Elevate AZ | June 2017

National Bank of ArizonaÂŽ

A DV E N T U R E For the ultimate AWA I T S family vacation, explore Arizona’s state parks

ALL IN THE FAMILY

A trio of Arizona small businesses are busy building family legacies

SUMMER 2017

A RIVER RUNS TO IT

Where the great rivers meet, Yuma capitalizes on its prime location

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16 It’s All in the Family (Business)

A trio of Arizona businesses are busy building family legacies

DEPARTMENTS 02 @NB|AZ

22 Yuma: A River Runs to It

What’s happening at National Bank of Arizona

04 AZ WORKS Pitch Perfect

From its beginnings, Yuma has always been about location, location, location

Social Venture Partners applies a strategic approach to nonprofit success

28 Adventure Awaits

in this issue

FEATURES

06 FOOD & DRINK A Hive of Opportunity

For the ultimate family vacation, explore Arizona’s state parks

Urban bee farming is buzzing in Arizona

08 ARTS & CULTURE A Place to Be Cattle Track Arts Compound nurtures Scottsdale’s artistic heritage

10 TRAILBLAZERS Sounds of the City Public radio hits the streets and transforms the community

12 AZ NONPROFIT Forever Families West Valley nonprofit finds loving homes for children in need

14 IN THE SPOTLIGHT

The Battle of Picacho Pass, the largest Civil War clash to take place in Arizona, plays out for thousands of history buffs each spring at Picacho Peak State Park.

PUBLISHER National Bank of Arizona EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Jenavi Kasper, jenavi.kasper@nbarizona.com PROJECT EDITOR Rae Palmer, rae.palmer@nbarizona.com MULTIMEDIA PRODUCER Ali Adib, ali.adib@nbarizona.com

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Michelle Jacoby, michelle@pb-jcreative.com CREATIVE DIRECTOR Nathan Joseph, nathan@responsecreative.com PRODUCTION MANAGER Chris Adams, cwadams@me.com CONTRIBUTORS Sally J. Clasen, Bruce Farr, Leigh Farr, Jake Poinier, Susie Steckner PHOTOGRAPHER Mark Lipczynski, mark@marklipczynski.com

Elevate AZ magazine may contain trademarks or trade names owned by parties who are not affiliated with National Bank of Arizona, Zions Bancorporation, or its affiliates. Use of such marks does not imply any sponsorship by or affiliation with third parties, and National Bank of Arizona does not claim any ownership of or make representations about products and services offered under or associated with such marks. Articles are offered for informational purposes only and should not be construed as tax, legal, financial or business advice. Please contact a professional about your specific needs and advice. © 2017 ZB, N.A. All rights reserved.

A division of ZB, N.A. Member FDIC

NB|AZ helps Arizona businesses build robust cash flow strategies

32 EXPERIENCE AZ A moment in Payson

NATIONAL BANK OF ARIZONA® Corporate Center 6001 N. 24th St. Phoenix, AZ 85016 602-235-6000

PB+J CREATIVE content + photography + design 602-821-9164 pb-jcreative.com

ON THE COVER Patagonia Lake State Park is just one of the 32 official state parks and natural areas in Arizona. Discover more of our state’s scenic wonders in “Adventure Awaits”on page 28.

Photo by Mark Lipczynski

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NB|AZ voted No. 1 bank 14 years in a row

Arizona Proud

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RIZONA’S LARGEST business opinion poll, Ranking Arizona, celebrates 20 years of bringing the Valley a trusted list of top-rated businesses in the area.

“Ranking Arizona is a reference guide to the top-voted companies in all areas of industry in the state of Arizona as voted on by the general public,” says Sheri King, director of sales at AZ Big Media. “It is all voter driven. Over a million folks go online to vote on the website every year and every August, we tally the results and then begin production on the book itself.”

Throughout the year, the community is invited to cast votes for their favorite businesses in categories such as advertising and marketing, business

services, entertainment, finance and professional, healthcare, manufacturing and technology, commercial real estate, residential real estate, retail, and tourism.

“There’s absolutely no limit as to how Ranking Arizona can be used,” says King. Whether you are a business owner seeking a trusted financial advisor to assist you in managing your payroll, or you are a winter visitor looking for a property management company to rent your home in the summer months, or you are a college student searching for a moving company, Ranking Arizona features the top-ranked companies as voted on by locals in the community.

For the 14th year in a row, National Bank of Arizona has earned the title No. 1 bank in Ranking Arizona’s annual public opinion poll.

“Our core values guide our desire to deliver customized financial

solutions to our clients each day,” says Mark Young, NB|AZ CEO and president. “We keep confidences, and we perform the role of a trusted financial advisor carefully. In this role, we serve the communities and professionals in our state by caring greatly for our clients and associates.

Perhaps this is why we continue to be the number one community bank in Arizona.”

King says the 500-page publication provides the highest quality companies the opportunity to earn deserved recognition.

“It’s big time and it’s fun,” says King. “Who doesn’t want to be voted the best of the best?”

Leigh Farr

PEOPLE

Banking on Family AS THEY CELEBRATE milestone anniversaries working at NB|AZ, longtime employees share words of wisdom about their careers at the bank, what they’ve learned and the people who’ve guided them along the way.

GIVING BACK

BY THE NUMBERS: NB|AZ GIVES BACK SHOWING THEIR commitment to investing in the community, here is just a small portion of funds NB|AZ has donated to various organizations so far in 2017.

Maricopa Community Colleges Foundation

15 YEARS “Within a big family, a family member can strive for creativity and innovation, knowing that the family will continue to be supportive as the new idea is launched.

At National Bank of Arizona, I can be creative and innovative and know that I will have the support of my team members, as exhibited with the start-up of Zions Energy Link.”

CRAIG ROBB Executive Vice President, Managing Director, Zions Energy Link

22 YEARS “When I started at the bank, I had senior people, such as John Gisi and Jim Lee, who pushed me to speak up at times and be quiet at other times. I appreciated those encouraging moments and try very hard to foster those same discussions with people that I work with.

Nothing quite like a ‘family’ discussion to let everybody say what’s on their mind, and then get back to work helping our clients. My greatest pleasure is helping people achieve promotions and move to higher positions within the bank throughout their career.”

DAVID LYONS Executive Vice President, Director of Southern Arizona

11 YEARS “One of my favorite sayings is that people don’t work for companies, they work for people. Associates want to work for leaders who care about them as people, with lives and families outside the office. Working for NB|AZ is like a family. When a colleague encounters a personal life challenge, co-workers rally to support them. NB|AZ is a great place to work because we get to work with people that we genuinely like and care for as human beings.”

LAURA SCHAEFFER Executive Vice President, Director of Operations & Technology

RECOGNITION

HELPING HAND

Catholic Community Foundation

$3,800 National Kidney Foundation of Arizona

$3,500 Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits

$3,000 Ballet Arizona

$2,500 Special Olympics Arizona

$1,000

Summer 2017 | ElevateAZ.com

IN THE SPIRIT of true partnership, NB|AZ recently launched a new program called Random Acts of Kindness, a corporate initiative for 2017 that allows associates to nominate a fellow team member for a unique reward, tailored to a personal need.

