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BizLETTER
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ANNIVERSARY EDITION
Why The World Is Watching Tucson
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Volume 11 No. 1
Publisher & Owner
Steven E. Rosenberg Brent G. Mathis
Creative Director Photo: Steven Meckler
This was the bold statement that appeared on the cover of our premiere edition of BizTucson 10 years ago. Since then, “Why The World is Watching Tucson” has become our mantra. BizTucson had the vision to create a business magazine that put the spotlight on the area’s little-known success stories, representing our entire region in a positive light. Over the years, our journalists have told the stories that demonstrate why Tucson is such an amazing and unique city. Tucsonans have much to be proud of, as we collaboratively pave our way into becoming a dynamic worldclass city. In this 10th anniversary issue, we salute 10 Global Visionaries who bring the region worldwide acclaim – and share their exciting visions for the next decade. Turn to page 173 to learn more about our influential world-class leaders. We are very grateful for the support we’ve received from this community. We thank our advertisers who invest their marketing dollars to reach the C-level executives and decision-makers in the business community – and our readers. Thanks also to our stellar team of journalists, editors and photographers, as well as our dedicated project and event coordinator Maricela Robles. The exceptional creative direction and high journalistic standard begins with one terrific trio that is always raising the bar and is dedicated and committed to excellence with every detail. Thank you to Creative Director Brent Mathis, for his exceptional graphic design, photography and sense of style. Cheers to veteran contributing editors and journalists Donna Kreutz (“Coach K”) and Jay Gonzales for their “eagle eyes,” wonderful ideas and unwavering dedication to quality and integrity in reporting, writing and editing. In addition I want to send a heartfelt thank you to my supportive and amazing family – our twins Sara and Matthew (graduating in May from the UA Eller College) – and especially to the love of my life, my wonderful wife Rebecca! Another milestone that I’m particularly proud of this year is the 25th Anniversary of the Father’s Day Council Tucson, a dedicated group of volunteers that presents the Father of the Year
Awards Gala. This small but mighty team has raised more than $4.3 million for type 1 diabetes research at UA Steele Children’s Research Center. This year’s gala honoring role-model dads will be June 1st at Loews Ventana Canyon Resort. We salute the 2019 Father of the Year honorees Brent DeRaad, Jon Dudas, Ali Farhang, Tony Finley, Stu Mellan, Joe Snell and US Air Force SMSgt. Steve Hill. Our special reports focus on two very successful companies marking major milestones themselves. Swaim Associates Architects is celebrating its 50th anniversary. Founder Bob Swaim and his son Phil Swaim have attracted a highly skilled team of partners who have definitely added beauty and sophistication to our skyline. Looking at their many iconic buildings in Tucson and Southern Arizona, you’ll definitely appreciate the “wow factor” of their designs and their visions of the future. Tucson Orthopaedic Institute is celebrating its 25th anniversary of providing the highest-quality healthcare. What began as the dream of a few very talented and entrepreneurial physicians has grown to eight Southern Arizona locations with 34 physicians and headquarters at the iconic tower on the Tucson Medical Center campus. “We came from strong surgeons, strong roots and for all the right reasons,” said Paula Register Hecht, CEO of TOI. “Our physicians, therapists and staff work collaboratively together in the care of our patients.” As we launch our next decade, this region continues to amaze us. There are many more positive business stories yet to come. Steven E. Rosenberg Publisher & Owner BizTucson
Biz
Contributing Editors
Jay Gonzales Donna Kreutz
Contributing Copyeditors
Elena Acoba Diane Luber Dave Petruska
Contributing Technology Director
Mike Serres
Contributing Project & Event Coordinator
Maricela Robles
Contributing Writers
Elena Acoba Lee Allen Rhonda Bodfield April Bourie Rodney Campbell Mary Minor Davis Anthony Gimino Jay Gonzales Chuck Graham
June C. Hussey Tara Kirkpatrick Tiffany Kjos Christy Krueger Jim Marten David Pittman Steve Rivera Valerie Vinyard Romi Carrell Wittman
Contributing Photographers
Carter Allen Amy Haskell Brent G. Mathis Steven Meckler Chris Mooney Bryce Morthland David Sanders Tom Spitz Member:
Arizona Builders’ Alliance DM-50 Southern Arizona Leadership Council Sun Corridor Inc. Tucson Advertising Federation Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Tucson Metro Chamber Visit Tucson
BizTucson Phone: 520.299.1005 Subscription Information:
www.BizTucson.com subscriptions@BizTucson.com Advertising information:
Steve Rosenberg 520.299.1005 or 520.907.1012 steve@BizTucson.com BizTucson is published quarterly by Rosenberg Media, LLC., Tucson, AZ ©2019 All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Opinions expressed in columns or articles do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher.
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Please send address changes to: BizTucson, 4729 East Sunrise Drive, #505 Tucson, AZ 85718. www.BizTucson.com
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ANNIVERSARY EDITION
FEATURES COVER STORY:
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WOMEN WHO LEAD 122 BizTECHNOLOGY Carol Stewart 124 BizGIVING Louise Glasser 126 BizLEADERSHIP Lydia Aranda
BizLETTER 4 From the Publisher BizBIOTECH 24 Roche Changing Future of Medicine BizGROWTH BizREALESTATE 28 Mister Car Wash Expands HQ 160 Commercial Real Estate Forecast BizTECHNOLOGY BizCONSTRUCTION 34 Microsoft & University of Arizona 164 New To Market: Cloud Project Projects in the Region. BizTOOLKIT BizAVIATION 38 5 Biggest Surprises of New Tax Law 170 Pima Community College Proposed $29 Million Expansion BizHONOR 42 UA Executive of the Year BizTRIBUTE Terry Lundgren 194 Truly Nolen Statue Unveiled BizHEALTH 44 Humanism in Healthcare SPECIAL REPORTS BizHONORS 65 Swaim Associates Architects at 50 51 Good Scout Awards BizTECHNOLOGY 56 App for Urgent Medical Care BizMILESTONE 58 Historic Ranch Celebrates 150 years 104 Father’s Day Council Tucson Celebrates 25 Years BizHONORS 106 Father of the Year Award Honorees: Brent DeRaad, Jon Dudas, Ali Farhang, 129 Tucson Orthopaedic Institute at 25 Tony Finley, SMSgt Steve Hill, Stuart Mellan, Joe Snell BizSALES 120 Sales Guru Jeffrey Gitomer THE REGION’S BUSINESS MAGAZINE
TUCSON
ABOUT THE COVER Why The World is Watching Tucson Creative Design by Brent G. Mathis <<<
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GLOBAL VISIONARIES 173 The BizTucson Global Visionary Awards 174 Jennifer K. Barton 176 Jim Cantrell 178 Jill German and Dr. Eric Walk 180 Dr. Fayez K. Ghishan 182 Taylor W. Lawrence 184 Fletcher J. McCusker 186 Dr. Robert C. Robbins 188 Joaquin Ruiz 190 Calline Sanchez 192 Joe Snell
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BizCONTENTS
ORTHOPAEDIC INSTITUTE
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From Left –
Jill German
Head of Roche Tissue Diagnostics
Michael Rivers
VP, Roche Digital Pathology
Dr. Eric Walk
Chief Medical & Scientific Officer Roche Tissue Diagnostics
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PHOTO: BRENT G. MATHIS
At A Glance
The VENTANA DP 200 slide scanner, introduced by Roche Tissue Diagnostics in 2018, provides clinicians with good-quality image acquisition using a simple, highperformance scanner. Roche’s enterprise software (uPath), introduced in January 2019, improves workflow through instant digital case sharing – saving time and facilitating second opinions from specialists who can log in from anywhere. Artificial intelligence curated by Roche helps create digital pathology algorithms which, in turn, help pathologists evaluate cases based on large volumes of data meant to complement that which can be seen by the human eye.
BizBIOTECH
Roche Changing Future of Medicine Through Digital Pathology New Tools Produce Faster Answers By June C. Hussey If oncologists had been holding their breath waiting for just the right tool to help them wipe out cancer, one might have heard the entire profession collectively exhale earlier this year when Roche Tissue Diagnostics announced the launch of its latest solution for digital pathology – the uPath enterprise software. U stands for universal, a word choice that reflects Roche’s belief that its tool will one day be commonly used by pathologists the world over. What makes this tool so universally important? According to the American Cancer Society, 1,762,450 new cancer cases and 606,880 deaths from cancer are expected to occur in the United States in 2019. Speed and accuracy matter when you’re a patient waiting for diagnosis and treatment. With the ability of uPath enterprise software to give researchers as well as oncologists and their patients better answers faster, Roche’s newly released digital pathology workflow software could one day be just the weapon of mass destruction the world so desperately needs in its war against cancer. Imagine if doctors had to use manual typewriters or rotary-dial telephones when communicating a prescription. Incredibly, in a profession where seconds and accuracy count, the majority of pathologists around the world today still rely on their own pair of eyes and a microscope, invented in 1590, to make a medical diagnosis. If a second opinion is desired, those slides must be couriered or mailed – costing precious time in the life of a would-be cancer survivor. Furthermore, slides must be physically stored in a box at the risk of damage or loss, making subsequent comparisons difficult or impossible. To remove such workflow obstacles, Roche unveiled in March 2018 the VENTANA DP 200 slide scanner, launching for research use only in the www.BizTucson.com
U.S., and for clinical use outside of the U.S. This line scanner with a dynamic focus allows technicians to permanently digitize high-quality microscopic images of biopsy tissue in less than a minute. These tissue images are very large files, about a gigabyte each. Roche continues to make great strides in reducing the time it takes to transmit such large data files – and now, coupled with uPath enterprise software, those images can be analyzed, compared, shared, stored and retrieved in seconds from anywhere in the world. Such technology could provide virtually any patient, anywhere, access to a second opinion from the most experienced specialists, in effect, democratizing medical access. In addition and perhaps most exciting of all, Roche is developing, through artificial intelligence, machine-learning and deep learning algorithms for all kinds of cancers that will assist researchers and pathologists in evaluating cells on a level never before possible – leading to more detailed, accurate and ultimately successful treatment plans. While some labs have embraced it, the uptake of digital pathology is still relatively low, according to Michael Rivers, VP, Roche Digital Pathology. However, with the acceleration of technological advances such as streaming to speed the digital image review, its time has truly come. “In anatomic pathology it’s all about tissue. We’re working with a biopsy. That tissue is transformed into a very thin slice (4 microns) and put on a slide. We have the chemistry and color stains to highlight biomarkers of interest. Each color represents a different biomarker. A pathologist can now look at the digitized slides and say, ‘This is not cancer or this is cancer or it’s this type of cancer and this is the best course of treatment and likely outcome,’ ” Rivers said.
“Our understanding of cancer is becoming more complex,” said Dr. Eric Walk, chief medical and scientific officer at Roche Tissue Diagnostics. “The markers we have to use are more complex. Pathologists are confronted by these complexities and they are asking us for our assistance. It’s not about replacing pathologists – it’s about assisting them in getting the right answers. “The relevant revolution here is immunotherapy. We are seeing incredible progress in cure rates and survival rates with this class of therapy. The bottom line is we don’t yet understand how to apply these technologies to all patients. We’ll be entirely dependent on these kinds of algorithms to help us unravel the complexities. And that’s happening right in this room. “With Roche’s global reach, there is close collaboration between assay scientists and imaging scientists between Tucson, Santa Clara (California) and around the world. Right now, digital pathology has the potential to get us to the right answers faster. In the future it will be absolutely essential,” Walk said. Quantification, insight and accuracy add value to any medical diagnosis and, as Walk noted, with uPath enterprise software and its attending algorithms, “any pathologist will be able to perform at the level of the best pathologists in the world.” “Image analysis algorithms use machine-learning and computer vision to complement a pathologist’s experience – improving the value of diagnosis and treatment. And it only takes a few minutes for an algorithm to thoroughly analyze the data in a series of slides. The pathologist is still in full control of the final diagnosis – he or she is simply basing it on a much broader set of data,” Walk said. continued on page 27 >>> Spring 2019
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BizBIOTECH
Jill German Heads Roche Tissue Diagnostics Global Career Leads Back to Tucson By June C. Hussey
“This is a great company to be curious in because you’re allowed to be. As long as you’re willing, the company gives you pretty broad access,” German said. Before launching her career with Roche, German grew up on an Indiana family farm. She credits her curiosity to her grandmother, who was always introducing her to new things. When her father told her she could go to any university as long as it was a state-funded institution in her home state, she entered Purdue University and pursued a degree in sports medicine. Her sights were set on becoming a physical therapist. However, during a summer internship with Roche in Indianapolis, German fell in love with the company. That eye-opening experience launched what would soon become an exciting career trajectory with the Swiss-based healthcare company. Over her many years to date with Roche, German has worked in many capacities all over the world. After gaining experience in applied sciences, diabetes care and centralized diagnostics, she and her family moved to Switzerland, where she headed up molecular systems IT and workflow for Roche Diagnostics International. Working on a campus with colleagues from 47 different nationalities further broadened her healthcare horizons and emboldened her commitment to create greater access to better healthcare worldwide. German was pegged for the leadership role at Roche’s expansive Oro Valley headquarters (now also in Marana) last year. Although she had not worked specifically in tissue diagnostics, she was and is a natural fit – applying her curious nature, leadership skills and breadth of collaborative experience to bring forth life-changing new technologies and processes. German was no stranger to Tucson nor to Dr. Tom Grogan, founder of Ventana Medical Systems (acquired by Roche in 2008 for $3.4 billion) who took founder emeritus status in October 2017. When he first launched Ventana Medical Systems, German sold him antibodies. Of course, back in those days, 26 BizTucson
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pathology was 100 percent non-digitized and artificial intelligence was merely the stuff of science fiction novels. Today, German describes Grogan as her biggest mentor as she continues the mission he set in motion those many years ago – augmenting antiquated manual processes with automated solutions to improve the speed and accuracy of cancer diagnoses and targeted treatment therapies. Moving from Zug, Switzerland to Tucson proved to be an easier transition than one might expect for German and her wife Beth Meyerson, who is a professor at Indiana University, and their son, Jake, 12. As she pointed out, both environs offer active, outdoor lifestyles with easy access to hiking in some of the most scenic natural settings on Earth. German’s son describes Tucson’s natural allure in two words: rugged beauty. And it’s not just the place they adore – it’s the people. “The people of Tucson are just really, really fantastic. We enjoy grilling outdoors year-round, it’s such a luxury. On special nights, it’s fun to get out and explore locally owned restaurants. We have a rule that we can’t eat at the same place twice,” German said. Worldly business leaders like German appreciate the greater Tucson community and companies like Roche that are providing many high-quality, vocationally rich jobs to those seeking to live the good life here. “You could have almost any degree today and make an impact. Every summer we host about 50 interns and that’s a great entree to see what’s going on. We get interns from the University of Arizona and Pima Community College. We also do a lot of outreach to the university and in STEM at local schools,” she said. She’s proud of the commitment her company and colleagues make to the Tucson nonprofit community as well, volunteering time and resources to organizations that make Tucson a better place to live. To young people looking forward to making a difference and creating a meaningful place in the world for themselves, German passes on the same great advice one special mentor once shared with her: “Stick with what you love. As long as you’re doing something that you really love, you’ll do well at it. Never be afraid to ask questions. Virtually any passion can have a positive impact on healthcare.”
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PHOTO: COURTESY ROCHE TISSUE DIAGNOSTICS
Describing herself as a curious person all her life, Jill German may well have landed her ideal role when she was named head of Roche Tissue Diagnostics.
continued from page 25 Driving this tsunami of medical advancement are the more than 1,700 dedicated men and women of Roche Tissue Diagnostics in Arizona and California. This includes engineers, chemists, biochemists, mathematicians, software architects and other professionals. How do you compete for such talent against tech giants like Google, Apple, Facebook? “People come to work here for the purpose. Our people are really motivated by the mission,” said Jill German, head of Roche Tissue Diagnostics. “Everything we do is centered in our mission to improve the lives of all patients afflicted with cancer. The way we realize that is to improve workflows for oncologists and clinicians and provide improved medical value for patients and clinicians.” The death rate from cancer in the United States has declined steadily over the past 25 years, according to annual statistics reporting from the American Cancer Society. As of 2016, the cancer death rate for men and women combined had fallen 27 percent from its peak in 1991. This decline translates to about 1.5 percent per year and more than 2.6 million deaths avoided between 1991 and 2016, according to the American Cancer Society in January 2019. “As the No. 1 tissue diagnostic company in the world, we’ve already made an enormous impact. We’ve been in the digital pathology space for 10 years. We launched the slide scanner a year ago March – and it has far exceeded our expectations in terms of uptake. The potential to affect future change is still very great. There have been a committed group of pioneers – but it’s about to become much more widespread,” German said. With cancer death rates already dropping, in part thanks to advances made by Roche and others in recent years, a cancer-free world could very well be in the foreseeable future. By combining innovative digital solutions, streaming technology and artificial intelligence, Roche is adding mind-blowing speed and quality to the cancer diagnostic and treatment process. As more and more researchers, lab administrators, histotechnicians and pathologists embrace Roche’s latest product, uPath enterprise software, the transformative potential of file sharing could become as powerful to medicine as it has already become to music, film, literature and photography. The time has come.
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Did You Know? • With 94,000 employees globally, Swiss-based Roche has been driving innovation to improve lives since its founding by Fritz Hoffmann-La Roche in 1896. • Roche’s 2018 revenues of $57 billion make it the third largest pharmaceutical and diagnostics company in the world. • Roche Tissue Diagnostics, based primarily in Tucson with employees in Santa Clara, California, is the world’s leading tissue diagnostic company. The company is part of Roche Molecular Solutions, one of the global business areas within Roche Diagnostics that brings together the diagnostic power of molecular, tiswww.BizTucson.com sue and sequencing technologies.
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PHOTOS: COURTESY MISTER CAR WASH
BizGROWTH
Mister Car Wash Expands Headquarters By Lee Allen Starting with its first sudsy site in Houston half a century ago, Tucsonbased Mister Car Wash – the largest car wash chain in the nation – has taken another step forward with the opening of its new South Campus Headquarters at 415 N. Sixth Ave. The historic building, built in the 1920s, has seen previous tenants like O’Rielly Motor Company and a furniture company, DeWitt Designs. The 29,000-square-foot space was made modern at a cost of $7 million and will be home to 150 employees. Since 2014, Mister Car Wash has been headquartered just a block north in the 25,000-square-foot renovated First Baptist Church at 222 E. Fifth St. The company continues to add new stores that require more support personnel who needed the extra room. Currently the company runs 287 car washes and 33 lube centers in 21 states, said CEO John Lai. With a payroll already exceeding 8,000 employees, Lai said, “We’re the largest car wash company in the U.S. with a goal to be the largest and best in the world.” Progress in Tucson attests toward moving in that direction with 15 car washes in the Old Pueblo market
alone. “We love Tucson. It has everything from unbelievable climate to a thriving university and a workforce looking for more opportunity. Tucson is a town where you can work and play and enjoy both,” he said. Lai is willing to share all kinds of facts and figures, like a recent employee satisfaction survey that showed Mister Car Wash competitive with Netflix, Google and Facebook – and ahead of Starbucks. But he declined to provide annual corporate income statistics. “But I will say this – “we’ve been growing at roughly 25-percent yearover-year, so our compound annual growth means we’ve been doubling in size about every three to four years. In 2017, we added about one new store a week. Last year, we added a total of 37 new locations. And our store sales growth is roughly 10 percent year-overyear.” It was that growth potential that attracted partner, Leonard Green, out of Los Angeles. Group Managing Partner John Danhakl told the grand opening reception crowd in late January: “We included Mister Car Wash in our $20 billion portfolio of 60 companies be-
cause once every decade you find a special company like this and we knew from moment one, this one was a winner.” Mayor Jonathan Rothschild did the official city of Tucson welcome, thanking the company for choosing existing structures for its north and south campuses, which are part of the city’s Adaptive Re-use initiative. “Your mission of delivering the cleanest and shiniest car and your choosing two historic buildings as your headquarters has a similarity – taking something old and making it new again,” Rothschild said. “At the end of the day, our purpose as a headquarters is to support efforts of our field locations, and while generating profit is a primary objective, business should serve a higher purpose by being good to the communities it lives in,” said Lai. “Toward that end, we contributed over a million dollars last year to 750 nonprofits across the U.S. “We’ve grown this company, not on the backs of our employees, but with their support. We’re the world’s largest car wash company smack dab in the middle of the Tucson business corridor, and this is just the beginning for us. We’re a long way from being done.”
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e v gaHeritage Festival
A
Over 10 days this spring Tucson will pay homage to the agave and borderland culture with food, music, dance, history and agriculture. The 11th edition of the Agave Heritage Festival April 23 to May 5 features 25 culinary and cultural arts activities focused on the succulent that’s famous for its tequila, as well as other spirits like mescal, pulque and the Sonoran region’s own bacanora. Tony Abou-Ganim, author of “The Modern Mixologist: Contemporary Classic Cocktails,” will be a guest participant. Other highlights will be presentations by bat conservationist Rodrigo Medellin and Rancho Tepúa Bacanora creator Roberto Contreras. Activities will include tastings and production tours of artisan agave spirits, agave roasting and fiber crafts, farm and garden tours, plant sales, lectures, seminars, Meso-American-inspired gourmet foods and Latin entertainment.
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Here’s a rundown of major festival events:
• April 26, Fox Theatre – Ignite Agave!, an evening full of music and samplings with celebrity chefs, botanists and business owners discussing the plant’s regional commercial and cultural impact.
• April
26, Hotel Congress – El Tambó Fest, a music and dance celebration that includes cumbia, reggaetón, dancehall, afrobeats and moombahton. Guests can learn about cumbia and replenish with food and mescal.
• May
4, Hotel Congress – Agave Expo, showcasing plant varieties, botanical seminars and workshops, a Ron Parker book-signing of “Chasing Centuries” and a flash sale of mescal spirits.
PHOTO: COURTESY AGAVE HERITAGE FESTIVAL
BizCULTURE
• May 5, Tohono Chul Park – Family-Friendly Cinco de Mayo: Celebration of a Puebla, Mexico, military victory with mariachi music, agave spirits tasting, artist displays, food vendors, a farmers market and kids’ games.
There also will be an opportunity to meet bacanora producers April 29 and 30, a discussion on agave distillation May 2, MAZCrawl May 2 and a Marana agave farm tour May 5. Several discussions will focus on how to sustain the agave commercial industry. Many events in the festival, founded by Hotel Congress GM Todd Hanley, will raise funds to support nonprofit organizations. For more information, check the website, agaveheritagefestival.com.
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BizBRIEFS
Jennifer Nunn Clear Channel Outdoor Tucson tapped Jennifer Nunn as its VP of sales. Nunn has 30-plus years in media sales with Lotus Broadcasting and Scripps Broadcasting, where she was general sales manager for the Tucson market. In 2015, the American Advertising Federation Tucson named her Advertising Person of the Year and inducted her into its Hall of Fame. Clear Channel Outdoor operates in 44 of the top 50 U.S. markets.
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Noel Daniel Tubac Golf Resort & Spa named Noel Daniel its managing director. Daniel has more than 30 years of hotel experience â&#x20AC;&#x201C; including GM of an Auberge Resort property and a luxury residential property, both in Telluride, Colorado, and a luxury resort in San Diego. Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also worked in various roles in the lodging industry in Vail, Colorado; Taos, New Mexico, and Sausalito, California.
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Mike Wall Mike Wall joined Pacific Premier Bank as a senior VP, senior relationships manager. Wall has worked in commercial banking for 12 years. He is an active member of the Building Development Finance Corporation Loan Committee, which approves SBA loans for local small to mid-size businesses. Wall, who grew up in Tucson, received his MBA from Colorado State University. He’s active in CCIM of Southern Arizona, Junior Achievement and Habitat for Humanity.
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Rey Robles Pacific Premier Bank named Rey Robles VP, relationship manager. The lifelong Pima County resident has worked in banking since 1997. He’s held positions with National Bank of Arizona and Marshall & Ilsley Bank. Robles holds accounting and finance bachelor’s degrees from the University of Arizona and an MBA from the University of Phoenix. He’s on the board of directors of the Pima County Community Land Trust and the Arts Foundation for Tucson and Southern Arizona. Biz www.BizTucson.com
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BizTECHNOLOGY
Innovative Partnership to Stay on Top of Cloud Industry Microsoft & University of Arizona Join Forces By Tiffany Kjos The University of Arizona and Microsoft – which is among the top four most profitable businesses in the world – have crafted a partnership designed to make cloud storage sustainable and to train students to be engineers, architects and more in this fast-growing industry. Microsoft is donating hardware for research. The education component of the center will include curricula for technical certification, undergrad degrees and post-graduate certification programs. “We’ve got a chance to redefine ourselves in terms of what our students need to be prepared to go out and be competitive for jobs in this ever-changing, rapidly changing world,” said UA President Robert C. Robbins when he presented his strategic plan to the Arizona Board of Regents in November. “It’s not some futuristic thing. We’re living it right now. So we need to be aligning our research programs and preparing our students to be competitive – and not only to be competitive but to thrive in this new world.” There’s a widening gap between what the cloud industry needs and what is available. “The growth of the data center cloud infrastructure has strained the ability to hire people who are properly trained,” said Robert Norwood, professor of optical sciences at UA. Norwood is in charge of developing the new Cloud Infrastructure Renewal Center (CIRC), which will focus on developing sustainable data centers and educating students to engineer and manage them. The center will include UA research34 BizTucson
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ers in varying disciplines, such as architects, optical engineers and material scientists, who will focus on data center sustainability. Microsoft’s share of the cloud market is second only to Amazon. And despite its name, cloud storage doesn’t mean your data is floating around in the atmosphere. It’s placed in data banks, mostly tucked into closets and computer rooms. Instead of saving data on your computer, you save it to a server via the internet – think Microsoft’s OneDrive and Google Drive. Data centers consume a huge amount of energy and that’s a big challenge. “Think about how hot your laptop gets. Multiply that by a million and you’ll get an idea of how much energy it takes to cool the data centers that make up the cloud information storage industry,” Norwood said. Microsoft has research and education partnerships with several universities around the world, including the UA, said Christian Belady, Microsoft’s GM of data center advanced development. “The primary purpose of the CIRC is research and advancement of data centers that deliver cloud computing services – a growing and increasing important technology for organizations, enterprises and people,” he said. Microsoft is already working with the UA in different ways. Its executives are guest lecturers at UA forums and classrooms, Belady said, and it recruits University of Arizona engineering and business school grads. The new center will be a draw for students, Belady said. “We believe the CIRC will attract undergraduate and
post-graduate students since cloud computing is a new and influential area of technology that is reshaping entire industries.” Other universities are getting in on the game, too, Norwood said. “This area is getting increased visibility as a next important area to educate your students for the benefit of their career programs,” he said. Data centers have been on Norwood’s radar for at least a decade. “My own thinking about this started 10 years ago when I saw the first data centers. It hit me how much infrastructure was required for what I saw,” he said. The university offers research capability and interest, and has experience bringing new education programs online. “Also, the UA’s diverse cultural aspects and, indeed, those of Tucson were attractive to Microsoft,” Norwood said. As it grows, the center would bring new jobs to Tucson, but more importantly, students who’ve been trained there would be able to get work immediately after they graduate – something that already happens in various disciplines at the UA. “Our optical sciences program does very well. For example, with a bachelor’s degree students could get very good jobs when they graduate,” Norwood said. The CIRC fits in nicely with Robbins’ vision of the university and its role in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. “Possibly the most exciting aspect of this partnership is that students are going to work with researchers to generate continued on page 36 >>> www.BizTucson.com
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BizTECHNOLOGY continued from page 34 solutions to these engineering challenges and test them in the data center environment,” Robbins said. The partnership aligns with Robbins’ strategic plan for the university as being on the leading edge of this industrial revolution, where the lines among physical, digital and biological sciences and technologies blur. Robbins presented his strategic plan for the university to the Arizona Board of Regents in November 2018. During the Industrial Revolution of the 19th century, people, nicknamed Luddites, feared that automation would put them out of jobs, so they smashed their way into factories, destroyed machines and in some case burned buildings. “We shouldn’t be like the Luddites and be afraid of technology. We should embrace it. We should leverage it. We should use it to help us learn better, do our jobs better, to be more effective,” Robbins said. “And we shouldn’t allow it to destroy society, to further our gap between the haves and the have-nots, but use technology and the concepts around the Fourth Industrial Revolution to help our societies and our people be more productive and do better things.” This is the first multiyear joint research collaboration Microsoft has established with a university to create a CIRC. Microsoft will donate data center hardware to seed expanded research, curriculum development and training labs. The education program will develop a dedicated curriculum covering technical certifications, an undergraduate degree program and post-graduate certification programs. Data centers number about 3 million in the United States, according to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. They require an enormous amount of energy to run. In 2013, data centers used about 100 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity. That’s more than 2 percent of all the electricity used in the United States. “Sustainable cloud growth requires the advancement of renewable energy sources and storage systems, faster networks and innovative architectural design geared toward solving difficult engineering problems,” Robbins said. “Access to cloud computing technologies will only become more important as the Fourth Industrial Revolution expands, and sustainably scaling the cloud is a global issue that requires the multidisciplinary competencies and creative problem-solvers for which the UA is known.” Belady, of Microsoft, said because the demand for cloud and online services continues to grow, there is a need to accelerate research into data center design, operations and management. “We are excited to launch this partnership with the University of Arizona to help decrease the technicalskills gap and ramp up education for future leaders and engineers.”
