AzBusiness January/February 2018 by AZ Big Media

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JANUARY // FEBRUARY 2018

THIRTYSOMETHING $4.95

Young business leaders become innovators in their industries and drive Arizona’s economy ARIZONA CORPORATE COUNSEL AWARDS

ARIZONA LODGING AND TOURISM ASSOCIATION

INDUSTRY LEADERS OF ARIZONA AWARDS

GREATER PHOENIX ECONOMIC COUNCIL

105

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Table of Contents 6

Trendsetters

CEO Series

Technology

Healthcare

Law

Banking & Finance

Thirtysomethings

Small Business

Marketing

40 Dining 42 Arizona Corporate Counsel Awards

Let’s resolve for a

MORE POSITIVE 2018

I 14

• Millennials generally get a bad rap, but in our “30 in their 30s” feature, you’ll get to meet 30 business leaders in their 30s who are reimagining and reshaping their industries. • We recognize the important and vital role in-house counsel plays in the success of a business. In this issue, you’ll meet the finalists for the Arizona Corporate Counsel Awards.

105 Greater Phoenix Economic Council

THIRTYSOMETHINGS ON THE COVER: Front row, from left: Alissa McDowell, 32, Axon; Anne Kaufman, 32, Troon Golf; Tiffany Broberg, 37, Progress Residential. Second row, from left: Charity Rice, 34, Washington Federal; Roxanne Wingate, 34, Cox Communications; Steven Sheets, 34, Southwest Behavioral & Health Services; Scott Harkey, 35, OH Partners. Back row, from left: Justin Redman, 34, GoDaddy; Jordan Redman, 34, Forever Living Products; Robert Carlson III, 36, Carlson Creek Vineyard; Gregory Goldsand, 34, Weiss Brown. Photo by Mike Mertes of AZ Big Media. 2

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• The Industry Leaders of Arizona Awards honor the impact of Arizona‐based companies on both the economy of Arizona and in the communities they serve. You can meet this year’s finalists inside this issue. • Steven G. Zylstra, president and CEO of the Arizona Technology Council, breaks down the 10 hottest sectors to explore if you’re interested in investing in our state’s red-hot technology community.

Arizona Lodging 73 & Tourism Association 82 Industry Leaders of Arizona Awards

n terms of negative headlines, 2017 was a banner year. The Russia investigation. The Equifax breach. Harvey Weinstein. Matt Lauer. We lost Jerry Lewis, Tom Petty and even Batman (Adam West). Suicide took the lives of two of my generation’s most iconic rock stars. Uggghhh. Enough already. Thankfully, 2017 is behind us and we are here to start spinning some positive headlines to kick off 2018. And this issue of Az Business is a perfect start because it showcases some of the most innovative and engaging companies and business leaders in Arizona:

• Speaking of technology, you’ll learn how leaders at GPEC plan to utilize the Internet of Things to position the Valley as the world’s first multijurisdictional smart region. Not a single scandal. Not a single job loss. Not a single lost icon. This issue of Az Business magazine kicks off the year with positive stories that will leave you with hope for Arizona’s economic future. Enjoy this issue. It’s going to be a happy new year.

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

SHOUT-OUTS GIRL SCOUTS HONOR FEMALE LEADERS

The Girl Scouts–Arizona Cactus- Pine Council (GSACPC) named long-time Girl Scout supporters Evelyn “Pit” Lucking and Lorraine Bergman as their 2017 Woman of Distinction and 2017 Woman of Courage honorees during the organization’s first-ever Badge Bash. Held at The Bob & Renee Parsons Leadership Center for Girls and Women at Camp South Mountain, the inaugural event brought Lorraine Bergman donors out for a fun night of adventure as a way to support local girls.

APS OFFERS THE TOOLS

Since its inception in 2015, Phoenix Community ToolBank has provided tools to more than 40,000 volunteers who have completed nearly 1,000 community improvement projects in the Valley. Executive Director Jana Smith says none of this would be possible without the support of generous corporate donations, including the recent $5,000 grant from APS. “APS is so philanthropic and has such an active employee volunteer program, we are thrilled to have them coming on board as a new corporate partner,” explains Smith. “In 2016, APS employees volunteered a total of 120,000 volunteer hours.”

ARIZONA SCIENCE CENTER CEO EARNS HONOR

Arizona Science Center Hazel A. Hare President and CEO Chevy Humphrey was awarded the Chair’s Award for Outstanding Achievement from the Association of ScienceTechnology Centers at the association’s national conference. Humphrey has been an ASTC board member for 12 years, and in that role has assisted the organization in advancing the role that science centers and museums play Chevy Humphrey nationwide in the realm of education. “I have been so fortunate to be a part of such a strong team of people who are greatly improving and expanding access to STEM learning in communities around the globe,” said Humphrey.

PARSONS DONATES $4M TO BARROW

The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation awarded a $4 million gift to the Barrow Neurological Institute in continued support of the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center, to establish the Lonnie and Muhammad Ali Legacy Care program. The program will allow the Barrow Neurological Institute to extend care to patients who are physically unable to travel to the center for care. 4

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President and CEO: Michael Atkinson Publisher: Cheryl Green Vice president of operations: Audrey Webb EDITORIAL Editor in chief: Michael Gossie Associate editors: David McGlothlin | Jesse A. Millard Interns: Erica Apodaca | Lauren Marshall | Nikole Tower Contributing writers: Ty James Largo | Erin Thorburn Lennard van der Feltz | Steven G. Zylstra ART Art director: Mike Mertes Graphic designer: Bruce Andersen MARKETING/EVENTS Marketing & events manager: Cristal Rodriguez Marketing coordinator: Vlad Madorsky Marketing designer: Jennifer Childres OFFICE Special projects manager: Sara Fregapane Executive assistant: Mayra Rivera Database solutions manager: Amanda Bruno AZ BUSINESS MAGAZINE Senior account manager: David Harken Account managers: Cindy Kurtze | Stacie Lee AZ BUSINESS ANGELS Director of sales: Brit Kezar AZ BUSINESS LEADERS Director of sales: Sheri Brown AZ HOME & DESIGN Director of sales: Joe Freedman AZRE | ARIZONA COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE Director of sales: Ann McSherry EXPERIENCE ARIZONA | PLAY BALL Director of sales: Donna Roberts 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 2018 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 LEADERSHIP PROFILE Steven Plitt Partner The Cavanagh Law Firm

Plitt has been recognized as one of Arizona’s Top 50 Lawyers by Southwest Super Lawyers. He was also listed as a Top 100 Lawyer by Az Business magazine. He is a nationally recognized expert on insurance law. In addition to practicing law, he is also a law professor, teaching insurance law. He has a national insurance law practice.

TOP 10

BANKS IN ARIZONA ARIZONA DEPOSITS

MARKET SHARE

JPMorgan Chase

$31.9 billion

25.6%

Wells Fargo

$30.5 billion

24.42%

Bank of America

$22.1 billion

17.74%

Alliance Bank of Arizona

$6.6 billion

5.29%

Business advice: “The hard work and long hours you spend learning the law in your field of practice is just the beginning of a successful career as a lawyer. From there everything centers on reputation.”

National Bank of Arizona

$4.8 billion

3.82%

Compass Bank

$4.4 billion

3.55%

Source of pride: “When I was in law school from 1979-1982, the most respected reference source for insurance law was Couch on Insurance, 3d. Many years later, I was asked by the publisher to become the new author of that widely respected publication.”

BMO Harris Bank

$2.9 billion

2.33%

Union Bank

$1.5 billion

2.02%

US Bank

$2.3 billion

1.88%

MidFirst Bank

$1.6 billion

2018 trend to watch: “Cyber liability insurance.” To read more about the best and brightest business leaders in Arizona, get a copy of the 2018 edition of Az Business Leaders at azbigmedia.com.

Which universities have the

MOST SUCCESSFUL ALUMNI ENTREPRENEURS?

An interesting study from GraphicSprings ranked U.S. universities by the number of alumni entrepreneurs which got the most funding or had the most valuable exits for their companies in the past 12 months. Sadly, the study showed that only 4.3 percent of all funding went to women. Stanford University ranked No. 1 with 138 alumni getting funded or had an exit in the past 12 months, Harvard was No. 2 with 89 alumni and UC Berkley was No. 3 with 45. Surprisingly, entrepreneurs without a college degree came in at No. 7, ahead Yale, Princeton and Arizona’s universities. Arizona State University came in at No. 32 and the University of Arizona came in close behind at No. 34.

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1.27% Source: FDIC

How

STRESSFUL is the Valley

commute?

A new survey from staffing firm Robert Half reveals cities with the scariest and most stressful commutes. Here’s how Phoenix stacked up in a survey of 27 major U.S. cities: • Phoenix ranks fourth for commuting stress levels – behind, L.A., Miami and Austin. • Phoenix ranked 19th for commute time (workers spend an average of 45 minutes commuting). • 37 percent of Phoenix workers think their commute is too long.

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TRENDSETTERS

SANDY ABALOS, principal in charge of the Phoenix office, REDW: “I competed at the 1976 U.S. Olympic archery team tryouts my senior year in high school.”

JUSTIN BECKETT, owner and executive chef, Beckett’s Table and Southern Rail: “When I was five, I was kidnapped in Guatemala and held ransom for a dulcimer and sewing machine.”

JOSEPH CLEES, shareholder, Ogletree Deakins: “I was born in a public housing project to two teenage runaways— my parents.”

SERIOUSLY?

If you ask some of Arizona’s most influential business leaders to tell you a surprising fact about themselves, the first thing out of your mouth will likely be, “SERIOUSLY?”

RONALD GUZIAK, president and CEO, Sun Health: “I’ve actually scored four holes in one in my life.”

JENNIFER KAPLAN, founder and CEO, Evolve Public Relations and Marketing: “I eat the same thing every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner.”

MATT SILVERMAN, vice president and managing director, R&R Partners: “A serial killer confessed to me.”

WHAT ARE THE HARDEST-TO-FILL JOBS?

information research scientists and computer systems engineers/architects.

• Healthcare: Audiologists and podiatrists.

• Industrial: Heavy and

tractor-trailer truck drivers and electronic home entertainment equipment installers and repairers.

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• Office and administrative: Repair

shop or parts store salespeople and first-line supervisors of retail workers.

• Professional‒ managerial: Sales

engineers and sales representatives who handle wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products.

SARAH STRUNK, director and chair of the board of directors, Fennemore Craig: “I like to swim with the sharks – usually reef sharks while diving.”

ARIZONA RANKS IN WOMENOWNED FIRMS

American Staffing Association Skills Gap Index identified the hardest-to-fill occupations heading into 2018. The two hardest-to-fill jobs in each staffing industry sector are:

• Engineering, IT and scientific: Computer and

MICHAEL CROW, president, Arizona State University: “I am 14th generation of an immigrant family who came as indentured servants … and I am the first to go to college.”

rizona has an estimated 202,900 womenowned businesses, employing 147,900 and attributing to more than $24 billion to the state’s economy, according to the seventh annual State of Women-Owned Businesses Report, commissioned by American Express OPEN. Arizona is ranked 10th in growth of number of women-owned firms over the past 20 years with a 128.6 percent increase and 14th in growth of jobs created with a 45.6 percent increase and 18th in growth of firm revenues with a 112.6% increase. Phoenix is ranked 21st in growth of number of women-owned firms among the top 50 U.S. metropolitan areas.

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5 TRENDSETTERS

5 positive traits

HOUSING TRENDS for 2018

nventory constraints that have fueled a sharp rise in home prices and made it difficult for buyers to gain a foothold in the market will begin to ease this year as part of broad and continued market improvements, according to the realtor.com 2018 National Housing Forecast. Here are five trends to watch this year:

1 2 3 4 5

Inventory expected to begin to increase: In August, the U.S.

housing market began to see a higher than normal monthover-month deceleration in inventory that has continued into fall. Based on this pattern, realtor.com projects U.S. year-over-year inventory growth to tick up into positive territory by fall 2018, for the first time since 2015.

Price appreciation expected to slow: Home prices are

forecasted to slow to 3.2 percent growth year-over-year nationally, from an estimated increase of 5.5 percent in 2017. Most of the slowing will be felt in the higher-priced segment as more available inventory in this price range and a smaller pool of buyers forces sellers to price competitively.

Millennials anticipated to gain market share in all home price segments: Although Millennials will continue

to face challenges next year with rising interest rates and home prices, they are on track to gain mortgage market share in all price points, due to the sheer size of the generation.

Southern markets predicted to lead in sales growth: Southern cities

are anticipated to beat the national average in home sales growth in 2018 with Tulsa leading the pack.

Tax reform will be a major wildcard: While more disposable income for

buyers is positive for housing, the loss of tax benefits for owners could lead to fewer sales and impact prices negatively over time with the largest impact on markets with higher prices and incomes. 10

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Millennials should highlight

We read tons about Millennials — the good, the bad and the stereotypes. But here are five character traits Millennials possess that are desirable to most hiring managers, according to the experts at IMPACT Group:

1. Adventure seeker:

Millennials want to experience new cultures, adventures and people. This makes you adaptable and able to fit into new environments, which is highly beneficial.

2. Team player: Millennials’ education is likely more

rigorous than previous generations. As a result, even the most introverted of them learned how to work with a group.

3. Tech savvy: Millennials have an enormous amount of

tech knowledge, making them able to easily keep up with today’s ever-changing world of technology.

4. Fearless innovator: Millennials lack the fear that

others face and are not afraid to tap into their adventurous side and try new things.

5. Natural problem solver: Being fearless innovators

makes Millennials problem solvers. They face obstacles head on and want to find solutions rather than avoiding them.

Only 19% of workers want face-to-face communication A new survey by ReportLinker shows half of American workers use email as their primary way to communicate with co-workers. Only one in five respondents say they prefer face-to-face or over the phone communication. Other findings: • Only 19 percent of people prefer face-to-face communication when discussing something at work and 50 percent prefer email. • 43 percent of people use instant messaging softwares in their company, including 71 percent who work in the tech sector. • The most used software is Skype (29 percent), followed by Facebook Messenger (22 percent), Lync (19 percent) and Slack (5 percent).

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CEO SERIES

PASSION PLAY

Renee Parsons’ hopes pledge to give away $1 billion will inspire others to boost nonprofits By ERIN THORBURN

n July, The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation initiated a $1.6 million matching challenge in an effort to help the Girl Scouts Arizona Cactus-Pine Council complete its $18 million Campaign for Girls. Who better to help champion such a cause that encourages leadership, education, life skills and friendship for girls and young women, than successful businesswoman and philanthropist Renee Parsons? Parsons and her husband, GoDaddy founder Bob Parsons, have joined Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett in signing the Giving Pledge, an initiative by the billionaires to donate 50 percent of their wealth to charities. As a seasoned professional instrumental in spearheading a number of local community causes, from aiding the disenfranchised and embracing the fight against HIV/AIDS to providing a platform for young homeless and foster children, Renee Parsons is helping to demonstrate the true meaning of transformative – in both foundational philanthropy and changing lives. Az Business: What motivated you to start The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation? Renee Parsons: We were strongly involved in philanthropy with GoDaddy. As Bob’s role shifted out of day-to-day involvement, it was a perfect time for us to start our own foundation. Since we had already been involved within the Greater Phoenix community and had existing relationships with many organizations, we felt very strongly about supporting our local community and strengthening our existing roots. AB: What can you share with readers about joining the Giving Pledge? RP: We are proud to be the only individuals in Arizona to sign the Giving Pledge. We want to make sure that people understand that the giving pledge doesn’t limit giving to $1 billion or even half, but rather that the pledge is meant to be a public declaration of giving intended to inspire people to give what they can. AB: How do you decide which charities or nonprofits you’re going to support? RP: When we started The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation, we knew we wanted to focus on continuing in the space we started in years back with GoDaddy. We wanted to remain working with underserved populations, education and children’s issues and

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RENEE PARSONS: “For us, it’s important to concentrate

on the less glamorous, but well-run entities that are in our wheelhouse and that share our core values,” says the cofounder of the Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation, shown at the Bob & Renee Parsons Leadership Center for Girls & Women.

PHOTO BY MIKE MERTES, AZ BIG MEDIA

helping women and the homeless. Our umbrella now centralizes on three major demographics: critically wounded veterans, disenfranchised individuals and families living in poverty and the LGBTQ community. AB: What does your foundation do best? RP: One of our foundation’s many success stories has been matching grants – one of the first ones was the $1.5 million matching grant applied to the Southwest Center for HIV/AIDS. I’ve had the pleasure of seeing the Center evolve since it started eight years ago. It’s a transformative gift that continues to make the impossible possible for a population that doesn’t receive a lot of help. AB: What other local causes are you championing this year? RP: We feel fortunate to be working with Free Arts for Abused Children of Arizona. In August, we announced a $2.5 million grant to help expand their space and resources. This organization is set up to serve children who are homeless and kids within the foster care system, enabling them to use art in a therapeutic way. There is a lovely and touching rotating art exhibit in our office building. Each piece of art represents a child’s heartfelt story. We also have the pleasure of continuing to work with the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Arizona.

TECHNOLOGY

THE

HOTTEST

sectors in Arizona’s technology community

rizona can no longer be considered an “up-and-coming” technology hub. We have firmly solidified ourselves as a serious contender among the nation’s elite technology centers. In order to continue our community’s growth, we have prioritized investment capital as a key challenge to tackle. Through our legislative efforts, we feel that we are on track in this area as well. The Arizona Technology Council has worked hard to accelerate investment in the technology community by advocating for important pro-investment legislation such as the Angel Investment Tax Credit, which gives a 3035 percent tax credit to investors. Convincing our lawmakers to pass legislation that promotes investment is the final frontier to reaching peak technology output. Overall, there are a number of sectors on the rise filled with companies deserving of investor dollars. And while I don’t want to make any specific recommendations on companies deserving of investment, I have broken down the 10 hottest sectors to explore if you’re interested in investing in our state’s technology community.

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ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING (3-D PRINTING) 3-D printing is an industry in which Arizona has proven to be a leader. Arizona State University (ASU) recently opened the Southwest’s largest additive manufacturing research center, the Manufacturing Research and Innovation Hub. The center boasts $2 million in cutting-edge plastic, polymer and metal 3-D printing equipment. Organizations like Phoenix Analysis and Design Technology and Honeywell, are also exploring new ways to develop end-use parts for the aerospace sector with metal 3-D printing. There are a number of innovative technologies developing in this area that will revolutionize manufacturing in Arizona, which is home to around 5,000 manufacturing companies. Additional organizations innovating in the space include Titan Industries, Carbon 3D, Stratasys, and more. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) AND MACHINE LEARNING A.I. and machine learning will soon creep into every piece of software and connected device imaginable, as many companies are implementing or experimenting with the application. In our state, there is a great deal of research occurring at the university level. University of Arizona (UA) has an entire lab dedicated to this research, which provides hands-on learning for its students, while ASU’s Consortium for Science, Policy and Outcomes is devoting a ton of attention to both A.I. and machine learning. Both of these schools are producing top talent that will apply this technology to future innovations of their own. There are also many applications of this technology in sectors like marketing, with companies like Digital Air Strike implementing new A.I. and machine learning technologies into digital marketing tools, or cybersecurity, where WiZR has developed an industry-leading, AI-based computer vision technology with IoT integrations.