Whether it’s a parent-to-be who needs their nursery painted, or a co-worker who’s unable repair a fence, NB|AZ will provide the funding, and coordinators will round-up volunteers with the needed skills to complete the task.

The program launched in April and is open to all NB|AZ employees throughout Arizona.

$4,000

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Pitch perfect

Stephen Sparks (center) is joined by LCSA staff and clients in celebrating their win at this year’s Social Venture Partners Arizona Fast Pitch event.

Social Venture Partners Arizona applies a strategic approach to nonprofit success

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“ Our first goal is to build better, smarter and more effective philanthropists. The second is to build stronger nonprofits.”

Summer 2017 | ElevateAZ.com

BUZZ OF NERVOUS energy and excitement hung in the air backstage at the Social Venture Partners (SVP) Fast Pitch event, held March 27 in Scottsdale. Seven presenters paced the floor, silently running through the carefully crafted pitches they were about to present to an audience of 600, all waiting to hear how they’re going to change the world.

With $57,000 in total grant money at stake, the competition was real. But for development manager Stephen Sparks of Labor’s Community Service Agency (LCSA) it was also about camaraderie between the competitors.

“All of the innovators were very supportive of each other,” he says. “There was a lot of positive energy, and it was like having your own cheering section.”

At the end of the evening, after all the pitches had been made and the panel of judges painstakingly deliberated, LCSA took home the $25,000 Innovator Award for its pitch on SHIFT, an affordable car purchasing program they offer, in addition to affordable and transitional housing, financial empowerment, and workforce development.

“One of the biggest barriers facing working poor families is transportation,” says Sparks. “Financial coaching and responsible car ownership work together to get people to higher economic stability, with better job opportunities and wages, and without the struggles of high-interest car loans.”

Since it started about 15 years ago, SHIFT has helped about 300 families who have participated in LCSA and other nonprofits doing similar work. Sparks credits the Fast Pitch program with redefining what the program can accomplish.

“Above all, I thank my mentors for being business experts who asked the right questions, and helped us work through a clear strategic vision and while honing the three-minute pitch,” he says. “The opportunity with SVP is to make the program fully self-sustaining and replicable in other communities, while building our internal capacity to 100 cars a year and beyond.”

To celebrate innovation in the nonprofit startup community, each year, SVP Fast Pitch Arizona takes 20 nonprofit leaders (selected by committee from about 60 applicants) through an eight-week “messaging boot camp.”

Each is assigned two mentors to focus on key aspects of nonprofit success: What’s the big problem you’re trying to solve? What makes you unique? Who else is in your space?

Who do you collaborate with?

From the initial 20 organizations, seven are selected to further hone their pitches and make a three-minute presentation for grant dollars at the annual Fast Pitch event.

“We’re a philanthropic organization, but we do more than give money away,” says Terri Wogan, executive director and partner with SVP. “Our first goal is to build better, smarter and more effective philanthropists. The second is to build stronger nonprofits in Phoenix as a way of solving some of our social challenges and ensuring that kids receive an excellent education.”

To accomplish that, SVP applies a venture capital business model to philanthropic pursuits.

“Nonprofit leaders are very passionate about their causes and what they’re trying to do,” Wogan says. “Some work so hard that the business side of the organization gets lost a little bit.”

That’s where SVP’s partners come in. About 120 Phoenix business professionals and community leaders bring expertise and guidance to help nonprofits do a better job of structuring their organizations, from board governance and financials, to fundraising strategies.

In addition to local talent, SVP also has the backing of a worldwide network. The first SVP was launched in Seattle in 1998 by a large number of Microsoft employees who wanted to take a different Terri Wogan approach to philanthropy.

Executive Director, Local philanthropist Jerry Social Venture Partners Arizona Hirsch of the Lodestar Foundation thought it would also be a good fit in Phoenix, and launched the first SVP in 1999 with about 33 partners. Today, the international network includes 40 affiliates and about 3,500 partners.

SVP is also acutely aware of sustainability in another aspect of philanthropy: getting more people, particularly young adults, involved in the nonprofit domain. The Next Gen Partner Program, for example, works with teens to help them become more strategic givers and volunteers.

This year’s Fast Pitch training program has been expanded to include three Arizona State University students and three for-profit companies that have a social mission.

And SVP’s Recruit 20 Campaign is an outreach to get 20 more partners in Phoenix in the coming year to increase the organization’s intellectual capital and impact.

“In addition to being an opportunity for our partners to give back, what’s also exciting is that SVP is like a learning lab for philanthropists,” Wogan says. “In the process of vetting so many nonprofits, everyone gets to learn from nonprofits and from each other, and how investments can help solve social challenges.” Jake Poinier

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a hive of opportunity Urban bee farming is buzzing in Arizona

Zack Funke, owner of The Health Foodie, processes honey he harvested from an urban farm in Tempe.

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EARLY 10 YEARS AGO, a colony collapse disorder swept across the country, mysteriously wiping out many beehives. But bees—and their beekeepers—are back, especially in Arizona where urban hobbyists and commercial operators are busy tending their honeybee farms, according to Dave Petersen, president of the nonprofit Beekeepers Association of Central Arizona.

“In the last few years, membership in the organization has increased five times,” says Peterson of the 100-plus members who include men, women and children of all ages involved in some aspect of beekeeping activities.

Why all the buzz? The trend in Arizona is indicative of a national beekeeping culture that has encouraged hives to crop up not just in rural areas, but also on downtown rooftops, in suburban backyards, and other locations in cities and populated environments.

Relatively low start-up costs, the significant link of bees to the food chain, and their role in pollinating plants, crops and vegetables—as well as the associated health benefits of honey—are major

reasons bee farming is becoming more prolific in urban centers.

Arizona, in particular, is bee-friendly because of the temperate climate in many areas, which means beekeeping can be a nearly year-round endeavor.

“One of the major upsides is the weather,” explains Petersen. “We have a long blooming season—just about every month. We don’t have to deal with snow or tornadoes, or large critters like bears.”

Another advantage to beekeeping in Arizona is its infrastructure, according to Zack Funke, an urban bee farmer from Tempe.

“We have a large population with low density. A lot of space lends itself to hobbies and farming methods like beekeeping. Properties are more spread out here, so you have less issues with safety and residents are less likely to be stung or disturbed by bees.”

Petersen, a building contractor by day, got into bee farming eight years ago and says that about 90 percent of members of the Beekeepers Association of Central Arizona are enthusiasts.

“Instead of having an ant farm or a dog, hobbyists have bees, which are their pets,” he says.

Others are commercial farmers like Petersen, who has 300 active hives in the state and wholesales his honey production to farmers markets. Funke became a part-time urban bee farmer in 2007 as a natural extension of his interest in different food lifestyles and modalities.