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BizTOOLKIT
5 Biggest Surprises Arising from New Tax Law By Thomas K. Furrier and Laura Liewen 1) Owners of pass-through entities
may get a significant deduction from the new 199A deduction, but it is a complex and time-consuming calculation. This new provision gives eligible businesses up to a 20 percent tax deduction on certain qualified business income. However, the new 199A deduction requires additional reporting for every pass-through entity. Because the deduction is taken at the individual level, every pass-through entity’s tax return will need to report specific information to its owners so that they can determine if they are eligible for the deduction. Both businesses and individuals can expect longer tax preparation times because of this new deduction.
2) Depreciation expensing has in-
creased. Bonus depreciation has increased to 100 percent of eligible property acquired through 2022 and eligible property now includes used property. Eligible property may include automotive vehicles, machinery and equipment, furniture, etc. For passenger autos the first-year depreciation is $10,000, or $18,000 if eligible for bonus depreciation. For heavy vehicles with a GVW over 6,000 pounds, 100 percent of the cost may be deductible using bonus depreciation. The new law also expands Section 179 expensing on nonresi-
dential property to include qualified improvements, roofs, HVACs, fire protection, alarms and security systems. The maximum Section 179 deduction has increased to $1 million. Not all states conform to these rules, which can cause higher income for state income tax purposes. 3) Business losses over certain thresh-
olds may be required to be carried forward as a net operating loss in future years. The new law caps currently deductible aggregate excess business losses at $500,000 for married filing joint taxpayers and $250,000 for all other taxpayers. Taxpayers with business losses will be limited to offsetting nonbusiness income by these threshold amounts. Additionally, for losses arising after 2017, the NOL deduction is limited to 80 percent of taxable income, determined without regard to the NOL carryforward. This limitation may significantly limit the utilization of NOLs in subsequent years.
4) Opportunity Zone Fund Invest-
ments can be a great opportunity for investors, but there is still little guidance for certain types of investments. Investors may be able to defer or eliminate tax on capital gains that are invested in opportunity-zone funds. The funds deploy capital in designated opportunity-
Thomas K. Furrier CPA Furrier is the CEO and shareholderin-charge of the tax department along with his partner Tariq Khan. He began his career in public accounting at R&A CPAs in 1984 and became a partner in 1989. His area of expertise is in tax compliance and planning for businesses and high-net-worth individuals. He graduated from Northern Arizona University in 1983. He is a member of the American Institute of CPAs and the Arizona Society of CPAs. He’s also is treasurer of the YMCA of Southern Arizona and Beating Hearts. 38 BizTucson
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zone areas and provide tax benefits to its investors. The tax on the capital gains that are reinvested in a fund are eligible for deferment and partial elimination depending on the length of time the investment in the fund is held. The appreciation on the investment in the fund may be excluded from tax if it is held for at least 10 years. This can be a great way to reduce or eliminate tax on a long-term investment strategy. 5) Not all states conform to the new
rules – which can create significant differences between federal and state reportable taxable income. As of this writing, the state of Arizona has not passed a conformity law to adopt the federal changes from the 2017 tax law into Arizona law. A couple of significant federal-state differences for business owners may be the allowable federal 100 percent bonus depreciation as well as the federal inclusion of used property in the definition of eligible property for bonus depreciation purposes. These depreciation changes are not recognized by many states. Further, the new 199A deduction is not currently permitted for Arizona tax purposes. These, among other differences, should be considered in business owners’ tax planning and should be discussed with their accountants.
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Laura Liewen CPA Liewen has 20 years of public accounting experience. She specializes in income tax return preparation, compliance and research for individuals and businesses. Her expertise is individual and S-Corporation taxation, multi-state taxation and income tax credits, including the R&D credit. She also has experience preparing compiled and reviewed financial statements. A graduate of the University of Arizona, she is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Arizona Society of CPAs and Tucson Tax Study Group. www.BizTucson.com
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Fall 2018
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BizBRIEF
New Health Insurance Options for Small Businesses A partnership between Southern Arizona chambers of commerce and UnitedHealthcare of Arizona has shown early success in offering small businesses another option to find healthcare coverage for their employees. The Southern Arizona Chamber of Commerce Association started offering a health plan portfolio Feb. 1. “We had a company on Feb. 1 get a quote,” said Robert Medler, the association’s executive director. Interest has been high, he said. “We’re rockin’ and rollin’.” Any small business – with two to 50 employees – can check out the Southern Arizona Chamber Benefits Plan and get a quote through its UnitedHealthcare broker. The business must be a member of one of 14 chambers in the association in order to sign up. The benefits plan makes available a portfolio of options that may not otherwise be available to small businesses. The shared-risk pool may lower healthcare costs. “While policy changes in the past decade have had benefits for the health of workers, small business owners have only seen increasing costs,” said Joe Erceg, president and CEO of the Green Valley-Sahuarita Chamber of Commerce. “We believe this association health plan will help ease that burden.” Members can choose from several preferred provider organization (PPO) and health savings account (HSA) plans offered by UnitedHealthcare. The healthcare provider has a national network of more than 1.2 million physicians and care professionals with access to 6,500 hospitals and other care facilities. “Working with the Southern Arizona Chamber of Commerce Association, we can now provide small businesses another coverage option so families across the state can have access to cost-effective, quality healthcare,” said Lucas Mattila, sales and account management VP for UnitedHealthcare Group in Arizona. The association formed in 2018. Its members include these chambers of commerce: Yuma, Nogales, Florence, Marana, Oro Valley and Green Valley-Sahuarita, Tucson Metro, Tucson Hispanic, Tucson GLBT, Tubac, Vail, Benson-San Pedro, Willcox and Sierra Vista.
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UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR Friday, March 29 Westin La Paloma Resort & Spa 3800 E. Sunrise Drive 11:30 a.m., lunch at noon $85, $850 for a table of 10 Tickets at www.uafoundation.org/ NetCommunity/events/eoy-2019 Information: Jaime Odom, 621-2900 jlodom@email.arizona.edu
Past UA Executive of Year Recipients 2018 - Scott Cook, Intuit 2017 - Cathy Engelbert, Deloitte 2016 - Frederick W. Smith, FedEx 2015 - Sam Fox, Fox Restaurant Concepts 2014 - Janet Napolitano, University of California 2013 - Laurence M. Baer, San Francisco Giants 2012 - Robert M. Gates, Former U.S. Secretary of Defense 2011 - Howard Schultz, Starbucks Coffee 2010 - Robert J. Keegan, The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company 2009 - Donald R. Keough, Allen & Company 2008 - F. Warren Hellman, Hellman & Friedman 2007 - John W. Rowe, Exelon Corporation 2006 - James E. Press, Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. 2005 - Ann Fudge, Young & Rubicam Brands 2004 - L. Ben Lytle, Anthem 2003 - Jamie Dimon, Bank One 2002 - Philip F. Anschutz, The Anschutz Corporation 2001 - Robert A. Eckert, Mattel 2000 - Richard M. Kovacevich, Wells Fargo 1999 - Jerry Colangelo, Arizona Diamondbacks, Phoenix Suns 1998 - Herb Kelleher, Southwest Airlines 1997 - Peter H. Coors, Coors Brewing 1996 - Richard M. Rosenberg, Bank America Corporation 1995 - C. Michael Armstrong, Hughes Electronics 1994 - Robert W. Galvin, Motorola 1993 - Andrew S. Grove, Intel 1992 - Michael R. Quinlan, McDonald’s 1991 - Richard M. DeVos, Amway 1989 - R.E. “Ted” Turner, Turner Broadcast 1998 - G. Robert “Bull” Durham, Phelps Dodge 1987 - Trammell Crow, Trammell Crow 1986 - Roger B. Smith, General Motors 1985 - Tom Johnson, The Los Angeles Times 1984 - J. Peter Grace, W.R. Grace & Co. 1983 - Donald Rumsfeld, G.D. Searle & Co.
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PHOTO: CARTER ALLEN
1990 - Roberto C. Goizueta, The Coca-Cola Company
BizHONOR
Terry Lundgren 2019 UA Executive of the Year By Tara Kirkpatrick
Although he wasn’t born or raised here, Tucson is truly where Terry Lundgren grew up. The venerable, retired Macy’s CEO was a University of Arizona student in the 1970s with mediocre grades. His father said he would no longer pay Lundgren’s tuition. From that moment, Lundgren’s future was in his own hands. “That call was a critical turning point for me. Instead of going home that summer, I went immediately and found a job,” Lundgren recalled. After what he felt was a lackluster interview for a job at a former restaurant, The Solarium, on the stretch of Tanque Verde Road then known as “restaurant row,” Lundren said, “I thought ‘I’m not going to get this job.’ I got to the door and I was desperate. I turned around and said, ‘Please give me a chance, I can do this job!’ ” He started that night. By the time he graduated, Lundgren had stellar grades and had worked his way up from shucking oysters to night manager. That opportunity for personal growth is what ties Lundgren to Tucson even to this day. “I have said this to anyone who has ever asked why I am as involved in the UA as I am and from such a long distance,” said the New York-based alum and namesake of the university’s Terry J. Lundgren Center for Retailing at the Norton School of Family and Consumer Sciences. “The answer is that it’s where I grew up, it’s where I learned about myself and what I was capable of accomplishing. It was a huge learning process for me.” What Lundgren has accomplished is the stuff of retail legend. After graduating from the UA in 1975, he joined Federated Department Stores, eventually leading the Bullocks Wilshire Division. www.BizTucson.com
He then served as CEO of Neiman Marcus before returning to Federated and leading its acquisition of the May Department Company Stores to become Macy’s – the largest fashion retail company in America. Named one of the top 30 CEOs in the world by Barron’s, Lundgren led Macy’s for 14 years as chairman and CEO before retiring last year. Lundgren is the 2019 UA Executive of the Year, selected by the UA Eller College National Board of Advisors. He joins a distinguished list of 36 other honorees that includes Jamie Dimon of JP Morgan Chase, Howard Schultz of Starbucks, media mogul Ted Turner and former U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. “It’s a great honor to be considered and selected to be this year’s honoree,” Lundgren said. “I am very proud of my association with the UA.” “As the leader of a major company in a $5.7 trillion industry, Terry Lundgren innovated retail by creating private brands, spearheading an $11 billion merger, embracing the omni-channel concept and initiating hyper-localization,” said Paulo B. Goes, dean and Halle Chair in Leadership at the Eller College. “He is a perfect fit for the 2019 Executive of the Year as we focus on new ways of doing business and the new economies of the future.” Lundgren’s footprint at his alma mater is unmistakable. The college faculty named the school’s retail center after him in 2005. He has been instrumental in its Global Retailing Conference, which brings industry giants to Tucson to talk strategy and innovation. Designers Tommy Hilfiger and Tory Burch and makeup mogul Bobbi Brown, along with leaders from Walmart, Costco and Whole Foods, are a few of the
speakers over the years. “I’m deeply committed to it,” Lundgren said of the annual event. “It’s gotten bigger and bigger. I’m so pleased we are able to attract such great presenters.” The man who’s recognized as a retail visionary and innovator said that people, strategy and embracing technology have fueled his career. “The first thing I learned very early on was that I was only as good as the team that surrounded me,” he said. “The larger my responsibility, the more I needed strong, talented, driven people who were smart and as hardworking as I was.” With the best team, a winning strategy is possible, Lundgren said. “I have always tried to think about the strategy that was required to address the needs of the business. It almost always had to do with the product first and how we were going to make it unique and desired by consumers – then how do we tie it together digitally.” In retirement, Lundgren serves on several boards and has turned retail investor. “The large majority of my investing has been in Macy’s and it still is – but once I gave up the CEO title, I’ve started investing in other retail concepts. I have a sense, just by observing and looking at websites and walking through physical stores, what is a good consumer experience.” Lundgren still appreciates that longago conversation with his dad, who had worked two jobs to send the only one of his six kids to college. “I remember calling my parents when I was about to graduate,” Lundgren said. “I told them I was really grateful, in hindsight, for their firmness. Thank you for showing me tough love when I needed it.”
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Cindy Wool Dr. Steven Wool
Humanism in Healthcare Cindy Wool Memorial Seminar Enters Second Decade By Lee Allen “Honoring 10 Years of Encouraging Compassionate Care” is the theme of this year’s Cindy Wool Memorial Seminar on Humanism in Healthcare in March. Dr. Sandra Gold, one of the founders of the seminar, returns as a speaker. She admits that years ago “the term ‘humanism in medicine’ was not much mentioned nor commonly acknowl44 BizTucson
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edged as critical to optimal health outcomes – but the movement to support compassion, respect and empathy is now widespread, thanks to a number of efforts as well as a deep yearning of physicians, nurses and other healthcare professionals to truly care for their patients.” The keynote speaker is Dr. Danielle Ofri, who will expound on her latest of
five books, “What Patients Say, What Doctors Hear.” With both medical and doctorate degrees, Ofri is a practicing internist at Bellevue Hospital Center in New York City and clinical professor of medicine at New York University School of Medicine. She’s a prolific writer about medicine and the doctorpatient connection. continued on page 47 >>> www.BizTucson.com
PHOTO: CARTER ALLEN
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Keynote Speaker Dr. Danielle Ofri The keynote speaker at this year’s tenth annual Cindy Wool Memorial Seminar on Humanism in Healthcare is Dr. Danielle Ofri, a renowned physician, author and essayist. Ofri is a practicing internist at Bellevue Hospital Center in New York City and a clinical professor of medicine at the New York University School of Medicine.
IMAGES: COURTESY DR. DANIELLE OFRI
She will talk about her latest of five books, “What Patients Say, What Doctors Hear,” which explores how refocusing the conversations between doctor and patient, more so than blood tests or scans, leads to improved health outcomes. The Lancet’s review said, “ ‘What Patients Say, What Doctors Hear’ provides not only a humble, entertaining and insightful entrée into her practice, but also a guide to many facets of communication.” Ofri also writes for The New York Times and other publications about medicine and the doctor-patient experience with an emphasis on the humanity of patients. The Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, New England Journal of Medicine, Lancet, CNN. com and National Public Radio have published her work.
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She received an undergraduate degree in physiology from McGill University and graduated from the New York University School of Medicine with – an M.D. and a Ph.D. in pharmacology. She is the co-founder and editor-in-chief of the Bellevue Literary Review, the first literary journal to arise from a medical setting. Stephen Jay Gould, Oliver Sacks and Susan Orlean have selected her essays for Best American Essays (twice) and Best American Science Writing. She is the recipient of the John P. McGovern Award from the American Medical Writers Association for “preeminent contributions to medical communication.” Her other books are “What Doctors Feel: How Emotions Affect the Practice of Medicine,” “Medicine in Translation: Journeys with My Patients,” “Incidental Findings: Lessons from My Patients in the Art of Medicine,” “Singular Intimacies: Becoming a Doctor at Bellevue” and the e-book “Intensive Care: A Doctor’s Journey.”
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BizHEALTH continued from page 44 Ofri speaks with the authenticity of a physician engaged on the front lines of medical care and keeping a focus on individual patients. A regular contributor to The New York Times on the subject of doctor-patient connection, she will explore how refocusing the conversations between the two can lead to improved health outcomes. The first decade of these annual seminars have dealt with humanism in medicine, which promotes empathic relationships between patients and those who tend to them. This is a legacy of Cindy Wool, who passed away at age 54 from acute lymphocytic leukemia. Her husband, Steven Wool, himself a doctor of internal medicine, referenced her attitude in which she found a positive light in all aspects of tragedy. The memorial seminar has a similar mission to make a positive difference in the medical field. “The goal of the seminar is to raise that level of care and healing in our community – not just technically, but but humanistally,” he said. “The Cindy Wool Seminar is unusual in that it is based in the community, representing a wonderful example of community-medical school partnerships,” according to Fran Katz, senior VP of the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona and its Maimonides Society fellowship of medical professionals. “The seminar creates opportunities to increase the capacity of healthcare professionals for compassion and empathy and encourages lifelong learning to address the critical need for humanism through education, discussion and community engagement.” The concept of humanistic medicine isn’t new. Treating continued on page 48 >>> www.BizTucson.com
Previous Keynote Speakers 2010 Sandra Gold & Dr. Arnold Gold
The Golds co-founded the Arnold P. Gold Foundation whose mission is to preserve the tradition of the caring physician and advance humanism in medicine through innovative medical and public education efforts. The foundation’s programs are in 94 percent of U.S. schools of medicine and osteopathy. Sandra holds a doctorate in counseling from Rutgers University and honorary doctorates for her lifetime of service to others. Arnold was a longtime professor of clinical neurology and pediatrics at the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University.
2011 Dr. Rachel Naomi Remen
Remen developed a groundbreaking curriculum for medical students – Healer’s Art – that is taught in U.S. medical schools and seven other countries. It focuses on reintegrating the heart and soul into contemporary medicine and restoring medicine to its integrity as a calling and a work of healing. She is a clinical professor of family and community medicine at the University of California, San Francisco.
2012 Dr. Abraham Verghese
Verghese is professor at the School of Medicine at Stanford University and vice chair for the theory and practice of medicine. He is a critically acclaimed, best-selling author and physician with an international reputation for his focus on healing in an era where technology often overwhelms the human side of medicine.
2013 Dr. Dan Siegel
2016 Dr. Dan Shapiro
Siegel is the author of several books, including “Mindsight: The New Science of Personal Transformation.” He is clinical professor of psychiatry at the UCLA School of Medicine, executive director of the Mindsight Institute and medical director of the Lifespan Learning Institute. He received his medical degree from Harvard Medical School.
Shapiro is professor of psychiatry and chair of the humanities department at Penn State College of Medicine. He’s received research awards from the American Psychological Association and clinical teaching awards from the University of Arizona. Also an author, he has lived on “both sides of the bed” and is a consultant to the hit TV series “Grey’s Anatomy.”
2014 Dr. Gerome Groopman & Dr. Pamela Hartzband
2017 Dr. Victoria Sweet
Groopman is one of the world’s leading researchers in cancer and AIDS. He also is a staff writer for The New Yorker, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and chief of experimental medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Hartzband also is on the faculty at Harvard Medical School, her alma mater, and is an attending physician at Beth Israel. She is a noted endocrinologist and educator specializing in disorders of the thyroid, adrenal and pituitary glands and in women’s health.
2015 Dr. Siddhartha Mukherjee
Mukherjee is a physician, scientist and writer best known for his 2010 book “The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer,” which won a Pulitzer Prize. Time magazine called this one of the 100 most influential books written in English since 1923. He is assistant professor of medicine at Columbia University and staff physician at Columbia University Medical Center.
Sweet is associate clinic professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, and a prize-winning historian. She wrote “God’s Hotel,” based on her experiences at the Laguna Honda Hospital in San Francisco, the last almshouse in the U.S. Vanity Fair said she presents a “radical and compassionate alternative to modern healthcare.”
2018 Dr. BJ Miller
Miller is assistant clinical professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, and an attending specialist at the UCSF Helen Diller Comprehensive Cancer Center – one of the nation’s first outpatient palliative care clinics. His aim is to combine social and medical models into a more comprehensive approach to caring for those nearing death.
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“
Each year the seminar continues to grow as more doctors learn how to talk directly to patients instead of just looking at their computers.
”
– Dr. Steven Wool Internist and Owner Personalized Healthcare of Tucson
continued from page 47 not only the symptoms of the patients’ bodies, but their metaphysical souls requires a belief that suffering during illness stems from the isolation from other humans while in a weakened state – and that by re-establishing this connection, true healing can begin to take place. Practitioners admit this is hard to accomplish in today’s modern medical environment where the model is to treat one patient’s symptoms, then quickly move on to the next. “These are difficult times for medical professionals with stress reaching staggering levels among physicians and nurses –– to the point where half of U.S. physicians don’t recommend medicine as a career,” Dr. Richard Levin, president and CEO of the Arnold P. Gold Foundation, wrote in the Association of American Medical Colleges NEWS. “Long before my time, the tools doctors used to heal were field tradition and compassion. They sat at bedsides and listened. They came with a gentle touch and an empathetic ear.” Today, constant demands from electronic medical records result in physicians spending an estimated one to two hours on EMR-related tasks for every hour with patients. The distancing between doctor and patient runs counter to the philosophy of humanism, the human connection between providers and patients that is believed essential to achieving and maintaining health. “Economic pressures in healthcare severely limit the autonomy of today’s professionals,” Gold said. “They are directed to address time-consuming electronic health records and other computer demands like onerous insurance requirements – spending too little time with patients. It’s more urgent than ever that we place a high priority on the human connection in healthcare because humanism in medicine is not merely a pleasant nicety, it’s absolutely essential for optimal healthcare for patients as well as the well-being of those who practice medicine.” 48 BizTucson
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BizHEALTH “We’re all human,” said Wool, “and Empathy 101 is a good lesson to be learned. Every patient can’t be saved, but every doctor can become more empathic in how they interact with those patients and their families.” Because this is the first-decade anniversary of the seminar series, the program will focus on the long-standing relationship of the seminar with the Arnold P. Gold Foundation – whose motto is “Keeping Healthcare Human” – and its National Solidarity Day for Compassionate Patient Care. Solidarity Day was established to recognize University of Arizona Medical Center trauma surgeon Dr. Randall Friese’s demonstration of compassionate care for thenU.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords when she was admitted in 2011 with multiple gunshot wounds. “Do we know how our first decade of seminars has improved doctor-patient relationships or how it’s changed medical care?” asked Wool. “That’s hard to quantify, but each year the seminar continues to grow. We don’t have a true measure of our effectiveness, but we anecdotally acknowledge we’re making progress in focusing on the personal touches in medicine that can really make a difference.”
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CINDY WOOL MEMORIAL SEMINAR ON HUMANISM IN HEALTHCARE Monday, March 25 12 p.m. DuVal Auditorium, Banner-University Medical Center Tucson “A Singular Intimacy – Connecting the Bridge Between Healthcare Professionals and Patients” lecture for UA students, faculty and staff with lunch, sponsored by the UA College of Medicine Medical Humanities Program. Free 5 p.m. Cocktail reception 6 p.m. Dinner and presentation by Dr. Danielle Ofri Tucson Marriott University Park 800 E. Second St. $100 7 p.m. Coffee and dessert Keynote by Dr. Danielle Ofri $18 www.jfsa.org (520) 647-8468
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BizHONORS
Still Doing Good Deeds Catalina Council Honors Three with Good Scout Awards By Lee Allen 2019 is an exciting year for scouting. The Boy Scouts of America, Catalina Council celebrates its 100th anniversary of scouting in Southern Arizona. And it’s not just for boys – girls have participated in various scouting programs here since the 1970s. This year the name of the traditional Boy Scout Program was changed to Scouts BSA and girls can now join and earn the rank of Eagle Scout. This year also represents the 20th anniversary of the Good Scout Awards program for the Catalina Council in which three more adult leaders – U.S.
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Sen. Martha McSally and businessmen Jim Click Jr. and Tom Kittle – will be honored at the Good Scout Awards Luncheon on April 25 at the Tucson Convention Center. “It’s a privilege to honor all three of these individuals who exemplify the very best traits we aim to teach our young people in scouting every day – respect for God and country, helping others at all times and keeping ourselves physically fit, morally straight and mentally awake,” said Ken Tucker, CEO of the Catalina Council. “Martha McSally, Jim Click and Tom Kittle embody
these attributes and live them in their daily lives.” McSally will receive the Good Scout Award, while car dealer Click is honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award and contractor Kittle is bestowed the Distinguished Citizen Award. The honorees are being recognized for their leadership and service in the spirit of scouting – doing a good turn daily and doing their part in caring for their community. continued on page 52 >>>
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BizHONORS
Honoring Jim Click Jr. A Lifetime of Caring & Sharing By Lee Allen Former Oklahoman Jim Click Jr. has parlayed his success as a scholastic AllAmerican football player into a leader and a legend in Southern Arizona’s car dealership world for nearly 50 years. He attributes his business success to a willingness to work hard combined with a tenacity to succeed. Now age 75, he’s still a model for drive, discipline and enthusiasm – qualities that helped him earn a Lifetime Achievement Award. “Boy Scouts helped me become who I am today,” he emphatically said, remembering and reciting the “On my honor, I will do my best” pledge he learned from his days as a Cub Scout and Boy Scout. “One of the greatest experiences in my life was when a whole bunch of us Scouts got to take the train to Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, to mingle with other Scouts from all over the world,” Click recalled. “I’ve always been grateful to the Scouts and the opportunities they provided me, the lessons I learned from them. Although I wasn’t a talented Boy Scout, I was an enthusiastic one. I learned how to read maps, pitch a tent, cook outdoors and, today, if you hand me a rope, I can still tie a square knot. “My years in scouting were special times for the younger Jim Click and I’ve applied their credo to my business life because all these things – the value systems in life – add up to the person you become. Who knows what other direction I might have taken if I hadn’t had the Scouts to anchor me and help mold me into who I am today?” Click has a large mantle to display all the awards he has received in the 47 years he’s maintained car dealerships in Tucson, but the Lifetime Achievement Award is special for him. “One of my 52 BizTucson
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early-day mentors, fellow car dealer Buck O’Rielly, got this same award last year and it’s an honor for me to follow in Buck’s footsteps.” Click has a long history of generous philanthropy and impact on the youth of this community. A few highlights include:
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Helping pass Proposition 400 that
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Donated the first million-dollar gift to benefit disabled athletes
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Purchased land and donated $3 million for the construction of Salpointe Catholic High School, also chaired the capital campaign to build the school
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Donated $1 million to Reid Park Zoological Society to make the Click Family Elephant Care Center a reality
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Supported the Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson with time and resources, including donating nearly $3 million over the past three decades
created the Joint Technological Education District known as JTED
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Primary founder and supporter of Tucson Values Teachers to support classroom teachers
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Established Linkages, a nonprofit that finds jobs for the disabled
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Significant support for the University of Arizona – including the library, Arizona Cancer Center, Adaptive Athletic Program and the Click Hall of Champions
2019 GOOD SCOUTS AWARDS LUNCHEON Thursday, April 25 Tucson Convention Center 260 S. Church Ave. $95 per person, $900 for table of 10 Check in and network – 11 a.m. Lunch and program – noon Sponsorships available through April 5 For information, contact Susan Hicks, (520) 750-0385 susan.hicks@scouting.org www.goodscoutawards.org
Click’s early support essentially rescued the Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson when it was in financial distress years ago. Debbie Wagner served many years as board member and has been CEO of this organization for the past three years. She said, “We actually consider him one of our founding fathers. We don’t know what we’d do without Mr. Click. He has a huge heart and is generous and committed to the kids. He gives personally and through his influence helps leverage support for the organization. We appreciate the energy he puts into supporting us – and his help in connecting us with individuals, local leaders and companies who are committed to the youth of Tucson and celebrate the work that Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson is doing to create great futures. Legendary community icon Roy Drachman once called Jim Click “the most valuable individual addition to Tucson in 75 years.”
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PHOTO: BRENT G. MATHIS
2019 Lifetime Achievement Award
Legendary community icon Roy Drachman once called Jim Click “the most valuable individual addition to Tucson in 75 years.
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BizHONORS 2019 Good Scout Award
Honoring Martha McSally By Lee Allen Martha McSally may be diminutive in height, but the military and political transplant from Rhode Island rises in stature for her accomplishments that lead up to the Good Scout Award. The former Girl Scout was asked how some of the scouting basics helped build her adult character. “The values scouting brings to young men and women are important building blocks for life,” McSally said. “I was blessed with a stable upbringing where parental values were instilled in me, but the core values of scouting – things like integrity, service, stretching to learn new skills – also hit home. I had many influences in my upbringing that taught me values for later life in the military and politics and they were all building blocks for me.” 54 BizTucson
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McSally served in the U.S. Air Force from 1988 to 2010 and rose to the rank of colonel before retiring. She was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2014, representing Arizona’s 2nd Congressional District. She was appointed in 2018 by Gov. Doug Ducey to succeed interim U.S. Sen. Jon Kyl in the late Sen. John McCain’s seat. “I’m absolutely honored to even be thought of in relation to the Good Scout Award. It’s really humbling. I so appreciate what the Scouts do for our community and its young people, teaching them core values of leadership and service to others. Now more than ever, scouting helps ground young people and puts them on the right path. I applaud what the Scouts do and stand for, and I’m absolutely honored to receive this award.”
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BizHONORS 2019 Distinguished Citizen Award
Honoring Tom Kittle By Lee Allen Tom Kittle is a third-generation Tucsonan who established Kittle Design and Construction in 2001 to work on new building and remodeling projects. The firm has done a lot of both over the years and, in the process, picked up numerous awards, ranging from Best Place to Work to General Contractor of the Year. Kittle is a longtime volunteer member of the Good Scout Award Committee himself, but when his name was put into nomination for Distinguished Citizen honors, he abstained from casting a ballot. “Growing up, I was a Scout and have been involved in scouting with both my daughter, Anna, and my son, Robert, www.BizTucson.com
who just became an Eagle Scout,” Kittle said, “so this year has been a special one for me. Being involved with my children has been a great parent-child bonding experience as my daughter became a Venture Scout and then my son earned his Eagle. “Scouting helps build character and mold young people. It’s a fantastic complement to school because of things like outdoor activities, leadership opportunities and coming in contact with career ideas through the merit badge program… a lot of things you wouldn’t necessarily learn in a classroom setting.”