Steven G. Zylstra Technology AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES This is a sector where Arizona has really shined. We are leading the nation in the operation and testing of autonomous vehicles after our government paved the way for these innovations. Some of the largest technology companies in the world including Lyft, GM, Uber, Veyo, Intel and Google/Waymo are honing autonomous vehicle technology here in the Valley. As these innovations progress and are proven, the opportunity for this sector to flourish is massive. COMMERCIAL SPACE INDUSTRY Arizona has been a long-time leader in aerospace and defense, but more recently, we have seen rapid growth in the commercial space industry. Paragon, KinetX, Vector, Orbital ATK and more, have all been leaders in Arizona’s commercial space industry for a long time. As the economic landscape in space shifts from government-led projects to smaller independent projects in the commercial space sector, you will see many of these companies develop ambitious ideas. World View Enterprises is one of the companies making a lot of noise in this area. In early October, the company executed its first balloon liftoff from Spaceport Tucson, the first-ever purpose-built stratospheric launch facility in the world and the home for World View’s “Stratollite” missions to the stratosphere. There is a worldwide race for successfully executed commercial space flights and Arizona’s space sector is a major player here. AB | January - February 2018 15

TECHNOLOGY CYBERSECURITY Every year, I lead a group of Council members on our annual D.C. Fly-in where we speak with Arizona’s elected federal officials about technology initiatives in Washington D.C. And every year, cybersecurity is our number one topic of conversation. In fact, Juniper research predicts that cybercrime will cost businesses more than $2 trillion by 2019. Arizona has responded to this need by becoming home to one of the most robust collections of leading cybersecurity firms in the nation including companies like McKesson, Logicalis, BeyondTrust, InfoArmor and SiteLock. In 2014, the Federal Trade Commission ranked Arizona in the top ten for cybersecurity. There is no end to the need for cybersecurity solutions in this day and age and there are plenty of solid opportunities to invest in firms both large and small. EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY (EDTECH) The Arizona Commerce Authority reported that startups in EdTech have attracted more than $100 million in investments since 2012, with more than 1,000 jobs created. The inclusion of technology to introduce new ways of learning has been an effort championed in Arizona for quite some time, and the industry is growing rapidly. Companies like Parchment, GraphLock Inc. Campus Logic, Picmonic and much more, are leading the way for EdTech in Arizona. I anticipate that additional companies will be created to develop technology solutions for advancing education at all levels. FINANCIAL TECHNOLOGY (FINTECH) Financial technologies like blockchain and cryptocurrency have incredibly promising applications. For instance, a decentralized exchange system using blockchain would help individuals avoid corrupt and greedy governments in Third World countries. As the sector matures, and Arizona legislators are opening up to exploring the technology, we will see an influx of blockchain companies emerge. FinTech expands far beyond blockchain and cryptocurrency, but this technology is the hottest in the sector at the moment. There are a number of very promising companies currently in Arizona’s FinTech sector including BillingTree, Desert Schools Federal 16

AB | January - February 2018

Credit Union, Cardfree and Upgrade Inc., as well as a number of startups with exciting blockchain innovations such as KryptoPal and Sweetbridge. HEALTH AND BIOSCIENCE Our medical technology (MedTech) sector is rising as the innovation we’re seeing is having a major impact on the growth of Arizona’s bioscience industry. Companies in a number of health and bioscience sub-sectors such as Ventana (diagnostics), Medtronics (medical devices), Mayo Clinic (hospitals), the Flinn Foundation (philanthropy), and more are working towards innovating in and advocating for our health and bioscience sectors by merging technology and health in creative ways. The collaboration of health and technology is also helping our bioscience leaders reach their goal of creating a globally competitive bioscience sector and making Arizona a national authority in select areas of the biosciences by 2025. Our leaders are also working hard to develop the formation of an entrepreneurial hub in Arizona to ensure a successful future for the bioscience industry. The creation of incubators like the BioInspire, Center for Entrepreneurial Innovation, and others have helped to produce health-focused startups. In fact, Arizona has a strong portfolio of MedTech companies that have recently received funding including Neolight and EpiFinder. INTERNET OF THINGS (IoT) The Greater Phoenix Economic Council (GPEC) recently launched “The Connected Place” campaign celebrating the rise of IoT in Phoenix. We have become a center of manufacturing and software development, and our state’s long history of semiconductor development makes us the perfect candidate to become a hub for

IoT innovation. Companies with a major presence in Arizona like Honeywell, Intel, Uber, Avnet, and Boeing are leading the way. The startup and education community has followed suit with a number of promising innovations from companies like Ingenu and RunSmart. VIRTUAL REALITY Innovations in virtual reality are commonplace in Arizona’s technology community. In education, the Immersive Teaching STEAM Academy creates fun and exciting projects using cutting-edge technologies like virtual reality to keep students engaged. In gaming, Waden Kane Studios is developing immersive and interactive virtual reality worlds with this technology. A number of nontechnology sectors are also exploring ways to implement virtual reality to enhance its customer experience. New applications of virtual reality are being discovered frequently. A startup out of Tucson, Saccadous, developed a virtual reality goggle-type helmet that tracks eye movements to diagnose concussions. The field is young, but as the technology reaches more young minds, especially the up and coming engineers in our state’s leading universities, I anticipate virtual reality taking off in Arizona. AND ONE MORE One sector that I have not mentioned is data science or “big data.” This technology is weaved into each of the sectors above and nearly every company in Arizona’s technology community utilizes data science in one way or another. Nonetheless, big data is among our most important field of technologies because of its need in today’s connected world. There will always be opportunities for investment in any company specializing in the data sciences. As mentioned above, I won’t make specific recommendations on companies to invest in, but I am certain that opportunities exist to engage with revolutionary startups. These 10 sectors are among the fastest-growing in Arizona and, in my opinion, will produce the most promising innovations deserving of your investment dollars. Steven G. Zylstra is president and CEO of the Arizona Technology Council.

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AB | January - February 2018 17

HEALTHCARE

Tech-up or

check-up? Creative use of technology is bringing healthcare industry into a new era

Jeffrey La Belle

By LAUREN MARSHALL

earable technology has become popular in the commercial market with companies like Apple, Fitbit, Garmin, Samsung and more all making wearable fitness tracking watches. Researchers are now hoping to take wearable technology and use it for more than just tracking steps. These medical-grade wearables will soon be able to predict when wearers will have a variety of conditions, such as diabetes and Lyme disease. Jeffrey La Belle, a professor and researcher at Arizona State University, is developing wearable technology that will be able to predict if a patient who is hospitalized with congenital heart disease is healthy enough to leave the hospital. 18

AB | January - February 2018

“Having to return to the hospital drives up costs and it’s rough on a patient who has just had surgery,” La Belle said. These devices can take several years to develop, in contrast to commercially available devices, which lack accuracy and the ability to continuously collect data, La Belle said. Having continuous data on patient’s heart rates, skin temperature, glucose levels and other meters would be game changing for doctors. “After the device gets developed, we would train the doctors on how to use and interpret the data to make decisions in diagnosis and treatment,” La Belle said.

Robb Leigh

IMPROVING OUTCOMES Alexan Gomez, a graduate student working in La Belle’s lab, said improving people’s well-being was the motivation behind the device. “Working on something that can make people better or can make people have a better life, it gets inside me,” Gomez said. This is important for congenital heart patients who appear ready to go home, but need more attention, which can be revealed with data from wearable technology. La Belle has teamed up with Mayo Clinic to test the device with its patients. “We get the (device) on people for 30 days and collect data from the body,”

Not only can this prevent a patient from undergoing unnecessary stress, but it can also reduce healthcare costs. Jeffrey La Belle

Gomez said. “We store the data in memory so later we can use the data to look for signatures in the data. We do statistical analysis for predicting whether or not this person will get sick.” Not only can this prevent a patient from undergoing unnecessary stress, but it can also reduce healthcare costs. La Belle said he hopes this will help the device get covered by insurance companies. Federal funding for research projects like these has greatly decreased since the 2008 recession, but La Belle thinks the devices are worth it. “To me, it would be cool if everyone wore one all of the time,” La Belle said. “Then, if there was an issue that was going to occur, we could see that before it happened. Before someone has a heart attack, we actually see the patterns in their physiology and we can say, ‘You’re headed for trouble. This is what you should do about it.’” La Belle may be in luck as insurance companies have grown to embrace more technology platforms like online doctors’ appointments and 3D printed prosthetics. DIAGNOSIS: SMARTPHONE Fitness watches are not the only everyday technology to which healthcare leaders are turning. With the rise of smartphones, doctors are now able to treat more patients with telemedicine, a practice where doctors hold a virtual appointment over video chatting. Akos MD, an Arizona-based telemedicine company, has an app where

patients can request a virtual doctor’s appointment 24/7. A trained care coordinator speaks with a patient first and determines if the condition can be treated virtually or if they need to see an in-person provider. Dr. Robb Leigh, chief medical officer for Akos MD, said with the current shortage of doctors, telemedicine helps more people access healthcare, especially in rural areas. Reducing healthcare costs is also one of the benefits of telemedicine, Leigh said. “It is very challenging for patients to obtain last-minute visits, so they end up going to urgent care or emergency rooms due to their availability for healthcare,” Leigh said. “About 80 percent of conditions that are seen in an urgent care can be treated by telemedicine.” Akos MD may also be an option for those who do not have health insurance. While the company is currently working on accepting insurance plans, patients can either pay a monthly membership or a flat fee per visit. “The cost of a telemedicine visit is usually less than a doctor’s visit,” Leigh said. “Telemedicine also helps the doctor. It gives them a lot of flexibility and convenience.” All of the doctors who work for Akos MD have their own brick and mortar practice, but also practice with Akos MD in their free time. It’s not just doctors who work at Akos MD either. Patients can also receive treatment from counselors for less severe mental health conditions like anxiety and

depression with virtual therapy. “This can be a good option for those who struggle to get out of the house to a physical appointment,” Leigh said. HELPING BUSINESSES It’s not just patients who benefit from reduced costs, according Leigh. He said employers who provide Akos to their employees see reduced costs in healthcare. “Our main focus is in workers’ compensation,” Leigh said. “They drive, they wait, they are seen and then they drive back and then they get a follow-up note maybe to see a doctor and the process is drawn out and the employee can’t return for a week sometimes.” With Akos MD, patients first see an occupational nurse, who can possibly release the patient back to work if the injury is minor enough. If necessary, the patient is transferred to an occupational physician. Leigh said by seeing an occupational nurse, the treatment is only considered first aid and the injury is not considered recordable, reducing the cost of claims. A business can also have employees take advantage of Akos’ wellness programs that reward employees for healthy behaviors, like good nutrition, quitting smoking and diabetes control. This can also reduce the amount of money businesses spend on healthcare for employees. “Here in Arizona, we are a home-grown company in that we are a little special,” Leigh said. “We have a unique combination of products.” AB | January - February 2018 19

LAW

Disanrupting industry

Of all the 2018 legal trends to watch, guess what could Trump them all? By ERIN THORBURN

ybersecurity, increasing technological resources, a multigenerational workforce and outsourcing legal processes were a few of the trends observed and experienced in the legal realm this past year. With the contraposition of a new administration and its subsequent nationwide shakeups, the legal outlook for 2018 is presumably and naturally eclectic. While healthcare and labor laws remain in a state of flux, the legal community continues to anticipate what comes next. As we simmer in somewhat of a national legal stasis in some areas, there are trends local legal experts see more clearly. Let’s turn our attention to the legal signs and signals ahead for 2018. PROCEED WITH CAUTION: EMPLOYMENT PROBLEMS AHEAD According to Nonnie L. Shivers, shareholder at Ogletree Deakins, employers and employment lawyers universally agree the biggest employment issue of 2018 surrounds the anticipated ruling by the Supreme Court regarding class action waivers. “Since the National Labor Relation Board’s (NLRB) January 2012 ruling in which the NLRB held that employers cannot use class action waivers in arbitration agreements with employees covered by the National Labor Relations Act, most federal courts have disagreed with the NLRB’s decision and a split in the circuit courts of appeal has emerged,” Shivers says.

AB | January - February 2018

William Allison

Joshua Becker

Jonathan Frutkin

Alisa Gray

Ed Novak

Nonnie L. Shivers

The Supreme Court’s decision. which is expected early this year, has many in employment law expectant, as much debate centers on the enforcement of arbitration agreements with class action waivers while the NLRB routinely files unfair labor practice charges against employers that maintain these agreements, according to Shivers. In tandem with the much-anticipated NLRB ruling, are new legal obligations in which employers must be complicit, which Shivers says can pose as an “incredibly onerous and time-consuming challenge.” “It has literally changed the way employment lawyers, whether in an inhouse setting or outside in private practice advising companies, go about the core nature of their jobs,” Shivers explains. “In order to have multi-state handbooks and policies that are compliant with the law – a critical component – more legal advice will be sought to synthesize laws as robust localization of the law continues.” The result of such a complex web of national, state and local regulations relating to employees, creates a lot of confusion, according to Radix Law Attorney Jonathan Frutkin. “Since more and more of these regulations depend on the number of employees in a business (and that number is always changing),” Frutkin says, “we

will continue to field questions requiring this advice.” Josh Becker, a Gallagher & Kennedy shareholder, agrees that issues surrounding employment ordinance shifts and anything associated with the NLRB will persist in being hot topics in 2018. “One significant change for my clients is the NLRB’s decision to rescind the previous administration’s standards for determining when companies are joint employers,” Becker says. “It’s a change that will dramatically impact franchising because it reduces the risk that a franchisor may be deemed a joint employer of its franchisee’s employees.” Becker goes on to clarify that regulatory uncertainty is bad for business because companies are reluctant to grow if they believe the rules will change. Adding to the dubious legal business climate: The issue of whether Title VII’s prohibition of sex discrimination includes a bar on sexual orientation discrimination – LGBTQIA (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex and ally) employees and their rights. “Employers are left, more now than ever, with a complicated patchwork of state, county and local laws with varying protections based on different definitions of gender, gender identity and gender expression,” Shivers says. AB | January - February 2018 21

LAW YIELD FOR SMOKE AND MIRRORS Whether you smoke it, toke it, or none of the above, there are those that do. Not surprisingly, legal council for the cannabis industry will be in high demand (pun intended). “I think the national movement to legalize medical marijuana (and in some cases recreational use of marijuana) and the impact that will have on other industries and businesses is likely to create significant legal work in 2018,” Becker says. Business leaders, according to Becker and Shivers, will require due diligence in corporate compliance with marijuana laws. “Given the recent legalization of medical (and recreational) marijuana in several states across the country and the ongoing relaxing of state laws on the subject,” Becker says, “I believe business leaders will be looking for guidance on how to comply with and enter this growing new industry.” And, adds Shivers, “Courts are issuing decisions that are the first of their kind regarding the protections applicable to

medical and recreational marijuana users, including in the workplace.” Taking precautions toward liability risk with new marijuana laws, including safety programs and safety-sensitive positions, while also protecting individuals with disabilities will become increasingly vital, and presents a “potential minefield” of legal issues for employers as the laws continue to evolve, Shivers says. GENERATIONS, ENVIRONMENT AND THE ECONOMY Those who specialize in elder law, like Tiffany & Bosco Shareholder Alisa Gray, will continue to be called upon in the coming year – and years. “Arizona, in particular, has a significant retirement community population,” Gray says. “As Baby Boomers retire, there will be an increased need for estate planning and legal guidance on trust and power of attorney, in addition to handling matters after there has been a death.”

William Allison, attorney, Withey Morris: “I hope the important trend that will continue is an inward focus on development rather than a return to growth primarily on the fringe. Whatever the community, an active, vibrant core is critical to sustainability — economic, environmental and cultural.”

TRENDS TO WATCH

John E. Cummerford, shareholder, Greenberg Traurig: “The biggest impact will be the emergence of non-lawyers, whether they are legal form-providers, business consultants, or even artificial intelligence, providing services previously only associated with a law firm. Only lawyers who provide extraordinary value in terms of expertise, responsiveness, quality and personal contacts — resources that others cannot provide — will prosper in that environment.” John E. DeWulf, partner, Coppersmith Brockelman: “Artificial intelligence. Robots will do research, due diligence

AB | January - February 2018

and commodity-type work. A lawyer’s value to clients will continue to be judgment and personal attention.”

John Alan Doran, member, Sherman & Howard: “The changing political landscape following the November election will reshape the U.S. Supreme Court, which in turn promises to dramatically affect the world of labor and employment law. Likewise, the seeming wholesale makeover of the Executive Branch promises dramatic changes administratively regardless of what might happen to the Supreme Court.” Kristen B. Rosati, partner, Coppersmith Brockelman: “The healthcare industry is changing quickly. Being nimble and resilient — both as a healthcare lawyer and a healthcare executive — will be increasingly important as the new administration’s policies evolve.”

And, while Baby Boomers transition out of the workforce, a new generation of Gen X and Millennial entrepreneurs will seek to solidify their future. “Finding creative and affordable financing for new projects or business expansion presents a significant challenge,” explains Ed Novak, shareholder and chair of Polsinelli’s White Collar and Government Investigations Practice. When looking at those new projects, expect to see that growth in urban areas, rather than in the suburbs. “I hope the important trend that will continue is an inward focus on development rather than a return to growth primarily on the fringe,” says William Allison, an attorney with Withey Morris. “Whatever the community, an active, vibrant core is critical to sustainability — economic, environmental and cultural.” What other connections between financial gain and the economy will impact the local legal industry in 2018? “The economy itself always drives the legal profession,” Frutkin says. “As we see continued growth in the economy, we will see more capital raising and mergers and acquisition activity. Arizona is bustling with activity in the real estate market. On the other hand, a weakened economy results in more bankruptcies and litigation. So the economy itself is something we’ll keep our eye on.” There’s also the effect of a stillrecovering local labor force to consider, too, in relation to Arizona’s state of economic prosperity. “If the need for migrant laborers and unskilled laborers is not met with some form of immigration reform,” Novak says, “the impact will ripple throughout the Valley’s economy.” When we boil down the diverse legal trends ahead for 2018, there is an unpredictable one which local legal experts agree will dominate headlines and will literally trump the rest. “With our current president, any legal topic associated will remain at the forefront of headlines, especially as the administration pursues more protectionist trade policies,” says Becker. “And let’s face it, President Trump knows how to generate headlines.”