In 2011, he started beekeeping full time and now harvests honey from multiple hives in different locations throughout Phoenix, including Maya’s Farm at South Mountain.

Arizona is bee-friendly because of the temperate climate in many areas, which means beekeeping can be a nearly yearround endeavor.

Sally J. Clasen

Summer 2017 | ElevateAZ.com

Funke, who sells his honey and beeswax online and at farmers markets through his business, The Health Foodie, is more interested in exploring the culinary diversity of honey than making a huge profit.

“I’m not in this to make millions of dollars,” he says of the possibilities inherent in honey production. “Honey has the same versatility as wheat.”

Unlike other agricultural efforts, it’s fairly easy to launch a bee farming business.

Funke says a basic beekeeping toolkit should include proper safety equipment like a veil and gloves, smoker, hive tool for harvesting, hive frame and, of course, bees.

While anyone can start a honeybee farm, there are some things to consider such as whether your goal is to manufacture honey, colonize or be observational. He also says would-be urban bee farmers need to understand whether their city beekeeping operation will be a nuisance to neighbors and the state laws that govern bee enterprises.

For that reason, Petersen recommends beginning apiarists and backyard hobbyists seek advice from experts like those at the Beekeepers Association of Central Arizona to avoid getting stung by lack of knowledge about bee behavior and management.

“If you don’t know what you are doing, bees will hurt,” Petersen says with a chuckle. But he welcomes everyone to get in on the bee bandwagon because he believes the benefits of beekeeping are worth all the buzz. “Bees are cool.”

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Iconic Cattle Track compound nurtures Scottsdale’s artistic heritage

A PLACE TO BE

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ROM ITS EARLY beginnings, Cattle Track was built around a single ideal: to roam free.

A pack of dogs. Kids on horseback. Rambling structures. The desert patch of land. Artists’ imaginations. Whether thread through a needle, painted on canvas, shaped at the lathe, or sung from the stage, everything at Cattle Track was free to roam.

Eighty years later, the Cattle Track Arts Compound is still guided by that philosophy. Homesteaded by pioneers George and Rachael Ellis, the compound is overseen by daughter Janie Ellis and is home to 35 working creatives devoted as much to their craft as they are to the place.

“It’s a very eclectic bunch, age and discipline wise.

Photographers, sculptors, architects, a blacksmith,” Janie Ellis says. “But they all help each other and encourage each other. They all understand what we’re doing here.”

Rustic Cattle Track sits outside the pedigreed Old Town Scottsdale gallery district. The compound is both a

Master printer Brent Bond owns and runs Santo Press out of his studio at the Cattle Track Arts Compound.

destination with world-class offerings and a quiet refuge from the world. Janie, a former dancer who forged a career in the theater, is the driving force. She is also a board member of the nonprofit Cattle Track Arts and Preservation, which promotes Scottsdale’s cultural heritage.

Janie lives on site in the low-slung house her engineer father built and home her mother created for the three Ellis children. She is the keeper of history and the storyteller.

The story of Cattle Track begins in the 1930s with a pack of greyhounds. George and Rachael had been living in the city, along with Rachael’s beloved greyhound and a litter of busy puppies. City life didn’t suit the pack and the couple gamely took a chance on 10 desolate acres located on the “wrong” side of the Arizona canal.

Cattle Track began with a simple one-room home that George built from reclaimed redwood irrigation pipes.

The compound evolved as the family—and their many pursuits—grew, making way for everything from an adobe

brick operation, to costume shop, to sprawling farm.

George and Rachael, an accomplished seamstress and costume maker, welcomed artists to Cattle Track. They came and went, whether seeking help with a project or taking up residency.

As the city grew up around it, Cattle Track defied the odds. It is still spread out over 10 acres and stands as a historic icon, with the family home listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the larger compound designated as one of the city’s historic treasures.

Through the decades, Cattle Track remained devoted to nurturing arts and culture in the city. It boasts a roster of working and well-known artists, past and present. Among the most prominent are painter Philip Curtis, considered the dean of art in Arizona who lived on site, and Fritz Scholder, a revolutionary painter who turned the concept of “Indian artist” on its head.

Despite its sleepy desert-hideaway feel, Cattle Track has

a full slate of exhibitions and concerts during the year, and cadre of artists like Mark McDowell at work daily in their studios.

McDowell started hanging around the compound in the 1970s and never really left, eventually setting up a home there, raising his two kids and building a career. Cattle Track, he says, has an “honest patina” earned not from a group of artists prone to pontification, but to hard work. That goes for undertakings big and small.

In the big category, it’s a high-profile collaboration with the new luxury Andaz Scottsdale Resort and Spa, which features works from Cattle Track artists throughout the property. The small projects—tackling an issue on the property or solving a problem for someone in need—bring the artists together just the same.

“Everyone who crosses Cattle Track is of generous spirit, willing to give of themselves,” McDowell says.

To support the mission of its nonprofit, Cattle Track has plenty of projects on the drawing board. Standing at her kitchen table in the old family home, Janie shows off a book in the works about Don Barclay, an actor and prolific caricaturist who lived on site. She is eager to share his story and art.

“Isn’t this great?” she says, flipping through pages. “With each project, we try to preserve a little bit of history related to Cattle Track and Scottsdale.” Susie Steckner

Scottsdale artist Mark McDowell is one of a handful of artists who has worked— and lived—at the Cattle Track Arts Compound.

Summer 2017 | ElevateAZ.com

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Sounds

Brad Moore, owner of Short Leash Hot Dogs, serves his famous naan hot dogs out of the Soundbite truck at events across the Valley.

Public radio hits the streets and transforms the community

of the City

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Jake Poinier

Summer 2017 | ElevateAZ.com

ART FOOD TRUCK, part mobile radio studio, Soundbite isn’t what you normally think of when you hear the words “hybrid vehicle.”

“It’s 40 feet from bumper to bumper, almost twice as long as most food trucks, so it’s quite the rig,” says Brad Moore, owner of Short Leash Hotdogs and Best in Show Events, which partnered with Friends of Public Radio KJZZ on the innovative venture. In addition to a kitchen that measures about 9-by-12 feet, the vehicle incorporates a recording studio with a 12-channel production board, as well as a foldout performance stage.

During the 2017 spring festival season, Soundbite appeared at events such as the Scottsdale Arts Festival; Spark! Mesa’s Festival of Creativity; and the M7 Street Fair in Phoenix’s Melrose district. Moore and his wife and co-owner, Kat, handle the gourmet food service, while a professional production engineer plays music or manages the audio for stage performances.

“At the M7 Street Fair, we had a variety of acts such as junior high musicians, a choir, and a magician,” Moore says. “It’s just so interesting to see how people interact with the vehicle and what their response to it is.”

Although Soundbite launched in early 2017, the process was years in the making. Friends of Public Radio Arizona, a 501(c)(3) charity, was incorporated in 2001 by Valley leaders seeking to raise awareness and money for KJZZ (91.5) and KBAQ/KBACH (89.5).

