Athena/Women in Business 2019

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ATHENA |

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FEBRUARY 2019

WOMEN IN

BUSINESS 2019 Athena Award Nominees

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he Greater Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce and the Northern Arizona Healthcare Foundation present the 30th annual ATHENA Awards celebrating and honoring women who demonstrate excellence, leadership and creativity in their careers, valuable service to the community, and inspire other women in reaching their full leadership potential.

The chamber is honored to recognize 16 extraordinary nominees for the 2019 awards. Recipients of the 2019 ATHENA and ATHENA Young Professional Awards will be announced during the Greater Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Meeting and Luncheon Friday, Feb. 8, at the High Country Conference Center.

ATHENA Nominees  Kimberly B. Alexander  Linda Ballantine

and Dana Boast  Liz Bohlke  Christina Caldwell  Judy Jackson

   

Jacquie Kellogg Elisa Muscarella Kim Musselman Flo Spyrow

ATHENA Young Professional Nominees    

Kelly Culbertson Amy Hammond Brooke Hirschy Marin McDermott

 Erin McDonald  Dianna Sanchez  Sharon TewksburyBloom

ATHENA History

The ATHENA leadership model identifies eight tenets of leadership that reflect women’s unique ways of leading.

Infused with the 21st-century demands for balance, accountability, and continuous learning, the model is a guide for leadership behavior and emphasizes the tenet’s interdependent relationship to the practice of dynamic leadership. The principles include the authentic self, relationships, giving back, collaboration, courageous acts, learning, fierce advocacy, celebration and joy.

The ATHENA Award was founded nationally in 1982

by Martha Mayhood Mertz

Congratulations

and ATHENA International, a nonprofit organization that seeks to support, develop and honor women leaders. The goddess Athena was chosen as the symbol for the program to reflect the qualities the award honors — strength, courage, wisdom and enlightenment.

The Greater Flagstaff Chamber also recognizes an emerging female leader with the ATHENA Young Professional Award, designed to honor women under the age of 40 who have demonstrated excellence in their careers, who contribute to the community, and clearly stand out as role models for young women both professionally and personally.

Florence L. Spyrow, NAH president and CEO, and Kim Alexander, NAH director of Behavioral Health Services, on your Athena Award nominations!

Florence L. Spyrow

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Kim Alexander

ATHENA WOMEN IN BUSINESS

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ATHENA AWARD NOMINEES ELISA MUSCARELLA Owner and Manager, Your Pie Elisa has been at the ‌ forefront of all of the marketing, design and vision for the building of Your Pie restaurant in Flagstaff. Elisa’s leadership style is one that focuses on building relationships, expecting the utmost from her staff and leading by example, which creates mutual re-

JUDY JACKSON

spect between her and the team. She is a mentor to dozens of female youths who enter the restaurant industry.

As an ongoing charity event, Elisa hosts “Community Nights” once a week at Your Pie. A percentage of the profits go to a nonprofit of choice.

Elisa has had a long history of community service.

Through her passion for giving back, she has benefited dozens of nonprofits over the years. She became a strong local/national advocate for brachial plexus injury patients because

her son suffered the injury at birth. As a result, she was asked to serve on the board of directors for the Brachial Plexus Network, which she accepted and worked hard at day in and day out on behalf of her son. Eventually, with her son and husband, she was asked to travel to Washington, D.C., where she spoke before Congress regarding medical malpractice. They also appeared on the Dr. Phil show to advocate for the children that suffer this affliction. This is just one more example of her rising to the top for others.

Jacquie has demon‌ strated excellence by becoming one of Flagstaff’s top and most respected Realtors and brokerage owners. She has owned West USA Flagstaff since 2008, served as president of the Northern Arizona Association of Realtors in 2014 and has been a board member of the association since 2010. This year, she has been nomi-

and positively impactful community-based organization. This is due to the excellent business planning and careful management executed by Judy over the past 30 years. Judy must constantly adapt her leadership style to create optimum results.

She does this with grace and creativity year after year. Her ability to find new and creative ways to achieve goals is evidenced by the variety of successful philanthropic projects she organizes. Judy’s work ethic is remarkable, and she has a deeply held belief in doing what is right and what is needed.

Judy is a recipient of several awards through her tenure including NAAR President’s Award, NAAR Spirit Award; NAAR Distinguished Service Award and an award for 20 years of excellent service.

A large number of young women begin careers in real estate, and Judy elevates them in their education, career success and philanthropic endeavors. She organizes hundreds of activities for female members that get them out into the community serving, and that is indeed a community-wide inspiration.

