The history of our presidio dates back thousands of years. With such rich culture and heritage, one could easily write a book about the “Old Pueblo.” Veteran journalist Jay Gonzales takes us back to Tucson’s inception in 1775, viewed through a concisely written busi ness lens.
Gonzales writes, “with thousands of businesses, some large, some small, that have driven the growth of Tucson in its 250 years, there’s one prominent but often overlooked reason why the city became what it is today. To those of us who have lived in these parts over the last 80 years or so, it’s been a dry riverbed that some outsiders have questioned why we even call it a “river.”
“But to Hugo O’Conor and a band of Spanish soldiers making their way north from Mexico in 1775, the Santa Cruz River looked like it could be the lifeblood to a place where they could thrive and where only native tribes had existed...”
“The valley of the Santa Cruz is one of the richest and most beautiful grazing and natural regions I have ever seen. Occasionally the river sinks, but even at these points, the grass is abundant and luxuriant,” wrote J. Ross Browne, a journalist and traveler who passed through in the 1860s. Gracing the cover, is a painting by world-renowned western artist Maynard Dixon (1875-1946), courtesy of the Maynard Dixon Museum.
The “Century Club” is a fascinating sampling of businesses, institutions, organizations, dude ranches, theatres, hotels and installations with legacies of 100+ years… including University of Arizona, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Tucson International Airport, Tucson Rodeo and more!
Inspiring stories of restoration include the Mission San Xavier del Bac and the Santa Cruz River. Our region has a sense of history second to none, which may be one reason Tucson was named a UNESCO City of Gastronomy 10 years ago. Our history is one of global fascination, that definitely drives tourism.
There are two special reports in this issue. One celebrates Carondelet Health Network, whose roots date back 145 years to the founding of St. Mary’s Hospital by the Sisters of Carondelet. Our second report is the commercial
40 years here. It’s had a major impact in transforming the region’s economy, with $459 million in brokerage sales and leasing.
A major milestone in the region’s Bioscience sector was the founding of Ventana Medical Systems four decades ago, by Dr. Thomas Grogan, a UA pathologist and cancer research pioneer. More than 15 years ago, Switzerlandbased Roche acquired Grogan’s company, maintaining its headquarters in Oro Valley’s Innovation Park. Today, Roche Tissue Diagnostics is a world leader in cancer tissue diagnostics. Last year, 41 million patients worldwide benefited from diagnostic tests from RTD technology. Writer Dave Perry reports on its 40th anniversary and continued expansion.
Another milestone anniversary I’m particularly proud of is the 30th anniversary of the Father of the Year Awards Gala, presented by Father’s Day Council Tucson, a dedicated group of local volunteers. This small but mighty team has raised more than $5 million for Type 1 Diabetes research and ongoing care and equipment at the Angel Wing for Children with Diabetes at UA’s Steele Children’s Research Center.
The fundraising gala honoring role model dads will take place on Saturday, May 31 at Loews Ventana Canyon Resort. We salute the 2025 Father of the Year honorees: Dr. Eric Cornidez, Tommy Lloyd, Jim Tofel and Kaukaha Watanabe.
As always, we are grateful for our loyal readers, our advertisers and our team committed to exceptional journalism, timeless design and photography.
Steven E. Rosenberg Publisher & Owner BizTucson
Spring 2025 Volume 17 No. 1
Publisher & Owner Steven E. Rosenberg
Creative Director Brent G. Mathis
Contributing Editors Jay Gonzales
Tara Kirkpatrick
Loni Nannini
Editor Emeritus Donna Kreutz
Contributing Writers
April Bourie
Rodney Campbell
Jay Gonzales
Sovay Hansen
Tara Kirkpatrick
Tiffany Kjos
Christy Krueger
Contributing Photographers
Brent G. Mathis
Chris Mooney
Thomas Leyde
Loni Nannini
Dave Perry
Steve Rivera
Valerie Vinyard
Romi Carrell Wittman
BizTucson News Update (Email Newsletter) Brent G. Mathis Tara Kirkpatrick
Contributing
Technology Director Mike Serres
Contributing Project Coordinator Maricela Robles
Member:
American Advertising Federation Tucson
DM-50
Metropolitan Pima Alliance
Oro Valley Chamber
Southern Arizona Leadership Council
Sun Corridor Inc.
Tucson Metro Chamber
BizTucson Magazine Issue 4 (ISSN 1947-5047 print, ISSN 2833-6739 online) is published quarterly for $16 per year by Rosenberg Media, LLC., 4729 E. Sunrise Dr., PMB 505, Tucson, AZ 85718-4534. Periodicals postage pending at Phoenix, AZ, and additional mailing offices.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: BizTucson Magazine, 4729 East Sunrise Dr., PMB 505, Tucson, AZ 85718-4534
WTucson Celebrates A Salute to One of North America’s Longest
By Jay Gonzales
ith thousands of businesses, some large, some small, that have driven the growth of Tucson in its 250 years, there’s one prominent but often overlooked reason why the city became what it is today.
To those who have lived here over the last 80 years, it’s been a dry riverbed that some outsiders have questioned why we even call it a “river.”
But to Hugo O’Conor and a band of Spanish soldiers making their way north from Mexico in 1775, the Santa Cruz River looked like the lifeblood to a place where they could thrive, where native tribes had existed – some dating back 12,000 years.
Father Eusebio Francisco Kino had arrived around 1700 and began build-
ing of one of the region’s landmarks, the San Xavier Mission del Bac.
“The valley of the Santa Cruz is one of the richest and most beautiful grazing and natural regions I have ever seen. Occasionally the river sinks, but even at these points, the grass is abundant and luxuriant,” wrote J. Ross Browne, a journalist and traveler who passed through the area in the 1860s. Browne was referenced in the 1986 book Los Tucsonenses, by Thomas E. Sheridan, which chronicles the history of the Mexican community in Tucson from 1854 to 1941.
When O’Conor’s soldiers arrived in 1775, they built a fort, the Presidio San Augustín del Tucson, about a half mile east of the river. Tucson was born.
Centuries later, that spot would become the intersection of Church Avenue and Washington Street in the center of today’s Downtown Tucson.
The soldiers’ arrival triggered the earliest instances of commerce in the area when they began trading for crops and food with the tribes already established here, said Amy Hartmann-Gordon, executive director of the Presidio San Agustín del Tucson, a museum that operates where remnants of the fort were discovered.
“There was trade immediately,” Hartmann-Gordon recounts. “They’re trading for the native crops − the beans and the corn − and they’re bringing in new objects that the native people are interested in.”
250 Years Inhabited Regions
Stretch that humble beginning to consider what now comes out of Tucson − computer technology from IBM, the most advanced cancer diagnostics from Roche, missiles from Raytheon, solar technology, copper and, of course, world-class cuisine from the first UNESCO City of Gastronomy in the U.S.
More than two dozen businesses have operated here continuously for more than a century, Tucson Electric Power, El Charro Café, Hotel Congress, the Tucson Museum of Art, O’Reilly Chevrolet, the copper mines and others. Pivotal additions like the University of Arizona and the U.S. military − DavisMonthan Air Force Base and the Arizona Air National Guard − have been employment anchors for the local econ-
www.BizTucson.com
omy for decades. (See page 34, “Cen tury Club: Through a Business Lens –Sampling of Businesses, Institutions, Organizations, Installations)
Tucson High Magnet School is more than 100 years old. Tucson International Airport evolved from what was the first municipal airport in the U.S. opened in 1919 at Irvington and Sixth Avenue, where the Tucson Rodeo Grounds now stand.
It all started even before O’Conor and the soldiers arrived, said Larry Lucero, a seventh-genera tion Tucson and longtime busi nessman with a prominent his tory of community involvement and service. Lucero, who retired
continued on page 28 >>>
Hugo O’Conor Statue located in front of the Manning house. Tucson, AZ q
Top Left Dennis Ziemienski: ‘Enchanted Trail’ Oil on Canvas 40” x 60”
Above
Ed Mell:
‘Saguaro Kings II’ Oil on Linen 24” x18”
Paintings:
Courtesy Mark Sublette Medicine Man Gallery
BizMILESTONE
continued from page 27 from Tucson Electric Power after 27 years with the company, also serves on the board of directors of the Presidio Museum.
“We had a well-established agricultural environment for hundreds of years in this area because of the rivers,” Lucero said of the region considered one of the longest continuously inhabited areas in North America.
“Agriculture was very important. People started making tortillas. They started making the stews, the kind that led to the City of Gastronomy. It’s really kind of interesting how it goes way back to the beginning of the Presidio,” Lucero said of the designation awarded in 2015.
While the Spaniards were bringing their goods for trade, an early export that developed in the region was derived from, of all things, a small beetle − the Cochineal beetle − that was abundant in the region and was discovered as a source of a red dye for fabrics and other products.
“One of the big exports from up here was this little bug,” Hartmann-Gordon said. “When you think of pictures of Queen Elizabeth, or royalty from Europe wearing big red coats and red capes, that was the Cochineal. They couldn’t get that dye in Europe, so that was a very popular thing that they were exporting.
“They were starting to build their own community and build their own economy, and that really is the very
q q Dennis Ziemienski - ‘Sonoran Desert Monsoon’ Oil on Canvas, 48” x 84”
Howard Post - ‘Out By The Highway’ Giclee, 20” x 20”
Paintings: Courtesy Mark Sublette Medicine Man Gallery
beginning of this commercial community that we’re in now,” HartmannGordon said.
As time passed, a vibrant and diverse economy gained a foothold, and a city began to take shape.
When the railroad arrived in 1880, Lucero said, it was a “seminal moment.” It changed everything − construction, communication and retail. Hardware stores and other much-needed suppliers for construction set up shop.
“Now, you were able to access building materials easier, whether it was cement, bricks, plywood or wood, because otherwise they were going up to Mount Lemmon to get the wood,” Lucero said.
The ability to bring in materials for bricks led to quarries opening around Tucson, mostly along the river.
“Even in Menlo Park along the river, there were all these quarries where there were brick makers,” Lucero said. “The brick-making business was a big deal in
Tucson at 250 Celebration of All Things
S-cuk Son
Saturday, Aug. 23, 6-9 p.m.
Presidio Museum, 196 N. Court Ave. Free Event
ENJOY:
Gertie & the T.O. Boys Waila Band, Mariachi and Folklorico performances, fry bread, eegees, Presidio Garrison musket demonstration, food trucks, elected guests, community par tner tables
COMMUNITY PARTNERS:
Archaeology Southwest, Arizona Historical Society, Buffalo Soldiers, Jewish History Museum, Mexican-American History Museum, Santa Cruz Valley National Heritage Area and many more
terms of helping the builders have material readily available.”
The late 1800s and the early 1900s were a series of other so-called seminal moments that helped Tucson develop as a community and as a commerce center. Over time, Arizona came to be known for the “five Cs” − copper, cattle, cotton, citrus and climate.
While all continue to have a prominent impact on the Arizona economy, copper and climate remain at the top of the list of all industries impacting the state and, in particular, Southern Arizona.
Arizona is still the leading copper producer in the U.S. There are three active mines within shouting distance of Tucson, the Sierrita mine and the ASARCO mine southwest of the city, and the Silverbell mine directly west of Marana.
Climate, which means tourism, has a significant say in the economy with an annual economic impact of $300 million.
When the University of Arizona was founded in 1885, it established one of the longest and most important relationships that would set a foundation for Tucson’s growth and identity.
“Tucson obviously is a college town, and everyone (at UA) has been proud to be part of Tucson and to call U of A home,” said Ed Ackerley, a native of Tucson, a longtime Tucson businessman, now a faculty member in the UA’s Eller College of Management.
There’s been so much happening at the UA for more than 100 years, some continued on page 30 >>>
BizMILESTONE
150 Years of Maynard Dixon
Born on a ranch near Fresno, Calif. on Jan. 24, 1875, Maynard Dixon became arguably the premier illustrator, landscape and mural painter of the early 20th-century American West. Dixon made his first visit to Arizona at the turn of the century and was immediately inspired by his new surroundings. His instantly recognizable art consisted of iconic Southwest scenes: the deser t, Native Americans, early settlers and cowboys. Some of Dixon’s best-known works include “Men of the Red Earth,” “Cloud World” and “The Earth Knower,” which features a robed woman fronting a cubist red-rock canyon. He also chronicled Americans’ struggles of the Great Depression in the 1930s. Dixon’s legacy lives on at the Maynard Dixon Museum in Tucson. Located at 6866 E. Sunrise Drive in Suite 150, the museum is 3,000 square feet of space devoted to the life and legacy of the artist. Dixon died in Tucson on Nov. 13, 1946.
Ansel Adams (1902-1984) - Portrait of Maynard Dixon, 1944, gelatin silver print, 10 x 8 inches. Copyright The Ansel Adams Publishing Rights Trust.
Images Courtesy – Mark Sublette Medicine Man Gallery
continued from page 28
of it gets lost in the conversation, he said.
“There’s a lot of wonderful stuff going on at the University of Arizona, maybe we’re not telling that story as well,” he said. “The average person that you stop at a Tucson mall probably couldn’t tell you three things that are going on at the U of A that affect them on a regular basis when, in reality, there’s 9,000 things going on at the U of A that are directly related to the whole community and the world’s well-being.”
Colleges, schools and departments of engineering, medicine, mining, agriculture, biomedicine, astronomy, optics, and so many others, contribute directly to the economy with expertise and advances in technology, while also churning out talent to support those industries locally. Tech Launch Arizona and the UA Tech Park are moving UA research into the business markets.
“At the University of Arizona, we have world-class faculty and researchers who are working on solutions to the world’s grand challenges every day,” former UA President Dr. Robert C. Robbins told BizTucson in a 2021 interview. “Translating their research into products on the market is one of the best ways we can have a positive impact as an institution.”
Just after the UA was established, Tucson Electric Light & Power Co. helped Tucson take another giant step forward when it brought electricity to the area in 1892. The first generating station was on Church Street, across from the old Pima County Courthouse, the beautiful domed building that still stands as a monument to Tucson’s history.
In the grand scheme of things, having electricity meant a lot of things to the growing business center. But in the simplest of terms, the ability to power refrigerators and store food was a major development for the 7,500 or so residents living here at the turn of the century.
“A huge step in the evolution of Tucson was electrification,” Lucero said. “Having a little electricity provided the opportunity for people to start buying appliances. Refrigerators were the first. To be able to preserve your food, and for the stores to preserve their food, was a big deal.”
Downtown Tucson began to bustle in the early 1900s. Historical photos show the clothing stores, drug stores, restaurants, churches and doctor’s offices that sprang up. There was a streetcar running
on electricity. Dirt roads were paved just after Arizona became a state in 1912. All of it was developing just to the east of the Santa Cruz River, which continued flowing up until the 1940s.
In 1922, one of Tucson’s most historic and iconic businesses was established when Monica Flin opened El Charro Café, a restaurant serving Mexican cuisine. The business first opened on Fourth Avenue, just south of Sixth Street, and would move twice within the downtown area. It settled at the now-familiar house at 311 N. Court Ave. where Flin lived, and where her great-niece, Carlotta Flores, and her family currently operate what could arguably be called a restaurant empire.
Flores, now 78 years old, has memories of traveling, as a young girl, with Flin to California and other parts to shop for everything from ingredients for the menu, to dishes and equipment for the restaurant. They sampled the Mexican food in California and Phoenix and from those experiences decided what their food would look and taste like.
“All the Flins could cook, every one of them,” Flores said of Monica’s family. “The boys and the girls could bake and make sauces. I still think the sauces are our thing.
“Los Angeles is sophisticated but at that time, the Mexican food wasn’t. It wasn’t to our taste,” Flores said. “I really couldn’t put my finger on it until I got a little older and realized that Tucson had a very pure Mexican food. Even going to Phoenix, I found the food was different.”
Flores also heard how the various ethnic groups in Tucson cooperated with each other for the overall good of their businesses, and El Charro was no different.
“Monica would go out the back (of the restaurant) to the Chinese store, buy her groceries, and charge them,” Flores said. “That was the first form of charging that we knew of. Then, she would get her money at the end of the day and go pay her Chinese grocery friend.”
Flin ran El Charro into the mid-1970s when Flores and her family began operating it. Over the years, it played a significant a role in the overall development of local cuisine and in the growth of downtown, side-by-side with businesses such as the Hotel Congress, which was built in 1919. Initially named The Congress Hotel, it became part of Tucson’s lore for the next century and beyond.
The current owners, Richard and Shana Oseran, are well aware of the hotel’s place continued on page 32 >>>
BizMILESTONE
continued from page 30
in Tucson’s history. Since purchasing it in 1985, they’ve worked through tough times downtown to maintain its identity and its place in Tucson’s identity.
“We believe it really belongs to the community. We’re caretakers of the property,” Richard said. “When you push through the door, you feel it’s your place.”
Shana added: “I do believe when people come here, they kind of feel it. You realize this could be yesteryear. There’s no TVs in the rooms. They’re probably exactly the same since after the fire.”
You can’t mention the Hotel Congress without mentioning one of the most notorious moments in Tucson history, a 1934 fire at the hotel which directly led to the arrest of public enemy No. 1, gangster John Dillinger, and his gang − some of whom were staying at the hotel at the time.
With all its history, The Hotel Congress survived Downtown Tucson’s decline in the 1970s when businesses left the city center. Today, downtown is thriving once again, with the hotel standing as a beacon for what Tucson
once was and what it is today.