“Our mission was not only to broaden the support, but also to look at strategic opportunities to increase impact of public radio and what we do in the community,” says Lou Stanley, director of strategic initiatives for KJZZ. “We’d done lots of reporting on high school dropouts, and our board and staff started talking about what more we could do.”

The result was the creation of Spot 127, a youth media center with afterschool programs for kids age 14 to 18, teaching them all aspects of multimedia production, distribution, storytelling

and photography. The program, which launched in Maryvale in 2012, debuted a second program in Tempe earlier this year, the perfect place and timing for the grand opening of Soundbite.

“The concept for Soundbite was entrepreneurial,” Stanley says. “We asked ourselves how we could move within communities around Maricopa County, with music, storytelling and recording opportunities.”

After about 18 months of research, discussions and presentations, Friends of Public Radio board members voted to put the strategic plan into action. In alignment with the organization’s desire to be good financial stewards, funds were pulled from an investment pool created in the mid 2000s from proceeds of the Friends of Public Radio’s black-tie gala, rather than from listener donations.

Given the green light, Stanley was responsible for recruiting the right partner.

“We needed someone who would be courageous and innovative enough to jump on board,” he says. “Through networking and referrals, I found Brad and Kat. They were intrigued and loyal listeners to KJZZ, so they were a great fit.”

“We’ve only just scratched the surface on how we can use Soundbite,” Moore says. “KJZZ does interesting story-related programming and, as a food company, we do lots of special occasions like weddings, private parties, quinceañeras, and bar mitzvahs in addition to festivals and events.”

During such events, the studio can be used to record audio time capsules—say, Grandma and Grandpa at a wedding, telling about how they met. At a recent Valley Leadership alumni event, Soundbite recorded testimonials that can be used for recruiting new members.

“We wanted to make it a sustainable model, not just dependent on philanthropic dollars,” Stanley says. “Part of the thought process was to reach a younger demographic, which food trucks appeal to. The other aspect was that a lot of mobile production units spend five days a week parked in the lot, and we wanted ours out in the community.

“Soundbite isn’t just about creating broadcast content, but an engagement opportunity— whether it’s helping other organizations generate interest in what they’re doing or giving visibility to local musical groups.”

It’s a mission the Moores have gladly embraced. “Kat and I started as a little food truck seven years ago,” Moore says. “We’ve had great community support and been very fortunate, so we look at this as the next step along the ride.”

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forever families

West Valley organization finds loving homes for children in need

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OR CAMILLE AND ANTHONY Bineyard, the decision to welcome a foster child into their home was a clear choice. With three children of their own, they knew they had room in their home—and their hearts—for the tiny, 5-month-old baby they encountered at their local foster agency.

“As a child, I always saw my family as very nurturing. My grandfather had a church and we’ve always seen caring for others. [Because of that,] we wanted to open our home to children,” says Camille, who works as a teacher’s aid. “When we first met Victor, he was so cute and so little, we just wanted to give him as much love as he needed.”

In January 2015, shortly after Victor made his entrance into their lives, his biological mother became pregnant again. The couple was asked to foster Victor’s baby brother, but Camille had become pregnant with her fourth child and so the couple felt compelled to say no.

“It was so heartbreaking,” says Camille. “It killed us to say no.”

But then, an amazing thing happened. Camille asked her twin sister who lived one block away if she would consider welcoming a foster child into her home. Her answer was yes.

Now, two years later, the brothers often spend time together and both families are in the process of adopting the two children.

“It’s one of those things that’s almost like a miracle that

The West Valley Child Crisis Center provides a wide variety of educational programs and placement services to ensure children in need are matched with loving families. we were able not only to plan it out for this to work out as it did, but for Camille to have a twin sister that was also willing to adopt and also happened to be nearby,” says Anthony, an information technology specialist for an airline.

“Everything was able to be put in place perfectly like it was meant to be.”

When the Bineyards first welcomed Victor, their children were already in school, so everything they needed for a new baby had to be repurchased. The couple reached out to the West Valley Child Crisis Center (WVCCC), an organization that provides a wide variety of educational programs and placement services to ensure children in need are matched with loving families. The Bineyards found everything they hoped for, from strollers and diapers, to nurturing guidance and support.

“The center was very helpful,” says Camille.

“When we got Victor, he didn’t even have a bottle. He had a teddy bear and a change of clothes. We went straight to West Valley Child Anthony and Camille Bineyard with 2-year-old Victor, a child they fostered with the help of West Valley Child Crisis Center.

Summer 2017 | ElevateAZ.com

Crisis Center and they provided us with diapers, bottles and a stroller.”

Established more than 30 years ago, the WVCCC recruits, trains and certifies families or relatives that wish to become foster or adoptive parents. To fulfill its mission to end the cycle of violence for children and families, the statecontracted agency provides state-mandated training to ensure that children who have been abused, neglected or abandoned are placed with loving families that are fully equipped to provide the emotional and financial stability the children need.

As more children throughout the Valley are entering into foster care, the WVCCC has expanded its services to accommodate the need for care and services.

“Our child crisis center has had amazing growth over the last couple of years,” says chief executive officer Kary Goitia. “We went from eight or nine employees to almost 80 within a year and a half. With that growth, came the number of children we serve. We had 426 percent growth from fiscal year 2013-2014 to 2015-2016.”

Responding to the changing needs of the community, the WVCCC has shifted its focus in recent years.

“Our mission is to be proactive in ending the cycle of family violence,” says Goitia. “The agency has evolved to deliver a continuum of care to each of our clients.”

Whereas the agency used to focus on providing shelter services in addition to educational programs, the current focus is to connect children in need with families that are educated, trained and certified to provide a stable, caring living environment.

“We provide these children that are removed from their homes with almost every service to meet the needs that they have when it comes to mental health services and safe placement services,” says Goitia.

In addition to paving the way for families choosing to foster or adopt, WVCCC also provides family reunification services delivered in partnership with the Arizona Department of Child Safety. Through the Family Visitation Program, the WVCCC promotes visitation to improve familial relationships, encourage partnerships between parents and foster families, and provide an opportunity to practice parenting skills.

“We provide safe placement for children and we also teach parents new skills and how to manage their home life,” says Linda Cook, director of development. Leigh Farr

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treasury essentials NB|AZ helps Arizona businesses build robust cash flow strategies

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MPOWERING LOCAL businesses to save time, boost cash flow and control risk are top priorities for the NB|AZ treasury management team.

The knowledgeable staff is available to help companies reach their cash flow objectives by ensuring they have the most effective tools available to maximize and protect their funds.

“We try to have a dialogue where we try to be problem solvers for our businesses,” says Zak Wagner, NB|AZ treasury management sales manager and senior vice president.

“We want to see how we can we help our clients with their cash flow cycle, alleviate some of the concerns they have, help with risk management, and then, at the same time, think of ways for them to accept payments faster and have those funds in their account that much quicker.”