‌Flo Spyrow joined Northern Arizona Healthcare (NAH) in 2015 as Executive Vice President and FMC Chief Administrative Officer. In October, Flo was n a m e d President and CEO of Northern Arizona Healthcare, its first female CEO. She is at the helm of the largest health care system in northern Arizona. NAH encom-

passes more than 50,000 square miles and has a team of more than 3,000 doctors at two hospitals, Flagstaff Medical Center and Verde Valley Medical Center, with clinics in Sedona, Camp Verde and the Village of Oak Creek.

Flo has demonstrated excellent leadership skills by closing a significant budget gap, overseeing the development of a new strategic plan, and completing the mission, vision, and values revision process for NAH. Flo’s impressive background as a nurse, lawyer, and administrator give her a strong foundation to help NAH achieve longterm goals. She is an influential mentor to

female doctors and interns who provide compassionate care to patients. She regularly provides guidance and coaching on career advancement and life decisions. She is a naturally caring person who interacts with employees at all levels and knows most of them by name.

It is Flo’s goal to provide outstanding, affordable health care and positive experiences for every patient, every time and at every location across the system, especially in the rural hospital network.

She is a board member of the Greater Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce and also served the Quad City Chamber of Commerce in Iowa.

to job seekers in northern Arizona communities.

Christina has made a considerable impact being a part of the Arizona at Work Coconino County Business Services Team helping local businesses connect with and hire in the local workforce which strengthens the lives of individuals and their families. Christina is also involved with other community services

in the county including as vice president of the Coconino Community College Foundation Board, chair of Arizona at Work Business Services Team, and member of the Rapid Response Team. She is also a member of Volunteer Organizations Active in Disasters (VOAD), ECoNA, Northern Arizona Veterans Coalition, the Flagstaff, Sedona and Kingman chambers and

the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women in northern Arizona. She is an active supporter of Give Amore Ministries in western Kenya which helps sustain women providing for themselves and their families, builds community wells for clean water consumption, and provides scholarships for children and youth so they can attend school.

‌Judy Jackson demonstrates excellence every day in her role as Chief Executive Officer for the Northern Arizona Association of Realtors (NAAR).

During a time when many associations of similar size throughout the country need to close their doors, NAAR remains a financially sound

FLO SPYROW

JACQUIE KELLOGG Owner and Founder, West USA Realty

CEO, Northern Arizona Association of Realtors

nated as a board member for the Arizona Association of Realtors and for a second three-year term on the Greater Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce board.

A great example of her passion for going above and beyond helping our community nonprofits and social causes is that Jacquie has founded the El Pueblo Code Talker Museum Project. Its mission is raising funds to purchase a Route 66 property and create a Navajo Code Talker Museum.

Jacquie is affiliated with many organizations including the American Cancer Society, Flagstaff Arboretum, Habitat for

Humanity and Flagstaff Family Food Center. She is also an affiliate partner with Homes for Heroes Inc., which is the largest nationwide network of affiliate real estate agents, lenders and business partners committed to providing Hero Rewards for veterans.

Jacquie Kellogg is hardworking, kind, dedicated and compassionate. Her influence and exceptional example for young women show them that IT CAN BE DONE, no matter what your circumstances are.

She exudes dedication, hard work, compassion and kindness in everything she does.

President and CEO, Northern Arizona Healthcare

CHRISTINA CALDWELL Senior Manager, Mission Advancement and Fresh Start Re-entry Program, Goodwill of Northern and Central Arizona Christina has over 16 ‌ years of senior leadership experience with a strong background in nonprofits, business development,

grant writing and mission services.

In previous roles, she secured over $3 million in grant funding for northern Arizona communities.

Christina is a natural born connector and a motivator of people and their poten-

tial. She genuinely believes that by bringing a community together, you are able to make a more profound impact on someone’s life.

In her current role as senior manager for mission advancement at Goodwill, Christina is tasked with leading her team to engage with local businesses, connect with community partners and enhance the services and training provided

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ATHENA WOMEN IN BUSINESS

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ATHENA | S3

ATHENA AWARD NOMINEES LYNDA BALLANTINE AND DANA BOAST

LIZ BOHLKE High Country Humane, Paw Placement ‌Liz Bohlke is a true leader in the Flagstaff Community. Over the last 15 years, she has donated countless hours to many service or-

ganizations such as the Family Food Center, Flagstaff Food Pantry, Paw Placement and High Country Humane. She has been instrumental and

a driving force in turning the retired Second Chance facility into High Country Humane, which opened its doors Jan. 1, 2019. This is a huge accomplishment for our community and Liz is to be congratulated. If there is a need in our community, Liz is there to encourage

those around her to join in and be of service.