When the opportunity to purchase the hotel arose, Richard fondly recalled Tucson in the 1960s, when he attended the UA and businesses like Steinfeld’s department store, Jacome’s, Levy’s, Myerson’s, Cele Peterson’s and the Pioneer Hotel were the signature businesses in a busy downtown.
“When I came here in 1963, if you wanted a pair of shoes or a haircut, you had to come downtown. This was where everything was,” Oseran said.
Today, downtown is everything again. It’s just the start of the reason people are drawn here, for the history, the food, the weather, the lush surroundings and the commitment to business development. There are more than 1 million people living here now. Massive companies like Amazon, Raytheon, Roche, Caterpillar and IBM have a significant presence here alongside the UA, the military installations and more.
Visit Tucson President & CEO Felipe Garcia said it all ties together, from the earliest settlers in the region to the present. The Mexican culture that took root at the arrival of Hugo O’Conor and the Spaniards remains part of the commu-
nity’s identity.
“We’re now responsible for keeping, maintaining, preserving the history and culture,” Garcia said. “We feel that we’re stewards of this land and this place, and we want to make it a better place. I think that’s what visitors are fascinated with.”
Tucson’s fascinating history has been an industry in itself – $300 million in economic impact − with visitors coming here to experience everything from the remnants of the earliest settlers and their adobe dwellings to stargazing at the most technologically advanced observatories in the world.
“The fact that Tucson has kept its essence is crucial,” Garcia said. “Twenty years ago, we thought that to be competitive in the tourism industry, you needed to build modern things, and that’s what consumers and visitors wanted.
“But we discovered that there’s this huge number of individuals that want to go to places that really have a sense of place, that really have culture and history − that have a persona. I think that’s what is unique about Tucson, the personality of our community.”
Biz
By Tara Kirkpatrick
What does it mean to last a century?
In this commemorative issue, BizTucson is proud to feature a sampling of the many businesses, institutions and organizations that have thrived in Southern Arizona for 100 years or more. By no means is this a complete list, but we hope to offer a snapshot of the ambition, perseverance and grit that helped build Tucson into the 250-year-old treasure it is today.
Women-founded enterprises in a patriarchal era. A college that would become the core of the community. The first municipal airport in the U.S. The desert-born companies that sold cars, homes and land to the region’s growing masses. The iconic dude ranches that promised the Wild West dream. These and many more compose BizTucson’s Century Club.
Hotel Congress The Century Club
CCertainly, this club offers lessons in longevity. In their lifetimes, these entities survived The Great Depression, outlasted two world wars, witnessed the first U.S. moon landing, lived the beginning of Arizona’s statehood and bested a global pandemic amid 100-plus years of human history.
We hope you enjoy reading about these landmarks that remain the heart of Tucson today.
Century Club capsules written by Rodney Campbell, Tara Kirkpatrick, Loni Nannini and Steve Rivera
CHotel Congress is the century-old, iconic downtown hotel made famous for its part in the capture of notorious gangster John Dillinger in Tucson in 1934. The landmark hotel, which launched its fortunes in a young railroad city in 1919, has become the hip, urban anchor of downtown. From its signature sign to its Southwest art deco vibe, the 39-room Hotel Congress still retains a functioning 1930s-era switchboard. Owners Richard and Shana Oseran have preserved the hotel’s essence and kept it at the forefront of Tucson’s identity since they purchased it in 1985. The property boasts the delicious and award-winning Cup Café as well as the entertainment venue Club Congress and the jazz-centric Century Room, along with Tiger’s Tap Room, named after bartender Tom “Tiger” Ziegler, who tended bar there from the late 1950s until his passing in late 2024.
El Charro Café
In 1922, in a small building on Church Avenue and East Broadway, the indomitable Monica Flin started El Charro Café—now the nation’s oldest Mexican restaurant in continuous operation by the same family. Naming her eatery after the gentleman horsemen of Mexico, Los Charros, Flin served her mother’s recipes and more, including her signature carne seca, which is still hung in cages today to capture the Tucson sun. Now helmed by Flin’s venerable grandniece Carlotta Flores, the Flores family has worked tirelessly to build El Charro into a thriving family enterprise that is a darling of travel and food magazines alike and celebrated as an icon of Mexican cuisine. Yes, that was El Charro featured on Top Chef just a few years ago, as well as being named a James Beard semifinalist. Flin’s concept more than a century ago now includes restaurants Charro Steak & Del Rey, Charro Chico, Charro Vida and The Monica.
e n t u r y l u b
Rialto Theatre
The Rialto Theatre got its start in the era of silent films and eventually became a venue for world-renowned entertainers. The legendary theater was built by Californiabased William Curlett & Son along with the historic Hotel Congress across the street. The district was considered a risky investment at the time. But Tucsonans flocked to the Rialto to see silent films in the 1920s and “talkies” in the 1930s. Vaudeville shows were featured on Wednesday nights. The Rialto, then known as The Paramount, closed in 1963 and reopened in 1971 as Spanish movie theater El Cine Plaza. The Rialto’s modern era started in 2002, when local investors, led by then-Tucson Weekly Publisher Doug Biggers, bought the block except for the theater. As part of the Rio Nuevo project, the City of Tucson purchased the theater in 2004 and leased it to present owner the Rialto Theatre Foundation. The venue hosts more than 200 events attended by more than 100,000 people every year.
Named in honor of Tucsonans and World War I pilots Lt. Samuel H. Davis and Chief Engineer Oscar Monthan, Davis Monthan was first called Davis-Monthan Landing Field in 1925. The opening of the landing field was such an event, Charles Lindbergh flew his Spirit of St. Louis airplane to Tucson in 1927 to help dedicate what was then the largest municipal airport in the United States.
Tucson International Airport Davis–Monthan AirBaseForce
In January 1948, it was renamed Davis Monthan Air Force Base, and it remains one of Tucson’s most treasured – and respected – locations sitting just east of downtown. It’s home to more than 11,000 airmen from 34 unique mission partners. The 355th Wing is the host unit with a mission of deploying, employing and sustaining combat search and rescue and attack air power throughout the world.
They have power in numbers locally, being the third largest employer in Tucson and contributing more than $2.6 billion annually to the economy.
When Charles “The Bird Man” Hamilton landed his Curtis Bi-Plane on the bank of the Santa Cruz River in 1910, it ignited an excitement in aviation here. Tucson built the country’s first municipal airport in 1919 on Nogales highway, where the rodeo grounds are today. By 1925, the airport had relocated to a larger site and Charles Lindbergh himself would land here to dedicate the new field. By 1927, Tucsonans received their first commercial air service. The War Department took a large part of the airport in the 1940s, morphing it into the current site of Davis Monthan Air Force Base. The city bought the land for the current airport in 1941 and the Tucson Airport Authority took over operation in 1948. That iconic tower? Added in 1958. Today’s TUS boasts an $8.3 billion impact in the region. It’s award-winning for its cleanliness and safety and was named No. 1 in seat capacity growth among the top 30 airports in the western U.S.
Long Realty
Looking for a place to heal his sick wife, Roy H. Long moved to Tucson for its dry climate and would start Roy H. Long Realty in 1926. Long served his community with dedication, assisting with the founding of the first Fiesta de los Vaqueros rodeo, helping to secure land for Himmel Park and building the first YMCA. Retiring in 1950, Long handed the reins to his son, Barry, who grew it to eight branches before turning it over to his three sons. In 1999, Long Realty became part of HomeServices of America. Today, Long Realty is the market leader with over 1,200 licensed real estate sales associates in 34 offices across Arizona, including 19 affiliate real estate and property management offices. Long’s legacy of giving back remains the soul of the company today through the Long Realty Cares Foundation which, since its inception, has raised over $4 million for local charities.
e n t u r y l u C C
O’Rielly Chevrolet
Frank O’Rielly wanted a business of his own and a product he believed in. In March 1924, he opened O’Rielly Chevrolet, Tucson’s first of the brand, on 55 N. Sixth Ave. in a town with growth on the horizon. He opted for Chevrolet because he couldn’t get a Studebaker franchise. The decision was fateful as O’Rielly just celebrated a century mark. His son Buck, who as a boy worked in the parts department, would take the reins and not only build it into a lasting enterprise over the next 50 years, but also help shape the landscape of Southern Arizona. Buck helped found the Davis-Monthan 50, is one of the original Tucson Conquistadores, was influential in getting Central Arizona Project water here, bolstered Junior Achievement and St. Augustine Catholic High School. Today O’Rielly, managed by Buck’s son-in-law Rob Draper, is the largest Chevrolet dealership in the region.
Tucson Metro Chamber
The voice of business for over a century, the Tucson Metro Chamber was founded in 1896 as the Tucson Grocer’s Association. Hugo J. Donau, brother-in-law to legendary businessman Albert Steinfeld and an executive at his namesake company, was installed as the group’s first chairman. Notably, the pervasive issues facing the Chamber at the start of the 20th century are not so different today– transportation, infrastructure, economic expansion and education. Some of its myriad milestones over the years include sponsoring the first Fiesta de los Vaqueros rodeo in 1925, gathering incorporators for the non-profit Tucson Airport Authority in 1948, helping to keep Davis-Monthan Air Force Base off the federal closure list in 1991 and more. Today, the Chamber is a membership-based business advocacy and community development stalwart that represents 1,500 businesses that employ more than 160,000 employees. Looking forward, 2025 will prove a new pivot point for the Chamber as it merges with Sun Corridor Inc.
Cn t u r y l u b
Tucson Association of Realtors®
CDuring its first decade in the early 1920s, the Tucson Association of REALTORS®, then known as the Real Estate Board of Tucson, didn’t have set dates for meetings. The group only gathered when the organization’s president called a meeting. In 1925, four years after the board formed, there were only 23 licensed brokers and 38 licensed salespeople in Tucson. TAR’s founders would hardly recognize the organization today. It’s the largest trade association in Southern Arizona representing the interests of more than 6,500 professionals involved in the sale, lease, appraisal and development of residential and commercial properties. Its forprofit Multiple Listing Service of Southern Arizona, started in 1984, is the area’s most extensive database of listing and sales information, facilitating more than $2.6 billion in real-estate transactions in 2024. In a region of more than 1 million residents with more coming, there are many reasons for members to get together in 2025.
SilverMiningBell District
Over more than 150 years, the Silver Bell Mining District, roughly 35 miles northwest of Tucson, has evolved into a small but effective cog in the copper mining industry. Evidence of mining here actually dates back to the 1500s when the Tohono O’odham dug shallow pits and trenches, according to the Arizona Geological Survey. But, mining at Silver Bell would increase during the 1800s thanks to the Southern Pacific Railroad and growing demand for copper. Various companies and entrepreneurs would acquire and develop the district over the century, succeed and fail, until the American Smelting and Refining Company – more commonly known as ASARCO − took over the property in 1916. Through ASARCO’s innovative mining practices and tech improvements, production at the Silver Bell property is expected to continue until 2034.
e n t u r y l u b C
Tucson Electric Power
CTucson Electric Power is more than an electric company and has been for years. When the company began providing power to the area in 1892, it was Tucson Electric Light & Power Co. By 1979, it had shed the natural gas portion of the business and took its current name. When the company was formed – even before Arizona became a state − it was providing power to southern Arizona using mesquite wood as a primary fuel.
Fast forward to 1998 and UniSource Energy was formed as a holding company for TEP, then a publicly traded company. UniSource Energy and TEP were acquired by Canadian company Fortis in 2014. TEP is now a subsidiary.
TEP provides power to more than 452,000 customers in the Tucson area. The company is notable for its outstanding community service and volunteerism. In 2024, TEP contributed more than $1.6 million and its employees worked thousands of volunteer hours to make Southern Arizona a special place.
Tucson High School
Tucson High School was originally founded in 1892, and then re-established in 1906. Though previous schools offered some curriculum, the new University of Arizona had been providing preparatory classes for many high school-aged youth. When the college began phasing out the program, Tucson recognized the need for a dedicated high school. The voters approved the measure in 1906 and Tucson High would become the region’s only high school for 50 years, ballooning to 6,800 students in 1954, before Pueblo High School and Catalina High School were built in 1956 and 1957. Though Tucson High would move locations a few times, its grand building with Corinthian columns that anchors its present-day complex on 6th Street remains one of Tucson’s architectural gems. Its famous alumni include NASA Astronaut Frank Borman, businessman Karl Eller, NFL defensive end Mike Dawson and MLB player Ron Hassey.
t e n t u r y l u b C
Tucson Museum of Art
CTucson Museum of Art and Historic Block celebrated its century mark just last year. The downtown institution today boasts a growing collection of nearly 12,000 works of art, spanning over 3,000 years of history. Its legacy is owed in part to the power of women. Three members of the Tucson Woman’s Club, a group that educated itself in literature, history, civics and economics, would create the Tucson Fine Arts Association in 1924 to bolster lecture series and exhibitions of artists such as Robert Henri and Maynard Dixon. Its growth and influence led to a dedicated museum building, which settled into its final digs on Main Avenue in 1975. Accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, the museum has benefitted from myriad donors over the years, notably I. Michael and Beth Kasser, who recently backed a 6,000-square-foot expansion for the museum and contributed extensively to its pre-Columbian and Latin American art collections.
Visit Tucson
It started with the campy Tucson Sunshine Climate Club, which was founded in 1922 and served as a tourism promotion agency until the 1960s. The club conducted an annual fundraising campaign to raise money, which was spent on advertising in national magazines touting Tucson’s climate and attractions. The ads often featured high school girls in shorts and boots or outfits made out of real cactus. The club also met trains and welcomed new arrivals to town. Notable citizen Roy P. Drachman served as the club’s general manager from 1939 to 1945. Tucson Sunshine Climate Club would eventually become part of the Tucson Chamber of Commerce, operating as a stand-alone committee called “Caballeros del Sol.” In the early 1980s, the Chamber spun off the tourism promotion committee and Metropolitan Tucson Convention & Visitors Bureau was formed, operating today as Visit Tucson.
LadeFiesta los Vaqueros
In this ruggedly stunning region, Tucson’s La Fiesta de los Vaqueros was established in 1925 to celebrate our frontier spirit and attract winter visitors who heeded the call of the Wild West. The first rodeo, held at Kramer Field (now Catalina Vista), featured steer wrestling, steer tying, calf roping and saddle bronc riding. Through the years, prizes have gone from a 750-pound block of ice and “Big Cactus” ham to more than $400,000 in prizes for this year’s event. More than $3 million in prize money has been handed out over the last 10 years, with rodeo athletes including Trevor Brazile, Ty Murray, Joe Beaver, and the Wright family all making their mark. Today’s La Fiesta de los Vaqueros, which played to a sold-out 11,000 spectators on its final day, is the biggest outdoor winter rodeo and one of the nation’s best.
PHOTOS BY BRENT G. MATHIS
tUniversity ofArizona
Almost three decades before Arizona was a state, the University of Arizona was founded in Tucson in 1885 with a $25,000 appropriation by the territorial legislature. But, Bear Down, it almost didn’t happen. Initially, Tucson wasn’t too keen on the prospect of a college.
No one was willing to provide land for the new institution, until two gamblers and a saloon keeper donated 40 acres for the school. The very first building and an enduring icon, Old Main, was completed in 1890 and the first graduating class in 1895 had three students.
Today’s UA, which spans 400 acres and 200 buildings, boasts more than 44,000 students and more than 300,000 alumni. It’s nationally ranked in numerous disciplines, is tops in space and management infor mation systems, it invented tree-ring research, sampled an asteroid for the first time in U.S. history and is a powerhouse in college sports, with 22 national championships and a recent entrance into the Big 12 conference.
tThrough a business lens, UA is a monumental economic driver for our region. It’s one of the nation’s leading public research universities, generating hundreds of millions of dollars in federal grants and awards annually. Its economic impact from space sciences rivals a Super Bowl. Arizona Athletics generates $265 million for the state each year, and Tech Parks Arizona, the university’s hub of innovation and startup incubator, contributes $2 billion to Arizona’s economy.
More Accomplishments:
• UA is one of the top employers in Southern Arizona.
• Internationally recognized physician Dr. Andrew Weil chose UA to open the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine.
• The UA’s globally respected Laboratory of TreeRing Research was established by the pioneer of dendrochronology, A.E. Douglass.
• UA has two medical schools in the state of Arizona, one in Tucson and one in Phoenix.
• The Richard F. Caris Mirror Lab is casting the mirrors for the Giant Magellan Telescope, the largest telescope in the world.
Just last year, the world watched as OSIRIS-REx, a NASA mission launched in 2016 and helmed by UA principal investigator Daute Lauretta, successfully retrieved an asteroid sample that is now revealing the building blocks of the universe. The UA team behind the mission has been given one of the most prestigious awards in aviation and the project has cemented the college’s place at the forefront of aerospace.
Looking forward, the UA recently opened the one-of-a-kind, 89,000-square-foot Applied Research Building that will fuel research in optics, manufacturing, space exploration and more. It’s a game-changer to be sure.
Finally, UA officials projected that the school’s research activity exceeded $1 billion in FY 2024, placing it among a select group of U.S. schools. “Our faculty members tackle urgent global challenges, from energy and environmental issues to national security, human health and the societal impact of technological change,” said current UA President Suresh Garimella.