Treasury management products and services help businesses effectively manage receivables, payables, merchant services, sweep

solutions and fraud protection.

When it comes to receivables, the treasury management team is there to help clients lower operational and administrative costs, while ensuring funds are immediately available. Offering products that facilitate remote deposits any time of day; enable electronic payments from clients, suppliers and vendors; and provide competitive pricing for credit and debit card processing, the banking team empowers companies to bring down costs and simplify cash flow.

In the payables arena, the commercial banking team has an array of services to help clients maximize their funds, such as wire services, electronic transfer of funds, direct deposit, a commercial card for employees, and the ability to pay vendors without having to write a check or wire money.

“A lot of scenarios include getting clients to think about going electronic. So instead of cutting paper checks to stamp and mail to their vendors, we look at how we

Zak Wagner, Senior Vice President, Treasury Sales Manager

can do that electronically. This gives them more control, the process is more seamless, and they can set effective dates for those payments to take place,” says Wagner.

In the area of fraud protection, the treasury management team offers the latest technology and services to help clients keep their funds safe. One such service is Positive Pay, a fraud prevention tool that prevents check counterfeits, and alerts the client and bank when suspect transactions are made.

“We want to make sure we’re doing our part by educating our clients about things to keep an eye on both externally and internally, and having checks and balances in place,” says Wagner. “Positive Pay has special customizations on it that may be different from our competitors, such as the ability of our clients to build filters for how they want to accept payments. So it’s not just, ‘Here’s a product in a box, make it work for you.’ We try to figure out a way to make it work for that business.” Leigh Farr

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16 A trio of Arizona small businesses a r e b u sy b u i l d i n g f a m i ly l e g a c i e s

It’s All in the Family {Business} Three Arizona families, three thriving businesses. What makes them work and how do they plan to pass along their legacies to their children and grandchildren? Their stories, histories, hopes and dreams are what being successful in a family business is all about.

s to ry B r u c e Fa r r P h oto g ra p h y M a r k L i p c z y n s k i

Tony and Tammy Ontiveros have built a small retail empire of gas stations and convenience stories in the Cornville and Cottonwood areas. Daughter Elayna (far right) works right alongside them, doing marketing for their growing business.

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Faith and Prosperity in Cottonwood

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now inhabits. He’s worked in that business since he was 17, bagging groceries at the local Cottonwood supermarket in the neighborhood where he grew up. And today, by dint of hard work, the Ontiveroses have built a small retail empire, employing 50 people and racking up $13 million in annual sales.

Several family members work with Tony and Tammy in their businesses—among them, their son, Ryan, who oversees two of the family stores on State Highway 64, and their daughter, Elayna, who handles marketing. As they continue to expand, Tony says, “We’re running out of family to help us run the businesses!”

In fact, Tony admits, the Ontiveroses are experiencing a few growing pains. “We’re starting to bring in some more help,” Tony says. “We have to.”

Summer 2017 | ElevateAZ.com

ony and Tammy Ontiveros are quintessential small business owners who’ve made “family” the operative term in their thriving enterprise. Based in Cornville, Arizona, just east of Cottonwood, the Ontiveroses own a string of five gas stations-slash-convenience stores in the CornvilleWilliams area. The couple’s newest venture, Crazy Tony’s Old Town Market, just opened in April in Old Town Cottonwood.

There’s something to be said for geographic permanence and the success it can sometimes breed, and Tony and Tammy are living proof of it. Their roots in Cottonwood run deep. A native, Tony used to walk to school every day by the newly constructed building he’s now leasing. What’s more, his grandfather helped build the local civic center across the street, and his mother still calls Old Town her home.

Tony’s no stranger to the retail world that his family

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18 When asked why he thinks they’ve been so successful, Tony says their Christian faith is the primary reason.

“It’s true that our success is largely based on our faith in God,” Tammy elaborates, “but it’s also based in using the talent that each of us has, and relying on the members of our family who help us operate the stores. It’s the talent that we have as a whole—Tony with his retail expertise and me, I gravitate toward accounting and bookkeeping. And most of our children are simply natural entrepreneurs and hard workers, with a lot of self-discipline.”

The Ontiveros children grew up in the business. “They kind of got thrown into it,” Tammy remarks. “Even as young children, 22 years ago, they’d work with us and participate, and it’s given them the knowledge and the understanding that they have a part in the future of our business. So right now, all of us are working very hard to help the business grow—for their sakes—and make them successful, because this is about everybody’s future.”

With development and construction booming in Cottonwood right now, the Ontiveroses are banking on the city’s growth to help them further expand their businesses.

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Snowflake About Face

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Property values have increased significantly, they report, and the Verde Valley as a whole is, as Tony says, “on fire with growth.”

Tammy, turning thoughtful, says that the family’s next moves will be more strategic in nature.

“I want this business to be all that it can be, of course, but I want to do it with carefully planned growth. That’s very important to us. As we grow, it may not be exclusively gas stations and convenience stores; I think there may be some diversification—vacation rentals, perhaps. We don’t want to keep all our eggs in one basket, as they say.”

nowflake Tire & Auto sits right on Highway 77 in the small community of the same name, directly across from the police station. Up until a few years ago, when the Rogers family took it over, the business had been failing and was in danger of going under.

The Rogers family—Danny, his wife Claudette, and Danny’s brother Chris—might not have ever thought about opening a small business if it hadn’t been for a family health crisis. Claudette had recently been diagnosed with muscular dystrophy and Danny, who was working for the state of Arizona, said he was looking for a way to be closer to home, to help his wife. Danny’s brother Chris is a master mechanic, so the three of them put their heads together and decided to give the failing tire business a go.

Despite Claudette’s fragile health, things couldn’t have worked out better. After getting the business off the ground in 2015, the business more than doubled their revenues in the year that followed. Danny and Claudette’s 20-year-old son, Ryan, eventually joined them to make the shop a true multigenerational family business. Chris’s high-school-age son also works there part time.

The Rogers’ formula for success is very straightforward. “I would say we made it work because of our reputation in this community and the fact that we treat people right,” Danny says. “We knew when we first got involved that this is a small community, and if you don’t do good business in a small town you won’t be in business very long.”

Claudette agrees. “I think it’s also the fact that Chris and Danny and Ryan all work really well together,” she says.

La Placita Cafe owner Barbara Amabisca and her grandson Joseph continue the legacy of the family business first started by Barbara’s husband Joe in the early 1960s.

The Rogers family has been in the tire and auto business in Snowflake since 2015.

“A lot of our family had their doubts about us going into business together, mostly because we’re a family. I’ll admit it hasn’t been perfect—once in a while we struggle and get frustrated with one another. But the great thing is that we work well together, we’re flexible and chip in to help one another where and when we need to.”

The future of the Rogers’ business looks promising.

“We’re trying to expand the existing business right now,” Danny says. “Maybe get some more buildings put up so we can add more service bays. Who knows? I’ve thought about maybe moving into some surrounding towns but right now our plate is pretty much full.”

