AZBusiness September/October 2019

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SEPTEMBER // OCTOBER 2019

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As the Most Admired Companies program celebrates its 10th anniversary, only a handful of organizations have been honored all 10 years

HISPANIC IMPACT

28

MOST ADMIRED COMPANIES

52

MEETING PROFESSIONALS INTERNATIONAL

89

AZ BIOINDUSTRY ASSOCIATION

113

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Table of Contents 6

Trendsetters

12

CEO Series

16

Healthcare

20

Banking

24

Law

28

Hispanic Impact

38

Education

44

Technology

48

Marketing

50

Dining

6

16

52 Most Admired Companies Meeting Professionals 89 International 113 Arizona Bioindustry Association

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ON THE COVER: Clockwise from top: Paul Komadina, senior managing director and market leader, CBRE; Gabrielle Vitale, senior vice president and chief compliance officer, American Express; David Dexter, president and CEO, Sonora Quest Laboratories; Kevin Burnett, CFO, Sundt; and Heather Kane, CEO, UnitedHealthcare, Arizona and New Mexico.

(Photo by Bruce Andersen, AZ Big Media) 2

AB | September - October 2019

SUCCESS IS A MARATHON

I

ran my first marathon when I was 15 years old and I learned right out of the gate that almost anyone can run a great first mile or first half of a marathon. The truly great runners are those who have the patience to pace themselves, to calmly weather the challenges that inevitably come with every endurance race, and can somehow summon the strength to run their last mile even faster than they ran their first.

Success in business can be a lot like that — not getting ahead of yourself, overcoming obstacles that arise, outlasting the competition, being able to step on the gas and rally when opportunities present themselves.

This issue of Az Business epitomizes that marathon analogy because it features the Most Admired Companies in Arizona.

To become one of Arizona’s Most Admired Companies, a business needs to excel in leadership, social responsibility, workplace culture, customer opinion, and innovation.

And as the Most Admired Companies (MAC) program celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, only five companies have earned MAC status all 10 years, showing the sustained excellence and discipline it takes to be a winner on the marathon course — and in business. Those companies are American Express, CBRE, Sonora Quest Laboratories, Sundt, and UnitedHealthcare. Leaders from those five amazing companies are featured on the cover of this issue of Az Business magazine.

Beyond the brilliance of those fab five, each MAC company profiled inside this magazine has reached a level of excellence that has helped drive Arizona’s economy and made it a better place to work, live, play, and thrive.

Enjoy learning about Arizona’s Most Admired Companies in this issue of Az Business. And if you want us to consider a company for inclusion in Arizona’s Most Admired Companies of 2020, keep checking azbigmedia.com for nominations to open.

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

SHOUT-OUTS ARIZONA COMPANIES DISTINGUISH THEMSELVES BY GIVING BACK Hyundai Hope On Wheels announced a $100,000 Hyundai Impact Award Grant to Phoenix Children’s Hospital to continue its longstanding fight against pediatric cancer. The institution is one of 77 recipients receiving a combined $16 million in new grants this year to develop innovative approaches to finding a cure for the disease.

The Sundt Foundation awarded over $85,000 in grants to 30 Phoenix-area nonprofits during its third-quarter disbursements. “Our Sundt Foundation committee believes in giving back to the community where we live and work,” said Cathie Gabriel, the Sundt Foundation’s Tempe region board member.

“We’re proud to support 30 local organizations this quarter and help them achieve their missions.”

Platinum Living Realty co-owners Jay and Michelle Macklin had the goal of collecting 2,000 bottles of water for the homeless and at-risk families. But they collected more than four times that amount — in excess of 10,000 bottles of water. The company’s title and escrow partners, Title Alliance Platinum Agency, a Title Alliance affiliate, donated 100 cases of water to help them meet the initial goal right off the bat.

This season, Salt River Project is partnering with the Arizona Cardinals to award grants to teachers every time the Cardinals score a touchdown. For every Arizona Cardinals TD this season, two teachers will receive a $500 classroom grant from SRP.

President and CEO: Michael Atkinson Publisher: Josh Schimmels Vice president of operations: Audrey Webb EDITORIAL Editor in chief: Michael Gossie Associate editors: Steve Burks | Alyssa Tufts Interns: Kaya Broady | Angelica Olivas Contributing writers: Ted Anderson | Alison Bailin Batz Joan Koerber-Walker | Stephanie Quincy Erin Thorburn | Steven G. Zylstra ART Design director: Bruce Andersen Art director: Mike Mertes Intern: Ane Pulu MARKETING/EVENTS Marketing & events manager: Keith Chandler Digital strategy manager: Gloria Del Grosso Marketing designer: Michael Bodnar OFFICE Special projects manager: Sara Fregapane Executive assistant: Brianna Villa Database solutions manager: Amanda Bruno AZ BUSINESS MAGAZINE Senior account manager: David Harken Account managers: April Rice | Kim Bailey AZ BUSINESS ANGELS AZ BUSINESS LEADERS Director of sales: Sheri Brown

Employees of the Phoenix law firm Jaburg Wilk supported Boys Hope Girls Hope of Arizona by collecting back to school supplies from their wish list for the second consecutive year. They collected binders, paper, notebooks, pens, pencils, earbuds, pencil cases, pocket folders and other supplies.

HOME & DESIGN

Lyft announced the expansion of its Wheels for All Grants program to support the important work of Valley nonprofit organizations.

Lyft in Phoenix will award ride grants to nonprofits on a quarterly basis to help bridge transportation gaps for individuals and families.

EXPERIENCE ARIZONA | PLAY BALL Director of sales: Donna Roberts

International Cruise & Excursions, Inc. (ICE) held its Fill-ABackpack Drive during the month of July to raise funds and donate school supplies to its local nonprofit community partner, A New Leaf. The effort helped fill more than 800 backpacks with binders, notebooks, calculators, pencils, markers, glue, rulers, and many other school supplies. This drive marks ICE’s largest donation ever to A New Leaf.

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AZRE | ARIZONA COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE Director of sales: Ann McSherry Director of business development: Carol Shepard

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 2017 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

THE

ah l D a s i L f Che nd

rou g w e n s k brea

Call it another first for acclaimed selftaught chef and restaurateur Lisa Dahl.

The mind behind Sedona hot spots Dahl & Di Luca Ristorante Italiano, Cucina Rustica, Pisa Lisa and Mariposa Latin Inspired Grill, is the first-ever recipient of the “Best Chefs of America Hall of Fame Award” by National Elite, an invitation-only, membership-based culinary organization.

Dahl plans to open two new restaurants later this year, Butterfly Burger, a “couture burger lounge,” and a second Pisa Lisa location.

MOST VALUABLE COMPANIES IN ARIZONA Here are the 25 most valuable publicly traded Arizona-based companies, ranked by stock market value as of May 31, 2019: 1 | Republic Services Inc. $27.3B $20.1B 2 | Microchip Technology $15.4B 3 | Freeport-McMoRan $13.5B 4 | GoDaddy 5 | Pinnacle West Capital Corp. (APS) $10.8B $10.1B 6 | Carvana $8.4B 7 | Vereit $8.1B 8 | On Semiconductor $7.9B 9 | Amerco (U-Haul) $7.8B 10 | Carlisle Companies $7.7B 11 (tie) | STORE Capital $7.7B 11 (tie) | First Solar $6.4B 13 | Cable One 14 | Healthcare Trust of America $5.8B 15 (tie) | Grand Canyon Education $5.6B $5.6B 15 (tie) | Versum Materials 17 | Knight-Swift Transportation $5.5B 18 (tie) | Western Alliance Bancorporation $4.7B $4.7B 18 (tie) | Avnet $4B 20 | Axon Enterprises $3.2B 21 | Rogers Corp. $2.5B 22 | Sprouts Farmers Market $2.4B 23 | Verra Mobility Corp.

24 | Taylor Morrison Home Corp. $2.3B 25 (tie) | Meritage Homes Corp. $2B $2B 25 (tie) | Insight Enterprises 6

AB | September - October 2019

3 QUESTIONS

with Frank Molinaro

Az Business: What personal qualities helped you succeed?

AB: What is your best business advice?

FM: Listen to your customers. Typically, hospitals as a whole are not connected well enough to our patients, their families and our physicians. The more we listen to our customers, the better suited we will be able to adapt to changes in our industry.

FRANK MOLINARO: Patience and perseverance are two key factors. One of the things I learned early on is that strategies take time and you don’t usually see immediate results. I’ve been fortunate to work with physicians and colleagues who focus on longterm success.

AB: What is your prized possession?

FM: A framed passenger log from my grandfather’s arrival on Ellis Island. He was 12 years old when he came from Italy on his own with only $14 and reminds me of his amazing courage and determination and the lessons he taught us.

Frank Molinaro is chief executive officer of Abrazo Community Health Network and Arizona Group CEO for Tenet Healthcare.

The Abrazo network includes Abrazo Arizona Heart Hospital, Abrazo Arrowhead Campus, Abrazo Central Campus, Abrazo Mesa Hospital, Abrazo Scottsdale Campus and Abrazo West Campus.

PHOENIX RANKS AMONG MOST AFFORDABLE VACATION DESTINATION With the hottest days of 2019 behind us (hopefully), SmartAsset research of the most affordable travel destinations nationwide shows that Phoenix ranks as the seventh-most affordable spot for individual travelers and 12th-most affordable for families. A three-day, three-night trip to Phoenix will run an individual just over $1,007 on average. Rental cars in Phoenix are cheap, averaging just $47 per day, but round-trip plane tickets are on the more expensive side, averaging around $342.

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TRENDSETTERS

CLASS ACTS

Arizona businesses go back to school to impact our communities

By ALISON BAILIN BATZ

Quarles & Brady:

While September means back-to-school time for many, school is always in session for these local organizations, each of which work to make an impact in our community by providing services to local schools.

For nearly 30 years, Quarles & Brady has enjoyed a strong partnership with CAPITOL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL in Phoenix.

Through its Quarles Cares volunteer program, partners and team members work with students throughout the year as reading tutors and as homeroom parents to host classroom celebrations three times a year. In addition, the firm fundraises to support the COUGAR COMMONS, a new Capital School initiative to recognize, reinforce and reward positive behaviors.

Pioneer Title Agency: The family owned title agency, which has more than 75 locations across Arizona and touches all 15 counties, recently completed its “Old School” initiative. Through the program, Pioneer leadership empowered each of its team members in Arizona to donate time and raise funds for schools in their own communities. To assist in the effort, Pioneer provided eight hours of paid time off as well as $100 to help each employee engage.

Southwest Behavioral & Health Services:

The innovative leader in behavioral health is offering Mental Health First Aid training, a course that teaches individuals how to help someone who may be experiencing a mental health crisis, for teachers and school district staff.

Mental Health First Aid training provides the necessary tools so teachers, administrators and parents know how to listen, evaluate and act on any potential mental health crisis.

USDAARS, Arid-Land Agricultural Research Center and University of Arizona Maricopa Agricultural Center:

CENTRAL ARIZONA COLLEGE’S PROJECT PUENTE is an internship program offered to high school students and entrylevel college students providing them with the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in such fields of study as agricultural and natural resources and food safety and security. Internships are offered at USDA-ARS, Arid-Land Agricultural Research Center and the University of Arizona Maricopa Agricultural Center in Maricopa. The goal is to inspire students in rural communities to pursue bioscience careers through science immersion activities.

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Washington Federal: The bank not only offers regular programs teaching financial literacy to children in elementary, middle and high schools at no cost to the schools, parents or taxpayers, they have Shark Tank. Each year, the bank’s executives partner with METRO TECH HIGH SCHOOL in Phoenix and visit the school as “sharks.” The students’ mission: present compelling business cases and secure “funding” for said “start-up,” which they’ve spent the semester researching and developing.

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TRENDSETTERS

ES L T S U H SI DE

White leaves behind 35 years of influence and impact

grow in popularity

Side hustles are becoming more popular as a way to supplement income, pay off expenses or invest for the future. Forty-five percent of Americans have side hustles that earn them an average of $1,122 per month and 40 percent of Millennials say they earn more than half their income from side gigs. The highestpaying side hustles: Lyft or Uber drivers, tutors, repair workers, freelancers and brand ambassadors.

According to Jennifer Ward, Arizona president of the Employers Council, factors to consider when looking for a side hustle include the industry, experience or skills needed, commuting or remote work, and balancing scheduling with existing commitments.

Figuring out a way to monetize a passion and seeking opportunities through job sites, social media or temp agencies can help people discover the perfect side hustle, Ward says.

ARIZONA RANKS NO. 2 IN U.S. FOR JOB GROWTH Arizona’s booming economy continues to dominate national rankings for job growth.

Arizona ranked No. 2 in the nation for yearover-year job growth, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Arizona added more than 80,000 new non-farm jobs from June 2018 to June 2019. This growth

was driven by hiring in the education and health services (23,200 jobs), construction (18,200 jobs) and professional and business services (13,500 jobs) sectors.

More than 300,000 new jobs have been added since 2015 and Arizona is projected to add another 165,000 new jobs by 2020.

HERE ARE ARIZONA’S

BILLIONAIRES

The stock market has been sizzling. Unemployment is at historic lows. Americans are making more money than ever before. So, who in Arizona is making the most? Here are Arizona’s nine billionaires, according Forbes’ list of the world’s richest people.

Ernest Garcia II, owner of DriveTime: Mark Shoen, U-Haul parent company co-owner: Arturo Moreno, Los Angeles Angels owner: Joe Shoen, U-Haul chairman: Bob Parsons, GoDaddy founder: Bennett Dorrance, member of the Campbell Soup empire: Stewart Horejsi, Berkshire Hathaway co-owner: Peter Sperling, former chairman of the Apollo Group: Jerry Moyes, Swift Transportation founder:

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5.6B $3.2B $3B $2.7B $2.5B $2.3B $1.9B $1.4B $1.2B $

Patty White, who began her career as a cardiovascular nurse more than 35 years ago before moving her way up the ladder at Dignity Health, has retired as president and chief executive officer at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center, where she led a team of almost 5,000 physicians, clinical staff and volunteers.

“Becoming president and CEO of St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center was a great honor and responsibility,” says White, one of Az Business magazine’s Most Influential Women of 2013. “I’m also very proud that I was able to maintain a work/life balance while overseeing a 24/7 business full of life and death decisions.”

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CEO SERIES

The birth of an

ENTREPRENEUR

Here’s how an emergency room doctor became a pioneer in the world of telemedicine

By MICHAEL GOSSIE

A

lan Roga, MD, says he will always be grateful to the State of Arizona.

“We won the Arizona Innovation Challenge in 2012,” Dr. Roga says. “With that, the State of Arizona gave us $250,000, which for a start-up is life’s blood.”

The innovative company Dr. Roga founded was Stat Doctors, which provided virtual house calls via internet or phone with a board-certified emergency room physician for the diagnosis and treatment of most minor medical conditions. The company was acquired by Teladoc Health in 2015 and Dr. Roga is now president of hospital and health systems for Teladoc.

Az Business sat down with one of the true pioneers in telemedicine to find out what inspired him to change the landscape of the healthcare industry.

Az Business: What was your initial attraction to telemedicine?

Alan Roga: I worked for many years as an emergency room doctor for HonorHealth, which was then Scottsdale Healthcare.

At the end of the day, I got tired of charging someone $2,000 because their child had pink eye or a cough and ended up in the ER because they couldn’t see their primary care doctor.

AB: What was the genesis of your involvement in telemedicine?

AR: In January 2009, I went to a conference on computers and technology and I was not a technology person at the time. But it showed me that if we utilized technology, we could get rid of a lot of costs that don’t add value to the patient. I flew home and went to work that night in the ER and took care of a mom who had three kids who had colds. I said, “I’m just curious. You have 12

AB | September - October 2019

“I think I’m almost the grandfather of like seven telemedicine companies in Arizona now,” says Alan Roga, MD, FACEP, president of hospital and health systems for Teladoc Health.

“Phoenix has become the Silicon Desert and a great home to technology companies. I’m proud that I was one of the people that helped start that.” (Photo by Bruce Andersen, AZ Big Media)

a pediatrician. You have insurance. Why are you here tonight?”

She told me she was a single mom and if she called her pediatrician, she’d have to get an appointment during the week and then have to miss work and she couldn’t afford to do that.

AB: Is that when the light bulb went off?

AR: I was thinking out loud and kind of making it up as I went along. I said to her, “What if I could bring you me — a boardcertified ER doctor — 24/7/365 and we could visit by phone or video, we could do prescriptions electronically and I’m going to charge you $50?” She said, “I’ll go home right now and do that.”

And I said, “Wait, it doesn’t exist yet.”

AB: And that was how Stat Doctors was born?

AR: I woke up the next morning and said to my wife, “I have an idea. What do you think about virtual care?” At the time, we weren’t even using mobile phones like we are today. My wife, who will take two hours to match shoes to a dress, took less than 30 seconds to answer. She said, “That’s a wonderful idea. You should do that.” So my entire medical career changed in that moment.

And that’s where an entrepreneur was born.

I incorporated the company in March 2009, did a couple rounds of financing and quickly built Stat Doctors into a company that ultimately served 1 million patients in 44 states.

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HEALTHCARE

A BRIGHTER Here’s how teletherapy is bridging the treatment gap and reducing employee burnout

By ALYSSA TUFTS

I

f you’re tired, unmotivated, or simply not excited to go to work every day, there could be many factors that lead to those negative feelings.

It could be personal issues or mental health concerns that may take up more of your focus at work than you realize.

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OUTLOOK And in Arizona, that could be a problem.

The nonprofit Mental Health American ranked Arizona 42 out of 51 states for access to mental healthcare and a Kronos Inc. and Future Workplace study found 95 percent of HR leaders said burnout is sabotaging workforce retention. But a growing number of experts are beginning to tout the benefits of mental health teletherapy to combat burnout for workers in high-risk industries.

Teletherapy, or online doctor’s appointments, is a $6 billion industry and is estimated to reach about $20 billion in 2025. The benefits of teletherapy include no commute time, privacy, accessibility and being able to conveniently speak with a mental health professional through video conferencing or a phone call.

Benefits of teletherapy Jerome Lerner, MD, director of the Licensed Professionals and Executives Program at Sierra Tucson, says teletherapy bridges the treatment gap through affordability, convenience and privacy.

“If people can’t physically get to a treatment center or a therapist’s office without inconvenience, teletherapy makes it very convenient since it’s a phone call or Skype visit away,” Lerner says. “For employees, you eliminate time away from work that’s required not only for the appointment, but commuting as well.”

Teletherapy can also help people feel more comfortable communicating with a therapist because some people may feel embarrassed about going to a

mental health care provider. In addition, teletherapy is beneficial to a therapist who doesn’t have the added responsibility of running an office and waiting area, and there are fewer cancellations with teletherapy compared with in-person therapy, Lerner says.

“Technology has opened a new frontier in mental health: support, data collection and treatment,” says Chad Snyder, clinical director of MeMD, which provides minor medical care and behavioral health services virtually through licensed medical providers and therapists.

“Consumers can utilize our services by audio or video, so they can call MeMD or look on the website and see what counseling services we offer, what providers they might be interested in based on their bios, and schedule a time to talk with a professional,” Snyder says.

“We have a diverse range of professionals — from licensed counselors, social workers, nurses and family therapists that can help.”

Employee burnout in the workplace According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), about one in five adults in the U.S. experiences some type of mental illness in a given year.

“If those people are not helped, they will not be productive,” Lerner says. “They also often lose work time if they’re struggling with a mental health issue or an addiction.

Those people will be more productive if they can process their stresses and difficulties and have support and some help in creating

Chad Snyder

Jerome Lerner, MD AB | September - October 2019 17

HEALTHCARE

“There’s evidence that shows teletherapy boosts efficiency, reduces costs and improves clinical outcomes.”

— Chad Snyder

a healthier, more balanced lifestyle, which also helps them be a better employee.”

Employee burnout can be a precursor to an employee seeking teletherapy. Whether they’re overwhelmed with too much work, feel unsupported by their boss or colleagues or are dealing with personal concerns that carry over into the workplace, it can take a toll on an employee’s professional productivity and enthusiasm.

“For example, if you have accelerated the work pace and increased work hours and there’s a huge false sense of urgency or lack of identified priorities from leadership or management, it contributes to stress and feeling overwhelmed,” Snyder says. “Burnout is often described as having factors that negatively contribute to work ethic and productivity due to severe exhaustion, lack of motivation, lack of satisfaction from work and emotional depletion.

“When experiencing burnout, people have a perception of diminished personal or professional accomplishments which can lead to a cycle of feeling more burned-out and manifest in employees overall having a more negative and less professional attitude, which can have a contagion factor for other employees,” Snyder says. “It can impact the work environment on many levels.”

Addressing burnout with options Snyder says the first step in addressing and alleviating employee burnout is to acknowledge and recognize signs, 18

AB | September - October 2019

such as not meeting deadlines, lack of communication or initiative, or a change in normal behavior or professionalism. An employee might notice their unwillingness to discuss work in social or family circles, reluctantance to check emails or that they are easily frustrated at work, Snyder says.

“Communicate to employees the organizational commitment to the importance of a good work/life balance,” Snyder says. “Research demonstrates that healthy employees are productive employees and healthy isn’t just confined to physical health.”

In addition, Snyder says employers can include teletherapy in benefit plans to minimize the stigma associated with needing personal time, such as an employee who uses a sick day for a “mental health day.” Burned-out workers are 63 percent more likely to take a sick day, according to a Gallup study.

“A lot of times, companies and employees don’t equate mental health with a sick day,” Snyder says. “Instead, they think sick days are for physical illness or injuries, so a lot of employees opt out of using the sick days.

However, if they use their vacation days, they’re already burned-out so it’s not really restorative or valuable.”

To address these concerns in employees, Snyder says it’s important employers make sure employees are aware of teletherapy options.

“There’s evidence that shows teletherapy boosts efficiency, reduces costs and

improves clinical outcomes,” Snyder says.

“It gives employees an opportunity to work with a counselor who can help them develop coping strategies, such as taking breaks or walks during work, or self-care strategies like unplugging from social media, engaging in hobbies or exercising.

“Teletherapy also gives people opportunities to be heard, which is very cathartic for someone to feel validated and supported. Working through treatment can help individuals to develop reasonable limits and boundaries between work and their personal life,” Snyder says.

What’s next Lerner thinks teletherapy is going to continue to expand, as it’s helpful for both the employee and the employer.

“There’s not going to be any end to the shortage of mental health professionals that we are experiencing, so any way that we can make it more efficient, available and accessible for people to receive these services, the better the person is, as well as the employer for whom that person is working,” Lerner says.

“One of the biggest things that helps individuals deal with burnout, stress or mental health is having good support networks, and work is no different,” Snyder says. “We spend a great deal of time in our work environment, so creating environments that contribute to social connectedness and belonging and being supportive are really advantageous.”

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BANKING

UP IN SM KE New legislation may weed out old federal banking regulations that currently prevent cannabis-related businesses from obtaining financial services

By ERIN THORBURN

C

ould new legislation cause current banking and cannabis business restrictions to go up in smoke? While pending legislation may hint at the possibility, Arizona leaders say it might be slightly premature to bank on anything just yet. Presently, any cannabis-related business remains illegal under federal law. This means that although medical marijuana dispensaries can legally own and operate a licensed facility, when it comes to banking, they face significant roadblocks because of the federal law. As long as cannabis remains illegal under federal law, federally governed banks and credit unions will not risk getting into the cannabis business. According to research, only 30 banks or credit unions in the entire United States will currently conduct business with cannabis-related businesses. Now, scale that down to one

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state: Arizona. The margins of cannabisbusiness banking relationships are practically nil.