Liz is always the one to set the example. If the community is in need, Liz encourages those around her to participate. She makes those around her blossom by setting the best example.

bar very high with her standards. She definitely leads as a role model and will not ever ask anyone to do something she will not do herself. Kim has addressed some tough issues that had been untouched for some time. She is always very positive and professional.

Her team loves her and highly respects her. She communicates very timely and is not shy about recognizing her staff. She cares deeply about

the work the team does.

Kim has received many awards, including the LOV (Living our Values) Award for 2017 – overall annual winner for all of NAH for a teen anti-suicide program she put together following the untimely death of a Flagstaff teen. She was also inducted in the Hall of Fame for NAU Social and Behavioral Sciences for her community contributions to her field of psychology.

KIMBERLY B. ALEXANDER NAH Director of Behavioral Health Services ‌Kim Alexander became the interim director of Northern Arizona Healthcare Behavioral Health about nine months ago.

She is now in the permanent role of director, and this has much to do with her leadership and focus. She has great attention to detail in many

ways when it comes to people — people meaning her team, her providers, her patients and their families.

Kim exhibits creativity and initiative in leadership.

Kim spends the time to get to know each person, what motivates them and what their interests may be. She sets the

Co-Owners, Prime Time Athletics Lynda Ballantine and ‌ Dana Boast began Prime Time Athletics in 2012. They filled a void in the community by offering co-ed flag football and cheer programs to the children in Flagstaff.

They have a very simple philosophy of providing sports opportunities for all kids, regardless of a family’s financial standing. To this end, they offer free skills camps and over 200 scholarships through their partnership with a local nonprofit “Leveling the Playing Field.”

Lynda and Dana also volunteer with Shadows Foundation, Toys for Tots, Feeding Northern Arizona’s Future, Denim and Diamonds and Wine, FUSD

Teacher Supply Drive and Dine in the Pines. Their tournaments have brought over $1.5 million into the Flagstaff economy every year and have reported over $2 million in funds spent in Flagstaff through their tournaments and camps in 2018.

They have mentored many women and girls to create and attain their dreams.

Lynda and Dana are role models for all children in their program. Their business model has empowered hundreds of Flagstaff youth to conduct themselves with pride and ethics.

KIM MUSSELMAN Director of Special Initiatives, Coconino County ‌Kim Musselman has been a leader in Flagstaff and Coconino County for more than 25 years, both in government roles and nonprofit leadership.

Beginning at the c o u n ty s h e r i f f ’s office, Kim achieved the challenging goal of so many Northern Arizona University graduates; remaining

in Flagstaff. Her time with the office revealed her gifts of leadership in social services, bringing her to the helm of Northern Arizona Center Against Sexual Assault, a struggling nonprofit agency which Kim successfully merged into the North Country Community Health Center.

county’s animal shelter with the success of the nonprofit Paw Placement, resulting in the newly christened High Country Humane. Her resume self-description of “tenacious, charismatic, innovative and outgoing” could not better describe this worthy addition to the fellowship of Athena. She

gives community service to organizations including and not limited to Hozhoni Foundation, United Way Community Initiative and the NAU Social Work Advisory Board. Kim has also received a Governor’s Award for Excellence in advocating for victims of sexual assault violence.

by N2 Publishing to become the next franchise owner in the Sedona market.

Brooke is a highly active chamber member and member of Flagstaff Young Professionals and is consistently looking for new ways to connect in our community. Recently, she has applied to be a youth mentor for Building Bridges, a local nonprofit organization that pairs adults with youths to create strong partnerships and improve lives.

This summer, Brooke will be following her passion in Peru with a program called Love Volunteers to help women in domestic violence situations. She will

work with vulnerable girls and young people, helping them gain an education, learn life skills and improve their confidence.

Brooke serves as a role model for women both personally and professionally.

She’s so connected with the community that anyone that knows Brooke speaks highly of her. She lives by the “see a need, fill a need” mantra. Her involvement with Flagstaff Young Professionals is a premier example of her efforts, consistently recruiting new people to the group and discussing the benefits of the organization to others in the community.

Returning to Coconino County, Kim applied her talents to many areas of the county; the county attorney’s office, the public fiduciary office, and the county manager’s office.