Claudette has her own thoughts on the matter: “We’d like to retire!” she chuckles, but then turns more thoughtful.

“Danny and I talk a lot about how we’d like to see Ryan and Chris’s son take over someday, but Ryan has some different ideas about what he might like to do, so we’ll have to see what that might mean for him. Right now, though, we’ve pulled him into management of the tire shop and he’s doing such a great job. We’re very proud of him.”

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Buckeye Family Bonanza

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Summer 2017 | ElevateAZ.com

othing exemplifies a true, multigenerational family business more than La Placita Café, in Buckeye.

Founded by Manuel and Nellie Amabisca, the casual restaurant located downtown in the quickly growing small city due west of Phoenix has been in business for the past 55 years, owned and operated by two generations of the same family. Now, plans are solidly underway to transition ownership of the café to the third generation of Amabiscas.

La Placita’s owner, Barbara Amabisca, was married to Joe Amabisca, the son of the restaurant’s founders. She and her husband operated the restaurant for many years, but when Joe passed away five years ago, Barbara made it her mission

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20 to keep the business going. It was all about family tradition, and the continuation of something obviously important to Barbara and her family, as well as the community the restaurant serves.

“We have some customers who’ve been coming here for so many years that now, their kids and their kids’ kids are customers, too,” Barbara notes, about the longevity of the business. “They love the food, so we try to keep the same menu items—my husband’s mother’s recipes—it’s very important to us.”

La Placita Cafe may have started out with just 11 tables, but, these days, Barbara says they can actually seat 300 in their greatly expanded premises.

“In the early days, my husband was the cook and I was the waitress, and we had just one person washing dishes,” she reminisces. “And as we grew the business, we brought more people on and we expanded, slowly, into some of the adjoining buildings to ours.” The restaurant currently employs around 15 staff members.

These days, Barbara and her brother-in-law take the morning shift, preparing some of the foods and getting things ready for opening, and then, in the evening, Barbara’s 27-year-old grandson, Joseph, takes over.

Joseph is an important member of the La Placita team; it is he who’s next in line to own and operate the family business.

“His grandpa wanted him to inherit it,” Barbara says. “And he’s a very good worker,” she adds, with obvious pride. “He’s very kind and personable, and all the customers love him.”

For the Amabiscas, the idea of family extends much further than bloodlines. As she says, “Because we are family ourselves, we treat the people who come into our restaurant like family, too. Maybe that’s why it’s been successful. We take the time to visit with them and talk to them. We have some girls that come in as a group and sit all day and visit with one another, and that’s fine with me. It’s always been my feeling that a customer should be able to sit at a table as long as they want to; it’s a part of who we are here.”

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S MA LL BUS I NE S S LEG ACY PLA N N I NG

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THE KEY TO legacy planning is just that: Planning.

So says Lynn Baldwin, a vice president and wealthplanning strategist for the National Bank of Arizona.

Baldwin specializes in helping business owners transition their ownership to succeeding generations of family members.

“There are so many issues that arise as businesses are passed from one generation to the next,” Baldwin says.

“The best advice I can give any family business owner who plans to pass on his or her business is to start as early as possible, because planning far ahead is critical to the transition being successful.”

In the planning process, Baldwin explains, business owners can begin to work on a corporate governance plan that identifies the family members who will be in the line of succession, avoiding the pitfalls that often occur when it’s unclear who’s actually supposed to be inheriting the business.

“To illustrate,” Baldwin says, “let’s say two brothers start a business and operate it for many years. In time, the next generation of family members will be getting involved, and there’s likely to be competing interests, with some family members participating and some not.

So what you end up with is a whole lot of stockholders with different goals and objectives. That’s when having a solid plan for corporate governance becomes a highly critical component of any legacy planning structure.”

Using a legacy planner offers business owners a lot of advantages. They’re able to have an independent, third-party voice that enables them to explore numerous options when it comes to their succession plan.

“Before the founding generation [of business owners] reaches retirement, they can think through how best to make the business remain viable through their retirement, making sure the next generation has the ability to continue to grow the business,” Baldwin explains.

The strategic planning Baldwin does for his clients is comprehensive. “It involves us looking at all their finances and how they stack up in accordance with certain wealth management products,” he explains.

“When we put some analysis around that, we find that many of these high-net-worth business owners have very fragmented portfolios. We learn that they might have a lot of trusted advisors—attorneys, accountants, insurance people—giving them guidance, but all of these professionals might not be talking to one another.”

Baldwin says it all comes down to making sure the business is regarded as one entity.

“When we do that, the big opportunity for the client is that they have a more cohesive plan, one that considers every aspect of their business balance sheet,” he says.

YOU’VE WORKED HARD ENOUGH WE’LL TAKE IT FROM HERE You’ve worked hard for financial security. We’ll work just as hard to help you and your family pursue the life you’ve envisioned.

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YUMA Vic Smith, owner of JV Farms, inspects a crop of leafy vegetables on his farm in Yuma.

STO R Y B R U C E F A R R

A River Runs to It P H OTO G R AP H Y M A R K L I P C Z Y N S K I

From Arizona’s earliest beginnings, Yuma has always been about ‘location, location, location’

Summer 2017 | ElevateAZ.com

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to several Native American tribes that had occupied the region for centuries before the Spanish arrived.

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ituated at the confluence of the Gila and

Colorado Rivers, in the very southwestern corner of the state, the contours of those rivers have not only shaped Yuma’s geography, but also its destiny. ¶ Over the centuries, as the area became more populated, changes—natural and manmade—to the twin rivers have rendered them almost unrecognizable from what they once must have looked like. But what hasn’t altered a bit is the importance those waterways still hold for the life and well being of Yuma.

Indeed, the aptly named Yuma Crossing exploits a natural narrowing of the Colorado River, making it one of the most serviceable transportation routes to and from California and Mexico. It was especially important at the time of Yuma’s earliest settlement by Spanish explorers in the 16th century, and afterward as well, for centuries of trade and transportation.

And while the rivers were lifelines for the European settlers, the riverbanks and low marshlands along them were already home

A CITY TAKES SHAPE

Yuma’s growth was slow and organic for a time, but the pace accelerated as it began to experience the surge of Americans heading westward in the early- to mid-1800s. That’s when countless throngs of immigrants crossed by ferry from Yuma on their way to the California gold fields, during the gold rush of 1849. Later, in 1871, Yuma incorporated and became the county seat of Yuma County.

But with the vast Phoenix metropolis looming so largely 200 miles to the northeast, Yuma began to be regarded as some kind of remote outpost—a frontier settlement of sorts that travelers passed through on their way to somewhere else. And, for a long time, Yuma bore that stigma.

Today, however, all that has changed and the relatively small city of roughly 100,000 has come into its own as a true destination with a wealth of economic, social and cultural draws that can rival virtually any other small city in the Southwest.