“There are only two banks I know of in Arizona willing to bank with medical marijuana dispensaries,” says Marie Paredes Saloum, owner and CEO of GreenPharms Dispensary. “When we opened our first dispensary and tried to open an account, we ran into problems.

Since then, our only hope has been that the bank doesn’t realize that we are a dispensary. You hope they don’t ask. And, sometimes they don’t ask at first. But even a month later, the bank’s back office looks us up and sends a letter saying we have a limited time before our account is closed.”

“I can’t do payroll or cash receivables,” Saloum says. “It becomes a safety issue with my staff to have large amounts of cash on hand.”

And, while it’s logical to assume that the banks willing to do business with marijuana dispensaries offer cannabis businesses a lucky lifeline, there’s a catch.

“The problem is that because the banks are willing to work with us, they’re going to charge us exponentially — because they can,” Saloum says. “I can’t think of any other business that gets charged the way I do.”

Why the seemingly inflated charges?

“Banks have to charge fees,” explains Paul Hickman, president and CEO of the Arizona Bankers Association. “A bank’s CASH FLOW profit is based on risk. The fees they charge are high, but they’re not taking advantage While the banks are obviously seeking to protect themselves from exorbitant fines (of the cannabis business). What they are doing is filing suspicious activity reports and sanctions, Arizona dispensaries are faced with a barrage of their own problems. under every transaction which incurs fees.”

“Banks can charge the fees, but expectations need to be communicated and established correctly,” says Laura Bianchi, partner and director of the cannabis practice group for Rose Law Group.

“The problem is that the requirements within the context of fees aren’t properly conveyed. This leads to ramifications for both banks and cannabis businesses.”

Bianchi goes on to explain that charter banks and local banks are more likely to do business with cannabis-related businesses, but it’s still tricky at best.

“I’ve met with a number of banks in the U.S. who want to bank with cannabis businesses, but often don’t simply because they don’t fully understand the rules and regulations,” she says.

IMPACT OF RESTRICTIONS Additionally, what people may neglect to realize is that medical-marijuana dispensaries aren’t the only cannabis-

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BANKING

Laura Bianchi

“There are only two banks I know of in Arizona willing to bank with medical marijuana dispensaries.”

— Marie Paredes Saloum, owner and CEO of GreenPharms Dispensary

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Paul Hickman

related businesses banks are turning away.

Hickman says that contractors and third-party vendors also feel the impact of cannabis banking restrictions.

California-based Green Bits serves as a prime example. Green Bits, a marijuana dispensary point-of-sale software company is classified as an “ancillary cannabis company.” Even though nothing the company produces has any physical contact or involvement with an actual cannabis plant, a financial partner terminated their relationship with Green Bits, simply because of the nature of the business.

Plumbers working at a dispensary or lighting and packaging third-party vendors who do work with cannabis-related businesses are liable to face the same fate.

No matter where one stands on the moral issue of the Arizona cannabis industry, it’s worth considering the economic impact yielded.

“In June alone, we saw 13,000 pounds of medical marijuana sold,” Bianchi says.

“That’s a general revenue of $400 million.

With a 5.6 percent sales tax that’s $22 million. And, that doesn’t include city and county taxes that funnel to municipalities.”

WHAT CAN BE DONE? Despite the taxable revenue, both banks and dispensaries remain in a land-lock.

“The banking industry is not monolithic on the subject,” Hickman says, “but it’s a fairly high consensus that if cannabis is legal in a state where they are doing business, the banks should be able to do business with that industry.”

Hickman goes on to explain that the banking industry’s argument has no moral component.

Marie Paredes Saloum

“All we’re saying is that if it’s a legal and lucrative industry, it should be banked,” he says. “This comes from a place of a parochial and good public policy.”

The best hope for change will be the passing of the SAFE and/or STATES acts.

If passed, the Secure and Fair Enforcement Banking Act — or SAFE Act — will allow federally regulated banks to serve cannabis-related businesses.

Basically, provided that the cannabis businesses they work with comply with state laws, financial institutions will be protected from federal prosecution.

The Strengthening the Tenth Amendment Through Entrusting States, or STATES Act, if approved, allows each individual state to determine the best legal approach to marijuana within its borders. The STATES Act also amends the Controlled Substances Act of 1970. This would ultimately protect state-compliant cannabis-related businesses from federal enforcement.

“We’re watching the SAFE Act locally,” Bianchi says. “It still has to go to the House and then the Senate. In my opinion, the STATES Act comes up short in comparison; I don’t think it’s specific enough. The SAFE Act provides guidance and greater transparency for banking and provides safety for the states.”

“The SAFE act addresses not the legality of marijuana, but how financial services can deal with cannabis businesses,” Hickman says. “It’s the best-case scenario. Ideally, I’d like to see one or both of the SAFE and STATES acts signed and put into law.”

For now, in addition to hope, Hickman offers this: “My advice for both dispensaries and banks is to hang in there.”

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LAW

Employee use of marijuana — where are we headed?

T

he public, Arizona legislature, and courts are

becoming more permissive toward marijuana use. As

Stephanie Quincy Law

additional states adopt protections for employees

who use medical marijuana and also legalize recreational marijuana, employers are left with more questions than answers. It may well be that one size does not fit all employers in approaching this issue.

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While Arizona does not have recreational marijuana, some expect that it will by 2020. This will likely add complexity as employers are faced with additional nuances and challenges as more employees use marijuana.

Arizona already has the Arizona Medical Marijuana Act (“The Act”), which provides protections for employees and employers.

EMPLOYEES Employees cannot be punished for being medical marijuana identification card holders or for positive drug tests unless they used, possessed or were impaired by marijuana at the place of employment or during work hours.

EMPLOYERS If employers have policies and drug testing programs consistent with state law, there is no employee cause of action for adverse employment action based on a good faith belief that an employee used, possessed, or was impaired by any drug while on the employer’s premises or during the hours of employment.

To take advantage of this protection, an employer must have a drug testing policy that complies with Arizona law.

It is critical that this be done before an employee comes forward as a medical marijuana card holder, in fact, employers should do this now if they have not done so already.

Some employers, such as those in health care, transportation, and construction, have many safety- sensitive positions that receive more deference to an employer’s rights, for obvious reasons. Safetysensitive positions include any job that the employer designates as “safety-sensitive,” and/or any position which includes duties that the employer believes in good faith might affect the safety or health of the employee or others. For employers in these areas, a harder line may have to be drawn with employee marijuana use.

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LAW

For other employers, a legally and practically safer approach may be to consider the other “safe harbor” of The Act (other than with “safety-sensitive” positions). That approach calls for taking action against an employee (who has a medical marijuana card or with some employers, perhaps with any employee testing positive for marijuana) only when the employer has a good faith belief that the employee used, possessed or was impaired at work - and not merely based on a positive drug test. While “used” and “possessed” have obvious meanings, unfortunately, “impaired” does not when it comes to marijuana. There are no “legal” levels for impairment of marijuana, unlike alcohol.

A wise employer must focus on impairment indicators (see sidebar) and document them when an employee appears to be impaired. It is critical that supervisors be trained to observe, document and preserve any evidence of impairment. The law permits an employer to consider any of the following: • Observed conduct, behavior or appearance; • Information reported by a person believed to be reliable, including a report by a person who witnessed the use or possession of drugs or drug paraphernalia at work; • Written, electronic or verbal statements; • Lawful video surveillance; • Records of government agencies, law enforcement or courts; • Results of a test for the use of alcohol or drugs; and • Other information reasonably believed to be reliable or accurate.

A recent court decision highlights the importance of this approach. On February 7, 2019, Whitmire v. Wal-Mart Stores Inc., 2019 WL 479842 (D. Ariz. Feb. 7, 2019), found that the employer violated the law when it terminated an employee for a positive drug test, but did not offer evidence of actual impairment during working hours.

In Whitmire, the plaintiff, a Wal-Mart customer service supervisor, injured her 26

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MARIJUANA IMPAIRMENT INDICATORS • Dilated (large) pupils • Smell of marijuana on clothing, in room, or in car • Bloodshot eyes • Sleepy appearance • Reduced motivation • Anxiety • Difficulty thinking • Distorted sensory perceptions • Dry mouth • Feeling/appearing sluggish • Grandiosity (acting in a pompous or boastful manner) • Impaired judgment • Impaired short-term memory • Inappropriate laughter • Increased heart rate • Increased appetite, craving sweets • Reduced coordination • Sadness/depressed mood • Social withdrawal and isolation • Discolored fingers

Source: from The American Council for Drug Education

wrist at work. Upon reporting the injury, Wal-Mart asked Whitmire to submit to a drug test, which it required for all on-thejob injuries.

At the time the test was ordered, WalMart did not know that Whitmire was a “Cardholder” (i.e. she had an Arizonaissued medical marijuana card) or that she had used medical marijuana the night before. Whitmire disclosed these facts at her drug screen, which revealed the presence of marijuana metabolites in her urine. Wal-Mart fired Whitmire for failing the drug test, pursuant to its policy requiring termination when “any detectable amount” of illegal drugs is found in an employee’s body.

Whitmire filed suit in the District Court of Arizona and the court concluded that employees who are prescribed and use medical marijuana are permitted to sue their employers if the employer takes an adverse action in violation of the law.

The court found that an employer has a defense to a lawsuit when it has a good faith belief that the employee was impaired during working hours (or on the employer’s premises) and a drug test (or other evidence) corroborates that good faith belief. Wal-Mart did not support its termination decision with documented observation or anything else that might have supported a good faith belief.

In sum, employers should carefully consider how to handle drug use issues in the workplace as they arise. The more the employer can demonstrate that the employee’s job performance was impacted and that job performance and/or safety are the employer’s focus, the more defensible the action will be. In addition, if the employee is not in a “safety-sensitive position”, employers may want to consider treating marijuana use more like it does alcohol use.

Stephanie Quincy is is the chair of the Labor & Employment Practice Group in the Phoenix office of Quarles & Brady. For more information for how Arizona employers handle drug use issues in the workplace, contact Quincy at stephanie.quincy@ quarles.com or 602-229-5407.

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HISPANIC IMPACT

EL DINERO HABLA MONEY TALKS

Here’s how to tap into the enormous economic impact of Arizona’s Hispanic population

By MICHAEL GOSSIE

R

eady for some sticker shock?

If the entire Hispanic population of the United States formed its own country, it would have a gross domestic product of $2.13 trillion, which would rank seventh in the world, higher than India, Brazil, and Italy.

Don’t think Latinos add just as much economic impact to Arizona’s economy?

Think again.

“There are two areas where Latinos have the greatest impact on Arizona’s business community: workforce and consumer spending,” says Lisa Urias, managing partner at CoNecs North America. “Latinos are entering and graduating from colleges and universities in higher rates than ever before. Businesses won’t be able to grow without this critical segment as part of their workforce.”

The Latino population also represent $46 billion in spending power in Arizona,

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a number that is projected to surpass $57 billion in spending by 2022.

“Today, the median age of Latinos is 30,” Urias says. “These are prime years when they are moving into family formation, marrying, having children, buying homes and cars and making other major purchases. The non-Hispanic white population is moving into retirement years, where they spend more on medical and travel and less on consumer products.

Latino consumers are critical to a business and organizational growth strategy.”

Opportunities arise Given the growth of Hispanics in the workforce, they also represent significant market opportunities for every type of financial institution, including banks, insurance companies, asset managers, and FinTech. Unidos US, a non-partisan Latino civil rights and advocacy organization

projects that in five years, Hispanics will account for about 20 percent of the entire U.S. workforce and more than 30 percent by 2050.

“The economic impact of Hispanics statewide is critical to Arizona’s future, and growing more important every day,” says Frankie Jo Rios, executive director of the East Valley Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. “Some of that is based on ongoing population growth. More Latinos in Arizona means more Latino consumers and entrepreneurs.”

But Rios says other trends are feeding the economic impact on the Hispanic population.

“More Latinos are graduating from high school,” she says. “More Latinos are starting businesses. More Latinos are purchasing homes. Each of these developments fuels our economy, and at a higher rate per capita. Corporate Arizona

GAME CHANGER:

Julio Herrera joined Cox Communications in 2005 as bilingual customer care manager, where he led the company’s bilingual customer support team, Cox Internacional.

As leader of the Cox Internacional department, he envisioned and implemented a workplace for bilingual employees and Latino leaders. Herrera worked collaboratively to set the national standard for Cox as a Spanish Center of Excellence.

(Photo by Bruce Andersen, AZ Big Media)

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Custom Bird Feeders and Totems made from repurposed architectural materials

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HISPANIC IMPACT

Michael Crow

Susana Martinez

is aware and responding to this trend.

The university systems are aware and responding to these trends. The major political parties are aware and responding to these trends. Anyone who is not aware of these developments does so at their own economic peril. The Hispanic market in Arizona is no longer a niche market, it’s part of the mainstream and growing larger every day.”

Missing a chance?

Arizona is home to 2.2 million Hispanics, or 31 percent of the state’s 7 million residents, making it one of nine states with a population of at least 1 million Hispanics, according to the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce’s “DATOS: The State of Arizona’s Hispanic Market” report. But considering Arizona is a major Latino market, experts say Arizona corporations still lag in Latino market spending.

“While large corporations do national campaigns in Spanish or include elements of Latino culture in their general market campaigns, most of the companies connecting really well to this market in Arizona are Latino-owned businesses themselves,” Urias says. “It’s been incredible to see the success of small businesses like the furniture company Muebleria del Sol, the tax-service company Rapido Express, law firms, and banks like Marisol Credit Union. These companies have effectively targeted Latinos and have profited enormously.”

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Urias says Cox Communications and Fry’s Food Stores are two of the best examples of corporations that get the Latino market and reaches them with products that work for the market and a multimedia campaign that includes local strategic outreach.

“As a company, we stay in tune with demographics and we want to mirror the communities we serve,” says Julio Herrera, director of national inbound sales for Cox Communications. “We also strive to hire talent that mirrors the community. So we find people who are good at their jobs and, by the way, they are also bi-lingual and bi-cultural. That helps us stay in tune with our customer base and listen to our customers’ needs and meet those needs.”

Tapping into the market Urias says most consumer brands are lagging in Arizona when compared to other high-demographic Latino markets and could do more to connect with the market.

“The biggest opportunities lie in entertainment areas like casinos and

hospitality, banking (Latinos are also the fastest growing segment of small business startups and need capital for their businesses and home-mortgage loans), real estate, insurance, and auto brands.”

Urias says the principal way of turning this around is to see the market as an important part of your growth strategy, take it seriously, allocate healthy budgets to it, and integrate it into your company’s overarching strategic plan. Are the products and services you offer relevant?

Are you targeting them effectively? This also means Latino inclusion within your workforce and using your employee resource groups to support your efforts.

“The single most important things companies in Arizona are doing to attract Hispanic consumers is to publicly acknowledge the vitality, purchasing power and growth of Hispanic consumers,” Rios says. “There was a time when these trends were ignored. That is no longer the case. All of that said, some companies and nonprofits do a better job than others are serving the Hispanic market. Companies

BY THE NUMBERS Between now and 2025, if Latino employment and population growth continue at its current trend above those for the rest of the U.S. population, the growth will account for:

33,000 more new startup businesses per year

$1,245 more annual output per employee

$701 billion more in real gross domestic product (GDP) annually, comparable to the estimated effects of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (projected to increase the GDP by $470-740 billion per year over the next decade)

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AB | September - October 2019 33

HISPANIC IMPACT

that understand that their managerial infrastructure, meaning their decisionmaking staff, must reflect their customer base. It is the presence of a diverse customer base that will ensure diverse hiring practices all down the line, which translates into customer service personnel who reflect the face of that increasingly diverse consumer base. It’s not brain surgery. Customers want to buy from companies that openly welcome them, and that doesn’t come from simply hanging a sign in the window that says, ‘Hablamos Español.’ Latinos are no different than any other consumer. We buy goods and services we can depend on, which tells us if the companies behind those goods and services are worth investing in as well.”

Guiding light One resource that businesses can utilize when formatting strategies to tap into the

Hispanic market in Arizona is “DATOS: The State of Arizona’s Hispanic Market Report,” which is published annually by the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. The DATOS report covers a wide range of topics in-depth: access to healthcare, affordable quality housing, community safety, economic opportunity, educational opportunity, environmental quality, affordable food, community design, parks and recreation, social/ cultural cohesion, social justice and transportation. DATOS also highlights socio-economic trends and the farreaching implications for the multicultural consumer, entrepreneurs, and corporations across the state and nation.

“Depending on the business, there are many aspects of DATOS that can be used to develop marketing strategies, and statistics can help frame messaging,” says Susana Martinez, regional economic

HISPA NI C

Benito Almanza

development specialist for the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG).

“The same is true for business plans; you can analyze trends to determine market opportunities. This may include identifying gaps or other existing opportunities where you can fulfill a specific niche or need.”

Martinez says the annual DATOS Report showcases a large selection of data that can be analyzed and applied to various business sectors. For example, the Hispanic Chamber partners with organizations like Vitalyst Health Foundation to better promote data using elements of a healthy community. Other data concisely highlight efforts ranging from social/cultural cohesion to transportation.

Taking notice But it’s not just the Hispanic adults that Arizona businesses need to focus upon.

LE A DERS

Lisa Urias

Charles Touché

Arizona market president Bank of America

Managing partner CoNecs North America

CEO Lovitt & Touché, A Marsh & McLennan Agency

Almanza is a graduate of Stanford University and the University of Santa Clara. He has been with the bank for more than 35 years. He currently chairs the Phoenix Aviation Advisory Board and is a member of Teach for America Arizona Board and Greater Phoenix Leadership.

Urias recently merged her successful advertising agency, Urias Communications, with the prestigious Molera Alvarez Government Affairs, to form CoNecs North America.

A forward-thinking visionary with more than 40 years of industry experience, Touché serves as CEO of Lovitt & Touché, A Marsh & McLennan Agency.

Business advice: “Discover what you can contribute to this planet and do it. Don’t think only of what you can get from others; think about your gifts, your interests, your ability to contribute in ways that are meaningful. If you have the inspiration, others around you will appreciate and embrace it.”

Strengths: “Perseverance, persistence and stubbornness have been integral to my success. When I drove Lovitt & Touché’s expansion from Tucson to Phoenix, many people said it would fail. However, I knew our potential and our people. I knew we could become a statewide leader if we went for it.”

Business advice: “Be flexible and stay current. The industry is constantly changing, so learn to read your community’s tea leaves to take advantage of market opportunities.”

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HISPANIC IMPACT

Among the state’s K-12 student population, Latinos are nearly 50 percent of the total, meaning a greater percentage of the state’s future workforce will be Hispanic.

“The one thing we need to focus our energy on is the educational attainment of all people, and in particular people of Latino descent,” said Arizona State University President Michael Crow, who is making a big push to recruit more Hispanic students. “Our economic success will depend on the realization of the American dream for all ethnic groups.”

Even if you’re a business leader who has yet to tap into the growing economic base of the Hispanic market, there is still time to make that cultural shift — and it may impact your bottom line across the board.

“Start with one word: respect,” Rios says.

“In order to serve any customer base, not

just Latinos, a business must respect the impact and influence they wield in the marketplace. The fact that Latino consumer power and business growth is outpacing almost every other major segment of our economy, deserves respect and well-planned response.

Advertising to Latinos, for instance, only during Hispanic Heritage Month is not a thoughtful response, because it suggests that Hispanic consumers don’t matter the rest of the year. The Hispanic market matters.”

And Urias says you cannot look at the Hispanic market as one undifferentiated mass.

“There are various target markets within the Latinx (a gender-neutral neologism, sometimes used in lieu of Latino or Latina) market that may fit your

HISPA NI C

products and services,” she says. “Is it the 1939 Millennial? Are you targeting Latinx with higher income levels for specialty items like high-end automobiles, hospitality, banking services, jewelry, or luxury furnishings? Or are you interested in younger Latinos for music or festival events?”

Urias says it’s vital to develop campaigns that speak to the heart of those audiences and incorporate their stories and know the mediums they consume.

“Latinos over index on digital – again – because they’re younger,” she says.

“Generation Z is the most culturally diverse of any market in American history, and Latinos influence this generation through music, food, culture and stories.

You need to start your strategy with this market in mind. It’s truly the only real growth story out there.”

LE A DERS

Frankie Jo Rios

Dan Puente

Cindy A. Villanueva

What she does: “The East Valley Hispanic Chamber of Commerce serves as a platform promoting diversity. We serve to assist business minded individuals, companies, and organizations in pursuit of reaching the Hispanic market, while promoting economic development. We share key demographic data to address the bilingual and bicultural needs of the East Valley … We serve to facilitate partnerships, relationships, and opportunities for continued growth in business and education in the East Valley.”

Puente established DP Electric in 1990 and began with one truck and a workshop in a utility room off his garage. It has since grown exponentially to service major construction projects, with revenues exceeding $66 million and a workforce of more than 350.

Villanueva’s legal practice primarily focuses on trademark prosecution, counseling, enforcement and licensing. She is on the board of the Los Abogados Hispanic Bar Association and deputy president for Region XIV for the Hispanic National Bar Association.

Business advice: “Patience. When I started DP Electric 29 years ago, if I had the mindset that I wanted it all right away it would have never happened.”

Business advice: “Strong relationships with colleagues will allow you to not only collaborate when it comes to solving complex legal questions, but will also allow you to deal with the stresses and challenges that come with being an attorney.”

Executive director East Valley Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

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Founder and CEO DP Electric

Partner Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie

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HIGHER EDUCATION

MAKING THE GRADE Arizona’s higher education institutions get innovative to meet the evolving financial and lifestyle challenges of students

By ERIN THORBURN

I

n an era when college tuition is skyrocketing, government funding is plummeting and operating costs continue to soar, how can students remain afloat? The path ahead for the modern student is icy at best, littered with several menacing obstacles. How can colleges and universities prevent the metaphoric ocean liner that is the student from colliding into the collective $1.56 trillion pool of existing student loan debt?

As far as Arizona’s higher education institutions are concerned, many are coming to the aid of students by facing these challenges head-on. Strategies are being implemented in pragmatic, proactive and aggressive ways to help dismantle student-loan debt — along with additional obstacles to higher education.

In talking with leaders from Arizona State University, The University of Arizona, the Maricopa County Community College District, Galvanize, and Grand Canyon University, it’s clear that when it comes to the proverbial iceberg threatening educational attainment, it’s time to develop full-steam-ahead solutions.

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BREAKING THE ICE According to research, approximately 69 percent of students from the Class of 2018 took out student loans, graduating with an average debt balance of $29,800.

Collectively, Americans owe upwards of $1.56 trillion in student loan debt (spread across 45 million borrowers).

Student loan debt is currently second only to mortgage debt, exceeding credit card and auto loan debt.

“Over the last 20 years, tuition rates across the country have steadily increased by nearly 240 percent, according to a 2017 report by U.S. News & World Report,’” says Patricia O’Brien, chief operating officer for Maricopa Corporate College.

Thankfully, Arizona is among the lowest average debt states when it comes to student loans. Even though the average student loan debt in Arizona is slightly lower at $23,967, it’s clear that big change is required to thaw what has become an icy economic climate for Arizona students.

Before melting the ice, can we answer how as a nation we arrived at what is being referred to as a “student loan debt

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HIGHER EDUCATION

Michael Crow

Brian Mueller

crisis?” Local university and college leaders agree that there are several reasons we have entered an educational ice age, which include: • A misunderstood modern student economic trajectory: Gone are the days when a majority of Americans earned a steady bi-weekly check. Presently, more than 40 percent of Americans regularly see large swings in their income.