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AB | January - February 2018 23

BANKING & FINANCE

ONE SIZE DOESN’T FIT ALL

How to determine the best retirement plan for your company

s a business owner, you make sure your employees have a competitive salary, a good benefits package and flexibility when it comes to time off, but what about retirement? With the many challenges business owners face – from monitoring cash flow and managing debt to complying with tax laws, and handling day-toLennard van der Feltz day demands, putting together a Banking & Finance retirement plan can be daunting, but necessary. Much like salary, benefits and time off, a retirement plan is an effective recruitment and retention tool. In some plans, where companies make generous matching or profit-sharing contributions to motivate employees to take heed and invest in their futures, a retirement plan is a win-win for employees and management. Employers not only help their employees build a nest egg, but they gain tax advantages now and in the future. And while helping reduce an employee’s income taxes, a retirement plan can also manage risk, create guarantees and offer greater peace of mind to them, whereas at the same time enhancing the company’s value and overall cost effectiveness. But knowing how to provide the best option begins with understanding the dizzying array of plans. There are essentially two types: Defined-contribution plans provide that each year, a company sets aside money for employees, but restricts when and how they can withdraw funds. While these types of plans are largely taxed later, withdrawals are taxable. Structured to allow the investment to grow larger over time, these plans give employers the chance to participate in helping employees plan for their futures by assisting with retirement savings. Matching, automatic enrollment and contributions require minimal effort from employees. And although funds are locked in for a predetermined amount of time, flexibility exists in terms of hardship withdrawals and the ability to borrow money from the account. Defined-contribution plans include: • 401Ks, available to employees of businesses 24

AB | January - February 2018

• 403(b)s, available to employees of nonprofits • 457 plans, available to certain nonprofits, and state and municipal government employees • TSPs (Thrift Savings Plan), available to federal government employees Defined-benefit plans are another option. More commonly known as pensions, these plans are ‘defined’ because of the investment structure. Benefits are determined using variables, including salary and length of employment, that define the exact contribution and benefit. Typically, employers make investment and management decisions and assume all of the risk. If a plan doesn’t perform as expected, employers supplement the difference with company earnings. A defined-benefit plan guarantees the employee a specific payout amount. Much like the defined-contribution plan, the funds are tax deferred, but can either be collected as monthly annuity payments that provide a fixed amount each month until death; joint annuity, which provides that sum to a surviving spouse to their death; or a lump sum upon retirement. The choice of disbursement can greatly affect the amount received. Since plan options vary so greatly and can significantly impact an employee’s future quality of life, it’s best to explore the different options with a credentialed, independent financial planning team that’s licensed to provide a broad array of solutions. In addition to explaining how each scenario would affect employees and influencing internal/external factors, such as plan participation levels and potential tax code changes, a planner can help a company manage their fiduciary responsibility towards plan participants. Lennard van der Feltz is a Certified Financial Planner and founding partner of Tempe-based Pinnacle Financial Advisors.

AB | January - February 2018 25

BANKING & FINANCE

THE SHAPE

OF BANKS TO COME Despite an optimistic outlook for 2018, technology could change the industry as we know it

By MICHAEL GOSSIE

ow could we ever forget? It began in 2007 with a crisis in the subprime mortgage market and exploded into an international banking crisis when Lehman Brothers collapsed in 2008. Fast forward to today. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been a decade since the financial crisis of 2008, which many economists call the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression of the 1930s. So how are we doing now?

AB | January - February 2018

Mike Brown

Don Garner

“Banks have recovered from the Great Recession and are on strong financial footing,” says Dave Ralston, CEO of Bank of Arizona. “Balance sheets are healthy, capital levels are higher and problem loans are back to pre-recession levels.” So everything is perfect in the banking world, right? Not so fast. “Earnings are muted due to Dodd-Frank imposed regulations and low interest rates,” Ralston says, “but most added compliance costs are now embedded in bank income statements and increased earnings are anticipated.” However you look at it, things are definitely better today for the banking industry than they were a decade ago. Even the most reserved banker wears a subtle smile of optimism heading into the new year. But that doesn’t mean the industry isn’t without its fair share of disruptions. “The biggest driver of change we will see in our industry will be centered around technological advances and the impact on consumers, compliance and profitability,” says Candace Hunter Wiest, president and CEO of West Valley National Bank. “The primary drivers of that change will be getting ahead and staying ahead of cybersecurity threats and the increased speed of money transfers.” Wiest says the industry and its customers can expect to see biometrics become commonplace throughout the industry for identification and security purposes, whether it be the advancement of cardless ATMs or the enhancement of mobile banking integrating into all transactions.

Candace Hunter Wiest

Dave Ralston

“All of this should work towards building efficiency and eliminating losses related to fraud, which should be expected to enhance bank profitability,” Wiest says. “The question that keeps me up at night is, ‘How do we maintain and develop personal, lasting relationships with our clients while driving them to technology, which they wholeheartedly embrace?’” Don Garner, CEO of Alliance Bank of Arizona, says he also anticipates innovation leading to greater efficiencies and enhanced customer experiences. “Our customers will continue to rely more on technology solutions in banking,” Garner says. “However, Alliance Bank’s value proposition as a relationship-focused business will be an important differentiator.” But how can banks foster relationships with consumers who are comfortable doing their banking while they’re standing in line at Starbucks? Mike Brown, the Arizona regional president for Washington Federal, has an idea: combine the two. “We’ve opened a couple branches in a test-case basis to see how they’re going to work,” Brown says. “We bought the building. Half of the building is our branch and the other half is a coffee shop. But we don’t treat it like a normal branch. We just want customers who come in for coffee to know that we are there, too. It’s a more comforting environment than a traditional branch and one of the things we’re experimenting with now.” So can we expect to see an increase in cobranded banking operations in the future. “We will just have to wait and see,” Brown says. AB | January - February 2018 27

THIRTYSOMETHINGS Meet the young business leaders who are all in their 30s and changing Arizona’s business landscape By MICHAEL GOSSIE

here’s no doubt that Millennials get a bad rap. Too many people view Millenials as a generation of foosball-in-the-office-playing, craft-beer-drinking, constantaffirmation-needing, selfie-stick wielding narcissists who have overinflated self-esteem because they grew up in a time when everyone gets a trophy. So we are not going to call the incredible business leaders you will meet on the following pages Millennials because they erase every negative sterotype heaped upon their generation. You’ll meet a champion of Arizona’s wine industry, a woman who has impacted the lives of more than 10,000 children, a leader who helped his company triple in size over the past year and a resilient leader who survived a brutal encounter with the sharks on “Shark Tank.” But, most importantly, you’ll see a recurring theme of a generation of business leaders who are looking to give back to the community with a dedication that other generations should emulate. In an era when the average tenure of Millennial employees is two years, meet 30 business leaders in their 30s who are staying put long enough to have an impact on Arizona’s economic landscape, while reimagining workplace culture and social responsibility.

AB | January - February 2018

AB | January - February 2018 29

30 SOMETHINGS MIKE BIANCO

JAN BRACAMONTE

ROBERT CARLSON III

36, president, AvAir: Bianco relies on his ability to build strong teams and equally strong relationships to help AvAir become the No. 2 aircraft parts supplier in the world within the highly competitive aviation aftermarket inventory industry.

35, president, J. Lauren PR: Bracamonte owns one of the Valley’s top public relations firms and counts some of Arizona’s most high-profile companies among her clients — including Alliance Bank of Arizona, Westgate and CityScape.

36, co-owner and winemaker, Carlson Creek Vineyard: A champion for Arizona’s wine industry, he started the company nine years ago when there were only 17 wineries in the state. There are now more than 100.

TYLER CARRELL

BRANDON CLEVELAND

CAROLINE CONNER

32, associate, Gallagher & Kennedy: In 2015, Carrell became the first attorney in Arizona history to serve as president for both the State Bar of Arizona Young Lawyers Division and the Maricopa County Bar Association Young Lawyers Division.

38, area sales manager and designated broker, Taylor Morrison: Cleveland has distinguished himself by managing 15-20 sales professionals and delivering multimillions in revenue for the Taylor Morrison Phoenix division in 2017.

32, director of corporate culture, at Homeowners Financial Group: Conner is the one who makes HFG an award-winning “best place to work,” organizing everything from blood drives to video contests and business bonding vacations.

JOHN DAMIRIS

DANI DURNAL

LAUREN ELLIOTT STINE

35, senior vice president commercial team lead, UMB Bank: Damiris has shown leadership both in the office and the community through his efforts to establish UMB’s commercial team while also dedicating countless hours to multiple nonprofits.

32, business development, Hughes Federal Credit Union: Durnal was named one of the Mountain West Credit Union Association’s Top 20 Young Professionals Under 40. Ms. Durnal, one of only three in Arizona to be recognized.

37, partner, Quarles & Brady: Elliott Stine is a Southwest Super Lawyer Rising Star, co-chair of Quarles & Brady’s Health Care Litigation team and a member of the UMOM New Day Center’s board of directors.

LAUREN BAILEY 37, co-owner and CEO, Upward Projects 5 1

AB | January - February 2018

Bailey leads Upward Projects, which emphasizes preparing high-quality food and adapting and reusing historically relevant buildings that are an integral part of neighborhoods. To uphold this philosophy, Bailey focuses primarily on conceptualization, strategy and operations. Toughest professional challenge: “Growing my leadership skills at the same pace our company is scaling. I spend a lot of time on personal development and self awareness. I also leverage my network and ask for help often.” Bucket-list item: “Get Harvard Business Journal to write a case study on how our people-first approach in the hospitality industry changed decade-old stigmas, earned best-inclass returns and helped us become a favorite place to work in the communities we serve.”

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AB | January - February 2018 31

30 SOMETHINGS 1

JESSICA FLOWERS

39, program director, Free Arts for Abused Children in Arizona: Jessica Flowers has trained more than 5,000 people on the resilience building powers of the arts and affected the lives of more than 10,000 children.

GREGORY GOLDSAND

2 2

34, attorney, Weiss Brown: Also a Certified Public Accountant, Goldsand’s practice focuses on start-up companies, corporate and securities transactional work, including mergers and acquisitions, formation, private placements and corporate governance.

JAKE GOLICH

7 6

33, CEO, Mountain Vista Medical Center: What sets Golich apart from others is his heartfelt mission, based on his own life experiences, to make a marked difference in the lives of patients and their families.

SCOTT HARKEY

MALLORY HUTCHISON

35, president, OH Partners: Through Harkey’s unparalleled leadership, OH Partners has tripled in size over the past year and has increased its revenue by 100 percent, while understanding the value of winning as a community.

STEPHANIE KOTULA

ERIC MARCUS

ROB MAVER

RYAN NAYLOR

38, regional commercial banking manager, National Bank of Arizona: Maver leads a group of lenders for NB|AZ that has a portfolio exceeding $400 million. He is an active board member with International Cancer Advocacy Network. AB | January - February 2018

37, CEO, Marcus Networking Inc.: Marcus began his Tempe-based company in his early 20s and now has 19 full-time employees. He volunteers time and money for organizations such as Scottsdale Active 20-30 Club. 9

39, founder, LocalWork.com: Naylor survived a brutal encounter with the Sharks of “Shark Tank” to become the founder of one of the fastest growing jobs websites and job fair companies in Arizona.

34, director of strategic partnerships, StartupAZ Foundation: Hutchison has been instrumental in the organization’s continued impact in the broader entrepreneurial ecosystem and impacting a more innovative local economy rooted in innovation.

37, director of operations, Wilde Wealth Management: Kotula serves as chair of the firm’s charitable committee, which works with charities including Child Crisis Arizona, Boys & Girls Club, Ryan House, Sunshine Acres and others.

MELISSA S. HO 37, shareholder, Polsinelli Ho is a trial attorney with a detailed understanding of government regulations, intellectual property, and international business. A former prosecutor, she is sympathetic to the disruption and chaos a government inquiry and criminal investigation causes. Source of pride: “I am most humbled to have received the AJC’s Judge Learned Hand Emerging Leadership Award. The award is presented to a young attorney who has demonstrated a commitment to the values of public and community service.” Business advice: “Be open to listening to advice from individuals in all stages of their careers and from all industries. Active listening provides stronger more sincere connections, and you never know when or how that information will become useful to you or a client.”

AWAR DS

– COME MEET THE –

INDUSTRY LEADERS! – WHEN –

FEBRUARY 22, 2018 6:00 - 8:00 PM – WHERE –

J W M ARR IOT T PHOENI X D E S E R T R I D G E R E S O R T & S PA

Industry Leaders of Arizona recognizes business leaders who through hard work and innovation think beyond traditional boundaries and help lead the future of Arizona.

2018 ILOA F E AT U R ED INDUSTRIES

• Aerospace/Defense • Software Firms/ Data Support • Commercial and Residential Service Contractors • Food & Beverage (Non-Hospitality) • Healthcare Support Services

G e t y o u r t i c k e t s n o w a t w w w. a z B IG m e d i a . c o m

AB | January - February 2018 33

30 SOMETHINGS SARAH O’KEEFE

CHARITY RICE

31, associate, Burch & Cracchiolo: O’Keefe is a proven and savvy civil trial attorney with an ever-growing passion for her clients that drives her to adapt and thrive in this new, modern world of litigation.

AMANDA SALVIONE

34, branch manager, Washington Federal: Rice helps run Washington Federal’s Save at School program, which brings financial literacy programming to students and is an active member of the bank’s Focus on Arizona community outreach program.

32, managing partner, EpiFinder: Despite coming from a disadvantaged upbringing, Salinas graduated with a master’s in biomedical diagnostics and in less than two years became a managing partner in EpiFinder’s mission to end misdiagnosis.

STEVEN SHEETS

NATALIE SPEERS

33, attorney, Radix Law: Salvione solves clients’ legal problems in regards to business, commercial and real estate law and gives back by presenting continued education programs and authoring legal materials for the State Bar of Arizona.

BEN TOBIAS

EDGAR SALINAS

36, senior loan office, Fairway Independent Mortgage: Tobias spends his free time as president of Scottsdale Active 20-30 Club. The entirely volunteer based organization helps raise funds for local children’s charities—something Tobias is very passionate about.

34, senior vice president, Maricopa County, Southwest Behavioral & Health Services: Sheets started as an intern in 2012 and was recently promoted to vice president of outpatient services, where he oversees Maricopa County and Gila County outpatient teams.

31, founder and CEO, Social Ally: Speers has been engaging social media before it was even called that. The Grand Canyon University alumna now leads an innovative, full-service social media marketing and brand management agency.

ROXANNE WINGATE

MEGAN WORD

34, senior community relations specialist, Cox Communications: Over the past eight years, Wingate has developed into a well-known community leader, not only in the Latino community, but throughout the Greater Phoenix area.

38, director of development and marketing, Foundation for Senior Living: Under the leadership of Word, the Foundation for Senior Living’s development has generated growth of more than 700 percent in just two years.

MILES PONDELIK 5

Following a career in investment banking at Goldman Sachs, Pondelik leads Alliance Bank’s efforts to evaluate alternative sources of corporate liquidity to fund accelerating growth.

AB | January - February 2018

36, vice president, deposit initiatives manager, Alliance Bank of Arizona

Business advice: “Be flexible and constantly learn. In financial services, your job is to understand what ‘the numbers’ really mean for the success of a business or new idea. In an economy evolving faster than ever, there’s a great opportunity for finance to help reimagine how to solve problems.” Source of pride: “Moving from Wall Street to Phoenix. It was a high point in my career that provided the professional experience to further evaluate unique ways for Alliance Bank to grow and provide financial solutions to an expanding, national client-base.

AB | January - February 2018 35

SMALL BUSINESS

Wheels in motion Pedego Electric Bikes offer options for those looking to hit the road

By JESSE A. MILLARD

here are countless excuses why you should drive to your next destination instead of taking your bicycle. It’s too hot (even when its during Arizona’s cool months), the trail isn’t smooth enough, or the distance is — seemingly — too far between Point A and Point B. Pedego Electric Bikes Scottsdale offers the perfect counter to those excuses and any other excuse you can muster. The shop, owned by husband-and-wife team Bill and Kathy Puryear, sells Pedego Electric Bikes in Old Town Scottsdale. Pedego Electric Bikes have become known as the most reliable and popular electric bike brand by offering a wide-range of quality products tailored to a variety of lifestyles and being simple to use, Bill Puryear says. Most Pedego bikes in the U.S. come with both throttle control and pedal assist that allows the rider to easily change between pedaling with their own strength or allowing the electric motor to take over when needed. Riders can receive a boost from the motor as they pedal or let the electric motor do all of the work, depending on the situation and rider preference. Pedego Bikes can also be used without any motor assistance if the rider chooses. The bikes can be a great help for those with knee injuries, disabilities or weight problems, who are looking to become more active. The Puryears came across Pedego Electric Bikes several years ago when they were in California celebrating Kathy’s retirement from teaching after 30 years. They took the bikes for a ride and fell in love with the product and the idea of starting their own retail business, hoping people who would come to fall in love with the bikes, too.

AB | January - February 2018

PROVIDED PHOTO

HOT WHEELS: Bill and Kathy Puryear sells Pedego Electric Bikes in Old Town

Scottsdale.

“It was the bike, the people and the perfect place Old Town to launch such a business, along with great timing,” Bill Puryear says. “That was the reason we became committed to the idea of becoming store owners and partners in a family business.” There are many e-bikes out there, Bill Puryear says, but there aren’t many like Pedego. Since Pedego is a national brand, it’s very easy to get the bikes serviced no matter where you are, he says. Due to reliability and safety concerns from nonPedego e-bikes, Bill Puryear says he won’t even look at other types of e-bikes at his store for repairs. Pedego Scottsdale has been around for three years and it has experienced positive growth, Bill Puryear says.

“Having a great product like Pedego Electric Bikes and a committed company behind the product was good for starters,” he says. “As e-bike awareness started to grow, our customer base also grew.” The Puryears want everyone to enjoy a Pedego Bike, as they work to ensure that every customer leaves with an e-bike that fits their needs and lifestyle, Bill Puryear says. Bill Puryear credits his wife, Kathy, for the shop’s success. She’s been so committed to helping others find the perfect electric bike by helping customers find out how accessible and fun an electric bike can be. “I couldn’t have done it without her,” Bill Puryear says. “She has made us who we are. We have a great reputation and the people we meet – it’s been rewarding helping those folks.”