Westward Look Resort
In 1912, the year Arizona became a state, William and Maria Watson commissioned a local architect to build a hacienda-style home. More than a century later, that residence is now the Westward Look Wyndham Grant Resort & Spa. The lush spot at the foot of the Santa Catalina Mountains had an exciting history over the years. The Watsons sold the home and added cottages to Bob and Beverly Nason, who turned the property into a dude ranch and christened it “Westward Look” after a poem quoted by Winston Churchill. After the Nasons sold it, the property would blossom into a resort, beginning in the 1960s, with numerous additions that have transformed it into the 80-acre, 241room resort it is today. Its famous guests have included Vivienne Leigh, Ben Vereen, John Wayne and Dean Martin. Today’s Westward Look still nods to its past. The Viga Room retains the original ocotillo ceiling from 1912 and there is a Watson Terrace.
Tanque Verde Ranch
After the Gadsden Purchase, Don Emilio Carrillo moved his family to Tucson in 1856 and began ranching in the lush Tanque Verde area– “green tank” in Spanish for the area’s water tank notorious for its green algae. Bandits raided his ranch in 1904 and tried to hang Carrillo, but the tough rancher survived. It’s just the start of the storied history of Tanque Verde Ranch. His son Rafael sold the ranch to Jim Converse in the 1920s and it would eventually be purchased by Brownie Cote in 1957, with his son Bob and wife Rita taking over management in 1969. Tanque Verde, today, remains one of the nation’s largest working dude ranches. Guests from across the globe enjoy horseback riding, hiking, swimming, delicious cookouts and more on the ranch grounds. The 69room, award-winning ranch also boasts 14-plus event venues, including an 8,400 square-foot barn.
tWhite Stallion Ranch
White Stallion Ranch is one of the premier guest ranches in the United States. Nestled in northwest Tucson, it was originally named CB Cattle Ranch in the 1900s and was constructed from Mexican adobe brick with the original adobe currently on display in the dining area of the resort.
Brew and Marge Towne purchased the ranch in 1959, renamed the property, and a few years later Allen and Cynthia True made the ranch their home. Since 1965 three generations of Trues have made the resort what it is today − a place where families can reconnect with nature, come and relax and get a feel for today and the past with guests enjoying horseback riding, lighted sports courts and a fitness center.
It was named a TripAdvisor Travelers Choice Award winner four times from 2018 to 2021. The ranch is also recognizable from film and television. The TV series “High Chaparral” used the site for years in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
Cte n t u r y l u b
YMCA
CYMCA of Southern Arizona was established in 1914 as a gift from the El Paso & Southwestern Railroad Company in return for the right-of-way for passenger trains into Tucson. The grand building at 125 W. Congress St. comprised a 25-room dormitory, a gym and gallery, a Victrola, a billiards room, a library and reading room, and Tucson’s first indoor swimming pool. Services expanded to the Triangle Y Youth Camp in Oracle in 1948, to three downtown branches in the 1950s and 60s; and to the Northwest branch in 1982. In addition to Triangle Y, YMCA now offers four full facility branches, three program sites and eight school sites, serving more than 23,000 members annually. The momentum continues: The Lohse Family Downtown Y recently underwent a $6 million renovation with upgraded facilities and equipment. As the “heartbeat of the community,” the nonprofit is dedicated to community engagement, encouraging healthy living and promoting youth development.
YWCA
Since 1917, the YWCA of Southern Arizona has been at the forefront of the movement to eliminate racism and empower women. Started by Henrietta Franklin and 150 members of the Tucson Business and Professional Women’s Club, the organization commissioned architect Annie Graham Rockfellow to design its Spanish-style headquarters at 738 N. Fifth Ave. in 1930. During the 1930s, the YWCA offered Tucson’s only swimming lessons for children of color and initiated integrated housing for women attending UA. It opened Tucson’s first state-certified infant care center in 1974, and in 1981 launched the first housing program for survivors of domestic violence. Now at 525 N. Bonita Ave., the YWCA offers programming and services in economic justice, healing and well-being, community engagement and advocacy. Initiatives include Your Sister’s Closet, Project Period, Women’s Business Center, YWorks, Women’s Counseling Network, Las Comadritas, Center for Gender & Racial Equity and Teen Court.
CofWayTucson & Southern Arizona
United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona was founded in 1922 as the Tucson Community Chest, which was dedicated to “civic betterment and social and economic uplift.” The initial Depression-era campaign to fund 10 partner agencies has grown into the region’s nonprofit superpower. Last year, it worked with more than 80 nonprofits, surrounding municipalities, and local, regional and national foundations to distribute more than $6.6 million into the region. Today’s United Way is building a thriving community by uniting people, ideas, and resources. It is committed to transforming lives and driving lasting change by focusing on educational success, financial wellness, healthy living, housing stability and homelessness. Strategic partnerships and mobilization of resources, along with data-driven metrics, are central to the organization’s impactful, innovative solutions and programs that strengthen the local economy and support more than 400,000 community members annually.
PHOTO
BY MARY SCHAEFER
“SANTA CRUZ RIVER”
Santa Cruz River, Redux
Historic Waterway Could be State’s First Urban National Wildlife Refuge
The birthplace and lifeforce of Tucson, the Santa Cruz River has ebbed and flowed throughout its vast desert existence, from year-round flows to completely drying up due to overuse to a modern revival through responsible water management.
The vision forward for this landmark waterway could help preserve it for perpetuity.
A coalition of 50-plus community partners aims to turn a 90-mile stretch of the river from Mexico to Marana into Arizona’s first Urban National Wildlife Refuge. The designation, by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, would be a pivotal step forward in protecting the river’s ecology and sustainability.
“We are in the third and final administrative step toward establishing the refuge,” said Luke Cole, director of the Santa Cruz River program for the Sonoran Institute, a coalition member and nonprofit dedicated to conservation. “This is a project with statewide appeal. I cannot emphasize how important this is to Tucson, Pima County, our indigenous partners and more.”
The federal refuge designation will recognize the ecological, indigenous and cultural values of the Santa Cruz River, while improving wildlife habitats and ensuring community access to the river and landscape. The proposed refuge boundary, which runs from the U.S.-Mexico border north to the PimaPinal County line, would include multiple properties and many access points along the river.
By Tara Kirkpatrick
“These refuges benefit the economies, tourism...create jobs,” Cole noted. “This is everything that every political appointee wants to bring to communities.”
The Santa Cruz River Valley is one of North America’s longest inhabited regions. The river, a vibrant water source for over 12,000 years, was farmed extensively by our indigenous ancestors and fostered not only the origins of Tucson but also a rich variety of wildlife. Yet, fueled by fierce Western expansion and overuse, the river’s perennial flows ended in 1913 and seasonal flows died off in 1940. “It was a non-entity,” Cole said. “That’s four or five generations lost.”
Until the early 2000s, partially treated wastewater constituted the Santa Cruz River’s year-round flows. It wasn’t until 2013 in Pima County that the treatment processes were completely overhauled and improved. Today, parts of the Santa Cruz are flowing once again, and wildlife has returned.
“One of the most amazing examples of this is the Gila topminnow,” said Cole. “It was in the Santa Cruz River historically but was absent for 100 years. In 2015, during our fish survey, they returned. That’s a really good sign. Additionally, we are seeing things like dragonflies. Half of the entire species in the state is now being seen in the Santa Cruz River.”
University of Arizona ecologist Michael Bogan has studied the Santa Cruz River ecology for more than a decade and runs a National Science Founda-
tion-funded Biological Research Experience for Teachers Site on the Santa Cruz.
“They leave realizing that Tucson has a river, that there’s wildlife, and that it’s a spot they can come back to and enjoy with their families,” said Bogan, an associate professor in the UA School of Natural Resources and the Environment who has also assisted with the coalition efforts.
A $600,000 grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, secured in January, will help the Sonoran Institute, UA and project partners with the resources needed to support the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as they work toward designating the refuge. It ensures a two-year, funded process to engage the community and conduct scientific research.
“The Santa Cruz River is the reason humans have inhabited this area for millennia, and encompassing it in a Santa Cruz River Urban National Wildlife Refuge will give it the protection it deserves for generations to come,” said Pima County Supervisor Adelita Grijalva, a coalition member whose district includes Downtown Tucson and its Santa Cruz boundary.
“This type of refuge is not a singular geographic entity, but a network of publicly owned areas needed to preserve the river’s integrity and its values for wildlife habitat and human enjoyment.”
BY MARY SCHAEFER
COURTESY OF THE SCHAEFER FAMILY
PreservingtheWhite Dove
Financial Support Remains Crucial for Mission San Xavier del Bac
Many might see Mission San Xavier del Bac as “that quaint little church on the edge of the city,” acknowledges Miles Green, executive director of Patronato San Xavier.
He suggests a deeper look at the White Dove of the Desert.
“We’re actually a significant piece of our nation’s heritage,” said Green, head
By Dave Perry
of the nonprofit organization that preserves the National Historic Landmark.
“The Mission is acting as an economic driver for the community of Tucson and Southern Arizona.”
Green estimates more than 250,000 people visit the Mission each year, in the community of Wa:k south of Tucson. Guests, astonished by its grandeur and
sanctity, “walk out with their mouths open,” he said.
Over the decades, the Mission’s exterior has been cleaned, conserved and replastered. And now, Green said, Patronato San Xavier is “closing in on what we’re calling the last decade of our large-scale projects.”
continued on page 62 >>>
“WHITE DOVE OF THE DESERT: SAN XAVIER MISSION DEL BAC”
continued from page 60
Inside, the Mission church “still has intact much of the interior artwork that at other locations has simply been lost over time,” Green said. Centuries of candle grease and grime have been removed. Fragile paintings on dry plaster are preserved. While interior care “will be neverending, we’re trying to move toward a routine that sees every surface revisited on about a seven-year circuit,” he said. “We’re two-thirds of the way of keeping on top of that schedule.”
“San Xavier is a fascinating place because it’s so complex,” said Starr Herr-Cardillo, Patronato’s conservation project manager. “It’s a place that’s significant to so many different people, and that may have both good and bad connotations, but as a physical object it’s an incredible testament to the history here.”
The current preservation focus is the 228-year-old retablo façade, the highly ornamented, heavily weathered element surrounding the church’s large front doors. This work “crosses the boundaries between art conservation and construction,” Green said.
Herr-Cardillo leads an incredible team. Tim Lewis, who began as an apprentice on the first conservation of the interior art in the 1990s, and his wife, Matilde Rubio are senior conservators. The team also includes conservator technicians, one a fulltime employee of the Patronato and two visiting specialists. They work to uncover the retablo’s original plaster, search for paint fragments and seek solutions to rehabilitate eroded columns and statuary.
The team has been able to discern a variety of paint applications used, in which the colors were blended and applied in ways hard to identify from the ground because so little remains.
“My favorite part about this work is that, as a team, you are constantly making and sharing the smallest observations...looking at how material reacts, developing a clearer
PHOTOS
understanding of what you’re looking at through the most minute observations and then sharing that information together until you start to see the bigger picture,” Herr-Cardillo said.
Herr-Cardillo and her team have presented on their Mission work globally, including at the International Council of Museums-Committee for Conservation in Valencia, Spain in 2023.
“The more we are able to generate research through our projects and share what we are learning, the better,” she said. “We really want to engage in regional, national and global dialogues around conservation best practices through our work.”
All of this important work needs financial support. In FY 2022-23, Patronato San Xavier spent $700,000 on conservation and preservation. The retablo project is much bigger. With this work just beginning, Green is newly uncertain about the fate of a $749,000 National Park Service grant, announced in 2024, for the work.
So Patronato, and those who love the Mission, find resources. Over the years, the Silver & Turquoise Board of Hostesses has given roughly $1 million to the Mission. The group was created to promote, support and encourage the preservation of Tucson’s historical traditions and diverse cultural heritage. The Silver & Turquoise annual ball, the group’s signature event, will be held Saturday, May 3.
Silver & Turquoise Board of Hostesses “has chosen to see the preservation work as the kind of heritage project they want to help support,” a grateful Green said.
Modern-day worshippers whose ancestors built the Mission have “a deep respect and love” for it. Centuries ago, their ancestors walked off the job at San Xavier “because nobody was paying them to finish the East Tower,” Green said. At a cost of $1.4 million, the East Tower’s preservation was completed in 2023.
Lastly, Green credits Patronato’s docent program for engaging “a constituency really across the country” that gives support. People give so others can preserve. Each day, each year, the Mission becomes more “a representation of its former glory.” Biz
How Southern Arizona Employers Can Support Their Workforce with Better Access to Mental Health Care
Submitted by Heather Kane, Health Plan CEO for Arizona & New Mexico, UnitedHealthcare Employer & Individual
Mental health challenges continue to grow and can have a significant impact on employees. According to new data from America’s Health Rankings, nearly 15% of adults in Arizona reported experiencing frequent mental distress in 2024.
To focus on just one condition, 40 million American adults suffer from anxiety disorders that can impact qual ity of life both inside and outside the of fice, and anxiety is now the no. 1 mental health issue among American workers.
Workload and working long hours can have a negative impact on overall mental health, happiness, and well-being, according to the American Psychological Association.
Supporting Employee Mental Health Needs
Modernized Health Plans Offer Better Access
The Surest health plan from UnitedHealthcare gives employees the tools to search for mental health care through an easy-to-use digital shopping experience that can help improve access and lower the total cost of care.
Surveys shows that employees overwhelmingly believe support for mental health at work is important. In fact, 92% of workers said it is very or somewhat important to them to work for an organization that values their emotional and psychological well-being.
Tens of millions of Americans experience mental health challenges, yet 25% did not see a mental health provider due to cost in the previous year. Having access to affordable mental health care is, therefore, crucial to promoting employee well-being and overall experience.
Offering employees modernized health plans can help the workforce more readily access needed services to support their overall health, wellbeing and experience.
Heather Kane
Health Plan
CEO
for Arizona & New Mexico, UnitedHealthcare Employer & Individual
Surest eliminates deductibles and coinsurance. Instead, members have copays that vary based on the provider and facility, with higher-value options costing less. Providers are evaluated on how they have performed historically on certain criteria like effectiveness and cost efficiency.
Recent studies found the Surest model lowered consumer out-of-pocket costs by 54%. For employers, total cost per member per month was 11% lower with Surest.
Women who choose Surest paid 88% less for anxiety-related provider visits
and 82% less for depression-related visits compared to members on a conventional health plan, according to one recent study.
Data also shows that Surest members interact with the health system more frequently when they need care, including 20% more physician visits, a 9% increase in preventive physical exams, a 15% increase in preventive mammograms and a 34% increase in preventive colonoscopies. They also tended to opt for better provider options with 92% of members selecting high-efficiency providers.
Digital Resources Of fer Support and Convenience
Studies show that Surest members also have improved access to care. Eligible Surest members can now access digital tools such as Calm Health, as a part of their mental health benefits.
Calm Health offers an entry point for eligible Surest members to connect with personalized resources to help support their mental health in-the-moment or as a supplement to engagement with a licensed professional.
Calm Health is an evidence-based mental health app, designed to help members access personalized mental health support, including mental health screenings, therapy referrals, personalized programs and daily self-care content.
By offering more modern health plans and digital resources, employers can enhance their employees’ access to mental health care. These types of resources reduce out-of-pocket costs, improve health outcomes and can help create a more engaged, productive and satisfied workforce.
BUTTERFIELD LOGISTICS CENTER
EL DORADO HOSPITAL
WASKO MODERN LIVING
PALOMA VILLAGE
DON MARTIN
VENTANA VILLAGE
VANTAGE WEST
5151 E. BROADWAY
SUNNYSLOPE
ROONEY RANCH
DREXEL COMMERCE CENTER SCHNITZER PROPERTIES
Mike Hammond, Founder
Barbi Reuter, CEO
PHOTO: PRODESERT DRONES LLC
PHOTO: COSTAR GROUP, INC
PHOTO: COSTAR GROUP, INC
Tucson’sTransformingEconomy Cushman & Wakefield | PICOR: $459 Million in Brokerage Sales & Leasing
By Loni Nannini
Over the past 40 years, Cushman & Wakefield | PICOR has evolved into a commercial real estate powerhouse in the region, leveraging local expertise with global reach.
By “building value through service,” literally and figuratively, C&W | PICOR has distinguished itself as a market leader − and a civic, economic and philanthropic force throughout the region.
Last year, the full-service company closed more than $459 million in brokerage sales and leasing and provided property management for about 4.7 million square feet of commercial real estate in Tucson, Southern Arizona and Sonora, Mexico.
“Commercial real estate is inextricably linked to economic development and community prosperity and well-being,” said Barbi Reuter, CEO of C&W | PICOR. “Every job is connected to commercial real estate in some way, and jobs are what feed our families. That is why we do what we do. We focus on quality and the quantity happens.”
The company’s impact on the community has been far-reaching, said Joe Snell, president & CEO of Sun Corridor Inc. He credits C&W | PICOR with facilitating numerous relocations and expansions for businesses, corporations and stakeholders over the past 20 years.
“The depth and expertise of the PICOR team is extremely additive to the
region’s economic development efforts,” Snell said. “The projects PICOR has been involved with have transformed the Southern Arizona economy.”
Local Ownership, Global Connections
Founded in 1985 by Mike Hammond, a Tucson native with a background in industrial real estate, PICOR is an acronym for “Properties for Industry Cor poration.” Hammond chose the tech-sounding name for the endless possibilities it presented.
“This was a conscious decision,” Hammond said. “If you are trying to build something to last, you don’t name a company after yourself. Legally, a company is a living entity. But at the end of the day, it is people.”
Early on, Hammond implemented a people-centric philosophy through a unique business model that offers a path toward ownership for employees. The structure encourages personal commitment to the company’s success.