• Lack of class availability for specific degree tracks, which in turn extends degree programs, adding to the average time and money it takes for students to graduate.

• A n increase in nontraditional college students — typically students over the age bracket of 18-22 — who must balance school, steady employment and family commitments. It’s estimated that 74 percent of American undergraduate students are considered “nontraditional.”

Experts in Arizona’s education system agree that the paradigm of the traditional versus nontraditional student is one of the most predominant areas in need of change.

“Many students do not have the time to be away from their homes or the money to be away from their jobs to attend college in the traditional four-year burst,” says Dr. Michael Crow, president of Arizona State University.

“Finding the time to pursue a degree only adds to the barrier of affordability and further complicates the path to higher education,” O’Brien adds. “Increasingly, students are delaying college due to these socioeconomic barriers, forcing many to let go of their college dream and hopes for a sustainable career path.”

“In the past, education and careers often followed a linear path, where school finished and the job started,” explains Diana Vowels, general manager of Galvanize. “Now, to remain competitive in the workforce, employees must be life-long learners, consistently expanding their 40

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Patricia O’Brien

Kasey Urquídez

skills to remain valuable. Educators and employers need to support that approach and provide flexible programs to meet student needs.”

While antiquated educational structures are in need of alteration to meet the demands of nontraditional students, there are additional intricacies that must be addressed.

“Universities must do a better job of ensuring that higher education remains affordable for all socioeconomic classes of Americans,” says Brian Mueller, president of Grand Canyon University.

“Students whose parents did not attend college do not have the same support network as students whose parents did attend college,” adds Crow, “Firstgeneration college students, and students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, need additional assistance in order to have the confidence and skills they need to be successful in post-secondary studies.”

Diana Vowels

of all learning levels at any point in their lives,” Crow says.

ASU has seen great success with the “American Dream Academy.” The eightweek program is designed for parents and future college students to unite their schools and communities to prepare for a successful university career. Enrollees in the American Dream Academy learn from ASU leaders how to become effective partners with their school and how to be effective champions of their child’s educational journey. The initiative has yielded 44,000 parent graduates to date.

GRAND CANYON UNIVERSITY “GCU has been able to freeze tuition costs for 11 straight years on its ground campus, with only nominal increases in online tuition, by recognizing that there are two large markets in higher education: traditional 18 to 22-year-old students who attend a ground campus DEFROST ON HIGH and mostly working-adult students who Recognizing the problems that come attend online,” says Mueller. “By creating with a new generation of complex and a hybrid campus that leverages a common diverse student needs is the first and most infrastructure between those two student important step to thawing icy economic bodies, we have created tremendous glaciers that have become barriers to efficiencies that have allowed us to offer higher education. To effect change, higher low tuition rates.” education leaders must be willing to GCU has bolstered advantageous enact rapid and proactive change. And in undergraduate and graduate degree Arizona, they are. programs to address labor shortages and Here’s how local colleges and universities offer high-wage employment opportunities are accommodating the dynamic needs of to students who graduate. These career contemporary students: pathways offer off-campus and real-world experiences closely monitored by a faculty ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY member. This includes the largest pre“At ASU, we are advancing an approach licensure nursing program in Arizona and to Universal Learning which integrates a cybersecurity degree program. online learning, virtual reality, artificial intelligence, game-based learning, MARICOPA COUNTY COMMUNITY entrepreneurship, public and private sector COLLEGE DISTRICT partners and global alliances to design “Affordable tuition and fees are one accessible education pathways for students of the most important decision-making

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HIGHER EDUCATION

flexibility and chipping away the likelihood of student-loan debt.

“Our many online certificate and degree programs provide flexible options for students on a national level,” O’Brien says, “allowing students the opportunity to continue working or managing other responsibilities. Several of our colleges, including Rio Salado, offer online courses — Brian Mueller, president of Grand Canyon University. with multiple start dates throughout the semester for added convenience and flexibility.”

Despite the expansion of online degree problems and their potential to diminish student challenges, there are still some issues that require careful navigation.

“Traditional and non-traditional schools must embrace online learning to make factors for students. Tuition and fees for mock interviews, workshops, networking education more accessible to all,” says our classes ($85 per credit hour and on and events to help students successfully Vowels. “Cost, time factors and flexibility an average annual cost of just $2,500 for navigate the job search. need to be part of the equation. Putting full-time students) are considerably lower programs online is the easy part; creating than those at other four-year universities UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA online or blended learning programs with and private colleges,” O’Brien says. “In “We are working with faculty to build the same effectiveness and outcomes as the 2015-16 fiscal year, more than 24,000 learning experiences that engage students in-person programs are the real measure students transferred to Arizona State in solving authentic challenges into general of success. All schools strive for this, University alone. The seamless pathway education and major courses,” says Kasey but none of us have perfected it yet. It’s to four-year colleges and universities save Urquídez, vice president of enrollment improving, but not there yet.” students and families time and significant management and dean of undergraduate “ASU is a world-class research university money in obtaining a college education.” admissions for the University of Arizona. with more than 4,000 top-tier faculty MCCCD offers Guided Pathways and “We are also developing microcredentials producing state-of-the-art knowledge in Integrated Student Support to provide that support students in demonstrating hundreds of subjects,” Crow says. “Online fully developed, clear and intentional and articulating the most important core education is one channel of distribution for mapped programs that align with career skills, such as collaboration, problemthat knowledge, which provides learners advancement. MCCCD’s partnerships with solving and professional communication. with greater access and more flexibility. I’m ASU, NAU and UofA, as well as more than These can be earned as part of a student not nitpicking. The vocabulary we use is 40 public and private institutions in the employment position, a course or a covery important, particularly when we are U.S. and abroad, help to outline specific curricular internship readiness program.” talking about the kinds of students who courses that put students on track to UA offers students a variety of resources take advantage of online learning. Many of obtain bachelor’s degrees. from comprehensive tutoring services them are nontraditional students and what in ThinkTank, library resources online, we are doing at ASU is to say loudly and GALVANIZE Scholarship Universe (a comprehensive clearly that online students are not second“Galvanize is a learning community for scholarship match site), as well as class citizens and that online curriculum tech, founded on the premise that industry personalized support from their and instruction is just as rigorous and and education are stronger together,” enrollment and advising counselors engaging as learning on campus.”

Vowels says. “Galvanize campuses from the time they inquire through to The transition out of any ice age or offer immersive programs in software graduation. stormy seas takes time. If, however, we engineering and data science, where are to capture an important takeaway students are learning in an environment UNOBSTRUCTED PATHWAYS from Arizona’s university and college where startups and large corporations Although each college and university institutions, it’s that Arizona students house some of the most innovative has nuanced strategic differentiation, their have a leg up on the lifeboats. Arizona can’t employees.” educational offerings include one similar solely eliminate the national student loan Galvanize programs offer students component: robust online degree programs debt, but our colleges and universities can in-person and remote options. Support and classes. These online programs are certainly help chink it away — one iceberg includes mentoring, career services, increasing student options, providing at a time.

“Universities must do a better job of ensuring that higher education remains affordable for all socioeconomic classes of Americans.”

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TECHNOLOGY

HOW ARIZONA IS EMERGING AS A

CYBERSECURITY POWERHOUSE A

s more and more of the world does business on the Internet, it becomes even more critical for companies to take cybersecurity seriously.

To do so, we need to invest in developing cybersecurity skill sets. Every aspect of the news — whether it’s political, business or lifestyle — contains headlines that continue to remind us nearly all the information floating around today can fall victim to a breach.

As part of my role with the Arizona Technology Council, I lead a group of Council members on an annual trip to D.C., where we speak with members of Arizona’s congressional delegation and their staff about technology initiatives. In recent years, the conversation has shifted to cybersecurity as our No. 1 topic.

Cybersecurity has grown to become one of the state’s largest technology sectors. The list of Arizona-headquartered companies specializing in this field contains more than 30 companies, including AccountabilIT, Acronis, BeyondTrust, CellTrust, InfoArmor, Kudelski Security, McKesson and RockCyber LLC. Additionally, the Federal Trade Commission in 2014 ranked Arizona in the top 10 for cybersecurity.

Our emergence as a cybersecurity leader began because of Arizona’s large military community and the resulting legacy expertise. This was followed by the launch of Infragard, a nonprofit organization 44

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TECHNOLOGY

LEARN MORE WHAT: AZ Business magazine will host AZ Tech Talk, a panel of Arizona’s most innovative technology experts to discuss the ever-evolving world of cybersecurity.

Industry leaders will lead a conversation and offer advice on how to minimize your business’ risk of a cyber-attack, data breach or other digital interruption.

WHEN: October 10, 2019, at 8:30 a.m.

WHERE: Grand Canyon University, 3300 W. Camelback Rd., Phoenix.

INFORMATION: azbigmedia.com/awards-events/

serving as an outreach between the FBI and the private sector. In response to the growing threat of cybercrime, a new standard in cybersecurity then was established by the Arizona Cyber Threat Response Alliance (ACTRA) created

by Frank Grimmelmann, the private sector interface to the Arizona chapter of Infragard, and Anthony Farinacci, the Infragard coordinator at the FBI. Corporations involved in ACTRA sign nondisclosure agreements to share cyber threat information in real time. If a member is attacked, its representatives immediately send information to other members to prevent them from becoming victims as well. ACTRA’s success has led to its branching out to six other states, with plans to expand across the nation.

The Arizona Cybersecurity Team (ACT) is another key organization in Arizona’s emergence as a cybersecurity authority.

Launched by Gov. Doug Ducey in March 2018, ACT is comprised of a well-rounded team of experts from state, local and federal governments, as well as private sector and higher-education leaders. The organization aims to increase public awareness, share best practices of cybersecurity, and strengthen cybersecurity workforce development and education.

The environment of collaboration created by ACT and ACTRA provides critical knowledge sharing to help the industry grow and build a talent pipeline. This foundation, along with 46

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presence of the military in our state, has turned Arizona into the cybersecurity powerhouse we are today.

While the growing list of organizations and resources aimed at strengthening cybersecurity has been critical to our leadership in the industry, there is still a massive challenge Arizona and the rest of the nation face: a talent deficit. In our state alone, there are roughly 7,000 job openings in cybersecurity. They include positions with cybersecurity firms, as well as positions within companies looking for similar skill sets. Until we fix our talent challenge, our ability to grow as a state and protect sensitive information will be hampered.

In response to this challenge, AZCyberTalent.com was created.

The group is comprised of Arizona organizations and leaders such as the Council, the AZ Cybersecurity Workforce Collaborative convened by the Greater Phoenix Chamber Foundation and its chief innovation officer, Jennifer Mellor, and the Council’s Workforce Development and Education Committee co-chairs, Molly Castelazo, owner of Castelazo Content, and Cathleen Barton, owner of Cathleen Barton Consulting. This group not only addresses the current talent shortage in the cybersecurity field nationwide but actively works to reduce it by developing educational strategies and aligning programs with employer needs and capacity. The goal of AZCyberTalent.

com is to increase workplace experiences for job seekers and leverage supply and demand data to strategically plan for a more secure future.

Besides its involvement in AZCyberTalent.com, the Council also is helping address the talent shortage issue through a variety of events. An example is our signature Cybersecurity Summit held annually. This event brings together leaders from across the state to showcase available resources, products and services geared toward helping protect intellectual property and customer data. It also opens up discussions on challenges such as talent acquisition and new cyber threats. The Council also organizes Lunch and Learn events focused on educating the business community on new tools, educational programs and resources.

Our state is leading the way as one of the nation’s premier cybersecurity and technology hubs, However, there are critical goals addressing talent and education that we must meet to achieve peak performance. This is important not just for Arizona but for data privacy and security across the world. To learn more about what local businesses can do to help solve these challenges, please visit www.azinfragard.org/actra/ and www. aztechcouncil.org.

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

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MARKETING

IT’S TRENDING

In-housing is hugely popular, but is it a bandwagon you should jump on?

E

table are powerful and must be taken into account.

Here are some of the reasons why: • New ideas: In-house teams can be naturally inclined to continue with established ideas.

Agencies are wired to constantly be coming up with fresh solutions to even old problems.

• Obsession with performance: There’s no substitute for people who are motivated to bring their best work to the table for multiple clients every day. Agency talent are exceedingly passionate about what they do, it’s why they work Ted Anderson in a service capacity.

THE BENEFITS OF IN-HOUSING Marketing • Outside expertise: Unlike in-house teams, an More than 75 percent of U.S. brands are taking outside contractor will never be “too close” to a elements of their marketing in-house. Truthfully, any decentproject and can continually offer an alternate perspective. sized company needs some level of in-house capabilities. For • Easy Scalability: When working with an outside partner, you many brands, the quickest and easiest way to gain efficiencies have control over how much of the work to keep in-house. When through in-housing is to take control of content, especially social the workload expands or contracts, you simply adjust accordingly. media output. There’s an undeniable advantage to being on-site Problems with hiring and/or layoffs are a thing of the past. when it comes to fresh, relevant, timely content — particularly • Value for your dollar: Hiring just one staffer can be an in industries such as food and beverage, hospitality, consumer enormous annual expenditure, especially when you factor in services and more. In a world where every minute counts, payroll taxes, health insurance, etc. Imagine how far those same eliminating the need for time-consuming agency briefing and dollars could go toward the creation of a marketing initiative. execution is useful.

The moral of the story? Consider bringing certain functions Additionally, for very large brands, it can be advantageous to in-house to save time and money for the day-to-day marketing. keep all INTERNAL communications and marketing in-house.

But have an ongoing relationship with an agency or other outside You don’t need an agency to burn hours trying to win a Cannes partner to keep your brand strong, relevant, and always evolving.

Lion with your company newsletter or back-of-house poster.

Brands can, and should, handle those types of things themselves. This is a powerful combination for success. veryone loves a booming economy—it means strong business growth, which is always a good thing. But this time around, we are seeing an interesting new trend: Companies developing internal resources to create, manage and deliver ad content. Suddenly, they are no longer relying on long-time partners to handle facets of branding and marketing.

Is this a bad thing? Not necessarily. Let’s break it down.

BUT DON’T THROW THE BABY OUT WITH THE BATH WATER Far and away, the top two benefits brands cite for bringing things in-house are ‘better knowledge’ and ‘cost efficiencies.’ Hard to argue with those. However, the things an agency brings to the 48

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For nearly 30 years, Ted Anderson has created unique, highly specialized marketing solutions for brands. He is an expert in consumer product marketing, brand development and comprehensive plan implementation, and was named 2017’s “Ad Person of the Year” by the American Advertising Federation-Phoenix Chapter.

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DINING

CULINARY MASTERPIECE

Artizen combines vibrant flavors with impeccable presentation to create a must-try dining experience

By MICHAEL GOSSIE

D

on’t let the fact that it’s in a hotel stop you.

Artizen Crafted American Kitchen & Bar, which is located in The Camby, serves some of Phoenix’s most delicious dishes with some of the most beautiful presentations.

Artizen — with its chic, contemporary atmosphere — has evolved into a Biltmore neighborhood gathering place. The restaurant serves chef-driven American culinary creations sourced from the area’s best local producers and seasonal regional ingredients. Artizen’s kitchen showcases the craftsmanship of its chefs in rustic, yet sophisticated, food that is presented in a way that lets diners choose between an array of snack-size, small and medium-size plates. Lucky for you, this allows diners to enjoy multiple tastes of the regionally inspired menu.

But it’s not just the food that separates Artizen from the pack.

A modern cocktail bar reaches back to true classic cocktails and provides authentic, yet innovative, interpretations with its drink menu. A foundation of regional and premium spirits, artisan bitters and tinctures with refined and entertaining mixology skills create an intriguing and inviting space.

But did we mention the food? One word: Amazing. From the flatbread to the sticky ribs to the cauliflower salad, the “snack” menu doesn’t have a weak entry and most would be content to fill themselves with the robust flavors that define the eclectic starter menu. Some cannot-miss options: • Artizen’s cornbread ($8) is the bomb dot com. Using Hayden Flour Mill’s cornmeal, Artisan incorporates honeycomb — a highly overlooked ingredient — and utilizes smoked pistachio butter and maldon to create such a unique and flavorful cornbread that it’s a requisite starter for any trip to Artizen.

• Burrata ($16) is every cheese lover’s dream. Two fresh, burrata spheres (fresh Italian cow milk cheese made from mozzarella

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and cream) come on top of toasted bread. The cheese is incredibly creamy and oozes over all the bread when you break the thin outer layer. Every bite is so decadently delicious that it takes you to another world.

• The octopus ($18) — served with tallow poached yukons, salsa verde, aioli and fennel pollen — is as tasty as you will find in Phoenix, or at any of the world’s finest octopus-serving establishments.

And those are just the starters. The main dishes are just as delicious. Some favorites to try: • The crispy wild salmon ($28) is one of the prettiest dishes you will ever be served. The skin was so perfectly cooked, it adds an amazing texture that lets you experience salmon in an entirely new way.

• The steak frites ($29) — prime flat iron served with crispy smashed potatoes and chimichurri — is another dish that will delight both your eyes and your tastebuds.

• While every dish is delightful, the first bite of the diver scallops ($32) — pei mussels, sun chokes, niman bacon, poblano romesco and soubise — is what will have you planning your next trip to Artizen long before the dessert menu arrives.

Don’t let the hotel sign out front fool you. Even in the trendy Biltmore area that is home to some of the Valley’s most innovative and engaging restaurants, Artizen stands out from the crowd.

ARTIZEN CRAFTED AMERICAN KITCHEN & BAR Location: 2401 E. Camelback Rd., Phoenix Hours: Breakfast 6 a.m.-11 a.m.; lunch 11 a.m.-2 p.m.; dinner 5 p.m.-9 p.m. weekend brunch 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Website: artizenaz.com Phone: 602-522-6655

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• Here are the banks that have the biggest impact on business and the communities in which we live • Meet the finalists for the CFO of the Year Awards • A guide to building wealth in 2020 • Here is a possible solution to help attract and retain talent

For additional information call 602.277.6045 or visit azBIGmedia.com AB | September - October 2019 51

Most Admired Companies 2019

A decade of

EXCELLENCE The Most Admired Companies of 2019 define greatness in leadership, social responsibility, workplace culture and innovation

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By MICHAEL GOSSIE

A

lot has changed in the 10 years since the Most Admired Companies program debuted. The battle for talent has become a war. The #MeToo movement has changed the way in which colleagues interact — or avoid interacting. And technology is changing the way we do business on a daily basis.

“Most Admired Companies is the most comprehensive and prestigious annual corporate awards program in Arizona,” said Denise Gredler, founder and CEO of BestCompaniesAZ and co-founder of the Most Admired Companies program. “To win, a business must demonstrate excellence in its leadership, corporate culture, vision, innovation, customer relations and community engagement through corporate social responsibility programs.”

AZ Business magazine and BestCompaniesAZ team up to present the Most Admired Companies program each year and the primary goal is to find and recognize those organizations that excel in these five key areas: • Customer opinion • Innovation • Leadership excellence • Social responsibility • Workplace culture Based on those five pillars of excellence, a selection committee comprised of Az Business magazine’s editorial board, BestCompaniesAZ’s leadership team and professionals from a wide range of industries rated and selected the most accomplished and prestigious companies in Arizona.

With hundreds of nominations representing the most innovative, impactful and successful companies in Arizona, being one of the Most Admired Companies for 2019 shows that the companies profiled on the pages that follow truly represent the best in Arizona business.

Do you lead what you believe is one of Arizona’s Most Admired Companies?

Do you work for one of Arizona’s Most Admired Companies? Do you do business with a company that you consider one of Arizona’s Most Admired Companies? If you want to nominate a company for the 2020 Most Admired Companies awards, visit azbigmedia.com.

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Most Admired Companies 2019

AMERICAN EXPRESS

ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS

ASSISTED LIVING LOCATORS

AMERICAN EXPRESS

Most Admired Company: 2010-2019 Top Arizona executive: John Standring, senior vice president What it does: Largest credit card issuer by purchase volume.

Admirable trait: Serena Williams unveiled one of American Express’ wearable payment wristbands for the first time at the U.S. Open.

The wearable payment wristbands were born out of American Express’ Innovation Lab in Phoenix.

American Express is always striving to make its customers’ lives easier and more convenient.

With contactless payment options, American Express has achieved that and received great customer response after the launch while showing tremendous innovation.

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ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS

Most Admired Company: 2011, 2013-2016, 2018, 2019 Top Arizona executive: Derrick Hall, president and CEO What it does: Major League Baseball team.

Admirable trait: This season, the D-backs and the Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation surpassed $62 million in giving to the Arizona community since its inception in 1997. The Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation focuses its efforts on three main areas of need: homelessness, indigent healthcare, and children’s programs, including education and youth baseball field development. The D-backs and the Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation leans on employees — called Team Players — to volunteer for many events and each receives one paid day each quarter to volunteer for community service.

ASSISTED LIVING LOCATORS

Most Admired Company: 2019 Top Arizona executive: Angela Olea, RN, founder and CEO What it does: Offers a no cost senior placement service for in-home care, independent retirement options, assisted living communities and memory care.

Admirable trait: A registered nurse, Olea launched Assisted Living Locators in response to seeing aging patients have unnecessary hospital readmissions and a lack of community support. In an effort to evoke positive change and ease of care transition for patients, she created a National Readmissions Prevention Specialized Program for community care providers to reduce hospital readmissions.

Assisted Living Locators was named one of Franchise Dictionary’s Top 100 Game Changer Franchises.

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Most Admired Companies 2019

CBRE

AXON CANCER TREATMENT CENTERS OF AMERICA PHOENIX (CTCA)

AXON

Most Admired Company: 2018, 2019 Top Arizona executive: Rick Smith, CEO and founder What it does: Develops technology and weapons products for law enforcement and civilians. Its flagship product and former namesake is Taser.

Admirable traits: One of Axon’s core values is “Be Candid.” Employees are encouraged to directly approach the C-suite and provide candid feedback on something that isn’t working or could be improved upon. Awards for employees who best exemplify Axon’s values are distributed quarterly. Some unique perks for Axon employees include an all-expenses paid trip to the Grand Canyon each summer and an all-expenses paid annual screening of the latest Star Wars film.

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CBRE

Most Admired Company: 2010-2019 Top Arizona executive: Paul Komadina, senior managing director What it does: Full-service real estate services company.

Admirable traits: As a global organization, diversity and inclusion are woven into every aspect of CBRE. The company is committed to fostering an environment that provides everyone the opportunity to succeed, values the differences of each individual and recognizes their contributions to CBRE’s success. One example of this commitment is its employee-networking groups, including the AfricanAmerican Networking Group, LGBTQ & Allies Networking Group, Women’s Networking Group, Rising Professionals Organization, and Hispanics Organized to Leverage Our Advantage (HOLA).

CANCER TREATMENT CENTERS OF AMERICA PHOENIX (CTCA)

Most Admired Company: 2012-2014, 2018, 2019 Top Arizona executive: Robert Gould, president and CEO What it does: Comprehensive cancer treatment hospital.

Admirable traits: At CTCA, experts believe every cancer is as unique as the person fighting it, so its world-class physicians continue to make breakthroughs with evidence-informed procedures. CTCA medical experts are also actively seeking clinical trials which may provide even more treatment options for current and future patients. They are also actively working to implement clinical trials that are being used as a first line of defense rather than what would generally be considered a final option for patients.