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BizTECHNOLOGY
TMC Now – An App for Urgent Medical Care Southern Arizona’s First Virtual Care Service By Lee Allen It’s called virtual care – meaning care anywhere, any place, anytime, for anyone. And Tucson Medical Center is the first hospital in Southern Arizona to enable patients to connect with a doctor within minutes. Not meant to replace your primary care doctor or in-person care, this is instead just another way to make healthcare more accessible and affordable whenever it’s needed. In introducing the high-tech app for urgent medical care, the TMC ad said, “Sick kid at 2 a.m.? We’re up and you can talk to a doctor now.” “The brand-new TMC Now app makes it easier than ever to find healthcare with compassion, allowing a visit with a board-certified physician through phone, laptop or computer – any time of day from any location,” said Judy Rich, TMC president and CEO. “This new service is part of our strong history of innovative technologies designed to make quality healthcare more accessible and convenient to the community,” she said, “It’s another step forward in the digital age by implementing smart technology that provides immediate care when and where patients need it – quality treatment faster – so that patients can quickly get back to living their lives.” Designed for illnesses and injuries that are not serious enough to require an actual visit to the emergency room, yet are urgent enough to necessitate immediate care, the free healthcare app is available for download at tmcnow.tmcaz.com or from an app store. “Healthcare is an information-inten56 BizTucson
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sive industry,” said Frank Marini, senior VP and chief information officer at TMC. “The information that binds the care process helps us better serve our patients through data-driven decisions – and patients today are increasingly comfortable in a digital environment.”
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TMC has an ongoing investment in technology to make life healthier for Southern Arizonans.
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– Judy Rich President & CEO Tucson Medical Center
The TMC Now service will allow patients to speak with a physician faceto-face using the built-in camera on the patient’s smartphone or tablet. After consultation, the doctor can provide medical advice, recommend treatment and/or prescribe medications. “This is an opportunity to increase our technology in providing accurate quality care,” said TMC Wellness Director Mary Atkinson. “The app contains many features. For example, patients can upload pictures – so if you
had a rash, you could upload that image and the doctor can use the picture as one of the assessment tools. “The app is user-friendly. When you log in via a web portal or your mobile app, you create a patient profile of your medical history. After meeting with the doctor, a summary will be provided with recommended follow-up action,” she said. Virtual patient visits cost $49. While not currently reimbursable through health insurance, it is covered as a Health Saving Account expense. The TMC Now service is joined by TMC HealthCare, a second app that provides connection to other medical center services. Michael Griffis, TMC’s director of information services, said “this mobile app offers a portal into a variety of available services – such as scheduling an appointment or searching for a provider.” “TMC has an ongoing investment in technology to make life healthier for Southern Arizonans,” said Rich. “We’ve consistently been the first in the state and our area to implement digital advancements, including an electronic medical record and an online patient portal.” For the seventh year in a row, Tucson Medical Center was recognized by the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives as a Most Wired Hospital. That distinction recognizes hospitals that leverage information technology to provide stronger care for patients, improve quality and streamline operations. Biz www.BizTucson.com
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PHOTOS: COURTESY TANQUE VERDE RANCH
150
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BizMILESTONE
Historic Ranch
Celebrates 150 Years By Mary Minor Davis
This year, Tanque Verde Ranch is celebrating 150 years. The ranch has seen many exciting times since Don Emilio Castillo started ranching in 1868. One thing that has never changed is the ranch’s legacy to paying homage to the ranching lifestyle against the breathtaking backdrop of the Rincon Mountains. Today, Tanque Verde boasts 640 acres and leases an additional 60,000 acres from the U.S. Forest Service for its cattle operation. Previously operated by a third party, current GM Terry Hanley said the ranch will bring that operation back in house. Since the ranch first starting taking in guests in 1928, Hanley says activities and experiences have continued to evolve. www.BizTucson.com
While horses and horseback riding remains at the center of the ranching experience, Hanley credits Bob Cote with “making it more than just about the horses. “He built the mountain biking program, including building a ramp so guests could jump their bikes into the pool,” he says. “Now we have biking, hiking, nature trails, a catchand-release fishing lake, special programs on silversmithing, indigenous desert foods and so much more.” On the local front, Hanley said they are working hard to remind residents that they are still here and plan to be for another 150 years. Local dining events including the Wednesday and Friday barbecues in the continued on page 60 >>> Spring 2019 > > > BizTucson 59
BizMILESTONE
PHOTO: COURTESY TANQUE VERDE RANCH
continued from page 59 Cottonwood Grove with live music are drawing more locals. “Food just tastes better when you’re outdoors,” he said. Looking forward, Hanley says the ranch will continue to focus on the strong destination wedding market, for which it is well known. To support this growth, Tanque Verde broke ground in November for a 300-seat wedding barn. This follows the renovation of most of the rooms. They are also introducing “glamping” this winter, constructing high-end tents along the lake bank for those wanting a more glamorous outdoor camping experience. “We’re seeing growth in our occupancy rates, growth in our local market and a greater interest in experiencing a variety of activities,” Hanley said. “We’ve been cyclically sound for 150 years and fully expect to be so in another 150 years.”
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Fun Facts Throughout 150 Years of Tanque Verde Ranch History • On Don Emili Carillio’s last dying breath, he told his son to “Dig in the kitchen beneath the stove.” He did so and found $85,000 worth of shiny, gold coins. • In the historic card room, the rope marks in the mesquite wood from where Don Emilio Carrillo was hung can still be seen to this day. • Tanque Verde Ranch has its own historical cemetery of 31 graves. Most graves are visible by the crosses and mounds of stones, and most are unknown as to who rests there. It is located about 150 yards from the flagpole, down the road.
• Just outside of the main entrance to the Buena Vista Room there are stones with family names on them. This is the Legacy Walk. Any family that has been guests of the ranch for 10 or more years may request their own brick in the Legacy Walk. • From 1970 to 1982 Chuck Corchran led the Tanque Verde Ranch Bird Watching Program with a total of 24,833 birds documented throughout the 12 years. Lake Corchran at Tanque Verde Ranch is named in his honor. Biz
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BizBRIEF
PHOTO COURTESY OF ARIZONA BUILDERS ALLIANCE
ABA Volunteers Renovate TMM Family Services Residence This winter some 200 volunteers representing the Arizona Builders Alliance rehabbed a 50-year-old TMM Family Services unit for low-income client residents. This was the 24th annual ABA Volunteer Day project. The value of the work was estimated at more than $200,000 in direct and in-kind contributions. Volunteers not only renovated the facility for the senior residents who depend on TMM Family Service. They also collected $4,000 worth of donations of household supplies, toiletries and personal items, as well as donating holiday trees and decorating them. The event included helping children decorate holiday cookies. Leading the effort were committee co-chairs Marleena Lauver, senior project manager of Sun Mechanical Contracting, and Leigh-Anne Harrison, client services for the Tucson office of Chasse Building Team. The committee each year selects a charity it will support for Volunteer Day and organizes the many volunteers who participate. In 23 previous Volunteer Day activities, ABA members and supporters have raised approximatley $2.3 million for Tucson charitable organizations. Their Volunteer Day efforts over the years have earned ABA four national community service awards from the Associated General Contractors of America and the Associated Builders and Contractors. ABA has more than 300 member companies in the commercial and industrial construction industry Formerly known as Tucson Metropolitan Ministries, TMM has served as a social service agency since 1974. From its 8.5-acre campus in midtown Tucson, the organization provides affordable rental housing for low-income residents, two childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s group homes, transitional apartments for at-risk families headed by single mothers, a resale and retail home improvement store, distribution of free clothing and bedding, and a home-improvement program.
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BizBRIEF
Visit Tucson Moves to Historic Pima County Courthouse Early this year Visit Tucson moved its administrative offices to the renovated Historic Pima County Courthouse – the first step in creating Tucson’s new Southern Arizona tourism center. The destination marketing organization moved into the second and third floors at 115 N. Church Ave. in mid-January. It is the historic building’s first tenant since county offices moved out in 2015. The building has been under renovation since. Visit Tucson leased the space for 15 years and will pay over $5.3 million. It also will reimburse Pima County $975,000 for tenant improvements. Dan Gibson, Visit Tucson’s director of communications, called the move from its offices at the demolished La Placita Village “an easy choice.” He called the new digs “an amazing building in a perfect location. One of the area’s most iconic buildings will be a center for tourism in Southern Arizona.” Visit Tucson will eventually be joined by the Pima County Attractions & Tourism offices, the Pima County Office of Sustainability and Conservation, the University of Arizona Gem & Mineral Museum and a regional welcome center, scheduled to open in 2020. This will replace Visit Tucson’s current welcome center at 811 N. Euclid Ave., which shares space with the University of Arizona visitor center. The new regional center will occupy the first floor of the courthouse. Pima County will operate it, said Gibson. The other non-governmental tenant is the UA museum, which will move out of its current location at the Flandrau Science Center & Planetarium on campus. It also will be on the first floor, providing easy public access to exhibits. The museum also has a 15-year lease, costing nearly $6.5 million. The university will pay $4 million in tenant improvements. In 2017, 6.5 million visitors made their way to Tucson and Southern Arizona and spent $2.35 billion. Along with its Tucson offices, Visit Tucson maintains offices in Hermosillo and Ciudad Obregon, Mexico.
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SPECIAL REPORT 2019
THE REGIONâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S BUSINESS MAGAZINE
SWAIM ASSOCIATES ARCHITECTS
MAKING ITS MARK FOR 50 YEARS
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BizCONSTRUCTION
Designing Tucson Swaim Associates Making Its Mark for 50 Years
Throughout its 50 years in business, Swaim Associates has set a priority on designing buildings that fit the client and the Tucson community. There is no architectural style that says “Swaim.” That has been its timeless philosophy from the day the firm opened in 1969, when it concentrated on residential work, to today’s range of projects including some of Tucson’s landmark buildings. “We have a wide range of projects,” said Phil Swaim, partner and son of the company’s founder, Bob Swaim. “When evaluating a potential project, we ask, ‘What impact will it have on the community?’ We love education and healthcare projects because of the importance in peoples’ lives.” “For schools and community centers, we try to expand and partner with other groups such as city parks and recreation,” said partner Kevin Barber, adding that it can result in expanding the usage of a school playground to include playing fields open to all residents. “We often reach out to the community when we design a project. That commitment to community involvement makes a project more successful.” www.BizTucson.com
Partner Mark Bollard pointed out that no matter what the size, each project is important to the client. “Small projects are just as important to them – the users – so they deserve the same level of service from us.” Beyond the Drawing Board
No matter what type of job it is, Swaim principals are active throughout an entire project, even working with contractors on the site. “We’re working on a pharmacy project at Oro Valley Hospital,” Bollard said. “I took measurements, oversaw drawings, will person-
ally monitor the bidding process, and I’ll work with the owner and contractor until it is implemented and passes final requirements. This is a personal commitment that we implement on all projects.” That commitment is, in part, what wins Swaim Associates so many jobs and repeat customers, Bollard said. “As an example, we’ve had TUSD (Tucson Unified School District) projects consistently for 32 years. They trust our process and our commitment to their projects.” Phil Swaim is quick to point to the quality and knowledge of his staff and how the newer members learn by being hands-on. “We get the younger folks involved so they see the construction sites and they become more engaged. They hear how we deal with contractors on problems and opportunities. Some were interns with us while at UA and then we hired them.” No Boundaries
The firm’s extensive design experience in a wide range of projects – particularly in education and healthcare – has resulted in its architects being called on to work on projects around continued on page 72 >>> Spring 2019
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PHOTOS: BRENT G. MATHIS
By Christy Krueger
BizCONSTRUCTION continued from page 71 the U.S. and internationally. “Our work with Vail School District to design an all-laptop-no-textbook digital school led to the opportunity to design a school in Jamaica,” Swaim said. “We have a reputation in wellness and student health centers,” which began with the University of Arizona Student Health Center. “We’ve done them at universities around the country.” Swaim Associates’ architects are strong believers in going outside the design box to help clients pull the project together and enhance its function.
This includes helping them find and analyze a site, studying watershed and flood-plain issues, bringing in specialists, working through political and/or neighborhood concerns, performing feasibility studies, and even leading visioning sessions where clients can reassess how their physical environment can impact their business in positive ways. “Our goal is to expand our clients’ minds about how they live, work, learn and play,” Swaim said. In the Game
In a community with a major college athletic program, professional sports,
plus a youth sports environment involving thousands of kids, athletics has become big business for Swaim. If you’ve been to a UA game, a Tucson Roadrunners hockey game, or had a kid in soccer, basketball, softball, baseball or swimming, the likelihood is high you’ve been at facility designed by the firm. “It started with high school fields and stadiums, and Brandi Fenton Memorial Park,” Swaim said. “At Kino Sports Complex we designed five soccer fields and the soccer stadium. At the same time, we had the opportunity to design the Oro Valley Aquatics Center and Sporting Chance,” a westside indoor
SPORTING CHANCE CENTER
VECTOR
WESTERN SAVINGS
SCHIRMER RESIDENCE
REID PARK ZOO
1969
1984
1986
1995
1997
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2003
Robert Swaim, Architect, AIA Founded
Robert Swaim, President AIA Southern Arizona
Robert Swaim, AIA Arizona Architect Medal
Phil Swaim, President AIA Southern Arizona
Cornerstone Foundation Architect of the Year
Kevin Barber, AIA Arizona Associate of the Year
Ed Marley, President AIA Southern Arizona
TIMELINE Ed Marley, President AIA Arizona
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New Industries, New Work
Swaim has been able to get in on
much of the newer industry that has gained momentum over the last several years in the region, expanding its portfolio to hospitality and technology. The firm helped Pima County keep World View Enterprises in Tucson, designing their building near Tucson International Airport, and assisted in luring Caterpillar Surface Mining & Technology Division to a downtown site. They are currently working with Vector on the design of a new rocket manufacturing facility, and with JE Dunn on a new office development at 75 E. Broadway. Swaim was at the starting line for downtown’s resurgence when it part-
nered with FORSarchitecture+interiors to design one of the signature projects, the AC Hotel Downtown Tucson, the first hotel built in the city center in 50 years. The Marriott Hotel, built by developers Scott Stiteler and Rudy Dabdoub, brought a new element of modernism and urban response with its European style while maintaining a Southwestern flavor. The firm is now designing the new hotel that will go up this year on the Tucson Convention Center property. “Through all the growth, we’ve continued on page 74 >>>
WORLD VIEW ENTERPRISES
VAIL ACADEMY & HIGH SCHOOL
KINO SPORTS COMPLEX
TUCSON ELECTRIC POWER HEADQUARTERS
continued on page 72 >>> 2004 Phil Swaim, AIA Arizona Phil Dinsmore Award Ed Marley, AIA Arizona Architect Medal Cornerstone Foundation Architect of the Year
2006 AIA Arizona Firm of the Year Kevin Barber, AIA Southern Arizona Director (2006-2008)
2012
2016
2018
2019
Cornerstone Foundation Architect of the Year
Cornerstone Foundation Architect of the Year
Phil Swaim, 2018 Jerry Wyatt Community Service Award
Michael Becherer, President Elect AIA Southern Arizona
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PHOTOS: COURTESY SWAIM ASSOCIATES
sports facility. Also on the list are UA’s William David Sitton Field at the Student Recreation Center across from Arizona Stadium. Swaim has done design work on locker rooms at McKale Center and was involved in improvements to the football stadium in collaboration with Populous, a Kansas City architecture firm. Its latest unveiling was Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium, which was gutted, redesigned and rebuilt in time for the current UA softball season.
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continued from page 73 maintained our core values and commitment to personal service,” said Phil Swaim. “As Tucsonans, we’re interested in maintaining a strong local presence and supporting responsible urban growth that encourages investment.” Efficient with Energy
Swaim Project Awards Swaim Associates projects have received dozens of awards over the years, many for community collaboration. American Institute of Architects Robins Elementary School – Design Award 1995 University of Arizona Highland Commons – AZ Kemper Goodwin Award 2004 World View Enterprises, AIA Southern Arizona, Distinguished Building Honor Award 2018 Arizona Public Works Project of the Year Brandi Fenton Memorial Park 2006 Tucson Convention Center, Arena Renovation/ Tucson Roadrunners 2015 Metropolitan Pima Alliance Common Ground Award Brandi Fenton Memorial Park 2005 Reid Park Zoo Conservation Learning Center 2008 Vail Academy and High School 2010 Tucson Electric Power Headquarters 2011 Sporting Chance Center 2013
PHOTO: COURTESY SWAIM ASSOCIATES
AC Hotel Tucson Downtown 2015 World View Enterprises Headquarters 2016 Tucson Convention Center Arena Renovation 2016 Greyhound Terminal Relocation 2017 Governor’s Energy Award El Rio Adult Education Center 2004 Clements Fitness Center 2005 Landmark Building Award Orchard River Town Homes, 1999 74 BizTucson
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Part of that commitment includes a focus on sustainable projects. Five Swaim Associates architects are LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) accredited. And while not all clients specifically ask for a LEED building, Swaim’s architects generally design all projects with some level of energy efficiency. “It can depend on the priority of the client – some focus on design, some on sustainability,” Barber said. The City of Tucson, Reid Park Zoo and the AC Hotel are clients who are more centered on LEED. “The zoo was the first LEED Platinum (the highest level of certification) project in Tucson,” Swaim said, “and we did the first Pima County LEED job. UniSource (Tucson Electric Power headquarters) and the AC Hotel are both LEED Gold certified. Hotels see it as economic development.” Advancing with Technology
Architectural tools have advanced through the years, and Swaim professionals have seen the difference technology makes. At the beginning, recalled founder Bob Swaim, “we used pencils to create designs. Now, with the computer, you can do much more work and with fewer people.” Building Information Modeling – or BIM – is becoming more common today with both architects and general contractors. “Revit is a full 3D modeling software used for design and documentation of the drawings used to construct buildings,” said principal Mike Culbert. “General contractors are also utilizing BIM and the TEP headquarters was a good example.” Ryan Companies, the general contractor and developer on the TEP building, required their subcontractors to use BIM, which provided a second level of coordination identifying conflicts prior to construction. “This trend will only continue, and we will continue to help lead the charge into the world of BIM,” Culbert said. Into the Future
Swaim Associates has evolved through the years by diversifying its project list, keeping up with technology, hiring and training young architects, retaining longterm principals and constantly keeping an eye on the community. “Many firms don’t have the diversity of projects we have, and that’s part of our success, which has allowed us to be stable,” said Phil Swaim. But most important to him are the people he works with every day. “Our staff is our most valuable commodity. We have each other’s support. It’s nice to have total confidence in each other. We’re family. Everyone contributes. Everyone is valuable.”
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BizCONSTRUCTION
TREEHOUSE OFFICE
PHOTO: BRENT G. MATHIS
SWAIM RESIDENCE
EL RIO NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER
BOB SWAIM FORT LOWELL OFFICE
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Bob Swaim A Legacy of Collaboration
PHOTOS: COURTESY SWAIM ASSOCIATES
By Christy Krueger A company that’s been around for 50 years would be expected to have reams of history in the community where it works. For Swaim Associates, that history has been colorful, rewarding and filled with fond memories – especially as seen through the eyes of founder Bob Swaim. After graduating from the University of Nebraska College of Architecture and serving in the Korean War, Swaim gained early experience with architecture firms in Albuquerque, New Mexico, before settling in Tucson in 1958. He was a founding partner in a firm that eventually merged with a national firm after 10 years, and a year later, in 1969, he formed Robert Swaim Architect. “My first job was a sliding door in a master bedroom,” he recalled. Swaim’s son, Phil, now a principal at Swaim Associates, remembers working at his dad’s office as a youngster. “Growing up I knew I wanted to be an architect,” he said. After studying architecture at the University of Oregon followed by a few years working in Denver, Phil returned home and joined his father’s business in 1985 where Bob had recently hired Ed Marley, a University of Arizona graduate. Bob and Ed first met while Ed was in high school. “Bob’s passion for architecture made a lasting impression on me and I made it a personal goal to work with Bob one day,” Marley said. Phil remembers how his father considered the younger members of the firm to be fully qualified for the work. “Dad treated us as equals and directly involved us in projects. In the 1990s, when he started thinking about transitioning to retirement, Ed, Mark Bollard and I moved to ownership roles.” Bollard had joined the firm in 1986. Although Bob has occasionally been involved in projects since his retirement in 1995, he said, “The best thing to do if your son is following is to get out of the way – and they have flown.” www.BizTucson.com
One of the company’s philosophies, Bob said, is to “buy into longevity. It’s not how large you can get or how much you make. We provide a service and people come to us with a problem to solve. Architects are problem solvers. If you can do that, success, profit and growth will come. We also believe in partnering. The architect, contractor, owner and users of the building become a team. If they’re not all involved, the project won’t work as well.” Another leading attitude in the firm is to show equal consideration to all people. “I’d tell my employees that whoever came into the office, treat them as the most important people here – whether it’s a delivery person or a client,” Bob said.
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I’d tell my employees that whoever came into the office, treat them as the most important people here – whether it’s a delivery person or a client.
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– Bob Swaim Founder, Swaim Associates
Marley remembers that philosophy being instilled in him since his first days working with Bob. “He’d say everyone on a construction site is important and treat all of them with the same level of respect.” In his earliest days, most of Bob’s work was residential. But that changed when he became involved with the El
Rio Neighborhood Center in the 1970s. Residents in the area on West Speedway, west of Interstate 10, wanted their own community gathering space. “They had picnics on the golf course. People were marching and demanding to have a place,” Bob said. “They formed the El Rio Coalition. Raúl Grijalva (now a U.S. congressman), as a college kid, was part of it.” The City of Tucson hired Robert Swaim Architect for the project and Swaim joined the ongoing neighborhood coalition meetings to discuss the project. Sal Baldenegro, a well-known and vocal community activist, encouraged the neighborhood coalition to engage with Bob and listen to what he had to say, opening the door for the community engagement that was critical for the project’s success. As a result, Bob was able to design a multipurpose neighborhood center that profoundly improved the lives of its users. “It provided services to alleviate joblessness and poverty, for food stamps, child care – all these departments,” Bob said. “The building belongs to the people. We provided blank walls so they could paint murals.” To this day, Bob believes that meeting Baldenegro was integral to the success of the project and that it set the stage for the rest of his career because it taught him the importance of involving end users and listening to their needs. “Sal’s friendship was an important beginning for me,” he said. While today’s principals realize that diversification is a significant factor in their longevity, they still go back to crediting their “founding father,” as they endearingly call Bob, and the lessons he taught. Marley said, “Even though Bob retired in 1995, he built a legacy and what he left goes on and on. Every day, I ask ‘How would Bob handle this?’ ” “And he would do what’s ethical,” Phil said. “It has built our reputation.”
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COPPER RIDGE ELEMENTARY
ANDRADA POLYTECHNIC HIGH SCHOOL
UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA HIGHLAND COMMONS
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Beyond the Drawings
From Vision to Design to Build
MICA MOUNTAIN HIGH SCHOOL
Bob Swaim, an architect for more than a half century, has always held the belief that he was a problem-solver for clients. It’s a belief that has been at the center of the design process at Swaim Associates since the firm was founded in 1969. The firm’s main focus in all its projects is communication and relationship building – not just with clients but with clients’ customers and end users. To build strong relationships, the firm encourages a collaborative design process that digs deeper into a client’s needs than some other firms. The architects at Swaim believe it creates a better end product as well as a positive relationship with the client that benefits both parties in the future. “We like to start out by helping our clients determine their vision for the facility they want to build,” said partner Phil Swaim, son of the founder. “It’s important for everyone to understand this vision – and it inspires people to open their minds to new options.” Swaim Associates architects challenge their clients to do things differently by thinking how the facility can help the business to function better. According to Laura Vertes, a new partner in the firm, they want their clients to dream about what could be in order to create a vision that is not hampered by existing limitations. “It’s most important for us to understand why the client wants a certain element in a building so that we can collectively determine what aspects are most important and provide options to meet their needs,” she said. The client usually brings together a committee of people who represent those who will be working in and using the building. The size of the committee can be anywhere from 10 to 100 people, and often includes some who won’t work in the building every day – for example, parents on a school project. Swaim’s function at this point is to help the committee create a vision for the project that benefits the most people and builds consensus among the committee. “This provides us with more buy-in from all parties involved,” said partner Ed Marley. “It helps everyone to see the bigger picture and creates the best solutions for the project. Sometimes people don’t get exactly what they want, but they understand why that happens because they were part of the process.” During the visioning process, the client committee often focuses on other aspects of the facility aside from how the building will function. “When we worked with TEP on designing their building downtown, they discussed the positive culture they wanted to create within the building,” said Marley. “They were going to move several people from their Irvington location to the new downtown headquarters, and many of those employees were not that excited about moving downtown. After being involved in the visioning and programming continued on page 84 >>>
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PHOTOS: COURTESY SWAIM ASSOCIATES
By April Bourie
INNOVATON ACADEMY AMPHITHEATER PUBLIC SCHOOLS
continued from page 83 process and having input on the culture that would be cultivated there, the employees were excited about moving.” Creating consensus during the visioning process is one thing that Swaim’s clients appreciate when working with the firm. “Our clients say they forget we’re architects because they feel like we’re part of their team,” said Swaim. Through their visioning work with college health centers, Swaim Associates has seen firsthand the value of the visioning process, particularly for clients looking to make a fundamental shift in their business model. “This is extremely important with our healthcare clients as they focus more on providing proactive centers for wellness, health education and more preventative services rather than centers that just fix people who are sick,” said Marley. This shift in focus means a whole new way of thinking about how business is provided and how the buildings that house those services can assist in making that delivery of service easier. After the visioning process, the Swaim team begins to look at the programming of the specific functions that will be housed in the building. “We begin to think about the character and function of the space, as well as interview users to determine how much space is required,” said Vertes. “This part of the process is about digging into the detail of a client’s needs so we can quantify how much space the project needs.” During the programming phase, the firm often observes how their clients operate in their current facilities, interviews users, and tours existing facilities. “This helps us to compare what they currently have to what they want for the new space – the vision. It gives us direction on what they’re trying to get away from and what we’re trying to create,” said Vertes. “People are very good at adapting to the space they have, but this process takes a deeper look at whether that space fits their actual needs.” This was a critical step in the programming of the University of Oregon’s health and wellness center. Marley went to the university’s former facility to see how they operated. The triage clinic was very busy but another clinic had no waiting. After talking with the university’s committee about why one had longer wait times than the other, Marley was able to create three different models for their existing space that would alleviate wait times in triage. When they implemented the one the committee liked best, the problem was solved, without having to wait for a new facility. Once the program is in hand, Swaim begins space planning, usually going through several rounds to best achieve the vision that was created at the beginning of the process. The firm often invites participation from the clients in this process. “We enjoy holding design and planning workshops where we invite the clients to draw or create the space themselves with scaled puzzle pieces that can be moved continued on page 86 >>>
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BizCONSTRUCTION continued from page 84 around to give an idea of layout. This really helps people who are visual and who need to see the space to understand the possibilities and limitations,” said Vertes. It also makes it easier for clients to make the harder decisions such as who’s on the first floor, and it reinforces that bigger picture that was established during the visioning. “It’s much easier to do it the cookie-cutter way,” said Swaim. “But that doesn’t mean it’s the most effective. Our process creates key concepts in the building – and that engagement and respecting the clients’ ideas and opinions is a really important part of our process.” After the design is complete and documented, many architecture firms hand off the designs to the contractors. Swaim Associates prefers to take on projects where they can be involved in the construction phase. “We have a real focus on making sure we’re a partner with the contractor,” said Swaim. “The whole process is a team effort – client, architects, consultants, contractors and
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subcontractors. We’re all in this together to create the building that best meets our clients’ needs.” Vertes said the firm has always had good relationships with contractors, working with them during construction to resolve issues and minimize costs within schedule constraints. “Contractors have a wealth of knowledge and their partnership is key to resolving issues, particularly if cost overruns occur,” said Vertes. During the design of Copper Ridge Elementary in the Vail School District, it was important to the planning committee that lots of color and texture be included on the outside of the buildings. However, the costs to make that happen as initially designed were much higher than expected, so Vertes asked the contractor what other options could be utilized to provide a similar look and feel. By asking why the costs were high, the team could implement a simple shift in the detail to reduce the cost, allowing a key design element to remain. “We provide continuity for the cli-
ent,” said Swaim. “It can be more challenging to design that way, and often takes us out of the office for longer periods of time, but we feel it’s more effective to spend the time it takes to get it done right.” In its chosen role as a problem solver, the firm acts as a moderator and consensus builder during design. Its architects also have to be able to communicate effectively with contractors and subcontractors once the construction phase starts. Positive client relationships often lead to future projects or referrals – and positive relationships with construction companies and contractors make it easier to find solutions when issues arise. “It also has to be fun,” Swaim said. “We have to communicate that we enjoy what we do – and we want clients to enjoy it as well and get excited about being engaged in the process. We want them to understand that they’ll be heard and that they’ll be excited about the outcome when they walk into their new building.”