“One of the bigger mistakes that small business owners make is to think they will build a company and sell it to someone else and walk away,” Hammond said. “If you are going to create wealth for yourself, the best way to do that is to provide an environment for others to do the same.”
In 2020, Hammond passed leadership of the company to an all-female team comprised of Reuter, who was
named CEO, Tina Olson, director of property management, and Rebecca Martinez, director of operations.
Today, C&W | PICOR has grown into a market leader with 63 employees − including 24 brokers and 11 property managers. It serves individuals, businesses, corporations, investors and nonprofits in a wide range of industries including healthcare, food service, retail, defense, technology, manufacturing and construction.
The company has long-standing relationships with organizations like Tucson Medical Center, Kent Circle Partners, Venture West, Schnitzer Properties and Holualoa Companies. The diverse client roster also includes CODAC, Starbucks, Raytheon, Mister Car Wash, Caliber Collision, and many more.
Since 2008, C&W | PICOR’s service to local and new-to-market clients has been elevated by an alliance with Cushman & Wakefield, a global commercial real estate company that operates approximately 400 offices in 60 countries.
“We are rooted in Tucson, but we have global connections,” Reuter said. “Through our relationship with Cushman & Wakefield, we have the best of both worlds. We can keep our profits local, invest in the local community, and connect our employees to resources they wouldn’t otherwise have.”
BizMILESTONE
‘A Team Approach’
The coupling of C&W | PICOR’s local roots with the global profile of Cushman & Wakefield has changed the commercial landscape in Southern Arizona, said Michael Sarabia, CEO of DSW Commercial Real Estate.
“Whether it is retail, office, industrial or multi-family, PICOR has a strong presence, and they are influencers in each space of the market,” he said.
“Our goal is excellence in service,” Reuter said. “One of the benefits of having some scale is that we have a large team. That means we have a brain trust − experience, mentorship and a team approach to service. We can match the needs of the client with our talent to make sure we put the best team on the field.”
For the past decade, DSW has worked with a C&W | PICOR team led by Greg Furrier and Dave Hammack. Sarabia calls them “best in class” for all things retail.
“Greg and Dave see multiple deals from the same tenant in other centers and thus, we oftentimes have real data on what is a negotiable point and what is a sticking point for the lease or sale negotiations,” Sarabia said. “When we are looking at the possibility of purchasing a center somewhere in town, we will almost certainly call them and ask about rental activity in the area as part of our evaluation process.”
The data-driven, professional teams are a big win for clients, said Edmund Marquez, CEO of Edmund Marquez Allstate Insurance Agencies and a 15year C&W | PICOR client.
“PICOR brokers work it. They are well-connected in the community, know their inventory, utilize all the latest technology, and are great communicators,” Marquez said. “Beyond showing properties, they crunch the numbers and help you figure out cap rates, NOI, and really evaluate every aspect of the deal as you look forward to purchasing or leasing.”
buildings and land on 116 parcels citywide.
“Tucson is a unique town with a lot of big real estate players who don’t have a presence here, so we rely on companies like PICOR, who does have a local presence, to get the product and services we need,” said James Copley, executive director of real estate operations for TMC. “They can leverage their larger partner, Cushman & Wakefield, when they need it. But mostly we need the local experts. In my mind, they are the best in town for what they offer.”
“If you are going to create wealth for yourself, the best way to do that is to provide an environment for others to do the same.”
– Mike Hammond Founder Cushman & Wakefield | PICOR
Marshall, the first woman professor at UA, have contributed more than $30 million to local nonprofits and fund $400,000 in UA scholarships annually.
“PICOR has its own charitable foundation, so they are a really good fit for us. They understand the charitable aspect of our business and our values are aligned,” said Kelly Huber, executive director of the Marshall Foundation. “We also love that they are managed by women, given that we were founded by Louise Marshall, who was a trailblazer.”
Civic and Philanthropic Engagement
The PICOR Charitable Foundation, which has gifted more than $1.6 million to local charities since its inception in 1994, highlights a commitment to the community. That dedication extends beyond dollars.
“There are a lot of great commercial brokerage offices in Tucson and lots of talent, but PICOR has the edge through its involvement in our community,” said Marquez, who has served on boards of nonprofits and community agencies with numerous C&W | PICOR employees.
Ted Maxwell, president and CEO of the Southern Arizona Leadership Council, added: “PICOR understands that sound policy leads to sound results and, ultimately, the idea of a strong economy provides the entire region with opportunities to address education, infrastructure, access to affordable healthcare, and issues like crime and poverty.”
Looking to the future, Reuter said C&W | PICOR plans to continue to recruit talent and nurture leaders who deliver excellence while boosting prosperity and improving quality of life for the entire community.
For years, TMC has relied on C&W | PICOR’s expertise when buying and selling properties and negotiating new leases and renewals for TMC-owned properties. C&W | PICOR also provides property management for those
The Marshall Foundation contracts with C&W | PICOR for the management of Main Gate Square, 350,000 square feet of retail, office and multiuse space adjacent to the University of Arizona.
“PICOR was built to last. We are unique, sustainable and vigilant about protecting the future,” Reuter said. “The commercial real estate market in Tucson and Southern Arizona is resilient and nimble, and we have a creative business community that responds to market changes so everyone can thrive. We are proud to be part of that.” Biz continued from page 69
Rental revenues from the properties purchased in 1930 by Louise Foucar
Tina Olson, RPA, FMA Director of Property Management
Barbi Reuter, RPA CEO
Rebecca Martinez, SPHR Director of Operations
From left –
Company Culture
Trio of Women Lead the Charge at Cushman & Wakefield | PICOR
Since it was founded 40 years ago, Cushman & Wakefield | PICOR has embraced an innovative culture and a sustainable business model designed to enable clients, employees and the community to prosper.
When Mike Hammond formed the company as PICOR in 1985, he had a client-first/employee-forward approach that would engage his employees in the overall success of the company while benefiting them beyond their paychecks.
The bold blueprint has continued over the years to now, where Cushman & Wakefield | PICOR has a rare, allfemale executive leadership team in an otherwise male-dominated industry. The team of CEO Barbi Reuter, Director of Property Management Tina Olson and Director of Operations Rebecca Martinez has nine decades of collective commercial real estate experience.
“This happened organically more than intentionally,” said Reuter, who previously served as COO and president. Prior to that, she founded C&W | PICOR’s property management division. “Mike has always been genderblind and just wanted the best people for the job, and that continues to be our policy.”
Reuter, who started with C&W | PICOR when she was in college, credits the dynamic culture for supporting the success of employees of all backgrounds.
“I grew up seeing what was possible in this field for young women and anyone else willing to work hard in what is still a male-dominated industry,” she said.
You Can See It. You Can Be It
Throughout its history, C&W | PICOR has promoted integrity, empowerment and diverse perspectives in its efforts to hire and nurture creative brokers and property managers who are ef-
By Loni Nannini
fective at meeting client needs.
“Different ideas lead to innovation, and this is beneficial to our clients since our team members bring unique experiences and approaches,” Martinez said.
The 22-year C&W | PICOR veteran, whose role has expanded from office management and human resources into leadership, is an example of the company’s culture of nurturing talent.
“We allow employees to grow and benefit from the company,” said Olson, who started as a temporary employee working at the front desk in 1994. “I am a big believer in promoting from within, believing in people, and bringing them up right alongside me.”
After progressive promotions, Olson assumed leadership of the property management division 10 years ago and has overseen its growth to a market share leader.
“I have done all the jobs, so when I lead my team, that is helpful,” Olson said. “I have been there and done that. I know what they do and how challenging it can be. That has helped me as a director to lead more effectively.”
In addition to fostering loyalty to minimize turnover, C&W | PICOR prioritizes mentorship and resources for employees.
“I was mentored by Mike Hammond, so I learned from the best,” Reuter said. “I try to lead with humility and transparency. I know I don’t have all the answers and can’t be good at everything, so a strong team is important.
“As leaders, we are here to enable the growth and productivity for our people, and one of our primary roles is to eliminate distractions and friction that keeps employees from bringing their best selves to the workplace and to their clients.”
C&W | PICOR’s unique employeebased ownership structure, which is rare in the industry, helps to minimize ad-
ministrative tasks and other issues that independent real estate brokers must handle themselves.
“Most brokerages are looser consortiums of independent agents. Our employees aren’t independent contractors. They are employees, so it feels more like a family,” said Reuter. “On the leadership side, that allows us to take care of the business aspect of running the brokerage so the client-facing people can focus on success and client results.”
Modeling Effective Leadership
Reuter and her team lead by example to maximize growth and productivity and groom the next generation of leaders.
They model involvement in numerous professional and pro-business organizations, including Southern Arizona Leadership Council, Sun Corridor Inc., Tucson Metro Chamber and Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) Greater Tucson. Reuter was also a charter member and past president of Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW) Tucson, and the 2022 CREW Network global board president.
Professional and personal community involvement provides valuable opportunities for education and community connections, supporting C&W | PICOR’s tenet that relationships are a foundation of business success, Reuter said.
“We consider this more of a relationship business than a fee-based or transactional business,” she said. “At the end of the day, we bring parties together and every transaction is the result of a meeting of minds to help fulfill someone’s location or investment needs. The benefit of that is really local since every site selection − whether office, industrial, retail or multi-family − creates local jobs.”
Biz
Employees
At Cushman & Wakefield | PICOR, employees can sometimes be the employers.
C&W | PICOR’s rare platform for employee ownership − and the company emphasis on collaboration to optimize success − provides unique opportunities for those in commercial real estate to thrive personally and professionally.
“We offer a path to ownership for consistently high producers who represent our values,” said Barbi Reuter, CEO of C&W | PICOR, which was named a Tucson Top Workplace in 2023 and 2024 by Tucson Media Partners and AZ Central. “They know they can earn a seat at the table, and that is not possible everywhere. We also take care of tenured employees who participate in profit-sharing. They know that when we win, everyone wins.”
Of the 24 brokers and 11 property managers at the company, 14 have advanced along the path to equity and become principals after meeting productivity thresholds for three years. Employees and staff who have been with
By Loni Nannini
C&W | PICOR for at least 10 years are also eligible for profit-sharing.
“We all have the same goal. We want to be successful, and we want to do it together.”
“This structure gives brokers added incentive to perform and, from PICOR’s standpoint, it is good incentive to attract new talent and to keep brokers within the company,” said Jesse
Blum, an industrial and logistics broker who started in the industry in 2009. “It allows the brokers stakeholder status so they have a say in the direction of the company and is a great way to get connected within the community.”
Blum joined C&W | PICOR four years ago, attracted by the potential for growth in the industrial sector, which encompasses distribution warehousing, manufacturing, e-commerce, data centers, research and development and land development.
“I wanted to be at a place where I could align myself with a wider array of industry experts to leverage my experience,” Blum said. “I also wanted a place that has a great community presence where I could continue to learn. It has been a wonderful place to work in a collaborative and very sharing environment, and that is not always the case in predominantly sales-based businesses.”
Collaborative Commercial Real Estate
Camaraderie is a huge benefit to young professionals working to create
Employers
A Path to Ownership for High Producers as
successful brands for themselves, said Joey Martinez, a principal in C&W | PICOR’s multi-family brokerage team. Since joining the company in 2019, he and Allan Mendelsberg have closed over $350 million in sales transactions.
“We all have the same goal. We want to be successful, and we want to do it together,” Martinez said. “There is a cohesiveness that exists within the company. It is not, ‘How much of the pie you can get,’ but ‘How big can we make the pie at our company?’ ”
Martinez said the wealth of local experience and knowledge among C&W | PICOR’s principals and staff brings added advantages for employees and clients.
“PICOR has lots of benefits that firms with brokers who are independent contractors don’t offer,” he said. “We have a long history with top-producing brokers, and we all reap the benefits.”
Specialists in four divisions − office/ medical, retail, industrial and multifamily − provide collaborative guidance to company veterans and to young professionals developing their skills.
“We stay in our lanes,” said Rick Kleiner, a principal who specializes in the sale, leasing and investment of office and medical properties. “It is best to know a lot about your area and provide as much quality service as you can and then refer to other specialists within the company. Our focus has always been on meeting clients’ requirements.”
Broker Development
Kleiner, who has been recognized as C&W | PICOR’s top office division producer for 15 consecutive years, is now paying his experience forward. He is one of multiple shareholders mentoring C&W | PICOR’s next generation of successful entrepreneurs and community leaders. He has teamed with Alexis Corona, who joined C&W | PICOR in 2022, to support her goal of becoming a broker, which she achieved earlier this year.
They recently executed a $38 million transaction between El Rio Health and Meridian, a national developer of healthcare properties, to open a new El Rio Health Center by renovating the
former Tucson Heart Hospital at 4888 N. Stone Ave.
“This is a wonderful example of how we can help facilitate commercial real estate transactions that have a lot of terrific benefits for the community,” Kleiner said. “In the short term, the renovation will provide employment for architects, contractors and many others. In the long term, El Rio will expand essential outpatient medical services to a Northwest location.”
Ultimately, Kleiner said that C&W | PICOR is dedicated to developing capable, creative brokers to deliver excellent service for clients and investors.
“The element of knowledgeable brokers who can craft transactions and talk with people − and really understand problems and opportunities and figure out how to solve them to everyone’s benefit − is a significant part of what we do every day.”
PHOTO: SKYPOD IMAGES
‘Good Business’ PICOR Charitable Foundation Gifts More Than $1.6 Million to Community
By Loni Nannini
Commercial real estate isn’t Cushman & Wakefield | PICOR’s only area of expertise. The company also is a master at investing in its community.
“Giving back has been part of our DNA since we were founded,” said Barbi Reuter, CEO of C&W | PICOR. “On one hand, we owe it to the community to give back to help everyone thrive. On the other, it is good business.”
The company has adopted a multipronged approach to philanthropy − grants through the PICOR Charitable Foundation, volunteerism and service through the company itself, and leadership in nonprofit, civic and professional associations and organizations.
A Foundation of Caring
The PICOR Charitable Foundation, founded in 1994, has gifted more than $1.66 million to more than 125 local organizations that aid disadvantaged children in Southern Arizona.
The goal is to provide modest grants − ranging from $500 to $3,000 − that will make a significant impact on charities, many of which receive limited or no public funding. Grant recipients run the gamut, from small grassroots organizations to large nonprofits supporting the arts, education and literacy, mentorship, healthcare, foster care services and more.
Beneficiaries have included Angel Heart Pajama Project, Educational Enrichment Foundation, BICAS, Girl Scouts of Southern Arizona, Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southern Arizona and many more.
“We are strict about spending the funds on immediate need, not on overhead costs or corporate spending. The money goes straight to the kids,” said Tina Olson, director of property management at C&W | PICOR and a member of the foundation board of directors.
Pancakes by C&W | PICOR
The foundation’s signature annual fundraiser is C&W | PICOR’s Pancake Breakfast, an event where company employees, their families and friends come together to cook and serve the public. The 2024 event raised a record $188,000 to benefit at-risk youth. Since 2016, proceeds have been matched dollar-for-dollar by a generous match from the Burton Family Foundation, significantly extending the impact.
The YMCA of Southern Arizona is one of many multi-year grant recipients that benefit from the much-loved Tucson tradition. The grants to YMCA fund scholarships for youth to participate in academic enrichment programs, character leadership opportunities and other development activities.
“The innovation of leveraging a breakfast fundraiser by bringing together a blend of clients, vendors, employees and community members to raise funds which are donated to support area youth in need not only impacts the organizations receiving the funds to implement youth programs, but raises awareness with the greater community,” said Kurtis Dawson, CEO of YMCA of Southern Arizona.
“This, in turn, can engage additional support for the organizations providing the programs and services for area youth. It’s turning talk into action.”
That hands-on action can extend directly to disadvantaged youth. Many attend the breakfast through various nonprofits.
“The Pancake Breakfast has become a memorable outing for many of our ‘bigs’ (mentors) and ‘littles’ (mentees) and their families,” said Veronica Saiz, director of development and corporate engagement for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southern Arizona, another multi-year grant recipient. “It means a great deal to us to have local businesses actively giving back not just through fi-
nancial investment in programming, but by really engaging with nonprofits in the community.”
Dawson said the impact of the foundation’s grants on local youth transcends the years.
“PICOR represents a community-development, full-circle model,” Dawson said. “The youth benefiting from programs funded by PICOR today will be tomorrow’s adult community members.”
Excellence t hrough Volunteerism
C&W | PICOR donates corporate funds to nonprofits, sponsors organizations and invests in community support and education. Additionally, C&W | PICOR leadership and employees funnel personal resources into the community by gifting time and talent to local nonprofits, civic and economic development organizations, and professional/ industry associations.
Reuter, who has led the boards of the YMCA, Tucson Metro Chamber and many other organizations, said these experiences allow people to give − and grow − their expertise and are mutually beneficial to everyone involved.
“The opportunity to get leadership training in industry and nonprofit service is huge,” Reuter said. “Practicing that in a volunteer environment has been a tremendous education that has helped me and many others in our company advance our careers while making a difference in people’s lives in our community.”
Ultimately, C&W | PICOR seeks to provide myriad avenues for meaningful community involvement by building on its credo that “better never settles.”