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Most Admired Companies 2019

CHASSE BUILDING TEAM

CHARLES SCHWAB COPPERPOINT INSURANCE COMPANIES

CHARLES SCHWAB

Most Admired Company: 2013-2019 Top Arizona executive: Bernie Clark, executive vice president and head of Schwab Advisor Services What it does: Provides help with financial planning, investments, retirement planning and more.

Admirable trait: Charles Schwab encourages employees to improve their physical health and well-being, offering financial rewards for completing healthy actions, like a fitness class or undergoing a physical. Schwab also offers lifestyle and wellness benefits for all employees across the country, reimbursing them up to $300 if people want to go to Weight Watchers or nutritional classes, participate in 5K-type running events, gym memberships, etc.

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CHASSE BUILDING TEAM

Most Admired Company: 2019 Top Arizona executive: Barry Chasse, founder What it does: General contractor in Phoenix and Tucson.

Admirable trait: Building to make a difference, CHASSE brings this philosophy to teammates, construction projects, clients and the community. Since inception, Chasse and CHASSE have given more than $3 million to Arizona charities that help children. Chasse’s commitment to the community also includes financial support and significant board service to the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Scottsdale since the early 2000s, including a two-year term as chairman of the board and long-time chair of the Angels for Kids campaign.

COPPERPOINT INSURANCE COMPANIES

Most Admired Company: 2010-2013, 2017, 2019 Top Arizona executive: Marc Schmittlein, president and CEO What it does: Leading provider of workers’ compensation and commercial insurance.

Admirable trait: Employees are given 12 hours of paid volunteer time each year so that they can support causes they are passionate about. CopperPoint also hosts an annual onsite volunteer fair where employees can learn about area nonprofits.

CopperPoint also honors one employee annually with the Don Smith Volunteer of the Year award, named for the former CEO who started the company’s giving program. In addition, CopperPoint matches individual donations – up to $500 – to nonprofits of the employee’s choice.

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Most Admired Companies 2019

DP ELECTRIC

CRESA

DPR CONSTRUCTION

CRESA

Most Admired Company: 2014-2019 Top Arizona executive: Gary Gregg, managing principal What it does: Corporate real estate advisors specializing in tenant representation.

Admirable trait: Cresa’s analytics team manages the integration of all its clients’ in-house technology solutions with the Vālo platform. Vālo is uniquely beneficial in its compatibility with any and all data sources. Whether clients send data on a scheduled cadence, or Cresa pulls it manually on the back-end, Cresa’s system does the necessary data cleaning and preparation to enhance visualization of the data. This step is invaluable to clients because it removes complicated data processing from their to-do list.

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DP ELECTRIC

Most Admired Company: 2018, 2019 Top Arizona executive: Dan Puente, founder and CEO What it does: Commercial electrical contractor.

Admirable trait: DP Electric has an admirable roster of successfully completed ground-up commercial electrical projects for many of Arizona’s leading general contractors. The company has created a loyal following with close to 90 percent of its business being repeat customers. Some of the reasons for this success are evident in DP Electric’s safety record, bonding capacity and the quality of projects completed.

The company has developed markets and technologies to become an industry leader in mission critical, healthcare, corporate office, hospitality and medium voltage.

DPR CONSTRUCTION

Most Admired Company: 2010, 2011, 2019 Top Arizona executive: Derek Kirkland, business unit leader What it does: National commercial contractor and construction manager.

Admirable trait: Continual focus on learning and development is a key to DPR’s success. Internal training consists of a mix of national and regional courses.

Company-wide courses emphasize topics such as green construction, electrical systems, self-perform work, negotiating skills, time management and business development, thus rounding out a tailored learning experience for all. DPR also has developed an internal Leadership Development process for the continued growth and development of DPR’s current and future leaders.

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Most Admired Companies 2019

FIRSTBANK

DUFFY GROUP

FARMERS INSURANCE

GALLAGHER & KENNEDY

DUFFY GROUP

Most Admired Company: 2019 Top Arizona executive: Kathleen Duffy Ybarra, president and CEO What it does: Global recruitment company whose innovative recruitment research model targets optimal candidates in a variety of industries.

Admirable trait: Duffy Group was one of the first companies to innovate and lead an entirely remote workforce in the 1990s, giving team members the flexibility of managing their daily activities, with home office support that offers the tools to conduct day-to-day operations. While they may be miles apart, Duffy Group has built a close-knit, cohesive culture and one designed to bring out the “intreprenuer” in staff members.

Farmers’ Arizona leadership team aspires to foster an environment that emphasizes career growth opportunities in order to prepare employees for the next step in their careers. The Farmers Mentorship Program creates value for mentees through expanding their network, developing meaningful relationships and gaining knowledge and new skills.

FIRSTBANK

Most Admired Company: 2011, 2018, 2019 Top Arizona executive: Bryce Lloyd, market president What it does: FirstBank is one of the FARMERS INSURANCE nation’s largest privately held banks with a Most Admired Company: 2019 focus on “banking for good.”

Top Arizona executive: Rodney Johnson, Admirable trait: FirstBank has evolved head of service operations from a one location, no-name bank What it does: Provides a quality insurance with $20 million in assets to a thriving product at a reasonable price.

Arizona business bank with 15 branches Admirable trait: One of Farmers’ greatest and more than $900 million in assets strengths is promoting from within the today, responsible for financing well over organization. In fact, nearly 300 employees $1 billion in consumer and commercial were promoted in Arizona in 2018. loans. These loans have made a significant 64

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impact on the local community by creating jobs, educational facilities, housing and transforming once rundown areas into desirable locations to live and work.

GALLAGHER & KENNEDY

Most Admired Company: 2018, 2019 Top Arizona executive: Michael Kennedy, co-founding partner, shareholder, member of the board of directors and owner.

What it does: Full-service law firm.

Admirable trait: The Best Lawyers in America is widely regarded as the preeminent referral guide within the legal profession in the United States. The Best Lawyers lists are compiled through an exhaustive peer-review survey, in which thousands of the top lawyers in the U.S. confidentially evaluate their professional peers. Currently, 35 G&K attorneys are recognized, which represents more than half of the firm’s shareholders. Nineteen attorneys have been included for 10 or more years.

UNITED HEALTHCARE

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Most Admired Companies 2019

GODADDY

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY CENTRAL ARIZONA

GREENBERG TRAURIG

GODADDY

Most Admired Company: 2010-2012, 2014-2017, 2019 Top Arizona executive: Aman Bhutani, CEO What it does: The world’s largest web services platform and most outspoken champion for everyday entrepreneurs.

Admirable trait: GoDaddy received a perfect score of 100 percent on the 2019 Corporate Equality Index. GoDaddy earned the designation of Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality by satisfying the CEI’s criteria of adopting LGBTQ-related policies and practices, including offering anti-harassment training and including sexual orientation and gender identity protections in its nondiscrimination workplace protections, providing inclusive domestic partner benefits and transgender-inclusive health care benefits, maintaining organizational LGBTQ competency, and publicly supporting the LGBTQ community.

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GREENBERG TRAURIG

Most Admired Company: 2018, 2019 Top Arizona executive: Nicole M. Goodwin, managing shareholder What it does: Full-service law firm.

Admirable trait: Greenberg Traurig’s culture is built on a strong tradition of individual service. The Phoenix attorney roster includes the founding chair of the Governor’s Small Business Executive Council, founding chair of the Arizona Venture Capital Conference, founding member of Arizona Equal Justice Foundation, a founding member of Fresh Start Women’s Foundation and the commissioner of the Arizona Disease Control Research Commission. Goodwin also models positive impact in the community through board memberships, volunteering as a Judge Pro Tempore and Family Court Advisor and teaching at ASU’s law school.

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY CENTRAL ARIZONA

Most Admired Company: 2016-2019 Top Arizona executive: Jason Barlow, president and CEO What it does: Nonprofit homebuilder for low-income families.

Admirable trait: In the spring of 2019, Habitat completed 18 three-story townhomes in Tempe, a project that was started in the fall of 2016. In the fall of 2018, Habitat’s area of service expanded into Central City South, an area in downtown Phoenix behind the high rises and big businesses, which is described as “the land that time forgot.” Habitat has dedicated 5 years to this area and will complete 247 jobs in construction and neighborhood revitalization services.

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Most Admired Companies 2019

HARRAH’S AK-CHIN HOMEOWNERS FINANCIAL GROUP

INTEL CORPORATION

HARRAH’S AK-CHIN CASINO

Most Admired Company: 2010, 2011, 2014, 2019 Top Arizona executive: Robert Livingston, general manager and regional president What it does: Harrah’s AkChin Casino is part of Caesars Entertainment, the biggest casino brand in North America.

Admirable trait: Harrah’s Ak-Chin is invested in the success of its team players and believes in developing and promoting leaders internally. To help facilitate this, Harrah’s Ak-Chin established the Career Mobility Program. Of the 70 employees who have completed the program, 30 have been promoted, yielding a 42.86 percent promotion rate in the program’s first few years.

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HOMEOWNERS FINANCIAL GROUP

Most Admired Company: 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016-2019 Top Arizona executive: Bill Rogers, founder and CEO What it does: Full-service mortgage banking company.

Admirable trait: The company organizes two major charitable initiatives each year, one in the summer and one in the winter. The primary charitable focus of Homeowners Financial Group is to give back to local charities serving children, veterans, emergency relief, disability and disease. For the summer of 2019, the focus was veterans, and Homeowners Financial Group’s Arizona branches worked with Packages from Home, AZ Heroes to Hometown, and the Prescott VA Center.

INTEL CORPORATION

Most Admired Company: 2019 Top Arizona executive: Shai Rubin, plant manager What it does: Intel, a leader in the semiconductor industry, is shaping the data-centric future with computing and communications technology that is the foundation of the world’s innovations.

Admirable trait: Intel has long been committed to applying technology and the talents of its employees to broaden access to opportunity and be an asset to the community. Over the last five years, Intel, the Intel Foundation, and Intel employees gave more than $36 million in grants, donations and in-kind gifts to local Arizona schools, universities and nonprofits. In addition, Intel employees volunteer approximately 150,000 hours each year in the community.

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Most Admired Companies 2019

JLL

JDA SOFTWARE

JE DUNN CONSTRUCTION

JDA SOFTWARE

Most Admired Company: 2016-2019 Top Arizona executive: Girish Rishi, CEO What it does: Software company providing supply chain management, manufacturing planning, retail planning, store operations and collaborative category management solutions.

Admirable trait: The JDA Emerging Leaders program, which has graduated 102 associates, brings together highpotential talent from around the globe for collaborative meetings in Scottsdale over 18 months, featuring highly regarded training from both FranklinCovey and The Ken Blanchard Companies. Participants work together on real projects with JDA executive sponsors that have an impact on JDA’s business. On average, 75 percent of JDA’s emerging leaders are promoted at least one level.

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JE DUNN CONSTRUCTION

Most Admired Company: 2016-2019 Top Arizona executive: Brad Schenck, senior vice president, Southwest Division Business Unit leader What it does: Commercial construction company.

Admirable trait: JE Dunn’s employee onboarding program — Dunn from Day 1 — helps new employees feel welcome and have a positive onboarding experience from day one. The program continues through the first 90 days of employment, in which the new employee is partnered with a seasoned employee to help foster a comfortable working relationship and to learn about corporate culture, norms, and expectations of the company. The employee development team also works full-time to create growth opportunities across the company.

JLL

Most Admired Company: 2015, 2018, 2019 Top Arizona executive: Pat Williams, senior managing director, head of Phoenix office What it does: Specializes in real estate and investment management.

Admirable trait: JLL recently invested in WorkDay, a complete Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) HR system that allows employees to track everything from their performance, career map, compensation and more. The Annual Goal Setting feature in Workday is growing within the firm. MyPerformance is JLL’s approach to ensuring its employees are aligned to the JLL company strategy – and measured and rewarded for achieving (or exceeding) goals set each calendar year.

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Most Admired Companies 2019

JENNINGS STROUSS

LAVIDGE

KITCHELL

JENNINGS STROUSS

Most Admired Company: 2016-2019 Top Arizona executive: John C. Norling, managing attorney What it does: Jennings Strouss is dedicated to providing clients with strategic legal guidance to help them seize every opportunity.

Admirable trait: Jennings Strouss recruits and retains highly qualified individuals who represent a diversity of opinion, personal experience and demographics.

The firm’s goal is to maintain and nurture diversity in an environment that fosters excellence, achievement and advancement of all qualified individuals regardless of gender, ethnicity, age, disability, religion or position in the firm. The firm also sponsors a law student in the annual Minority Writing Internship Program in coordination with the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at ASU.

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KITCHELL

Most Admired Company: 2013-2019 Top Arizona executive: Jim Swanson, president and CEO What it does: Handles all aspects of the construction business, from concept through ribbon-cutting and beyond.

Admirable trait: In an effort to cross-educate and train, Kitchell offers a mentoring program that matches seasoned professionals with employees who are seeking specific guidance and soft skills development. In addition, Kitchell University is an online portal offering skills training required to aspire to other positions, ongoing classes, career path tools, feedback, self and supervisor assessment to empower employees to do anything they want, and go anywhere.

LAVIDGE

Most Admired Company: 2011, 2013, 2016-2019 Top Arizona executive: Bill Lavidge, CEO What it does: Advertising and public relations company.

Admirable trait: LAVIDGE’s mantra is “Be Creative. Work Smart. Have Fun” and the company encourages its staff to work and live by this statement. LAVIDGE seeks and recruits its employees who are not only proficient in their fields, but are well-rounded, team-oriented and possess good life skills. LAVIDGE even breaks down its mantra for annual reviews and evaluates employee performances based on each of these three guiding principles. In addition, a new coffee and tea bar stocked with a variety of flavors is now on tap daily at LAVIDGE.

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Most Admired Companies 2019

LOVITT & TOUCHÉ

MAKE-A-WISH AMERICA

MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY

MAKE-A-WISH AMERICA

LOVITT & TOUCHÉ,

A MARSH & MCLENNAN AGENCY LLC COMPANY

Most Admired Company: 2015-2019 Top Arizona executive: Charles A. Touché, CEO What it does: Insurance agency offering personal lines, property and liability protection, employee benefits, claims administration, workers compensation and more.

Admirable trait: Recognizing the changing healthcare landscape, Lovitt & Touché developed a proprietary private healthcare exchange, ClearPath Prime, to better serve small and medium-sized employers. ClearPath Prime functions much like an online store enabling employees to “shop” for health insurance and other benefits that meet their specific needs. Lovitt & Touché was the first insurance broker in Arizona to deploy a private exchange with a participating employer group.

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Most Admired Company: 2019 Top Arizona executive: Richard Davis, president and CEO What it does: Make-A-Wish’s vision is to grant the wish of every child diagnosed with a critical illness.

Admirable trait: Make-A-Wish is embarking on a “digital transformation” to positively impact the lives of wish kids, families, and extended stakeholders.

Make-A-Wish is developing a cloud-based, secure ecosystem of tools that will enable its chapters and fundraising teams to connect donors and their contributions to the wishes they fulfill. There are multiple business initiatives underway with concepts like “Stakeholder 360,” Donor Connect and others to transform Make-A-Wish into a more data-driven organization.

MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY

Most Admired Company: 2011, 2012, 2017, 2019 Top Arizona executive: Steve Sanghi, chairman and CEO What it does: Manufacturer of microcontroller, mixed-signal, analog and Flash-IP integrated circuits.

Admirable trait: Microchip strongly believes that continuous improvement is essential and is always on the lookout for innovative ideas that can be incorporated into the workplace. One thing Microchip is known for is its upsidedown organizational chart. This was put into place to show that the management staff works for employees and the overall focus is on serving customers – both internal and external. Microchip believes that key management contributions are made when obstacles are removed from employees’ paths.

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Most Admired Companies 2019

MOBILE MINI

NATIONAL BANK OF ARIZONA

MORTENSON

MOBILE MINI

Most Admired Company: 2018-2019 Top Arizona executive: Erik Olsson, president and CEO What it does: Portable storage company.

Admirable trait: Mobile Mini’s quarterly onsite Wellness Day enables its employees to stay productive and get educated while attending to the mental, physical and financial aspects of their health. Another outlet Mobile Mini utilizes to promote employee health and wellness is its Wellness Committee-sponsored Lunch and Learns, which cover health topics ranging from work-life balance and meaningful lifestyle changes (in partnership with the American Heart Association) to dispelling misconceptions about mental health (in partnership with Cigna, the global health service company).

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MORTENSON

Most Admired Company: 2018-2019 Top Arizona executive: Benjamin Goetter, vice president and general manager What it does: Design-build, project development, turn-key development, general construction, construction management and program management.

Admirable trait: Mortenson is developing and building the first cross laminated timber (CLT) building in the state of Arizona. The Beam on Farmer will be a five-story office building coming to Tempe in 2020. Cross-laminated timber construction utilizes young trees, a sustainable forestry practice. The wood for the project will capture 3.5 tons of carbon dioxide. The manufacturing process creates zero waste, and scrap material is used to create other products or biofuel.

NATIONAL BANK OF ARIZONA

Most Admired Company: 2010, 2011, 2014, 2019 Top Arizona executive: Mark Young, CEO What it does: NB|AZ is a division of Zions Bancorporation, one of the nation’s premier financial services companies, with total assets exceeding $65 billion.

Admirable trait: As a community-oriented bank, NB|AZ pledges to assist local small businesses in all neighborhoods.

That is not the only area where the bank committed to help. NB|AZ In Action is its volunteer group that creates opportunities for everyone to improve Arizona. NB|AZ has 21 officers serving 66 organizations.

In 2018, NB|AZ had more than 157 associates who volunteered and supported 192 nonprofits.

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Most Admired Companies 2019

ONEAZ CREDIT UNION SONORA QUEST

SALT RIVER PROJECT

QUARLES & BRADY

ONEAZ CREDIT UNION

Most Admired Company: 2019 Top Arizona executive: David Doss, president and CEO What it does: Offers a full line of financial products and services, including checking and savings accounts, personal, home and auto loans, wealth management and tailored business banking products.

Admirable trait: OneAZ’s mission puts a strong emphasis on improving the lives of people in the communities it serves.

It does this not only through charitable giving, but by living these values holistically every day. In 2019, OneAZ launched a state-of-the-art database that allows associates to search and sign up for local volunteer opportunities.

QUARLES & BRADY

Most Admired Company: 2014-2019 Top Arizona executive: Leonardo Loo, office managing partner What it does: Full-service law firm for businesses and individuals.

Admirable trait: Quarles partnered with The University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law to launch a new legal clinic focused on supporting newly established businesses and entrepreneurs, where law students have the opportunity to counsel 78

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startup businesses on how to protect their inventions and innovations. The Intellectual Property & Entrepreneurship Clinic represents a significant clinical partnership between a law school and a law firm, and responds to the need for increased practical skills training in areas where legal employment is growing.

SONORA QUEST LABORATORIES

Most Admired Company: 2010-2019 Top Arizona executive: Dave Dexter, president and CEO What it does: Schedules and conducts thousands of diagnostic lab tests daily.

Admirable trait: Sonora Quest Laboratories strives to provide cutting-edge solutions SALT RIVER PROJECT to drive improved health outcomes for Most Admired Company: 2019 patients and their families. One such Top Arizona executive: Mike Hummel, solution is its technology-based analytics general manager and CEO product called Actionable Insights What it does: SRP provides reliable, affordable water and power to more than 2 Management (AIM), a software-based solution that provides near real-time million people living in central Arizona. data and insights to identify risks Admirable trait: SRP’s strong workplace culture is a rarity in the workplace today, and within patient populations; close gaps in healthcare; and track individual patients the return on that investment is clear with voluntary turnover of just 3 percent. Perhaps facing chronic conditions including diabetes and chronic kidney disease. It the best data point showcasing workplace strengthens Sonora Quest Laboratories’ culture is SRP’s national ranking as an employer of choice. SRP has been named one position as thought leaders in the industry. of America’s Best Employers by Forbes for two years running and is ranked first among companies headquartered in Arizona.

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Most Admired Companies 2019

SPEAR EDUCATION

SUNDT CONSTRUCTION

THE CORE INSTITUTE

SPEAR EDUCATION

Most Admired Company: 2019 Top Arizona executive: Kaleim Manji, CEO What it does: Spear is one of the world’s most respected providers of multi-platform continuing education and practice growth resources for dental professionals.

Admirable trait: Spear’s dental patient education videos give patients a greater understanding of conditions and treatments – and gives dentists increased case acceptance. Spear’s platform and tablet app engage patients with animated, researchdriven videos. Spear provides lobby videos, chair-side resources and FireStick and AppleTV technology. In addition, Spear Practice Solutions was designed to improve dental practice operation and enhance the patient experience.

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SUNDT CONSTRUCTION

Most Admired Company: 2010-2019 Top Arizona executive: G. Michael Hoover, president and CEO What it does: Construction services.

Admirable trait: Sundt is dedicated to improving the communities where it operates. In 1999, Sundt created the Sundt Foundation, a separate 501(c)(3) non-profit organization focused on the needs of disadvantaged children and adults. The foundation is funded through employee-owner contributions, which are matched by the company. The Foundation has provided nearly $8.6 million in aid to community organizations.

Beyond fundraising and donating, Sundt is invested in volunteering. Every construction project has a volunteer activity associated with it to benefit a local charity.

THE CORE INSTITUTE

Most Admired Company: 2017-2019 Top Arizona executive: David Jacofsky, MD, CEO What it does: Provides best-in-class orthopedic care.

Admirable trait: Surgeons and researchers at The CORE Institute are currently working with at least half a dozen companies, both large and very small, to help them create and improve products for patient care. The CORE Institute has developed and patented products of its own to either license or sell to industry. This clearly demonstrates CORE’s continuous effort to work with local, regional and international partnerships within private orthopedic companies as well as research institutions. The CORE Institute’s focus brings greater economic development opportunities to Arizona.

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Most Admired Companies 2019

THE STATESMAN GROUP

TROON

UMB

THE STATESMAN GROUP

Most Admired Company: 2019 Top Arizona executive: Alana Mann, president and owner What it does: Developer, builder, investor and manager of single-family, multifamily, resort and senior living communities throughout North America.

Admirable trait: Few developers can say they have multiple residential developments right next door to one another, but The Statesman Group has launched nearly $200 million in luxury real estate within the master-planned community in Desert Ridge including forsale, for-rent and senior-living luxury. These developments span 50 acres of land and include The Manor Village Senior Living Center, Montreux Luxury Apartments, The Luxe Condo Living and Toscana of Desert Ridge.

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TROON

Most Admired Company: 2019 Top Arizona executive: Tim Schantz, president and CEO What it does: Troon is the world’s largest golf and club management company providing services at more than 460 locations around the globe.

Admirable trait: Troon is recognized as the world-wide leader in golf and club management, operating more clubs than any other management company. The company has been named “Management Company of the Year” by BoardRoom Magazine, a club industry trade publication, for five consecutive years. Over the last two years, Troon has nearly doubled the number of golf courses it manages, from 270 in 2017 to 510 in 2019.

UMB BANK

Most Admired Company: 2015-2019 Top Arizona executive: Jim Patterson, CEO, UMB Bank Arizona What it does: Provides a comprehensive suite of banking products and services.

Admirable trait: In 2018, UMB Healthcare Services and Bend Financial announced a partnership to offer UMB custodial account, benefit card issuer and tier one customer support services on Bend Financial’s health savings account platform. Bend Financial’s powerful consumer-centric platform, Bend HSA, dramatically evolves the consumer experience. It makes health savings accounts easy for everyone to understand and use, maximizes tax benefits and transforms the fragmented and dated user experience.