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BizCONSTRUCTION AC HOTEL TUCSON DOWNTOWN
75 E BROADWAY
TUCSON ELECTRIC POWER HEADQUARTERS
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Bringing It Downtown
Making the Vision a Reality Downtown Tucson has become a hub of activity for new and redesigned buildings in the past few years – with Swaim Associates at the forefront, designing buildings and influencing other companies’ decisions to relocate to downtown. “Several years ago, we could see things were happening downtown and we wanted to get involved,” said Phil Swaim, a partner in the firm. In 2009, Swaim Associates was chosen as a local firm to partner with Davis, an architecture firm out of Phoenix, to design the new Tucson Electric Power downtown headquarters. The TEP building was the first major high-rise built in downtown in 20 years, and it set a new standard for downtown development. “TEP’s commitment to downtown and the building design really set the bar for future projects in the area,” Swaim said “The TEP headquarters going up also gave others confidence to build in the area,” said Michael Becherer, another partner at the firm. “It was a catalyst that made other companies consider downtown Tucson.” The AC Hotel Downtown Tucson, a Marriott hotel, was one such project. Swaim Associates was selected as the architecture firm because they were one of the few local firms that had high-rise design experience downtown. Done in association with FORSarchitecture+interiors, “the hotel design breathed new life into the downtown hospitality market, raising the standards
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for future developments even higher,” said Mike Culbert, senior partner at Swaim Architects. “I met a speaker at a conference I attended locally who stayed at the AC Marriott, and he said it had a European feel,” said Becherer. “He was very impressed.” Swaim Associates was deeply involved in one of the region’s biggest economic victories when it helped attract Caterpillar’s Surface Mining & Technology Division to eventually settle in Tucson. “We were involved in talks with Caterpillar about Tucson as a community – discussing schools, transportation, healthcare and other aspects of the city their employees would be interested in,” said Swaim. Swaim Associates had been asked by Pima County to do test fits at an existing building for several potential occupants who were considering locating in downtown Tucson. One of those companies was Caterpillar. Swaim also provided design concepts for the new building to Pima County and Rio Nuevo to help convince Caterpillar to move to Tucson. Caterpillar liked what it saw and made the decision to bring the mining division to Tucson. Swaim ultimately designed the temporary downtown offices Caterpillar would occupy while waiting for its new building to be completed on the west side of Interstate 10. While Swaim Associates did not design the new Caterpillar continued on page 90 >>> Spring 2019
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PHOTOS: COURTESY SWAIM ASSOCIATES
By April Bourie
TUCSON ARENA
AC HOTEL TUCSON DOWNTOWN
RONSTADT CENTER
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continued from page 89 facility, they have stayed involved, acting as the project manager for Rio Nuevo. “One of our strengths is that through past projects we’ve become partners with government entities, neighborhood residents, builders, contractors and even nonprofits. This gives us the flexibility to take on different roles, like the project manager role with Caterpillar,” said Swaim. “The fact that Caterpillar decided on Tucson also led other companies to consider and choose Tucson,” Swaim said. “Some of their suppliers have decided on Tucson, and even unrelated companies are interested because of Caterpillar’s investment.” As downtown began to boom, the city and Rio Nuevo put a priority on attracting entertainment – and specifically professional sports – to the aging Tucson Convention Center. Swaim has been involved in designing the renovations at the Tucson Arena. The firm led the project to install new seats, sound and lighting in the arena. “Performers had avoided Tucson because the facility had not been updated,” Swaim said. “Our renovations helped attract the interest of the Roadrunners hockey team, and we even sat in on recruitment meetings with the team’s management to show them what else we could achieve in the space.” Once the Roadrunners committed to Tucson, the firm had only five months to design, permit and implement the updates the team wanted. “Another of our strengths is the ability to get things done quickly – and that goes back to our great relationships with public entities, contractors and others,” Swaim said. The Roadrunners are now in their third season at the arena while a new professional team – the Indoor Football League’s Tucson Sugar Skulls – is in its first season as the second professional sports tenant at the arena. The firm’s emphasis on developing strong working relationships helps make future projects easier to design and successfully implement. The firm is working on a six-story, 170-room DoubleTree
by Hilton hotel on Cushing Street that will connect to the glass entry area on the southeast side of the TCC. The firm has already begun talks with nearby barrio residents to create a project they will be happy with. “There can be tension between barrio residents and the city because of past building projects,” said partner Ed Marley. “We want to make sure that nearby residents are happy with the plans for the hotel to help rebuild their confidence and trust.” The design team has designed the building with a lower profile on the Cushing Street side and is considering a variety of parking options with resident input. “There will also be a restaurant with patios on Cushing Street – and this will bring some life to the street and make it more walkable,” Swaim said. “We are all after the right type of growth. Being that our firm has existed for 50 years, we’ve had time to prove we do follow through on our promises,” Becherer said. Another downtown project for the firm is 75 E. Broadway, a mixed-use building with offices and retail that will begin design in the next month. “It’s the first Spec Class A office building that has been developed since 1 S. Church in the 1980s,” Swaim said. “We wanted to establish a new pattern of design downtown, and people will see that soon when our designs are mounted on the fence in the next couple of months.” All the new development in downtown Tucson has a cumulative effect. It leads to more employees working downtown, which means more people eating in downtown restaurants, and some even wanting to live downtown. It leads to more interest in increasing entertainment and retail options in the area, which the firm sees as positive progress for growth in the area. “Seeing the vision of downtown starting to come to fruition after so many years of involvement is rewarding,” said Swaim. “We are Tucsonans and to see Tucson living up to its potential is exciting.”
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BRANDI FENTON MEMORIAL PARK
CANYON DEL ORO BAPTIST CHURCH
CANYON DEL ORO BAPTIST CHURCH
VAIL CHRISTIAN CHURCH
Building Community Responding to Needs and Wants
Swaim Associates’ founder and partners discovered early on the importance of forming community relationships. And now, 50 years later, they still credit their overall success and the rewarding nature of their work to the firm’s longtime focus on community involvement. Firm partner Phil Swaim considers Brandi Fenton Memorial Park as one of his favorite community projects. The opportunity came about when residents in the area around River Road and Alvernon Way were not happy when Pima County announced it was going to widen and straighten the road. Swaim got involved when local builder John Fenton and his wife wanted to create a park dedicated to their daughter Brandi’s memory near the alignment. Pima County Administrator Chuck 90 BizTucson
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Huckelberry introduced the Fentons to Swaim Associates and together they developed ideas and designs for a park that would appeal to diverse groups and that the county could agree upon. Through design workshops with various groups, Swaim Associates led a consensus-building process that resulted in a park design along the new alignment that had community and county support. “It helped that the Fentons brought in funding that allowed the momentum to start,” said Tim Smith, a Swaim partner. “Historic preservation was an important goal. Some buildings (on the property) were significant and in relatively good condition, others weren’t able to be saved. Being able to respect and maintain the significant historic as-
sets helped give focus to the park.” The park amenities include playgrounds, soccer fields, a memorial garden, an equestrian area, dog park, basketball courts and a splash pad. One of the historic houses became the clubhouse for FC Tucson Youth Soccer Club. The list of amenities has continued to grow over the years, as the community has continued to embrace and support the park. “It was great to build consensus,” Swaim said. And his team was happy to help. The Tucson/Pima Historical Commission also took note of the results and honored Swaim Associates with its historic preservation award. The Aspen Fire on Mount Lemmon in 2003 got Swaim and partner continued on page 94 >>> www.BizTucson.com
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MOUNT LEMMON COMMUNITY CENTER SUMMERHAVEN MASTER PLAN
VAIL CHRISTIAN CHURCH
continued from page 92 Ed Marley involved in the recovery efforts leading to building the new Mount Lemmon Community Center in Summerhaven. “My family had a cabin on Mount Lemmon and we lost it in the fire,” Swaim said. “The neighbors said we need to bring this community together. I was on the Mount Lemmon Master Planning Committee.” Marley offered support as chair of the Mount Lemmon Restoration Committee. “Residents were going through emotional times,” Marley said. “I worked with Pima County Development Services to develop new zoning and building codes so they could rebuild quickly in a way that would reduce future risk. We also did aspen transplants and pinecone harvesting for ponderosa pine propagation.” The partners’ efforts were coordinated through the Southern Arizona Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, of which Swaim Associates is a member. “Out of those efforts, the county got bond funding for a community center,” Swaim said. “The residents really wanted one.” Swaim Associates was awarded the design work for the project, enabling them to bring part of the master plan they had worked on to fruition. Michael Becherer, one of the company’s newer partners, said he appreciates how volunteerism is encouraged and supported among the firm’s staff. One of his interests is helping with the homeless in Tucson. As an AIA board member, he became involved with homelessness in Tucson and is now the Chair of the Old Pueblo Community Services board of directors, working to end chronic homelessness in Tucson. Swaim’s staff also is offering ideas and know-how in support of Tucson’s economic development and downtown growth. “We’re helping Rio Nuevo with the Sunshine Mile, the properties affected by the Broadway widening near downtown,” Becherer said. “Like downtown, Rio Nuevo’s intent is to revitalize the area.” Swaim Associates has a long list of awards related to collaboration in the community, including several from Metropolitan Pima Alliance. MPA was founded 22 years ago to bring together various entities in Pima County to work together – including developers, contractors, realtors and bankers – to foster responsible development. “MPA came up with Common Ground Awards to celebrate projects that embrace a collaborative development process,” Marley said. “CGA selects projects that were able to bring diverse groups together to overcome significant challenges.” Among dozens of other honors, Swaim Associates has won Architect of the Year four times from Cornerstone Building Foundation. Originally a nonprofit partnership between the AIA and Arizona Builders Association, CBF celebrates excellence in the local design and construction industries. Becherer noted: “Being recognized by Cornerstone is particularly rewarding because winners are selected by our peers for our service, rather than for particular projects.” “Our goal is to build communities, so we bring people together. It’s a very rewarding part of what we do,” Swaim said.
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VECTOR
TUCSON CONVENTION CENTER HOTEL PHOTO: BRENT G. MATHIS
UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA HEALTH SCIENCES INNOVATION BUILDING
From left â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Kevin A. Barber, Michael E. Becherer, Timothy J. Smith, Laura E. Vertes 75 E BROADWAY
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The Future is in Place Carrying the Legacy
PHOTOS: COURTESY SWAIM ASSOCIATES
By April Bourie With 50 years in the rear-view mirror, the next generation at Swaim Associates is already in place. Architects Timothy Smith, Laura Vertes and Michael Becherer were recently promoted to partner, expanding Swaim’s leadership team with the goal of providing continuity for the future. “It’s a long-term transition plan that allows for a large knowledge base to be soaked up by the new partners from the senior partners, providing the firm with a valuable continuum of knowledge,” said Swaim partner Kevin Barber. “The senior partners organically found their roles within the firm – and we want to give the new partners that opportunity as well.” The three new partners have diverse interests and even found their love for architecture in different ways. Smith’s father challenged him to design a house in high school, and while the results were too creative to be built, they led him to take drafting classes, where he excelled. He began pursuing a degree in architecture at the University of Arizona a few years later. “At the time, I didn’t really know what I was signing up for, but it fit with what I enjoy, and it has worked out really well,” he said. Smith joined Swaim Associates in 2002 and has contributed to the firm’s athletic, technology and worship portfolios. Vertes said she enjoyed taking challenging classes in math and science as she was moving through school, but she also enjoyed creative outlets. At the time, her future sister-in-law was studying architecture a couple of years ahead of her in college and Vertes noticed that her classes were both creative and challenging. She took a leap and majored in www.BizTucson.com
architecture where the combination of problem-solving and creativity inspired her. She graduated from the University of Arizona in 2003 and joined the firm in 2007. Vertes has been involved in several of the firm’s large-scale projects. Becherer was inspired to pursue architecture at an early age. He attended an architectural workshop while in high school, and the teachers there encouraged him to take art classes because it aligned better with the curriculum at the University of Kentucky College of Architecture. He graduated from Kentucky with a degree in architecture and moved to Tucson in 2004 where he worked for a few different architecture firms before he started at Swaim Associates in 2016. His current focus is in concept development where he takes a clients’ early ideas and illuminates a project’s potential. According to Barber, one of the reasons that each new partner was promoted to the position is they possess different skills and strengths but share common values about architecture and architectural practice. “I frequently came up with designs for weird things growing up, and I still like to take on unique challenges and design problems,” Smith said. “Visioning and programming is where my spark of inspiration comes from and they are close to my heart,” Vertes said. “For me, architecture is as much about the ability to understand our clients as it is about design.” Becherer has focused on public work for most of his career. “I would like the firm to expand within this market as the local jurisdictions begin to reinvest into their facilities and public safety infrastructure,” he said.
In addition to that combination of skills and strengths, the new partners also were promoted because they love architecture, are great problem solvers and embrace the culture of the firm. “Their strengths and dedication are similar to the senior partners, so it was a natural choice,” Barber said. “We’re going to take everything that’s here now and carry it forward,” said Vertes. “Obviously the firm will evolve – but our core values that Bob Swaim established in the very beginning will remain the same.” One focus is to continue the valuable relationships with clients, government entities, contractors and the firm’s employees. “We have a very unique culture here, and I think that’s why people stay,” said Barber. Becherer added: “The culture is what drew me to come to Swaim. I had other opportunities for leadership positions in Tucson but chose Swaim primarily because of the firm culture and the status in the community.” “Tending to the firm’s culture is important, and we need to continue to make sure that it remains strong,” said Vertes. “The entire staff is a really solid team.” The new partners also want to be inspiring to their employees, as the senior partners have been for them. “The senior partners have always encouraged us to stretch ourselves and grow professionally,” Vertes said. “We want to do the same for the younger generation behind us.” “We’re very excited about the future of Swaim Associates and look forward to building on the success of the past 50 years as we continue through the next 50,” Barber said.
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BizBRIEFS
Lindsay Welch Crest Insurance Group has tapped Lindsay Welch as its VP of community relations and business development. She manages philanthropy and brand awareness. Welch most recently was CEO of Autus Strategies, her strategic development and sales consulting firm. Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also held school administrator and business development positions. Her community service is deep, including as a director with Greater Tucson Leadership and president-elect of Tucson Metro Chamberâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Emerging Leaders Council. Biz
Christopher Irvin Christopher Irvin joined Mark Irvin Commercial Real Estate Services as a sales associate. Irvin, son of company managing partner Mark Irvin, filled the new position after working in food service throughout Southern Arizona for a decade and earning his real estate license in 2005. His work will include marketing, property positioning, location strategies, tenant relations and retention. The company was formed in 1995.
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Matt Siegel Former University of Arizona assistant baseball coach Matt Siegel returns to Tucson as managing director and market leader for CBRE’s local office, where he is responsible for operations and strategy. Most recently Siegel managed the minor league affiliate of the Texas Rangers major league baseball team and its Surprise training facility. He’s held other college coaching positions and worked as a tenant representative in Texas.
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Meghan Heddings Tucson native Meghan Heddings is the new executive director of Family Housing Resources. The nonprofit helps low- and moderate-income families find affordable housing through homebuyer education and counseling – and with its rental communities of nearly 186 units. Heddings will provide strategic and operational oversight of FHR programs and its granting entity, FHR Cares. She formerly was COO of the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona.
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Father’s Day Council Tucson Celebrates 25th Anniversary $4.3 Million for Type 1 Diabetes Research By Tiffany Kjos
PG. 104 PHOTOS: CHRIS MOONEY
One minute you have a healthy, beautiful baby boy. The next, you have a child with a complex, incurable disease. That is the fate of tens of thousands of parents across the United States, where type 1 diabetes afflicts about 1.25 million children and adults. Tucsonans Rosi and Ben Vogel took their 2½-year-old child, Daniel, to the doctor because he’d been very thirsty, wet right through his diapers and crib padding, wasn’t eating and had a persistent cold. “These are classic signs – but we had no idea that a baby could get diabetes, so we didn’t think about it,” Ben Vogel said. When Daniel was diagnosed by his pediatrician, he was rushed to the hospital in an ambulance. His blood sugar level was 400 milligrams per deciliter. A random blood sugar level of 200 is enough to indicate the presence of diabetes. “It was really shocking, obviously,” said Vogel, who is an architect. “I was so overwhelmed that I couldn’t really
think about it, I couldn’t really wrap my head around what was happening. I was almost in denial.” Rosi took the news particularly hard. “For her it was crushing. It was devastating,” her husband said. Formerly known as juvenile diabetes, the ailment affects children and adults and cannot, like type 2 diabetes, be abated with lifestyle changes such as losing weight and exercising. Type 1 diabetes accounts for about 5 percent of all diagnosed cases of diabetes. Its complications can be deadly and include heart disease, kidney disease, blindness, stroke and lower-limb amputation, according to the Diabetes Research Institute. The autoimmune disease happens when the pancreas stops producing insulin, which controls blood-sugar levels. The Vogels had to prick their baby’s finger to test his blood sugar six to eight times a day and give him insulin injections three to five times a day. “We were told early on by one of the people who was training us at the time
Past Chair Rosi Vogel, sons Jonathan and Daniel and Past Chair Ben Vogel (2008) 104 BizTucson
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Past Chair Crystal Kasnoff and her daughter Kaylyn Bautista
that diabetes was not a death sentence, but it was going to change our lives. Daniel’s life was not going to be the same,” Ben Vogel said. Vogel is now part of a unique, allvolunteer group – the Father’s Day Council Tucson – which raises money to combat the disease. Since 1994 it has donated $4.3 million for research, education and patient care at the Steele Children’s Research Center at the University of Arizona. Dr. Fayez K. Ghishan is director of the Steele Center and physician-inchief at Diamond Children’s Medical Center. He’s worked closely with the Father’s Day Council Tucson since its inception. “The money raised by the council stays in Tucson. Other cities where they raise money, they raise it for the American Diabetes Association,” Ghishan said. “Tucson is unique in that aspect. The money stays here.” Steele Center’s Angel Wing serves more than 1,000 pediatric patients, cared for by doctors, researchers, nurs-
Ken Flower and his wife, Jeanne Flower (FDC Liaison Chair) www.BizTucson.com
es, nutritionists and counselors. After a few years of research funding by Father’s Day Council Tucson galas, Angel Charity for Children joined the cause and raised more than $800,000 to create and build the Angel Wing at Steele, according to the UA. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the council and its gala, which raises money while honoring a half-dozen exemplary fathers. The event is June 1 at Loews Ventana Canyon. Steve Rosenberg, BizTucson’s publisher, founded the Father’s Day Council Tucson. It is modeled after a nonprofit that his father, Howard Rosenberg, established in Los Angeles. “Twenty-five years ago, there was not a single type 1 diabetes research project in Southern Arizona. The region only had one pediatric endocrinologist. Many parents needed to take their kids to Phoenix for any type of treatment and ongoing care. That all changed with the Father’s Day Council Tucson,” the younger Rosenberg said. Producing a successful awards gala is the result of “a ton of work behind the scenes by some extremely dedicated Father’s Day Council Tucson board members,” he said. “Some of our board members have children being treated at the Steele Children’s Research Center and others are afflicted with type 1 diabetes themselves. To this day our single inspiration is finding a cure for the disease – while offering ongoing treatment to the patients in the region.” The elder Rosenberg was the chairman and driving force behind the Father’s Day Council Los Angeles,
Gala Co-Chairs Leslie Perls and Deborah Kinkel-Suarez www.BizTucson.com
which held annual Father of the Year Awards luncheons. By expanding the National Father’s Day Council in 34 cities throughout the United States, he helped raise more than $50 million for diabetes research. He died in July 2013 in Los Angeles, years after he helped his son get a nonprofit and fundraiser going in Tucson with the help of friends, family and colleagues. The first gala, in 1995, sold out. “It was all-hands on deck as this very small group of volunteers produced an amazing event that everyone was talking about,” Steve Rosenberg said. The Vogels have long been immersed in Father’s Day Council Tucson – Ben since 2006 and Rosi a few years later. Their older son also was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes years after his little brother was. “Jonathan woke up one morning, I think he was 9 years old – he was in third grade – and he told his mom that he had woken up like five times to go to the bathroom that night,” Vogel said. “We had all of Daniel’s equipment and everything, so Rosi tested his blood sugar and it was over 200. We knew what that meant.” They reached the doctor on call at the Angel Wing, and he confirmed that Jonathan did have diabetes. This time around the Vogels knew what to do. “With the doctor’s advice and guidance, we started giving him injections. It was the opening day of Little League baseball season and he was able to go to his first game of that season. It also was picture day on the day he was diagnosed. When we took him there he goes, ‘Hey guys, guess what? I’ve got diabetes too.’ They all crowded around
Past Chair Maricela Robles
him and he showed them how he had to test his blood sugar.” Steve Rosenberg’s son, Matthew, was on Jonathan’s Little League team, and Rosenberg asked fellow coach Ben Vogel to join the council’s board. Researchers and the Vogels have learned a lot about type 1 diabetes since the day Daniel was diagnosed. Daniel now has an insulin pump, and both boys have continuous glucose monitors. They’re both studying engineering at different colleges. “It doesn’t have to be limiting. With all of the wonderful work that’s being done around the world with diabetes research and technology, people with diabetes can do anything they want to do,” Vogel said. The Father’s Day Council Tucson raises money in the honorees’ names, through ticket sales to the gala gala, tribute journal ads, live and silent auction, raffle and sponsorships. “The council has enough money set aside for an endowed chair, and now we’re just trying to add to that amount because that will help Dr. Ghishan hire a very important position that will be dedicated to diabetes research at the university,” Vogel said. The money goes directly to the Steele Center through the UA Foundation. “I am so inspired by the work that’s being done at the Steele Center – all these wonderful things that Dr. Ghishan is doing – and knowing that we have a part in funding them,” Vogel said. “I don’t think of that every day, but right now, talking about it, I’m getting goosebumps.”
Biz
Past Chair Lee Shaw and wife Laura Shaw Spring 2019
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2019 FATHER OF THE YEAR HONOREE
Devon
Derek
PHOTO: BRENT G. MATHIS
Beth & Brent
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BizHONOR
Brent DeRaad President & CEO Visit Tucson
Brent DeRaad Giving His Children Rich Experiences By Valerie Vinyard
At the end of the board meeting for Visit Tucson in October, Brent DeRaad was surprised to find out he was named a 2019 Father of the Year by the Father’s Day Council Tucson His wife, Beth, wasn’t surprised at all. “Brent is as dedicated to fatherhood as he is to his work,” said Beth, who works as a property manager and a contract accounting consultant. “He is the voice of reason – and pragmatic in his parenting style. I can be emotional and he is a good balance to my parenting approach, which is more of a lead-withmy-heart style.” His wife noted DeRaad’s steady leadership as a parent. “He is rational and always commands respect as a father,” she said. “He was a great help with homework, especially with written assignments, and was a great resource as a homework proofreader.” In turn, the 52-year-old DeRaad gave his wife of 28 years kudos, calling her “the glue that kept everything moving forward. She was the rock that did everything for these boys,” he said. When his two sons heard the Father of the Year news, DeRaad said his younger son joked that he “wanted a recount.” That son, 20-year-old Derek, works for Topgolf as an event cook. “My dad is one of the hardest-working people I have ever come across to this date,” he said. “My dad instilled the same work ethic in me, and I could not be more www.BizTucson.com
appreciative for that blessing. My dad has always believed in me and pushed me to be my best every single day.” Derek said he has a “burning passion” for cooking, yet it can be difficult to create meals for his dad. “My dad absolutely hates garlic and onions – I know, right – so it’s tough to cook anything with flavor for him,” he said. “But I love him with all of my heart and wouldn’t want anyone else as my dad.” DeRaad’s other son, 23-year-old Devon, is working on his doctorate in evolutionary biology with a focus on ornithology at the University of Kansas. DeRaad left his executive VP gig at the Scottsdale Convention and Visitors Bureau in 2012 to become Visit Tucson’s president and CEO, where he oversees 41 employees. The Arizona State University grad has a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a master’s in mass communication. “It’s a different sell,” said DeRaad about marketing Tucson compared to Scottsdale. “This is much more authentic and natural.” It’s also a job that keeps DeRaad busy. He has seen visitor spending in Pima County grow to $2.3 billion in 2017, according to Dean Runyan Associates. It hasn’t hurt that Tucson was named a City of Gastronomy by UNESCO in 2015, the first city in the United States to be awarded the honor. Between 2012 and 2018, DeRaad also has seen metro Tucson experience remarkable lodging growth. He said the
occupancy rate jumped 15.8 percent over that time period. Even though his sons are grown, DeRaad keeps busy. His days usually begin around 3:30 a.m., when he works out, and continue with long hours at Visit Tucson. As a child of the 1970s, DeRaad grew up a typical latch-key kid. As a result, when he became a father, he hoped to have his kids experience a variety of things. “I wanted to expose my kids to everything possible, to interact with a lot of people,” he said. “I really think the key to being a good father is really spending the time with them.” One of the ways he did that was by coaching a club baseball team in Scottsdale, where his son Devon played for about six years. “It was a special time,” Beth said. “Brent was always there for the kids and families. It was a team everyone wanted to play for because of Brent and his talent for organization and ability to work with kids. He was able to treat each player as an individual and get the best from each player.” Of course, DeRaad was quick to note that parenting has its challenges, too. “The hardest part is letting go and letting them make their own decisions,” he said. Like coaching, DeRaad believes parenting involves figuring out what motivates kids. “There is no guidebook.” Biz Spring 2019
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Top row left to right – Caroline, Caleb, Sarah & Josh Bottom row left to right – Nicole & Jon
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PHOTO: BRENT G. MATHIS
2019 FATHER OF THE YEAR HONOREE
BizHONOR
Jon Dudas
Senior VP, Senior Associate to the President & Secretary The University of Arizona
Jon Dudas
His Parenting Philosophy – Lead with Love By Romi Carrell Wittman
It’s not often that an entire family goes off to college, but that’s what happened with the Dudas family. “Our extended family all moved out to Arizona over the years,” Jon Dudas said. “When my son came out to attend the University of Arizona, I was working as a consultant and we’d been talking about where we wanted to live if we could live anywhere.” A trip to Tucson to visit his son sealed the deal. “I found a job on the UA website that closely fit my skill set, and I loved the mission of the UA,” Dudas said. “But I wanted more opportunity to be with family.” Dudas, who currently serves as the senior VP, senior associate to the president and secretary of the university, worked for the U.S. government for 14 years. That included a tenure as undersecretary of commerce for intellectual property and director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Following that position, Dudas was the president of FIRST, a nonprofit organization that aims to inspire children to pursue majors and careers in STEM — science, technology engineering and math. Dudas and Nicole, his wife, have four children – Josh, 25; Caroline, 23; Sarah, 19, and Caleb, 16. Tucson has truly become home for this East Coast family. “Our daughter transferred from Clemson to the UA,” Dudas said. “We realized we’re getting all this extra time with our adult kids.” When asked how it feels to be named www.BizTucson.com
a 2019 Father of the Year by the Father’s Day Council Tucson, Dudas was reflective. “It’s a really great honor that others in the community would consider me. It’s very personal to me – there are only five people who know if I’m a good dad,” he said with a laugh. Fatherhood came with many ups and downs – yet it was the ups that, at one time, gave Dudas the most concern. “I used to panic about them growing up because life was so good – but the older they get, the more excited I get to watch them grow and mature.” Unlike many fathers, Dudas said, the day each of his children was born wasn’t the happiest day of his life. “It’s really scary, actually,” he says of those births. “You feel like your whole life is in there and it’s really stressful. I love that day, but it’s scary.” The one “dad” moment that stands out most for Dudas was the day his children spoke at his mother’s celebration of life. “To watch them stand up in front of scores of people at a time when they felt extremely sad ... they spoke about the love they had for their grandmother,” Dudas said. “I couldn’t have been prouder.” Dudas’ parenting philosophy is to lead with love. He views his primary job as loving his children and supporting them emotionally – but also keeping them safe. “I’ve told them I want to be their friend as much as possible, but sometimes I have to tell you ‘no.’ ” Balancing career and family wasn’t always easy and Dudas has tried to find
employers who valued family. Even when he worked on Capitol Hill, his boss was understanding about family. “Whatever job I’ve had has had a lot of flexibility,” he said. “I left a job that didn’t allow flexibility. If I have to work till 3 a.m., I’ll do it if I can make it to my son’s lacrosse match.” As his children embark on adulthood and career – three kids have attended the UA for undergrad and grad schools, while another is still in high school – Dudas has found new joys in fatherhood. “For me, what I’ve enjoyed most is watching them grow into adults, seeing their unique attributes. They reach an age where they know I’m wrong and they’re right. It’s fun to see that, to watch them grow and become independent.” Oldest son, Josh, recently returned to Tucson to further his career. “He appreciates his family and it’s a serious affirmation for Nicole and me,” Dudas said. Being in Tucson “has given us family time that we never would have had.” Dudas recommends that new fathers “have fun. We laugh all the time and we have a lot of fun. The most important thing is to be loving. I love them more than anything else on earth. My wife and I, our mission is to raise them the best we can.” While some may talk about the pains and trials of being a parent, Dudas said he doesn’t view it as a sacrifice. “This is exactly what I want to do.”