“Often as individuals, our hearts are in different places, and we look at these areas as important ways to involve our employees in giving back to something bigger than themselves,” said Reuter. Biz
JCC Maccabi Games® Return
More than 1,100 Teens to Compete
By Loni Nannini
Teens from across the nation and beyond will go for the gold while celebrating the silver anniversary of the return of the JCC Maccabi Games® to the Tucson Jewish Community Center from Jul. 27 through Aug. 1.
Last held in Tucson in 2000, the Olympic-style competition for Jewish teens ages 13 to 17 embodies athleticism, fellowship, philanthropy, sportsmanship and leadership. With an estimated $4 million-plus impact, the games are a boon for the region as the “Tucson J” marks 70 years.
“At the Tucson J, it is an opportunity for us to engage with volunteers and leaders and create something very special that will inspire the community, and by extension, the city of Tucson,” said Todd Rockoff, president and CEO of the Tucson JCC. “It will bring a large event to Tucson during a time of year when things are relatively quiet.
“More than 1,100 teens from across
North America, Israel and around the globe − and family members and spectators who are coming to watch them − will stay in hotels, eat in restaurants and shop in our stores. It is creating lots of excitement here and across the community and we are honored to be part of something that will be so helpful to Tucson and Southern Arizona in July 2025.”
Established in 1982, the JCC Maccabi Games® highlight sports and recreation programs and emphasize Jewish values. Like the Olympics, the games feature sporting competitions, opening and closing ceremonies, travel, social and cultural events, and opportunities for athletes and their families to make life-long friends and memories.
The event also attracts coaches, referees, support staff and about 1,000 volunteers, many of whom travel from elsewhere. The timing during traditionally soft dates in local hotel occupancy
has significant implications for the hospitality, service and tourism industries, said Felipe Garcia, president and CEO of Visit Tucson.
“An event of this scale is sure to have a positive economic impact on many different types of local businesses, including the Tucson International Airport, hotels and resorts, restaurants, rental vehicles, attractions and more,” said Garcia.
The Tucson JCC at 3800 E. River Rd. will serve as the hub, with activities and sporting events held throughout the city.
“The games will create a surge in tourism dollars that benefits the entire community,” said Barney Holtzman, chair of the Tucson JCC Maccabi Games®. “From shopping and dining to cultural experiences, Tucson’s unique offerings will be front and center, giving visitors a true taste of what makes our
continued on page 86 >>>
BizSPORTS
continued from page 85 city special.”
The event has broadened appeal through JCC Maccabi® Access programs, which were created to provide access for Jewish athletes with intellectual and developmental disabilities to the same opportunities as neurotypical peers.
“We are pleased that the games will provide distinct opportunities for these athletes to compete and play amongst themselves along with integrated opportunities in some sports, evening activities, opening ceremonies and other activities,” Rockoff said. “The Tucson J has a long and proud history of working with individuals with disabilities and this very much fits our core mission.”
A guiding theme at the JCC Maccabi Games® and Access are Jewish principles such as tikkun olam (repairing the world). Every teen involved with the games will also participate in one or more social action projects including gifting supplies to the Play Zone at Diamond Children’s Medical Center at Banner - University Medical Center Tucson.
“To create a way for kids around the continent to engage with anchor organizations that mean so much to our community and do projects that remain here in Tucson to benefit the community is another thing we are really proud to facilitate,” Rockoff said.
The games also highlight the rich 70year history of the Tucson JCC and its ongoing efforts to promote partnership with businesses and corporations, nonprofits and all members of the community.
BizEVENT
When: July 27 through August 1
Volunteers are needed and sponsorships are available.
Find more information at www.jccmaccabitucson.com or call 520-299-3000 ext. 4407
“We believe the Tucson J is a community asset. We recognize that 60% of our members come from the broader community and the more we can do in allyship with the broader community, the more the Jewish community is seen and valued,” Rockoff said. “We think that doing things that are of benefit not just to us, but to everyone, is one path to have us standing side-to-side and shoulder-to-shoulder with those in our community.”
Ultimately, the JCC Maccabi Games®, like events such as El Tour de Tucson, also showcase Tucson’s strengths as it builds a global reputation as a destination for fitness, recreation and travel.
“Tucson’s world-class facilities and stunning landscapes will be on full display during the Games,” said Holtzman. “But our greatest asset is our community spirit. The support from local businesses, volunteers and families won’t just make the games an unforgettable experience for participants – it will inspire visitors to return to our city again and again.”
Biz
JCC MACCABI GAMES® & ACCESS
above from left – Himanshu Parikh, RTD VP of Manufacturing Operations, Jill German, Head of Roche Tissue Diagnostics, Joe Winfield, Oro Valley Mayor, Christoph Majewski, RTD Lifecycle Leader for Personalized Healthcare Solutions, Tom Hebner, Senior Director of Facilities and Site Services, Elizabeth Robb, Oro Valley Town Council, Kristen Sharp, President, Oro Valley Chamber of Commerce.
Pictured
‘Invested to Grow’ Roche Tissue Diagnostics Still Expanding Presence After 40 Years
It’s been decades since Roche employee Jill German sold raw materials to Dr. Tom Grogan and his company, Ventana Medical Systems, a Tucson startup then he
giant, assumed ownership of Ventana Medical Systems and set Oro Valley as the home base for Roche Tissue Diag nostics − RTD. German is now head of R in automated, tissue-based cancer diag nostic technology. The company oper ates out of a massive, recently expanded facility in Or manufacturing plant nearby in Marana. RTD has a combined workforce of ap proximately 1,800 employees and con tractors.
ined the truly massive impact this com pany would have in the world,” German re
tics celebrated its 40th anniversary on Jan. 22, and a its 110,000-square-foot research labora tory for Roche’s Personalized Health care Solutions division in Oro Valley’s Innov
wide benefited from diagnostic tests dev with RTD technology created in Oro Valley.
in Oro Valley and two in Marana, with 680,000 square feet of workspace.
By Dave Perry
More than 200 of its employees assemble specialized instruments in RTD’s 60,000-square-foot manufacturing facility at Interstate 10 and Tangerine Road.
“We are the toolmakers for the hospitals, the teaching hospitals, our customers,” said Gilbert Valencia, a 25-year Roche employee who began at the company when it was still Ventana Medical ems. “You can see that direct impact to our patients.”
et people whose family members were diagnosed and treated with s we’ve worked on,” said pathologist Mike Flores, senior medical director of personalized healthcare solutions. s an amazing privilege for me to be a part of it. We are creating solutions for our family and our community.”
“I don’t think I would have ever imagined the truly massive impact this company would have in the world.”
– Jill German Head Roche Tissue Diagnostics
German gets emotional when she discusses her sister who was diagnosed with ast cancer through the use of RTD testing. While that finding was deeply upsetting, her sister is doing well, and German finds solace in knowing her sister “can be confident in the results she received.”
“For the last 40 years, we have been delivering diagnostic certainty” to cancer patients and their healthcare providers, German told more than 500 employees and community members at the lebration. “It’s only through your work we can do this.”
The re-tooled building RTD dedicated in January was a biomedical research opened by Sanofi and later purchased by Icagen. Roche purchased te 2023, and it is now Building 10, home to Personalized Healthcare
BizBIOSCIENCE
“There have been years of dreaming for this building,” German said. “This acquisition sets us up for growth we’re experiencing now, and growth into the future.”
Inside B10’s accredited laboratory, approximately 140 “brilliant people are doing the work to ensure patients around the world have diagnostics to lead them to the right therapy,” German said.
Talia Lee, an associate scientist for pharmaceutical services, explained that scientists are developing assays – lab tests – that identify proteins called biomarkers. RTD researchers work with more than 85 pharmaceutical companies to create companion tests for their prospective cancer drugs. They tested thousands of patient samples last year for hundreds of different biomarkers, “and that’s ever-growing,” German said.
“The drug attaches to the protein,” Lee said. The pharma company says, “ ‘This is the protein. Can you develop the test?’ ” And that’s precisely what the personalized healthcare team does.
“Does their particular therapy work for my specific cancer?” Lee asked. If not, “you won’t take the therapy needlessly.”
Instead, German said, “You take the one that’s most likely to help you the fastest. It’s personalized medicine. It’s about bringing value to the medical profession and to patients.”
Extensive time and effort goes into developing the diagnostic tests. “We want to make sure our tests are safe and effective in order to help providers get the right treatment to the right patient at the right time” Flores said. “This includes using exciting new tools in digital pathology and image analysis.”
Development of new tests is crucial to RTD’s business strategy. It is “doing now what patients need next,” said Lidija Pestic-Dragovich, a longtime Ventana/ Roche employee and senior director for pharmaceutical partnering and alliance.
“If we engage with pharma partners at an early stage, they’re most likely to stay with us,” Pestic-Dragovich said. “We are the leader, but we do have competitors. We should never relax.”
“We don’t need patients to know
about us,” German said. “We need healthcare providers and laboratories to trust us, and they do. That is the bottom line.”
RTD creates and packages “reagents,” chemical solutions used to “stain” or color tiny amounts of tissue or biopsies. Under exacting conditions, an RTD instrument can apply the solution to the tissue and reveal its cellular components and whether the collected tissue includes cancerous cells and if so, what type.
At one point, RTD’s Building 1 hosted both instrument manufacturing and reagent production. When instrument manufacturing moved to Marana, RTD invested several million dollars into B1, dedicating 19,000 square feet to streamlined reagent dispenser assembly, filling and cold storage. Throughout the retrofitting, it ran three shifts a day to meet global needs.
“We are creating solutions for our family and our community.”
– Mike Flores Personalized Healthcare Solutions Senior Medical Director Roche Tissue Diagnostics
“We couldn’t shut down production,” said Josh Orosco, RTD finance business partner.
“We had to keep reagent production going in the existing location while construction of the expansion was underway,” said Himanshu Parikh, VP of manufacturing operations, pointing to one side of the building, then the other.
Roche engineered and installed two automated dispenser filling lines, machines twice as fast as their predecessors. Each line can fill 4 million dispensers a year. The building has room for a third line, which, when necessary, will boost its automated annual capacity to keep
up with customer demand.
Three shifts of colleagues work six days a week to operate manual and automated assembly and filling operations. Completed dispensers are shipped to Roche’s facilities in Indianapolis, then to providers and patients around the world.
When it comes to where RTD finds talent for its massive and advanced operation, German stresses the company has “really diverse” job opportunities for the local workforce. “Anything that it takes to run a business, we have here.”
“From GED to Ph.D.,” said Christoph Majewski, VP and lifecycle leader in personalized healthcare solutions.
While management-level talent sometimes comes from regional, national and inter national pools, “we hire a lot of our workforce from here,” German said. “Many of our departments have deep relationships at the U of A, and ASU as well.”
Pima Community College, Pima Joint Technical Education District and a vibrant summer intern program are other sources of talent.
“In the Bay Area, there are hundreds of companies competing for talent,” Parikh said. “Here in Tucson, we’re one of the few players. That’s good for us.”
Grogan, now RTD’s “chief inspiration officer,” was inspired more than 40 years ago “to change the practice of medicine” by automating cancer diagnosis, German said. “We’ve been doing that. This team is taking it even further.”
Within two years of Roche’s 2008 acquisition of Ventana, German said, “You saw the lights go on around the world. Countries are recognizing earlier detection leads to a healthier, population, with reduced healthcare costs.”
“This is still the best diagnostic technology you can get,” Majewski said. “It’s a fairly small percentage of the cost of healthcare.”
It is “fast, affordable and readily available,” Flores said.
And it is now deeply rooted in Oro Valley.
“We’re committed to this area,” German said. “We’re invested to grow, and to make sure our people have a great place to work and live.”
Elevated Care Pima Community College Opens $33 Million Health Professions Complex
Pima Community College’s new $33 million Center of Excellence in Health Professions aims to address the healthcare worker shortage that has been growing at an alarming rate, leading to patient backlogs, frustration and sometimes less-than-timely care.
The four-story, three-building complex consolidates all 17 medical specialties taught at PCC, including respiratory therapy, nursing, home health, and fitness and wellness, at the West Campus. It also will double the number of students it graduates, increasing capacity from 800 to 1,600, within five years.
It’s impossible to understate that impact. “Those 800 students we graduate each year, if they see on average five patients a day, that’s 4,000 patient contacts a day for that one group of students, and 20,000 patient contacts a week, and over a million patient contacts a year,” said PCC Health Professions Dean Don Martin. “So, when we say that we touch
By Tiffany Kjos
the lives of Pima County we mean it, because Pima County’s population is just over a million people.”
The center includes classrooms, simulators and various high-tech labs featuring $2.5 million worth of HUD-funded equipment, all designed to replicate the real world.
“Part of what makes an education in Pima’s health professions special is the opportunity to work on equipment that is similar, if not exactly the same, as what students who are moving from the Center of Excellence into a job would be working on,” said Marcy Euler, president and CEO of Pima Foundation, which continues to raise money to equip the center.
Most of the construction costs for the new center - approximately $24 million - were paid when the college issued revenue bonds in 2019. PCC received another $2.5 million from congressional funding, thanks to U.S. Senator
Mark Kelly and then-Senator Kyrsten Sinema.
The facility was built by gutting, renovating and expanding existing space, Euler said. Construction began in October 2023, and the college celebrated its opening with a ribbon-cutting in January attended by 250 people. “Everyone that we talked with at the event was incredibly impressed by the facility, by the rethinking of how training is done and the consolidation of the spaces, creating simulation rooms that allow for the student learners to actually engage in a way that is similar to a hospital or a clinical setting,” Euler said.
Unique for the 81,000-square-foot center are the HyFlex classrooms, which allow students to attend classes in person, virtually, or a combination of both. The classrooms are equipped with multiple microphones and video cameras so everyone, in the classroom or online, can see and interact.
BizEDUCATION
continued from page 94
“You know when you have a Google meeting or a Zoom meeting, only one person can talk at a time because it will cut you off? In a HyFlex environment, that doesn’t happen,” Martin explained. “It is fully two-way so you can have a full, genuine conversation like you would face-to-face.”
This flexible setup is especially beneficial in health sciences, where attendance is crucial, Martin said. “In health sciences, it’s really difficult to miss one or two classes because it’s hard to catch up. This way you can go to classes one week, then do it online the next week –it’s exactly the same.”
Students come to PCC from various backgrounds: out of high school, from the medical field seeking advancement, and transitioning from other fields. “A lot of these individuals come from low socioeconomic status or unstable jobs,” he said. “Healthcare provides good stability with good pay, and that impacts their local community, their neighborhoods, their families and the larger community in general because it raises the economic status of the entire community.”
The center itself employs about 63 full-time staff members and faculty, plus adjunct and part-time faculty. Before the center was established, faculty and students were dispersed across the Desert Vista and West campuses, often in separate locations, making resource sharing and collaboration challenging, Martin said. “The center gave us the opportunity to concentrate all of them in one place where we can start doing interprofessional education, where the students can work together across the boundaries.”
While the program focuses on student development, Euler emphasized the broader mission: “The health care needs of our community are really important for everyone. When you go to a doctor or a nurse you want to make sure that their training is such that you are getting the absolute best care possible. And I firmly believe that the Center for Excellence in Health Professions is going to provide that level of care in our community for decades to come.”
PHOTO: CHRIS MOONEY
2024 Greater Tucson Leadership Man of the Year
Ted Maxwell
It’s not easy to catch Ted Maxwell off guard. But that’s what happened to the Southern Arizona Leadership Council president when he learned he was being recognized as Greater Tucson Leadership Man of the Year.
ll was holding a meeting at the SALC offices with his board chair and COO when representatives from Greater Tucson Leadership, accompanied by a few friends and his wife, burst session to deliver the news.
It was unexpected and Maxwell’s re-
said it was the first time she’s seen me speechless,” he said.
The Tucson Man of the Year Award is presented annually to a person who has distinguished himself for active support of community projects that demonstrate excellence in leadership and is ce of positive influence and inspi-
om a decorated military career to his role with SALC to his many volunteer activities across the region, Maxwell is a worthy recipient.
ry honored and touched,” he said. “It’s not often that people reach out and recognize your efforts to improve the community and make it a better place for everyone.”
Maxwell served 15 years on active duty in the U.S. Air Force, mainly flying the F-16 at several bases throughout the world. When he decided to step away, he wanted to keep flying full time and had two opportunities to relocate. The offer to join the Arizona Air National Guard came from the 162nd Fighter Wing at Tucson International Airport
By Rodney Campbell
just before one from Buckley Air Force Base near Denver.
“One of the best decisions in my life,” he said.
He was planning to fly for five more years to reach 20 but instead served another 19 years. He retired as the commander of the Arizona Air National Guard as a major general in 2018 after nearly 34 years of service. A California native, Maxwell had found Tucson to his liking.
“I thought I would be here five years and retire,” said Maxwell, who joined the National Guard in 1999. “Tucson is definitely home, and I wouldn’t consider living anywhere else.”
He said his military service gave him the chance to work with elected officials and spurred his interest in partnering with local, state and national leaders.
“I appreciate my time and experiences commanding in the Guard,” he said. “It gave me a chance to learn more about leadership and to see how policy decisions are made.”
Maxwell was hired as SALC VP in 2013 and became president and CEO in 2018. Shelley Watson served as his VP until retiring last year and taking on consulting work for the organization. Watson said Maxwell always makes people feel valued and ensures that their opinions are considered.
“In my experience as Ted’s colleague, I have observed that his considerable leadership skills stem from collaboration and respect,” Watson said. “Ted is very smart and a gifted problem solver, and he always wants to hear and learn from others. He recognizes that every-
one has a story to tell and wisdom to impart and is interested in learning where someone is coming from and how their life experiences have shaped their opinions.”