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Most Admired Companies 2019

VANGUARD

UNITED SERVICES AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATION

UNITEDHEALTHCARE

UNITED SERVICES AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATION (USAA)

Most Admired Company: 2015-2019 Top Arizona executive: Greg DeBernard, regional vice president What it does: Provides military members and their families with insurance, banking and investment services.

Admirable trait: USAA’s commitment to diversity and inclusion also provides incredible leadership opportunities for our employees. Employees can participate in Diversity and Inclusion Business Groups that work collaboratively with executive sponsors, enterprise and local teams and fellow groups to solve business problems, raise awareness of diverse perspectives and coordinate campus events. These groups nominate core team members for positions of team lead, event chair, treasurer and communication chair and other ambassadors.

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UNITEDHEALTHCARE

Most Admired Company: 2010-2019 Top Arizona executive: Heather Kane, CEO, UnitedHealthcare of Arizona, Employer & Individual Business What it does: Offers employer, individual and family health insurance plans.

Admirable trait: Through 2019, UnitedHealthcare will continue making significant investments toward tackling the social determinants of health in this state. More than $700,000 in new grants will be disbursed to partner nonprofits, mainly in Maricopa County; following a $3 million in grant partnerships in 2018. UnitedHealth Group, UnitedHealthcare’s parent company, is recognized as the topranking company in the insurance and managed care sector on Fortune’s 2019 “World’s Most Admired Companies” list.

VANGUARD

Most Admired Company: 2011, 20132019 Top Arizona executive: Matthew Walker, principal What it does: Offers mutual funds, exchange-traded funds, financial advice and related services.

Admirable trait: Earlier this year, Vanguard implemented a new leadership standard that is designed to meet the business demands of today and the future. The standard aligns to Vanguard’s core purpose — to take a stand for all investors, to treat them fairly, and to give them the best chance for investment success. Articulating Vanguard’s expectations through the leadership standard creates a common understanding and perpetuates a strong leadership culture. Vanguard was recognized in 2019 as one of U.S. Veterans Magazine’s Top VeteranFriendly Companies.

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Most Admired Companies 2019

WASHINGTON FEDERAL

WESTROC HOSPITALITY

VITALANT

WASHINGTON FEDERAL

VITALANT

(FORMERLY BLOOD SYSTEMS)

Most Admired Company: 2015-2019 Top Arizona executive: Dave Green, president and CEO What it does: Provides blood, blood components and special services to patients in nearly 600 hospitals across the country.

Admirable trait: This year marks the Vitalant Research Institute’s 30th year of partnership with the National Institute of Health by again being awarded a fourth phase of funding for the Recipient Epidemiology and Donor Evaluation Study or REDS-IV. REDS continues to be the benchmark multi-center blood donor and recipient research program for informing clinical practice and policy development in the Transfusion Medicine community.

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Most Admired Company: 2017-2019 Top Arizona executive: Mike Brown, Arizona regional president What it does: Full-service national banking institution that focuses on businessto-business banking, commercial and equipment lending, and home loan and corporate real estate financing.

Admirable trait: Washington Federal partners with leading education technology company Everfi, to provide local high schools with the Washington Federal Financial Scholars Program, a financial education curriculum designed to provide students with the critical skills needed to make sound financial decisions. The program, which launched at Metro Tech High School in 2013, provides schools with Everfi’s interactive, web-based financial management education tool at no cost to either the school or taxpayers.

WESTROC HOSPITALITY

Most Admired Company: 2019 Top Arizona executive: Scott Lyon, founder and managing partner What it does: Acquires, develop, renovate and manage unique properties that exude a timeless appeal, including Hotel Valley Ho, Sanctuary Camelback Mountain Resort and Spa and Mountain Shadows.

Admirable trait: The leadership teams at both hotels also strongly promote a healthy and well-balanced lifestyle. They have created their own Roc@Life fitness, lifestyle wellness program where employees can take fitness classes for free at Westroc properties, ranging from yoga to boxing, barre and spin. Employees that work out together and take a photo of them working out can enter a contest to win a gift card.

SEPTEMBER 12, 2019

JW MARRIOTT CAMELBACK INN RESORT & SPA

Az Business magazine and BestCompaniesAZ proudly present the 10th Annual Arizona’s Most Admired Companies Awards. This awards program recognizes the impact and contributions Arizona employers bring to our great state. This is the most comprehensive and prestigious corporate award program in Arizona. Please join us for an evening of networking, connecting and celebrating the accomplishments of the Most Admired Companies Arizona has to offer.

Tickets on sale at azbigmedia.com/awards-events | Sponsorships available! Contact Josh.Schimmels@azBIGmedia.com to get involved!

TITLE SPONSORS:

PREMIER SPONSORS:

SIGNATURE SPONSORS: Cancer Treatment Centers of America, Phoenix CopperPoint Insurance Companies DP Electric Inc Duffy Group GymPass Habitat for Humanity Central Arizona Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino Intel National Bank of Arizona

PipelineAZ Salt River Project The Statesman Group Troon UnitedHealthcare USAA Vitalant Westroc Hospitality

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Get the recognition you deserve!

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Double Plaque

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2019

TASTY TRENDS

Here’s how changes in food and beverage desires will impact Arizona's meetings and events industry in 2020

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MPI

TIFFANY HIGGINS: “I’m most looking forward to implementing ideas that myself and our leadership team learned at our World Education Congress in Toronto,” says the president of the Meeting Professionals International (MPI) Arizona Sunbelt Chapter. (Photo taken on location at The Stewart by Mike Mertes, AZ Big Media) 92

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HITTING NEW HEIGHTS

MPI Arizona Sunbelt Chapter president aims to create a stronger local community and help lift members during her leadership

By ERIN THORBURN

W

ith a decade (and counting) of involvement in the Meeting Professionals International (MPI) Arizona Sunbelt Chapter, Tiffany Higgins is embracing her role as president with tenacity and a “go-team attitude.”

Her 13-year position as an event coordinator for her company, The Tiffany Event, has no doubt helped Higgins in her proactive drive and enthusiasm. For Higgins, it’s one thing to be a member of MPI Arizona Sunbelt Chapter and another to jump “all in.” All members of MPI and volunteers are welcome and encouraged to join a committee and become an active participant. But Higgins has taken it a step farther by becoming leader of the iconic industry association.

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MPI

MPI ARIZONA SUNBELT CHAPTER BOARD OF DIRECTORS: Top row, from left: Bill Babin, Big Zephyr Entertainment; Sukki Jahnke, CMP, Tempe Chamber of Commerce; Heather Luvisi, Lucky Strike Entertainment; Maria Mwangi, The Van Buren/Comerica Theatre; Penny Allphin, CHME, Hassayampa Inn/Aris Hospitality; Kerri O’Brien Rose, CMP, independent planner. Bottom row, from left: Becky Stengel, JSAV; Terri Crain, Karma Event Lighting & Audio Visual; Tiffany Higgins, The Tiffany Event; Melanie Volkers, CHSE, CHDM; MaryLynne Christman, CMP, CMM, Collaborative Event Management. (Provided photo)

Az Business wanted to learn more about why MPI Arizona Sunbelt’s newest president is excited to continue her efforts to create a stronger local MPI community while helping to build long-lasting connections and strengthen professional development.

Az Business: What are you most looking forward to this year in your role as the MPI Arizona Sunbelt Chapter president?

Tiffany Higgins: I’m most looking forward to implementing ideas that myself and our leadership team learned at our World Education Congress in Toronto back in June. The theme was “shared 94

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experiences” and it’s our aim to share the knowledge we acquired through new educational and networking experiences.

AB: Which local chapter events are you excited about for 2020?

TH: I’m very excited about our upcoming EduCon this year. It’s one of my favorite chapter events. EduCon is a weekend retreat which will take place at the Westward Look Wyndham Grand Resort in Tucson in August. It’s a weekend full of educational content, networking and learning more about what the City of Tucson has to offer. We’ll be continuing to build on last year’s EduCon theme of “Back

to Basics” by learning how to take our events to the next level.

I’m also looking forward to our annual golf tournament, in partnership with HSMAI. This year it will be held at a new location, TopGolf Scottsdale, in October.

AB: What makes the MPI Arizona Sunbelt Chapter an asset to educating, encouraging and fostering engagement within the local meeting and event planning community?

TH: The MPI Arizona Sunbelt Chapter strives to provide relevant education and certification programs, as well as networking opportunities. These offerings

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MPI help connect our members and local meeting and event planning professionals to foster engagement.

AB: How do these powerful relationships in MPI translate to boosting the health and economic wealth of Arizona’s prospering hospitality/event planning industries?

TH: MPI AZ creates business partnerships and opportunities for business growth and development by bringing together all of the local hoteliers, conference centers and venues, exhibit companies, and other meeting and event industry professionals to keep Arizona unified and meeting together.

AB: What has been one of your biggest “wins” in your role as MPI Arizona Sunbelt Chapter president?

TH: As a team, one of our biggest wins has been reviewing feedback from our members on what they would like from their chapter membership in terms of value. The education team is working hard on continuing to providing quality educational content as well as some exciting new experiences for the upcoming

year. And our membership team created more networking opportunities in the upcoming year to help our members connect and learn more about each other.

AB: If you had to pick one word to encapsulate the Sunbelt Chapter going into 2020, what would it be? And why?

TH: The word I would pick is advancement. We are making shifts this year in all our areas: education, membership, finance, and communications to continue building us for a successful future.

AB: In this year’s special section on MPI, we’re discussing the role technology plays in the modern climate of meeting and event planning. What do you think some of the challenges and benefits of technology are in your industry?

TH: Technology is definitely important when it comes to pushing out information quickly to meeting attendees. I recently attended an annual conference where they chose not to use an app this year. During the conference, we had a few schedule changes, one of which was the cancellation

of an evening reception due to weather.

It would have been much easier to send a push notification to the group versus an email, social media and using their team to spread the word to attendees.

AB: How has your role with MPI strengthened your career and/or vice versa?

TH: My role with MPI has strengthened my career in that it’s helped me develop better leadership skills and given me access to lots of professional development through our chapter, the MPI Global website and conferences. It has also helped me make connections with fellow members to grow my business.

AB: If you could handpick a theme song for MPI Arizona Chapter, which tune would you choose?

TH: “We are Family” by Sister Sledge.

After being a part of this association for 10 years, I have watched as we’ve come together and continue to grow as a great chapter full of events and programs, and more importantly, to be there to lift our members up when they’re in need.

ABOUT THE MPI ARIZONA SUNBELT CHAPTER MPI DEFINED: Meeting Professionals International (MPI) is the largest meeting and event industry association worldwide.

Founded in 1972, MPI provides innovative and relevant education, networking opportunities and business exchanges, and acts as a prominent voice for the promotion and growth of the industry. MPI has a global community of 60,000 meeting and event professionals including more than 17,000 engaged members and its Plan Your Meetings audience. It has more than 90 chapters and clubs in 19 countries. For additional information, visit mpiweb.org.

ARIZONA CHAPTER: With more than 300 members, the Arizona Sunbelt Chapter, established in 1979, promotes excellence in the meetings industry through education, certification, advocacy and business alliances. The chapter hosts a number of special events annually, including the Summer EduCon the annual Awards Gala, the Spring Fundraiser, the annual Holiday Party and the MPI/HSMAI Golf Tournament.

LEARN MORE: Contact Executive Director Joanne Winter at 602-277-1494 or visit the chapter website at mpi-az.org.

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MPI

An elevated experience

Here are the food and beverage trends to watch in 2020 for business meetings, events and conventions

By MICHAEL GOSSIE

F

orget the ordinary. When it comes to food and beverage trends, the meeting and events industry will be driven to create nonstop Instagrammable moments in 2020.

“Say bye-bye to standard banquet offerings, including generic white wine, red wine and domestic beer options you might be used to,” says Jason Adler, director of operations for Spellbound Entertainment, which includes Dakota, W Scottsdale, aloft Scottsdale, Maya Clubhouse, and Maya Day + Night Club.

“Instead, brands like ours are investing in locally sourced ingredients, fresh-squeezed juices and ‘wow’ elements to develop custom event signature cocktails and menus that would never be described as cookie-cutter.”

While meetings, conventions and events were once seen as a necessary part — or evil — of doing business, event-goers now view meetings and events as experiences and opportunities to see, taste and learn new things — both professionally and personally. And while meeting planners have to factor in the experiential element into each event, experts say they need to keep it Facebook-friendly — for the participants, planners and venues.

“Social media currently, and will remain, the dominant force behind exposure and marketing for any brand in the food and beverage industry,” Adler says. “Smart brands will market to events and meetings as part of their holistic approach to digital communications, and insert calls to action in their strategic communications.”

And beyond social media exposure, interaction will be a key to creating those positive experiences for those attending meetings and events in 2020.

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“As event planners, personal engagement and social interaction will be key in ensuring memories made at the event are stories shared for days and weeks after the event,” says Mark Nelsen, director of food and beverage at Great Wolf Lodge Arizona. “Make your own guacamole with the guidance of the chef. Make your own mojito with the guidance of the master mixologist. Education and interaction will be at the core of these activities, and how photos of these moments translate to social media will be a major influence in their design.”

So besides making sure each event-goer has a selfie-stick and gets to meet the chef, what are the food and beverage trends to watch in the meeting and events space heading into 2020?

FOOD TRENDS TO WATCH TEAMWORK: “We think we will continue to see partnerships – especially those that highlight a venue’s connection to the local market – help shape the industry into 2020,” Adler says. “For example, partnering with a local brewer or winemaker for a specialty tasting event or pairing dinner to elevate and customize an event or meeting, or with a local farm to bring in native ingredients for specialty menus during an event or meeting.”

NO MEAT: “Hands down, watch for vegetarian and vegan menu items,” says Nate Kinstlinger, food and beverage operations manager at Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino. “Every year we see an increase in the number of requests for vegan and vegetarian fare. The growing acceptance

“Social media currently, and will remain, the dominant force behind exposure and marketing for any brand in the food and beverage industry,” — Jason Adler

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items during the day and more playful and indulgent foods in the evening.”

SUSTAINABILITY: “The big food trends include plant-based foods,” says Erik Forrest, director of food and beverage at The Scottsdale Plaza Resort. “Mindful consumers maintain a continued focus on sustainability.”

of plant-based proteins requires us to be creative and provide plenty of options for our guests. Our culinary team works hard to create innovative and delicious dishes that include lentils, quinoa and tofu.”

INTERACTION: “Involving our chef is something we have added to our offerings for meetings and event dinners,” says Oliver Badgio, chief brand officer at Steak 44, Dominick’s Steakhouse and Ocean 44. “Chef-manned food stations in the dining rooms are a great way to deliver a high-quality culinary experience and get your meeting guests up and out of the seats to meet and collaborate and enjoy more than dinner. Making great experiences is always in style.”

BEVERAGE TRENDS TO WATCH HANDCRAFTED COCKTAILS: “Handcrafted cocktails are big and will continue to be a HEALTHY OPTIONS: “I’ve said it for a few strong trend,” Kinstlinger says. “Drinks years, and it hasn’t stopped: healthier food,” says Kevin Moul, director of catering that have a focus on locally-cultivated, organic ingredients and garnishes are very and conference services at Four Seasons popular. At a recent event, we featured a Resort Scottsdale at Troon North. “Our drink called the Honey Buzz created with clients are requesting healthier food and locally-sourced honey from a bee farm along with this, they need to identify individual ingredients to help guests make just down the road. The lemons we used in the honey sour were also locally grown. choices when they have special dietary Preparing drinks with a local twist, gives needs. In 2020, we expect to see more dishes that are interactive and transform in our staff something to talk to guests about and is just another way we look to front of the guest, such as a plate garnish make every guest experience unique and that transforms when a soup is added, or memorable.” dessert that is smashed to reveal a sauce that oozes, or when a layer dissolves to MOCKTAILS: “I think the big trend for 2020 reveal something underneath. I hate to meetings and events will be mocktails and say it, but food really does need to be local spirits,” Forrest says. “Attendees are ‘Instagrammable.’” looking for an experience and mocktails LESS IS MORE: “Less food,” says Jeff Pilditch, offer an opportunity for guests to enjoy executive chef at the JW Marriott Scottsdale a drink that feels fancy without over indulging. For those who still desire a little Camelback Inn. “Expect to see smaller kick in their cocktail, local spirits always portions, but with higher quality products provide an opportunity to taste something that are being locally sourced. We are also totally unique to our area.” seeing interest and appeal in healthier food 102

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SELTZER, ANYONE? “Seltzer. Seltzer.

Seltzer,” Nelsen says. “The recent boom of hard seltzers in the market took everyone by storm, even inspiring many local craft beer brewers to add this emerging option to their lineup. Offering a universal, lowcalorie and approachable option to the menu, the likes of Truly, WhiteClaw and locally-produced ‘craft seltzers’ served on tap, will be prevalent for the foreseeable future.”

KOMBUCHA: “Kombucha is a beverage that’s having a moment right now,” says Conor Favre, executive chef at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess. “It’s versatile, healthy, and can also be used in cocktails and mocktails for a refreshing drink at the end of the day. Craft beer has maintained its popularity, particularly local brews and IPAs.” REGIONAL DRINKS: “After the trend of flavoring liquors and the popularity of micro brews, there is growing demand for small, regionally produced hard liquor, such as gin, with strong botanical flavoring,” Moul says. “We also are expecting even more demand for the highest-quality mixers. We also are seeing the use of botanical extracts for cocktails, which is a complete departure from sweetened syrups. Post-meal ‘digestifs’ — in particular the Italian Amaros — are growing in popularity, as are sherry, port, sweet vermouth and the classic cognacs.”

HOLISTIC APPROACH: “I expect to see a lot more holistic and health conscience beverages like cactus water spritzers,

Kombucha mocktails and CBD-infused drinks,” Pilditch says. “Any kind of play on retro always comes full circle with modernized twists on the classics. Lowsugar drinks and flavored ices are on the rise as well.”

TINY TASTES: “Mini-signature cocktails offer an interactive and unique experience in which a group has an opportunity to taste a wide variety of mini versions of our signature hand-crafted cocktails, fully dressed up and presented like a small scale version of the real thing,” Badgio says. “It’s very experiential.”

MAKING IT SPECIAL Forrest says it’s important to realize that attendees no longer see business meetings.

They see business events.

“I believe we will continue to see groups turn their annual meetings into full-blown festival-style events,” Forrest says. “The demands will grow for menu customization and creative food to fit the theme of the event. Meeting and event attendees will also continue to become more demanding in having venues meet their dietary needs.

Guests are much more mindful of their dietary intake.”

Attendees of 2020 events will also be looking to enjoy a sense of connection.

“Clients are looking for stories, such as the chef or bartender’s local or cultural ties,” Moul says. “They want freshly made foods that are far from packaged consumer foods. It started with potato chips and popcorn, and now we see it in cold pressed beverages and Kombucha on tap. Meeting planners are beginning to look for new and interesting items that are not mainstream.

These may be something locally made or reflective of the location — like cactus water or agua fresca..”

Moul says he expects there will be demand for a more even balance of healthy and unhealthy food options, such as fresh pressed juices served alongside milk shakes.

Which is exactly what experts say meeting and event planners will see in 2020: a mix of the old and new.

“Guests still want all the traditional elements of an event — good food, service, linens, themes, etc.,” Favre says. “But they want to leave having enjoyed a unique experience they will remember for a long time. Planners should be prepared to

Jason Adler

Oliver Badgio

Conor Favre

Erik Forrest

Nate Kinstlinger

Kevin Moul

Mark Nelsen

Jeff Pilditch

work with event hosts to create unique experiences that are on brand for the organization and on theme for the event.”

That’s the bottom line: Creating an experience for guests is a must in 2020.

“And it will go far beyond drink specials,” Adler says. “Our Maya concept is a key example of this in action. Most know the brand as Maya Day + Night Club, an indoor/outdoor club offering daytime pool parties, bottle service and DJ nights. During fall and winter,

however, we now transition the brand into Maya Clubhouse, open to all ages during the day and providing guests with yard games, craft cocktails, a complete food menu, live music and sports. It’s an experience that lends itself perfectly to team building, holiday parties, customer appreciation events and even private parties for the many groups in town during the high season.”

Alison Bailin Batz contributed to this story.

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SPOTLIGHT ON MEETING SPACE: SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Plan Your Next Meeting at Gila River Hotels & Casinos One of the biggest trends in business travel is “bleisure,” or blending work travel with leisure. In fact, industry trade publications are reporting that business travelers believe that bleisure travel helps maintain a healthier work-life balance.

“You Do You” for Corporate Events At Gila River Hotels & Casinos – Wild Horse Pass, Lone Butte, and Vee Quiva, our “You Do You” slogan extends to meetings and corporate events. Meeting planners are taking note of our three versatile properties, and they appreciate that we offer a one-call, access-to-it-all event planning experience. Now in our 25th year of business, we’ve been doing “bleisure” long before it became a trend. Consider which of our awardwinning properties works best for you: Gila River Hotels & Casinos – Wild Horse Pass in Chandler is a beautiful Four Diamond-awarded hotel designed with groups in mind. Highlights include 242 newly refreshed guest rooms, flexible meeting space and amenities aplenty, with seven adjoining restaurants, live entertainment and gaming.

Traditional space at Wild Horse Pass includes an 8,000-square-foot ballroom, a variety of breakouts offering outdoor space and natural light, as well as a private boardroom.

The Showroom venue features amazing production possibilities, ideal for a general session of up to 1,400 people or a meal for up to 360 people.

Gila River Hotels & Casinos – Vee Quiva is tucked into the base of South Mountain, making it a magical venue for any event. Located in Laveen, this Four Diamond-awarded hotel is home to 90 boutique rooms adjacent to five dining options, two energetic lounges, and a variety of gaming. Our new George Lopez’s Chingon Kitchen is also generating a lot of buzz with its atmosphere and flavors that are as colorful as the comedian himself!

Home to 6,000 square feet of traditional space, an oversized foyer with floor-to-ceiling windows and private lawn space, Vee Quiva doesn’t disappoint, especially with its breathtaking mountain views and desert sunsets.

Gila River Hotels & Casinos – Lone Butte is the perfect option for groups that desire meeting space without having to commit to guest rooms. Lone Butte Event Center is home to 8,000 square feet of space, a large private patio and a separate entrance that keep even the largest events private. Located in Chandler, Lone Butte is home to five restaurants, lively lounges and all the gaming you can desire.

Our team is ready to customize a personal proposal and assist with all your planning needs.

Contact us at 520-796-4923, meetings@wingilariver.com or at PlayAtGila.com.

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SPOTLIGHT ON MEETING SPACE: SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa 6902 East Greenway Parkway | Scottsdale, AZ 85254 | 480.624.1000 Marriott.com/PHXWS | Christie Cline | 480.624.1328

Situated across 250 acres in Scottsdale, Arizona, The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa provides contemporary amenities and design paired with an ever-changing collection of distinctive experiences. A revitalizing desert oasis, the property features more than 200,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor space spanning 41 venues that are as visually impressive as functionally effective with state-of-the-art innovations offering the ultimate stage for high-tech presentations, general sessions, themed events or posh galas. Guests are met with an expansive portfolio of amenities, including Agave, The Arizona

Spa & Salon, 27 holes of championship golf, 10 dining venues, an Adventure Water Park, renowned retail and entertainment steps from the resort at Kierland Commons and Scottsdale Quarter, and more – all in one luxurious destination. Signaling the re-imagination of an elevated guest experience, transformed accommodations will make a full debut in holiday 2019. Designed to evoke a sense of living amidst the desert, the refined guestrooms and corridors will feature expansive interior redesigns, enhancements and guest experiences, all while retaining the Kierland character for which the resort is so renowned.