MARKETING

5 THINGS

to stay fiercely creative in 2018

rgh! You’ve got a next-day deadline, and your client expects a big idea that will move the needle this quarter! The pressure is on to deliver a creative campaign idea, topic or tagline, but you’re staring at a blank screen. In the marketing world, it’s a frustratingly familiar scenario, so tear out this page and pin it next to your desk. Then, take a deep breath, and dive in. 1. DON’T BE BASIC. EXCLUDE THE OBVIOUS. True creative thinking needs an unconventional entry point. Jot down 10 basic ideas and words that are too obvious or cliché –– and vow to never use them. Be hard on yourself! Saying “no” is a huge part of creative thinking, so leave conventional starting points in the past. 2. DON’T QUIET THE MIND. FILL IT WITH CHAOS. I’m officially debunking the approach of finding a quiet, serene place to work. Save that for your diary entry. Instead, wrap your brain around the problem you are trying to solve, and then consume as much visual media as possible! Thumb through magazines. Take a jog through a crowded plaza. The stimulus is good, chaotic thinking. Trust me. 3. STEP AWAY FROM THE COMPUTER. NOW. If you’re staring at a blinking cursor, you’re already limiting yourself. Grab an unlined sheet of paper and jot down everything from your creative session. With handwritten notes and doodles in front of you, you’ll connect potentially related concepts that might otherwise remain several scrolls away from each other.

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4. SWITCH TO A DIFFERENT INDUSTRY. This is a favorite exercise of mine. Pretend the problem you’re trying to solve pertains to a completely different industry, but yet still somehow connects with your target demographic. Recently, I used Saturday morning cartoons and the cereal industry as a leaping-off point to name a cookie dough company. To brand a marijuana dispensary, I sought inspiration from the outdoor adventure gear industry. This is a great way to stand out from cliché, industry-specific language and visuals. 5. CREATE MOOD BOARDS AND ADD TO THEM WEEKLY. You’ll need a wall or board, a printer, tape, and some magazines. Clip and pin photos of real people as an ongoing reminder of who you’re targeting with your brand. Also, think about it as a fictional, pop culture character –– who would it be? Consider that character’s voice, style, attitude and vibe, and clip and pin with abandon. Also, make a separate “no-no” board using those obvious ideas you already outlined. Add to these lists weekly, and you’ll keep your brand and creative process on track (Just make sure you have a big wall!).

Ty James Largo Marketing Ty James Largo is CEO of the awardwinning creative agency, AWE Collective, and the host and speaker for SRSLY NOW, a provocative, entertaining and definitive online channel offering a modern approach to the impossibly fast-paced universe of marketing. Get dates for the SRSLY NOW Experience tour, plus watch free creative marketing videos at srslynow.com

THE EXCLUSIVE PUBLICATION OF THE CACTUS LEAGUE

A Grand Slam season is ahead for the Cactus League

Play Ball magazine is your ultimate guide to EVERYTHING Spring Training. Catch Play Ball at Valleywide stadiums and azBIGmedia.com for information on all 15 teams and the stadiums they play in!

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DINING

TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE Despite changes, Z’Tejas Southwestern Grill continues to deliver unmatched deliciousness

By MICHAEL GOSSIE

’Tejas Southwestern Grill has undergone a lot of changes in the last few months. In late October, the Texas-based restaurant chain closed restaurants in Tempe, Phoenix and at Scottsdale’s Fashion Square due to poor performance, filed a Chapter 11 bankruptcy petition and said it plans to focus on enhancing its menu and bolstering the brand at its locations in Chandler and Paradise Valley. But one thing that hasn’t changed is the consistent deliciousness that is served at the Valley’s premier dining destination for Mexican and Southwestern style cuisine. There isn’t a bad dish on Z’Tejas’ menu and the daily specials are always 10 out of 10 on the deliciousness meter. A positive change is the return of Z’Tejas’ complimentary cornbread after a two-year absence. The incredible cornbread is baked all day and comes out of the oven piping hot and is served with honey butter in a skillet. Once you’re done with the cornbread, there are some can’t miss Z’Tejas staples to get you started. • The tableside guacamole is prepared right in front of you, expertly chopped fresh avocados are combined with tomatoes, red onions, cilantro, jalapeños, shelled pumpkin seeds and Mexican cotija cheese to deliver flavors that will delight even the most discerning guac fan. • If you want something with a bit more heft and protein, the green chile pork nachos are piled high with slow-roasted

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pulled pork, Monterey Jack cheese, borracho beans, salsa fresca, an amazing green chile sauce and perfectly topped off with sour cream, jalapeños and guacamole. • Other favorites to get you started are chile pork verde (tomatillos, Anaheim and serrano peppers, Jack cheese, black beans, flour tortillas), grilled shrimp and guacamole tostada bites (cilantro pesto shrimp, house-made tostada rounds, guacamole, chipotle, spicy cucumber salad) and tortilla soup. That’s what you’ll love about Z’Tejas — you’ve hit a high note on the deliciousness meter and you haven’t even dived into the main courses yet. But here are some highlights when you do: • The Crispy Salmon is described at “gluten free-ish” and is served with crab, tomato, avocado salad, roasted tomatillo sauce, saffron green chile rice, seasonal vegetables and a healthy dose of yum that should not be missed. • The Diablo Pasta is one of Z’Tejas’ signature dishes and you will quickly understand why. It’s a perfect blend of spinach and red pepper linguine, spicy cream sauce, Cotija cheese and jalapeños that has just the right amount of kick

without delivering a knockout punch. • There are only four words needed to describe the Five-Cheese Macaroni and Achiote Chicken: Best comfort food ever. • If you want something inspired by Mexico, you cannot go wrong with the Santa Fe Smoked Chicken Enchiladas, which features house-smoked chicken, red chile sauce, Jack cheese, saffron green chile rice and black beans. The Baja Fish Tacos, Street Tacos and Smothered Chicken Burrito are cannot-miss choices, too. • A sleeper on the menu is the Chicken Fried Ribeye with Texas gravy, mashed potatoes and vegetables. If you order it, don’t let anyone else at your table try it or you’ll never get it back. There’s a reason Z’Tejas has been a Valley favorite for almost 30 years. Z’Tejas’ staff uses the the freshest ingredients to creat innovative dishes that are overflowing with flavor in their scratch kitchens. That’s a recipe for memorable dining experiences and Z’Tejas follows that recipe brilliantly.

Z’Tejas Southwestern Grill

7221 W. Ray Rd.

Chandler, AZ 85226

10625 N. Tatum Blvd.

Phoenix, AZ 85028 Online: ztejas.com Note: Z’Tejas is open daily for lunch and dinner and on weekends for brunch/lunch and dinner.

COMING NEXT ISSUE March/April 2018 • • • • •

Meet the Top 100 Lawyers in Arizona What is the outlook for residential real estate? Surprising ways to improve your business leadership How is the hospitality sector boosting development? Examining future opportunities in the East Valley

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ARIZONA CORPORATE COUNSEL AWARDS 2018 FINALISTS

E C N E L L E C X E G N I HONOR ate counsel r o p r o c n i ards showcase

ACC Aw shed li p m o c c a t s Arizona’s mo orneys t t a e s u o h in

By MICHAEL GOSSIE

ffective corporate counsel has never been more important than it is in today’s new and ever-evolving knowledge-based economy. Az Business magazine is recognizing the important and vital role that in-house counsel plays in the success of a business with the Arizona Corporate Counsel (ACC) Awards. “The diverse personalities and skill sets of the finalists for the ACC Awards show how much the role of the corporate counsel has evolved over the last few years,” says AZ Big Media Publisher Cheryl Green. “While maintaining a firm handle on the traditional functions of the legal department, the roles of these in-house attorneys are expanding to handle complex issues such as regulation and compliance,

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data privacy and cybersecurity issues. It’s a difficult, yet vital role that has a direct impact on every organization’s bottom line.” Candidates in several categories will be recognized for their extraordinary legal skills and achievements across a full range of in-house responsibility, exemplary leadership and for contributions to Arizona’s communities. The 38 finalists and winners will be honored during a ceremony and dinner on Thursday, January 18 at the JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort & Spa. Visit azbigmedia.com for more information on the event. Over the next several pages, you will meet the finalists, in alphabetical order.

ALM CHARLIE counsel t and general

Vice presiden s riculture Enterprise rse group of ag ve di e th r fo l Barkley Ag genetics. l counse to cereal grain rves as genera e se uc m e od Al : pr D h N es U ticed corporat added fr BACKGRO pany and prac e from valuem ng co ra gy at lo th no es business se at a tech worked in-hou Previously, Alm d Phoenix. s, the business rk an Ag Enterprise ey kl legacy ar law in New Yo B at d I star te s, a variet y of ENGE: “When fferent entitie di LL A the of h CH es ug or ST ro sc TE GREA ures. Th ntained erating proced in ars old and co op ye ng 0 rd lti 10 su da re er an n st ov was ganizatio trenched or en e d tir an en e es th ur ct ctured financing stru am, we restru s of a great te rt fo ” ef s. in ed ga gg y do ficienc onomic and ef significant ec

CHIOPOLI MIKE AR ate counsel

Senior corpor of Law ’Connor College roles. O ay D ra d nd ia t V e Sa uated from th several differen r five years in Archiopoli grad : fo d there D e N ne U ar ai O w m R ft G re So d CK A BA ork at JD in 2013 an l w se to un on t Co e en at w in 2008 and logy as Corpor icrochip Techno Viad in 2015. He moved to M with has been a s current role ent industries er ff di ly st until he took hi va three ch individual nuances of ea E: “Working in e G th EN nd LL en A ta rs CH de ng to un ues, I have be GREATEST ever, by worki n with colleag ow tio H sa e. er ng nv le co al .” true ch search and stry to the next ugh a mix of re e type of indu on business thro om fr ly ul n successf able to transitio

IAMO ARIZONA D

NDBACKS

led by Senior l department, ga l le ks ac db ides contractua : The Diamon Nona Lee, prov r l ce ga ffi BACKGROUND le O e l Th ga tion. t and Chief Le of the organiza h Vice Presiden ross all areas ac Jay and Maaca t b or le pp Ca su e, l Le ga a le r on he y (N ot ar rs d et an lawye l secr nsists of three ing) and a lega nn Be a ic nn (A department co es ialist t handles issu ic af fairs spec the departmen Scot t) , a publ , sorship er on th sp ge s, To ht ). dsen edia rig ns, (Candace Amun ’s intellectual proper ties, m er seball op atio team resources, ba an m related to the hu yt, lit ci en d fa sk managem ive mat ters an agreements, ri ations, legislat er the Arizona r op l fo l na se io at un rn provides co so ticketing, inte al t en m rt Foundation. . The depa Diamondbacks a related issues on iz Ar e th , af filiate Diamondbacks

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ACC AWARDS 2018 FINALISTS STEPHEN BEAVER Senior vice president and general counsel Aspect Software

GREATEST CHALLENGE: “Corporate lawyers have moved far beyond just strictly law-related duties and are required to expand our scope of influence to overall business affairs. This is important because effective lawyers must really learn the product and contribute to the dialogue our sales teams are having with the customers and their internal stakeholders. I recognize that in my role as general counsel, my job is not just to protect the company’s brand, but to enhance its value. The need has never been greater for nimble, business-minded lawyers to serve in-house clients in achieving their business objectives with minimal risk.”

DIANDRA BENALLY

RYAN BERRY

BACKGROUND: Benally is dedicated to advancing and improving the practice of Indian Law in Arizona and is the first female to hold her current position. Her daily legal practice entails a variety of areas that range from tribal government matters, gaming law to water law. Before coming to Fort McDowell, she was a staff attorney with the Navajo Nation Department of Justice. Benally is a strong proponent of community service and currently serves as the president of the National Native American Bar Association, a national organization aimed at advancing justice for Native Americans.

SOURCE OF PRIDE: “Single-family homes were relatively new as an institutional asset class when I joined Starwood Waypoint in 2016. In less than 20 months, we were able to demonstrate and communicate to the investing public the credibility of our business model and our ability to deliver high-quality customer experiences on a national scale. The legal and compliance team played a key part in the company overcoming the challenges of developing this new institutional asset class and the company delivered almost 70 percent in total returns to our shareholders during that time.”

General counsel Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation

Executive vice president and general counsel Starwood Waypoint Homes

ROBERgGress Residential pliance TIFFANneYraB ro legal and com co l unsel | P ecution of the berg

Associate ge strategy and ex e plat form. Bro sponsible for ily rental hom re am is -f g le Trial er ng ob si Br : School Mock sidential’s BACKGROUND in Progress Re Education High d es iv an at es iti ic in rv d functions an n for Legal Se izona Foundatio and case writer. d suppor ts the Ar tor g, dynamic an na di in a very youn ogram coor pr le a ro d as se te m ou ar ra st -h prog an in cluded. I nsitioning into was, myself in my ALLENGE: “Tra what my role guidance from ew d kn an t dy or bo GREATEST CH pp No su n. g tio in za ek ni ers, se lly.” g orga veloped natura rapidly growin e business lead nships with th and my role de , tio ss la ne re si g in bu e ild by bu learning th the ACC, and colleagues in

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ACC AWARDS 2018 FINALISTS MANUEL CAIRO

TODD CARLSON

TRACY CHENEY

GREATEST CHALLENGE: “Developing real executive presence within a profession requiring nimbleness and constant learning is an ongoing challenge. Mentorship, honing communication and listening skills, taking initiative and embracing my identity have all aided the issue.”

GREATEST CHALLENGE: “I was the first in-house lawyer at both Swift and Knight. The challenge was moving from a legal adviser to a strategic business advisor. I had to learn the business of transporting truckloads of cargo throughout the United States. After that, the challenge was to persuade the company’s decision makers that the legal department should not be viewed as a roadblock, but as a department that can assist the company in achieving its business objectives. I overcame those challenges by learning the transportation business and developing legal solutions that achieved the company’s objectives.”

BACKGROUND: Cheney oversees all legal, regulatory and corporate governance matters.

Assistant general counsel Midwestern University

SOURCE OF PRIDE: “I am proud that my legal career has been with organizations that compel professional development, community engagement and the need to support something bigger than myself. Those platforms empower me to give back. The Fellowship for Advancement and Resources, which I helped spearhead, is an example.”

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General counsel Knight Transportation

General counsel Early Warning Services

GREATEST CHALLENGE: “Upon being named Early Warning’s general counsel following a spinoff, I had to inspire the confidence of my board and executive team that I had what it takes to lead the legal strategy of a fast-growing company, while navigating an increasingly complex regulatory environment. More than 11 years, five staff attorneys, 700 employees, three acquisitions and multiple product launches later, I approach each new challenge with the same mindset of being a valued partner to progress the company’s business goals.”

ACC AWARDS 2018 FINALISTS I Composites

H General counsel | TP C g TPI, Fishbach A B H IS F N E 2015. Prior to joinin V y ar nu STE Ja ce sin le ss Holdings. Earlier his current ro

sh Acce hbach has been in unsel of Global Ca lds a BACKGROUND : Fis deputy general co d nders. Fishbach ho an Sa nt e ide uir es Sq pr e at vic law r nio ies se rit ar y. cu as M se & ed d serv William orate an rsity and a JD from ach practiced corp ive hb Un Fis , wn er to re ge ca or his Ge in from g as it was a in American studies initial public of ferin bachelor’s degree its te ple m co I TP to help balance sheet and “I was very proud ly strengthened its nt ca nifi sig it e us SOURCE OF PRIDE: beca t for the company transformative even .” th ow gr er r furth positioned it well fo

ration acturing Corpo Karsten Manuf | l se un co e at or rp of PING and related , the parent company DAWN GROVE Co ing tur fac nu Ma en l for Karst turing Council under e is corporate counse d on the U.S. Manufac rve se cey. , cil un Co BACKGROUND : Grov ers tur ment by Gov. Doug Du s the Arizona Manufac cil pursuant to appoint un Co na izo Ar e subsidiaries. She chair orc rkf ama and chairs the Wo ary for ownership President Barack Ob in preparing a subsidi ed olv inv health s ue iss al leg severe breathing and E: “Handling multiple rn prematurely with bo by ba ile a d wh GREATEST CHALLENG an ily r hte fam e my for a 2-year-old daug ges needed to prioritiz changes while caring d me make the chan lpe he e vic ad r’s the mo dif ficulties. My grand work.” hing the needed legal lis mp co ac lly sfu es succ

services-litigation

| SRP

rvising at torney, law School, Heth sin, Madison Law K AT Y HETH Supe on isc W of ity rs oject, where she the Unive

ning Salt River Pr r graduating from & Brady before joi BACKGROUND : Af te les ar Qu th wi n tio ts. cial litiga covery departmen practiced commer otion s and Revenue Re aim Cl n, tio ost pride is my prom iga Lit leads the at gives me the m th am t I , en er m sh ag pli an m m a co ac ent. As “The professional w Services Departm le La ck P ta SR we e th as SOURCE OF PRIDE: in am ey te courage my ungest at torn en yo d e th an r as t we en po em em to manag y to suppor t, fulfilling opportunit rewarded with the ess legal issues.” ad collaboratively dr d an s ge en all ch new

ATION yers, INTEL CORPOR includes about 25 law s Law and Policy Group

rtion of the Intel lawyers lead Intel’ el legal team. Those The Arizona-based po Int the n joi to na izo d to Ar allenging legal issues many of whom relocate sophisticated and ch st mo et y’s an mp co of the privacy and the Intern legal efforts in many artificial intelligence, of as t are ten ng pa rgi s el’ me y-e pport Int — including the rapidl include some who su . ed Intel lawyers also as r-b st and most valuable ge dle an lar ’s Ch s. rld wo ing of Th as one of the d ing ge lud led inc ow s, kn itie ac tiv ly ac de ing portfolio, which is wi el’s global manufactur efforts supporting Int c policy issues. bli pu d an y tor ula Other lawyers oversee environmental, reg , on cti tru ns co IP, the associated

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ACC AWARDS 2018 FINALISTS nsulting | Simon Co or ct re di g in test KIN Manag lenge and grea sionals ROBERT IT essional chal es of of pr pr st te 17 ea of y gr oup ALLENGE: “M g a diverse gr in e usual ag th an ed m lv as GREATEST CH vo w in ruptcy. It plishment m nk co the ba ac to al ed on w d head ne, as ell as professi was failing an as getting do w ny thy, k pa or pa m w Em co y . e da es th when the day to and famili d at th oo ih ng el ri liv su r en t worked out thei challenges of avors was wha le worried ab de op en pe w of ne l es ia ng tent te, and as a human challe ting them in po compassiona or d pp an su d d se an cu g fo d understandin yone remaine em.” eful that ever s with all of th nd ie fr n ai best. I am grat m re I . et fe r on thei result, landed

d with the A RE l team aligne ga le ss la -c JDA SOFTW ld . The and excellent or ted by a wor

ed es are supp ive, empower tware in JDA’s associat l that is ef fect joined JDA Sof se un ho w co , e lli id Fe ov pr tin e biggest ar to th M ss r busine gal Office med it into or Le sf ef an hi tr C by ch d hi le w ze legal team is e grow th in si ith RedPrairie, obally. With th r its merger w the gl te e af ed ac ifi on rt sp so n fo , ai lli 2013 cture. Fe supply ch e ru th st in ny ny pa m pa g zing co buildin up soft ware com sk of reorgani than 30, while ta e us or m do of en em am came the tr of 10 to a te as one. ent from a team mpanies coming together legal departm co o re between tw company cultu

mart unsel | PetS

K ATS Senior co experience, MAUREEN the customer t or pp su am t. Kats te

r ar : Kats and he ams at PetSm BACKGROUND velopment te de and t uc ng ci od ur pr so d an acy, merchandising related to advertising, priv r a buye and sues er, Kats was re ca r l advises on is ga le r ats received he s. Prior to he ly a decade. K NY ar U product claim C ne r fo om s fr e’ d her JD omingdal an lo y B it rs at r ve ne ni U an pl acuse gree from Syr bachelor’s de they . rs tell me that School of Law siness partne eir bu th y to m d n ad he eIDE: “W er as a valu th ra t bu SOURCE OF PR , le l as an obstac don’t view lega ives.” initiat projects and

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ACC AWARDS 2018 FINALISTS WILLIAM KOSLOW Senior corporate counsel Limelight Networks

BACKGROUND: Koslow graduated from Cornell University and obtained a law degree from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law. Upon graduation, he worked as a bank finance attorney at Bingham McCutchen in New York, then moved to become a real estate and finance lawyer in Phoenix. Koslow began his in-house counsel work with IO Data Centers before moving to his current position with Limelight. GREATEST CHALLENGE: “The challenge of navigating and managing relationships with colleagues, clients and customers can be difficult. With dedication, hard work and some humor, I have managed to achieve successful relationships, which is extremely rewarding on multiple levels.”