Biz Spring 2019
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PHOTO: AMY HASKELL
2019 FATHER OF THE YEAR HONOREE
From left â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Xavier, Soren, Ali & Lia
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www.BizTucson.com
BizHONOR
Ali J. Farhang
Managing Partner Farhang & Medcoff
Ali J. Farhang Coach and Cheerleader for His Kids By Romi Carrell Wittman
Step into the office of attorney Ali J. Farhang and one thing becomes immediately apparent – his kids and football are the two dominating forces in his life. Baby photos, photos of kids’ sports teams – along with a lot of NFL Steelers memorabilia – cover nearly every spare surface on his desk, as well as on most of the walls. It’s safe to say that family and football are at the center of all Farhang does. He admitted he was stunned when he learned he’d been named a 2019 Father of the Year by the Father’s Day Council Tucson. “It was surreal,” he said of the moment he got the news. “I know the type of men that have previously been nominated. To even be considered is humbling and I’m very appreciative.” His 14-year old daughter, Soren, was with him at the time and he said she immediately gave him a huge hug. “I had to take a breath to not cry,” he said. Farhang is a longtime Tucsonan, having attended the University of Arizona, where he earned an undergraduate degree in 1993. He later attended Cambridge University, then the University of Denver College of Law. He returned to Tucson in 2001 and worked to build his business as well as his community. These days he’s a managing partner at Farhang & Medcoff. He coaches his son Xavier’s varsity football team at Salpointe High School, an endeavor Farhang said amounts to “helping him kick my ass.” www.BizTucson.com
Coaching has made him a better father. “I’m a coach at my core. My job is to make (my kids) better than I was, to teach them how to be good people and good citizens. I’m not their best friend. I’m there to teach them right from wrong – because they’re going to be on their own some day and we must prepare them.” Watching his children grow and evolve over time has been one of the things he’s enjoyed most about fatherhood. “Sometimes they are so funny and so smart,” he said. “Some qualities we imparted on them, some are all them.” When asked about his parenting style, Farhang said he and Lia, his wife, who is also an attorney, are less helicopter parents than they are fighter-jet parents. “I’m very hands on,” he said, “but you have to let them succeed or fail on their own. I’m there to step in when they need it.” In fact, Farhang believes failure is often the best teacher. “You’ll learn more than you did than if you succeeded.” At the same time, he admitted that watching them fail is one of the hardest parts of being a dad, but added that the pain is worth it for the lesson it provides. “I’d love for every paper they turn in to be great – but what do they learn if I’m the one editing it and cleaning it up?” As he’s matured as a father, Farhang has discovered that, besides loving his children unconditionally, he really likes
them as the people they already are and who they will become. “They’re uniquely themselves and I love getting involved in what they like. They’re good kids who believe in justice and who both love to learn. That will carry them through life.” The relationship between his son and daughter is one of the things he’s most proud of. “They really love and support each other. They’re best friends and, ultimately, that’s the relationship that matters most,” he said. Farhang said his success as a dad has to do with making priorities and sticking to them. “You make the time,” he said. “There’s always time. You sleep less or don’t watch TV – you find the time.” Farhang’s advice for new dads is simple: Don’t rush it. “Parents think if their kids aren’t in a bunch of stuff, it’s bad. Just let them be kids.” But also teach them that the sky’s the limit, he said, and not to be afraid of success. Farhang attributes his success in life and as a father to his mother and father, as well as the people he refers to as the “Legends of the Community.” “I’m a reflection of men and women growing up that were just fantastic parents. I’ve learned a lot from other people. There is nothing more important than being a dad.”
Biz Spring 2019
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From left â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Tony, Campbell & Nicola
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PHOTO: BRENT G. MATHIS
2019 FATHER OF THE YEAR HONOREE
BizHONOR
Tony Finley CFO Long Realty
Tony Finley Doting on Daughter by Doing Kid Stuff By Valerie Vinyard Tony Finley is a down-to-earth, affable sort of fellow who’s quick with a laugh. He and his wife, Nicola, are the parent of 12-year-old Campbell “Cami,” who’s a sixth-grader at The Gregory School. “I’m the cooler parent – I make things fun,” he said with a laugh. “Mommy has to do the heavy lifting. There are only so many times I have to say ‘no.’ “I don’t want to be the parent that tells her she can’t so something. I’d like her to choose already. She’s a very good kid to begin with.” Finley helps make sure Cami remains a good kid by monitoring what computer games she plays – by playing them himself. Right now he’s playing “The Sims” on his phone to “make sure it’s appropriate,” he said. “I play the game and call it good parenting.” Finley’s not sure who nominated him for Father’s Day Council 2019 Father of the Year, but he’s appreciative of the honor. The 50-year-old dad grew up in Los Angeles and was the middle of three brothers. The 12-year CFO of Long Realty holds a degree in economics from University of California, Santa Barbara and an MBA from the University of Texas. “My dad grew up in a different era, so it was harder,” said Finley when describing his life growing up. “Part of my philosophy is that I was going to be happy and make life a very positive experience for my daughter.” www.BizTucson.com
Apparently, Cami agrees. “Daddy understands what it’s like to be a kid,” she said. “He knew that I would like boogie boarding on the Flowrider (surf machine), and he did it with me.” She added that her lanky father also is “really good at sports.” “Whenever I try out a new sport, he helps me,” she said. “I’m doing softball now and he took me to the batting cage – and we practice throwing inside the house.” What seals it is that her dad is so likable. “When we meet anyone (like a store clerk), he talks to them and you can see them smile,” she said. Finley’s wife, Nicola, is lavish in her praise of her husband of 15 years. “He is good at his job because he puts the interest of others first and is invested in others succeeding,” said Nicola, who works in integrative medicine at Canyon Ranch Tucson. “Tony is a great person in addition to being a great father. He is warm and thinks of our family first. He is so helpful that some of our friends call us ‘Team Finley’ because we share responsibility of parenting so well.” Nicola appreciates her husband’s skill in math so he can help Cami with homework. “I love the fact that he helps Cami with math since he is good with numbers,” she said. “I could help her with math, but he looks forward to reviewing her math homework. He loves coming up with creative ways to explain math.”
Finley thinks he has done a good job at teaching Cami to be level-headed and to be herself. “The best teaching is by example – by being a good husband and a good father,” he said. “I hope she sees the way I do things and she does it right because it’s the right thing to do.” Finley also does a fair job of impressing Cami. In 2017, his daughter watched her dad complete an Ironman triathlon in Phoenix, a grueling event that requires a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride and 26.2-mile run. Finley said Cami already stands at 5 feet, 5 inches, so there’s no telling what she’ll potentially accomplish in athletics. But Finley cemented his hero status with Cami when it came to procuring tickets to the Taylor Swift concert. He participated in a promotion to get better seats, by watching hours of music videos for weeks. “When he came home from work, he set up a computer with the Taylor Swift concert site up, muted the sound and repeatedly pressed play for the multiple videos,” Nicola said. “You only got credit up to a certain number of videos, so he kept track of videos for the given day. I’m not exaggerating – Tony watched 500 Taylor Swift videos over a period of weeks so we could get better seats. “Even though he did such a good job getting us tickets, I didn’t ask him to go to the concert with us.” That’s dad – always going the extra mile with a smile. Biz Spring 2019
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From left – Joshua, Steve & Adrianna Inset from left – Christian, Bianca,Adrianna, Steve & Joshua 114 BizTucson
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PHOTO: AMY HASKELL
2019 FATHER OF THE YEAR HONOREE
BizHONOR
Steve Hill
Senior Master Sergeant U.S. Air Force
Steve Hill Juggling Family Chaos While Mom’s Overseas By Romi Carrell Wittman
On a bright, but chilly January morning, Senior Master Sgt. Steve Hill was settling in to his workday at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. He had dropped off his son, Joshua, 15, at University High School, and his daughter, Adrianna, 8, at the elementary school on base. He was ready to focus on the day ahead when he was summoned to a packed auditorium of airmen. When 2018 Father of the Year Master Sgt. Timothy Ledford stepped to the podium and announced that Hill had been named one of the Father’s Day Council Tucson’s 2019 Father of the Year honorees, Hill was stunned into silence. The room erupted into cheers when the award was announced. Ledford said, “He is responsible for the morale and welfare of the troops and, as a single father, he’s taking care on two fronts.” After he had a chance to catch his breath, Hill said, “This is such an honor and a surprise. It’s been tough with my wife gone for 15 months. You don’t do fatherhood for awards – but this is really great. It’s such an honor.” Master Sgt. Bianca Hill, Hill’s wife, is also an airman and for the past 15 months she’s been assigned to the embassy in Bogota, Columbia. While she’s been able to come back to Tucson a few times, Hill has essentially been a single father in her absence. Hill said that, in the past, it was his wife who maintained www.BizTucson.com
the home front while he was deployed – once to Africa and again to Afghanistan. “This is the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life,” Hill said of parenting his kids without his wife. Thankfully, his supervisor is flexible, which is critical given that Hill is on call 24/7, 365 days a year. “I’m in charge of the health, morale, welfare and discipline of close to 400 enlisted personnel,” Hill said. Hill and his wife met in Tucson in 2006 when they were stationed at Davis-Monthan. Both previously had been married and each had a son. Soon the family – the couple and son Joshua – was transferred to Colorado Springs, where daughter Adrianna was born. They lived in Colorado Springs for six years before being transferred back to Tucson. In June, the family will move once again – this time to Ogden, Utah. Hill’s stepson, Christian, is 16 and currently lives in Italy with his dad. “I’m a conductor of organized chaos,” Hill said. “They have basketball, karate and softball. They have something going on Monday through Saturday.” Of his parenting style, Hill said, “I’m stern in a way, but my kids are free to experience life.” That attitude has made his kids very resilient and open to new experiences, he said. As so-called “military brats,” his kids are used to moving, discovering communities and making new friends.
It’s something they have in common with Hill, who, because of his dad’s retail career, moved 10 times by the time he was 10 years old. As if Hill’s life wasn’t hectic enough, he’s also attending graduate school. To him, it’s not a big deal. “I get up at 4 a.m. just to work out, before the crazy starts,” he said. “At night, we all sit down and do our homework together.” Each day, he tries to teach his kids through his actions and by simply being there for them. “I want them to know that life’s not easy. You have to work for what you’ve got. I do spoil them, but they have to earn it through chores, good grades, problem solving. I want them to be able to figure out stuff for themselves because I’m not always going to be there for them.” He added that not every kid gets those important lessons. “I’ve seen so many young airmen coming into the military and they don’t know how to do laundry or even boil an egg. It sounds funny – but it’s scary.” The one piece of advice Hill has for new dads is to not take it for granted. “It goes by quick,” he said. “My son is talking about joining the Air Force when I feel like I just joined.” In the meantime, Hill is enjoying all aspects of being a dad. “I love seeing them become the people they’re going to be. I’m so proud of them.”
Biz Spring 2019
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PHOTO: BRENT G. MATHIS
2019 FATHER OF THE YEAR HONOREE
Nancy & Stuart Inset from left â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Eric Mellan, Jonah Etter, Suki-Rose (Etter) Simakis, Micah Etter & Jamie Mellan
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Stuart Mellan
President & CEO Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona
Stuart Mellan Modeling Kindness and Commitment By Valerie Vinyard Stuart Mellan and his wife, Nancy, have five kids, all of whom are in their 30s. The two originally met in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and started dating after both becoming widowed. Stuart had two kids, Nancy three. The two eventually married, blending the family. When Stuart was recruited to be president and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona, the Mellans moved to Tucson in December 1995. While Stuart worked for the federation, Nancy started Zuzi! Dance Company. Nancy said that a mutual friend introduced her to Stuart on a Saturday before Mother’s Day. A year later, on Father’s Day weekend, they were married. “From the first day of knowing Stu, he has held high his value of family, our Jewish faith tradition and the commitment to family and community,” she said. “Together we have felt a completion and wholeness as we formed this new family and braved the adventure of loving, caring, nurturing and, frankly, surviving the raucous dinner tables, vacations in Flagstaff and the daily routines of family life.” Stuart’s approach to his job isn’t unlike his parenting style. “I’ve tried to foster a sense of collaboration, partnership, inclusion and celebrate the diversity in our community,” he said. He noted that his father was an inspiration for him, especially when it came to community work. “He modeled this strong commitment to making this world a better place.” He recalled his dad running for the school board in the ’50s after it banned www.BizTucson.com
a social science book. As a 5-year-old, Stuart handed out cards for his dad’s campaign. His dad won, eventually became president of the board and later a judge. One of the couple’s sons, Eric Mellan, is a Tucson property and casualty insurance agent for Capital West Insurance. “I lost my birth mom when I was 5 years old,” said the 34-year-old. “He remarried, and I gained three stepsiblings. He’s always been so supportive of all of us, he’s always treated us the same way.” When Eric heard about Stuart’s Father of the Year honor from the Father’s Day Council Tucson, he wasn’t surprised. “I think he deserves it,” said Eric, who graduated with a degree in business management from Arizona State University. “He spends so much of his time giving to people in need. It’s amazing he has as much time as he does to give to his five kids.” Eric and his dad play in a jazz band, Birks Works, a couple of times a month at Hacienda Del Sol Guest Ranch Resort. Eric plays guitar, while Stuart plays the keyboard. Besides Eric, two other Mellan children still live in Tucson, one as a nanny and one as a doctor at Banner – University Medical Center. Another child works as a teacher in Spokane, Washington, and the fifth is in the entertainment industry in Los Angeles. Stuart, 65, described early family life in the Mellan household. “They had all lost a parent,” he said. “They got along in a chaotic kind of way. We were in survival mode there’s a
whole lot of dynamics with grief.” As a result, Mellan admitted that he and his wife tended to be a little overprotective, and it was “more challenging for us to be firm.” “The hardest thing for me is to let go,” he said. “It’s a challenge to step back. I tend to be an advice-giver.” Eric described his family life as “weird as all families are – it’s great.” “I love that about our family; it’s quirky,” he said. “Our get-togethers are really interesting.” Mellan said that he and Nancy tried to instill strong values in their children. “In Judaism, there’s a quote: ‘Kindness is the highest wisdom,’ ” he said. “My favorite part is seeing them being successful in life. We feel really blessed. Our kids all grew up to be very good people.” Another favorite family role for Mellan is that of grandparent. He and Nancy have two grandchildren, ages 7 and 10. Nancy agreed, noting that despite her husband’s dedication to his work in the community, he “has somehow managed to be completely present for dinners, school plays, doctor appointments, music lessons, teenage crisis and joyful landmarks of each unique child.” “Stu has actively contributed to ‘Tikkun Olam,’ the healing of the world, through his work at the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona in support of those in need and by parenting five exceptional children into adulthood where they, too, will bring caring and healing hearts into our community,” she said. “Stu’s values and achievements have enhanced the meaning of fatherhood.” Biz Spring 2019
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From left â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Alyssa, Jacob, Kay, Joe, Samantha & Olivia (granddaughter)
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PHOTO: AMY HASKELL
2019 FATHER OF THE YEAR HONOREE
BizHONOR
Joe Snell
President & CEO Sun Corridor Inc.
Joe Snell Prioritizing Children Requires Teamwork By Romi Carrell Wittman As the first president and CEO of Sun Corridor Inc., Joe Snell’s days are often intense – but one day in particular stands out in his mind. Snell’s granddaughter, Olivia, was visiting and had her heart set on swimming. However, a burgeoning monsoon storm meant that swimming would have to be postponed. Kay, Snell’s wife, told Olivia they would try again the next day. Early the following morning, Joe and Kay were in the kitchen preparing for the day when Olivia emerged from her room, fully dressed in her swimsuit and toting her pool toys. With a one-track mind that only an 8-year-old can have, she said, “Let’s go!” “So at 6:10 a.m., I was out there swimming,” Snell said, laughing at the memory. Fatherhood is something Snell holds close to his heart, but he admits that wasn’t always the case. “In my 20s, I didn’t think twice about kids. I was focused on career and success, but now at 55 looking back, I just love it.” Snell grew up in Denver and, after earning a bachelor’s degree from the University of Nebraska, eventually returned there. Soon after, Joe met Kay and Alyssa, then Joe and Kay married. Life was good for the family of three. A business trip shook things. “It was the mid- to late 1990s and I had come back from China,” he said. “I had a www.BizTucson.com
photo of a bunch of little kids, maybe first graders, standing in a square. They were so cute with their little sweat suits.” Snell mentioned to his wife that he missed the days when their daughter was that small. “My wife said it’s probably not too late for us – and that led to Jacob,” he said. Alyssa was 12 when Jacob was born and proved her strength at his delivery. “Jacob was a tough birth,” Snell said. “Alyssa was the strong one. She kept me calm.” His daughter also encouraged the Snells to have a third child, Samantha. “She said, ‘Don’t just have one. I was kind of lonely.’ “ Snell is humbled to be named a 2019 Father of the Year by the Father’s Day Council Tucson. “I’m honored beyond words,” he said. “For me, nothing is more important than being a parent. This award (tells me that) my efforts, my focus and my priorities with my kids have been right.” When asked if he has a parenting philosophy or words of advice for other dads, Snell paused. “Just remember that none of us gets a roadmap,” he said. “We’re a steward for their lives. It’s their life and we’re here to guide them. And know that there will be a lot of bumps along the way.” Snell added that it’s important, too, to have a good partner. “The most important day of the year is Mother’s Day,” he said. “I’m serious. It’s really that important.”
Prior to becoming a stay-at-home mother, Kay was an accountant for one of the Big Six accounting firms. At the time, Joe was traveling much of the time for a venture capital firm in New York and he said there was a lot of pressure to move to the city. “We couldn’t see raising a family there,” he said. One night, over a glass of wine, Kay told Joe that she knew he wasn’t happy being on the road all the time and that she wanted to be home with the family. The couple then made what Snell called a team decision. “There is nothing more important than your kids – not money, not success, not work.” Kay left her career to focus on the family and Joe decided that, after his stint with the venture capital firm, he wanted to get back into economic development. He spoke with leaders in a few cities, including Seattle and Phoenix, before deciding that Tucson was the best place to raise a family. The Snells have called Tucson home ever since and, though his kids were born in Denver, the two younger Snell kids consider themselves Tucsonans. Today Alyssa lives in Denver with her daughter, Olivia, now 11. Reflecting on his fatherhood journey, Joel said, “You have to make it a priority. I see too many who don’t. I love being a father. For me, life would not be complete without being a father.”
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BizSALES
Value – What Is It? By Jeffrey Gitomer
“Value” is perhaps the most elusive word in sales. Few can tell you what it really is. Everyone will tell you how important it is, yet very few can tell you what it is. I recommend you leave “added value” out of your sales lexicon forever. “Added value” has an evil twin – “value add,” out of your sales lexicon. Neither can be defined in terms of how the customer actually benefits or profits. Added value is usually some minor service or extra that the customer already expects, things like: • Same-day shipping • Online ordering • Parts in stock • 24-hour service. Those are not VALUE – those are EXPECTED. They are NOT incentives to buy – they’re part of your business offering. For you to understand “value” as it relates to making a sale, put the word “perceived” in front of it. If you think it’s valuable, but your customer doesn’t, it ain’t value. Your customers want to increase THEIR sales, customer loyalty, employee loyalty, productivity, morale, profit – and to have no problems. Are those the values you bring? No? Why not? Those are the elements that customers would consider worthy. Most companies have a meaningless mission statement. It’s about being No. 1, exceeding customer expectations and building shareholder value. • What’s your real mission? • Is it different from your mission statement? • Where’s the value to the customer? • Isn’t that the real mission? What you need is a value proposition and statement that explains fully: • How you help others • How they win • How you serve the customer • How that leads to loyal customers and referrals 120 BizTucson
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And a mission statement that matches that. A value proposition states what you do that benefits a customer. For example, you might say, “We provide a four-hour service response.” A “value proposition” that says the same thing is – “When equipment is broken or needs repair, production stops. That’s why we instituted fourhour-or-less service response. That way there is minimal loss of productivity and job profitability.” Same idea, stated in how the customer wins. Value is important to a prospective customer because • It differentiates you from the competition. • It gives understandable reasons to purchase. • It gives the peace of mind they need to move forward and buy. Value is important to an existing customer because 1. It builds a real relationship based on value. 2. It makes reorders automatic and less bid-driven. 3. It eliminates competitors that thrive on “saving the customer money.” Customers don’t want to save money as much as they want to produce more for more profit. “Perception of value” plays its heaviest role at the end of any sales transaction or when a customer has a need. If the customer feels you’re different and is reassured of your value, the sale is yours. If not, the sale goes to the lowest price. Lowest price always means lowest profit. The more you state value related to the customer, the more the customer will understand that value. The more you define value as how they win, profit and produce, the more it will be perceived as true value. In the end, the value you receive will be the order. That’s value. Biz Jeffrey Gitomer is the author of 12 best–selling books, including “The Sales Bible,” “The Little Red Book of Selling” and “The Little Gold Book of Yes! Attitude.” His real–world ideas and content are also available as online courses at www.GitomerLearningAcademy.com. For information about training and seminars, visit www.Gitomer.com or www.GitomerCertifiedAdvisors. com, or email Jeffrey at salesman@gitomer.com. © 2018 All Rights Reserved. Don’t even think about reproducing this document without written permission from GitGo, Jeffrey H. Gitomer and Buy Gitomer. (704) 333–1112
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BizTECHNOLOGY
New Leader for Tech Parks Arizona Helping Drive the Innovation Economy
Running a science and technology research park is typically not the stuff of childhood dreams. There isn’t a defined list of courses to check off that would prepare someone to serve this highly specialized niche in the innovation economy. For some, living with that kind of creativity, uncertainty and change might be daunting. For Carol Stewart, the new leader of Tech Parks Arizona, it’s exhilarating. “Most of us are dropped into positions that nobody else really understands except for the other 200 people in North America who do what you do,” said Stewart, who assumed her new role in mid-December as associate VP for Tech Parks Arizona. “It’s a very small sandbox.” Stewart knows research parks, with expertise going back decades. She launched the David Johnston Research + Technology Park at the University of Waterloo outside of Ontario, Canada, and over the ensuing 13 years took it from a cornfield to 1 million square feet of innovation space. Most recently, Stewart served as CEO of the Association of University Research Parks, which supports 200 university-related research parks worldwide. Stewart was familiar with Tech Parks Arizona and had worked for decades with its founding leader, Bruce Wright, who retired last year. She was enticed by the expansion to be done at the UA Tech Park at Rita Road – celebrating the park’s 25th anniversary, elevate the business incubator and growing the park’s amenities, such as a fitness center, for the 6,000 knowledge workers on site. But the hook? The opportunity to develop the UA Tech Park at The Bridges. 122 BizTucson
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“It’s an opportunity to take all those lessons learned in Waterloo – What works? What doesn’t? It’s truly an exciting adventure,” she said. The two parks will undoubtedly be very different properties. The Rita Road park has been a draw for companies seeking secure sites some distance from dense areas – smart vehicles, defense, solar farms. The Bridges, on the other hand, by sheer proximity to the University of Arizona, will be the commercialization hub of the university – an incubator that will be a brew of students, startups and established companies. The goal is to break ground within a year. The timing was also hard to resist, with the opportunity to align the parks with UA President Robert Robbins’ strategic plan, drawing heavily from the playing ground of tech companies – the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Spend any time with Stewart, and you get the sense she thrives on adventure, with seemingly boundless energy throughout a typical day spanning 1215 hours. “I’ve made a commitment to myself that I have to do work I am passionate about, because I give 200 percent,” Stewart said. “This work makes that easy. It’s an addiction and there’s no job like it.” On one hand, she said, university research park leaders have the power of the institution behind them – the brand, the history, the networks. On the other hand, “Tech is fast-paced. It changes and pivots,” she said. “Your days fly by because you’re doing 50 things at once that are different from the 50 things you did the day before.” She’s also driven by the transforma-
tive power she’s witnessed, such as helping bring Google into the Waterloo Park. Starting with the acquisition of three techies who had no intention to move to Silicon Valley, the company is now well on its way to employing 1,000 engineers in the region. Stewart came to her career with a foundation in marketing and business development, knowing little about real estate, but adept at managing expectations and building relationships. She’s already fielded calls from her Canadian network, which sees Arizona as a gateway to the United States and Mexico. “For every new job that comes in, there’s a multiplier effect – from new construction jobs and new homes to the need for additional business services,” she said. “When you have a mass of startups, when you give students reasons to stay in Tucson and to invest in Tucson, the spinoff effect becomes huge.” Stewart will rely heavily on tapping established entrepreneurs to mentor growing companies. She’s been impressed with the level of engagement from local business leaders already – some of whom sat in on her interview to make sure the right leadership was coming in. “We have a really good start, but we can certainly build on where we are and develop more opportunities to mentor these companies. It takes a village to raise a startup,” she said. When she’s not working, you may find her perfecting her golf game around Tucson, since she only played four months of the year in Canada. She’s also an avid volleyball player, joking that it’s appropriate she plays the role of setter. “I like to tee other people up for success.” Biz www.BizTucson.com
PHOTO: CHRIS MOONEY
By Rhonda Bodfield
WOMEN WHO LEAD
Carol Stewart
Associate VP Tech Parks Arizona
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BizGIVING
Honoring Louise Glasser ‘A Force of Nature’
Giving just a little is not in Louise Glasser’s character. This 70-some-year-old “force of nature” is a tireless supporter of women and children, the environment and the arts. For this and more, Glasser was named the 2019 Woman of the Year by the Women’s Foundation of Southern Arizona. She’ll be feted at an April luncheon that’s one of the largest fundraising events in the state, drawing more than 1,000 people. “With Louise as the honoree, it’ll probably be the biggest they’ve ever had,” said Stephanie Sklar, CEO of the Sonoran Institute. “Louise is amazing, and our women’s foundation here in Tucson is really seen as a national leader, not just a leader in our community.” Glasser has been on the board of the Sonoran Institute for more than a decade and is chairwoman of its endowment fund. The environment (and particularly the West), women’s issues and the arts are her passions, Sklar said. “She’s a force of nature. She has more energy than any 10 healthy young, vibrant people. She has one of the best senses of humor of anyone I’ve ever known. There’s absolutely no artifice.” Glasser’s reaction to being named Woman of the Year by the Women’s Foundation of Southern Arizona? “I’m embarrassed. I don’t think I deserve it,” Glasser said. “For the record, I think they chose me by default.” That, she said, is because she’s probably the oldest of the bunch. The board is comprised of very capable, very talented young women. “I think I am there to increase the average age.” There’s that sense of humor. Glasser was quite involved with the Connie Hillman Family Foundation Challenge, a five-year, $1 million challenge gift. The foundation matched dollar for dollar all new and increased donations to the Women’s Foundation up to $1 million. 124 BizTucson
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“We completed it in two and a half years, which is pretty impressive because the foundation had never done really heavy fundraising before,” Glasser said. Being involved can have an unexpected result: Along the way, you pick up lots of friends with varying backgrounds. Glasser and her husband, James, “have a rather broad net of friends from all different areas of interest,” she said. “I’m always surprised at how many people I know here now. It’s a big small town. The same thing happens to me in Chicago. “That’s one reason I think getting involved philanthropically with time, energy or, lastly, dollars is so good. If you become part of the community it becomes a much more complete place.”
26TH ANNUAL WOMEN’S FOUNDATION OF SOUTHERN ARIZONA LUNCHEON HONORING PHILANTHROPIST LOUISE GLASSER Wednesday, April 24, 2019 11 a.m. networking, noon luncheon Tucson Convention Center 260 S. Church Ave. $75 per person, $700 per table of 10 Terri Johnson at (520) 622-8886, ext. 2 luncheon@womengiving.org
The Glassers give of their money as well as hours, but you don’t have to be wealthy to make a difference. “Your time is as valuable as money. Everyone needs people who are willing to work and who believe in the cause with their heart and soul,” Glasser said. “It’s not how much you give, it’s how much you give of yourself.” A $500,000 gift from the Glassers to the Tucson Museum of Art and Historic Block helped the museum do a major renovation and expansion. A new feature exhibition gallery bears the name of the Glassers.
“This gift will allow us to completely transform the way we install and present feature exhibitions,” museum CEO Jeremy Mikolajczak said in announcing the Glassers’ gift in February 2017. James Glasser serves on the art museum’s board, and between them the Glassers have organized seven fundraisers. They’ll celebrate their 55th wedding anniversary in April. “They’re models for what civic philanthropy should be,” Mikolajczak said. “Ultimately, Louise is engaged throughout the community.” Glasser is a “model of philanthropy” here, and set the stage for her kids to be involved in nonprofits, said Amalia Luxardo, the Women’s Foundation’s new CEO. The Glassers’ three children all do charity work, one in Cape Town, South Africa; another in New York, and another in Los Angeles. “She’s just creating a sort of landscape of philanthropy within her family,” Luxardo said. Here’s something many people might not know about Glasser: She’s a whiz in the kitchen. One year she won first prize for the entire culinary competition at the Pima County Fair. She cans jams, jellies, marmalades, chutneys and pickles. Her pickled watermelon rinds earned best in show at last year’s Lake County Fair in Illinois. The Glassers lived in Tucson in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and bought a house here in 1991. These days they spend seven months of the year here and about five in Chicago. “We still have roots in Chicago. I still serve on some boards and committees in Chicago and so does my husband,” Glasser said. “But we’re far more involved out here. “We love Tucson. We always have. One of the reasons we returned here was because people are welcomed and accepted if they’re willing to be part of a community.”