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SPOTLIGHT ON MEETING SPACE: SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

HARRAH’S AK-CHIN 15406 N Maricopa Rd, Maricopa, AZ 85139

www.caesars.com/meetings/locations/other-destinations/harrahs-ak-chin

Harrah’s Ak-Chin features 530 stylish guestrooms and luxury suites that easily meet the needs – and expectations – of your guests. This property offers more than 28,350 square feet of conference and event space easily accessible from guest rooms and property entrances, but set apart from the casino, ensuring privacy and utility.

Situated in the heart of Arizona’s Southern desert landscape, Harrah’s Ak-Chin offers an ideal mix of desert backdrop with authentic Native American culture. Harrah’s Ak-Chin features 530 stylish guestrooms and luxury suites that easily meet the needs – and the expectations – of your guests. This property offers more than 28,350 square feet of conference and event space easily accessible from guest rooms and property entrances, but set apart from the casino, ensuring privacy and utility. Within

driving distance of many of the Southwest’s largest cities, Harrah’s Ak-Chin is an ideal luxury experience for your next meeting or event. Guests and meeting planners alike will enjoy the exceptional service and accommodations that we pride ourselves on. Experience Maricopa’s only cactus garden all while enjoying Arizona’s unbeatable climate.

Harrah’s Ak-Chin offers more than 28,350 square feet of conference and event space easily accessible from guest rooms and property entrances, but set apart from the casino, ensuring privacy and utility. The flexible space allows multiple configurations to meet your needs, from an intimate board summit to a dazzling reception or an extravagant banquet. State-of-the-art audiovisual technology and incomparable service and support ensure that any meeting of any size will always make a huge impact at Harrah’s Ak-Chin.

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MPI

A NEW

REALITY Here’s how event technology is changing the events and meetings industry

A

dvances in technology have revolutionized the way we live our lives, and this is no different for events and meetings. Many new technologies have either replaced the old methods or have opened entirely new areas that were once only possible in science fiction. From digital signage and holograms to augmented reality and interactive video, event technology has never been more exciting, so let’s jump right in and look at how technology is changing the events and meetings industry.

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Jeremy Martorano Meeting & Events

HOLOGRAMS While true holograms are still a way off, we have several technologies that are mimicking the effect with astonishing results. The simplest version is a spinning fan of LEDs that creates the illusion of a floating image. The fan spins so fast, you don’t see the blades and all you see is the moving image. These fans are about two foot in diameter but can be synchronized with many units to create massive displays. Individually we’ve used these hologram fans for simple logo displays to attract attention to a booth or attention to sponsors. Trust me, they’re definitely eye catching.

Other types of hologram technologies have hit the entertainment market with deceased musicians making guest appearances at concerts or performers manipulating visuals in mid-air like on America’s Got Talent. This is all done with a special scrim fabric that is invisible to the eye until a video projection hits it from a hidden angle. From an event perspective, imagine a CEO on stage manipulating a PowerPoint presentation like Tom Cruise in the movie Minority Report. Or maybe a hologram of an honored guest that couldn’t make it to the event standing next to the presenter on stage. Hologramlike technologies are quickly evolving and could be very exciting for the event industry.

Augmented Reality apps are also a step closer to real life holograms. Much like the game Pokémon Go, users can interact with objects that aren’t really there all with the help of their phones, tablets or special glasses. We’ve seen users scan an item in a booth with their phone and the screens comes alive with all types of brand information or interactive content that really brings audience engagement to a new level.

EVENT SIGNAGE Event signage has come a long way from the banners and gobos we used to use.

Metal and glass gobos are being replaced with digital gobos now. In basic terms, a digital gobo is just using a video projector instead of a traditional leko fixture

to project a logo, monogram or special message. The benefits to digital gobos are many. With video projectors you can display a full color logo for a fraction of the cost of glass. The logo will display perfectly from any angle where as leko lights will distort the image. Another benefit is same day turn around and even the ability to fix errors or make changes on-site. You can even animate these logos or messages.

They don’t have to be projected onto a wall either. How about surprising your guests

All different purposes, but the result was the same – higher brand engagement.

ELEVATED ECPERIENCE We’re always looking for new ways to accent a special moment or grand entrance at an event. Confetti, fog geysers, and search lights are fun but now you can have 16 foot indoor /outdoor firework fountains right on your stage. Talk about a wow factor for your event! Imagine every award winner walking on stage to a backdrop of real firework fountains or “waterfalls”!

Cold spark technology makes this possible.

And just like the name says, it’s cold to the touch with temperatures only at 62 degrees. That’s colder than your body temperature! It’s safe for indoors and completely non-flammable.

But how do you ask? It’s a special mix of titanium and magnesium that is ground up and shot out in a geyser of sparkles. This effect will definitely make your event memorable.

Have you been to a concert lately or seen the Olympics opening ceremonies where the entire stadium lights up in waves of color to form patterns or words? This is a cool new technology from companies like PixMob. While you might not have events that large, you can use these led bracelets for corporate or social events. One way is to simply use these as fun party favors for as they leave the event with a special on the ground by valet your guests to wear all night that you saying “Thank You for attending” message control the color to match the music or with fireworks in the background. They’re event. Or for corporate events, we’ve used not expecting it there and it will stand out them to color code large groups and notify them when to come to the stage for their more than any logo projection inside the award. This technology has come way event! down in price and is very accessible for Want something more interactive? events and meetings.

What if your guests could trigger a logo Whatever technology you want to use at display or video message on a wall or floor your event, you should ask yourself “how by walking by it? While this technology will this improve my guest’s experience?” started out as games or educational We always think about Return on displays in museums and schools, we’ve Investment, but we should also now think used it at events to create magically about Return on Experience. Our guests appearing logo projection on the walls as should walk away with a more memorable guests walked by. Another time we used an element from a logo to create a “carpet” experience which increases brand awareness and loyalty. Or from another of multi-colored triangles that scattered away as guests walked through it to reveal perspective, “That was the best damn event I’ve ever been to!” the event logo. For a PBS Kids day event we projected a coral reef video on the floor Jeremy Martorano is the owner and creative and as kids walked through it, the water event architect at Karma Event Lighting & AV. would ripple, and the fish would scatter.

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2019-2020 // AZBio.org

ARIZONA BIOINDUSTRY ASSOCIATION

Putting things in

PERSPECTIVE W

elcome to the 2019 AZBio Special Supplement.

Over the next 40 pages, we’ll take you with us on a journey.

We’ll introduce you to inspiring people, showcase companies that are building innovative solutions to global challenges, and highlight opportunities that can make a positive impact on the lives of you, your family, the people of Arizona, Joan Koerber-Walker and people around the world.

Arizona BioIndustry Association As with any journey, it is important to know where you have been, where you are, and where you are going. In the case of the life sciences, ours is a journey of possibilities. Together we will look at what was, what is and what can be. It’s a matter of perspective.

Lifesaving and life changing innovations follow a journey of their own from discovery, to development, to delivery. Each of these milestones is nuanced with its own set of opportunities, challenges and perspectives. Arizona is home to unique models that move these innovations forward and build on our past and present for a better tomorrow.

WHAT WAS As the world entered a new century, Arizona leaders were focusing on a strategy where we would build up our bioscience sector using our universities, healthcare systems and resident life science companies as a foundation to create a top tier bioindustry.

The result would be more high-quality jobs, exciting new

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companies, new or expanded research facilities, and the potential to discover, develop and deliver life saving and life changing innovations that would benefit people in Arizona and around the world were possible.

Success would hinge on our ability to work together to achieve this goal. Governors, legislators, business leaders, university presidents and life science leaders came together to accept the challenge. With support from the Flinn Foundation, Arizona’s Bioscience Roadmap was crafted, and plans were put in place to execute on strategies and monitor the progress. Together, we would work as individuals, organizations and collectively to reach the goal. The journey had begun.

WHAT IS Today, Arizona is a top emerging bioscience state. According to Investment, Innovation and Job Creation in a Growing U.S. Bioscience Industry 2018 (BIO/TEConomy Partners), a report that is published every two years and evaluates and compares all 50 states and Puerto Rico: “Arizona has a sizable and rapidly growing bioscience industry. State bioscience firms employed 25,686 in 2016 in 1,310 individual business establishments. Industry employment has grown by 9 percent since 2014, twice the growth rate of the nation, with four of the five major subsectors adding jobs during the period. Both drugs and pharmaceuticals and research, testing and medical labs have experienced double-digit job growth since 2014. Arizona inventors have been awarded nearly 2,000 bioscience-related patents since 2014, among the second quintile of states in patent activity. Since 2015, NIH awards to Arizona institutions have increased, reaching $189 million in FY 2017.”

Looking at our milestones of discovery, development, and delivery, Arizona is building a bioscience sector that has the potential to move up to the top tiers if we continue to work together to execute on strategies and actions defined in the Bioscience Roadmap which was updated in 2014 and now extends through 2025.

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AZBIO DISCOVERY A $500 million investment by the State of Arizona in university research infrastructure in 2003 followed by an additional $1 billion commitment in 2017 has helped to build our capacity for research and discovery at Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University and at The University of Arizona. Education 2000 (Prop.301), a .6 cent sales tax that was approved by Arizona voters in 2000, includes the TRIF initiative, or Technology and Research Initiative Fund, where a portion of the Prop.

301 funding is dedicated to promoting university research, development, and technology transfer related to the knowledgebased global economy and to expand access to baccalaureate or post-baccalaureate education, among other priorities. Since its inception in 2001, TRIF funding has supported over $1 billion in investments into research, education, and workforce programs at Arizona’s three public universities.

The Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University is now home to over 1,300 faculty, staff and students. The threebuilding Biodesign campus includes over 554,000 square-feet of state-of-the-art, research facilities. The ASU School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering offers a rigorous program in biomedical engineering with opportunities for students to be involved in research, entrepreneurship, healthcare delivery, biomedical device design and global health. The ASU School of Life Sciences prepares students for a career in medicine or biotechnology, microbiology, or conservation biology and ecology by providing an innovative learning experience that prepares them to thrive in a dynamic and demanding world.

Northern Arizona University (NAU) has significantly grown its research capacity. The Pathogen and Microbiome Institute (PMI) at NAU is a notable example. PMI represents a key investment in the technologies of the future and greatly expands NAU’s capabilities to conduct both basic and translational research in the areas of Pathogen microbiology, Biological Select Agents or Toxins (BSAT), Hospital-acquired infections, and the role of the microbiome in chronic healthcare challenges. PMI also provides undergraduate and graduate student research training in its internationally recognized world-class facility. There are over 100 faculty, full time staff, graduate and undergraduate students currently working in the Institute with additional researchers closely associated with PMI on the NAU campus. In an era of superbugs, bioterrorism and pandemics, the need for new technologies to fight a host of rapidly evolving and potentially deadly diseases has never been greater.

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The BIO5 Institute at the University of Arizona (UA) was launched in 2001 with financial support generated by TRIF and Arizona’s investments in university research infrastructure along with a private philanthropic gift from Thomas W. Keating. BIO5 aims to harness the collaborative power of five core disciplines – Agriculture, Engineering, Medicine, Pharmacy and Science – to build bold solutions to complex, biology-based challenges affecting humanity. The 177,000 square foot Thomas W. Keating Bioresearch Building, which is home to BIO5 and is designed to encourage collaboration among the 350+ faculty, research staff, and students who come together at BIO5 from all over the University of Arizona. The University of Arizona Health Sciences is the statewide leader in biomedical research and health professions training. UA Health Sciences includes the UA Colleges of Medicine (Phoenix and Tucson), Nursing, Pharmacy and Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, with main campus locations in Tucson and the growing Phoenix Biomedical Campus.

UA Health Sciences employs almost 4,000 people, has nearly 800 faculty members and garners more than $140 million in research grants and contracts annually.

The Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) opened its doors in 2003 thanks to the vision of Dr. Jeffrey Trent and the support of government, business, and philanthropic donors.

Today, TGen is an affiliate of City of Hope. With operations in Phoenix and Flagstaff, the nonprofit medical research institute conducts groundbreaking research with life-changing results.

TGen researchers work to unravel the genetic components of common and complex diseases, including cancer, neurological disorders, infectious disease, and rare childhood disorders.

DEVELOPMENT Taking an idea or discovery and turning it into a product, service or process that makes life better is what development is all about. Few industries have more hurdles they must clear in the development process than the life sciences. These include the need for FDA approvals and clinical trials that can be lengthy and expensive. Quality systems must be developed to ensure that a product that is approved as “safe and effective” stays that way. And, once a product is ready for market, a complex system of pricing, distribution and reimbursement must be navigated.

Today, Arizona innovators are developing new products to screen for and diagnose disease at every stage of disease progression including the initial stages when early intervention can lead to the best patient outcomes. Arizona medical device

“Arizona has a sizable and rapidly growing bioscience industry. State bioscience firms employed 25,686 in 2016 in 1,310 individual business establishments. Industry employment has grown by 9 percent since 2014, twice the growth rate of the nation, with four of the five major subsectors adding jobs during the period.”

— Investment, Innovation and Job Creation in a Growing U.S. Bioscience Industry 2018 (BIO/TEConomy Partners)

companies are developing solutions that help patients with heart disease, diabetes, cancer and neurological challenges ranging from pain management to movement to memory. Arizonans are hard at work developing a new cancer vaccine, drugs to treat life threatening diseases and more. Others are developing new tools to help innovators and clinicians get the information they need faster.

Another perspective on development is its role in creating the place where all this can happen. Arizona is creating, attracting and growing innovative life science companies and they need places to do what they do. The Phoenix Biomedical Campus, which started when the city built the building that houses TGen, has grown to over 1.5 million square feet and includes all three state universities, TGen, the UA College of Medicine – Phoenix and The University of Arizona Cancer Center at Dignity Health St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center. Ultimately the 30-acre urban medical and bioscience campus is planned for more than 6 million square feet of biomedical-related research, academic and clinical facilities. In the City of Tempe, the I.D.E.A. Campus is a phased development that focuses on bringing new biotechnology and technology companies to Tempe. The 18-acre, 1 million square foot project includes five commercial buildings. BD, one of the world’s largest medical device companies, is the first tenant for this campus.

DELIVERY Research, development and patient care come together within Arizona’s world-class hospitals. When Banner Health and the UA entered into an academic affiliation four years ago, Banner became Arizona’s largest non-government employer. In 2019, Banner – University Medical Center Tucson expanded its facility

adjacent to the UA Health Sciences Center with the addition of a 670,000-square-foot tower. Dignity Health expanded with its partnership in the UA Cancer Center and its Barrow Neurological Institute has grown into one of the premier destinations in the world for neurology and neurosurgery. Mayo Clinic’s facilities for research and patient care have doubled in size and continue to grow. HonorHealth Research Institute combines clinical care and scientific research, with patients and their families at the center of these efforts. The institute is recognized nationally and internationally for its cancer (especially pancreatic cancer), heart, bariatric and genetic research.

Arizona innovators are providing medical professionals, locally and globally, with the tools and treatments patients need. Global leaders including BD, Celgene, Cord Blood Registry, Dexcom, Medtronic, MERZ, Roche and W.L. Gore are delivering health innovations from their Arizona facilities. Emerging life science leaders are bringing their life saving and life changing products to market while others are enabling better healthcare delivery with telemedicine and health IT. WHAT CAN BE Now, as we approach the end of this century’s second decade, Arizona and its bioscience sector are embracing a new set of opportunities as we prepare to step up from being an emerging bioscience leader and pursue our vision of Arizona as a top tier bioscience state. AZBio’s mission is to work with our members help make that happen. We’re working on it and the possibilities are even more exciting than when we started.

Joan Koerber-Walker is president and CEO of the Arizona Bioindustry Association (AZBio).

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AZBIO

ARIZONA

BIOSCIENCE WEEK 2019 Presented by AZBio and the Arizona Commerce Authority

WHAT: Join Arizona’s bioscience and healthcare community for Arizona Bioscience Week, September 30 - October 4, 2019.

It is your opportunity to connect, to engage, and to learn how life science innovators are making LIFE better today and for generations to come.

DETAILS: azbio.org/azbw2019

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

LEADING WOMEN: Biotech and Beyond Arizona’s Bioscience Community has a great cross section of great women leaders. Join us for cocktails, connections, and a stimulating conversation with some of biotech’s leading women hosted by AZBio & Perkins Coie. This event will take place on Monday, September 30, 2019 from 5:30- 7:30 PM.

ARIZONA BIOPRENEUR CONFERENCE Bioscience entrepreneurs or “biopreneurs” are building Arizona’s innovation pipeline.

The Arizona Biopreneur Conference will bring together these entrepreneurs with thought leaders and investors to make connections and share ideas. This event will take place on Tuesday, October 1, 2019 at the Flinn Foundation in Phoenix.

DISCOVERING NEW MEDICINES IN ARIZONA SUMMIT The Discovering New Medicines in Arizona Summit will highlight key areas of research in discovering effective drug candidates in prevalent diseases in Arizona while establishing collaborations that enable success in these key areas. This event takes place Wednesday, October 2, 2019 on the Phoenix Biomedical Campus before the AZBio Awards.

SEPTEMBER 30, 2019

OCTOBER 1, 2019

OCTOBER 2, 2019

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

THURSDAY

CELEBRATING EXCELLENCE – THE AZBIO AWARDS The AZBio Awards Ceremony celebrates Arizona’s leading educators, innovators and companies. Join the Celebration on Wednesday, October 2, 2019 from 3:00 p.m.

– 8:30 p.m. in the Phoenix Convention Center - West Ballroom.

CAVENDISH GLOBAL PHOENIX FORUM Cavendish Global is a peer-to-peer community of innovators in health and the life sciences combined with over 200 leading family offices, philanthropists, and investors.

The Cavendish Community and Arizona’s Life Science Innovation Community will come together on October 3, 2019 at the UA College of Medicine - Phoenix.

BIOSCIENCE UNDER THE STARS AT ARIZONA SCIENCE CENTER Cavendish Global and AZBio welcome the Arizona Bioscience Community and its supporters for an evening of cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, networking and entertainment at the Arizona Science Center.

OCTOBER 2, 2019

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OCTOBER 3, 2019

OCTOBER 3, 2019

AZBIO

MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN ARIZONA

... and the world

AZBio Pioneer Award for Lifetime Achievement The Honorable Jane Dee Hull Governor of the State of Arizona (1997-2002)

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T

he AZBio Pioneer Award for Lifetime Achievement is the highest honor awarded by Arizona’s bioscience community and is extended to an Arizonan whose body of work has made life better for people at home and around the world. In 2019, we honor The Honorable Jane Dee Hull for the lasting impact her leadership has made on our bioscience industry and the State of Arizona.

Looking back over close to six decades, there are many words that describe this incredible woman: wife, mother, grandmother, teacher, legislator, first woman elected Speaker of the Arizona House of Representatives, Arizona Secretary of State, 20th Governor of the State of Arizona beginning in 1997, first woman elected Governor of Arizona in 1998, and public delegate from the United States to the United Nations General Assembly in 2003.

Each of these roles alone are impressive. What matters more is the impact of her actions.

2000, the people of Arizona passed Prop. 301 creating a 20-year commitment to funding K-12 education, university research, and workforce development programs at Arizona’s community colleges. Over time, Prop. 301 funding has resulted in over $10 billion in Arizona education funding including over $1 billion in University Research funding via the Technology and Research Initiative Fund or TRIF. Arizona’s bioscience sector would not be where it is today without TRIF. The program has funded breakthrough research at our universities, helped to attract and retain world-class researchers who provide educational opportunities for our university students, and supported the expansion of our innovation ecosystem across the state.

In 2018, former Governor Hull joined Arizona Governor Doug Ducey as he signed an extension of Prop.301 that continues this vital funding mechanism through 2041.

Advocating for children’s health In 1997, 10 million children across the United States were without health insurance, many of whom were in working families with incomes just above states’ Medicaid eligibility levels.

To address this, the federal government created the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). During her first year as governor in 1998, Governor Hull proposed Arizona capitalize on this opportunity to provide KidsCare, an Arizona version of CHIP, to an estimated 60,000 children. While some opposed the plan, Hull persevered and built a community coalition that got KidsCare to the finish line. By the year 2000, every state in the nation had implemented KidsCare. The Kaiser Family Foundation reports that 115,400 Arizona children were enrolled in KidsCare in 2017.

The birth of TGen On February 7, 2002, an assembly of more than fifty leaders and visionaries in science, medicine, government and business met with Governor Hull at the Arizona state capitol to discuss the possibility of establishing Arizona as a player in the biosciences.

Their goal was to set up a one-of-a-kind genomics research institute. This was again an opportunity to rally together for a shared vision into the future. With an unprecedented cooperative spirit, the group rallied to the task of securing support for TGen on the order of $90 million; they achieved this fundraising goal in a five-month window. Less than a year after that initial gathering in the Governor’s office, TGen began operations.

Today the Translational Genomics Research Institute, an affiliate of City of Hope (TGen) conducts groundbreaking research with life-changing results. TGen’s team works to unravel the genetic components of common and complex diseases, including cancer, neurological disorders, infectious disease, and rare childhood disorders. It anchors the 30-acre Phoenix Biomedical Campus where leaders in biomedical-related research, academic purposes and clinical facilities work together to make life better for people in Arizona and around the world.

A champion for education Jane Hull and her husband Terry moved to Arizona with their four children in 1962. Terry, a physician, worked for the U.S. Public Health Services Department on the Navajo Nation, while Jane raised the couple’s four children and taught 6th grade English. They moved to Phoenix in 1964. In the 1970’s, she became active in politics. She never lost her passion for improving educational opportunities for all Arizonans.

Education 2000, Governor Hull’s plan to invest in our children and in our future, went on the 2000 ballot as Proposition 301.

It asked Arizona voters to make an investment in our schools, community colleges and universities by dedicating an additional 0.6 cent sales tax for education. As the plan was coming together, there were some who argued that a presidential election year was not the time to run such a big idea. Hull was not one of them.

She believed this initiative was too important to delay. By again bringing people together, she pushed forward and in November of

What was, what is, what can be Jane Dee Hull has led a distinguished career. Her work serves as an example of what can be accomplished when leaders bring people together to achieve a common goal and make a lasting impact.

As we share her story and recognize The Honorable Jane Dee Hull with the AZBio Pioneer Award for Lifetime Achievement, we are reminded of what happens when we pursue our visions secure in the belief that working together as Arizonans, we have, we do, and we can accomplish great things.

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AZBIO | 2019 |

Arizona Bioscience

COMPANY OF THE YEAR

Regenesis Biomedical

Managing pain without pills

P

ain is real. If it is your pain, relief can be life changing.

The National Institutes of Health explains the two primary types of pain like this. Acute pain is a normal sensation triggered in the nervous system to alert you to possible injury and the need to take care of yourself, chronic pain is different.

Chronic pain persists. Pain signals keep firing in the nervous system for weeks, months, even years.

Results from the 2012 National Health Interview Survey show that about 25.3 million U.S. adults (11.2 percent) had pain every day for the previous 3 months.

The study also revealed that individuals with severe pain had worse health, used more health care resources, and had more disability than those with less severe pain.

To treat pain, doctors often prescribe pain medications (like opioids) that may have side effects including nausea, constipation, sleeplessness, vomiting, and abdominal discomfort. In some cases, pain medications can also lead to abuse and addiction. In some cases, these are the patient’s best option. In other situations, alternatives are available that can bring relief without these side effects

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The 2019 Arizona Bioscience Company of the Year has discovered, developed and is delivering a solution to help patients manage their pain with a safe, non-drug medical device.