Kim’s title with the county is Director of Special Initiatives. She has spearheaded the combination of the

ATHENA YOUTH PROFESSIONAL NOMINEES AMY HAMMOND Producer, Personal Lines, Crest Insurance Group ‌Amy is native of Flagstaff and began her insurance career in 2006 with Benefit Logic, now Crest Insurance Group. Amy has been instrumental in hiring and training, is the local personal lines manager and oversees the Medicare and Market Place insurance programs. She has been awarded the Market Place Elite Circle of Champions four years running.

BROOKE HIRSCHY A m y has always mentored, trained and guided m e m bers of the Crest staff.

Through involvement with her daughter in cheer programs for 12 years, she has mentored and assisted dozen of young women. As a mom of two beautiful girls, she is always there to support and guide them through the good and bad times in life. Not only has she been involved

with the young women of the community, she has also been an active coach and team mom supporting her son’s activities and also finds time to volunteer with Special Olympics, the food bank, and at her church, Love 928.

Starting at the age of 14, Amy demonstrated writing talents and has had her poetry published on two different occasions. She also has been published in the Flagstaff Business News, on the Benefit Logic Inc. website and on several social media outlets.

Congratulations Amy Hammond!

2019 Athena Young Professional Nominee From everyone at Crest Insurance Group, we appreciate and value your professionalism and leadership!

2321 N. 4th St, Flagstaff, AZ

N2 Publishing ‌Brooke Hirschy took on the business venture of opening a franchise for N2 Publishing, a private custom publication for affluent neighborhoods. The goal is to strengthen community involvement and give local, regional and national merchants an unparalleled opportunity to connect with their ideal target audience. She has been asked and accepted an invitation

KELLY CULBERTSON Special Events and Marketing: Nackard Companies At the Nackard Com‌ panies, Kelly is an integral part of roughly 100 special events and marketing initiatives each year.

Her role directly supports 200 employees at the Nackard Companies and over 2,000 customers across northern and central Arizona. There have been multiple instances in which Kelly has been recognized nationally by PepsiCo for

her work developing beverage brands in our market.

She coordinated Dew Downtown from 2014 to 2016, managing the operations of the multi-day ski and snowboard event in downtown Flagstaff. The event garnered media attention in numerous states and national exposure through PepsiCo’s Mountain Dew brand team and became a model for similar events held in towns across the U.S. Kelly’s next major accomplishment was the implementation of the Dew Tour, a grassroots marketing program developed by Nackard Pepsi. The results were incredible: 25,000 consumers were reached

and sales increased 27 percent with residual results above 35 percent for the following 90 days. The effort was recognized by PepsiCo as a best practice for developing locally relevant marketing programs for worldwide brands like Mountain Dew. Kelly also has developed programs aimed at building company morale and employee recognition including Valentine’s Day “Crush Grams,” in which Kelly attaches handwritten notes to Orange Crush cans and delivers them to hundreds of employees. Her continual pursuit of her business and personal goals has been an inspiration to all those around her.

(928) 526-5691

Passion...

LeadershiP... insPiring...

The Literacy Center Congratulates

Dianna Sanchez,

nominee for the 2018 Young Professional award

Congratulations on your nomination Erin, wE arE Lucky to havE you as a part of our tEam! M 1

The Literacy Center Board is proud to nominate Dianna Sanchez for this award. Her leadership has profoundly advanced TLC’s vision: “To lead the way to accessible and affordable literacy for all teens, adults, and families in Coconino County.” Her passion inspires staff and tutors. Under her leadership, our number of tutors, learners, supporters and partnerships have grown, including literacy rehabilitation at the jail and health literacy.

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ATHENA YOUNG PROFESSIONAL NOMINEES DIANNA SANCHEZ

MARIN MCDERMOTT Production Manager, Nestle Purina PetCare Company With a degree in me‌ chanical engineering, Marin hired into Nestle Purina’s management development program at Purina’s Davenport, Iowa, Dry Pet Food Factory. After completing a nearly two-year training program, Marin transferred to the position of staff engineer at the Purina’s Flagstaff Dry Pet Food Factory.

At the age of 26, Marin became the youngest production manager in Purina, in charge of more than 100 hourly associates and with a direct-reporting leadership team of 12. She is responsible for a budget of approximately $15 million annually, so this is a critical role for the factory and Purina.

Over the last year, under Marin’s leadership, the Flagstaff plant improved operating efficiency by more than 30 percent and led all manufacturing facilities in Purina’s safety and quality measures. This is the best example of excellence demonstrated by Marin.