SALC’s membership consists of leaders from across varied industries in Southern Arizona. Maxwell believes it’s the perfect atmosphere for members to work together for the betterment of the community.
“The thing that I like about business leaders is that they’re always looking for the best solution,” Maxwell said. “What hinders our region is being unable to come together with collaborative solutions. People have strong opinions, but the best solution is often somewhere in between.”
The organization benefits from having Maxwell in charge because he understands and cares about the region, Sundt Construction VP and Regional Director Ian McDowell said.
“Ted is passionate about issues affecting Southern Arizona,” said McDowell, co-chair of SALC’s Infrastructure Committee. “He is a source of information and guidance for everyone and does a particularly good job with those of us who are engaged in SALC.”
Leading the leaders at SALC is a perfect fit for Maxwell. Through his job and engagement in the community, he recognizes the opportunities and quality of life that make Southern Arizona a great place to live.
“I think the people and region have unlimited potential,” he said. “All we need is for more people to get engaged and involved and make a difference.”
PHOTO: CHRIS MOONEY
2024 Greater Tucson Leadership Woman of the Year Calline Sanchez
By Valerie Vinyard
With an already impressive resume, Calline Sanchez has one more accolade to add to the list − Woman of the Year by Greater Tucson Leadership.
“This award reflects not just my accomplishments, but the chance I’ve had e change,” said Sanchez, 48. “If I can encourage others to take action, it’s all been worth it.”
hez began her IBM career as a software engineer intern in 1999 after working at Sandia National Laboratories for several years. Today, she serves for technical lifecycle management and Tucson site manager, where she drives innovation, revenue growth and improved user experience by collaborating with clients on solution
The 72nd Community Impact Awards, which will honor Sanchez and others, will be held April 11 at Casino Del Sol. Attendees can celebrate the leaders shaping Tucson while supporting GTL’s mission to inspire, develop
GTL posted a glowing announcement on social media about Sanchez’s ion. The post included: “From her groundbreaking leadership at IBM to her passionate advocacy for STEM education and workforce development, Calline embodies excellence in community impact. … Her bold vision, collaborative spirit and unwavering dedication to uplifting others make her the ct recipient of this award.” Awards are not new to Sanchez. In 2018, she was named Hispanic Businesswoman of the Year by the Tucson Commerce.
The Las Cruces, N.M., native earned two bachelor’s degrees – in communications and management information systems – from the University of Arizona, and she later went back to the UA to get an MBA.
Cristie Street, senior VP and COO of the Southern Arizona Leadership Council, has known Sanchez for almost 10 years, first in their roles as technology leaders and later as mothers “trying to balance school-age children, life and careers.”
“She is a rare breed of ambidextrous citizen-scientist − equally adept at complex technical concepts and deeply committed to investing in the people and the community surrounding her,” Street said. “Calline is a catalyst and can often be found in the middle of generative conversations.”
Street went on to say that Sanchez’s “inclusive leadership style has never been bound by the rules of what is expected.”
“She loves brainstorming, starting with ‘yes’ instead of proving why something should not be done,” she said. “Calline is known for soliciting great ideas from certified geniuses and average contributors alike, while never competing with either participant or seeking the spotlight for herself.”
“Calline cares deeply about results and invests her professional and personal time championing data science and technology and the importance of a STEM mindset,” said Ted Maxwell, GTL’s Man of the Year honoree and a retired U.S. Air Force major general.
He is happy to share the stage with Sanchez, whom he has known for years.
“She sets a great example for so many young women and men, both inside IBM and throughout the community,” he said. “Through her accomplishments, she has proven the power of these areas when combined with driven leadership.”
He believes that Sanchez recognizes the importance of developing the region’s future leaders. He noted the time she has spent encouraging students to pursue careers in STEM, as well as serving as a mentor in a program that pairs members of SALC and Tucson Young Professionals.
“Calline serves on numerous boards, including SALC, and her confidence and expertise enable her to be vocal in recommending fresh and visionary ideas on issues affecting the region,” Maxwell said.
Sanchez has a 14-year-old daughter, Helena, with her husband, Chad Driedger. She serves, or has served, as a leader or board member in the following councils and organizations: Arizona-Mexico Commission; Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Arizona Tech Council; SALC; UA School of Management Information Systems; United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona; and Angel Charity for Children.
“For me, leadership is about responsibility to those I serve – at work and in the greater Tucson community,” Sanchez said. “This award is a reminder of the trust I’ve worked to earn and the difference I strive to make every day. It’s an honor, and I’m deeply grateful to be surrounded by so many incredible people who make it all possible.”
PHOTO: CHRIS MOONEY
2024 Greater Tucson Leadership Founders Award Jonathan Rothschild
By Rodney Campbell
Six years removed from his days in the Tucson mayor’s office, one of Jonathan Rothschild’s biggest goals is inspiring young men and women to get olved in local and state government. One of the ways he’s doing that is through the Greater Tucson Leadership Civic and Political Leadership y, a program that he and his Rothschild Foundation helped develop in 2019. Participants, who range in age from 25 to 45, complete six months of training to learn how local and state
“We talk about issues on the local and state level. It’s a good program to show people what’s out there,” said Rothschild, whose longtime efforts to improve life in the region earned him the 2024 Greater Tucson Leadership
The civic and political leadership academy has notable alumni that include elected officials who serve anywhere from local school boards to the te legislature. Many come back to speak to the current class, offering advice and encouragement to the next
“Municipal and county governments are places where you can make an impact,” said Rothschild, now a managing ner at Mesch Clark Rothschild law firm. “Most people probably don’t start by running for governor or Congress. You have to learn at some level … city or county government or serving as a
The academy isn’t just for those who aspire to reach political office. Professionals who work for local, county and te government also benefit.
Heath Vescovi-Chiordi completed the program in 2020, two years before he made the impressive leap from as-
sistant to the town manager in Marana to director of economic development for Pima County. He credits Rothschild and the academy for giving him the boost he needed to quickly further his career.
“In large part, it is because of Jonathan that I completed GTL’s Civic and Political Leadership Academy and learned what it means to marry up the quantitative and qualitative elements of leadership both in my current role and for possible future roles,” VescoviChiordi said. “Not only was I exposed to his unique brand of leadership style, but that of many others, allowing me a diversity of thought and action in my professional and personal life.”
Kasey Hill was the CEO of Greater Tucson Leadership when the organization and Rothschild began establishing the academy. Rothschild was completing his second term as mayor and had a strong desire to continue helping the community. It’s a commitment that lives on through the success of those he inspires, including Hill.
“He served, and continues to serve, our community with a steadfast commitment to service, always leading with integrity, transparency and a genuine desire to create positive and lasting change,” Hill said. “He serves because he deeply loves Tucson.”
In Rothschild’s time as mayor, city voters backed:
• Proposition 409, which took out $100 million in bonds to fix city roads.
• Proposition 101, a half-cent sales tax that put another $100 million into city roads and $150 million to purchase equipment for law enforcement and the fire department.
• Proposition 407, a $225 million plan to pay for capital improvements for city parks and other amenities.
All required a strong local economy to muster public support. The Tucson region will always have the challenge of competing with the large, expanding metro area two hours up I-10.
“We are somewhat in the shadow of Phoenix and the valley cities so we need to be scrappier and harder-working,” Rothschild said. “We have to work harder on economic development in local governments. To fund municipal services, you must have a strong economy. I believe there’s great potential for this community.”
Established in 1985 by Greater Tucson Leadership, the Founders Award is a lifetime achievement recognition honoring an individual who has demonstrated significant long-term community involvement and accomplishments and has helped to shape the community in a positive manner with merit and dedication.
A native Tucsonan, Rothschild understands the importance of earning recognition from a local organization that seeks to create a better community through leadership and skill development. It’s also his objective.
“What I appreciate about the award is that it comes from such a great organization,” he said. “Greater Tucson Leadership is a real benefit to the community.”
PHOTO: CHRIS MOONEY
2024 Greater Tucson Leadership Alumni Excellence Award Paloma Santiago
By Sovay Hansen
Now, more than ever, local communities need leaders who are genuinely e about building a successful future for all, especially children and
Paloma Santiago is precisely this kind of dedicated leader who has worked on behalf of the Tucson community for 27 years. She has been honored with Greater Tucson Leadership’s 2024
Santiago lights up when asked to describe why she loves Tucson: “Tucson veryone is just a phone call away,” she said. “If I ever need help, they are there for me.”
From her own childhood growing up in both Rock Springs, Wyo. and Tucson, Santiago understands that developing far-reaching, supportive, and knowledgeable networks nurtures a successful personal, academic and professional life. A graduate of Pima Community College, Santiago points to Pima’s student clubs and committees as the true beginning of her deep dge of - and involvement in - the
Santiago’s passion for nurturing local communities and young people is evidenced by her role as Southern District ctor of the Arizona chapter of Junior Achievement USA. This national which has been serving Arizona schools since 1975, brings roughly eers into Arizona classrooms to teach K-12 students age-appropriate financial literacy, career readiness, and
entrepreneurship - skills that often aren’t taught in school curricula or even at home.
Santiago has spent plenty of time in the classroom. She began her work at Junior Achievement more than a decade ago as a volunteer engaging with students in schools. When asked what she enjoys most about working with JA, Santiago points out that going into the classroom to support students, beyond the clear benefits it has for the children, has also nurtured her own positive view of the world.
“If you ever have a bad day, if you ever question the world, if you ever wonder what your purpose is, go into a kindergarten classroom,” Santiago said. In 2024, early in her director role at JA - and after a decades-long successful career working on behalf of community efforts in Tucson - Santiago enrolled in the Greater Tucson Leadership program because she wanted a “refresher course” on how to lead effectively.
She described GTL as “Tucson 101,” because of its comprehensive focus on the Tucson economy and its various sectors. Santiago said GTL provides a clear view of the numerous potential networks available in Tucson’s business community.
Santiago’s contagious optimism, her genuine desire to roll up her sleeves and face challenges head-on, and her commitment to preparing young people to be independent adults were among the many reasons that she was chosen
for this year’s GTL Alumni Excellence Award.
One of her nominators was Annette Pinuelas, a student who Santiago mentored at San Miguel High School. “She possesses a unique talent for creating an environment where I feel heard and motivated me to reach for the stars,” said Pinuelas, who has continued to connect with Santiago even after moving out of state for college.
When asked about her goals for her future with JA, Santiago’s focus is on continuing to support her team’s professional development to equip them to take the baton and run with it as effective, inspired leaders in their own rights. She emphasizes to herself and her team that they are running a marathon, not a sprint, and that resting and caring for themselves is part and parcel of taking care of the community.
Over the next decade, Santiago wants to see the excellent work that JA is doing in Tucson expanded into rural Southern Arizona communities such as Bisbee, Wilcox, and Nogales.
Santiago has immense gratitude for her own mentors and thanks the Tucson community for supporting her, as well as her two sons.
“Every time I see your faces and smiles when I come to an event, it means so much to me,” Santiago said. “Thank you for embracing me.”
Pima Community College Science & Technology Building
The renovation of Pima Community College’s Science & Technology Building is underway for 2025.
The project, which began in January and is slated for completion in October, will include a 26,110-square-foot building to accommodate Building Construc-
tion Sciences and Workforce Development Pathways.
The revamped building will also include important sustainability features, such as natural ventilation, daylighting and efficient mechanical systems.
Architect: DLR Group
General Contractor: CHASSE Building Team Budget: $8 million
CARONDELET HEALTH NETWORK
CELEBRATING 145 YEARS
A Century-Plus of Care Carondelet Health Network Celebrates 145 Years in Southern Arizona
By Christy Krueger
A contagious disease spreading through the U.S., a new railroad system, and the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet all contributed to the founding of Arizona’s first hospital. St. Mary’s Hospital in Tucson. It opened in 1880 and is celebrating its 145th anniversary this year.
Tuberculosis, a potentially lethal bacterial lung disease, was considered the leading cause of death in the country during the 1800s. Many doctors sent their patients to the Southwest for its warm, dry climate with hopes of healing. And as luck would have it, the Southern Pacific Railroad arrived in Tucson the same year Carondelet St. Mary’s Hospital opened with 12 beds. Soon after,
the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet created an isolation cottage at the hospital to receive the wave of tuberculosis patients arriving in Tucson.
The Sisters ran the hospital for many years, according to Father Showri, a Catholic hospital chaplain with Carondelet Health Network. “Carondelet’s impact on the community has been wonderful because of the Sisters. People flooded here and loved the care and affection.”
The priest’s historical notes indicate Carondelet St. Mary’s Hospital has always been in the same location, but it has undergone several reconstructions. “The wooden
continued on page 112 >>>
BizMILESTONE
beams in and the doors of the chapel at St. Mary’s are from its original chapel; they’re historical, dating from the late 19th Century. There are pictures on the hospital walls from the 1880s and into the 1900s.”
In 1961, Carondelet St. Joseph’s Hospital was built on the east side, and by 2015, it had 480 beds, Showri said. “Before then, there was nothing there. In recent years, it became a Level 1 Trauma Center and added neurologi cal, neonatal, cardiology, and orthope dic services.”
Volunteers, The Core of Carondelet
In 2015, a partnership of three com panies took over Carondelet Health Network, but the hospital continues to welcome priests and nuns throughout the facilities. Chaplains are on call, priests are available for confessions and last rites, and there are family support counselors.
“Our volunteers play a huge role,” Showri said. “Carondelet Health Net work provides service to our commu nity, and our community of volunteers touch the lives of our patients and their loved ones daily. Volunteers’ activities range widely from answering phones to being a friendly face to help visitors and patients get where they need to go, they continue to make a positive impact on those who enter a Carondelet Health Network hospital. I’m proud to say that I was a volunteer in 2015.”
or nursing. There are also some high school students, who tend to work at both hospitals.
“As we approach our 145th anniversary in Southern Arizona, our volunteers play a pivotal role in making positive impressions on anyone who visits us,” Chartier said. “They’re the first face a patient or their loved one sees upon entering our hospital lobbies, often assist visitors arrive at their intended destina-
No matter the department, volunteers help ease the stress of being in a hospital.
Eva Jane Chartier is the Volunteer Services Coordinator for Carondelet St. Mary’s and Carondelet St. Joseph’s Hospitals, with approximately 80 volunteers who work weekly. Carondelet’s Holy Cross Hospital in Nogales has a small number of volunteers. According to Chartier, the volunteers are a diverse group. “At St. Joseph’s, our volunteers are individuals of all ages and backgrounds who want to give back or have a special tie to one or both hospitals. They typically work at the same hospital each week.”
who have been afforded a chance to live full lives. I am most proud of the people I work with everyday who bring their authentic selves to Carondelet.”
Some volunteers in ambulatory surgery help families follow their family member’s progression through surgery. “Loved ones are given a code and then they can track the surgery progress on TV screens that update them on the stage of their loved one’s surgery,” Chartier explained. “Maintaining open lines of communication with family members of our patients offers a sense of calm during an often stressful time in their lives. The care and compassion that volunteers show families makes a difference.”
Investments in New Technology, Partnerships
Overseeing all areas and facilities of Carondelet Health Network is Market CEO Monica Vargas-Mahar, who chose healthcare as her career because she wanted to help people. And understands the positive impact Carondelet has had in the community, even years before she arrived.
“Countless lives have been saved, many thousands of babies born, hope and healing brought to people who have been afforded a chance to live full lives,” said Vargas-Mahar. “I am most proud of the people I work with everyday who bring their authentic selves to Carondelet.” She’s also proud of the partnerships that have developed in the community such as with El Rio Health.
Working in a hospital setting can sometimes be emotionally difficult. To boost morale, Carondelet’s leaders meet daily to share positive stories about the great patient care they witness. VargasMahar recalled a letter from a patient’s long-time friend who wrote, “I have seen, and firsthand experienced, many facilities in my life, but never have I experienced a place like yours. Your staff in an inspiration to me.”
According to Vargas-Mahar, Carondelet’s future includes providing the safest and highest quality care possible for the residents of southern Arizona by using the latest technological and medical advancements at all campuses.
Significant investments the organization has recently made include Carondelet St. Mary’s Hospital’s new da Vinci 5 robot, the first in Tucson; the CORI robot; and Farapulse technologies. Carondelet St. Joseph’s Aquablation, a continued from page 111
At Carondelet St. Mary’s Hospital, the majority of volunteers are college students with some being pre-med
– Monica Vargas-Mahar Market CEO Carondelet Health Network
continued on page 115 >>>
St. Mary’s Hospital, 1887 Tuberculosis Sanatorium, 1900s
Carondelet’s History of Healing
In 1870, a group of seven Catholic Sisters from Missouri bravely set out on a mission to the untamed West to care for the people of Tucson.
The Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet – a congregation established in France in 1650 –were asked by the bishop of Tucson to leave their home in Carondelet, Mo. to teach in the barrios of Tucson and at Mission San Xavier del Bac.
The journey lasted a month. They were greeted at Picacho Peak by soldiers, who provided them safe passage into town.
On May 26, 1870, the Sisters arrived in Tucson, a town of a little over 3,000 souls. They were welcomed with celebrations and a fireworks display, and soon set up schools.
By Gabrielle Fimbres
A decade later, responding to the needs of the injured workers of the Southern Pacific railroad’s westward expansion, they were asked by the bishop to open Arizona’s first continuously operating hospital – St. Mary’s.
