley,” said Michael J. Olsen, chief financial officer for Globe Corporation and co-chair of WESTMARC’s Class-A Office subcommittee. “This interest in other Class-A office alternatives has been exacerbated by the escalating office rents and traffic in those competing markets. We have a significant investment in Goodyear and have structured a great public/private partnership with the City of Goodyear on the Civic Square at Estrella Falls (Phase one completion scheduled for June 2022).

Having the City’s commitment to a 125,000 square-foot Class-A city hall and state-of-the-art public library, with a twoacre civic park providing a significant sense of arrival, it was easy to conclude that it’s time for Class-A office in the West Valley.”

In the short time following the forum, participating cities and WESTMARC received rave reviews, mixed with interest in potential new Class-A office additions.

Those who didn’t have an opportunity to

attend the last forum are lining up for the next event.

“It was the setup and the way West Valley Communities work together that made the forum a success,” Chapa said.

“Economic development is a contact sport and it can get pretty competitive between communities. The West Valley, however, is unlike most other regions—yes we compete for projects against each other, but there is a strong camaraderie as well.

That comes through in these types of forums.”

“This was a rapid-fire way to get the Ken Chapa data out in front, share the information of these communities’ quality of life, schools, amenities, housing and most importantly, the workforce that will drive the HR departments of the users to fuel their business,’’ Fogelson added. “The cities truly delivered and the packed house of brokers and developers heard a very new message: the West Valley is no longer a sleepy little town, it is jam-packed with a quality workforce who would more than welcome working much closer to their halfa-million-dollar homes.”

Michael J. Olsen

Stephanie Fogelson

Cathy Teeter

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LEVERAGING LUXURY The increasing household incomes of West Valley residents drive demand for luxury, vibrant, and experiential residential options

By ERIN THORBURN

W

ith the West Valley’s population anticipated to increase 40 percent by 2030, it’s time for more housing.

But it’s not simply the growth in the West Valley that has caught the eye and interest of residential real estate developers. With a solid and talented workforce, tremendous entertainment options, recreation opportunities, and splendid quality of life — think big-city opportunities meet small-town charm — there is more to attract home buyers to the West Valley than ever.

What kind of residential homes?

Obviously, the need for residential housing expansion is clear — but what are buyers looking for? Economic developers and residential developers have keenly identified the answer. With an average household income of about $65,000 (and likely rising over the next decade), more and more homebuyers are looking for luxury, dynamic and experiential, residential communities.

“There’s a ‘quiet wealth’ in the West Valley,” says Sintra Hoffman, president and

CEO of WESTMARC. “Almost every city is home to luxury housing communities. This is very different from 15 years ago, when West Valley leaders were trying to attract high-end home builders. Back then, they claimed the West Valley lacked the market for the luxury product. Those days have definitely changed.”

“We saw an expansive community where families had plenty of room to run, play and congregate for generations,” says John Bradley, president of Brookfield Properties Development Arizona.

The community for which Bradley refers is Alamar, an elegant and vibrant community, comprised of 3,500-plus homes spread across 1,127 acres in Avondale.

In close proximity to high-quality and highly rated K-12 schools, a regional park, and easy access to nearby I-10, South Loop 202 and the future SR 30, Alamar is the perfect example of what makes the West Valley positioned for unique and accessible housing opportunities.

“As a bonus, the views of the nearby Sierra Estrella Mountains are beautiful and provide hiking and recreational

HIGH-END HOUSING: In January, Toll Brothers unveiled Phase One of Sterling Grove, a luxury 780-acre master-planned neighborhood west of Loop 303 in Surprise.

(Provided photo)

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WESTMARC

RISING IN THE WEST: Verrado’s neighborhoods in Buckeye are known for beautiful homes, shady tree-lined streets, ample front porches, and residents of all ages. (Provided photo)

opportunities that tie into our vision for healthy outdoor living,” Bradley adds.

Housing history repeating and improving “The same team which introduced Eastmark to the East Valley, crafting it into Arizona’s best-selling community five years in a row, is also behind Alamar,” Bradley says. “Like Eastmark, Alamar is designed to raise the bar for masterplanned communities and provide families with not only the best in modern home designs, but everything they find important in today’s new concepts of connected living.”

Master-planned luxury housing has historically flourished in the West Valley.

Verrado, and sister development Victory, alongside Estrella Mountain Ranch and Vistancia, have remained lucrative residential hot spots. Housing in these communities starts in the upper $300,000 range, with Vistancia closer to mid $400,000 — a reinforcement of the rising average household income of buyers and 86

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their desire for more upscale living and amenities.

“Many C-suite and high-wealth individuals live in the West Valley,” Hoffman says, “and, it’s great to see that luxury home builders are responding to this wealth and housing demand. Many communities in the West Valley are home to average-household income exceeding $80,000 to $100,000.”

And, when it comes to amenities, both the existing and new residential master plans are more than willing to deliver.

Sterling Grove, an age-qualified Toll Brothers 780-acre master-planned neighborhood, west of Loop 303 in Surprise, offers homeowners access to a private country club and 18-hole Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course. The one- and two-story homes range from approximately 1,500 square feet to upwards of 4,000 square feet, with 31 designs from which to choose. Starting prices span from the mid-$300,000s to the mid-$600,000s.

John Bradley

Sintra Hoffman

While many luxury-housing options have built-in golf courses, swim parks, dining options, and more, they are also in close proximity to retail, entertainment, recreation, and a robust transportation system. From Westgate and Arrowhead to the IMS Raceway and Gila River Arena, and from the White Tank and Estrella mountains and beyond, home for West Valley residents is where the heart and happenings are.

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