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PHOTO: COURTESY WOMAN’S FOUNDATION OF SOUTHERN ARIZONA
By Tiffany Kjos
WOMEN WHO LEAD
Louise Glasser
2019 Woman of the Year Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Foundation of Southern Arizona
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BizLEADERSHIP
Lydia Aranda Heads Hispanic Chamber A Third-Generation Community Leader Lydia Aranda begins her leadership as CEO of the Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce by focusing on “not only putting commerce into our communities, but ensuring that community is in our commerce,” she said. Her outlook on life was influenced by her parents, who were teachers and community advocates. She grew up in Tucson and Phoenix. Her extended family lived in Nogales and other areas of Southern Arizona – so her love for this region runs deep. She graduated from Arizona State University with a degree in intercultural communication and more recently completed a master’s degree at Claremont Lincoln University. She’s long been an advocate of small businesses, community involvement and a variety of ethnicities. Earlier in her career, Aranda served as the small business advocate for Gov. Janet Napolitano and co-chair of Gov. Jan Brewer’s Latino Council. She was VP and regional director of diverse segments at Wells Fargo. “This position was not limited to what the bank was doing, but allowed me to engage with the community to match traditional banking strategies with community needs,” Aranda said. “I focused on both urban and rural areas, which included outlying communities, border areas and a variety of other geographic regions that had very different needs.” These needs were often affected by the cultural and agricultural influences in the region. Her position allowed her to determine how to best match Wells Fargo’s resources with the community to 126 BizTucson
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promote development in the area. “We weren’t looking to just write checks. We were looking to co-invest in the community and to be enablers of the community, its programs, businesses and residents to provide more sustainability. It required me to consider cultures, ethnicities and businesses as well as the variety of ages of the residents – from youth to retirees. It was a full way of looking at community development.” Her diverse career has prepared her to lead the THCC. “It gave me a good feel for what it means to be an entrepreneur and what entrepreneurs can offer the world. It’s true that small businesses are the engine that runs economies, but there are so many other aspects that small businesses offer communities to help their development, including influencing the culture of the community,” Aranda said. “Small business owners have more flexibility in solving problems, and that is very valuable when they use this agility as leaders among other businesses and elected officials to invest in their communities and solve community issues. We get a much more whole look at the issue and the community instead of just minds coming together.” Her own leadership style is influenced by two of her favorite books on leadership. “The Leadership Challenge” by Barry Z. Kouzes and James M. Posner focuses on enabling others to act and encouraging the heart. “Connection Culture” by Michael Lee Stallard points out the importance of the human connection affecting more than the bottom
line and emphasizes that organizational and team success should be based on this key concept. “In this particular time of transition and change in the chamber’s lifespan, we are all being asked to do more with less – working smarter, not harder – and coming together around many new and unfamiliar experiences,” Aranda said. “I engage with building shared identity and empathy – and to me this is applicable not only to lead a team, but to our community as a whole. We are all interested in safer and healthier communities, a sustainable economy and success in our livelihoods. We can accomplish this through collaborative change – which requires us to connect, not separate from each other.” As she leads the THCC into the future, she is focused on the sustainability of Southern Arizona resources, as well as its future. To that end, Aranda has created several new committees, including Entrepreneurship in Charter Schools, Best Futures Forward and the Clean Water and Energy Committee. “In my new role as CEO, one of the main areas of focus I would like everyone to consider, when going about their daily ebbs and flows of commerce, is what on our journey are we giving to our families and communities as a gift that will surpass ourselves and even our generation. Each day we set ripples in motion in all directions, and we also receive back from the currents of others’ actions,” she said.
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PHOTO: BRENT G. MATHIS
By April Bourie
WOMEN WHO LEAD
Lydia Aranda
President & CEO Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce www.BizTucson.com
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BizBRIEFS
Tom Thaller Tom Thaller has lived in Tucson for over 14 years, so he truly understands how important business development is to the region. As the OneAZ Business Relationship Manager for Southern Arizona, he works with community-focused organizations to develop business and stimulate the local economy. Tom keeps the community in mind even outside of work, serving as an executive board member for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson and volunteering with World Care, Salvation Army, American Cancer Society and Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Biz
Edgar Martinez Edgar Martinez is OOROO Auto’s new managing director for client-partners. He works with the Oro Valley vehicle repair service’s medium- and large-employer clients to give their employees car service at their worksite. He works with prospective client-partners, enrolls new businesses into the program and provides information about the onsite service to those clients’ employees. Previously Martinez was the senior executive of business development at the Tucson Metro Chamber. Biz 128 BizTucson
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SPECIAL REPORT 2019
THE REGIONâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S BUSINESS MAGAZINE
TUCSON ORTHOPAEDIC INSTITUTE
BizLEADERSHIP
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Paula Register Hecht
CEO Tucson Orthopaedic Institute
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BizMEDICINE
34 PHYSICIANS, 8 LOCATIONS
Tucson Orthopaedic Institute 25 Years Strong
PHOTOS: BRENT G. MATHIS
By Mary Minor Davis When Tucson Orthopaedic Institute was established in May 1994 with 14 general orthopaedic surgeons on the Tucson Medical Center campus, no one could have foreseen the meteoric rise that would launch the institute into a leading orthopaedic care center that serves patients from all over the world. One key driver for creating TOI still remains a key driver today – the focus on developing sub-specialty care, tapping into expertise across all orthopaedic areas. Today, TOI has 34 physicians and surgeons on staff, ranging from general orthopaedics to specialists in total joint replacement, hand and upper extremities, foot and ankle, spine and pain care, pediatric surgery, sports medicine and non-surgical medical treatment. TOI also has grown from one location to eight between Oro Valley and Green Valley, plus the Douglas-Bisbee area. From pediatric to geriatric care, TOI has developed its orthopaedic bandwidth to ensure each patient receives the right treatment customized to his or her needs, in a location convenient to home. “We came from strong surgeons, strong roots and for all the right reasons,” said Paula Register Hecht, CEO of TOI. “Our physicians, therapists
and staff work collaboratively together in the care of our patients.” Dr. Joel Goode is a specialist in hand and upper extremities. He said, “The best thing that TOI has done is focus on offering sub-specialties. If you come here for a problem with your shoulder, you’re going to see a specialist who works only with shoulders – not someone who does a hip replacement one day and shoulders the next. Their focus is your problem.” The same is true for all areas within TOI. In sports medicine, you’re most likely to be treated by a physician who once was an athlete as well, providing you with a specialist who has been in your place. To stay ahead of trends in orthopaedics, TOI launched its own research center in 2002, headed by Dr. Nebojsa Skrepnik. The in-house resource allows TOI specialists to track the latest trends in joint replacement, nonsurgical treatments in the regenerative medicine arena, and what is working in new and innovative treatment options around the world. For example, Dr. Jeffrey Baron, a spine and pain specialist, said the more traditional spine surgery techniques still seem to be the standard, although there is research out there to try to do spine
replacement. “We hope to be able to have the replacement technology that we have in joints,” he said. “The problem is the architecture of the spine is very complex.” He said for disc replacement there has been some replacement procedure done in cervical joints – but research is finding that the efficacy of outcomes is about the same as traditional fusion procedures. TOI has also added physical therapy services to its menu. Now with five locations throughout Tucson – and plans for growth in 2019, Hecht said – patients can have care from diagnosis through recovery in convenient locations. TOI also launched an after-hours orthopaedic care center that operates six days a week and may expand to seven days in 2019. “From where we started, we’ve only grown and enhanced what we can offer patients. Our growth focuses on the needs of our community – and that is what matters the most,” Hecht said. Growth is not without its financial challenges, and TOI is constantly seeking ways to manage its costs. “TOI is not unlike any other large employer and we struggle to meet the demands of affordable healthcare, not just internally with employees, but also continued on page 136 >>>
1. Founders, Dr. Scott Slagis, Dr. John Wild, Jr., Dr. Lawrence Housman 2. Front row – Dr. Natalie Hua, Dr. Russell Cohen, Dr. Nebojsa Skrepnik; Back row – Dr. Jeffrey Baron, Dr. Scott Goorman, Dr. Todd Tucker 3. Dr. Stephen Curtin, Dr. Brian Nielsen 4. Dr. Joel Goode, Dr. John “Jesse” Wild, III
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Joint Replacement & Revisions By the Numbers Hip & Knee The number of total hip and knee joint replacements and revisions is projected to increase by 150 percent or more by 2030 – and more than 300 percent by 2060. By 2030 total hip replacements (THA) will increase 171 percent to 635,000 and primary total knee replacements (TKA) up to 189 percent to 1.3 million. Similar gains are expected for hip and knee revisions – up to 142 percent (72,000 procedures) and 190 percent (120,000 procedures). By 2060, primary THA is expected to reach 1.23 million (330 percent increase) and primary TKA is expected to reach 2.60 million (382 percent increase). Hip revision surgeries are expected to reach 110,000 (219 percent increase) and knee revision surgeries 253,000 (400 percent increase). Source: American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, March 2018 Foot & Ankle A report by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, an arm of the Department of Health and Human Services, cited 4,435 “hospital encounters” or discharges involving total ankle replacements in 2014. Shoulder Joint Every year approximately 53,000 people in the United States have shoulder replacement surgery. Source: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
continued from page 135 in keeping costs affordable for patients,” she said. “Costs are up, alongside decreased healthcare revenue. We are constantly working to offer better care and outcomes at a lower cost. Our focus is on value-based healthcare.” Goode said this is contingent upon the physicians being prudent in making decisions with patient care. “We as doctors have to do what’s right and necessary and not be conservative at the expense of our patients – while at the same time understand if we send a patient for an MRI, it may cost that patient $500 so we need to be prudent when making those decisions,” he said. Dr. Christopher Stephens, another TOI hand and upper extremity specialist, also sees managing healthcare costs as one of the greatest challenges in healthcare going forward. He is one of the few surgeons who does carpal tunnel procedures in the office, when appropriate, as opposed to the traditional hospital or surgery center setting. He said that reduces the overall cost of care. “Think about all that you have to go through and all of the people involved with this procedure when it’s done in a hospital,” he said. “Schedulers, lab staff, nurses and doctors, IVs, the cost of the hospital or surgery center – it’s expensive. In a clinic, it’s the cost of the procedure and nothing else. We are saving hundreds of thousands of dollars – and I’m just one physician doing it.” Across the board, the greatest challenge faced in orthopaedic care today is that the need for treatment far outweighs the number of specialists available to treat those needs. According to the Arthritis Foundation, osteoarthritis disease is the most common disease in adults – affecting 30.8 million people. It is fifth among all diseases in the world. It is the most prevalent of all musculo-skeletal pathologies in the world, affecting approximately 10 percent of the world’s population over the age of 60. It is the leading cause of degenerative breakdown in the joints.
Given the aging population, the demand for orthopaedic care will outweigh the supply of specialists. According to a recent report by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons up to 2016, more orthopaedic surgeons are likely to specialize than they were in 2011 with 58 percent reporting specialization. This will help meet the growing demand, but other challenges remain in the shortage of “physician extenders,” said Dr. Lawrence Housman, one of TOI’s founders. “The use of physician extenders – physicians’ assistants, nurse practitioners and registered nurses – is growing. These are well-trained medical professionals that can serve patient expectations by seeing them faster, ordering tests and even making diagnoses,” he said. However, Hecht, who serves on the Pima Community College Foundation Board, said Arizona is one of the leading states facing a shortage of medical professionals in all areas of their operation. In addition to working with Pima Community College, she is also representing TOI on the board of directors for the Tucson Metro Chamber in an effort to address these recruitment challenges “It’s definitely a community-wide challenge,” she said. “I believe things work best when everyone stands together.” Along with these challenges moving forward, Hecht said there is also great opportunity as TOI continues to build its subspecialty roster and focus on the quality of care they provide. More non-invasive procedures – including arthroscopy, robotics and regenerative medicine – continue to introduce new and innovative ways to treat patients, providing lower cost impact to the national healthcare system and excellent patient outcomes. “I believe in our group and in the excellent care we provide,” she said. “We all enjoy seeing our patients leave and return to the life they love – healthy and active. We’re so grateful for our patients who entrust their care to us.”
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1. Dr. Scott Evans, Dr. Eric Anctil 2. Front – Dr. Stephen Hanks, Dr. Steven Shapiro; Back – Dr. John Maltry, Dr. William Prickett 3. Front – Dr. Troy Taduran, Dr. Geoffrey Landis; Back – Dr. Christopher Stevens, Dr. Kevin Bowers 4. Dr. Steven Zeiller, Dr. Edward Petrow, Jr. 5. Dr. Tad DeWald, Dr. Gerard Jeong 6. Dr. Jose Alicea, Dr. Suezie Kim, Dr. Bradley Norris 136 BizTucson
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GETTING PATIENTS BACK IN THE GAME
Sports Medicine
From youth sports enthusiasts to professional athletes on the field, the specialists in sports medicine at Tucson Orthopaedic Institute are poised to provide the most comprehensive care to make sure their patients get back in the game. TOI’s sports medicine team works with patients from injury through physical therapy and return to activity, said Dr. William Prickett. With the evolution of surgical techniques and rehabilitative efforts, patients are getting moving even faster. “Many surgical procedures are able to be done arthroscopically with minimal invasion to the patient,” Prickett said. “This helps with faster recovery and reduces risks associated with surgery. They have also made repairing and reconstructing older athletes more practical.” In addition, Prickett said, more preventative measures are being taken today to prohibit injuries before they occur. “Through exam and analysis of history, we can put patients who present the possibility of injury through a training program in advance of competition. If we find they have a propensity for an injury, we can offer physical therapy to strengthen the area or joint.” One of the more common things Prickett sees in youth sports is overuse injuries from specializing in a single sport. “Kids used to participate in different sports throughout the year and now they are tending to focus on one sport” and often one activity within that sport, he said. “Pitching in baseball is one example.” Overtraining also can lead to joint and muscle injury. He sees this in older adults who tend to remain active in sports such as golf or tennis and in the 140 BizTucson
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“weekend warrior” who only engages in an activity or sports a couple of times a year. While sports injuries can occur to any part of the body, orthopaedic sports medicine physicians most commonly repair ankles, knees and shoulders. They also provide guidance regarding injury prevention, heading off overuse syndromes or ACL injuries, suggesting helpful nutrition tips and making sure that beginning players understand their own anatomy which are all part of the “game plan” in sports medicine.
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Patients are seeing less pain and risk, less medications, reduced down time and just overall faster recovery.
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Dr. William Prickett Surgeon Tucson Orthopaedic Institute –
“The best treatment of sports injuries is prevention,” said Dr. Todd Tucker, a sports medicine surgeon at TOI. “The best ACL surgery is the one that never has to happen. There are proven ways to identify athletes at risk for injury and then to modify their risks, commonly with physical therapy and simple training to lower their risk of injury.” Prickett said many physicians prac-
ticing sports medicine have been athletes themselves. He was a quarterback for the University of Arizona in the early 1990s. Tucker was a college volleyball player. TOI physicians work with athletic trainers and coaches for youth sports, college and professional sports teams throughout the nation. They are also a partner in the STOP Sports Injuries campaign developed by the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine to prevent overuse and trauma injuries among young athletes. “Unfortunately, sometimes injuries do happen and when they do, it is important to have the right team to get back in the game,” Tucker said. “The best way to optimize recovery is a team approach coordinating care with the patient, trainers, therapists, and surgeon. Building a team with excellent communication and a common goal gives people a head start on the road to recovery.” While surgical techniques and rehabilitative efforts have made repairing and reconstructing injuries more practical, other improvements including advances in imaging and less invasive surgical procedures have improved patient outcomes significantly. “Patients are seeing less pain and risk, less medications, reduced down time and just overall faster recovery,” Prickett said. Looking forward, the next generation of care will be from regenerative medicine, he said, including platelet-rich plasma and regenerative biologics. “We’ve only touched the tip of the iceberg in these treatments,” he said. “The benefits of a multidisciplinaryapproach in athletes provides benefits across the board.” Biz www.BizTucson.com
PHOTOS: COURTESY TUCSON ORTHOPAEDIC INSTITUTE
By Mary Minor Davis
Dr. Todd Tucker
Dr. A. Mark Braunstein
PHOTO: BRENT G. MATHIS
Dr. Domingo Cheleuitte
Dr. John Wild, Jr.
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ALTERNATIVE THERAPY AND TREATMENTS CAN HELP
Non-Surgical Care By Rodney Campbell
Physical therapy
Physical therapy is often the first step toward a patient’s recovery. Medical studies are showing that physical therapy can sometimes be as effective as surgery and a much safer option. Bodies are designed to heal themselves of certain conditions, given the proper treatment options and nutrition. Treatment can be customized for patient needs and challenges. “I start with getting patients in with a physical therapist,” Dr. Tad DeWald said. “They are tremendous. It’s my goto with almost any problem.” Sometimes, physical therapy is prescribed to prepare a patient for surgery. Surgeons want people to be in the best possible condition before they enter the operating room. 142 BizTucson
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“My mentor said surgery outcomes are 50 percent the surgical technique and 50 percent physical therapy,” DeWald said. Regenerative medicine
TOI offers dextrose prolotherapy, platelet-rich plasma and stem cells to treat some conditions. All are injections and include natural substances or material from the patient’s body. DeWald has a special focus and training in regenerative medicine. The majority of his work is done with patients who have arthritis or tendonitis, conditions that respond well to his care. “I go over the benefits, risks and alternatives for every type of procedure or suggested surgery,” said DeWald, who also serves as team physician for two local high schools and the Tucson Roadrunners hockey team. “The field of orthobiologics has grown rapidly with safe alternatives to surgery when appropriate.” When patients require surgery, injections can serve as a bridge between relentless pain and the operating room. “We hope to avoid surgery or push it back,” DeWald said. “The field is really expanding. Five or 10 years ago, patients didn’t have this option.”
Osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT)
There are times when a doctor of osteopathic medicine has to get in touch with where a patient’s pain is originating. Using osteopathic manipulative treatment, the doctor moves a patient’s muscles and joints using innovative techniques. Dr. Troy Taduran is TOI’s go-to guy for OMT. He sees patients going through issues from head to toe. “The majority of patients I see do well,” said Taduran, who’s a team physician for two local high schools and an orthopaedic consultant for the University of Arizona. “I’ve had a lot of patients who go through traditional treatment unsuccessfully and I’m still able to help them. These are patients who often have lost hope. I really enjoy that challenge.” Ultimately, what every physician wants to do is improve the patient’s quality of life. Some get there through injections or physical therapy. Taduran practices the hands-on approach. “One of the most gratifying things is being able to effect someone’s pain successfully,” Taduran said. “Manipulation is a powerful but safe tool. I’ve been lucky to find this niche.”
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PHOTO: COURTESY TUCSON ORTHOPAEDIC INSTITUTE
People who go to Tucson Orthopaedic Institute are looking for the best way to control their pain – which often requires surgery and significant downtime. Fortunately, TOI also has many nonsurgical options that reduce risks, avoid opioids and allow patients to resume active lifestyles with minimal or no interruptions. Most often, these types of treatment involve injections, hands-on treatment or physical therapy.
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TOI CENTER WORKS TO DISCOVER OPTIONS
Research for Better Treatments
Medical research is critical to improving the quality of life for patients suffering through musculoskeletal issues. In Southern Arizona, Tucson Orthopaedic Institute is an organization that makes research an integral part of its mission. Led by Dr. Nebojsa Skrepnik, director of the TOI Research Center, the center participates in studies to advance developments in orthopaedics, new devices, procedures and tools, pain management and research with disease-modifying agents and stem cell stimulation. Skrepnik has been director of research since 2002. In that time, the center has conducted almost 300 clinical research studies with pharmaceutical and device companies. That’s an average of about 18 per year and new advancements are constantly cropping up. “It’s evolving as we speak,” Skrepnik said. “I’m reviewing a protocol about stem-cell injection in the shoulder. It’s going to be one of the first prospective clinical trials for stem cells in the shoulder to repair tendons and ligaments. We also have studies with new molecules able to stimulate stem cells already present in the cartilage or below in bone marrow of the knee.” The center has come a long way in the past two decades. When Skrepnik took over, its main purpose was to conduct follow-up calls with patients at set intervals – three months, six months, a year. The questions often revolved around whether patients had to return for further medical care after surgery – what Skrepnik calls “typical outcome studies.” Skrepnik saw untapped potential for TOI to play a role in advancing procedures that do not involve an operating room. 144 BizTucson
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“My interest in joining TOI was the size of the group and the kind of research we could implement,” Skrepnik said. “From an orthopaedic standpoint, it was fantastic. I just needed to figure out their goal. Mine was simple – to create the best orthopaedic research group in the country. If you don’t strive to be the best, you’ll never accomplish anything.”
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Osteoarthritis is a painful disease. Some physicians want to start prescribing opioids. Our surgeons are careful about that.
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– Dr. Nebojsa Skrepnik Research Center Director Tucson Orthopaedic Institute
TOI physicians often work with patients who are suffering from osteoarthritis, the most common form of arthritis. It affects millions of people worldwide and happens when the protective cartilage on the end of a bone wears down over time. It most commonly affects joints in the hands, knees, hips and spine. “Osteoarthritis is a painful disease,” Skrepnik said. “It’s cyclical. It comes and goes. Some physicians want to start prescribing opioids. Our surgeons are careful about that. Opioids can create addictions.”
Instead, research studies conducted at TOI explore the use of nervegrowthfactor (NGF) antibodies that block pain without side effects often caused by opioids. “We have a couple of great studies with NGF antibodies,” Skrepnik said. “These antibodies won’t make you nauseated, constipated or addicted. We started working with NGF antibodies in 2008. We enrolled more than 300 patients in Tucson over that period. Controlling pain with one simple under-theskin injection per month without side effects and addiction is priceless.” Organizations like TOI start clinical studies in the second phase of development, after initial rounds on smaller groups of patients are conducted. Then they follow through with the third phase of clinical trials. Most potential drugs fail during the first round. Skrepnik said only about 3 to 5 percent make it to clinical studies. Phase II usually includes between 150 and 200 patients. On average, drugs that make it to market spend around a decade in testing before they are approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Skrepnik and his team work with TOI’s physicians to determine when patients are good candidates for studies. They meet individually with potential participants before studies begin. “Many patients who have been coming to TOI for years don’t realize we have a research center,” Skrepnik said. “I encourage patients to talk to their orthopaedic surgeons. Our strength as a research center comes from our surgeons and their practices. We always have new interesting drugs and procedures.” To find out about current studies and see if you are eligible to participate, call (520) 784-6482. Biz www.BizTucson.com
PHOTO: COURTESY TUCSON ORTHOPAEDIC INSTITUTE
By Rodney Campbell
Medical research is critical to improving the quality of life for patients suffering through musculoskeletal issues
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Dr. Edward Petrow
DEMAND WILL CONTINUE TO RISE EXPONENTIALLY
Total Joint Replacements
Joint replacement – also known as arthroplasty – is one of the most common elective surgeries in the nation and the specialists at Tucson Orthopaedic Institute predict demand will continue to rise as the population ages and technology allows for greater access to procedures. According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, there were 370,770 total hip replacements and 680,150 total knee replacements in 2014. Nationally, the number of total and partial shoulder replacements increased from about 18,000 in 2000 to more than 45,000 in 2013 and is expected to go as high as 60,000 by 2025. A new study released in March by the AAOS at its annual meeting estimates that hip and knee joint replacements and revisions will increase by 150 percent or more by 2030 – with increases of more than 300 percent by 2060. “We are seeing an explosion of people wearing out their knees and hips,” said Dr. Kevin Bowers, a specialist in total joint replacement at Tucson Orthopaedic Institute’s Oro Valley location. “The demand for what we’re doing just keeps going up.” Even as the demand increases, the age of patients receiving joint replacements has gone down, he added. Reasons for this include active adults wearing out joints sooner, trauma or birth defects that need to be addressed. 146 BizTucson
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According to TOI specialists, improvements to the plastics used in manufacturing artificial joints has been one of the greatest improvements, allowing for greater longevity. “On average, artificial joints have lasted 20 to 25 years, but we are seeing patients with replacements that are even 30 years old. Orthopaedics is about longevity – so we won’t know how well the new plastic lasts until another 20 years or more.” Two areas that are going to set the stage for the future of joint treatment are in the areas of technology and regenerative procedures. Dr. Russell Cohen is a self-described “avid user” of the robotics technology for knee and hip replacements. Dr. John Maltry, a surgeon at TOI’s Northwest location, has also used robotics as well as other minimally invasive procedures on patients in their 40s. “All of us are aggressively involved in using the latest technologies to try to improve the outcome for our patients,” he said. Robotics procedures have also made partial knee replacements much more accessible. “About 10 percent of my procedures are partial knees,” Cohen said. “Robotics has allowed us to spare part of the joint.” Overall, robotics and other minimally invasive procedures allow for lower risk, faster recovery and more exact placement of the joints. “Robotic technology allows us to change the percep-
tion of how we place joints. It allows us to customize the joint placement to each patient,” Cohen added. Cohen said that they are now able to do joint replacements on an outpatient basis, with patient recovery taking place at home. “More patients than ever before seem to be doing better earlier.” “The field of arthroplasty is going through a renaissance,” said Dr. Edward Petrow, whose specialty at TOI is hip and knee replacement. “The addition of robotics has given us the ability to place implants within 1 millimeter of our target. Robotics combined with 3-D printed materials and improved bearing surfaces offers patients a very reliable and durable operation that will likely last them their lifetime.” From its inception 25 years ago, the heart of TOI’s mission is providing state-of-the-art total joint care by offering specialists in all areas. As new technology and treatments become available, this diversity of specialty care will continue so it can meet the rising demand that lies ahead. “TOI to this point exists so that we can provide relatively cost-effective orthopaedic care to our patients,” Maltry said. “We have general orthopaedic physicians and we have specialists in just about every area of orthopaedics that serve patients throughout Southern Arizona and around the world.”
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PHOTOS: COURTESY TUCSON ORTHOPAEDIC INSTITUTE
By Mary Minor Davis
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We are seeing an explosion of people wearing out their knees and hips. The demand for what we’re doing just keeps going up.
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Dr. Kevin Bowers Total Joint Replacement Specialist Tucson Orthopaedic Institute –
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Dr. Eric Anctil
Dr. Geoffrey Landis
CONSTANT IMPROVEMENT FOR BETTER OUTCOMES
Feet and Ankles
PHOTOS: COURTESY TUCSON ORTHOPAEDIC INSTITUTE
By Mary Minor Davis Dr. Geoffrey Landis specializes in foot and ankle conditions at Tucson Orthopaedic Institute. He and his four colleagues provide care for all areas of the ankle and feet – ranging from fractures to plantar fasciitis. In recent years, Landis says they have added both total ankle arthroplasty (TAA) and big-toe implants. The global market for foot and ankle implants and devices was expected to reach $4.7 billion by the end of 2018, according to an article in Micro Market Monitor. An aging population, increase in sports injuries and diabetes are some of the major contributing factors to the growth. Total ankle arthroplasty has been performed since the 1970s but has become more common since 2005. “In my opinion, a foot and ankle orthopaedic surgeon can give you the very best opinion and options for your care,” said Dr. Eric Anctil, a foot and ankle surgeon with Tucson Orthopaedic Institute. “We’re in the third generation of www.BizTucson.com
ankle replacements,” Landis said. “The newer generation of materials used in ankle implants finally received FDA approval at that time. There are now improved outcomes and lower failure rates.” A report published in the National Institutes of Health National Medical Library analyzed the efficacy and failure rate of TAA. The study looked at the total number of procedures performed in the United States between 2005 and 2012 in patients 65 to 85 years of age. The study concluded there was a 20 percent failure rate of the total 7,181 procedures performed, which is consistent with studies done in other countries. Another area that has seen tremendous improvement in patient outcomes is the adoption of big-toe implants to manage joint pain. According to the Centers for Advanced Orthopaedics, osteoarthritis in the big toe is the No. 1 form of foot arthritis, affecting 2.5 percent of the population. The traditional fix has been to fuse the joint, which of-
ten relieves the pain, but limits the toe’s range of motion. Landis said TOI adopted the procedure following research published out of Canada. “It’s really evolved quickly,” Landis said. “Previous implant material included silicone and metal, both of which can break down the bone. Today’s implants are made of the same biocompatible material as contact lenses, so they are much safer and produce better outcomes.” Landis said the foot and ankle team is also looking at regeneration techniques that include amniotic membrane injections. Amniotic membrane, which is rich in stem cells, can help repair worn out, damaged tissues in joint conditions, osteoarthritis, tendinopathies and other inflammatory diseases. “Between our own research center and following research throughout the world, TOI has done a good job of making sure we have paid attention to the needs of the community and that we’ve got the expertise to address those needs,” Landis said. Biz Spring 2019
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Dr. Steven Zeiller
PRESCRIBING RELIEF FROM PAIN
Getting Patients Back to ‘Normal’ By Lee Allen Over the past quarter of a century Tucson Orthopaedic Institute has become Southern Arizona’s largest multispecialty orthopaedic group urging those in need to “get back in the game with comprehensive care from a team of trusted experts.” No matter where an injury happened or how, their medical specialists fix banged-up elbows, hands, shoulders, feet and ankles – everything right up to total joint replacement – at eight area locations. They offer a no-appointment, walkin clinic for acute injuries, and their testimonials are numerous from grateful patients who showed up in pain and found relief. One of those is competitive distance runner Dan Heston of Marana, who extols the virtues of TOI doctors. During the work day, he shows homeowners how to build outdoor kitchens and fireplaces. When not doing that, he’s running – competitively, frequently and for long distances. That was until he went on a dimly lit construction zone – an ill-conceived trip for an experienced runner of 30 years – that sent him to the TOI orthopaedic specialists with torn tendons after tripping through an unseen excavation. “They elected not to do any kind of medical Band-Aid injections because I’d just keep running and probably do further damage, so we skipped the 150 BizTucson
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drugs and opted for physical therapy,” he said. “After just a few visits, I was back training and running 50 to 60 miles a week. Physical therapy can do wonders for the human body.”
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Our patient stories provide essential feedback as we work every day to improve our care.