The 12-bed hospital was built in collaboration with the Tohono O’odham tribe, who helped the Sisters build the little hospital from rocks and boulders. St. Mary’s cared for its first patients on May 1, 1880.
Today, Carondelet celebrates 145 years after the Sisters’ journey to Tucson.
In an interview with BizTucson in 2013, Sister Irma Odabashian said the mission of the Sisters was strong.
“Our existence continues to be driven by the needs of the people we serve, which is our way of responding to the mission of Jesus – he taught, he healed, he counseled, he loved,” said Sister Odabashian, one of eight Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet.
The Sisters led the transformation from a small hospital on Tucson’s west side to the modernday Carondelet Health Network. They witnessed the growth of St. Mary’s, the addition of St. Joseph’s Hospital in 1961, Holy Cross Hospital in Nogales in 1981 and the many areas of specialization that thrive today.
This story originally appeared in the BizTucson Fall 2013 issue.
St. Mary’s School of Nursing, 1914
Seven Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet
St. Mary’s Hospital, 1955
minimally invasive surgical procedure to treat benign enlarged prostate; a MAKO robot for orthopedic services.
Vargas-Mahar feels these technologies are major game changers in medicine.
“Robotic procedures can shorten a patient’s stay in the hospital, lessen post-operative pain and lead to faster recovery times.” Cardiologists are using a new handheld imaging system that allows them to see how well the patient’s blood is flowing.
Carondelet Health Network is also investing in partnerships aimed at advancing surgical care in Tucson and Southern Arizona.
Last year, five local surgeons -- Dr. Katie Artz, Dr. Tiffany Son, Dr. Joseph DeVitis and Dr. Kelly Favre – joined Carondelet Medical Group and created their new practice, Carondelet Medical Group –Surgical Specialists. This medical group expands access to services needed in our community. Together, Carondelet Medical GroupSurgical Specialists is better able to meet the surgical needs of the community by offering collaborative care and surgical treatment options – all in one convenient location.
To recognize how far Carondelet has come and the importance of all who have helped it grow, associates have been enjoying special events and receiving 145th anniversary items.
“Our chapels have had renovations in preparation for this momentous occasion, recognizing that they are truly places of healing and peace,” Vargas-Mahar said. The hospitals will also be receiving a special blessing from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tucson.
“The foundation of a great community is built by the very people who each day work to make it a better place for future generations,” Vargas-Mahar said. “It took people to make our 145th anniversary a reality, so we are celebrating our people leading up to and after the special day.” Biz
Carondelet St. Joseph’s Hospital
Cardiovascular
Comprehensive Stroke Center
General Surgery
Level One Trauma Center/Emergency Room
Neurology/Neurosurgery
Orthopedics
Pulmonology
Urology
Women’s Services – NICU, Obstetrics, Gynocology
Carondelet St. Mary’s Hospital
Bariatric Surgery
Cardiovascular
Emergency Room
General Surgery
Inpatient Behavioral Health Services
Inpatient Rehabilitation
Neurology
Orthopedics
Outpatient Wound Care
Pulmonology
Stroke Treatment
Urology
Carondelet Holy Cross Hospital
BizMILESTONE
Q&A with
Monica Vargas-Mahar Market
CEO of Carondelet Health Network
By Tara Kirkpatrick
When Monica Vargas-Mahar joined the Carondelet Health Network in 2021, it was a critical and volatile period for the healthcare industry. Like the rest of the world, Southern Arizona was slowly emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Vargas-Mahar, armed with more than two decades in healthcare administration with Tenet Healthcare, got straight to work providing solid leadership for Carondelet St. Joseph’s, Carondelet St. Mary’s Hospital, Carondelet Holy Cross Hospital, Carondelet Marana Emergency Center and the St. Raphael Emergency Center.
She forged strong community connections, joining the board of United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona and serving as its campaign chair in 2023. Vargas-Mahar also was chair for the National Association of Latino Healthcare Executives, an organization she has long supported.
As Carondelet celebrates an inspiring 145 years in the region, BizTucson asked Vargas-Mahar to reflect on the hospital’s legacy and its promise moving forward.
What does Carondelet’s century-plus legacy mean to this community?
Carondelet Health Network has made an indelible impact on Tucson, Southern Arizona and the entire state over the past 145 years. Our hospitals have brought life-saving care to our community, broken ground with medical advancements, and expanded care to meet the needs of our neighbors. Like the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, who started our mission to make life better for those living here, we are driven by a deep desire to make positive change. Every day, our hospitals continue that mission. Today, we improve lives through advancements in healthcare and medical technology that are truly inspiring. We are here to make our community even better than it was yesterday. Our investment today is the seed for the future and also the very foundation for which generations to come will flourish and thrive. I look forward to what we’ll do in the decades to come.
on page 118
BizMILESTONE
continued from page 117
What are you most proud of in terms of the care Carondelet Health Network offers?
I am motivated and humbled each day by the strong and inspiring people that I am surrounded by at Carondelet. Nurses, physicians, technicians - hospitals full of people who dedicate their lives to care for their neighbors. It’s these people who make Carondelet such an exceptional place to receive care, working tirelessly to bring hope and healing to everyone who walks through our doors. Our team is committed to driving quality, safety, and patient experience on behalf of the people who put their trust in us, who count on us in some cases, during the most difficult time in their lives.
I am also proud to be part of a hospital system with such a rich history. Start-
ing with opening the first hospital in Arizona, the amazing legacy the Seven Sisters have left on Southern Arizona is truly remarkable. Continuing their work and mission to provide the best care possible to those who need it in our community is a privilege and responsibility that I don’t take lightly.
Looking ahead, what advancements or goals do you have for CHN?
Carondelet will continue to bring advancements in care and expanded services for our patients. But it’s not just about the latest technology, surgery, or therapy. I believe it’s also important to grow and mentor the next generation of healthcare leaders. We have a responsibility to guide and advance the careers of young executives, nurses, physicians and others in the healthcare industry, to encourage people to enter the healthcare field. In this way, we can help to
ensure a strong and healthy future for the people who come behind us.
Why do you enjoy working with the United Way of Tucson and Southern Ar izona?
Giving back to the community is important to me. Being part of uniting people, ideas, and resources together for the greater good – and knowing that together, we’re making a difference. All of these things fuel my passion to support this organization. The foundation of a great community is built by the people who each day work to make it a better place for the generations of the future. My family and I are proud and honored to call Tucson home and feel blessed to be a part of supporting an organization that brings community resources to more than 420,000 people each year. We are a community built on care.
BizMILESTONE
Meeting a Modern Need
Carondelet, El Rio Health Partner to Offer Full Behavioral Health Services
By Tara Kirkpatrick
In partnership with another venerable and historic organization that meets the needs of our times, Carondelet Health Network has joined with El Rio Health to offer behavioral health services for patients 18 years old and older.
Beginning last October, psychiatric inpatient services were made available at Carondelet St. Mary’s Hospital and on-call coverage was offered at Carondelet St. Mary’s and St. Joseph’s Hospitals.
The result is a comprehensive continuum of care for people in need.
“Our two organizations have been working to care for these patients for decades and together we bring an impressive solution for the community’s behavioral health needs,” said Monica Vargas-Mahar, Market CEO of Carondelet Health Network.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than one in five U.S. adults lives with a mental illness. Fifty-seven million people visit physician offices each year with mental disorders as the primary diagnosis, and 5.8 million people wind up in hospital emergency departments every year for treatment of mental disorders and behavioral issues. A 2021 study reported by Making Action Possible for Southern Arizona, an organization aimed at fostering quality of life improvement, noted Tucson residents report 5.2 poor mental health days per month.
Behavioral Health’s experts engaging with our staff and available 24/7 for behavioral health emergencies at the Carondelet Health facilities.”
–
Dr. Brian Hess Chief Medical Officer Carondelet Health Network
El Rio Health cares for approximately 10% of Tucsonans and has been in the community since 1970, said Dr. Brian Hess, Chief Medical Officer of Carondelet Health Network. “As such, they have significant behavioral health resources and have been a natural and successful partner for our behavioral health unit and across our network of hospitals in Southern Arizona.”
“We are pleased to have El Rio Behavioral Health’s experts engaging with our staff and available 24/7 for behavioral health emergencies at the Carondelet Health facilities,” Hess continued.
“We are working through our collective channels and outreach to ensure those that have a behavioral health need can access our services, at any time, through our emergency departments or direct admission to care for any behavioral health need including substance use and dependency.”
Hess said leaders from both respected health organizations meet daily to discuss and assess best practices.
“Our patients have given us wonderful feedback that the care we provide is exceeding their expectations, and we have had great success early in this behavioral health collaboration,” Hess said.
President Schnitzer Properties
Jordan Schnitzer
DREXEL COMMERCE CENTER CORONA COMMERCE
Major Impact New Projects by Schnitzer Properties Bolster Local Industrial Space
Schnitzer Properties is betting big on the Tucson industrial space market, long a key factor in the region’s overall economic development.
The Portland, Ore.-based builder broke ground in January on 334,000 square feet of much-needed industrial space at two new projects, the Corona Commerce Center, 2717 E. Corona Road, near Tucson International Airport, and the Drexel Commerce Center at 2730 E. Drexel Road.
Jordan Schnitzer, president of Schnitzer Properties, said he became interested in the Tucson market 10 years ago. “There hadn’t been another tilt-up warehouse (built) in 10 years,” he said. “We took a gamble and luckily leased it up.”
“We’re proud to strengthen our relationships with Sun Corridor Inc and all the wonderful real estate brokers in the Tucson area,” he said. “We hope these projects add to the growing workforce in this wonderful community.”
In addition to Arizona and Oregon, Schnitzer Properties has properties in Washington, California, Nevada and Utah. Founded in 1950 by Schnitzer’s father, Harold, the company has more than 200 properties with 33 million square feet of space and 4,500 tenants.
The company currently owns and operates more than 1.3 million square feet of industrial/flex buildings in the Tucson area. The new Tucson projects, which represent a $73 million investment, will consist of three buildings with 18 to 30 tenants, Schnitzer said.
The Drexel Commerce Center will have 184,000 square feet across two
By Tom Leyde
buildings, while the Corona Commerce Center will provide 146,963 square feet. Both properties will offer flexible leasing options, with spaces ranging from 6,700 to 184,000 square feet.
Schnitzer Properties has a regional office in Tucson. Its investments in the region have made a major impact on available space for new businesses.
Schnitzer and Sun Corridor Inc. connected 10 years ago when a member of Sun Corridor Inc.’s business development team met a Schnitzer representative at an event in California. They talked about Tucson, and Schnitzer began looking for building opportunities in Arizona. The company began projects in Phoenix, then expanded to Tucson.
At the time, most industrial builders were not interested in small- to medium-space spec buildings, because they didn’t think they could fill them with tenants.
“A decade ago, it was a different situation,” said Joe Snell, president and CEO of Sun Corridor Inc. “We had a fair amount of opportunities at our doorstep but, frankly, we didn’t have very much spec or built facilities. We were watching some of these companies come and go to Phoenix and other markets.
“We saw what you did in other markets like Portland and Las Vegas and we felt if you believed in us, we could see some progress,” Snell told Schnitzer at the January grounbreaking.
“More importantly, it solidified our location as a hub for logistics and distribution,” Snell said. “Tucson appreciates your friendship and investment, and we think great things are going to happen in the future.”
Pima County Supervisor Matt Heinz, whose district includes both new projects, said the centers will add much needed industrial space and jobs.
“It’s a very important step toward establishing Pima County as one of the western United States’ manufacturing and industrial hubs,” he said.
“It’s also an opportunity for the residents that I represent in this community. The companies that eventually will be operating in these spaces will bring important jobs, well-paying jobs, right here. This showcases our region as a growing and vibrant place to do business and to find a good job and to live a good life.”
Willmeng Construction of Phoenix, the largest shell builder in Arizona, will build the new projects.
“We love the game within the game and filling these buildings up with the right tenant,” said Tom Jarvis, VP of Willmeng Construction.
“The community support is unbelievable,” he said. “I am so impressed and proud and happy to be here.”
“We always run scared and nervous until we get it (a building) leased,” Schnitzer said, “but once we do, then we take a breath, and we appreciate and are humble about the fact that we were lucky to get those tenants and start the next ones and we get to be nervous again.
“We’ve had a good relationship with Tucson for 10 years, and we’ve got 65 tenants here now,” he said. “We get up every day appreciating them and being able to support them and make sure they’re in a clean and healthy environment.”
33rd Annual CCIM Economic Forecast
The Region’s Real Estate Outlook
Interest rates and tariffs on construction materials are among the factors that will affect the region’s real estate industry this year, according to the Southern Arizona Certified Commercial Investment Member Institute’s 33rd annual Commercial Real Estate Forecast.
CCIM sets the standard for educating and informing real estate professionals, including realtors, asset managers, brokers, developers, investors, lenders and others. The Feb. 10 event drew 400 people to Westin La Paloma Resort & Spa.
Four panels discussed commercial real estate issues in the sectors of multiple-family, industrial, retail and office properties. Guest speaker Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the National Association of Realtors, presented a forecast for the real estate market and the national economy.
Highlights from the event:
OFFICE
By Tom Leyde
a vacancy rate of 10.6 %. Market asking rent is $23.73 per square foot, with a market sale price of $150 per square foot. The market cap rate is 10.9 %.
It’s not great news, Irvin said, but big events such as the Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl, the HSL Properties Tucson Jazz Festival, the Tucson Gem & Mineral Show and the 100th anniversary of the La Fiesta de los Vaqueros — Tucson Rodeo help to bolster the Tucson economy.
“Stay home folks (workers) are the biggest kiss of death in the office sector,” Irvin said.
O’Shea added that if businesses demand workers return to the office, some of them will quit. “There is value in face-to-face (working environments), but it’s too early to tell how it will turn out in the next two to three years.”
Yarborough said new hires likely will be those required to work in offices. He said tenant improvement costs are high now because of a labor shortage in Tucson. If the Trump administration imposes tariffs, they could climb even higher, he said.
Moderator: Mark Irvin, managing member of Mark Irvin Commercial Real Estate Services; Panelists: Jon O’Shea, designated broker for VAST Commercial Real Estate Solutions; John Yarborough, VP of commercial brokerage—office and investment properties with Paul Ash Commercial Real Estate
KEY METRICS: This year’s forecast data showed an inventory of 28.9 million square feet, with no projects under construction. The 12-month net absorption is estimated at 259,000 square feet, with
RETAIL
Moderator: Nancy McClure, first VP at CBRE; panelists: Ben Craney, managing director of NAI Horizon, and Rick Volk, president of Volk Company.
KEY METRICS: Tucson has an inventory of 57 million square feet. There were nearly 65,000 square feet under con-
struction at this writing. The 12-month net absor ption rate is 220,000 square feet, and the vacancy rate is 5.6%. The market asking rent is $19.85 per square feet, while the market sale price per square foot is $195. The cap rate is 7.6%.
Nationally, McClure said retail sales for 2023-2024 were down 7%, while shopping center sales were off by 20%.
She said three retail projects helped put the city on the map: the Home Depot at Houghton Town Center, the Fry’s Marketplace on Tangerine Road in Marana and retail outlets at The Bridges.
McClure foresees an increase in rents by 2% to 3% this year. She said the consumer is healthy but challenged by higher costs.
Volk said there will be no slowdown in other retailers coming to the Tucson area.
Craney said technology continues to change and more training is needed for retail employees and developers.
MULTI-FAMILY
Moderator: Michael Sarabia, CEO of DSW Commercial; panelists: Joey Martinez, principal with Cushman & Wakefield|PICOR; Hamid Panahi, senior VP of investments with Institutional Property Advisors
KEY METRICS: There is an inventory of 113,278 units, with 1,141 units under construction. The 12-month absorption
continued on page 128 >>>
MARK IRVIN JON O’SHEA JOHN YARBOROUGH
NANCY McCLURE BEN CRANEY RICK VOLK
MICHAEL SARABIA MARTINEZ PANAHI
BizREALESTATE
continued from page 126
units stand at 177, with a vacancy rate of 11%. The market rental price is at $1,141 per unit, while the market sale price per unit is $130,000. The market cap rate is 6%.
Sarabia said housing starts last year hit 1,000 and he would be surprised if that number stayed the same this year.
Martinez said there is less urgency from multi-family developers to get into the market now and Sarabia noted that prices continue to rise. Martinez said there is no single way to lower costs.
INDUSTRIAL
Moderator: Brandon Rodgers, owner of Torch Properties; panelists: Jesse Blum, industrial and logistics broker with Cushman & Wakefield|PICOR; and Steven Nemer, AVP, leasing and development at Schnitzer Properties.
KEY METRICS: There is an inventory of 41 million square feet, with 736,000 square feet under construction. The 12-month absorption rate is 166,000 square feet, with a vacancy rate of 5.8 %. The market asking rent per square foot is $10.45. Market sales price per square foot is $112. The market cap rate is 9.6%.
Rodgers said construction is not sufficient to supply the Tucson market but is now correcting a bit. Nemer said tariffs could have a real impact on industrial construction.
LAWRENCE YUN
Yun offered these predictions for the real estate market in 2025:
• The Federal Reserve will make two or three interest rate cuts, probably in the second half of the year.
• Retail will do OK.
• Mortgage rates will decline.
• Banks will increase the number of extended loans.
• The GNP will grow.
• A tariff war would shock the stock market, but the market will dictate which tariffs will stand.