ANDY M. KVESIC

LANCE LUCEY

BACKGROUND: Kvesic is the chief counsel for the Arizona Corporation Commission, whose mission includes ensuring safe, reliable, and affordable utilities services; growing Arizona’s economy by helping local entrepreneurs; and protecting Arizona citizens by enforcing an ethical securities marketplace.

BACKGROUND: Lucey is not only ICE’s general counsel, he also brings a stellar 20-year track record of professional success from the legal, entrepreneurial and corporate industries, making him a vital member of the ICE team.

Chief counsel and legal division director Arizona Corporation Commission

SOURCE OF PRIDE: “I am most proud of the courage it took to leave a lucrative career in private practice to devote my career to public service. It has been incredibly rewarding and inspiring to represent the State of Arizona in various capacities, and in doing so improving our communities and the livelihood of our citizens.”

LL CDOWExo n ALISSA ctM A | s manager

General counsel International Cruise & Excursions

GREATEST CHALLENGE: “When I arrived at ICE, the legal department was viewed by many as non-responsive, myopic and as an inhibitor to business operations. I have worked hard since my arrival to change the company’s perception of the legal department and have established a legal culture of responsiveness, creative problem solving, flexibility and business partnering.”

r the sale of g contracts fo tin tia ra nt go co ne d or Seni ting an agencies both cuses on draf enforcement fo w l la el e. to ow es cD ic M : ross the glob and serv BACKGROUND employees ac e logy products fiv no of ch te t am te en sa law enforcem s in place. nally. She lead d no processe ha and internatio ly at al th n tic xo es A m do a role at ed terms that or we accept “Coming into , al E: risk G ov EN pr LL ap A r arning A xon’s waited fo GREATEST CH oving. Af ter le wn while we m do to gs in ed us th s ow w sl ep lo e d al Deals wer e in order to ke risk profile an pacted revenu ok that fit our bo ay pl n negatively im tio tia created a nego tolerances, I iently.” fic ef d an y el ctiv negotiate ef fe

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ACC AWARDS 2018 FINALISTS

MICROCHIP GY TECHNOLO

el General Couns President and ce el Vi ns of ou ip C sh al er ener Under the lead d Assistant G ed of d Director an an k ent is compris m er H rt n pa va de l Kim ga le years ’s ip 18 ore than 5 la, Microch t staf f with m Mari Valenzue or s pp ke ta su d am an legal te ralegals . Microchip’s at torneys, pa ce al en ri ob pe gl ex on 9 billi -house ’s growing $ 3. of collective in the company g past 10 years. e tin th or er pp ov su s on iti is pride in qu ac r of well as its 17 ecutive quar te business, as its 107th cons cord of ed re ev k hi ac ac tr ly is nt Th Microchip rece small feat in any industry. pl to de oy its no y opportunities an m profitabilit y — am te l s. s the lega practice area success af ford or t in several pp su e id ov talents to pr

ey radise Vall Town of Pa | ey rn to at n e ILLER Tow Valley for mor ey for Paradise use rn to A N D RE W M nd at la n g w in to ud eas, incl served as ar s l ha ga le er ill of M e ith : w ng g BACKGROUND ce for broad ra emnation, alon providing advi tate and cond s, es ar al ye re , 19 w an la th inal ents. nkruptcy, crim es and agreem and zoning, ba nc na di or y to resist , es statut Paradise Valle r fo ty gy te the draf ting of ra st legal Resor t proper E: “Building a ain Shadows G nt EN ou LL / M A g e th tin CH t tia GREATEST od to conver including nego a 10 -year peri n inium project; om nd co e at tempts over esults : no tow rg la into one d rezoning. R se an ur t co en lf em go re s and it pment ag st opened.” essful develo new resort ju d draf ting a succ an d ve er urse pres liabilit y, golf co

y Metro unsel | Valle co al er en G INNAUGH ro, an agency MICHAEL M is general counsel for Valley Met ti-modal , regional mul innaugh fe M : sa D a N U ns O ai R G nt ities and BACK d mai nnect commun s, operates an co ild to bu e s, os an rp pl pu that a core n system with transpor tatio . y level of the touches ever enhance lives ro et M y lle at Va e and common IDE: “My role a collaborativ ng vi ha part of this in ve SOURCE OF PR g an integral in basis. I belie be ily re da su a ea on and tr t system, business regional transi oblem-solving r pr ou to nd ch pa oa ex pr sense ap fast pace to r economy.” e moving at a es and drive ou iti un m m agency. We ar co r ing to build ou which is help

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ACC AWARDS 2018 FINALISTS ers Market | Sprouts Farm y tar cre se t tan sis sel and as nior corporate coun s and his areas of DEREK MIRZA Se blic securities filing pu y’s ng an mp co e th ar y function, reviewi is responsible for the corporate secret th and wi ity g tiv tin BACKGROUND : Mirza ac sis l as na e eing transactio nded to includ se pa er ex ov , ve rs ha y tte ilit ma n sib Ar respon anies in izona. us litigatio ts, managing vario growing public comp en stem ste re fa ag e l th cia of er e comm ies eas of on lar, Mirza’s securit al guidance to all ar Sprouts. In particu of th providing general leg ow gr .5 e $2 th an in th le r more d of his ro curities of ferings fo Mirza is most prou condar y Sprouts se se SOURCE OF PRIDE: e fiv g sin clo in trumental law acumen was ins under two years. in ds ee billion of proc

sel and secretar y

| Unitedweb

General coun is general JOHN MURPHY llege of Law, Murphy ndra Day O’Connor Co

d SiteLock. graduate of the Sa ies — Nextiva, Inc. an BACKGROUND : A 2005 an mp co ted lia affi o and its tw ist and I was counsel for Unitedweb department didn’t ex al leg the , 12 20 in dweb e and we helped efore starting at Unite international presenc an th wi s ey orn SOURCE OF PRIDE : “B att ee legal department department is now thr anies in Arizona. The mp co gy olo the first attorney. The hn tec ing plement policies, into the fastest-grow yees to create and im plo em d an our companies grow s ve uti ec s to legal issues.” partnering with ex craft creative solution d an ks protects Unitedweb by ris al leg ge proactively mana educate and coach to

s ex Traf fic System ral counsel | Redfl ne ge d an nt ide es pr LEY Vice pany found itself VIRGINIA O’MAL d Redflex, the com ne joi I from r te af ar ye e relating to events “Approximately on stice investigation Ju th of wi t ly en se rtm SOURCE OF PRIDE: clo pa ed De rk DOJ and wo r, multi-state e ea th i-y th ult wi m a ion in at er ed embroil ram. I am proud close coop e compliance prog at saw the company’s or er rp ov I co w … ne ior ive pr s year cooperation and an expans ich the company’s te and implement wh ea in cr t to en s em er re old ag eh stak osecution mpliance program a best-in-class co ex entered a non-pr s ha w no ny pa m the DOJ and Redfl The co improved.” re favorably noted. s been significantly culture change we ha ce an pli m co of culture and the company’s

f sel | Troon Gol nior corporate coun se d an nt ide es pr N Vice ge of Law. Af ter ANNE K AUFMA ra Day O’Connor Colle nd Sa m r as the fro de lau m n her in-house caree an graduated cu 2013, Kaufman bega er on in mb BACKGROUND : Kaufm Tro ce for De In ion n. sit tio her current po ced civil litiga d cti rte pra sta e an sh , ufm on Ka ati . du gra c Systems unsel of Redflex Traffi associate general co co-workers, enge of getting your May 2016. all ch the ve ha u yo , w job rly in your career. I ny time you start a ne larly when you are ea cu rti pa t, en gm SOURCE OF PRIDE: “A jud d your trusts my judgment.” your competency an ir legal problems and the th wi me clients, etc. to trust to t ou en someone reaches get the most pride wh

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ACC AWARDS 2018 FINALISTS PETSMART

and management ides legal, risk ut the ov ho pr ug ro am th te t business e th The PetSmar to t ial or pp bs ced su tant l af fairs su pany experien governmenta m l, co al e it Th ut a. ho Throug and Asi st few years. U.S., Canada pa d e an th es er su ov is gal ow th through the le change and gr ed PetSmar t id and tactical gu c gi am te te l ra the lega mpany’s st co m, e th ith w ed on of Chewy.co risks associat cent acquisiti n of re tio e di th ad g , in na ud fices in Chi of initiatives, incl ng ci ur “B so hropic uy A t of global of the philant ch establishmen un la ro d an w stores pride in its “P hundreds of ne campaign. The team takes . ar eal” 0 hours per ye Bag, Give A M g more than 10 in gg lo k, or w Bone-O”

Worldwide sel | Plexus un co l ra ne ge e ARUK Associat in law and r GEORGE PIS s more than 25 years of experienn ce ral counsel fo sitio of gene k ha po ru e sa th Pi : ld D N he U k O BACKGR Plexus, Pisaru stries. ior to joining variet y of indu a in es business. Pr ni pa es to d private com pany executiv both public an is to get com e company’s ng le a al lp ch he n ent — ca ENGE: “The m LL rt A pa ughout CH de l ST ga TE GREA or the le st center. Thro co — rs ad ye he w er la ov at vice and tion’ or understand th iding legal ad ‘sales preven ov a t pr no by e n ar tio d no ards bottom line an to combat this and work tow ve at tempted ancial aspect ha fin I , e er tiv re si ca po y a m s on tions that focu recommenda ” sults. bottom-line re

VINE R SONDRA LE

ADCLIFFE

ral counsel Associate gene ms is Brisbois pace Syste sociate at Lew as an as UTC Aeros w fe sity of g UTC, Radclif w at the Univer : Prior to joinin ry business la ra po r. em BACKGROUND nt ke co spea ith and taught urer and public Bisgaard & Sm hed author, lect is bl pu different a is fe lif reer I had six ca y m Phoenix. Radc in y rl ea point to-day rules ENGE: “At one e and the dayLL yl A st t CH en ST er ff TE di GREA be very very s. Each had a er. I learned to ar ad ye le x si ch in ea r es de boss e to this day.” ged un continue to us business chan I d at di th e ill w sk w a ho of d it is ng that time an adaptable duri

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ACC AWARDS 2018 FINALISTS DAVID RAUCH

JORDAN REDMAN

BACKGROUND: “I graduated from the UCLA School of Law in 1993 and started with Snell & Wilmer. After 19 successful years at Snell, I left to join Annexus. Along the way I’ve enjoyed juggling civic and charitable involvement, including chairing the Waste Management Phoenix Open in 2010.”

BACKGROUND: Since August, Jordan Redman, a 2010 graduate of the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, has served as associate general counsel at Scottsdale-based Forever Living Products and its related entities.

Chief operating officer and general counsel Annexus

SOURCE OF PRIDE: “I take pride in making a successful transition from big-firm business litigator to small-company legal and operations generalist. During my tenure, we’ve built out our team, allowing us to bring key efforts in-house, launched multiple new business lines and grown the bottom line by about five times.”

Associate general counsel Forever Living Products International

GREATEST CHALLENGE: After transitioning from private practice in 2015, Redman embraced the challenge of becoming the first general counsel at FacilitySource, a facilities management/software company in Phoenix. At FacilitySource, Redman singlehandedly established the legal department, managing all legal matters, adopting legal policies, and assisting the executive management team and eventually becoming a member himself.

JUSTIN REDMAN Senior counsel GoDaddy

BACKGROUND: Redman graduated summa cum laude with a 4.0 GPA from ASU in 2006 with a bachelor’s degree in computer science and minor in philosophy. In 2010, he graduated cum laude from the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law. After working in private practice, Redman transitioned to an inhouse counsel position with GoDaddy in August 2015. SOURCE OF PRIDE: Redman takes pride in being published in “Jurimetrics: The Journal of Law, Science, and Technology,” and graduating with honors. Professionally, Redman is proud that his passion and hard work are appreciated at GoDaddy, where he was promoted to senior counsel in January 2017.

oration llTrust Corp e C | l se un co ining the UEGG General e can get to jo REBECCA R nsiders being a lawyer the closesintgshof a cape, some might mpany : Ruegg co ed the donn rtment for a co BACKGROUND has not requir pa le de ro l r ga he le le se hi .W -hou tablish the in Justice League rpowers to es pe su ok to it . r practices, argue nology d adjusting ou emerging tech an s e, w tiv la va nt no va in with in rele n compliant, aluating trends ve helped CellTrust remai ev y e “B E: ID orked with th SOURCE OF PR reements accordingly, I ha years I have w ne 34 ni ’s e st th ag ru d ng lT ri Cel processes, an legal issues du n process for d avoid major the prosecutio in g in st si as reduce risk an sly le simultaneou company, whi ” s. ie tr un 19 co patents across

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AB | January - February 2018

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azBIGmedia.com | 602.277.6045 AB | January - February 2018 69

ACC AWARDS 2018 FINALISTS BHAVI SHAH

Executive vice president, chief legal officer, general counsel and assistant secretary Blood Systems BACKGROUND: Shah provides strategic guidance and legal counsel to the executives and multiple governing boards of this $1.3 billion company, the largest independent blood service provider in the United States. GREATEST CHALLENGE: “Managing Blood System’s unprecedented strategic growth — including oversight of 17 complex corporate transactions, nearly doubling the company’s size — has been my greatest professional challenge and achievement. It would not have been possible without the visionary leadership of my executive team, great mentorship throughout my career, the diligence and dedication of my legal team and the support and encouragement of my husband.”

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MONA STONE

Senior vice president, general counsel and chief compliance officer Goodwill of Central & Northern AZ BACKGROUND: Stone has served on a number of nonprofit boards, including the ACC In-House Counsel Pro Bono Commission and the Institute for Inclusion in the Legal Profession. She was one of Southwest Super Lawyers’ Top 25 Arizona Women Attorneys in 2016. GREATEST CHALLENGE: “Breaking barriers. As a minority female, I am cognizant of inherent biases in the legal profession and have worked hard to showcase my skills, while championing fellow diverse attorneys. Therefore, I was pleased to advance to equity partner at Locke Lord in 2008 as the first Indian-American elected as partner at the firm.”

MACKENZIE WOODS

Deputy general counsel BASIS.ed BACKGROUND: Woods helps solve high-risk problems standing between BASIS and what he says really matters - student achievement. INSPIRATION: “Prior to law school, I taught eighth-grade science in Memphis, Tenn., through Teach for America. That kicked off my obsession with education and I haven’t been able to leave the sector since.” SOURCE OF PRIDE: “The teaching and achievements of my students. As a lawyer, I’m proud to be in a position to support passionate educators who provide our kids with world-class education. I am also tremendously proud of our growth into South Phoenix.”

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AZ TOTEM ART Custom Bird Feeders and Totems made from repurposed architectural materials

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2018

ARIZONA LODGING & TOURISM ASSOCIATION

RENOVATION DESTINATION Arizona resorts have been remodeled, re-imagined and are ready to re-energize the state’s tourism industry

Ronen Aviram

Andrew Chippindall

Michael Surguine

By ERIN THORBURN

rom the Arizona Biltmore hosting Marilyn Monroe and providing Irving Berlin a writing platform for the iconic “White Christmas,” to the Hotel Valley Ho being the first accommodation in Scottsdale to offer central air conditioning, Valley hotels and resorts have an impressive history and reputation for staying ahead of trends and upholding a top spot as an economic driver in Arizona. Last year, a record 43 million overnight visitors came to Arizona, while collectively spending a whopping $58 million per day during their stays. With $40,000 in tourism revenue fueling our economy every minute, some of the state’s most high-profile properties have undergone multi-million-dollar renovations in an effort to attract an even bigger slice of that tourism pie and create an economic impact that will further drive the already prosperous local tourism industry.