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– Dr. Andrew Mahoney Tucson Orthopaedic Institute
He should know something about the mind over body equation because he pushes his body so hard. “I like to see how hard I can push myself physically and although you break your body down pretty good, I don’t feel I’ve
reached a stopping point yet. In fact, that injury came shortly before one of my best runs – a 26-hour, 106-mile distance run that ended as the national anthem signaled the start of the El Tour de Tucson bike race.” Dr. William Prickett and colleagues at TOI may have to prepare Heston a frequent-patient card as he recently expended himself a bit too hard in the gym and tore muscles so badly he couldn’t walk. “This time, they put me in a boot, added some meds and exercises, and got me rehabbed and back on the road again so I could finish a marathon run down Mount Lemmon.” Ronnie Grate, a fitness specialist at Grate Performance Training and a member of the Canyon Ranch Fitness Team for more than 20 years, got to know Dr. Russell Cohen and the concept of robotic hip replacement when several decades of running and jumping workouts brought him more pain than pleasure. “I love what I do in helping clients achieve their goals – but the initial pain was slowing me down,” he said. “It was getting progressively worse. I’d be walking and out of the blue the pain would be so bad, I’d have to stop before I could take another step.” In his late 50s with three decades as a fitness exercise specialist, he thought the progression of time was catching up continued on page 152 >>> www.BizTucson.com
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BizMEDICINE continued from page 150 with him. When the hip pain didn’t go away and began to affect his job, he remembered one of his workout sessions was called “No Excuses” and he took his own advice. X-rays showed a worn-out hip joint that made him a good candidate for Cohen’s specialty of minimally invasive and more accurate robotically assisted hip replacement. And because postrehab physical therapy to strengthen while recovering is one of Grate Performance Training’s specialties, he could take advantage of his own expertise to get himself back up to speed. Now very familiar with the terms “titanium” and “ceramic” and with a full post-op range of motion, he said: “I’m glad I had it done. Everything is back to where it used to be – maybe even better. After I finished physical therapy, my first day back on the job, I taught a spin class. I’m doing stuff now that I haven’t been able to do in recent years. Post-op, I’m 110 percent over where I was preop.” Hannah Edwards was a competitive baton twirler who, her mom thought,
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was slouching too much. As it turned out, Edwards’ twisted back was due to scoliosis or curvature of the spine. At 14 years old, Edwards went through a seven-hour surgery on her back to correct a double curve. She
Hannah Edwards
was told there was a strong chance she wouldn’t walk again. “I decided with fortitude that not only would I walk, I would dance and twirl,” she said. She was being treated by Dr. Brian Nielsen, who she said “documented and followed my rapid spinal changes.” “As a parent, the stress of having a child needing health care can be intense,” Nielsen said. “The pediatric orthopaedic section at TOI understands, and is well equipped to handle any orthopaedic need, from cutting-edge, 3D patient-specific scoliosis correction, rapid treatment of sports injuries to get your child playing again, and new technologies for deformity correction.” “Dr. Nielsen went above and beyond to make sure I was able to get back to full health and strength,” Edwards said. “He helped me plan out what I needed to accomplish, step-by-step, before having surgery. During post-surgery follow up visits, Dr. Nielsen made sure I was able to return to my everyday activities, including playing sports and competing on the national level.”
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BizBRIEF
Bass & Associates Earns Community Service Award Law firm Bass & Associates earned the 2018 Community Service Award given by the National Creditors Bar Association. The company’s program that provides monthly giving opportunities for its employees was boosted by a $1,000 award that came with the honor. It will be donated to Irreverent Warriors, which works to prevent militaryveteran suicides. The group brings veterans together at therapeutic events and through entertainment to help them heal from the mental wounds of war. Volunteers from Bass & Associates collect water and sports drinks to distribute at the “Silkies Hike” – also known as “22 with 22 for the 22.” The numbers signify, respectively, the length of the walk in kilometers carrying the number kilograms by each veteran participant to honor the number of service members who commit suicide each day. Other projects that the woman-owned collections and bankruptcy law firm supports include Beads of Courage, for which volunteers make bracelets to give children with life-threatening illnesses, and the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona, which benefits from the company’s annual November food drive. The award “is intended to recognize the member firm that has best demonstrated an overall firm commitment to and implementation of activities for the betterment of its community,” according to the NCBA. “This is wonderful recognition for our employees and all the giving they do for our community,” said Patti H. Bass, founder, president and CEO of Bass & Associates. “Our firm and our employees feel a strong commitment to making our community better – sometimes in small ways and always with a big heart.” Bass accepted the award at NCBA’s 25th anniversary breakfast in Nashville, Tennessee. Nationally recognized Bass & Associates has more than 20 years of experience as debt collection and bankruptcy attorneys. It offers comprehensive debt-recovery services to clients in the credit-granting industries.
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Robert Griffin
DVI’s Winter Investments Benefit 2 Technology Companies DVI Equity Partners, a venture capital entity affiliated with Diamond Ventures, recently invested in two companies, bringing its number of portfolio companies to 14. The investment firm targets early-stage, emerging technology companies specializing in disruptive technology. It focuses on businesses founded and led by women and minorities. Appdome, a mobile integration company – with offices in Redwood City, California, and Tel Aviv – received investment capital and strategic growth expertise. Luminoso Technologies, headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, benefited from a Series B round of financing from an investor group led by DVI. Appdome’s no-code platform allows rapid integration of multiple third-party functions to existing apps. It’s used by vendors in mobile security, mobility, mobile app management, mobile identity and threat defense. “Providing a smart solution to the ongoing management of distinct apps has given Appdome an impressive leadership foothold in this market,” said Robert Griffin, DVI managing partner. The market analyst firm Gartner reports the market for mobile application management solutions – including enterprise mobile management devices – is approaching $400 million. Luminoso Technologies is a leading artificial intelligence (AI) and natural language understanding (NLU) company. Its software helps companies rapidly discover insights from text-based and unstructured data. These data come from contact centers, chat-bots, live chats, product reviews, survey responses and email. DVI led the financing in a partnership with VT Companies and DF Enterprise. Griffin will join the Luminoso board of directors. “Luminoso is a remarkable company,” Griffin said. “They are automating data analysis that once took hundreds and even thousands of human hours, enabling global enterprises to unlock the voice of their customers, employees, product design team and more to optimize their operations, brand and customer experience.” Gartner predicts that the NLP market size will grow to $16.07 billion by 2021. Other DVI investments include CopLink, i2, Wasabi Technologies, Tacit Innovations, IDx and TalentReef. It has also provided financing to JobApp, Medical Referral Source, Digital Reasoning, Calimmune, Corbus Pharmaceuticals and Cancer Prevention Pharmaceuticals.
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CCIM Forecast Winners Office Michael Gross Tucson Realty & Trust Vacancy rate: 2018 Forecast – 8.65 percent 2018 Actual – 8.30 percent 2019 Forecast – 8.80 percent Industrial Russell W. Hall Cushman & Wakefield I PICOR Vacancy rate: 2018 Forecast – 5.90 percent 2018 Actual – 5.80 percent 2019 Forecast – 5.04 percent Finance Cody McGuire National Bank of Arizona 10-Year Treasury constant maturity rate: 2018 Forecast – 2.68 percent 2018 Actual – 2.69 percent 2019 Forecast – 2.80 percent Retail Robert J. Tomlinson, Cushman & Wakefield I PICOR Vacancy rate: 2018 Forecast – 5.00 percent 2018 Actual – 5.20 percent 2019 Forecast – 4.50 percent Multifamily Art Wadlund Berkadia Vacancy rate: 2018 Forecast – 6.20 percent 2018 Actual – 6.29 percent 2019 Forecast – 5.75 percent Land James T. Lavery RE/MAX Excalibur Building permits: 2018 Forecast – 4,350 2018 Actual – 4,180 2019 Forecast – 4,100
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Tucson Commercial Real Estate On Upswing Nearly All Predictions On-Point for 2018 By David Pittman All local commercial real estate sectors – industrial, retail, office, apartment and land – are on the upswing and making huge contributions to a growing and increasingly prosperous economy in metro Tucson. That was the consensus of opinion among real estate professionals at the 28th annual CCIM Commercial Real Estate Forecast held Feb. 19 at the Tucson Convention Center. “The Southern Arizona economy has great momentum. Positive things are happening throughout Tucson,” said Gary Andros, president of the Southern Arizona CCIM chapter. “Amazon is building a giant warehouse at the Port of Tucson that will create 1,500 permanent jobs, five new hotels adding 600 rooms are coming to downtown Tucson, a parking lot on East Broadway is becoming a 12-story, mixed-use development, GEICO and Caterpillar are building a presence here and construction of student housing near the University of Arizona is booming,” he said. “Investors are looking to secondary markets, and Tucson has much to offer – a high quality of life, a great climate and it is very affordable compared to other cities across the nation,” he said. But Andros also offered a cautionary note that threats – such as rising interest rates, increased government regulation and a shortage
of skilled construction labor – loom as possible future challenges that could alter this rosy economic outlook. The CCIM forecast competition is one of the longest-running events of its type in the United States. The approximately 400 people who attended heard from commercial real estate experts who made the most accurate predictions a year ago. Those top honorees led panel discussions in their particular areas of expertise concerning current conditions and the outlook for 2019. CCIM, an acronym for Certified Commercial Investment Member, is an educational designation that conveys knowledge and expertise in the field of commercial real estate that is recognized worldwide by brokers, investors and developers. To achieve the designation, applicants must attend classes, pass tests and document that they have completed at least $10 million in real estate transactions. The winners of the competition were so accurate in their 2018 predictions that James T. Lavery, a senior commercial associate broker at RE/MAX Excalibur and president-elect of the local CCIM chapter, described them as “hall-of-fame caliber” and “among the best ever” in the competition’s history. The winning predictions from the apartment, finance and industrial sectors were only about 0.1 percent off the actual result. continued on page 162 >>> www.BizTucson.com
PHOTOS: BRENT G. MATHIS
BizREALESTATE
DEMAND TOTAL EXPERTISE INSIST UPON
A COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONAL Discover why less than 1% of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s commercial real estate professionals hold the coveted Certified Commercial Investment Member designation.
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FINANCIAL ANALYSIS, MARKET ANALYSIS, USER DECISION ANALYSIS AND INVESTMENT ANALYSIS CHAPTERS.CCIM.COM/SOUTHERNARIZONA
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continued from page 160 “The top forecasts were very close to perfect,” said Lavery, who was master of ceremonies of the event and the first-place forecaster in the land category. “That demonstrates that attending this presentation once a year is a wise asset-management decision for commercial real estate property owners, agents, contractors and lenders in Pima County.” Office
Michael Gross, a top producer at Tucson Realty & Trust, took the forecast award in the office category. Gross also is no stranger to the award, having previously won it four times. He predicted an 8.65 percent vacancy rate for office properties in metro Tucson at the end of 2018. The actual rate was 8.3 percent. Gross predicts the rate will increase to 8.8 percent by the close of 2019.
Industrial
Russ Hall, a principal at Cushman & Wakefield|PICOR, won the forecasting award in the industrial category for a remarkable fourth consecutive year. He won his latest honor by predicting a 5.9 percent vacancy rate for Tucson industrial properties at the close of 2018. He wasn’t off by much – the actual rate was 5.8 percent. Hall predicts the rate will fall to 5.04 percent by the end of this year.
Finance
Cody McGuire of National Bank of Arizona won the forecast award for predicting that the yield on the 10-year Treasury note would be 2.68 percent at the end of 2018. The actual rate was 2.69 percent. McGuire predicts the rate will rise to 2.8 percent by the start of 2020.
Retail
Robert J. Tomlinson, a principal at Cushman & Wakefield|PICOR, won the 2018 forecasting award in the retail category, predicting the vacancy rate for retail properties would be 5 percent. The actual rate was 5.2 percent. Tomlinson predicts the rate will drop to 4.5 percent in 2019.
Multifamily
Art Wadlund, senior managing director at Berkadia, won the multifamily forecast award by predicting that the vacancy rate in Tucson’s apartment market would be 6.2 percent. The actual rate was 6.29 percent. Wadlund, also a repeat winner in the CCIM competition, predicts the rate will fall to 5.75 percent this year.
Land
James T. Lavery of RE/MAX Excalibur won in the residential land-use category, predicting that 4,350 residential building permits would be issued in Pima County for 2018. There were actually 4,180 permits issued. Lavery predicts 4,100 permits will be issued in 2019.
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BizCONSTRUCTION
N E W
T O
M A R K E T
Project: Pavilion at Tohono Chul Park Location: 7366 N. Paseo del Norte Owner: Tohono Chul Park Contractor: W.E. O’Neil Construction Architect: John Douglas Architects Completion Date: Fall 2019 Construction Cost: N/A Project Description: This new 5,000-square-foot event center on the park’s north side includes a wall that can open to the outside patio creating a functional indoor/outdoor venue.
Project: 17 W. Wetmore Redevelopment Location: 17 W. Wetmore Road Owner: BCoronado Tower Tucson Contractor: TBD Architect: Eglin+Bresler Architects Completion Date: Spring 2019 Construction Cost: N/A Project Description: Redevelopment of an existing professional office building located directly across Wetmore Road from Tucson Mall will be followed by a re-leasing campaign.
Project: Benson K-4 Classroom Addition Location: 360 S. Patagonia St., Benson Owner: Benson Unified School District Contractor: Lloyd Construction Architect: BWS Architects Completion Date: First quarter 2020 Construction Cost: Estimated $2.6 million Project Description: Upon completion of the project, Benson Primary School will have an additional 16,000 square feet, including eight new K-4 classrooms, a multi-purpose room and storage.
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BizCONSTRUCTION
N E W
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M A R K E T
Project: Pima Medical Institute Location: 2121 N. Craycroft Road Owner: Summit Development Partners Contractor: Rio West Architect: Planning Center, Seaver Franks Architects Completion Date: 2019-2020 Construction Cost: N/A Project Description: Buildings for this project will range from 7,000 to 100,000 square feet and include high-quality design and construction.
Project: The Row Offices Location: 3001 E. Skyline Drive Owner: Gallery Row Group C/O Larsen Baker Contractor: TBD Architect: Repp + McLain Design & Construction Completion Date: April 2020 Construction Cost: N/A Project Description: The former Gallery Row will receive significant exterior and interior renovations to transform the former mixeduse property into new professional office space.
Project: Copper Sky Assisted Living Location: 1580 E. Valerie St., Casa Grande Owner: Q & R Management Contractor: Barker Contracting Architect: Seaver Franks Architects Completion Date: Summer 2019 Construction Cost: N/A Project Description: Phase one includes a 23-bed memory-care facility. Phase two will add another facility, both joined by a charming, enclosed courtyard.
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Gov. Doug Ducey
Pima Community College Stands to Land $20 Million for Aviation Program State Funds Would Expand Student Training By Tiffany Kjos A proposal to give Pima Community College a $20 million cash infusion would allow the college to double the size of its aviation program – allowing it to educate more people to work in the high-paying industry and fill huge gaps in the pool of trained workers here. If approved by the state legislature, the proposal backed by Gov. Doug Ducey would ratchet up the annual number of students Pima can train from about 125 to 250. “We have a pipeline full of aviation companies looking at Tucson – and PCC’s aviation-tech program is absolutely essential to have the chance to win the competition. There probably isn’t a more important partner in aviation training, as we sit today, than PCC,” said Joe Snell, president and CEO of Sun Corridor Inc. “We have a very low unemployment 170 BizTucson
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rate, so the ability to demonstrate that we can fill companies’ labor needs is really paramount. We can recruit them in – but a large portion of this has to be training our people up to be competitive.” Amber Smith, CEO and president of the Tucson Metro Chamber, said the state’s investment in Pima’s aviation program would help the school stay on the cutting edge of the aviation industry. “Since aerospace and defense are presently Tucson’s No. 1 industry, the Tucson Metro Chamber is pleased that the state’s $20 million investment in PCC’s aviation program strongly aligns with our mission of being a champion of workforce development and talent retention,” Smith said. “There is high demand for commercial airline pilots and even higher de-
mand for the technicians that support the aircraft across the country. PCC has a large wait-list of students entering this field, as well as a list of companies seeking this specific skill set, so the investment will allow PCC to be in a better position to respond to the demand.” According to Sun Corridor Inc., the proposal would have a fiscal impact statewide of more than $225 million from 2019 to 2023 from increases in jobs, payroll, output and tax revenues. Sun Corridor recruits companies by marketing the region nationally and internationally and helps expand and retain existing businesses. “Nearly all of our students will have two or more job proposals before they graduate from our program,” said Ian Roark, VP of workforce development at Pima. “We have a job-placement rate at 90 www.BizTucson.com
BizAVIATION
Lee Lambert Chancellor Pima Community College
Tucson Mayor Jonathan Rothschild
“
Aviation is a major industry in Southern Arizona. Training skilled workers in this field really makes sense on so many levels.
and sometimes 100 percent, and most of our graduates walk right across the tarmac to regional employers.” The college’s Aviation Technology Center, 7211 S. Park Ave., turns out structural repair specialists (mechanics trained to work on commercial jets) and avionics technicians. The program doesn’t fast-track students. Each receives 2,000 hours of training, completes 300 projects and takes more than 100 exams. “So it’s no wonder that the graduates have been recruited by a host of topnotch employers, including Bombardier, Boeing, Ascent Aviation, Skywest Airlines and Universal Avionics. With this new investment, Arizona’s pipeline of young people is ready for tomorrow’s aviation jobs as this industry takes off,” Ducey said.
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Jonathan Rothschild, Tucson Mayor
Marc Beaudette is GM of Bombardier’s Tucson Service Centre. The company employs 700 people here and is excited at the prospect of having more trained workers to hire. “There is a pronounced shortage of highly skilled technicians and engineers on the market,” Beaudette said. Further, many currently working in the industry will retire soon, he said. Snell, of Sun Corridor, said it’s “absolutely critical” to have a pool of specially trained job seekers here. “Aerospace and defense has been one of our key growth industries for decades and will continue to be in the future. The industry is anchored by Raytheon – but there are 200 other companies here with more than 25,000 employees total in this sector. We have the fifth-highest concentrations of A&D employees in the nation.”
”
Pima County has the largest concentration of aviation occupations in the state, according to the college, at 179 percent above the U.S. average. “These are high-paying jobs that can support entire families,” Tucson Mayor Jonathan Rothschild said, noting that the $20 million would provide PCC with money to cover construction costs, training, equipment and salaries. “We need this program. Every student who graduates from this program has a job waiting. That means we can get a lot more people jobs,” Rothschild said. “Arizona needs this program. Aviation is a major industry in Southern Arizona. Training skilled workers in this field really makes sense on so many levels.”
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PHOTOS: BRYCE MORTHLAND/PIMA COMMUNITY COLLEGE
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PHOTO: BRENT G. MATHIS
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BizVISION
TUCSON’S GLOBAL VISIONARIES
Influencing Our Region and the World By Steven E. Rosenberg
In our premier edition, the cover story was “Why the World is Watching Tucson.” We featured six Southern Arizona visionaries who were shaping the future – not only of Tucson and Southern Arizona, but also impacting the world. Our stories have been about remarkable leaders, businesses large and small, plus trends and issues that impact us every day – whether we work for a business or own one.
www.BizTucson.com
A decade later we continue to marvel at this region’s remarkable sphere of influence. The world really does benefit from our people and our products. Some outside of our physical region are watching with keen interest. Others have no idea how much we influence their lives. Think defense. Think electronics and data management. Think space exploration, medical breakthroughs, optics, workforce development, scientific research. Think destination tourism. And think of entrepreneurs and venture capitalists who continue to expand our horizons. The world knows us for Raytheon Missile Systems, IBM, Vec-
tor, Roche Tissue Diagnostics, the University of Arizona. And the world visits this region for our resorts, our unique desert environment, the gem show, the rodeo and even our food now that Tucson is the nation’s only City of Gastronomy. Today, we celebrate the 10th anniversary of BizTucson by recognizing and honoring 10 local Global Visionaries – people and companies – who are recognized around the world for their influence, their ideas, their visions: We asked all 10 to share their vision of what their industry and this region will become over the next decade – to the year 2029 and beyond. Their insights are certain to make us feel that Southern Arizona really is the center of the universe.
Steve Rosenberg came to Tucson to attend the University Arizona continued on pageof 174 and stayed to lain publish-
t
When we launched BizTucson 10 years ago, our vision was to tell the astounding business stories we have in this community – international companies with deep roots here, scientists researching new medical treatments, inventors turning innovative ideas into new products, entrepreneurs and startups leading us in new directions.
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PHOTO: BRENT G. MATHIS
GLOBAL VISIONARY AWARD
Jennifer K. Barton
BizHONOR
Director, BIO5 Institute, University of Arizona Jennifer K. Barton, a world-renowned University of Arizona researcher, is leading an effort to create tiny tools to solve big health problems. Barton has led a group of medical residents and students in a range of disciplines to create miniature, high-resolution endoscopes that can take images of early-stage cancers of the colon, ovaries and skin. She’s also been at the forefront of a laser treatment for skin blood vessel disorders. Journals have published around 100 papers she’s written on her research.
are the major initiatives Q:What of the BIO5 Institute that will
have the most impact on the region’s business environment over the next 10 years?
BIO5 Institute at the UniA: The versity of Arizona was launched
in 2001 with financial support generated by the Technology and Research Initiative Fund – a special investment in higher education made possible by the passage of Proposition 301 by Arizona voters.
TRIF’s catalytic investments have allowed BIO5 to bring together worldclass plant, animal and human bioscientists, engineers, physicians and computational researchers to develop bold solutions for complex challenges such as disease, hunger, water and food safety, and other environmental issues facing Arizona. BIO5 connects more than 300 researchers and almost 30 departments on campus. Our initiatives will continue to create impact on our citizens and provide a return on investment to our region and state in the following ways:
• Fostering collaborative projects that
address major challenges in the biosciences, biomedicine and biotechnology – and forge significant progress on novel treatments for asthma, cancer, valley fever, diabetes, sudden cardiac death, malnutrition, degenerative eye disorders, Alzheimer’s and other age-related brain diseases.
• Strengthening and expanding trans-
lational research by recruiting the best and brightest faculty to Arizona and supporting projects that will advance the development of new medi-
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Barton and her team received a four-year, $1.3 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to continue research to develop a life-saving approach to early detection of ovarian cancer, which is the fifth-leading cancer killer among women, largely because most cases aren’t detected until the disease is widespread. “We work with our strengths here at the UA and help connect them in new ways. That’s where the exciting developments are happening,” said Barton, who has been on the UA faculty since 1998.
cines, devices, diagnostics and nutritional and therapeutic strategies.
• Engaging and training future gen-
erations of scientists by maintaining successful outreach and internship programs to promote experiential learning and STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) literacy in the state.
• Promoting
an entrepreneurial cul-
ture in which scientists work across disciplines to accelerate commercial translation of research breakthroughs.
role does the BIO5 InQ:What stitute play in overall economic
development in Southern Arizona and what are some of the specific initiatives in which it can be involved?
brings together hundreds A: BIO5 of researchers from across
the UA and the state to work together with the goal of advancing the pace of scientific discovery and tackling our world’s critical biological challenges. BIO5 plays an important role in the workforce and economic development of our region. BIO5 develops unique, hands-on programs that prepare students to thrive in a rapidly changing world. BIO5 also provides training opportunities for more than 1,300 undergraduate, graduate and post-doctoral students each year through assistantships, student jobs, scholarships, grants and research experiences. are some of the businesses, Q:Who individuals, and organizations
that can have the most significant impact in the BIO5 Institute’s objectives and how can they partner with BIO5?
BIO5 has been sucA: Because cessful as a collaborative, in-
terdisciplinary hub, we know that the best ideas – and opportunities for those ideas to create impact – happen when people with different experience and perspectives come together and share insight, knowledge, data and resources. BIO5 thrives when we interface with community partners and supporters from across the spectrum of business, industry, government, nonprofits and the private sector willing to sit down at the table (or lab bench) with us and solve grand challenges. We are open to strategically partnering in every conceivable area – including cooperative research projects, large-scale team science grants, education initiatives, cutting-edge equipment and resources, and bringing faculty and other experts to our region who will help move the needle on issues that our communities and the world face. at the economic direcQ:Looking tion of the Southern Arizona
region today, what is your ideal picture of the overall business environment 10 years from now and how can we get there? like Southern Arizona A: Itowould be viewed as an exciting
destination for bioscience companies, mixing an educated workforce with a supportive, collaborative business environment where the university, industry and private sector work together. The UA and institutional drivers like BIO5 within universities have the unique capacity to create strong momentum in economic AND workforce development.
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GLOBAL VISIONARY AWARD
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BizHONOR
Jim Cantrell CEO & Founder, Vector
The CEO of a high-stakes player in the aerospace industry decided to land the business in Tucson based on its high-profile neighbors, including Raytheon Missile Systems. “I left the space industry five years ago because it had become stodgy and old,” Jim Cantrell said in a BizTucson interview. “I’d been done with it and went off to do some other things, but this new energy brought me back into it because I think some new accomplishments can be made.” He’s an entrepreneur who founded StratSpace, managing and engineering firm in Tucson. He’s also been chief technical officer for Moon Express, a privately funded lunar resource company in California.
Vector is a microsatellite launch company that’s producing smaller rockets for frequent and relatively inexpensive launches. It is located in a growing corridor of aerospace ventures near Tucson International Airport. Vector was founded by several members of SpaceX, where Cantrell was VP of business development. Space X provides launch vehicles for NASA and commercial flights while Vector is producing the first rocket built exclusively for the microsatellite market. It opens the door to space for those who don’t need or can’t afford a $100 million traditional rocket launch to put their satellite in orbit.
are some exciting develare some of the key inQ:What Q:Who opments we can expect to see in dividuals, businesses and or-
the growing space industry in Tucson the next several years and what is at the top of Vector’s priority list?
– and Arizona as a A: Tucson whole – have significant advantages that are fueling exciting growth potential in the commercial space economy – including a talented and readily available labor pool and infrastructure for expansion. In the next few years, we hope to help Arizona become known as the new “space state” – and envision a space city growing up around Vector’s footprint in Tucson. Vector’s top priority is continuing the test-firing of our rocket technology and building out our test site. Included in our plans is a global state-of-the art rocket factory at Pima County’s Aerospace Research Campus where we plan to produce hundreds of small rockets in the coming years.
Q:
What does Vector see as its role in overall economic development in Southern Arizona and the growth of the emerging space industry here?
ganizations who can have the greatest impact on development of the region’s space industry and how can they work together for the overall good of the region’s economic development?
ward trajectory in addition to a steady cadence of other entrants joining us in the Arizona space market. other insights about VecQ:What tor or the future of the space
industry in the region do you want to share with our readers?
has been actively enprivate commercial space A: Vector gaged with the Arizona Space A: With companies like Vector, Paragon, Business Roundtable and our leading
state universities to improve the commercial space ecosystem of Southern Arizona and statewide. Our intent is to support the transformation of Arizona as a globally recognized commercial space hub across the fast-emerging commercial space value chain. Pinal County has been looking to boost economic development at Pinal Air Park since its opening to the public in 2013, and the site itself is an ideal location for testing and operations for Vector.
at the economic direcQ:Looking tion of the Southern Arizona
region today, what is your ideal picture of the overall business environment 10 years from now and how can we get there?
FreeFall Aerospace and World View in the region, plus globally recognized programs such as OSIRIS-Rx, the region has a strong running start. To garner increasing market share in the global commercial space economy that is expected to mushroom to over a trillion dollars in 2017, the regional, state, public and private sectors are encouraged to seize this window of opportunity in these early, pioneering stages to discover, better connect – and launch a new and robust economic development strategy. This includes the possibility to have a new small-class vehicle launch site in the greater Yuma region, that would improve our overall global competitiveness in new commercial space race.
business of commercial to a study by the A: The A: According space in particular is an excitArizona Technology Council,
ing and new growth sector for the Arizona economy – and Vector’s presence in the region only further contributes to augmenting the job market in Tucson, providing many with an opportunity to launch careers in the new space economy. www.BizTucson.com
employment growth in the technology sector in the state outpaced California and other Southwest states in 2016, with Pima County leading the state’s most populous counties in growth of tech firms. Over the next 10 years, we’d like to see this growth continue its up-
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GLOBAL VISIONARY AWARD
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Dr. Eric Walk
&
Chief Medical & Scientific Officer Roche Tissue Diagnostics
Jill German came to Roche in Oro Valley after working at the company’s headquarters in Rotkreuz, Switzerland. Since 2004 she’s held other leadership positions at Roche, including VP of sales for Roche Diagnostics, Indianapolis. Under her leadership, the team was responsible for the longterm strategy, development and delivery of systems, workflow and IT serving molecular diagnostic laboratories globally. After gaining experience in applied sciences, diabetes care and centralized diagnostics, she moved her family to Switzerland to head up molecular systems IT and workflow for Roche Diagnostics International. Working on a campus with colleagues from 47 different nationalities further broadened her healthcare horizons and emboldened her commitment to create
leader in the biotechnolQ:Asogyaindustry not only regionally
but internationally, what leadership role can Roche Tissue Diagnostics play in the continued development of this industry in the Southern Arizona region?
A:
The Southern Arizona region is poised to become a powerful, best-in-class hub of biotechnology, with a diverse and growing core of bioscience companies that work in close partnership with the University of Arizona and Pima Community College. Roche Tissue Diagnostics is committed to Tucson and to the growth of this critically important industry, as evidenced by the investment we make in our people and our facilities, and in our commitment to improving the practice of medicine globally. We are proud to be revolutionizing cancer diagnostics worldwide as the global market leader and innovator of tissuebased diagnostic solutions for patients and anatomic pathology labs. RTD employs about 1,700 full-time and contract employees, with about 500 dedicated to research and development. Our local facilities are made up of 10 buildings totaling nearly a half million square feet of manufacturing, labs, offices and warehouse space. Future expansion includes a campus community building that will be open for community events, including art exhibits in www.BizTucson.com
BizHONOR
Jill German
Head of Roche Tissue Diagnostics
greater access to better healthcare worldwide. Dr. Eric Walk was trained as a pathologist, yet wanted to dig deeper into diagnostics and impact a broad spectrum of patients. His position at Roche Tissue Diagnostics allows him to do that. Part of the Roche Diagnostics Medical Leadership Team, Walk creates the global medical strategy for the diagnostics division at Roche, the world’s largest biotech company, at its Oro Valley campus. Walk graduated from Johns Hopkins University and holds a medical degree from the University of Virginia Medical School. He did his residency at Mount Sinai. German and Walk jointly responded to the questions below.
partnership with Southern Arizona Arts and Cultural Alliance, as well as a central utility plant.
biomedical industry and how can they work together for the overall good of the region’s economic development?
