LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT'S DESK

Many have felt a great new start in 2023 and palpable energy turning the calendar page to a new year! However, as we usher in 2023 not many things excite me as much as the Greater Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce Annual Meeting and ATHENA AWARDS. What an impressive gathering to kick off a business year and a wonderful opportunity to honor and celebrate prestigious female leaders from all types of professional careers; for their excellence in their chosen fields, their mentorship of others to achieve their career goals, and their valuable engagement in community service.

For more than three decades the Greater Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce has chosen to invest in the spirit of the ATHENA awards as a way to recognize individuals that might otherwise go unnoticed for the passion and dedication they bring to the workplace and community at large. The ATHENA is an international award with a mission to support, develop, and honor female leaders, inspire females to achieve their full potential and create balance in leadership. Since its inception in 1982, the ATHENA Leadership Award has been presented to more than 7000 exemplary leaders in over 500 communities "across the world". Along with visible recognition, the spirit of the ATHENAS is actually based on leadership tenets which, through the years have become the foundation of enlightened and successful leadership.

Those leadership tenents are: live authentically, learn constantly, advocate fiercely, act courageously, foster collaboration, build relationships, give back and celebrate. I’m sure that you will agree that one or more of these traits really resonate with you and how you are living your life. They certainly inspire me to be all I can be in this crazy world.

Over the past 17 years, I have had the special and great honor of reviewing hundreds of the nominee forms and getting acquainted with them on paper. Little did I know how moving and impressive the process of selecting a recipient could be. Little did I know that each year, I could hardly wait to read about the accomplishments these ladies have achieved. This year is no different and I encourage you to take some time to read their abbreviated biographies each of which are published by the Arizona Daily Sun, and get to know these great humans. Thanks to the judges who volunteered to score each nominee according to the three categories established nationally for the award.

2023 is an unusual year because it is the first time the Greater Flagstaff Chamber is awarding two ATHENAs. One for private sector leadership and one for public/nonprofit leadership. This will not be a new and lasting trend but we are just giddy about focusing on two separate categories this year.

Julie Pastrick President & CEO

Today hundreds of cities in the US and abroad are engaged in ATHENA largely due to the efforts of Martha Mertz, ATHENA Founder, and her team traveling the globe to help female leaders earn respect and recognition. For those efforts and for the community of Flagstaff embracing this leadership model, we are forever grateful at the Greater Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce. The recipients will be named at the Chamber’s Annual Meeting on Friday, February 10 at the High Country Conference Center. Thank you to all who invest in the Greater Flagstaff Chamber community through membership to enable our mission to help businesses be successful by promoting, supporting and serving as a resource for them and to empower business people to build a community where businesses can thrive and citizens are proud to live. Collectively, we have impacted our region and helped businesses be successful since 1891!

With gratitude,

President Chief Executive Officer

Annual Meeting Keynote Address: Mr. Danny Court, senior economist, Elliott D. Pollack & Company

Danny Court is a Partner and Senior Economist with Elliott D. Pollack & Company. Mr. Court possesses exceptional research and project management skills relating to demographic, economic, and real estate data for a multitude of assignments including market studies, land use analysis, forecasting, fiscal and economic impact reports, valuations, highest and best use studies, workforce development, community general plans, proposals, presentation, and expert witness testimony. Mr. court has extensive experience conducting a variety of market and feasibility studies. In the course of his work, Mr. Court has analyzed residential master plans, apartment projects and other commercial developments. He has determined highest & best economic or financial use of properties in the desired time frame expressed.

The approach utilizes current zoning designations, reviewing municipal General Plans, taking inventory of adjacent land uses as well as land uses under consideration within the determined market area. In addition, Mr. Court has conducted several Low Income Housing Tax Credit studies and is well versed in affordable housing issues and initiatives.

Mr. Court has wide-ranging knowledge of economic and fiscal impact models relating to residential, commercial, and mixed land uses as well as public events. He has calculated employment, wage, output and tax revenue impacts for residential master planned communities, mixed used developments, major sporting events, mining operations,universities, & utilities among many others.

Mr. Court also has experience creating and utilizing pro forma models for use in acquisition and valuation decisions. Combined with his experience and deep knowledge of market data (prices, sales velocity, costs) allows him to determine appropriate asking prices and identify values. Mr. Court has also been involved in numerous forecasting assignments. These have included the population of market areas, municipalities, counties, and states; Employment for various regions; Residential permit forecasts; Commercial development forecasts; Consumer spending across a number of categories; among others.

Mr. Court has also been involved in many aspects of economic development. Assignments have included profiling communities and forecasting certain indicators for marketing purposes, comparing subject regions to others in terms of competitiveness (demographics, workforce talent, local economic conditions, real estate conditions, and quality of life factors), taking inventory of success, and presenting recommendations to improve economic conditions, attract companies, and increase jobs.

Mr. Court has a Master’s of Business Administration from Arizona State University’s W.P. Carey School of Business and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics as well as a minor in Mandarin Chinese from Arizona State University. He is a member of Valley Partnership and ULI.

Thank you to our event sponsors, your support makes this community celebration possible.