Regenesis Biomedical is dedicated to improving human welfare through the research, design, manufacture, and sale of energy-based medical products and services that alleviate pain, restore health, and improve quality of life.

Regenesis currently offers the Provant® Therapy System, an FDA-cleared medical device that is a safe, non-drug alternative to opioids. Regenesis’ customers include health care facilities and providers that serve patients treated in acute care hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, rehabilitation centers, and outpatient clinics, as well as by patients self-treating at home.

Provant Therapy may help reduce the amount of pain medicine that people who are suffering need to take. Provant is electromagnetic energy intended as an adjunctive treatment for post-operative pain and edema of soft tissue. As it helps relieve pain, Provant may reduce a patient’s need for analgesic drugs, including opioids.

Since launch, there have been over 3 million treatments.

Outcomes with Provant Therapy are documented in journal articles, white papers, and case reports. Provant relieves pain in several post-operative conditions, including orthopedic surgery, joint replacement, amputation, rotator cuff repair, back surgery, hernia repair, debridement, hand and foot surgeries, and neuropathy.

Our Military Veterans are one group at increased risk for chronic pain based on U.S. national survey data. Regenesis has been working to assist our veterans for over 10 years.

The Veterans Affairs Central Office (VACO) established guidelines for appropriate Provant Therapy prescribing, including that patients treat 120 days as an initial course of care. A survey of almost 1,000 veteran patients showed 75 percent had a decrease in pain. Of the 25 percent that did not have a decrease in pain, 72 percent had improvement in their daily activities and 47 percent had improvement in sleep.

To improve health and welfare for a more active and fulfilling life is Regenesis Biomedical’s mission. This is accomplished with safe, non-drug Provant Therapy.

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AZBIO | 2019 |

Arizona Bioscience

RESEARCHER OF THE YEAR

Monica Kraft, MD

Professor of medicine, chair of the Department of Medicine, and the Robert and Irene Flinn Endowed Chair of Medicine UA College of Medicine – Tucson Deputy director of the UA Health Sciences Asthma and Airway Disease Research Center

When every breath is an effort

M

ore than 25 million Americans have asthma, including nearly 1 million Arizonans. An analogous condition, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the third leading cause of death in the United States. Asthma and COPD are chronic diseases involving the airways (or bronchial tubes) that carry air in and out of the lungs, asthma makes breathing difficult. The impact of asthma upon the health of Arizonans is significant. The prevalence in Arizona is among the highest of any state in the nation, having exceeded the national average almost every year recorded.

Symptoms may include wheezing, coughing, chest tightness and trouble breathing — especially early in the morning or at night. Asthma attacks are of particular concern, accounting for $21 billion/year in U.S. annual health-care expenditures alone.

Monica Kraft, MD, is an internationally renowned physician-scientist who specializes in translational asthma research. She is also the 2019 Arizona Bioscience Researcher of the Year.

Dr. Kraft focuses her work on precision medicine therapies to treat severe asthma.

Her research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the American Lung Association for over 25 years. She is the principal investigator (PI) of a 5-year, $7.02 million grant from the

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National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to study “Dysfunction of Innate Immunity in Asthma,” and of a 6-year, $2.42 million grant from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the NIH, for participation in the PrecISE Network, a research network that evaluates precision medicine approaches for the treatment of severe asthma. She also is principal investigator on an Arizona Bioscience Grant and co-PI with Dr. Lynn Gerald at the University of Arizona as a site for the American Lung Association Clinical Research Centers to evaluate new treatments for asthma and COPD. Dr. Kraft has more than 175 publications in the areas of asthma and COPD, such as the role of infection and the distal lung in asthma, innate immune mechanisms in airway disease, mechanisms of airway remodeling and evaluation of novel treatments for asthma and COPD. Her work has appeared in such prestigious publications as the Journal of the American Medical Association, The New England Journal of Medicine, The Lancet, American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, and Chest. Additionally, she has received many honors — including the American Thoracic Society (ATS) Elizabeth A. Rich Award (2019), ATS Distinguished Achievement Award (2018) and the

privilege of serving as president (2012-13) of ATS, the largest and most prestigious pulmonary organization in the world. She also has won numerous honors from the prestigious Parker B. Francis Foundation, including serving as a Fellowship in Lung Research Program fellow (1994), fellow mentor (2007) and invited lecturer (2016). And Dr. Kraft was awarded the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers at the White House in 2000.

In 2018, Dr. Kraft was named to the NIH/NHLBI National Heart, Lung, and Blood Advisory Council. She also has been elected a Fellow to ATS, the European Respiratory Society, the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, the American College of Physicians, and the American College of Chest Physicians.

Dr. Kraft is also co-founder of RaeSedo, a company that is developing novel peptidomimetic approaches for the treatment of inflammatory lung disease.

Specifically, RaeSedo technology utilizes a series of peptidomimetics related to surfactant protein-A (SP-A) as a treatment method for asthma, COPD and other inflammatory lung diseases. Dr. Kraft and her RaeSedo co-founder, Dr. Julie Ledford, won the 2019 UA College of Medicine – Tucson Shark Tank competition to further develop this therapeutic treatment.

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AZBIO | 2019 |

Michael A. Cusanovich

ARIZONA BIOSCIENCE EDUCATOR OF THE YEAR AWARD

Marti Lindsey, PhD The University of Arizona Director, community engagement, Southwest Environmental Health Sciences Center; director, KEYS High School student internship program

Engaging youth in science

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earning opportunities are all around us. Many of these opportunities are thanks to dedicated educators who work to make them engaging, enlightening, and memorable. They help us understand the world we live in today and provide tools we can use to shape our tomorrows.

Each year, the Michael A. Cusanovich Arizona Bioscience Educator of the Year Award honors an educator who, as a member of the faculty or administration of an educational institution, demonstrated the greatest leadership, creativity and/or actions to inspire students and encourage them in the biosciences.

In 2019, the award will honor Marti Lindsey, PhD, for a body of work spanning more than 18 years.

Impacting young people Since its inception in 2007, Lindsey has been the co-director of the KEYS Research Internship Program. KEYS, short for Keep Engaging Youth in Science, is a unique summer opportunity for motivated Arizona high school students with a strong interest in bioscience, engineering, environmental health, or biostatistics. KEYS provides students the opportunity to work side-byside with top faculty in laboratories at The 128

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University of Arizona. Since establishing KEYS in 2007, Lindsey has directly mentored more than 500 high school students, and has created other summer youth programs using the KEYS model. The KEYS program now serves about 50 high school students each year with another 50 being served by the other programs, Toxic Detectives, Environmental Scholars, Steps2STEM, and Our Lands, Education and Health. To recruit students to youth programs, Lindsey travels the state, forming relationships with teachers, schools, and gifted high school students wherever they may be.

“Many high school students are never able to practice and contribute to actual hands-on research. They learn about science only through textbooks,” shared Lindsey. “Through KEYS, we have the unique privilege of providing real-world applications that have the potential to spark intellectual and creative curiosity.

Interns have an opportunity to pursue their passion for research while exploring their academic, professional, and personal goals.”

Health and the environment What you don’t know can hurt you, especially when it comes to toxins in places where you work and live.

As the Community Engagement Director at the Southwest Environmental Health Sciences Center (SWEHSC), and Associate Director of the Center for Toxicology, Lindsey works to promote environmental health science literacy and to serve as a non-biased source of scientific information to the public on environmental health educational issues.

Through research, outreach, and education, SWEHSC plays an important role in stimulating discussions and collaborative interactions among researchers and the broader community.

Lindsey, who has spent most of her adult life in urban and rural American Indian communities, including living and teaching on the Navajo Nation, is uniquely qualified and invested in Native American environmental health and outreach. Over many years, she has worked tirelessly to build trusted relationships with the people that make up these native communities.

While her work and influence make a difference for all of the people across the Southwest region, it provides a special benefit for people in underserved communities who may not otherwise have access to the information resources that so many of us take for granted.

NEVER ENOUGH Each day we have with the people we love is precious, and there are never enough.

When someone we love lives with disease, we do what we can to help; and feel like it is never enough.

Every time as researchers, innovators, and healthcare teams we are not able to conquer a disease in time, we know that for all that we do, until we succeed, it is never enough.

So we keep loving, keep helping, keep working to find answers.

For when we do, someday, it will be enough.

Thank you to all of the family members, friends, caregivers, researchers, innovators, investors, philanthropists, healthcare teams, and, most of all, to the patients who work together to get us to someday.

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AZBIO Jon W. McGarity Arizona Bioscience

LEADER OF THE YEAR

Martha A. Brumfield, PhD Special advisor to the CEO Critical Path Institute

PHOTO BY CHRIS MOONEY

Hope for cures

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ou probably know someone who is waiting for a cure. Most of us do.

Did you know that it can take over 15 years and a billion dollars or more to bring a new life-saving or life-changing treatment to the people who are waiting for it?

Throughout her career, Dr. Martha A. Brumfield has worked to bring new, safe, and effective treatments to market for patients who are waiting.

During a twenty-year tenure at Pfizer, she led global teams that supported lifecycle pharmaceutical research, development, and commercialization through creation and implementation of regulatory strategies and quality assurance oversight. Brumfield also played a key role in managing the broader company relationships with global regulators, trade associations, academics, and others on regulatory policy issues. She served on corporate governance initiatives including the planning and implementation of mergers and acquisitions and led her departments through these periods of significant change.

In 2010, Brumfield became a consultant to Critical Path Institute (C-Path) in Tucson, Arizona, serving as Director of 130

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International and Regulatory Programs.

In 2013, she was named C-Path’s president and CEO and served in that role for six years.

A nonprofit, public-private partnership with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that was created under the auspices of the FDA’s Critical Path Initiative program in 2005, C-Path’s mission is to act as a catalyst in the development of new approaches to advance medical innovation and regulatory science.

Over the last six years, Brumfield and the C-Path team have expanded the organization’s worldwide reach, revenue streams, and positive impact on pharmaceutical and medical product development, all the while maintaining C-Path’s stellar reputation and credibility.

The organization serves as a reliable, trusted, neutral third party that brings together stakeholders across the spectrum of industry, academia, government, patient and disease organizations to work together in a pre-competitive consortium model to drive the development of innovative tools and methods that help to de-risk decision making in the development and regulatory process.

The number of active global consortia focused on specific diseases that C-Path leads is now at 16. They have more than 70 employees, most in its Tucson office, with additional staff in multiple remote locations, and a new European headquarters recently launched in Ireland in order to work more efficiently with its many European-based partners including the EMA (Europe’s FDA equivalent).

When Brumfield shared with her team and C-Path’s Board that she was ready to plan for a leadership change, a global search resulted in the appointment of C-Path’s new President and CEO, Joseph Scheeren, PharmD, a highly regarded global leader in the pharmaceutical realm, to be her successor. She currently serves as a special advisor to Scheeren and has initiated her phased retirement.

Martha A. Brumfield, PhD has been named the 2019 Jon W. McGarity Arizona Bioscience Leader of the Year.

The award honors the person in Arizona who provided the most outstanding leadership that contributed significantly to development of the State’s bioindustry and/or recognition of the advancement of bioscience in Arizona.

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AZBIO | 2019 |

AZBio

PUBLIC SERVICE AWARD

Debbie McCune Davis

Executive director The Arizona Partnership for Immunization (TAPI) Arizona House of Representatives: 1979-1994, 2001-2006, 2011-2017 Arizona Senate: 2007-2010

Championing health and education

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or 40 years, Debbie McCune Davis has been building coalitions that champion health and educational opportunities in Arizona.

She served as Arizona State Senator for District 14 from 2006 to 2017 and as a member of the Arizona House of Representatives from 1979 through 1994, and from 2003 through 2006. As a legislator, McCune Davis championed key legislative priorities including Education and Healthcare. During her time in the legislature, she was a leading voice in support of Arizona’s Kids Care program which enables children from low-income families to have access to the medical care they need for a healthy start in life.

Ensuring schools and universities have the ability to provide education opportunities for all Arizonans is also extremely important to her. She championed funding for K-12 education, including career and technical education programs for students across the state, as well as sponsored and co-sponsored bills to provide funding for university infrastructure and tuition support so that a quality education is possible for all Arizona students.

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Today, Debbie leads The Arizona Partnership for Immunization or TAPI, a non-profit statewide coalition of over 400 members. TAPI was formed in response to the alarming fact that in 1993, only 43% of Arizona’s two-year-olds were fully immunized against preventable childhood diseases like measles, mumps, polio and whooping cough. Through the efforts of TAPI’s partners from both the public and private sectors, immunization coverage rates in Arizona have improved dramatically, but the challenge never ends.

Each year in Arizona almost 90,000 babies are born, and none arrive immunized.

With her team at TAPI, McCune Davis has been influential in promoting immunization and preventive health services that benefit all Arizonans. Over the past year, Debbie has led a coalition of leaders who are addressing the challenge of vaccine hesitancy in Arizona.

Vaccinations have reduced disease, disability, and death from a broad range of infectious diseases and save millions of lives each year. Herd immunity, the safety level that is reached when enough people within a community are immunized against

a particular disease, helps to keep that disease from spreading. Each vaccinated person is part of a network of protection that shields not only them but also the people around them. Being immunized, and immunizing your children, doesn’t just protect you and your family, it helps protect the entire community, including the most vulnerable people among us who can’t be vaccinated due to age or medical conditions.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), “Many parents have questions about their children’s vaccines, and answering their questions can help parents feel confident in choosing to immunize their child according to the CDC’s recommended immunization schedule.”

Working with public health and healthcare professionals, McCune Davis is a leader in helping to ensure that Arizonans have accurate information about the importance, safety, and effectiveness of vaccination.

For her tireless efforts on behalf of Arizonans of all ages, Debbie McCune Davis is being honored with the 2019 AZBio Public Service Award.

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AZBIO

| 2019 |

AZBIO FAST LANE HONOREE

Biosensing Instrument

Transforming drug discovery research

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eveloping a new drug is one of the most expensive and complex innovation challenges.

Biosensing Instrument Inc (BI), a Tempebased life science company, is transforming early drug discovery research at pharmaceuticals and academic laboratories around the world by enabling measurements that were not possible before.

BI designs and supplies high resolution biosensor instruments used to characterize drug molecules to validate its potency. The company’s latest innovation, the SPRm 200 Surface Plasmon Resonance Microscope, has been applauded by customers, competitors and technology reviewers as it uniquely does these measurements on single cells.

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research is approached and providing meaningful discoveries in the development of new and life-saving drug candidates.

“BI’s success is a testimony to the team’s dedication to being at the forefront of innovation and a vote of confidence by our customers,” shared Dr. Tianwei Jing, president of BI. “It is exciting that through BI’s technology, Arizona is making big contributions to drug discovery research that enables our customers to make strides to fight diseases.”

Dr. Jing is a serial entrepreneur who was named Arizona Bioscience Executive of the Year in 2006 for his work at Molecular Imaging which was acquired by Agilent Technologies in 2005. The BI leadership team also includes Professor Nongjian “NJ” Tao, PhD, Director of the Center

for Bioelectronics and Biosensors at the Biodesign Institute, who recently was named Senior Member of the National Academy of Inventors.

BI successfully completed the Flinn Foundation Bioscience Entrepreneurship program in 2017 and received the prestigious 2018 Frost and Sullivan New Product Innovation Award and the 2019 GHP Best Global Life Science Instruments Supplier Award. Since introduction of the product, the company has presented the SPRm 200 technology worldwide and has collaborated with top pharmaceuticals including Pfizer, AstraZeneca and Takeda Pharmaceuticals to generate more and exciting application materials with the SPRm 200 system. BI also received two NIH SBIR funds in 2018.

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AZBIO | 2019 |

AZBIO FAST LANE HONOREE

GT Medical Technologies

Improving the lives of patients with brain tumors

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pproximately 400,000 Americans are newly diagnosed with some type of brain tumor each year.

For decades, clinicians have sought better treatments for these patients that would effectively target cancer cells while preserving healthy tissue, but to no avail. There have been few new effective therapies over the past 30 years, and outcomes for patients have improved very little during this time. Recurrence of brain tumors is common, and about half of all patients treated for brain tumors have their disease recur within a year. As a result, patients often run out of treatment options when their tumors reoccur.

GT Medical Technologies, Inc. (GT MedTech) is a medical technology company passionately committed to improving the lives of patients with brain tumors.

To raise the standard of care, a team of brain tumor specialists joined forces and created GT MedTech to address this critical, unmet need. Their extensive clinical expertise informed the design of GT MedTech’s GammaTile™ Therapy, a Surgically Targeted Radiation Therapy (STaRT) that provides immediate, doseintense treatment at the time of tumor resection.

GammaTile Therapy is unique. It uses a conformable, bioresorbable collagen “tile” with precisely embedded radioactive sources that deliver treatment where residual tumor cells are most likely to be, while minimizing undue radiation 136

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exposure elsewhere. As a result of this innovative approach to treating brain tumors, patients have seen extended median survival times for all tumor types, including highly aggressive glioblastomas, meningiomas, and brain metastases. It is important to note that in addition to superior patient outcomes, the burden of treatment for patients and caregivers is minimized. This therapy results in fewer side effects compared to the current standard of care. Also, patients do not have to endure six weeks of daily external beam radiation therapy if they are treated with GammaTile Therapy.

To further its mission and to support getting this potentially lifesaving technology to more patients sooner, GT MedTech completed an oversubscribed $10M Series A financing round led

by MedTech Venture Partners with participation from BlueStone Venture Partners that fully closed in January 2019.

“GammaTile Therapy was developed by a team of brain tumor specialists who were running out of options for their patients.

Their urgency to find a viable solution for these patients led to the creation of GammaTile Therapy, which is designed to be immediate, safe, predictable, and effective,” said Matthew Likens, president and CEO of GT MedTech. “With this funding, in addition to adding seasoned industry executives to our team, we look forward to building and expanding our commercialization efforts so that we can

offer this new option to patients at brain tumor treatment centers across the United States.”

The company’s GammaTile Therapy began selling commercially and improving the lives of brain tumor patients in January 2019.

Over the past 18 months, GT MedTech has achieved additional technical and operational milestones including: • Successfully raising its $3 million seed financing round in January 2018 • Completing a 108-patient clinical trial and analyzing the results in 2018 • Obtaining FDA clearance for recurrent brain tumors in July 2018 • Graduating from the Flinn Bioscience Entrepreneurship Program in 2018 • Having its first publication accepted to the Journal of Neurosurgery (JNS) in December 2018 • Having 17 US Patents and 4 international patents granted since 2017 • Successfully raising its $10 million Series A financing round in January 2019 • Completing the first commercial case in January 2019 • Earning the Rosenblum-Mahaley Clinical Research Award For Best Neuro-Oncology Research at the American Association of Neurological Surgeons Annual Meeting in April 2019 • Earning the Judith Stitt Best Clinical Research Award at the American Brachytherapy Society Annual Meeting in June 2019

AZBIO

AZBIO | 2019 |

AZBIO FAST LANE HONOREE

OncoMyx Therapeutics, Inc.

Creating scientific breakthroughs T

he National Cancer Institute (NCI) estimates that there will be more than 600,000 deaths from cancer in 2019. That is roughly two percent of the U.S population. The majority of these deaths will be caused by cancers that form into solid tumors.

NCI defines “solid tumors” as an abnormal mass of tissue that usually does not contain cysts or liquid areas. Solid tumors may be benign (not cancer), or malignant (cancer). Different types of solid tumors are named for the type of cells that form them. Examples of solid tumors are sarcomas, carcinomas, and lymphomas.

Leukemias (cancers of the blood) generally do not form solid tumors.

OncoMyx Therapeutics, Inc., a startup launched from Arizona State University (ASU), develops oncolytic immunotherapies based on the myxoma virus (MYXV) platform to orchestrate an immune response and treat cancer. Successful immuno-oncology cancer treatment generally requires combination therapy, and oncolytic viruses have emerged as a safe and effective immuno-oncology complement. The company’s MYXV

platform is poised to be a best-in-class oncolytic virus approach, and the top oncolytic virus team has assembled around MYXV to create important new therapeutic options for cancer patients. OncoMyx is currently being launched in Phoenix to test next-generation viruses in human clinical trials against a variety of human cancers.

OncoMyx was incorporated in 2018.

Its founders Steve Potts, PhD; Grant McFadden, PhD; and Michael Wood have a track record of building teams to advance scientific breakthroughs and create significant shareholder value.

McFadden also serves as Center Director and Professor of the Biodesign Center for Immunotherapy, Vaccines and Virotherapy at ASU, he has pioneered the MYXV field and is widely regarded a top oncolytic virus expert.

McFadden and his collaborators have spent the past two decades evaluating MYXV in a wide variety of tumor models.

The natural target of the virus is the European rabbit, in which it causes a lethal disease. Because it only grows in rabbit cells or cancer cells, it would not infect healthy human tissue. In humans, the virus

is harmless, except when it encounters a cancer cell. McFadden’s research team has successfully targeted various types of cancers.

Preclinical studies in mice and testing on cancer patient samples from Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale have demonstrated encouraging immune responses against tumors. These data points build upon the continued clinical validation of OncoMyx’s platform to expand the boundaries of cancer treatment and potentially benefit a large group of patients.

In June of 2019, OncoMyx announced the completion of a $25 million series A financing led by Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund (BIVF), Delos Capital, and Xeraya Capital with participation from Korea Investment Partners (KIP), City Hill Ventures, and Madison Partners. ASU reported that the $25 million invested in OncoMyx is the largest amount of series A funding raised for any ASU spinout.

OncoMyx plans to use the proceeds of the $25 million investment to advance development of its MYXV therapeutic program and advance additional programs into development.

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AZBIO

Supporting the journey

Flinn Foundation program offers Arizona biotech entrepreneurs funding support, personal mentorship

By BRIAN POWELL

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Flinn Foundation program dedicated to the success of earlystage bioscience startups is providing Arizona entrepreneurs with critical funding support as well as personal mentorship and connections with the state’s biotech leaders.

The program aims to address key recommendations in Arizona’s Bioscience Roadmap, the state’s long-term strategic plan to advance its bioscience sector.

Six new Arizona biotech startups will be selected for the 2020 program. The application will be open for several weeks beginning in mid-September.

The six competitively selected participants in the 2019 Flinn Foundation Bioscience Entrepreneurship Program— three from the Phoenix area and three from Tucson—were the first assigned a personal mentor in addition to receiving $30,000 each in nondilutive funding support administered through the Arizona Bioindustry Association, the Flinn Foundation’s nonprofit partner on the grants program.

Travis Witzke, CEO of 2019 participant Desert Valley Tech, said the mentorship is an incredibly valuable benefit of the program as he seeks investors and makes his first attempt to take to market a product regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

“I come from medical transportation, not biotech, so having someone with decades of history within that sector has been invaluable to us,” Witzke said. “The grant money is fantastic and having a mentor increases that multifold.”

The Mesa-based company is working on a cold chain storage and transportation container for blood products, organs, pharmaceuticals and vaccines that can reach further into remote battlefields and disaster areas than is currently feasible. The concept and use case stem from the personal experience of Witzke, a U.S. Army veteran. While serving in combat in Iraq, he was unable to stabilize an injured man enough to survive a helicopter evacuation without the necessary blood.