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WHY RENOVATE? Part of what keeps both local and out-of-town visitors coming back to local landmarks like the Hotel Valley Ho, Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain Resort & Spa and Mountain Shadows is a collaborative drive to remain relevant to the needs of travelers, while simultaneously honoring the original integrity, history and charm of architecture and the surrounding environment. “We always want to keep the hotel looking great and stay ahead of the curve on renovations,” says Hotel Valley Ho General Manager Ronen Aviram. “The redesigned rooms and suites in The Tower fit the iconic Hotel Valley Ho style of mid-century modern meets contemporary modern and we added bold lighting elements and décor, introduced jewel tones and incorporated

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AZLTA

the signature B&B Italia sofas and Knoll Lounge Chairs to fit the modified color scheme.” Even Mountain Shadows, which is nearing completion on a complete rebuild, pays homage to the former Mountain Shadows Resort that made its initial debut in 1959. “There are nods to the original resort,” says Andrew Chippindall, general manager of Mountain Shadows, “from the historic black-and-white photo hallway to the name of our pool area, juice bar and fitness center — The Citizens Club (a reference to The Citizens Committee that originally incorporated the Town of Paradise Valley). We were also able to salvage and reuse some of the original concrete block designed by notable mid-century modern Valley architect Ralph Haver.” TAKING NOTE Although most studies reflect that only half of communication is “effectively consumed,” this is not the case for local resort operators. When it comes to listening to feedback from guests, local hoteliers are listening and the resulting renovations prove it, as does Arizona’s healthy lodging and tourism economy. “We not only invest a significant amount of capital every year solely to renovations and expansions,” says Michael Surguine, general manager at Sanctuary, “we also collect in-depth feedback from guests to help guide our enhancement plans.” And what they’re asking for is clear and consistent across the market. “Wellness, relaxation and de-stressing are what I find modern travelers to be seeking most,” Surguine says. Which is why, Sanguine explains, that the theme of wellness is a foundation and the antithesis for a significant area of renovation beyond the guest rooms of the Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain Resort & Spa. The goal is to also encompass the upgrade to existing facilities and the addition of a meditation area for post-spa treatment relaxation. 76

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HOTEL VALLEY HO

RENOVATION REVOLUTION

Here are some of the ways Arizona hotels and resorts — in alphabetical order — have worked to keep up with supply, demand and national trends to make Arizona an innovative hot spot for travelers and locals. Fairmont Scottsdale Princess: Fresh off the completion of the 2016’s Sunset Beach expansion project, which included the development of 102 new luxurious guest rooms, the Fairmont received an impressive 2017 update, as did its event spaces within. Hermosa Inn: The iconic property underwent a $5.5 million renovation that included introducing 10 deluxe hideaway casitas, renovating 12 historic rancho casitas and an expansion of Lon’s Last Drop bar and patio. Hilton Sedona: As part of recent renovations, the upscale 219-room resort redesigned guest rooms, lobby and social spaces that reflect the natural elements of Sedona. They also developed partnerships with The Hike House Sedona and Pink Adventure Group to offer travelers options for adventures. Hilton Tucson El Conquistador Resort: In mid-2017, El Conquistador completed its largest renovation in the resort’s 35-year history, encompassing all areas of the 500-acre property. Two especially unique enhancements – a Hummingbird garden with 14 species of the beloved birds and the launch of El Conquistador Western Adventures on property. Hotel Adeline: Thanks to a $12 million renovation, the former Scottsdale Inn re-opened as Hotel Adeline in fall 2017. The property was transformed into a contemporary urban retreat meant to attract savvy leisure and business travelers, as well as locals, who crave a vibrant social experience. Hotel Valley Ho: Downtown Scottsdale’s mid-century modern icon since 1956 revamped its rooms and suites in The Tower. The design overhaul was completed in September and features new, mid-century-inspired elements including lighting, décor, flooring, and millwork. JW Marriott Camelback Inn: Camelback Inn plans to build a conference center that is scheduled to debut in June 2018. The space will include the new 15,000-square-foot Paradise Ballroom, along with an additional 20,000-square-feet of outdoor and pre-function spaces.

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AZLTA MOUNTAIN SHADOWS

While travelers near and far relax, they have also shared a desire for a unique experience. “Guests expect distinct design, genuine service, a great hotel restaurant and recommendations on the best local things to do,” Aviram says. “When working on the redesign concept, we always kept in mind the one-of-a-kind style of the hotel and picked out elements that fit our legacy of mid-century modern design.” Chippendall, agrees, adding, “The modern traveler wants a rich, local experience, from the restaurants to the outdoor activities. Our goal is to help them get those experiences, whether it’s museum-quality art with an Arizona connection at The Gallery, unique resort events like paddleboard yoga and photography classes, or our courtesy Tesla Model X that will take guests to several locations, including the hiking trails at iconic Camelback Mountain.” PREPAREDNESS AND HEALTHY COMPETITION Of course, there’s another catalyst to continue to revamp and renovate: healthy competition. “The Scottsdale area is very competitive for hotels and resorts,” Aviram says. “Visitors have so much choice when it comes to where to stay here. In order to succeed, you have to offer something truly unique and make sure you are offering a great experience, from the service to the quality of the guest rooms.” And to remain competitive and nurture the local economy, local hotels and resorts need to maintain a certain level of preparedness and vigilance toward renovation and modernization. It’s a price that our resorts and hotels are more than willing to pay. “After the recession, many properties were forced to reduce or eliminate their plans to renovate,” Sanguine says. “Although this was not the case for us, I believe the collective change at most properties is due to positive trends in the economy. However, at Sanctuary we make sure to set aside significant capital investment in both the good times and the bad.” 78

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Mountain Shadows: The $100 million boutique resort, luxury condominium and golf course project at the base of Camelback Mountain opened its doors in 2017. And while the property retains the Mountain Shadows name in homage to the original resort, the sleek new space was masterfully conceived for today’s guest and built from the ground up, with no expense spared. Royal Palms Resort and Spa: In mid-2017, Phoenix’s romantic destination resort announced a multi-million-dollar renovation to all 119 rooms, including its Presidential Suite, as well as select meeting and event spaces. The renovations were completed in late Fall 2017. Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain Resort & Spa: The resort has been doing big things over the past two years, including $2 million in renovations to its Spa Casitas and Spa Suites. Sanctuary also launched the Spa House, a 3,500-square-foot, four-bedroom private guest enclave. Scottsdale Resort at McCormick Ranch: Formerly the Scottsdale Resort & Conference Center, the newly named Scottsdale Resort at McCormick Ranch underwent a massive $11 million renovation, which transformed the independent resort and revitalized its amenities head to toe. The Boulders Resort & Spa: The Boulders Resort has made its mark as one of the finest golf destinations in the world. Now, they have unveiled a luxurious new clubhouse facility with the same panache. The space features an expansive pro shop, lounges, swimming pool and event space all set amidst the most stunning natural landscape in the area. The Phoenician: The Phoenician announced its largest refurbishment project since the resort opened in 1988. The extensive renovations represent the second phase of a two-year repositioning plan, which began in summer 2016 with the redesign of the resort’s casitas and all guest rooms, as well as the makeover of The Canyon Suites. The Scott: In 2017, Classic Hotels & Resorts rebranded and renamed Firesky Resort & Spa as The Scott, then announced that over the next two years, it will invest $15 million in updating the property to both celebrate the historic building’s iconic architecture while introducing a new look and feel and elevated guest service culture.

AZLTA

RESERVATION future

Arizona Lodging & Tourism Association helps launch hospitality management apprenticeships

By ERIN THORBURN

he next generation of Arizona tourism leaders just got a boost. The Arizona Lodging & Tourism Association (AzLTA) has launched its first Arizona Apprenticeship Program for Hospitality Management. The combined efforts of the State of Arizona (through the Arizona Apprenticeship Office at the Department of Economic Security), the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA), theÂ National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation and AzLTA in creating the Registered Apprenticeship program has the potential to greatly increase Arizonaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s skilled workforce and ultimately increase return on investment for hospitality employers.

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for the

Registered Apprenticeship is an employer-driven model that combines onthe-job learning with related educational instruction to increase skill level and economic mobility. Apprenticeships are a proven solution for companies to recruit, train, and retain highly skilled workers— and it is a way to put employees on a career path that will encourage them to stay and advance in hospitality-sector jobs. The early buzz on this beneficial, business-boosting initiative, sure to change the local landscape of hospitality and tourism, is unlike any the industry has experienced to date. WORTH EVERY PENNY Arizona’s hotel and lodging industry boasts 300,000 jobs in hospitality, with $6 billion in direct earnings. Now, consider the impact of a registered apprenticeship program with a 91 percent apprentice retention rate, an average employer ROI of $1.47 in increased productivity and an increase in front-line innovation. This is but a sampling of the positive potential the new Hospitality Management Registered Apprenticeship will offer to Arizona hospitality employers, according to ApprenticeshipUSA. “This is the first apprenticeship of its kind in Arizona lodging and tourism,” says AzLTA Executive President David Drennon. With more than 50 percent of hotel general managers and many in the C-suite starting their careers in entry-level positions, the hotel industry has a long tradition of grooming talent and growing careers, supporting some 8 million jobs across the United States and paying $74 billion in wages. “These apprenticeships will provide a framework for building a necessary

pipeline of skilled employees,” adds Kim Sabow, president and CEO of AzLTA. “Companies who have utilized apprenticeship programs report higher productivity, retention rates and a substantial return on investment. That’s important because finding and keeping top industry talent is critical to delivering world-class visitor experiences in our hotel and resort businesses.” APPRENTICESHIP AT A GLANCE While employers will surely benefit from an increase in ROI and employee retention, the advantages of the apprenticeship program are also plentiful for future hospitality leaders. “It’s a win- win,” says Patti Hunt, general manager at AC Hotel Tempe. “Apprentices will be able to have a learning plan that will create foundational knowledge about hotel operations,” Hunt says, “and employers will have an implementable training guide developed by the American Hotel and Lodging Association, which will grow aspiring hoteliers in their careers within our Arizona hotels.” According to Hunt, career tracks for the apprentices includes mentorship for line cooks to transition to directors of food and beverage; front desk supervisors to become assistant front desk managers; and engineers to shift into engineering management. The full training encompasses financial, sales and marketing, supervisory, leadership, human resources, rooms management and food and beverage skills. “All apprentices take the Certified Hospitality Administrator (CHA) preparation core curriculum online classes,” Hunt explains, “and are paired with a supervisor in the hotel department

David Drennon

Patti Hunt

Kim Sabow

Shelly Weir

in which they will be learning for a sixmonth job-training mentorship” Once their apprenticeship concludes, an apprentice receives a pay increase and ideally will solidify a leadership position (or be ready for an appropriate opening). The only requirement for the program is that candidates must be 18 years old. For employers, there is no cap on the number of employees they choose to sponsor. “The intent with the program is to help grow the ‘bench strength’ of our industry by cultivating and developing new supervisors into management positions,” said Shelly Weir, senior vice president of career development for the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Foundation. “It’s a win-win for both business and the employee, resulting in increased employee retention for operators and illuminating career advancement for staff.” AB | January - February 2018 81

2018 Businesses in five key sectors recognized for leadership and innovation By MICHAEL GOSSIE

ach year, Az Business magazine is proud to present the Industry Leaders of Arizona (ILoA) Awards, which recognize the contributions and impact of Arizona‐based companies on both the economy of Arizona and in the communities they serve. For 2018, companies were selected from these five key industries: • Aerospace and defense • Commerical and residential contractors • Food and beverage • Healthcare support services • Software firms/data support The 32 finalists for this year’s ILoA Awards are profiled on the pages that follow. Winners will be recognized at the awards dinner that will be held Thursday, February 22 at the JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort & Spa in Phoenix. Go to azbigmedia.com to buy tickets and for more information.

AB | January - February 2018

INDUSTRY LEADERS OF ARIZONA 2018 Finalists

AAA Landscape

Aerospace Contacts

LEADERSHIP: Robert Underwood, CEO; Greg Gaston, controller

LEADERSHIP: David Ibanez, president; Dave Berry, CFO

WEBSITE: aaalandscape.com

WEBSITE: aerospacecontacts.com

WHAT IT DOES: It’s one of the largest commercial landscape

WHAT IT DOES: Manufactures custom contacts and precision components for harsh environment connectivity solution providers.

contractors in the United States with more than 400 employees. HOW IT LEADS: Ranked among the 50 largest commercial landscape contractors in the U.S., AAA Landscape’s leaders say they are guided by spiritual and moral values to provide responsive, profitable, professional landscape services with integrity. AAA Landscape vision is identical on every project it does: To build happy relationships with its clients, community and employees, while improving the environment and preserving the planet for future generations.

HOW IT LEADS: Aerospace Contacts provide completed, heat

treated, plated contacts, components and assemblies, but its capabilities expand far beyond a typical machine shop. Aerospace Contacts considers itself a solution provider. Aerospace Contacts’ industry-leading short lead times — just three- to four-week lead time and a one- to two-day quotation response time — make it a leader in its industry, which allowed the company to forecast 15 percent growth in 2017.

Able Aerospace Services LEADERSHIP: Gabriel Massey, general manager; Gregg Leach, CFO WEBSITE: ableengineering.com WHAT IT DOES: Provides repair, overhaul and replacement parts for

helicopter fleets and airlines. HOW IT LEADS: Over the course of two decades, Able has grown from a narrowly focused, three-employee aerospace plating company into a global operation. In the last seven years alone, Able has expanded from 200 employees and $32 million in sales to more than 400 employees and more than $70 million in sales. Able’s leaders credit the growth to relentlessly pursuing the mission of safely reducing aircraft operating costs by providing resourceful component repair, overhaul and FAA-approved replacement parts solutions.

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INDUSTRY LEADERS OF ARIZONA 2018 Finalists

AvAir LEADERSHIP: Mike Bianco, president; Robert Knox, senior vice

president of finance WEBSITE: avair.aero WHAT IT DOES: Aviation aftermarket parts supplier. HOW IT LEADS: AvAir is essentially the Amazon of airplane parts. Since 2000, AvAir has shaped the way the aviation aftermarket industry functions with a bar-setting 24/7/365 service model that most other competitors simply cannot match. With an average client response time of 20 seconds and an inventory that continues to grow every day, AvAir keeps a stock of over 26 million parts, ensuring that pilots, fleets and airlines have their comprehensive needs met on a consultative, personalized level.

Az Children’s Association LEADERSHIP: Denise Ensdorff, president and CEO; Kelly Meltzer, CFO WEBSITE: arizonaschildren.org WHAT IT DOES: Support services for children and families across Arizona, including child welfare, behavioral health and prevention programs. HOW IT LEADS: Arizona’s Children Association was founded more than 100 years ago, but is still in business today because it remains innovative in how it meets the needs of the children and families in Arizona communities around the entire state. The organization’s strategic plan emphasizes expanding and improving its community impact, pursuing innovation, bringing out the best in its people and much more.

azpro group LEADERSHIP: Jason Prenovost, president; Chris Prenovost, partner

and vice president WEBSITE: azprogroup.com WHAT IT DOES: Large graphics and signage printing. HOW IT LEADS: The organization’s leadership model relies heavily on

equal parts team camaraderie and individual autonomy, creating a unique atmosphere of shared dedication. azpro’s overall focus is healthy, sustainable growth, which can only be achieved by fostering strong, reliable teams, instilling a deeply rooted sense of accountability in office culture and constant self-assessment. Constantly self-assessing and internally refining, azpro aims to offer the highest quality of customer service to match their stateof-the-art product offerings and installation techniques.

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INDUSTRY LEADERS OF ARIZONA 2018 Finalists

California Pools & Landscape

Canyon State Electrical

LEADERSHIP: Jeremy Smith, owner

LEADERSHIP: Chris Maderazzo, CEO; Stephanie Maderazzo, CFO

WEBSITE: calpool.com

WEBSITE: canyonstateelectric.com

WHAT IT DOES: Designers and builders of pools and

WHAT IT DOES: Electrical contracting company specializing

landscaping focusing on the entire backyard.

in energy savings, design-build, commercial, industrial and tenant improvement projects.

HOW IT LEADS: California Pools & Landscape is not your

typical pool builder or landscape installer. Rather, it is a construction management company that focuses on giving its customers an excellent experience from the initial design consultation to project completion. California Pools’ 2014 and 2015 BBB Torch Award of Ethics are indicative of the company’s passion to create a workplace that positivity impacts the lives of its customers, employees, trade partners and community.

Café Valley LEADERSHIP: Brian Owens, CEO; Glenn Stern, CFO WEBSITE: cafevalley.com WHAT IT DOES: Produces bakery products — including cakes, muffins and croissants — for in-store bakeries, club stores and food service customers throughout the world HOW IT LEADS: Café Valley Bakery produces fully finished, thaw and sell bakery products that allow customers to reduce labor and complexity while offering made-from-scratch quality to consumers. Nearing collapse in 2004, the controlling interest in Café Valley was acquired by entities associated with Café Valley consultant Larry Polhill and Ron Ogan. As a result of their reinvigoration of the business, sales grew from $22 million to more than $150 million in 2016.

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HOW IT LEADS: Canyon State Electrical separates itself from the competition through the loyalty and commitment it shows to its industry partners. Canyon State Electrical prides itself on quality and service, completing projects on time and on budget. Canyon State Electrical’s leaders say the company continues to succeed because it provides value, service and excellence beyond what the company’s clients expect from an electrical contractor.

INDUSTRY LEADERS OF ARIZONA 2018 Finalists

Circle the City LEADERSHIP: Brandon Clark, CEO; John Andrews, CFO WEBSITE: circlethecity.org WHAT IT DOES: Nonprofit community health organization dedicated to providing compassionate, high-quality healthcare to people experiencing homelessness in Maricopa County. HOW IT LEADS: Circle the City’s homeless specialty continuum of care is one-of-a-kind in Arizona, offering several different levels of care. The sickest men and women can heal in the state-of-the-art 50-bed Medical Respite Center. Individuals and families requiring traditional outpatient care can go to the Parsons Family Health Center or the two-exam room mobile clinic that provides outreach services for those who cannot access the fixed site.

Cutter Aviation LEADERSHIP: Will Cutter, president and CEO; Steven Prieser, vice

president and CFO WEBSITE: cutteraviation.com WHAT IT DOES: Offers aircraft fuel/line services, maintenance and avionics solutions, aircraft charter and management and aircraft sales. HOW IT LEADS: Founded in 1928 by William P. Cutter, Cutter

Aviation is the oldest continuously family-owned and operated fixed base operator in the United States. Cutter Aviation operates from seven major airports in five states within the Southwest — Arizona (Phoenix Deer Valley and Phoenix Sky Harbor), New Mexico (Albuquerque), Colorado (Colorado Springs), California (Carlsbad) and Texas (Addison and San Antonio).

Digital Air Strike LEADERSHIP: Alexi Venneri, co-founder and CEO; Michael Pordon, CFO WEBSITE: digitalairstrike.com WHAT IT DOES: Social media technology and digital engagement company that helps businesses solve the problem of consumer engagement, while generating measurable ROI. HOW IT LEADS: 2017 was a year of innovation for Digital Air Strike. The company developed multiple products and solutions, which serve more than 3,000 clients across various industries, although its primary vertical is the automotive industry. In fact, through the company’s work with the automotive industry, its products, solutions, team and technology influence 34 percent of all vehicle sales nationwide.

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INDUSTRY LEADERS OF ARIZONA 2018 Finalists

DP Electric LEADERSHIP: Daniel Puente, president and founder; Danielle

GECO LEADERSHIP: Jennifer Graves, CEO; Matthew Webster,

Puente, controller

controller

WEBSITE: dpelectric.com

WEBSITE: gecoinc.com

WHAT IT DOES: Full-service electrical contracting firm.

WHAT IT DOES: Specializes in safe, trusted and affordable

HOW IT LEADS: Since it was founded more than 25 years ago, DP

Electric has evolved into of the leading, full-service electrical contracting firms in Arizona. DP Electric has developed markets and technologies to become an industry leader in mission critical, healthcare, corporate office, hospitality and medium voltage. Utilizing advanced pre-construction processes including CAD, BIM, design-build and value engineering has allowed DP Electric to troubleshoot issues and maintain quality work throughout projects.