We are committed to making Tucson a better place to live by partnering with many community organizations. With a strong community, we all prosper.
our region requires A: Elevating collaboration in the private and
does Roche see as the Q:What necessary ingredients to build a
strong base in the biomedical industry in Southern Arizona? What can it do and what is it willing to do to support efforts to ensure the industry’s needs are met?
public sectors. Critical in this effort are the local biotech companies that are partnering for the advancement of the industry, including Accelerate Diagnostics, HTG Molecular Diagnostics, SalutarisMD and Cancer Prevention Pharmaceuticals. Also seated at the table in this effort are education and government leaders as well as scientific and business development organizations.
we must develLooking at the economic direcA: Asop aa community, receptive business environQ: tion of the Southern Arizona ment to make the region more attrac-
tive to the biotech industry. To achieve this, our team is dedicated to serving in key mentorship roles in the biosciences community and in leadership positions in scientific, business development and educational organizations. At the heart of our community’s success is education. We are dedicated to strengthening local education systems for K-20 through educational partnerships and through support of STEM learning throughout the community. with Roche Tissue DiQ:Along agnostics, who are some of
the key individuals, businesses and organizations who can have the greatest impact on development of the region’s
region today, what is your ideal picture of the overall business environment 10 years from now and how can we get there? have a vision of a vibrant A: We and diverse industry landscape
for Tucson that draws talent from across the globe. This will only be possible through industry, government and community groups working together to invest in the region, bolstered by a thriving K-20 education system. We are committed to making this vision a reality through our dedication to improving the community where we live, play and work.
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BizHONOR
Dr. Fayez K. Ghishan
Director, Steele Children’s Research Center, University of Arizona For more than two dozen years, Dr. Fayez K. Ghishan has shared his ideas, hypotheses and fundraising acumen with the University of Arizona’s Steele Children’s Research Center. Ghishan has brought millions of dollars in grants from the National Institutes of Health to Tucson and co-authored major textbooks on pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition, plus hundreds of research papers.
was your vision for what Q:What eventually became the Steele
Children’s Research Center and Diamond Children’s Medical Center when you arrived in 1995? first tasks were to secure A: My the necessary state-of-the-art
research equipment and recruit the best physicians, scientists and physicianscientists to advance our knowledge in pediatric health. Our work is focused on autoimmune diseases, including type 1 diabetes, which is a chronic condition in which the body makes antibodies against the beta cells in the pancreas that produce insulin and the beta cells are destroyed. Treatment centers on managing blood sugar levels through nutrition and insulin injections. While the disease can be managed, it can be life-threatening. The Centers for Disease Control estimates that nearly 30 million people in the United States suffer from autoimmune diseases. We have three missions at Steele Children’s Research Center. We’re training medical students to be pediatricians and subspecialists. That’s first. The next focus is on caring for the children who rely on the Steele Center for treatment. Prior to its creation, children in Southern Arizona did not have the clinical resources needed. The last mission is discoveries – this is how to find the cure. We’re working on genetic-code sequencing, understanding tolerance and the microbiome. Through the generosity of Donald Diamond and his family, we have built a children’s hospital that has 116 beds. Every room is a private room in which www.BizTucson.com
Ghishan came to the UA from Vanderbilt University in 1995 to take the top spot in his field here. “Tucson is a hub for allergies. I started seeing a lot of patients for this,” Ghishan said of the time when his work for children began in Tucson. “They would tell me ‘I’m going to Cincinnati Children’s because they specialize in aerodigestive diseases’ – so we built a center of excellence – and I recruited people from Cincinnati Children’s and brought them here.”
three people can sleep – the two parents as well as the child. Every room has a private bathroom, a private shower. That was our ultimate vision of how to provide state-of-the-art clinical care for our patients. We have recruited 85 faculty members to really help bring in the residents and subspecialists to take care of these kids when they’re sick. We doubled the size of the residency program. When I arrived here, we had 33 pediatric residents. Now we have 70 pediatric residents in our program.
Q:
How has the Steele Center and the children’s hospital played a role in overall economic development in Southern Arizona – and how has it been able to involve the business community? We train doctors for the comA: munity and for the state of Arizona because we know many of the people we train stay here.
We did an economic study to see the impact of having a children’s hospital in this community. People come here because we built certain high-specialty programs – where parents come and stay and live for three months, for example, with their kids. So it’s clear that it has a major economic impact on Tucson and the state.
Q:
Who are some of the businesses, individuals and organizations that have had the most significant impact in the Steele Children’s Research Center? Day Council TucA: Father’s son was established by the late
Howard Rosenberg and son Steve
Rosenberg to raise funds specifically for the Steele Children’s Research Center. Similar Father’s Day Councils in other cities raise funds that go to the American Diabetes Association. But here the money raised stays local and supports our program. Another big group that has made an incredible impact on us is an organization in Phoenix called PANDA – People Acting Now Discover Answers. So far they have raised almost $15 million from the Phoenix community. Arizona Elks Major Projects has provided unbelievable support for us and they have also raised a significant amount of money (more than $6 million) for our programs. Angel Charity for Children basically gave us $700,000 to build a clinic for children with type 1 diabetes. The Steele advisory board supported all these advances over the years and created the Kids of Steele organization to help support our families undergoing treatment. are the major upcoming Q:What initiatives of the Steele Chil-
dren’s Research Center that will have the most impact on the region’s business environment over the next 10 years? going to concentrate on A: We’re three areas. One of them is
personalized genomic medicine. We are doing that in collaboration with a number of institutions around the country. Second, we are concentrating on finding cures for children with behavioral and developmental issues. Third is finding a cure for autoimmune diseases. This will be our task for the next 10 years. Biz Spring 2019
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BizHONOR
Taylor W. Lawrence President, Raytheon Missile Systems
As president of Raytheon Missile Systems, Tucson’s largest private employer and the leading producer of weapons systems for the U.S. and its allies, Taylor W. Lawrence is overseeing the company’s largest expansion here in 30 years. New construction will add 559,000 square feet of commercial space with a total investment by Raytheon of more than $500 million. The project will boost the number of Raytheon employees here by 2,000, bringing it to a total of 12,000.
are some exciting develQ:What opments we can expect to see in
the aerospace and defense industry in the next several years – and how is Raytheon positioned to compete in those? is at the cutting edge A: ofRaytheon developing and deploying
new technologies and solutions to help keep the brave men and women in uniform serving the U.S. and allied militaries ahead of the escalating threats that we are seeing around the world. One of the most exciting and challenging fields in which we are investing and winning new programs is hypersonics – weapons that fly at speeds greater than Mach 5. As the world’s largest missile maker, Raytheon is uniquely positioned to design, develop and deploy these next-generation solutions. Raytheon is also a world leader in missile defense. Our radars, sensors and interceptors make up the missile defense shield that is protecting cities and countries today.
the leading private employer Q:Asin the region, what does Raytheon see as its role in overall economic development in Southern Arizona?
are proud of our role as A: We Southern Arizona’s largest pri-
vate employer. We now have more than 13,000 employees in Arizona, and that number is expanding as our business continues to grow.
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“As our business grows, we will hire people at all skill levels with an emphasis on engineering and other higher-wage and technical positions. These jobs will fuel Raytheon’s growth and bring even more top talent to this region,” Lawrence said at an event announcing the expansion. Lawrence took on the job of VP Raytheon and president of the Missile Systems business – the largest of Raytheon’s four businesses – in July 2008.
According to an Arizona State University study, Raytheon has a statewide economic impact of more than $2.1 billion annually. Our role should be to ensure we grow our business through domestic as well as international sales – so that our sales, economic impact and employment numbers all rise in unison. When we do all that, we develop the state’s economy at a scale like no other local business can. with Raytheon Missile Q:Along Systems, who are some of the
key individuals, businesses and organizations who can have the greatest impact on development of the region’s aerospace and defense industry – and how can they work together for the overall good of the region’s economic development? must have a mindset of A: We working together to grow our
local economy. Two of our newest neighbors in the new aerospace corridor are World View and Vector. We’d like to see more businesses populate this new corridor. Additionally, Arizona must continue to invest in its universities so that they remain world-class and are able to work with us to develop the talent that we need to keep our company on the cutting edge.
of commerce and industry, to Sun Corridor Inc. and the Southern Arizona Leadership Council for that broad support that helps ensure Arizona remains one of the nation’s strongest states for aerospace and defense business. More directly, we do business with more than 500 suppliers around Arizona. The ability to bring reliable components into our factories is critical to successful systems integration and product delivery to our customers. at the economic direcQ:Looking tion of the Southern Arizona
region today, what is your ideal picture of the overall business environment 10 years from now – and how can we get there? see a future where Raytheon A: Icontinues to thrive here. We
are building several new facilities at our airport site and are also incrementally expanding our real estate footprint to other parts of the valley.
Beyond that picture of local expansion by our company, the region’s leaders have done an admirable job in attracting new business investment over the past few years. That said, we need to do even more so that higher-value technology jobs come to Pima County.
In addition to the state’s schools, we look to the governor’s office, to the Arizona Commerce Authority, to the chambers
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Fletcher J. McCusker
Venture Capitalist & Chair, Rio Nuevo District Board of Directors Fletcher J. McCusker is a tireless advocate for and investor in locally grown businesses – and downtown in particular. The 1974 graduate of the University of Arizona and his business partner, Michael Deitch, founded Providence Service Corp. in 1983, parlaying a $50,000 investment into a billion-dollar company. Providence bought and renovated an entire block with buildings to house the company’s headquarters, plus a restaurant, apartments and leasable space for other businesses. McCusker left Providence in 2013, then worked with Tech Launch Arizona to help drive SinfoníaRx, a medication management program borne at the UA College of Pharmacy and
designed to ferret out prescriptions that might conflict with one another. Though the company has since been sold, the new owners kept its headquarters in Tucson. In 2017 McCusker and Deitch founded UAVenture Capital to help other UA faculty-led startups get off the ground. As chairman of the all-volunteer nonprofit Rio Nuevo District (downtown Tucson’s revitalization board), McCusker is credited with spearheading much of the development downtown. McCusker was named UA alumnus of the year, was given an honorary doctoral degree in 2014, endowed the Public Programs Chair and sits on several UA advisory boards.
are some of the upcomis Rio Nuevo positioned Q:How Q:What ing developments that will have to ensure that it can continue
the most impact on the continued resurgence of downtown Tucson over the next 10 years?
A:
• Vacant parcel development – look
its work on downtown’s redevelopment with changes in political leaders every few years?
do serve at the pleasure of A: We our appointers. We have at-
• The
tempted to remain apolitical and keep people focused on our work and our achievements. The economic success we have produced resonates with both parties.
• The
Much work remains to be done Q: in downtown’s redevelopment. Who are the key individuals, businesses
for these to go vertical and mixeduse.
redevelopment of the Ronstadt Transit Center, also mixed-use, multi-modal. complete renovation of the Tucson Convention Center. This will become our “Lincoln Center.”
• The Sunshine Mile and creating a gateway to downtown.
• The base of “A” Mountain – resolution of the 30 acres of landfill.
Because we’re confined geographically, at some point we literally will run out of land. So we’ll focus on that, then we’ll be moving east on Broadway. On the west side, the old landfill is still a huge opportunity connected by light rail – but it’s still a methane-producing landfill, so there’s a lot of work to be done. The legislature embraced us last year, extending the district to 2035. So we’re all committed to see that through.
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and organizations that Rio Nuevo is working with to continue the work and what is their role?
of the overall business environment 10 years from now – and how can we get there? ideal picture is to have a viA: My brant downtown core and feed-
er streets. We want lots of urban residential and new employers who want an urban office. We are really just a small part of the region’s economic future – but we have demonstrated what can be done with focus and transparency. Our lessons are applicable to the airport region, the south side, the Oro Valley tech corridor, Vail and other areas within the region.
other insights might you Q:What share about the direction of
downtown and the impact Rio Nuevo expects to have over the next 10 years?
believe we are about 50 A: We percent complete. Our ongoing hope to see more millenA: We success depends on continuing private/ nial-led companies based in public partnerships, attracting commercial lenders, maintaining the legislative commitment, leveraging city and county assets and partnerships. We’ve bridged the gap. We’ve made it affordable to build. We’ve made it affordable to finance. Private partners are still putting up 10 times the amount of money that we put up. That makes the banks interested.
downtown, a stronger University of Arizona presence, more people living downtown, increased primary employment and greater entertainment options – so that people truly live, work and play downtown. We’re approaching 30 projects and every single one of them has a privatesector partner. We now all share the same passion about downtown.
Looking at the economic direcQ: tion of the Southern Arizona region today, what is your ideal picture
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Dr. Robert C. Robbins President, University of Arizona
The University of Arizona was at the forefront of one of medicine’s greatest breakthroughs when a Tucson researcher and surgeon developed the first viable artificial heart. So it makes sense that a noted cardiac surgeon has found his place at the helm of the UA, a leader in cardiothoracic research and training. Dr. Robert C. Robbins, who joined the UA in summer 2017, had cardiothoracic training at Stanford University and did postdoctoral research at Columbia University and the National In-
does the new strategic Q:How plan address the University of
Arizona’s responsibility to be an active contributor to the economic development of the region? UA’s economic impact in A: The our region is through two pri-
mary avenues – graduating more welleducated students ready to work and lead in the fourth industrial revolution economy – and using, and growing, our research enterprise as the basis for economic development and new ways of doing business. The plan tackles the first of these by prioritizing retention and graduation rates, creating a premier educational experience based on active learning, and by seeking new ways to serve the students who come to us from Arizona’s diverse communities with many different life stories. Our second point of economic impact comes through the research expertise of UA faculty members leading to new ideas, products, processes and other innovations that improve quality of life and enrich our communities. The Grand Challenges pillar of our new strategic plan will amplify the impact of the $670 million in annual research activity by investing in areas of strength like our world-leading space sciences program.
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stitutes of Health. He had congenital heart surgical fellowships at Emory University and Royal Children’s Heart. He came to the UA from the Texas Medical Center, where, as CEO, he led five new research initiatives. In his relatively short time at the UA, Robbins crafted a 10year strategic plan focused on the “Fourth Industrial Revolution,” blending the digital, physical and biology. (This plan evolved from the book “Fourth Industrial Revolution” by worldrenowned economist Klaus Schwab.)
We also have emphasized areas of great need and opportunity in medicine and health sciences. The state faces a shortage of physicians that the UA is filling with our two separately accredited medical schools. Those same faculty members training tomorrow’s physicians also conduct cutting-edge research. your vison of the “fourth inQ:Industrial revolution,” what does
the business community in this region need to do to be prepared for it?
There is no doubt that the comA: bination of biological, physical and digital technologies will affect
many of the companies in business today. The question is: “By how much – and when?”
The best counsel I can offer is for leaders to constantly monitor their industry and to view this change as a benefit, not a threat, to their companies and their employees. It is important to stay open to the potential positive aspects of how automation and artificial intelligence can relieve their employees of the routine tasks and free them up for more creative, collaborative and fulfilling work. are the businesses, individQ:Who uals and organizations the UA sees as potential partners in the overall vision of the region as a place where businesses large and small can locate, develop and thrive?
We have been forA: Alltunateof them. to have partnered or col-
laborated with nearly every institution, government agency and company in Southern Arizona and beyond. Most of the companies that choose to come to Tucson mention us as part of the decision and often set up continuing education programs before their employees have even arrived.
We also have been fortunate to have incredible partners and supporters who have helped the University of Arizona’s brilliant researchers turn their ideas into real-life products and services that benefit our regional economy and meet the needs of people around the world. at the economic direcQ:Looking tion of the Southern Arizona
region today, what is your ideal picture of the overall business environment 10 years from now – and how can we get there? have amazing potential as A: We a region – and we have strong
leadership in our region. If we can continue to work together strategically to make the most of the unique assets that characterize our home, develop new talent throughout the K-20 ecosystem and encourage new ideas to reach fruition, we will have the basis for a collaborative environment where competition drives success for all of us.
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Joaquin Ruiz
VP for Innovation & Dean, University of Arizona College of Science Thomas R. Brown Chair & Director, Biosphere 2 Trained in chemistry and geology, Joaquin Ruiz leads a team at the University of Arizona that covers a huge range of topics – from climate change to the origins of life. His work transcends not just topics, but international borders and even outer space. “Being very curious about why things happen as they do, studying science was perfect for me,” he told SACNAS, an organization advancing Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in science. “My research focuses on the use of radiogenic and heavy stable isotopes to study the evolution of the Earth’s crust and
is your vision of TucQ:What son as a Science City tourism destination – and the role it can have in overall economic development in Southern Arizona?
Arizona has A: Southern biodiversity than any
more other place in the United States, any other place in North America. We are, in fact, the Galapagos of North America.
Every one of our mountain ranges have evolved in a different way. As one example of biodiversity, the Santa Catalina Mountains have about 3,000 species of flowers. And that’s just one mountain range. In the entire U.S. east of the Mississippi, there are 4,000 species. We live in a very, very special place with respect to our biology. We also live in an incredibly special place with respect to human habitat. This place has had continuous habitation for 4,000 years. We’ve been working really hard connecting with a variety of individuals who have the same vision and are helping us try to truly create a sense of place. We are talking about how we can actually make this a geo-tourism destination for Europe and the United States. I have always believed Tucson has three things that truly make it unique – the biodiversity, the diversity we have as individuals and a university that is very powerful in its sciences and technology. www.BizTucson.com
mantle through time, the genesis of ore deposits, paleogeography and environmental and archeological problems,” Ruiz said. A member of the Mexican Academy of Sciences, he was named a “National Researcher” by the Mexican government in 2010 for “outstanding scientific contributions and efforts to enhance Mexico’s scientific and technological capacity through collaborations with the UA and research institutions in Mexico.” After that it gets a little technical, so suffice it to say this scientist is truly out of this world.
When you add those things together, you can do a variety of things. You can create think tanks that can be unique in the country where we think about issues of resiliency and sustainability. You can imagine Tucson being like an Aspen Institute. If we throw our heads together and our assets together, I think we can create something similar to that. Every time you bring in leaders or game-changers – the kind of folks who go to these think tanks to think about how to make the world better – those individuals get to see Tucson. And then then we have an opportunity to have those individuals help make this an even better place.
Q:
What leading role can the UA College of Science and other related entities play in the continued development of the region as hub for science and innovation?
are some of the businessQ:Who es, individuals and organiza-
tions that can have the most significant impact on your vision and objectives – and how can they partner with the College of Science? more as a client. A: IThesee businesses government, the parks,
the county, the city and the university have the assets that we want to show off. Businesses are trying to bring talent to Tucson and that talent may think that you’re bringing them to the end of the world. Give us a weekend with these folks and I can show them places where they’ll discover this is a unique place that they want to move to. at the economic direcQ:Looking tion of the Southern Arizona
region today, what is your ideal picture of the overall business environment 10 years from now – and how can we get there?
big players would be the I think my vision would be a A: The Arizona-Sonora Desert MuseA: seamless interaction between um, Biosphere 2, the Mission Gardens – all the places that have the things that I mentioned above. Those are entities that can be very, very strong and can create experiences that folks just can’t get by going through their travel agent. We should be creating experiences in Saguaro National Park where people can come here and do things that they can’t do anywhere else. You can go on and on.
incubating new companies and attracting companies that recognize that this is a place they want to be if they want to be around assets that deal with sustainability in a desert environment. And then a seamless interaction with the UofA where both the incubating operations and the big companies can partner to understand each other and actually help each other in a fundamental way.
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Calline Sanchez
IBM VP, Worldwide Systems Lab Services & Technical Universities, Tucson Site & New Mexico State Executive Calline Sanchez is not only a leader in technology, she’s a strong advocate for girls who want to be part of engineering’s female-focused revolution. She works with local groups, including the Southern Arizona Leadership Council, the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers and the Southern Arizona Research, Science and Engineering Foundation, to get young women excited about formerly male-dominated fields.
has been at the forefront Q:IBM of the speedy advances in
emerging technology. What are some of the new frontiers that IBM’s business in Southern Arizona expects to explore?
The IBM Systems Storage orA: ganization’s strategy focuses on security, flash everywhere and software-
defined storage. Ginni Rometty, IBM’s CEO and chairman, has stated that “big data is the world’s natural resource for the next century.” And IBM’s engineering focus in Southern Arizona is grounded in data storage, which delivers thoughtful data management attributes and replication services while securing the data being serviced.
Q:
What is IBM’s view of its role in overall economic development in Southern Arizona and what are some specific initiatives it can be involved in? IBM was granted 481 A: InU.S.2017, patents for inventors resid-
ing in Arizona. IBM spends more than $9 billion with U.S. suppliers each year and more than 60 percent of annual research and development investment is here at home in the U.S. Tucson is a key U.S. location and hosts a client center in Southern Arizona. IBM Tucson continues to strongly support our local institutions. We have maintained a strong partnership with University of Arizona across all colleges. During my 10-year tenure on the board of advisors for the management information systems program – and with IBM’s continued involvement and www.BizTucson.com
Sanchez manages disk, flash and tape storage for IBM and leads 450 engineers and scientists from Tucson and far beyond, including Guadalajara, Mexico; Shanghai and Tokyo. Her first IBM job was at its headquarters in Armonk, New York. That gig, which was temporary, took her around the globe as part of government, corporate and technology projects. She traveled to more than 25 countries before arriving in Tucson in 2009, calling it “the Silicon Desert.”
participation – the MIS program has moved up to No. 1 and No. 2 respectively on U.S. News & World Report’s College Rankings for undergraduate and online graduate MIS and IT programs. Our Hispanic Business Resource Group has been a long-standing partner with the UA College of Engineering’s Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers. IBM Tucson is proud to be working with Pima Community College on a New Collar Job program initiative. “New collar” jobs are roles in fastgrowing fields such as cybersecurity, cognitive business and cloud computing that do not always require a four-year college degree. are some of the business, Q:Who individuals and organizations
that can have the most significant impact in the technology sector in Southern Arizona and how is IBM engaging with them for the overall good of the sector?
A:
Most of us have a smart phone, and no one knows where the next best idea will come from – but one thing is certain – we must continue to harness the power of data, and NEED to enable the skills for our future success.
IBM Tucson has continually supported this effort by engaging with local community partners and STEM activities, including:
• IBM Tucson is a proud sponsor of
These events engage more than 95,000 students annually to further their interests in STEM fields (science, technology, engineering and math) and encourage them to pursue STEM careers.
• Exploring
Interests in Technology and Engineering – or EX.I.T.E Camps. These week-long camps empower middle school students in the STEM fields. IBM volunteers work with the students, providing learning sessions on project management, engineering, mentoring and day-to-day life as an engineer.
• Volunteering and assisting with our
local Girl Scout chapters, elementary school STEM nights, junior high and high school career fairs – all to continually promote STEM for our future.
What other insights can you Q: share about the IBM’s future in the region and the impact it can have? has been the top patentA: IBM innovation company in the U.S.
for 26 years – a foundation that will enable us to continue to innovate in support of AI/cognitive. Since Watson was introduced in 2011, IBM has been on the forefront of development of a new generation of cognitive systems that can analyze massive amounts of data. Here in Tucson, as our site is a Center of Competency for Data Storage, we continue to play a large part in IBM’s overall portfolio.
SARSEF’s Science Week, as well as SARSEF’s AZSTEM Adventures.
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Joe Snell
President & CEO, Sun Corridor Inc. As leader of the economic development driver Sun Corridor Inc., Joe Snell is one of the most prominent and effective supporters of Tucson’s business scene. In 2015, Sun Corridor Inc. expanded its focus to include four counties – Pinal, Pima, Santa Cruz and Cochise. The organization has helped to drive significant business investment into the region through primary job creation, resulting in an estimated economic impact of nearly $24.8 million, according to its website. Sun Corridor Inc. is a CEO-driven regional alliance whose members aggressively champion mega-regional issues that im-
are some of the excitQ:What ing developments on our hori-
zon that will have the most impact on continuing the economic development momentum generated in Southern Arizona over the past several years? Right now, we have three major A: goals:
• First, remain aggressive on the sales
and marketing front. We have a great story to tell, and a lot of success to build on. We’re on the road from coast to coast – we have to keep leveraging these successes nationally.
• Another key goal for us is to address
gaps and issues identified by site selectors. Just two years ago we hosted the national conference of the leading influencers in corporate relocations and expansions. They offered us positive feedback and we have generated several projects because of this visit. They also offered us valuable advice. First, create speculative space. Don’t rely on just land offerings. We are missing too many opportunities because companies don’t want to wait for space to be built. In response to this, our efforts included the identification and recruitment of national developers who can do build-to-suit and large-scale spec buildings.
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pact economic competitiveness and quality of life. Under Snell’s leadership, major corporations have taken notice of Tucson and decided to relocate here or expand their operations - including Caterpillar, Amazon, HomeGoods, Hexagon Mining and Raytheon Missile Systems. Not one to rest on his laurels, Snell tirelessly courts businesses that will bring high-wage jobs to Tucson. “I think we’re on the doorstep of greatness – but we have got to stay vigilant,” Snell said. “We’ve had some success the last few years, but we have more work to do. We’ve got to continue to think very big and bold to propel ourselves to the next level.”
• The third major goal is to leverage
the enormous asset of Tucson International Airport to shape our future economy. Last April we announced a key partnership between the airport and Sun Corridor Inc. Simply put, it combines the unique skill sets of both organizations to advance commercial development at the airport.
To be successful, we must have a competitive environment that allows primary employers to flourish and succeed. So, we convene Southern Arizona’s top leadership to ensure our competitiveness and to influence economic and public policy. The most successful economic development groups are led by the private sector, with public sector involvement and input.
regional trends have Sun at the economic direcQ:What Corridor Inc. identified that Q:Looking tion of the Southern Arizona can provide opportunities for economic growth?
pipeline of companies conA: Our sidering the region for business
growth is very strong and diversified. Aviation and aerospace and defense interest is up. Our qualified projects are up 12 percent from last year and up 26 percent from two years ago – so we know our aggressive outreach to site selectors is paying off. is Sun Corridor Inc.’s role Q:inWhatkeeping the business community engaged in initiatives that help their industries as well as the region as a whole?
mission is to facilitate priA: Our mary (non-retail) job creation
and to strengthen and grow the economic base in Southern Arizona. To accomplish this, we coordinate all economic development activities and programs within our mega-region of Pima, Pinal, Cochise and Santa Cruz counties under one umbrella.
region today, what is your ideal picture of the overall business environment 10 years from now and how can we get there? are a region in motion with A: We a strong upward trajectory, no
doubt. Our downtown has transformed itself. We have deep assets and expertise in our targeted industries. We are fortunate to be in a strategic location close to Mexico and California. We have great universities and community colleges that produce top talent. We are cost competitive. We have a major asset in the airport. We market these assets each and every day and must have the resources to do that. We still have a lot of work ahead of us. With our key public partners, we have to keep the mindset that we have now – a strong regional team, each with a role to play, and a strong track record. We can’t let our foot off the gas.
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BizTRIBUTE
Truly Nolen Unveiled By Lee Allen Following in his father’s footsteps, Truly David Nolen opened his first pest control company in Tucson in 1955 with a promise to “add value to the lives we touch.” The business was built on core values like pride and integrity and embracing change for the better by thinking long-term and having fun. The man who introduced the pest control industry with his trademark yellow Mouse Car is now immortalized in the form of a bronze statue that will repose at the company’s national headquarters, the Truly Nolen Leadership Center in Tucson. It’s fittingly just feet away from one of his famous fleet vehicles – a 1930 Model A Ford, painted the company’s trademark bright yellow. Employees, family members and lifelong friends from all over the country gathered recently for a private unveiling ceremony, prompting daughter Michelle Nolen Senner to say that “while my father would have appreciated the crowd gathered here today, he also 194 BizTucson
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would probably have wondered who was left minding the store.” Actually, the “store” is plural. The company that first opened its doors in 1938 in Miami, Florida, is still family owned and has expanded to 95 locations in the United States and more than 200 franchises in 60 countries while still calling Tucson its headquarters. Wife Vickie Taylor Nolen called him “a remarkable man – courageous, generous, annoyingly persistent and maybe even brilliant. I loved him and wanted him to be remembered for what he stood for. He was a wonderful man who built a great company and this is my way of paying tribute to his memory because he touched and changed thousands of lives in his lifetime and in the process was an inspiration to thousands of employees.” That theme was emphasized by metal artist Lynn Rae Lowe, who designed the bench portion of the life-sized me-
By David B. Pittman
morial. Rowe told the gathering: “The average person will influence 80,000 people over their lifetime through all the things they do. Can you imagine how many people were influenced by this particular above-average person?” The memorial project was a year in the making. Local artist and gallery owner Linda Ahearn studied photos of her subject to capture the essence of the individual before spending two months creating a scale model to be enlarged and cast in bronze by Mark Rossi. She called Truly Nolen “a man whose life was an inspiration.” The finished piece shows the subject, dressed casually with a somewhat whimsical smile, sitting on a bench. The seat is inscribed with “Leader, entrepreneur, aviator, sailor, diver, polio survivor.” along with these words: “A man of integrity and resilience with a wonderful sense of humor who lived his life by the Golden Rule. May the memories of Truly continue to inspire us all.” Biz www.BizTucson.com
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