Desert Valley Tech is one of 34 Arizona early-stage bioscience firms to participate in the Flinn Foundation program since it was launched by the Phoenix-based philanthropic grantmaking organization in 2014. The program addresses several of the goals of the Bioscience Roadmap, which Flinn commissioned in 2002 and updated in 2014. The Roadmap’s five overarching goals are: 138

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WINNING WAYS: Desert Valley Tech CEO Travis Witzke, left,

and President Burt Skiba, center, are honored at the Flinn Foundation for the company’s participation in the Bioscience Entrepreneurship Program. Also pictured is program adviser Russ Yelton. (Provided photo)

• Forming an entrepreneurial hub; • Turning research into practice; • Developing bio-talent; • Promoting Arizona’s convergence of research, health care, and commercialization to economic partners in neighboring states, Canada, and Mexico; • Enhancing the state’s “collaborative gene” reputation.

Executives of the selected companies in the Flinn entrepreneurship program also participate for one year as members of Arizona’s Bioscience Roadmap Steering Committee, a group of about 100 state leaders overseeing the Roadmap.

The steering committee meets quarterly and has dedicated teams working to advance the bioscience ecosystem in the areas of entrepreneurship, legislative relations, risk capital, and talent.

The entrepreneurship program participants present about their companies to the committee, receive up-close exposure to the bioscience ecosystem in Arizona, and collaborate with sector leaders as they grow their companies.

“We have gotten in front of leaders and now better understand the resources and people available to us, which has been pretty nice,” Witzke said.

Brian Powell is the communications manager at the Flinn Foundation.

ARE YOU A BIOPRENEUR? The application for the 2020 Flinn Bioscience Entrepreneurship Program will be open from Sept. 16 to Nov. 4, 2019. For more information about the program, including a 2020 brochure and list of past winners, visit flinn.org/entrepreneur. The winners will be announced early next year.

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AZBIO

Collaboration delivers results A look at the Center for Entrepreneurial Innovation

By AZBIO

I

t all started with a shared vision and a plan.

With a vision to spur lasting economic growth in Arizona, leaders at the Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD), the City of Phoenix and the Economic Development Administration recognized the importance of providing both lab facilities and business support to bioscience and tech startups with high-growth potential. Opening on the GateWay Community College campus in 2013, the Center for Entrepreneurial Innovation (CEI) was created to help entrepreneurs build thriving companies and create high-quality jobs in the community.

Delivering results Over its 6 years of operation, CEI’s clients and alumni have done just that; with $85 million in capital raised, 570 new jobs created, and combined annual revenues of $147 million, the startups who have joined the incubator have made significant impact in Phoenix and beyond. In that time, the CEI team has evolved the program to support the ongoing needs of their clients. Not only do they consider obstacles at-hand, but they anticipate the challenges startups will face years down the line.

A future-forward approach CEI’s future-forward approach led them to notice a significant problem that would affect both emerging and established bioscience companies in Arizona as the sector continued to grow — finding enough talent to fill roles at every level of business.

That’s why CEI started LabForce, a workforce development initiative specifically designed to support these growing sectors.

CEI LabForce will be the state’s first training and certification center to focus on the increasing workforce demands of the biotech and life science industries. Through an in-depth research and discovery process, the Center identified some of the biggest issues growing bioscience companies face. They found that there was a need to continuously advance the skills of current employees, to build a pipeline of talent that is ready to take on new STEM careers, and to ensure that compliance and regulatory adherence remain a top priority. With these key workforce challenges in

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mind, CEI and the Maricopa County Community College District are designing industry-responsive programs to take Arizona’s bioscience workforce to the next level.

Opening in Downtown Phoenix in 2020, the Center for Entrepreneurial Innovation’s second facility will offer a range of inperson, online, and hybrid learning experiences for lab technicians, scientists, quality managers, and entrepreneurial teams. By looking directly at what is needed in the bioscience sector, the Center for Entrepreneurial Innovation and MCCCD is increasing its capacity to support growth in Arizona’s economy and prepare the community for promising careers in science and technology.

Advancing Arizona with every purchase Under Arizona’s Education 2000 Plan (Prop.301), which was passed by Arizona voters in 2000, a small fraction of a penny that you pay in sales tax goes into a fund to support workforce development initiatives at our community colleges. In 2018, Governor Ducey signed an extension of this funding through 2041. That small fraction of a penny that you pay each time you buy something goes to support programs that advance our economy, train workers for high quality new jobs, and to help create exciting new opportunities. YOU are part of the team that made all of this possible.

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AZBIO

The faces

By JOAN KOERBER-WALKER

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component of the Education 2000 Initiative (Prop. 301), the Technology and Research Initiative Fund (TRIF), has been a magnet that has attracted and retained top research talent at Arizona’s public universities. Other Arizona investments in university research infrastructure were instrumental in creating the facilities that have been developed across our state, but it is TRIF that has brought them to life by funding the projects that will benefit people in Arizona for generations to come.

TRIF makes up a small percentage of the Prop. 301 funding approved and protected by Arizona voters nearly 20 years ago to benefit the state’s education system. Prop. 301 authorized a 0.6 cent sales-tax increase for education and workforce development.

The majority of the revenue goes to K-12 education, with a small amount for the state’s community colleges. About 12 percent of the tax revenue is collected for TRIF. In 2018, Gov. Doug Ducey signed SB 1390 to extend the 0.6 cent tax for an additional 20 years after its expiration in 2021.

The extension signed by Gov. Ducey keeps TRIF at 12 percent of the collected revenue.

WHAT WAS: The Technology and Research Initiative Fund (TRIF) has been instrumental in Arizona’s ability to attract and retain world-class research talent, explore new frontiers in science, and develop our next generation of innovators. Since its inception as part of Prop. 301, TRIF has raised over $1 billion for Arizona 142

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State University, Northern Arizona University, and University of Arizona to be used for research in health and the biosciences and other science fields, tech transfer, and workforce development.

WHAT IS: Today, Arizona Universities are able to leverage TRIF talent and resources to bring in hundreds of millions of dollars in external grant and contract funding annually. Their work is tackling big challenges affecting humanity, our state, and world by finding new answers, and launching new companies designed to address these challenges. This small fraction of a penny, .0072 cents to be exact, is making a major impact today and for our future.

WHAT CAN BE: In 2020, it is expected that Arizona voters will again have the opportunity to vote to protect and potentially increase the investment every Arizonan makes in education.

TRIF is part of our K-20 vision and gives every Arizonan the ability to say that “I helped shaped the future.”

Here are just a few of the researchers and educators that you have supported with a small fraction of each penny you pay in sales tax.

ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY TRIF was a key resource that founding director George Poste leveraged to begin to build a world class research faculty at the Biodesign Institute, recruiting over 60 faculty, including three

of TRIF members of the National Academies of Science and Engineering in the institute’s first 6 years. Today, Biodesign is home to over 1,300 faculty, staff and students.

Since the inception of TRIF, there have been 29 distinct institutes/initiatives/programs funded at ASU. Biodesign Institute scientists have disclosed more than 722 inventions since inception, resulting in 112 patents issued, 56 licensing agreements and 24 spin-out ventures.

The institute’s newest center is led by Biodesign executive director, Josh LaBaer and co-principal investigator Vel Murugan.

Funded by a $38.8 million DARPA grant, the team aims to develop a technology that will use a single drop of blood to quickly read a person’s epigenetic “fingerprint.” The fingerprint will identify signatures that indicate if the individual has been exposed to materials associated with producing weapons of mass destruction.

A team led by ASU researchers James Adams, Rosa KrajmalnikBrown and Dae-Wook is taking a novel approach to the search for effective autism diagnosis and treatments by focusing on improving the gut microbiome.

Hao Yan, named to Fast Company’s list of “Most Creative People in Business 2019”, works on using nanobots to fight cancerous tumors by choking off their blood supply. A pioneer in the field of DNA origami, Yan and his team in the Biodesign Center for Molecular Design and Biomimetics draw their inspiration from nature, seeking to solve complex human problems.

TRIF is Arizona's Technology and Research Initiative Fund

Cheryl Nickerson and her team conduct groundbreaking research related to normal cells and infectious disease on and off the planet. Her research has flown on numerous NASA Shuttle missions, the International Space Station, and continues on SpaceX flight experiments.

Bruce Rittman was honored with the 2018 Stockholm Water Prize for microbiological research and innovations that have revolutionized water and wastewater treatment. His work has contributed to the understanding of how microorganisms can transform organic pollutants to something of value to humans and the environment.

Rolf Halden is a noted expert in determining where in the environment mass-produced chemicals wind up, their impact on health, and how to remove them from contaminated water resources, aquifers and agricultural soils. His Human Health Observatory measures population health in near real-time by monitoring wastewater in more than 350 cities around the world.

The Biodesign Pathfinder Center, led by Leland Hartwell, pursues its mission to prepare educators and learners for the future by helping them find motivation and direction where education, health, technology, and sustainability meet. Hartwell was awarded The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2001.

He joined the faculty of the Biodesign Institute in 2009.

NORTHERN ARIZONA UNIVERSITY TRIF has been foundational to the development of biosciences at Northern Arizona University, establishing new AB | September - October 2019 143

AZBIO research programs, attracting high-impact faculty members, translating discoveries into applications, and contributing to the development of the region’s bioscience workforce through synergist training opportunities.

Since TRIF’s inception, more than 50 bioscience patents have been issued to NAU researchers and collaborators, and in just the last five years more than 120 R&D projects have been funded by TRIF in the biosciences.

Some of NAU’s most impactful bioscience faculty members have been supported through these projects, including Julie Baldwin, Dirk de Heer, Jani Ingram, Paul Keim, and Kiisa Nishikawa, who, collectively have been awarded more than $50M in external funding in the past five years.

Regents’ Professor Julie Baldwin leads the Center for Health Equity Research, which focuses on increasing NAU’s capacity to conduct biomedical, clinical, and behavioral research in order to end health disparities in Arizona and beyond.

As principal investigator for the Partnership for Native American Cancer Prevention, Associate Professor Dirk de Heer leads a major study of the Healthy Diné Nation Act, implemented by the Navajo Nation in 2014, to determine its impact on public health.

Professor Jani Ingram is lead researcher for the Partnership for Native American Cancer Prevention, investigating the environmental exposure of uranium within Navajo communities and how it poses a significant cancer risk.

Regents’ Professor Paul Keim leads the Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, which expands NAU’s capabilities to conduct basic and translational research in pathogen microbiology, biological toxins, hospital-acquired infections, and the role of the microbiome in chronic disease.

Regents’ Professor Kiisa Nishikawa leads a transdisciplinary group of researchers studying molecular muscle physiology, kinesiology, and neurophysiology—generating discoveries in the field of bioengineering that have the potential to improve lives and foster economic growth in Arizona and beyond.

THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA TRIF investments in Improving Health allow the BIO5 Institute to connect and mobilize hundreds of world class plant, animal, and human bioscientists, engineers, physicians and computational researchers to develop creative solutions for complex challenges such as disease, hunger, water and food safety, and other health issues facing Arizona.

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BIO5’s interdisciplinary approach has resulted in improved food crops, innovative diagnostics and devices, disease prevention strategies and promising new therapies.

Since 2001, TRIF funding at the UA has supported over 250 pilot project grants, over 400 grants to help students achieve their academic goals, and over 250 investments in the equipment needed to move science forward.

In collaboration with UA researchers in physiology, medical imaging, and obstetrics and gynecology, BIO5’s director, Jennifer Barton, is building novel optical imaging technology that will identify biomarkers at the earliest possible stage of ovarian cancer and become the first effective screening system for the disease- the most deadly gynecological cancer in the United States. Her work is an excellent example of the interdisciplinarity that has made BIO5 a leading site of bioengineering and biomedical research.

The UA-Banner Health All of Us Research Program has been awarded grants that will total $64 million over five years, the largest award from the National Institutes of Health in Arizona history. The program seeks to enroll one million or more participants across the nation to improve treatment and prevention strategies based on people’s individual differences in lifestyle, environment and genetics.

Researchers Bernard Futscher and Lukas Vrba have combined the latest discoveries in epigenetics with new methods in informatics to create a new breed of “liquid biopsy” – a blood test for screening, detecting, and monitoring most major cancers. They have also launched the startup, DesertDx, to bring the invention to doctors and their patients.

A research team led by Roberta Diaz Brinton is exploring the role of gender in Alzheimer’s disease and working to develop precision medicine interventions to prevent- and potentially reverse- the course of the disease in women and men.

Minkyu Kim has developed an environmentally safe biocompatible polymer blend that, when added to water used for dust control, keeps the ground damp for more than two months, even when exposed to the open desert air.

Melissa Herbst-Kralovetz and her team completed a first-of-its-kind study that could aid in the treatment, diagnosis, and prevention of cervical cancer by identifying cervicovaginal metabolic signatures, or “fingerprints,” that distinguish patients with HPV, pre-cancerous cervical conditions, and cancer.

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AZBIO

INVESTING IN

INNOVATION

By JOAN KOERBER-WALKER

W

hen it comes to creating new lifesaving and life-changing innovations, the journey can be challenging and exciting. It can also be frustrating and sometimes disappointing.

It is always expensive.

At the end of a successful journey, the result could be something that improves the quality of a person’s life or saves it. This might be a new diagnostic test that could save thousands of lives each year, a treatment that a doctor could use to alleviate pain and suffering, a vaccine that prevents a terrible disease all together, or a technology that our doctors can use to provide better and more cost effective care.

WHAT WAS Over the last 20 years, billions of dollars have been invested into building Arizona’s research infrastructure and attracting talented researchers to work in our university and private industry sectors.

Their work is yielding discoveries that, when shaped into products and services by companies and used by healthcare professionals, can make life better for people in Arizona and around the world.

WHAT IS More and more often, the critical stage of developing a discovery into a promising product or service is the task of small, entrepreneurial ventures. These young companies must be able to bring 146

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together the talent and the funding to navigate through a complicated maze of design, testing, regulations, and ultimately the steps to take the product or service to market. It’s a risky business and the earlier you are in the development process, the riskier it gets.

The discovery process is often funded by government grants or private philanthropy. The gap between where this grant funding stops and where private investment begins is sometimes called the “Valley of Death.” This challenging period slows down the development process as the leadership must focus on finding the funding needed to keep the development going before time and money runs out.

Many young companies do not make it to the other side. Companies from all parts of the country, even in well developed markets like Boston and the San Francisco Bay Area, must cross this chasm. And, it is getting wider, especially in places like Arizona where there is not a large number of investors willing to make investments at the earliest stages.

WHAT CAN BE With the support of a 3-year grant from the Economic Development Administration (EDA), an agency in the United States Department of Commerce, AZBio is working with community leaders to create a seed fund to bridge the Valley of Death and address challenges that slow down or stop Arizona’s lifesaving and

life-changing innovations from getting to market and to the patients who are waiting for them.

Under the Arizona Bioscience Cluster Sustainable Seed Fund Project, AZBio and its partners are working to build and sustain the resources the life science innovation community needs now and in the future. The project will help close the funding gap for early-stage life science and healthcare technology companies in the region’s bioscience cluster by creating a new and sustained flow of equity-based funding in a state that has lacked available capital from local institutional investors since 2006.

The project will also provide resources and technical assistance to help prepare these companies for their initial funding process as well the follow-on funding they will likely need in the future.

This new model is designed to combine government and philanthropic dollars to address the critical funding needed to develop and de-risk these technologies so that the companies move forward faster through the Valley of Death and are ready to attract funding from later stage investors on the other side These companies in turn will enhance the long-term economic vitality of the region by attracting additional private investment to the region, creating and sustaining high-paying jobs, and furthering the entrepreneurial culture arising as we grow.

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AZBIO

HPV vaccine holds the promise of saving lives

By AZBio staff

O

nce one of the most common causes of cancer death for American women, cervical cancer deaths have declined over 50 percent since 1975 thanks primarily to early detection. Now with a vaccine for the human papillomavirus (HPV), we have the opportunity to save more lives.

EARLY DETECTION Screening tests offer the best chance to have cervical cancer found early when successful treatment is likely. Screening can also prevent most cervical cancers by finding abnormal cervical cell changes (pre-cancers) so that they can be treated before they have a chance to turn into a cervical cancer.

The cervical cancer death rate dropped significantly with the increased use of the Pap test. But it has not changed much over the last 15 years according to the American Cancer Society.

THE NEXT STEP: PREVENTION FOR MEN AND WOMEN Nearly 80 million Americans (1 of every 4) are infected with human papillomavirus

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What was: Cervical Cancer was once one of the most common causes of death for American women.

What is: The American Cancer Society estimates that about 13,170 new cases of invasive cervical cancer will be diagnosed in the United States this year. About 4,250 women will die from cervical cancer. This is a decline of 50 percent since 1975.

What can be: We can prevent the majority of HPV of related cancers. By providing our children (boys and girls) with the HPV vaccine, we can help to protect them from 70 percent of HPV related cancers including cervical cancer. Adults should talk to their doctor about HPV.

(HPV). Every year in the United States, HPV causes 33,700 cases of cancer in men and women.

Most HPV infections (9 out of 10) go away by themselves within two years.

Sometimes HPV infections will last longer and can cause certain types of cancers including cancers of the cervix, vagina, and vulva in women; penis in men; and anus and back of the throat, including the base of the tongue and tonsils, in both women and men.

Vaccinating our young people and screening our adult populations for HPV can be a life saver.

By providing our children (boys and girls) with an FDA approved HPV vaccine, we can help to protect them from HPV related cancers.

Despite those staggering figures, HPV vaccination remains low. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as of 2016 only 44 percent of Arizona’s 13- to 17-year-olds were up to date on their HPV vaccinations.

Nationally, the Department of Health and Human Services’ goal is to achieve an 80-percent vaccination rate by 2020.

If your teen hasn’t gotten the vaccine yet, please talk to his or her doctor about getting it as soon as possible.

What happens if you are over the recommended age limit? HPV screening is a way for men and women to target this cause of a common and preventable cancers. Talk to your doctor about screening for HPV during your next visit.

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AZBIO

SOLVING THE

PUZZLE

By JOAN KOERBER-WALKER

I

magine a puzzle with more than 327 million pieces. The shape and size of puzzle pieces change over time, and the table you are placing the pieces on rocks back and forth causing the pieces to shift and slide before your eyes. It would be mind-boggling.

There are over 327 million people in the United States. When it comes to health and the need for care, each one is unique. Our age, health, financial circumstance, and a host of other variables shape our perspective of what we need at each point in time.

A complex combination of components make up the platform of U.S. Healthcare that people depend on. These components include medical professionals, hospitals, insurers, and companies that produce the medicines and medical devices that people need, along with the employers, individuals, and governments that pay for it. As the weight of healthcare costs shift from one component to another, the entire platform can become unstable.

Fixing healthcare, when viewed in this way, is mind-boggling.

Yet, this puzzle must be solved.

THE ECONOMIC PERSPECTIVE As the 2020 elections approach, we will be hearing more and more about healthcare in the United States. As a priority issue it ranks #1 or #2 on almost every list and its partner at the top of these rankings is the economy.

According to the CMS 2018-2027 Projections of National Health Expenditures Report, national health expenditure growth is expected to average 5.5 percent annually from 2018-2027, growing from $3.3 trillion in 2018 to nearly $6.0 trillion by 2027.

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A person’s need for healthcare can occur at any age. Based on data from the Peterson-Kaiser Heath System Tracker, people age 55 and over made up 29 percent of the population but accounted for 56 percent of all health spending in 2016. In contrast, people under age 35 made up 46 percent of the population but accounted for less than a quarter of health spending.

Demographics are a primary driver of the rising costs.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, between 2010 and 2050, the United States is projected to experience rapid growth in its older population. In 2050, the number of Americans aged 65 and older is projected to be 88.5 million, more than double its projected population of 40.2 million in 2010.

These are numbers that will be central to discussions around changes to U.S. Healthcare. If we do not find a solution to lower the total cost of care as our senior population grows, the impact will be felt across our economy.

THE PATIENT PERSPECTIVE These numbers provide perspective on the big picture, but, when you or someone you care about needs help, your point of focus changes. Patients and their families deal with a separate set of questions around what can be done to improve their health, how much it will cost them, and how they will pay for it.

We can do more today to help address health challenges than ever before. Medicines, medical devices and treatments can make life better for many of the people who need them, and even more are in the development pipeline. But, if your health insurance

to the World Health Organization (WHO). It is notable that the WHO statistic is for developed countries, not just the United States. Failing to take medicine as prescribed, also known as nonadherence, is also a challenge in countries that have universal healthcare systems. WHO reports that “nonadherence can account for up to 50 percent of treatment failures, around 125,000 deaths, and up to 25 percent of hospitalizations each year in the United States.” Often, the cost of hospitalization is many times more costly than the medicine that should have been taken as directed.

Government and industry are making big investments in research and development. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) invests nearly $39.2 billion dollars annually in medical research for the American people. On the industry side, the U.S. biopharmaceutical industry spent an estimated $97 billion on R&D in 2017. That is roughly one-sixth of total domestic R&D spending

by U.S. businesses and the single largest share of all U.S. business R&D. These investments drive the progress along the journey to find new treatments and cures. A significant portion of the profits these companies generate fund these R&D investments.

HOW MUCH WILL IT COST? Costs, reimbursement for those costs, and what a patient ultimately pays are some of the most complex and controversial parts of the puzzle. The list price you read about is rarely the price that is actually paid at any point along the way. Rebates, discounts, and other payments across the delivery chain can be a confusing maze. A short video at AZBio.org/follow-thepill explains how this works. If there is an opportunity for true innovation, this may be a place to start.

How will we pay for it?

Now, that is the question. We all bear the cost of U.S. Healthcare. It is reflected in how our tax dollars can be allocated won’t cover them or your share of the cost is more than you can since the more that government spends on health, the less pay, the problem becomes intensely personal, the solutions are there is to spend on education, roads and bridges, defense, and not simple, and not solving it can impact your health or cost you other key priorities. The increasing costs to employers results in your life. fewer investments that they can make in their businesses. For The crowd founding website GoFundMe shared on their website individuals, the increasing costs of insurance or care may put that “We’re the leader in online medical fundraising” and reports these things out of reach. For some people, it already is. supporting more than 250,000 medical campaigns per year and As we build solutions, we must keep in mind that each action raising more than $650 million per year. If this is the best option has consequences. Setting rates below a healthcare provider’s cost these patients have, something needs to change, and fast. of care can force facilities to close. Setting limits or otherwise reducing the return on investments in innovation reduces the THE INNOVATION PERSPECTIVE dollars available to invest in developing new treatments and Innovation is doing something in a new and better way. Many cures. Structuring patient co-pays and formularies in such a way of the ‘fixes’ that we hear about in the news that target one that patients cannot access the treatments they need when they component within U.S. Healthcare are often simply shifting the need them, can led to costly hospitalizations. cost of the ‘fix’ to someone else instead of actually solving the root problem. That is not innovation.

A HOLISTIC SOLUTION What can be done to improve health?

No one person, organization, or government can solve the According to the CDC, 90 percent of our $3.3 trillion healthcare problem alone. There are too many pieces, too many healthcare spending is due to chronic disease and mental health. unintended negative consequences as costs are shifted, and too Many chronic diseases are caused by key risk behaviors that can many people suffering in a myriad of ways while we continue to be within our control. By making healthy choices, we can reduce debate. Doctors are trained to treat the whole person and not the likelihood of getting a chronic disease and improve our an individual symptom. To solve the healthcare puzzle, we must quality of life. all come together, with each of our pieces, and a commitment to When our doctors prescribe treatments and cures, we also have create the most workable solution for us all. to do our part. Medicines will not work if we do not take them. Yet in developed countries only 50 percent of patients who suffer from Joan Koerber-Walker is president and CEO of the Arizona Bioindustry chronic diseases adhere to treatment recommendations according Association (AZBio).

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