Julie Engel, president and CEO of the Greater Yuma Economic Development Corporation, came to her job in 2007 and, since then, has witnessed some remarkable changes in the city. But what hasn’t changed, Engel emphasizes, are the “logistical advantages our location provides us here in Yuma.” Another constant, Engel says, is Yuma’s demographic status as a truly multicultural city.

“We’re about 55 percent Hispanic,” Engel notes, adding that Native Americans, blacks

and Asians also help bolster the city’s increasing multiculturalism. “As a border community, I do want to say that we have a relatively ‘seamless’ border. Our relationship with our neighbors to the south is one that embraces them, and treats them as part of our community.”

PUTTING YUMA ON THE MAP

Fortune 500 companies that have located there primarily because of the ready access it provides to their markets. Johnson Control Battery Group is one, along with several suppliers supporting the auto industry in Mexico.

“What has attracted manufacturing to Yuma is our proximity to California,” she says.

“We’re a one-day truck haul from Los Angeles, the epicenter of where a lot of industrial trade originates, so that makes us very attractive to certain industries.”

PARKS AND REC

It would be difficult to talk about Yuma’s progress toward becoming a bona-fide “progressive” Southwestern city without mentioning its recent efforts to re-affirm its centuries-old relationship with the Colorado River. The Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area is a massive reclamation project designed to restore an expansive, nearly 2,000-acre area bordering the Colorado River that had become overgrown and trash-ridden. The project originally sought to restore the setting to what it had once represented: the vital, symbiotic connection between Yuma and the river, which had historically been the city’s lifeblood and livelihood.

The project consists of a plethora of hiking and biking trails that traverse beautifully restored wetlands, and several parks and historic attractions, such as the famous 19th Century Yuma Territorial Prison.

In 2009, the Heritage Area’s master plan projects earned Yuma and its environs the

Julie Engel, President and CEO, Greater Yuma Economic Development Corp.

Summer 2017 | ElevateAZ.com

A big part of Yuma’s successful growth stems from its increasingly prominent role in U.S. agribusiness. The region’s growing climate has always proven favorable to farming, but especially since the development of more scientific farming equipment and techniques, the city can rightly claim its epithet of being the “winter vegetable capital of the world.”

“Due to technological advances and sheer environmental, ecological and economically driven initiatives,” Engel notes, “we are producing more ‘product’ on less land, and using less water than we did even 30 years ago.”

In fact, the region is the second largest in winter vegetable production in the United States, and No. 1 in production of several North American crops, namely leafy green vegetables, such as spinach and lettuce.

Vic Smith, who’s lived in Yuma for the past 40 years, has been a major proponent of the region’s agricultural identity and growth. His vast JV Farms enterprise focuses on growing the burgeoning crops of fresh, leafy green vegetables for a variety of shippers and processors that distribute throughout North America. Smith says the city has helped him and other growers to prosper.

“The city’s a good partner for us, recognizing how important agriculture is to the local economy,” he says. “They’ve helped us through various projects, including road infrastructure improvements, as well as through the cooling and distribution facilities necessary to the industry.

They’ve been very supportive in that regard.”

But Smith adds the most important reason his farming business is based in Yuma is—once again—related to its location.

“Climate is the No. 1 factor, the thing that’s most important to our business—that and the water supply,” he notes. “As you can imagine, water in Arizona is extremely important, and the Yuma region has very strong water rights coming from the Colorado River. This desert climate is perhaps the most favorable area to grow the types of produce we grow—green leafy vegetables. We’re the primary winter supplier for these types of vegetables, probably for all the U.S. and Canada.”

Agribusiness isn’t the region’s only industry.

As Engel explains, the county is home to several

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prestigious Governor’s Arizona Preservation Award as the “most significant contribution toward the preservation of some aspect of the natural, cultural or aesthetic legacy of Arizona.”

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NOVEL UNIVERSITY CONCEPT

“the city has an environment of collaboration and friendliness that I haven’t experienced anywhere else.“ Julie Engel, president and CEO Greater Yuma Economic Development Corp.

Another of Yuma’s most ambitious new undertakings is to bring a downtown college campus to the city, as a part of its major downtown redevelopment program. Under Yuma mayor Doug Nicholls’ leadership, city planners have developed a new vision to help the city meet a crucial need for Yuma’s economy and aid in the revitalization of its downtown.

The plan would create an “umbrella” campus comprising at least three Arizona colleges and universities, in order to cultivate homegrown talent for the jobs of the 21st century and to attract industries that need that talent.

The downtown university concept, Nicholls says, came to him when he was in Phoenix and observed a building downtown that advertised both the University of Arizona and Arizona State University under the same roof.

“I thought, why don’t we build a university campus and invite some of the state colleges to co-locate on the campus? In other words, a university campus that’s comprised of multiple partners,” Nicholls says, adding that he and others felt it would create synergy with businesses and residents to create a vital urban hub—and a magnet for economic growth.

“One of the things that always comes up when we’re trying to attract companies to locate here is the city’s ability to have a strong

Downtown Yuma hopes to be the site of a new college campus concept, as part of a major redevelopment program.

university presence because of the symbiotic relationships that universities and industries nurture,” Nicholls explains.

Although the project is still in its conceptual stage, the city has already earmarked a 50-acre site for it just south of downtown, a former rail yard that’s been vacant for many decades.

One of the main goals for the project, Nicholls says, would be to try and help retain young, talented Yuma residents by offering them a local university and, later, help them transition into local technology, manufacturing or other career opportunities.

“So it becomes a vehicle for attracting talented people to our community as well as then keeping them here,” he explains. “A lot of people leave town for their education, and statistics indicate that once they leave for college, they’re not likely to return. So we’re trying to head that off by offering them a top-quality college or university experience right here in the city.”

ECLECTIC OFFERINGS

The downtown university plan joins so many other ambitious goals that Yuma is setting for its future as it continues to recast itself as a city—and a destination—unto itself. And there’s a lot to love about it.

“Yuma has a population that is ‘immigrantbased,’” says Engel. “And I don’t simply mean those from across the southern border, but from all over the U.S. Because of that, the city has an environment of collaboration and friendliness that I haven’t experienced anywhere else. It’s a city that endears itself to us because of that friendliness and livability.

“We really have an eclectic range of unique opportunities and they’re all right here, or very nearby. It’s a city that makes it very easy for all of us—residents and visitors—to do what we love to do.”

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For the ultimate family vacation, explore Arizona’s state parks and trails

A DV E N T U R STORY S ALLY J. CL ASEN PHOTOGRAPHY MARK LIPCZYNSKI

E AWA I T S If you want to experience a different kind of family vacation this summer, consider taking a road trip to one of Arizona’s many state parks and trails, which offer diverse sightseeing attractions and adventures for the entire gang. To help celebrate Arizona State Parks and Trails 60th anniversary, we spotlight five parks to inspire your travel itinerary.

PATAGONIA LAKE STATE PARK

SOUTHERN ARIZONA

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Summer 2017 | ElevateAZ.com

ucked away in the rolling hills of southeastern Arizona is Patagonia Lake State Park on State Route 82, seven miles south of the town of Patagonia. The park was established in 1975 and is a water recreation haven with a campground, beach, picnic area, a creek trail, boat ramps and a marina.