FacilitySource LEADERSHIP: Bill Hayden, CEO; Richard Matero, CFO WEBSITE: facilitysource.com WHAT IT DOES: Technology-driven facilities management

company. HOW IT LEADS: FacilitySource applies industry specific knowhow to solve maintenance problems faced by a growing list of sectors, including retail, logistics, banking, grocery and restaurant. FacilitySourceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cost-efficient business model, tools and infrastructure allow it to protect client assets while enabling a proactive facility maintenance strategy, rather than limiting its portfolio to a reactive-only maintenance strategy. By leveraging its best people, flexible processes and Elite Network of Service Providers, FacilitySource leads the industry in solving maintenance problems quickly and without disruption.

AB | January - February 2018

avionics. HOW IT LEADS: GECOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s commitment to affordable innovation

is evident in its active participation in the Future Airborne Capability Environment (FACE) Consortium, a government and industry partnership that provides standardized, open approaches for defining the avionics environment for military airborne platforms. GECO has adopted FACE principles and best practices to improve and standardize software standards that will promote reuse in ways that will enhance aircraft capability and affordability. The FACE Technical Standard is focused on making military computing operations more robust, interoperable, portable and secure.

INDUSTRY LEADERS OF ARIZONA 2018 Finalists

Goettl Air Conditioning LEADERSHIP: Ken Goodrich, president and CEO; Rohin Lal, CFO WEBSITE: goettl.com WHAT IT DOES: Residential HVAC and plumbing company. HOW IT LEADS: In 2012, Goodrich purchased Goettl from American Residential Services and the company had multiple issues with consumer complaints and declining sales. In his first year of ownership, Goodrich spent more than $500,000 correcting and reinstalling air conditioners. Since then, Goettl was awarded the Best of the Best by Copperpoint Insurance Companies, the Skip Snyder Humanitarian Award by the Air Conditioning Contractors Association and the Impact Award in the category of Response to Adversity from the Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce in 2016.

Homewatch CareGivers LEADERSHIP: Daniel Fern, managing partner WEBSITE: hwcg.com/phoenix WHAT IT DOES: Non- medical home care service provider. HOW IT LEADS: Fern has served as an advocate for the industry,

sponsoring state legislation aimed at protecting consumers, specifically vulnerable populations, such as the elderly and disabled. Fern currently serves as the chairperson for the Regional Leadership Council at the local chapter of the Alzheimerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Association. Homewatch CareGivers is currently involved with the leadership of the Safe Home Care Coalition, a group of activist owners intended to promote its industry by educating professionals and consumers on how to vet agencies.

Ipro Tech LEADERSHIP: Kim Taylor, president and CEO; Christina Rullo, controller WEBSITE: iprotech.com WHAT IT DOES: Helps legal professionals streamline discovery and reduce cost and complexity of electronic data. HOW IT LEADS: Ipro has been one of the leading litigation software developers since it was founded in 1989. Ipro combines decades of innovation to deliver high-performance software, while delivering its mission that simple, affordable and automated eDiscovery should be standard. In response to data proliferation, the eDiscovery industry has provided disconnected and inefficient methods. Iproâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Automated Digital Discovery workflow platform addresses these challenges by automating data management and production to avoid time delays, errors and budget overruns found in other eDiscovery systems.

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INDUSTRY LEADERS OF ARIZONA 2018 Finalists

Isagenix International

JDA Software

LEADERSHIP: Jim Coover, owner and CEO; Tim Jones, CFO

LEADERSHIP: Girish Rishi, CEO

WEBSITE: isagenix.com

WEBSITE: jda.com

WHAT IT DOES: Global health and wellness company that innovates, formulates and manufactures effective and sustainable nutritional products and supplements.

WHAT IT DOES: A leading supply chain provider powering today’s digital transformation.

HOW IT LEADS: Isagenix is an innovative leader in the health

and wellness industry, providing transformational products and systems for weight loss and weight management, energy, performance and healthy aging. In just 15 years, Isagenix has reached more than $5 billion in cumulative revenue and is expected to exceed $1 billion in annual revenue in 2017. In 2017, Isagenix was recognized for the 11th consecutive year by Inc. as one of the fastest-growing private companies in America.

HOW IT LEADS: More than 4,000 global customers use JDA’s end-to-end solutions portfolio to unify and shorten their supply chains, increase speed of execution and profitably deliver to their customers. The company’s world-class client roster includes 73 of the top 100 retailers, 71 of the top 100 consumer goods companies and 13 of the top 16 thirdparty logistics companies. JDA established its headquarters in Scottsdale in 1987 and has been one of the area’s most successful technology companies over the past three decades.

ITS LEADERSHIP: Ryan Kohnke, managing partner; Linn Shaw,

director of finance WEBSITE: its.aero WHAT IT DOES: Commercial aviation aftermarket sales. HOW IT LEADS: ITS has grown into an industry-recognized supply chain partner to many customers in the air transport aftermarket industry, providing the industry with the technical expertise and the right assets located in ITS’ multiple facilities worldwide. ITS’ leaders say the company’s impressive growth over recent years is a direct result of a culture of honesty, integrity, customer service excellence, employees’ passion for their work and the drive of ITS’ world-class team.

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INDUSTRY LEADERS OF ARIZONA 2018 Finalists

Jennifer’s Catering LEADERSHIP: Jennifer Russo, chef and owner WEBSITE: marketbyjennifer.com WHAT IT DOES: Turns catering clients’ event ideas into a memorable

reality. HOW IT LEADS: With more than 25 years in business, Jennifer’s Catering continues to be an innovator in the catering industry. From watching national trends and mirroring them in its food and presentation to constantly reviewing customer and employee feedback to assure that it continues to create the most stunning events and catering experiences possible, Jennifer’s Catering continues to be one of the most sought-after caterers in the Valley and beyond.

M Culinary Concepts LEADERSHIP: Brandon Maxwell, president; Noreen Lauf, director of

finance and accounting WEBSITE: mculinary.com WHAT IT DOES: Provides exceptional food and beverage and event

experiences for corporate, private and not-for-profit clients in Arizona and throughout the United States. HOW IT LEADS: Whether facing external challenges or having the

foresight to see growth opportunity, M Culinary Concepts makes smart, strategic decisions through expanding and adding business segments – firmly planting the company as the No. 1 caterer in Arizona and, arguably, the Southwest. M Culinary has proven over the past two decades that it is nimble, imaginative and committed to surpassing expectations.

Mobivity LEADERSHIP: Dennis Becker, chairman and CEO; Christopher

Meinerz, CFO WEBSITE: mobivity.com WHAT IT DOES: Mobivity provides a platform for intelligent and

personalized marketing in the real world. Real world customer activity in national restaurants, retailers, and personal care brands is difficult to track and connect to digital actions. Mobivity leverages detailed purchase data and communications platforms to improve business results by understanding, predicting, and influencing consumer behavior. Mobivity drives better actions and informs decisions by connecting point-of-sale outcomes to the events and influences that caused them.

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INDUSTRY LEADERS OF ARIZONA 2018 Finalists

Pinnacle Transplant Technologies

Southwest Human Development

LEADERSHIP: Gabriel Hyams, president and executive director;

LEADERSHIP: Ginger Ward, CEO; Bill McClung, CFO

Donald Laughlin, CFO (pictured) WEBSITE: pinnacletransplant.com WHAT IT DOES: Manufactures innovative allografts produced to

the highest standards of quality and safety. HOW IT LEADS: Pinnacle Transplant Technologies has grown

annually around 30 percent and currently has more than 100 associates. Pinnacle Transplant creates high-wage jobs and also volunteers in the community through a variety of ways. Whether it is talking directly to students in classrooms about STEM education or collecting more than 8,000 water bottles over the summer to donate to the Phoenix Rescue Mission, Pinnacle Transplant’s associates are community minded and utilize it to improve the lives of others.

WEBSITE: swhd.org WHAT IT DOES: Arizona’s largest nonprofit dedicated to early childhood development. HOW IT LEADS: Southwest Human Development was founded in 1981 with a $150,000 budget serving 175 children and families. Today, Southwest Human Development serves 135,000 children and their families with a $62 million budget and more than 850 staff. The agency operates more than 40 programs and services in five core areas: child development and mental health, Easter Seals disabilities services, early literacy and Head Start, child welfare, and professional development and training for early childhood professionals.

Sonora Quest LEADERSHIP: David Dexter, president and CEO; Al Namey, CFO WEBSITE: sonoraquest.com WHAT IT DOES: Sonora Quest is an integrated laboratory system with more than 3,100 employees serving more than 23,000 patients throughout Arizona daily. HOW IT LEADS: Sonora Quest Laboratories is leading the way to provide Direct Access Testing (DAT) — also known as patientauthorized testing — throughout Arizona, which allows consumers to access laboratory tests without a physicians’ order. My Lab ReQuest has enabled consumers in Arizona to take control of their health and to drive improved health outcomes. National media coverage recognized Sonora Quest as a leader that encourages consumers to manage their health.

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INDUSTRY LEADERS OF ARIZONA 2018 Finalists

Sprouts Farmers Market LEADERSHIP: Amin Maredia, CEO; Brad Lukow, CFO WEBSITE: sprouts.com WHAT IT DOES: Healthy grocery stores offering fresh, natural and organic foods. HOW IT LEADS: Sprouts is the first grocer to specialize in fresh,

natural and organic products at prices that appeal to mainstream grocery shoppers. Based on the belief that healthy food shouldn’t be an extravagance, Sprouts’ affordable prices and welcoming shopping environments have driven industry-leading growth. Sprouts offers a complete shopping experience that includes fresh produce, meat and seafood, bulk foods, vitamins and supplements, packaged groceries, deli, baked goods, dairy products and frozen foods catering to the everyday consumer’s growing interest in health and wellness.

Stern Produce LEADERSHIP: Scott Bland, COO WEBSITE: sternproduce.com WHAT IT DOES: Full-line food service distributor. HOW IT LEADS: Stern Produce has served the Arizona community

for four generations, since 1917. For 100 years, its mission has remained the same – “to deliver a first-class customer experience as we supply the freshest, fruits, vegetables specialty food products, and meats.” This mission has served Stern Produce well and will continue to as its foundation looking toward the next 100 years. Stern Produce will be implementing new ideas to serve its customers and community better. Stern Produce is also committed to supporting Arizona agriculture and food production through meaningful partnerships.

Sun Mechanical Contracting LEADERSHIP: Marc Kinseth, president; Kristine Clevenger, CFO WEBSITE: sunmechanical.net WHAT IT DOES: Fabricates, installs and maintains mechanical systems for customers in education, healthcare, government and more. HOW IT LEADS: Founded in 1977, Tucson-based Sun Mechanical has grown into the largest full-service mechanical contracting and construction firm in Southern Arizona, providing hundreds of clients with plumbing, piping, heating and ventilation, fabricated sheet metal and more. On average, Sun Mechanical’s team consists of more than 250 skilled tradesmen who design, plan, fabricate and install projects of all sizes. Sun Mechanical offers services for a wide range of industries, including education, healthcare, government, commercial, manufacturing and hospitality.

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INDUSTRY LEADERS OF ARIZONA 2018 Finalists

VIXXO LEADERSHIP: Jim Reavey, CEO; Travis Chester, CFO WEBSITE: vixxo.com WHAT IT DOES: Combines emerging technologies and its extensive

network of service providers to deliver operational efficiency, detailed analytics and significant cost savings to clients. HOW IT LEADS: Vixxo isn’t afraid to turn a few heads and disrupt

the “business as usual” world of facilities and asset management to make a real difference in its industry and beyond. At nearly 1,000 employees, 1.1 million assets managed in 65,000 customer locations and a network of 150,000 service providers around North America, Vixxo does business to the tune of about $750 million in annual revenues.

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Wilson Electric Services Corp. LEADERSHIP: Wes McClure, president; Ron O’Connor, CFO WEBSITE: wilsonelectric.net WHAT IT DOES: One of Arizona’s largest full-service electrical

contractors. HOW IT LEADS: Wilson Electric is a different kind of electrical subcontractor — modern, innovative and employee-owned. Being powered by employee-owners, Wilson Electric builds projects in a collaborative team environment, using techniques to improve productivity, reduce costs and provide the best project possible for clients. Wilson Electric has a long history of using innovation to work better, faster and more efficiently, never compromising in quality or safety. Wilson Electric regularly ranks at the top in size and reputation and continues to grow and diversify.

[

] 2018

IT’S ALL ABOUT

CONNECTIONS GPEC hopes to capitalize on the Internet of Things to boost economic attraction

LOOK INTO FUTURE:

David Formisano is the the director of strategy for Intel’s Internet of Things Solutions Group in Chandler. PHOTO BY JESSE A. MILLARD, AZ BIG MEDIA

GREATER PHOENIX ECONOMIC COUNCIL

INTERNET OF THINGS TO COME Leaders at GPEC hope to position Valley as the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first multi-jurisdictional smart region

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Chris Camacho

Bill Gates

Brian Krzanich

Andy Warren

By JESSE A. MILLARD

nside the doors of Intel’s Chandler offices lies the future. Within the walls of Intel’s building CH6, demonstration stations reveal some of the latest technology powered by Intel processors. Each piece of technology will radically change supply chain management, construction, engineering and retail. • High above the floor is a sensor that is able to determine the amount of inventory available on the floor at a brick-and-mortal retail location. • Next to that is another sensor that can measure the dimensions of boxes and packages as they move along a conveyor belt. • Close to that station are small trackers that can tell whether deliverables have been critically tilted or kept at inadequate temperatures during the shipping process. • An augmented reality helmet allows the user to view the step-bystep process of a surgical procedure or the schematics of a turbine as if both things were happening in reality in front of the user. This is Industry 4.0. Otherwise known as the Internet of Things, or IoT. AB | January - February 2018 109

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BILL GATES’ CITY Bill Gates recently made big news in the Greater Phoenix David Formisano, the director of strategy for Intel’s Internet of Things Solutions Group in Chandler, says Intel recently had an entire street lamp within the lobby, which had been outfitted as a smart version of the familiar street corner staple, except this one came with sensors and solar panels. The Internet of Things is the concept of connecting normal devices to each other, cloud platforms and the Internet itself. Internet of Things is a broad concept that spans from sensor technology to the cloud. We’re familiar with many of these IoT devices — cellphones, televisions, wrist watches and thermostats. There are projected to be almost 30 billion Internet-connected devices by 2030. When it comes to industry, the Internet of Things will bring both sensors and data that businesses can use to create new experiences, or even get into new businesses, Formisano says. “That data is valuable and it gives you different insights you didn’t have before,” Formisano says. “So, I think across a variety of use cases — from retail to industrial to healthcare to transportation. We’re going to see the Internet of Things transform how those businesses operate today.” MAKE WAY FOR THE CONNECTED REGION The Greater Phoenix Economic Council wants the Valley to become a game-changer in the world-changing space that is the Internet of Things. Currently, Chris Camacho, president and CEO of GPEC, is in the process of trying to brand and position the Greater Phoenix area as the world’s first multi-jurisdictional smart region. “No one market across the country has unified multiple jurisdictions,” Camacho says. “There’s been strategies to do smart cities in various places, but we’re talking about, ‘how do we connect the entire region.’” This would include the creation of smart infrastructure, smart transportation connectivity and smart communities being built, Camacho says, in order to turn the Greater Phoenix region into a Connected Place. Camacho has seen many local companies heading towards one direction: a world based around the Internet of Things. Companies throughout the state and in the Greater Phoenix area 110

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region after word got out about his $80 million investment in land near Tonopah. It has been reported that Gates plans to build a smart city filled with homes and businesses equipped with smart city technology, otherwise known as the Internet of Things technology. These plans could be yet another major signal that the Greater Phoenix region is an Internet of Things titan.

— aerospace and defense, healthcare and technology industries — have been heading towards this game-changing future. “Part of this was a true industry transformation,” Camacho says. “And the other part was this inclination from GPEC that we had to create a broader identity of our industries to help go out and tell the story to the world.” TELL IT, THEY DID GPEC has worked to attract several firms operating in the Internet of Things space to the Greater Phoenix area. The list includes cybersecurity firms like Kudelski, which set up its North American headquarters in Phoenix in 2016; Bishop Fox, which opened a Phoenix operation in 2015; and Acronis, which opened a sales office here in 2017. It’s known that Amazon has distribution centers here in the Valley, and the Seattle-based e-commerce giant is currently investing in Industry 4.0 technologies for those centers, according to GPEC. GPEC has also attracted manufacturers who are making Internet of Things devices. Dexcom recently opened a 180,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Mesa for its growing continuous glucose monitoring business, which creates wearable devices for patients with diabetes. Dexcom was attracted to the Greater Phoenix region due to the high availability of talent in the Greater Phoenix area that could be used to staff its manufacturing facility. Manufacturing will begin in Mesa in April and the facility currently has 265 employees, Dexcom states. Dexcom plans to have 600 to 700 employees in Mesa by the end of 2018. Dexcom had a Greater Phoenix area connection before

GPEC

expanding into Mesa. While Camacho and his team were recruiting the San Diego-based company, they learned that Dexcom uses local chips for its devices from ON Semiconductor, he says. Another Dexcom supplier, The West Group, is based in Tempe, according to Dexcom. It says having that kind of proximity for its supplier of molded components helps the firm with transportation costs and with potential partnerships on future plans.