As production manager, Marin serves as a role model for young assistant production managers. She mentors young managers by preparing them to understand the

manufacturing environment and demonstrating her excellent work ethic.

Marin also has female team leaders who count on her mentorship and guidance to help them be successful, which in turn makes Purina successful. She does all this within a manufacturing environment traditionally led by men.

Marin also coaches girls’ soccer in the under-7 and under-14 brackets within the American Youth Soccer Organization.

Good, Be Good, Sharon has created successful curriculums for several issues that impede quality collaboration and productivity in organizations. She shows patience and determination that is contagious.

She has been involved in several organizations over the years including, Gold Award Advisor and committee member for the Girl Scouts, a board member with the National Association for Volunteer Programs in Local Government, a member of the Flagstaff Women’s Leadership Network and of

the Northern Arizona University Leadership Program.

Sharon has made an impact in the lives of the youth she selflessly serves and provides them with opportunities to experience diversity, responsibility, and develop within themselves a sense of altruism that has proven to be long-lasting. Her tenacity and continued service will only provide a platform for her to become more involved and influential in the future.

Sharon Tewksbury-Bloom is the embodiment of a young professional and a dynamic leader.

SHARON TEWKSBURY-BLOOM Owner and President, Do Good Be Good LLC ‌Sharon is truly a marvel.

Beginning with the goal of starting her facilitation, coaching, training, and public speaking business, to starting a podcast that gives a platform to individuals who positively influence the community, she has been a force for personal growth and heightened community awareness. Sharon has been able to build a myriad of partnerships with orga-

nizations whose employees gain ex p o n e n tially from her workshops and se m i n a rs.

Her ability to help individuals develop more empathetic and productive communication breaks down barriers and pre-conceived notions that impede group progress. This skill set is invaluable for the companies and government agencies Sharon services.

Through her company, Do

ERIN MCDONALD CEO of Peaks Hospitality Solutions, Operations Manager Martanne’s Erin has worked in the ‌ restaurant business in Flagstaff for close to her entire adult life and has gained many valuable insights about practical ways to serve our community. She has worked tirelessly to put her ideas

into action.

After more than five years managing Karma Sushi and helping to strengthen its place as a Flagstaff institution, in early 2018 Erin embarked on following her dual dreams of devoting herself to service and starting a consulting firm

to assist local businesses. She established Peaks Hospitality Solutions helping small businesses develop a happy, effective company culture, while simultaneously founding Drink for a Cause, a onewoman enterprise that has raised thousands of dollars for amazing organizations.

Erin sits on the boards of Building Bridges Youth Farm, as well as Feeding Northern Arizona’s Future;

where she delivers food once a week and volunteers as social media director.

Erin demonstrates that a person doesn’t need to be wealthy or over 40 to have a significant impact on our community. By showing that helping others is fun and achievable, she illustrates that anyone with a generous spirit and a good work ethic can make a significant difference.

Executive Director, The Literacy Center/ Literacy Volunteers of Coconino County Dianna Sanchez, a ‌ Flagstaff native, is an incredible asset as executive director of The Literacy Center, which assists underserved populations and neighbors in need.

The Literacy Center worked on English language skills with nearly 550 adult learners in 2018 preparing them to obtain GED certificates or reach other educational or professional goals.

Dianna established a one-of-a-kind women’s literacy program at the Flagstaff jail, where she has become an inspirational role model for many women inmates, showing them that there is hope and a future after

release. The curriculum includes how to recognize healthy and loving relationships, forming positive and healthy habits and effective parenting skills.

Dianna has also dedicated years of her life as a volunteer coach with the Flag High School ladies cross-country team and has established a similar program at Camp Verde High School. Being able to share her love of running and competition has been tremendously inspiring to the women she has trained. She has encouraged them to love sports, value the strength of their bodies and show them that they can achieve any goal they set their minds to.

Recognizing the unique challenges of being a mother to three, a wife and invested in her career, Dianna encourages her staff members always to strive to be their best professionally but also to recognize the importance of families first.

Congratulations Marin McDermott on your Young Professional 2018 nomination from your co-workers at

azdailysun.com

Northern Arizona Association of Realtors wishes to congratulate all of the nominees for the 2019 Athena Award.

We are especially proud of our own Judy Jackson, Association Executive Officer, Jacquie Kellogg, Realtor Member, and Lynda Ballantine, Realtor Member on their nominations.

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