Premier Sponsor: Optimum

Platinum Sponsors: The Bluffs of Flagstaff, Northern Arizona Healthcare, Northern Arizona University, OneAZ Credit Union, Warner's Nursery and Landscaping Co.,

Gold Sponsors: Twin Arrows Casino Resort, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona, APS, Nackard Pepsi

Silver Sponsors: NARBHA, Nordstrom & Associates

Green Business Award Sponsors: Desert Financial Credit Union, Unisource Energy Services

I Heart Pluto Festival

Lowell Observatory Celebrates the 1930 discovery of Pluto

In 1930, after 25 years of searching, astronomer Clyde Tombaugh discovered the planet Pluto at Lowell Observatory. In celebration of this landmark discovery in the field of astronomy, Lowell is throwing the I Heart Pluto Festival. This year's festival will run from February 18th–20th and will feature special guest speakers, fun, family friendly activities, live music, science talks, food trucks and even the unveiling of a special edition Pluto beer from local brew masters Mother Road Brewing Company. It's a festival 100 years in the making and sure to be a great time for all. Check out event details below and make sure to visit https://iheartpluto.org/ for more information and to purchase tickets.

To kick off the event, on Friday, February 17th starting at 6:00pm, Lowell is organizing a "Pluto Pub Crawl". Multiple establishments throughout downtown Flagstaff will be joining in with special Pluto-themed drinks such "The 248" from the Annex. Pub Crawlers will also be treated to laser-guided stargazing and free educational activities. Each site will feature onsite educators with fun trivia games and prizes, including a grand trivia challenge for a chance to win a gift basket and two admission tickets to Lowell

Night of Discovery at The Orpheum

Date: Saturday, February 18 Time: Doors open at 6:00pm, start time at 7:00pm

Discovery Night at the Orpheum will feature special speaker astronaut Nicole Stott. Stott is a veteran NASA Astronaut with two spaceflights and 104 days on the ISS and Space Shuttle. Stott is also the Co-founder of the Space for Art Foundation, is an author and an artist. Mother Road Brewing Co. will be unveiling their special edition Pluto beer. Other event features include art show, book signing and "Find Planet X" axethrowing challenge. Tickets are available at OrpheumFlagstaff. com

I Heart Pluto Festival at Lowell Observatory

Date: February 18 - 20

Time: 10am - 10pm every day

The I Heart Pluto Festival at Lowell Observatory is three days of celebration featuring special science demos and talks, a BINGO scavenger hunt for a chance to win prizes, tours of the Pluto Dome where Pluto was discovered, Pluto activity station, , face painting, food trucks and live music by local artists Bailey Cunningham, Black Lemon, Simon Cunningham and Eric Caroffino

On the 18th Lowell will be unveiling of the 1928 Historic 9" Tombaugh Telescope, made by Clyde Tombaugh who discovered Pluto in 1930. Fun tidbit: This telescope was made on Clyde's farm from farm equipment and coke bottles, and he used this to observe the sky before he got the job at Lowell Observatory. His observations through this scope impressed Lowell and got him the job, which then led to him discovering Pluto in 1930 up at Lowell Observatory!

Get more info and purchase tickets at https://iheartpluto.org/

Does your organization have news that you would like to get to the Chamber membership? Please reach out to Jacob Warren at jwarren@flagstaffchamber.com

The Galapagos Project

The Galapagos Project is an exciting international collaboration to help restore ecological balance to the archipelago that inspired our understanding of evolution. One partner is WISDOM - Women in Science Doing Outreach and Mentoring. It's a very apt name, as it was co-founded by one of the Chamber's former ATHENA Award recipients, Loretta Mayer.

Dr. Mayer and her partner, Dr. Cheryl Dyer, are bringing WISDOM's fertility control technology to these islands as part of a two-year project to help control the overpopulation of invasive rattus rattus, the black rat, without the use of poison.

The rodents are responsible for endangering several of the Galapagos rare endemic species, like the giant tortoise and the pink land iguana, because they eat these creatures' eggs and hatchlings. The rats are also threatening food security for the human inhabitants of the Galapagos by destroying vital crops grown on the islands. WISDOM's partners in this project are Animal Balance, an international animal welfare NGO that has worked on the islands for the past 19 years, and the Agencia Bioseguiridad Galapagos (ABG), which is in charge of protecting the Galapagos, which is a UNESCO heritage site.

Happy Valentine's Day to All!

Valentine's Day is traditionally viewed as a day in celebration of love and kindness often times this is expressed through greeting cards, flowers and gifts.

Please take time to shop at the many local stores that have something special for that special person, friend, relative or coworker, and celebrate Valentine's Day in style!

We have great card, sweet and flowers shops in Flagstaff and here's a tip below where you can shop.

Chocolita Chocolate Cafe https://chocolita.com/

Crumbl Cookies of Flagstaff https://crumblcookies.com/

Floral Arts of Flagstaff https://www.floralartsltd. com/

Flagstaff Chocolate and Ice Cream Shop https://flagstaffchocolates. com/

Mozelle's Downtown Bakery http://www. mozellesdowntownbakery. com/

Plantae https://www. plantaeflagstaff.com/

Robynn's Nest Flowers https://www. robynnsnestflowers.com/

Sutcliffe Floral http://www.sutcliffefloral. com/

The Sweet Shoppe https://sweetshoppecandy. com/

Zani Cards and Gifts https://www.zanigifts.com/