Picnicking, camping, swimming and boating are popular activities at Patagonia Lake. But while modern-day watercraft is the preferred method of getting around, the spirit of another iconic transport system lies beneath the surface: the tracks of the New Mexico/Arizona railroad.

Fishing also is plentiful at the 2.5-mile long, 265-acre, man-made lake, where anglers can cast their nets from the shore or boat to reel in largemouth bass, flathead catfish, channel catfish, crappie, bluegill, red ear, green ear sunfish and rainbow trout.

For those interested in hiking, there’s a half-mile trail that leads to Sonoita Creek, a popular birding area (bird tours are scheduled twice a week). Equestrian trails also can be accessed through the Sonoita Creek State Natural Area. And don’t forget the annual Mariachi Festival, which is held at Patagonia Lake State Park every May.

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on’t worry about missing the exit for Picacho Peak State Park along Interstate 10 in southern Arizona. The 1,500-foot towering peak will be your first clue you’ve hit the historical landmark. And if it’s springtime, the density of Mexican gold poppies that blanket the unique geological landscape, which is part of a volcanic flow, is another sign you’ve reached your destination.

PICACHO PEAK STATE PARK

SOUTHERN ARIZONA

Dedicated a state park in 1963, the area was once occupied by the Hohokams and has been used as landmark for visitors since prehistoric times. Picacho Peak’s most famous historic event occurred on April 15, 1862, when Confederate and Union scouting parties met in the Battle of Picacho Pass during the Civil War, the largest Civil War clash to take place in Arizona.

During the spring, the park becomes a fictional battleground as history buffs watch authentic reenactments of the skirmish, as well as the New Mexico battles of Glorieta and Val Verde as part of the annual Civil Wars in the Southwest event, which draws thousands of spectators who camp in the park’s RV areas. The surrounding scenic desert vistas and elevation changes also make Picacho Peak State Park a popular spot for year-round hiking, with several trails that vary from easy to difficult.

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hen the Yuma Territorial Prison, which sits on a bluff overlooking the Lower Colorado River, opened in 1876 for business, some of the first occupants actually helped build their own cell blocks. That is just one of the many quirky facts surrounding Arizona’s third state park. Several remnants of the original prison, which was built with a $25,000 budget approved by the state legislature in 1875, still remain on the site of the historical state park.

The last of the prisoners have long since moved on, but the property has been home to many other local and national residents.

At one point, Yuma Territorial Prison served

YUMA TERRITORIAL PRISON STATE PARK

SOUTHWESTERN ARIZONA

as the location for the Yuma High School and the Yuma County Hospital. And while the Guard Tower was used as a spotting site for World War II, it now acts as an observation point to view the breathtaking scenery and as a tranquil place for yoga classes, held from November to March.

Another unique aspect of the prison is the adjacent Yuma East Wetlands, a 1,400-acre restoration project that includes a 2.5-mile hiking trail along the Colorado River. Families interested in helping to restore the natural habit area as volunteers can contact the Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area.

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G RANITE MOUNTAI N H OTS H OTS MEMOR I AL

s the largest and oldest botanical garden in Arizona, Boyce Thompson Arboretum is an award-winning, state park treasure. Originally founded in 1924 by mining magnate Colonel William Boyce Thompson as a desert plant research facility and “living museum,” the arboretum became part of the University of Arizona in 1965 and joined the Arizona State Park system in 1976.

The arboretum sits on 323 acres of deeded property in the Sonoran Desert beneath Picketpost Mountain, along Queen Creek and adjacent to Tonto National Forest near the historic copper mining town of Superior. A nature lover’s paradise, Boyce Thompson Arboretum

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pened to the public Nov. 30, 2016, the Granite Mountain Hotshots Memorial State Park is a deeply personal and moving tribute to 19 fallen “hotshot” fire fighters, an elite crew trained to fight wilderness fires, who perished June 30, 2013 as they battled a raging inferno outside the goldmining village of Yarnell, Arizona.

The park entrance is located two miles south of Yarnell on Highway 89A (White Spar) and is essentially a 7-mile round-trip hiking trail, which immortalizes the fallen every 600 feet with 19 granite plaques set into rocks that share a photo and story about the fire fighters.

The trail includes an observation deck to view the fatality site 400 feet below and a path to follow the last steps of the fallen. At the site, a circle of 19 gabion baskets united by chains represent the hotshots’ eternal union.

Families of the fallen fire fighters, along with community members from Prescott and Yarnell, were instrumental in the development of the Granite Mountain Hotshots Memorial State Park.

BOYCE THOMPSON ARBORETUM STATE PARK

RIORDAN MANSION STATE PARK

NORTHERN ARIZONA

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lamour isn’t a term typically used to describe state parks and their facilities. But the eponymous duplex building that defines Riordan Mansion State Park exemplifies historic, gracious living.

The 40-room mansion, which is technically two almost identical rooms joined by a rendezvous room, occupies 13,000 square feet of living area and servants quarters that sit on top of Kinlichi Knoll in Flagstaff.

The Riordan Mansion was built in 1904 by brothers Michael and Timothy Riordan, members of a prominent family that owned

CENTRAL ARIZONA

Arizona Lumber and Timber Company and who were instrumental in developing Flagstaff and Northern Arizona.

Dedicated in 1983, the rustic mansion features log-slab siding, volcanic stone arches and hand-split wooden shingles and was designed by the creator of Grand Canyon’s El Tovar Hotel, Charles Whittlesey. Visitors can take a personally-guided, 60-minute interpretative tour of the mansion that features information about the Riordan family history and details about the Arts and Crafts-style architecture and furnishings that represent an impressive collection of Craftsman-era items made by Edison, Stickley, Ellis and Steinway.

The historic home museum includes a visitor center and gift shop located in the mansion’s former automotive garage.

Summer 2017 | ElevateAZ.com

Arizona State Parks & Trails

contains 3,200 different desert plants from around the world with a living collection of more than 800 cacti and 300 species of mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians who are attracted to the arboretum’s irrigated gardens and protected grounds.

The visitor experience includes towering trees, sheer mountain cliffs, a stream-side forest, panoramic vistas, several natural wildlife habitats, a desert lake, a hidden canyon, as well as themed gardens such as the HummingbirdButterfly Garden, Demonstration Garden and Children’s Garden. In addition, the arboretum is an outdoor educational oasis and offers specially guided tours to children and adults on a regular basis.

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Payson, AZ

Located in Mogollon Rim Country, Payson has a rich western heritage and captures the true essence of small-town living in Arizona. Today, it is a favorite destination for tourists and outdoor enthusiasts wanting to take advantage of its natural areas and scenic views. Find out more about this emerging city in the next issue of Elevate AZ.

PHOTO Mark Lipczynski

Summer 2017 | ElevateAZ.com

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