BY CHRIS MOONEY
Back Row − Eric and Ariana
Front Row − Eric, Camila, David, Madeleine
PHOTO
Dr. Eric Cornidez Owner, Managing Partner and Chief Medical Officer Pain Institute of Southern Arizona
Dr. Eric Cornidez
Family, Faith and Caring for the
Community
Dr. Eric Cornidez wanted to be a doctor since he was a young boy growing up in South Tucson. He has built his career around faith, family and impacting the health and well-being of others.
The Father of the Year’s journey was shaped by his childhood experiences.
“When I was 10 years old, my dad got a back injury working as a copper miner,” Cornidez recalled. “He lost his job because of it, and all of our financial and healthcare resources went out the window. Whenever someone got sick and home remedies no longer worked, we went to ‘El Doctor’ in Nogales because it cost less. Each time, the anxiety, tension and stress we felt on the drive down was lessened on the drive home because he could make whoever was sick feel better. I wanted to have that kind of impact on others.”
Today, Cornidez is the owner, managing partner and chief medical officer at the Pain Institute of Southern Arizona. He initially wanted to be a pediatrician, but his mentors at Stanford University encouraged him to go into both the clinical and administration sides of healthcare to make a bigger impact.
“My ultimate goal was to be a CEO of a hospital group and use their resources to build clinics in underserved areas,” said Cornidez. “I noted that many hospital directors and CEOs had an anesthesia background, so that’s what I chose as my focus.”
“Being from South Tucson, I often felt like I didn’t belong at Stanford,” he said. “My mentors there encouraged me to embrace who I truly am. This helped me to discover that I had
By April Bourie
something to contribute to the medical environment.”
Cornidez wants to do the same for his employees.
“I want the Pain Institute of Southern Arizona to not just be a great medical practice, but also a pillar in the community,” he said. “My employees understand that through compassion and innovation, we will make an impact on the lives of individuals and the community. I encourage them to see they are part of something that is bigger than themselves.”
Mentorship is also important in the community organizations in which Cornidez is involved.
“I’m involved in the Tucson Metro Chamber because I feel it is my responsibility as a leader to empower small businesses to be successful,” Cornidez said. “On the national level, I’m seen as a mentor and someone who is making a significant difference in the delivery of pain management. I encourage focusing on impact over income and significance over success. I’m always asking what kind of mentorship programs we can develop to provide opportunity for those newer to the industry.”
As a family man, he underscores the role his faith plays in raising his children.
“I’m known for my faith, my family, and my organization and the impact it makes. This beautiful wife and my incredible kids are borrowed to me. They belong to God first.”
His wife, Ariana, said his faith was one of the things that initially impressed her.
“The main thing that makes him the best husband and father is that Christ is in the center of his heart,” she said. “This is truly the best part about him. He does everything 100%. He loves hard. He’s a good disciplinarian, and he plays hard. He embraces every opportunity, whether parenting or being a husband or any role he plays.”
The couple have four children: Maddie, 12, Eric, 11, Camila, 9, and David, 7.
“He encourages our children to be the best version of themselves, and he’s able to inspire them to do things that others can’t,” said Ariana.
Juggling his career with fatherhood is both rewarding and challenging for the physician, who credits Ariana for making the most of their time as a family. “I think as a man and a father, you always have this guilt that you’re not doing enough,” said Cornidez.
“Ariana maximizes my presence but minimizes my absence,” he said. “I make sure that when I am at home, the time spent is 100% quality family time, but my family understands that what I’m doing is much bigger than myself and the paycheck.
“They’re being raised with a tolerance for my absence because they understand this. However, as my growth professionally has skyrocketed, one of the things I want to make sure to never forget is why I’m doing this. God has blessed me with special talents to fulfill my mission. I can’t forget to take care of what’s most important, and that’s my family.”
BY CHRIS
Standing from left − Liam, Tommy, Chanelle, Maria
Seated − Halle Jenkins and son Luka, Sofia
PHOTO
MOONEY
Tommy Lloyd Head Men’s Basketball Coach University of Arizona
Tommy Lloyd Coach, Mentor, Role Model
Chanelle Lloyd knew early in her relationship with Tommy – and definitely in their marriage – that he loved children. After all, he was around them all the time as a coach and teacher.
“I nannied when we were living overseas and it was just the way he interacted with the kids I nannied for,” Chanelle said. “For sure, I knew right away. He’s such a good person and really good with kids.”
Who would know better than the ones he helped raise alongside Chanelle all those years while working as a college basketball coach − his kids.
“My dad has always been there to encourage, guide and inspire me − showing me the value of hard work, kindness and integrity,” said Sophia, 21, a for mer basketball player. “No matter how busy life gets, he makes time for our family, offering his wisdom, humor and comforting presence in every situation. Winning the Father of the Year award is a testament to the love, dedication and selflessness he brings to our family every single day. And I couldn’t be prouder of my dad.”
Lloyd, who spent 22 years as an assistant at Gonzaga University before becoming men’s head basketball coach at Arizona in 2021, will be honored as one of four Fathers of the Year by the Father’s Day Council Tucson. They will be celebrated at the 30th anniversary event on May 31 at Loews Ventana Canyon Resort.
By Steve Rivera
“Of course, I’m honored,” Tommy said. “I’ve been to the event before and I’ve heard the names of the past winners, and it’s the ‘Who’s Who’ of the Tucson community. I’m not a big hobby guy. I play pickleball, go to basketball games and hang out with my family, so it’s pretty cool.”
That’s Tommy, a bit humbling and self-effacing. But his value is earned and recognized.
“My dad always wanted us around and involved with his work, so we got a childhood not many get to experience,” said Maria, the youngest of the three Lloyd children at 17. “From being water girls, to our tag games, to going to all of the tournaments growing up ... Gonzaga was a major part of my life. No matter how busy my father gets, he always finds a way to make us feel loved, involved and appreciated.”
Liam, 23, now a player for Tommy at Arizona after playing at Grand Canyon University and Northern Arizona University, said growing up with his dad “was definitely a lot of fun − from sledding in the snow after a blizzard, shooting shots on the hoop in the front yard, and also tubing at the lake in the summers.
“My dad has always been someone who has been a role model in my life,” Liam said, “always treating people to the highest standard and going out of his way to help others. My dad inspires me every day to be a better person.
He’s a good coach, but I would say he’s a better dad.”
And a mentor. What would Tommy want Liam to learn from him now that he is a new father?
“To be an everyday guy, that’s important,” Tommy said. “And be consistent and don’t be afraid to pursue your passion. And when you have a family, make them part of it.
“Now that Liam is back with us, we’re all together and we have a grandson. We’re kind of living the same life. We’re all part of the (Wildcat) team and everything revolves around the team, and that’s been a lot of fun.”
It wasn’t always about basketball. The kids benefitted from their parents’ love of traveling. They’ve been all over the world, seeing sights and enjoying different cultures.
“I think as they were growing up, they did it so much they grew out of it,” he said. “But as they got older, they’ve started to appreciate it. Like, wow, we’ve been there … Tel Aviv, Abu Dhabi … and, as they got older, they realized how cool it is. It has sparked interest, and that’s what we wanted.
“And a cool thing, too, is that they now have friends from all over the world. The kids have been exposed to so many different cultures and different people so they have a real comfort and can function in all these different environments.”
BY
Back – Lauren, Lexi, Carlee
Front – Jim and Allyson
PHOTO
BRENT G. MATHIS
Jim Tofel Managing Member
Tofel Dent Construction
The Father’s Day Council chooses its awardees based on their success in business, level of community involvement, and, of course, for being great fathers.
Anyone who knows Jim Tofel would agree that he more than meets those requirements.
“People call him ‘Jimcredible,’ because he’s just like Mr. Incredible,” said his wife, Allyson, referencing the popular Disney character. “He’s a calm, everyday guy on the outside, but underneath it all, he’s a superhero.”
Tofel earned an engineering degree from the University of Arizona in 1991 and took a job with Andersen Consulting, now known as Accenture. The position allowed him to travel the world and gain a variety of experiences in several different industries.
He met his wife at a party in Hermosa Beach, Calif., while he was working for Andersen Consulting, and they quickly hit it off. She was the personal assistant for musician John Tesh at the time and the two were engaged at one of Tesh’s concerts in front of 3,000 people.
The couple had their first two daughters, Lauren and Carlee, while living in Los Angeles. When Andersen Consulting wanted to send Tofel to Connecticut to live and work, he decided he’d rather have a job where he could devote time to being a dad. He moved the family to Tucson and began working for his family’s company, Tofel Construction, founded by his father and uncle.
Jim Tofel
An Everyday ‘Superhero’
By April Bourie
“We decided that we wanted to raise our family around family,” Tofel said. They had their third daughter, Lexi, after moving to Tucson.
Today, he’s a partner in Tofel Dent Construction with Dave Dent. His title is managing member for business development and preconstruction services, which means he brings the business in the door, and his partner executes the projects. The company is one of the leading affordable-housing general contractors in Arizona and New Mexico, due to Tofel’s passion for providing housing opportunities for the less fortunate.
“Affordable housing is desperately needed in Tucson and in Arizona,” Tofel said. “There is a shortage of 172,000 affordable housing units in the state, and over 30,000 in Tucson.”
Tofel has served on the board of the Arizona Housing Coalition and was the chair for the City of Tucson’s Commission on Equitable Housing and Development. He also serves on several committees that address the homeless crisis.
“Time is the biggest factor right now in determining which organizations to be involved with,” Tofel said. “Family has to be first. I’ve always tried to be there for them and be supportive and help them make decisions for what’s best for them and support them even if I don’t agree with their decisions.
“We’ve also tried to make things fun. Allyson is an amazing mother and person. She did a lot of the heavy lifting
when the kids were young. I feel like I married up when I married her.”
Tofel recently acquired the Tucson Racquet & Fitness Club, built by his grandfather in 1967. In addition to the affordable housing projects that Tofel Dent Construction has built, Tofel considers the club one of his proudest professional achievements.
“Family is so completely important to Jim, and when he had the opportunity to buy the Tucson Racquet & Fitness Club, he was filled with such a sense of gratitude that he would be able to continue his Grandpa Joe’s legacy of a safe place to call a second home,” Allyson said. “Jim grew up there, and our kids grew up going to sports camps there every year. We love that it will be a place where the whole community can continue to bring their families for generations to come.”
Allyson said her husband has the qualities of a man and father that she was searching for when the two met.
“Before we met, I wanted to find a man who was organized and meticulous, but also spontaneous,” she said. “He completely fits that bill.
“I love that he is able to see the big picture, and he’s a very good problem solver, helping the girls with any issues they need help with. He answers their questions from a nonjudgmental viewpoint where he just tells them pros and cons. His dedication to the girls and to me is amazing and unwavering.”
BY
Back − Kirsten, Kaukaha, Joseph Kapono Robles-Shanley
Front − Jacob Kaukaha Watanabe, Mercedes Robles-Darling
PHOTO
CHRIS MOONEY
Kaukaha Watanabe Founder & CEO
The Property Partners,
Kaukaha “K” Watanabe
Driven, Disciplined Dad
By Valerie Vinyard
To be honored as a Father of the Year is a pretty big deal.
This year, Kaukaha Watanabe, who goes by “K,” couldn’t be more grateful.
“It’s not just a big honor, it’s a big responsibility,” said Watanabe during a recent interview in his Midtown office. Watanabe is the founder and CEO of The Property Partners, which is brokered by eXp Realty.
Watanabe, a REALTOR® who has been in the industry since 2007, is the team lead for a group of licensed real estate agents serving the Tucson area. To date, his company has sold more than 4,000 homes, and dabbles in land and commercial development.
Watanabe and his wife, Kirsten, share three kids: 25-year-old Mercedes Robles-Darling; 21-year-old Joseph Kopono Robles-Shanley; and 7-year-old Jacob Watanabe.
Robles-Darling is currently earning her master’s degree at the University of Arizona, and Robles-Shanley has started a card-collecting business called The Card Cartel.
Their son, Jacob, was diagnosed with a brain tumor at age 2, but made it through the treatments and now is a happy, healthy kindergartner. To remind him of what Jacob overcame, Watanabe wears a blue bracelet with the words “Jacob strong” and “# faith over fear” on it.
“The days I want to complain, I think of the people that have endured worse,” he said.
“He is the most disciplined and hardworking person I know,” Kirsten said. “He continues to raise the bar for himself and is proof that you can achieve anything if you have a plan and take action. I love how he leads by example and is passionate about mentoring others to help them achieve their goals.”
Watanabe also is known for his volunteerism.
“We have to take care of our community,” said the 44-year-old Watanabe, who was born in Hawaii. He moved to Tucson at age 22 after visiting his sister, who was stationed at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base.
Since 2017, Watanabe has served on the board of The Foothills Club of Tucson. The 80-member organization was founded in 2007 by local business professionals who wanted to give back to their community and help local children’s charities. The club’s two major fundraisers have been its annual Valentine’s Love on the Rocks Affair and the spring golf tournament.
He also has been volunteering with Junior Achievement of Arizona since 2012. Each year, Watanabe teaches elementary students about entrepreneurship, which ties in nicely with the organization’s goal to educate K-12 children on topics to better prepare them for the economic future.
“K continues to give back to the community through his involvement and charitable giving to various nonprofits throughout Tucson,” Kirsten said. “Af-
ter our son’s battle with cancer in 2020, prioritizing to help families who have a cancer or rare disease diagnosis has become our family’s mission.”
Tucson attorney Tim Medcoff nominated Watanabe for the honor.
“I cannot think of a more deserving father,” said Medcoff, managing partner of Farhang & Medcoff law firm. “K leads by example. He always puts family first. When you face a crisis, people fight or flight. K fought after he almost lost his youngest son.”
Medcoff cited examples of Watanabe’s generosity, including the times he bought gifts for other kids alone in the hospital during COVID and the fact that he regularly donates blood “to ensure those in need get blood transfusions when facing a crisis.”
“He gives his money to support numerous causes, and he encourages others to do the same,” Medcoff said.
Kirsten added that she loves how strong and fearless her husband is, describing him as “the backbone to our family. No matter what life throws our way, he is determined to find a solution.”
The 2025 Father’s Day Council Tucson’s Father of the Year Gala will be held May 31 at Loews Ventana Canyon Resort. The event will raise funds for Type 1 diabetes research and endowment at the UA’s Steele Children’s Research Center.
Ed Honea Marana’s ‘Biggest Cheerleader’
For those who knew him well, he was just “Ed.” A man with a genuine smile, a real handshake and a true friend.
But to many, Ed Honea was more than that. He was a fixture in government in the Town of Marana for 37 years, including two stints as mayor. He had just been re-elected in August when he passed away Nov. 22 at his home from sudden cardiac arrest. He was 77.
City officials and residents remembered Honea at a celebration of life Dec. 21 at the Marana Municipal Complex, now renamed Ed Honea Marana Municipal Complex.
“I think people were nice to Ed Honea because they loved him and he loved them more,” said Marana Town Manager Terry Rozema. “He lived for this community. He lived for other people. That was the example Ed Honea set for us.”
For the celebration of life, the complex yard was adorned with colorful Christmas decorations. The American flag stood at half-staff. A large color portrait of Honea, taken just two days before he died, was displayed in front of a stage between two large sprays of white flowers.
Two large screens showed photos of Honea from throughout his life − as a child, as a 1965 Marana High School graduate, as a member of the U.S. Navy, as a husband, as a father, as a U.S. Postal Service contractor, and as a city official.
Friends greeted each other with hugs. The Marana High School Choir sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” and “America the Beautiful.” The Arizona Scorpion (aircraft) Squadron flew over in the missing-man formation. A flag from the Navy was presented to Ho-
By Tom Leyde
nea’s family for his service in Vietnam with the Navy Seabees, the naval construction force.
Bagpipers played “Amazing Grace,” and a three-volley salute was performed by VFW Post 132.
Officiant Dan Marries said Honea would have wanted those present to focus on the positive. “He was such a wonderful man. We will miss that smile,” he said.
“Mayor Honea was a statesman, always looking for the good of the community,” Rozema said. Still, Rozema recalled that Honea could make his displeasure known, especially when something went awry. “His face got red when he was getting angry, and his feet would widen their stance. He’d clasp his hands on his knees,” he said.
Tom Murphy, mayor of the Town of Sahuarita, had a close friendship with Honea. When Honea’s eyesight began to fail, Murphy became Honea’s chauffeur to meetings. “Everything was about lationships to Mayor Ed,” Murphy said. “He loved being the biggest cheerleader for Marana.”
many ways. His legacy lives. That spirit lives in us. He knew hospitality.”
Moe noted the chair at the church where Honea sat on Sundays. “I can’t imagine anyone else sitting there. He had his space,” he said. “Ed was quite the servant.”
U.S. Congressman Juan Ciscomani was another of Honea’s close friends. “His footprint is left here without a doubt,” Ciscomani said. “I’m still trying to be like him.”
The congressman said Honea changed people’s lives and always put politics aside. “Our lives will never be the same without Ed,” Ciscomani said. “The best legacy that we can live is to live the life that he lived.”
Honea is survived by his daughter Tiffany Wynter, son Whitney, and three grandchildren, as well as his brother Wayne Honea and sister Pam Bramlett. Whitney recalled sitting in his dad’s lap when he was a child and going on drives around Marana with his father. “Together, we were glorious,” he said. “He lived a life worth living. He loved his family more than anything.”
“Each of us are stories being written,” Whitney said. “Enjoy your story. Be the best you that you can be. His story is worth telling.”