interns go on to work full-time for Intel after they graduate, Formisano says. Intel has even partnered with ASU during the Sun Devil Stadium renovations, he says. They worked to imbed more than 40 sensors at the stadium to enhance the fan experience. These sensors will measure temperature, humidity, volume of noise, parking availability, lines at vendors and more. Partnerships have also formed between Intel and Chandlerbased Microchip Technology to create a way to seamlessly identify PICKING UP WHERE THEY LEFT OFF and secure devices within an Internet of Things system. Normally, In February of 2017, Intel’s CEO, Brian Krzanich, announced it’s a very a labor intensive process, Formisano says. at the White House that Intel would invest $7 billion in Chandler And, Intel has worked with Scottsdale-based JDA Software to help retailers get a better understanding of real-time inventory to complete the chip maker’s Fab 42 factory, which Intel expects goods at brick-and-mortar sites with the help of Internet of to be the most advanced semiconductor factory in the world. Things technology, he says. Intel started building the factory in 2011, when There is a whole world of opportunities existing it was aiming to have its within the Internet of Things 14-nanometer (nm) node realm. A company that may built there. But, according to participate in one part of its vice president and general The Greater Phoenix Economic Council announced its manager of technology and technology solutions, could Connected Place initiative at the beginning of 2017 and manufacturing, Intel deferred now broaden its business is working to reveal a plan on how it will connect multiple the construction when they scope and participate in the jurisdictions as the first-ever smart region over the next few Internet of Things, Formisano were able to fit the capacity months, says Chris Camacho, president and CEO of GPEC. says. For instance, a data for the 14-nm tech into its One aspect of the plan GPEC will roll out in the center operating in the Valley existing facilities in Chandler. coming months, Camacho says, includes the creation of Now, Fab 42 will be aiming could become a data center “innovation sandboxes,” or corridors that would allow to create Intel’s 7-nm node, just for the Internet of Things, for consistent testing of Internet of Things devices and which will unlock the “most he mentions. technologies. Formisano has seen broader cutting-edge capabilities” for This is just one part of several aspects of the Connected local interest in the Internet things like data analytics, Place initiative that GPEC is planning, Camacho says. of Things at the Arizona machine learning and deep These innovation corridors could form around many of the Technology Council’s IoT learning, says Formisano, Phoenix area’s well-known hot spots for innovation. group meetings. Intel’s IoT leader. Autonomous vehicle testing has been extremely active “In those meetings, we’re “The 7-nm process node in the southeast part of the Valley, with companies like consistently getting new is going to power a whole Waymo, Uber and Intel testing out these futuristic, driverless members and new faces,” new generation of products cars up and down city streets. Camacho says he wants to he says. “I really do feel like and capabilities that today’s create testing corridors for these firms so those companies there’s an increased level of technology doesn’t yet can test their technology with an emphasis on safety. innovation happening right provide,” Formisano says here in Phoenix.” about the technology that Fab 42 will produce in Chandler THE CONNECTED PLACE for Internet of Things devices. When Camacho talks with venture-backed companies that For more than 30 years in Arizona, Intel operated its are looking to expand beyond the borders of Silicon Valley, they embedded business, which worked to place Intel processors into often already know how great Phoenix is as a convention town or physical devices like cash registers and ATMs. Intel’s Internet golfing destination. of Things business was born out of its embedded business and Through Camacho’s and many others’ efforts, that perception is as technology advanced, allowing those devices to become starting to change. Business leaders are starting to know about the connected to the cloud and beyond, Formisano says. talent advantages in the Valley because of the leading universities With many high-tech companies and innovative institutions with campuses in the Greater Phoenix region. They also know like Arizona State University operating within the Greater Phoenix region, it is a great place for Intel’s IoT business, he says. about the cost advantages to doing business here, Camacho says. When he starts to get into the Connected Place discussion — Through its internship program, Intel is able to tap into the latest minds entering the Internet of Things space. Some of those like how huge a corporation like Intel has its IoT headquarters in

SMART CLUSTERS

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GPEC Chandler and all of the autonomous vehicle testing being conducted by Uber and Waymo — the perception is starting to change. “There’s a recognition that we’re definitely moving up the innovation lifecycle position,” Camacho says. “That didn’t exist 10 years ago. That’s a natural progression and maturity that we’re pretty excited about.” Coming out of the horrors of the last recession — arguably the worst we’ve had in 100 years, Camacho says — economic developers like Camacho have been trying to grasp where their markets fit in this thing we call the global economy. The Connected Place, a branding that makes the Greater Phoenix region the first connected region through Internet of Things technologies, is that identity for this market.

Local mayors, industry leaders and GPEC’s supervisors are all gearing up to do their part to make the Greater Phoenix region truly connected. “GPEC’s Connected Place initiative facilitates and promotes the emergence of employment clusters that will drive high-wage job growth and an entrepreneurial ecosystem in exciting high-growth industries for decades to come” says Andy Warren, president of Maracay Homes and vice chair on GPEC’s board. Camacho argues that a lot of the Greater Phoenix region’s legacy companies — and even young and up-and-coming companies are heavily invested in the world of the Internet of Things. “That’s why we’re confident the Connected Place isn’t just a tagline,” Camacho says. “This is about the future positioning of our market so that we have this global identity going forward.”

DRIVERLESS VEHICLES

From driverless cars and aircraft, innovation is happening in Greater Phoenix faster than you can imagine. Companies here include those in manufacturing as well as the components, software and communications systems that power and operate them.

WEARABLES

This IoT subsector in Greater Phoenix is creating devices that are worn to track medical and physical conditions in addition to creating devices for agriculture and farming to monitor crop and livestock conditions.

THE

CONNECTED PLACE

CYBERSECURITY

The Greater Phoenix Economic Council’s regional approach to connectivity extends beyond the fabric of our community. As a region, GPEC is on a relentless pursuit to attract and build innovation and technology companies that are committed to changing the game. To the leaders at GPEC, connectivity is about the region’s legacy businesses joining forces with emerging disruptors. It’s about the Valley’s educational institutions working together to produce talent that is job ready and entrepreneurial in spirit. It’s about community organizations listening to residents and responding in kind. It’s about the Internet of Things being THE thing in Greater Phoenix.

Greater Phoenix is the hub for software and services used to protect and secure information. Growth in the IoT sector places an increased emphasis on cybersecurity due to the growth in data collected from devices equipped with sensor capabilities.

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INDUSTRY 4.0

From hardware and software applications, the Industry 4.0 sector in Greater Phoenix improves existing manufacturing and distribution capabilities. These include machine monitoring and optimization of maintenance as well as supply chain management technology and novel distribution techniques.

GPEC

ECONOMIC

DRIVER

Autonomous vehicle testing helps steer Metro Phoenix into position as a leader in innovation By JESSE A. MILLARD

ive years ago, you would have been called crazy if you said computers would be driving cars down Chandler Boulevard today. This prediction is steadily turning into a reality as technology companies test autonomous vehicles in Metro Phoenix. “I was with Steve Wozniak four years ago,” says Chris Camacho, president and CEO of the Greater Phoenix Economic Council. “I asked him what he was spending his time on. He said, ‘By 2018

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you’ll see autonomous vehicles on the road.’ And at the time, we didn’t know what that term was. But here we are today, seeing very wide-scale deployment right here in Arizona.” Arizona has always been known as a testing ground for vehicles. Demand for autonomous vehicles, which could unleash a new world of safe commuting by car, has been growing, and Arizona is in a position to lead the way for testing as other parts of the country vie to be the next hub for this technology.

“Phoenix is charting a course of attracting innovators, so it’s no surprise when companies choose Phoenix to showcase the latest advances in technology,” says Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton. “Phoenix welcomes the endless possibilities this technology can bring to our city.” THE SIGNS OF SUCCESS In the early stages of public autonomous vehicle testing, Gov. Doug Ducey issued

Chris Camacho

his support for autonomous vehicle testing in Arizona through an executive order in 2015. The governor directed all Arizona state agencies with regulatory jurisdiction that may affect driverless vehicles to support the testing and operation of autonomous vehicles in Arizona. “As soon as Gov. Ducey allowed autonomous vehicles, he saved us a lot of headaches,” says Ashraf Gaffar, assistant professor and honors faculty at ASU’s School of Computing, Informatics and Decision Systems Engineering. The executive order limited the bureaucracy that could interfere with autonomous vehicle research and testing in Arizona, while also enabling researchers at ASU like Gaffar to aggressively pursue their work. Gaffar says fully autonomous vehicles for the masses won’t be happening any time soon but that doesn’t mean we can’t make the current cars on the road smarter in the meantime.

Doug Ducey

Ashraf Gaffar

Sharon Harper

in the event it isn’t performing properly. He is also working to create a co-driver that can take over the vehicle — semiautonomously or fully depending on the situation — when the driver becomes distracted. This technology can be integrated into existing hardware found in modern cars, Gaffar says. The National Science Foundation recently qualified him for a program called Innovation Node so he can work with Tekedra N. Greg Stanton potential business partners and sponsors Mawakana to commercialize his work. ASU’s infrastructure is also conducive to His work is helping create the next bringing and attracting more autonomous generation of autonomous vehicle vehicle players, besides the ones already engineers, who are working on systems in testing here, such as Waymo and Uber. school that they’ll go on to utilize in the There is plenty of space near ASU’s campus real world. for researchers, Gaffer says, and the school “Students benefit in return by being able is home to simulation labs that help his to go out, especially and specifically for research and could be utilized by others. the automotive industry, and tell them, It’s a very exciting time to be working on ‘Hey, we’re not going to just claim that autonomous vehicle research in Arizona, we know programming. We know how to Gaffar says. And Bill Gates’ plan to create program and build an intelligent vehicle,’’’ a smart city near Tonopah will only Gaffar says. boost the region’s autonomous vehicle Gaffar’s students have gone to work for momentum, he says. large automotive companies like Ford and Tesla, which are mostly out of state, but THE WAYMO EFFECT Gaffar has also had students go on to work In the early part of 2016, Waymo, a with Intel and its autonomous vehicle spin-off from the Google parent company program in Chandler. Alphabet, came to Metro Phoenix to start With autonomous vehicles, Gaffar testing its autonomous vehicles. Waymo and his students are working to create was attracted to the region due to its an “intelligent co-driver,” which will welcoming attitude toward innovation and provide an in-depth analysis of how an the fast growth of the state, says Tekedra autonomous vehicle performed, while also N. Mawakana, global head of policy and providing a safety system for the vehicle government affairs for Waymo. AB | January - February 2018 117

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“I can tell you, as a working mom, actually having a car that could pick up my son and take him to soccer practice and bring him back home where I can have dinner ready — that would be amazing,” — Tekedra Mawakana

At the time, Waymo thought it would be the perfect opportunity to start educating the public about autonomous vehicles, so the company found local community partners — such as the Foundation for Blind Children and East Valley Partnership — to launch the nation’s first awareness campaign about the technology in Arizona, Mawakana says. Waymo also hopes to play a role in assisting Metro Phoenix’s transportation needs, she says. The area already has a robust transit infrastructure with easy access to a variety of options like light rail, biking, ride-sharing and more, but adding another element with self-driving vehicles could bolster the region’s ease of accessibility. “I can tell you, as a working mom, actually having a car that could pick up my son and take him to soccer practice and bring him back home where I can have 118

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dinner ready — that would be amazing,” Mawakana says. Waymo has deployed its early driver program in the Valley, which allows regular citizens to hail Waymo’s vehicles to transport them around the Valley. Mawakana says Waymo is learning a great deal about how people would use selfdriving cars in the future from the program. In the late part of the 2017, Waymo announced that some of its vehicles in the Chandler region would start driving without a human driver behind the wheel. Before the announcement, Waymo’s vehicles drove with a test driver behind the wheel, who were ready to take command of the vehicle in the event of a vehicle error. “We’ve now determined that we’re ready to remove the test driver in Chandler, where we’ve tested most extensively,” Mawakana says. There will still be cars driving with test drivers behind the wheel, she adds.

In the next few months, Waymo will be inviting its early riders into its vehicles in the Greater Phoenix area that won’t have a test driver behind the wheel, Mawakana says. After a feedback period, Waymo plans to start inviting the public into its autonomous vehicles through a commercial service right here in Arizona, Mawakana says. “Both autonomous vehicles and the increased use of ride-sharing services will likely serve to lessen the parking requirements for future commercial real estate projects,” says Sharon Harper, president and CEO of Plaza Companies and GPEC board member. “This is great news for developers and for the economy, as structures are expensive to build. The impact of autonomous vehicles could dramatically affect how people travel to and from work, which would have a ripple effect on how commercial office and retail projects are built.”

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SKYâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S THE LIMIT

Population explosion helps economic developers sell the region as a hot spot to do business

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Milton Dohoney Jr

Doug Ducey

Pam Kahaly

Kevin Sullivan

By JESSE A. MILLARD

he Greater Phoenix region is growing up and getting big. Phoenix was ranked as the fifth-largest city in the nation in July of 2016, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Maricopa County, which is home to much of the Greater Phoenix Metropolitan region, has the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s highest annual population growth â&#x20AC;&#x201D; adding more than 222 people a day in 2016, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. None of this has happened by accident.

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BY THE

NUMBERS

Projected employment growth over the next decade in Greater Phoenix is 17 percent, compared with the national average of 11 percent.

With a median age of 35.4, Greater Phoenix is the sixth youngest metropolitan area in the United States.

1,200 There are more than 1,200 daily domestic and international flights from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

32 The Greater Phoenix region offers operational costs of up to 32 percent less than California

More than 40 universities and other educational institutions prepare the market’s workforce across a variety of industries.

Maricopa Community Colleges is the largest community college system in the United States, educating and training more than 200,000 individuals annually.

5.5 MILLION

40 MILLION

Greater Phoenix has a population of 4.4 million and is expected to grow to 5.5 million in the next 10 years.

Nearly 40 million consumers can be served within a single day’s truck haul from Greater Phoenix.

Source: Greater Phoenix Economic Council

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Since the Great Recession, government leaders and local economic developers have worked to diversify the economy by attracting more businesses to the region. “The mindset we have in the City of Phoenix is that we have to be aggressive about growth,” says Milton Dohoney Jr., assistant city manager for the City of Phoenix. At a recent conference hosted by the publication Route Fifty, Dohoney says that Phoenix does this by being actively involved with creating an environment in which people want join. The city has helped local businesses find wider markets through the opening of trade offices in Mexico. And Phoenix is directly involved with business transactions when needed, as well as the retention and attraction of businesses, Dohoney says. Active involvement isn’t just coming from the city. Since Gov. Doug Ducey took office, he has been a vocal champion of the region in trying to attract more businesses and innovators to Arizona by cutting regulation to pave the way for modern innovators. “Aside from the amazing opportunity to lead Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona, the choice to move to Arizona was an easy one,” said Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona President and CEO Pam Kehaly, who recently made the move from California to the Valley. “The business community has an entrepreneurial spirit and a desire to create partnerships that benefit its residents, which are necessary ingredients for success. By working together we can ensure Arizona remains a place where people want to raise their families and businesses thrive.” And “open for business” it is. Besides the huge boost in population growth, Arizona’s five-year projected jobs added for fiscal years 2013-2017 is 87,132, according to the Arizona Commerce Authority. That

number is 116 percent of the goal set by the economic development group. One of the biggest things that’s been helping the Greater Phoenix region attract and retain so many firms has been its workforce. The local universities and community colleges have been producing a viable workforce for employers to tap into. Arizona State University has fueled hightech jobs growth in the region through its engineering program, which has tied for 40th in U.S. News & World Report’s 2018 rankings. The same publication has also dubbed ASU the No. 1 innovative school in the country for three years in a row. At the Route Fifty event, Kevin Sullivan, the Arizona Commerce Authority’s senior vice president of business attraction, says the community colleges have been a big aide in attracting manufacturers, too. The community colleges have been flexible in training needed workers by forming partnerships with employers, he says. During a discussion about why their businesses chose the Greater Phoenix region for expansion, Jeanne Ludwig, of Northern Trust; and Joe Bocanegra, of ZipRecruiter, both cited the Phoenix area’s wealth of talent for reasons for coming to the Phoenix area. Quality of life (hello, sunshine and cheap housing) was also cited for reasons for coming to the Phoenix region. For years, Metro Phoenix has been known as just another golfing destination for business executives, but many factors and the work of local business leaders and the leaders of the Greater Phoenix Economic Council and the Arizona Commerce Authority has been flipping the script — helping Phoenix and its surrounding communities become one of the fastest-growing and most high-tech regions in the country.

WHERE COMPANIES COME TO

SCALE According to the Greater Phoenix Economic Council (GPEC), Greater Phoenix is fast-paced, dynamic and possesses an unapologetic willingness to get things done. The region has a pioneering spirit and welcoming attitude — toward people and business. When business leaders expand or relocate their businesses here, they join a community rich with opportunity, innovation and economic vibrancy. LABOR COSTS: The region has an extremely competitive workforce while maintaining one of the lowest costs for labor in the nation. PRO-BUSINESS: From aggressive tax credits and incentives to programs designed to increase access to capital, the region offers a robust, pro-business climate. GET CONNECTED: More than 60 fiber, telecom, broadband and wireless providers available in the region offer a robust fiber-optic network. OPERATING COSTS AND INCENTIVES: Greater Phoenix has removed the red tape, lowered taxes and offers competitive incentive programs that improve a business’s bottom line — to make doing business here easier than ever. INFRASTRUCTURE: Our modern and dependable infrastructure offers easy and reliable access to the market–and to your consumers. Nearly 40 million consumers can be reached within a single day truck haul, and Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport reaches 142 domestic and international locations. DEMOGRAPHICS AND WORKFORCE: Greater Phoenix is the place for worldclass talent, offering a skilled, diverse workforce, prepared for in-demand disciplines in emerging industries. Graduates from area universities and community colleges are ready to excel in the jobs of today and tomorrow.

Source: Greater Phoenix Economic Council

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GPEC

How Phoenix is improving

GLOBAL READINESS T

he Metro Phoenix Global Investment Plan examines the challenges and opportunities for attracting and retaining foreign direct investment in Greater Phoenix, and develops strategies for establishing the region as a leader in the Internet of Things (IoT) and sensor technology applications. The initiatives outlined in the plan are designed to encourage growth of the region’s legacy and emerging IoT assets and improve global readiness, trade, international investment and the region’s competitiveness. Here are some key findings, according to the Greater Phoenix Economic Council: LITTLE HISTORIC FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT: Historically, foreign direct investment (FDI) into Greater Phoenix has not been aligned with the region’s aerospace and microelectronics clusters.

BY THE

NUMBERS 4.63 million people call Greater Phoenix home.

Foreign-owned firms in Greater Phoenix.

INTERNATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES: The impending Internet of Things (IoT) revolution is creating new international investment opportunities for the region. WELL POSITIONED: Greater Phoenix is well positioned to capitalize on the evolution and growth of sensor application industries. FOREIGN ENTRY GROWTH: Due to demographics and the structure of the region’s economy, foreign entry through mergers and acquisitions will continue to grow over the next five to 10 years. SMALL EXPANSIONS ARE MAJOR: Small expansions are becoming a larger portion of domestic and international investment into Greater Phoenix. HIGH QUALITY OF LIFE: Many companies who initially consider Greater Phoenix for its low costs, business-friendly environment and market size, are drawn to the region for the exceptional quality of life.

63,298

People employed in Greater Phoenix by foreign-owned companies.

International locations reached through nonstop flights from Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport.

A NEED FOR CONNECTIVITY: Many international companies feel highly courted entering the market, but seek additional connectivity after arriving. CRUCIAL PARTNERSHIPS: Canada and Mexico are essential partners for both trade relations and long-term investment opportunities; Europe and Asia are essential for near-term FDI strategy. RESOURCES: GPEC’s expert business development and research teams have experience in helping international businesses locate to the United States. 124

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Real value of exports got Greater Phoenix in 2015.

120,000 Total number of Greater Phoenix jobs supported by exports in 2014.

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Reception & Dinner JANUARY 18, 2018

JW MARRIOT DESERT RIDGE RESORT AND SPA | 6-8PM

Az Business magazine and the Association of Corporate Counsel will recognize the vital role that in-house counsel plays and acknowledge the accomplishments of leading in-house attorneys at the annual ACC Awards.

Tickets available at azBIGmedia.com

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