BizTucson Summer 2022

SUMMER FALL 2012 2022

THE REGION’S BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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SPECIAL REPORT: Sun Corridor Inc. Next Gen Leaders 2022 22 Rising Stars to Watch SUMMER 2022 • $3.99 • DISPLAY UNTIL 09/30/22

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12/22 12/22

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Summer 2022

Volume 14 No. 2

Publisher & Owner

Steven E. Rosenberg Brent G. Mathis

Creative Director PHOTO BY STEVEN MECKLER

When we started this magazine, there was one underlying theme that motivated us from the very first issue – “Why The World is Watching Tucson.” To this day, this continues to be what drives us in reporting all the incredible business news coming out of this region. So, for our Summer issue, our staff has compiled an impressive “11 Reasons The World is Watching Tucson.”

From our globally recognized cuisine and world-class cycling to our worldfamous spas and devotion to wellness, from our monumental achievements in space and defense to our emerging significance in mining technology and biosciences, this incredible region is not only referred to as “Optics Valley,” but also “the Silicon Desert.” Our downtown is bustling. We are a mecca for tourism.

We thank reporters Jay Gonzales, June Hussey, Tara Kirkpatrick, Christy Krueger, Rodney Campbell and Romi Carrell Wittman for filing reports on these monumental 11 Reasons The World is Watching Tucson.

The annual Sun Corridor Inc. Special Report offers a glimpse of the dedicated behind-the-scenes efforts of our business leaders to build a strong economic base. Jay Gonzales reports that as a region, we were admittedly scattered in our priorities for many years, and Sun Corridor Inc., the region’s economic development arm, has helped lead us to a more collaborative approach. Leaders say that over the last several years, the public and private sectors have banded together with the common goal of making Tucson a better place culturally and economically.

It couldn’t have come at a better time as the region is competing with communities all over the U.S. for more than $1 trillion in federal funds being made available through multi-million-dollar grants to improve infrastructure. For years, we’ve talked about the need to improve our roads and infrastructure.

The time is now to act for the long-term good of our community, and to make our region more attractive to the top employers with the best jobs.

Roche Tissue Diagnostics, one of the pioneers of the region’s biosciences industry, continues to demonstrate its commitment to the greater Tucson re-

gion at its headquarters in Oro Valley.

Roche held a ribbon-cutting for its multi-million-dollar corporate center they call “The Forum,” where employees can meet, eat, exercise and get personalized healthcare at its wellness center. It’s a state-of-the-art facility that can accommodate meetings of up to 500 people at any given time with spectacular views of the Catalina Mountains.

Best of all, employees were given the opportunity to provide their input on everything from what should be included in the center to the design. “We continue to grow in Tucson because of the people here,” said Jill German, head of Roche Tissue Diagnostics. Reporter Ken Cook was at the grand opening and provides a look at everything “The Forum” has to offer.

Once again, we present some of the rising stars in Tucson business with the second installment of our Next Gen Leaders. This year we are recognizing 22 young leaders who are already being seen as visionaries for our community and who are demonstrating that we have the homegrown talent that major employers can tap into for their operations. There’s more to come in this annual feature in future issues of our magazine.

Steven E. Rosenberg Publisher & Owner BizTucson

Tara Kirkpatrick Jay Gonzales Elena Acoba Romi Carrell Wittman Donna Kreutz

Contributing Technology Director

Mike Serres

Contributing Project Coordinator

Maricela Robles

Contributing Editors

Contributing Writers

David Pittman Valerie Vinyard Romi Carrell Wittman

Rodney Campbell Ken Cook Jay Gonzales June Hussey Tara Kirkpatrick Christy Krueger Thomas Leyde Loni Nannini

Contributing Photographers

Erik Hinote Brent G. Mathis Chris Mooney

BizTucson News Update (Email Newsletter)

David Sanders Tom Spitz

Brent G. Mathis Tara Kirkpatrick

Member:

American Advertising Federation, Tucson DM-50 Southern Arizona Leadership Council Sun Corridor Inc. Tucson Metro Chamber Visit Tucson

BizTucson Phone: 520.299.1005 Subscription Information:

www.BizTucson.com subscriptions@BizTucson.com Advertising information:

Steve Rosenberg 520.299.1005 or 520.907.1012 steve@BizTucson.com BizTucson is published quarterly by Rosenberg Media, LLC., Tucson, AZ © 2022 All rights reserved.

Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Opinions expressed in columns or articles do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher.

POSTMASTER:

Please send address changes to: BizTucson, 4729 East Sunrise Drive, #505 Tucson, AZ 85718.

Biz www.BizTucson.com

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FEATURES

SUMMER 2022 VOLUME 14 NO. 2

COVER STORY:

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BizTUCSON 11 Reasons The World is Watching Tucson No. 1 City of Gastronomy No. 2 Silicon Desert No. 3 Bioscience Mecca No. 4 City of Wellness No. 5 Aerospace/Defense Megaregion No. 6 Space City of the Southwest No. 7 Cycling City USA No. 8 Mining, Mineral & Surface Technology No. 9 Downtown Revitalization No. 10 Optics Valley No. 11 World’s Largest Gem Show

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BizLETTER From the Publisher

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BizWORKFORCE The Future of the Workforce

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BizEDUCATION New UArizona Student Success District

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BizHEALTH New El Rio Grant Health Center

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BizWELLNESS Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine Groundbreaking

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BizAWARDS MPA Common Ground Awards

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BizINNOVATION Roche Opens New Employee-Focused Center

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BizMILESTONE Williams & Associates Celebrates 45 Years in Business

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BizBANKING Merger Brings Familiar Name to Tucson

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BizHONORS Next Gen Leaders for 2022: 22 Rising Stars To Watch

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BizMILESTONE Silver & Turquoise Board of Hostesses Honors 70 Years

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BizAWARDS SVP Fast Pitch Awards

SPECIAL REPORT

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NEXT GEN

DEPARTMENTS

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Joe Snell

CHAIRMAN’S CIRCLE LEADS THE WAY

Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Butler

Judy Rich

Danette Bewley

David Hutchens

Michael Crow

David Adame David Smallhouse

Sharon Bronson

Susan Gray

Wesley Kremer

Dr. Robert Robbins

Lisa Lovallo

Mike Ménard Bill Rodewald

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Marc Cameron

Sandra Watson

Lee Lambert

Ian McDowell Diane Quihuis

Mayor Regina Romero

Fletcher McCusker

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ABOUT THE COVER 11 Reasons The World is Watching Tucson Creative Design by Brent G. Mathis

Dr. Chad Whelan

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Sun Corridor Inc.

Achieving Success Together www.BizTucson.com

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BizRANKINGS

TUCSON On The Radar How the Region is Getting Noticed

UArizona Researchers Lead Efforts to Reveal Black Hole Researchers at the University of Arizona played a leading role in unveiling the first images of the Black Hole at the center of our galaxy. They provided two of the eight telescopes used to make the observations and performed data analysis. It is a longawaited glimpse of the very center of our galaxy.

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NASA: UArizona a “Crown Jewel” for the U.S. TDuring a recent visit to campus, NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy described UArizona as a “huge and important partner for NASA with a towering reputation in astronomy, planetary science and astrophysics.”

OSIRIS-REx to Visit a Second Asteroid NASA has extended the mission of OSIRIS-REx, which will be renamed OSIRIS-APEX, to study another asteroid called Apophis, which will make a close approach to earth in 2029.

UArizona will lead the mission that will not collect a sample, but will study he asteroid for 18 months and collect data.

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BizPEOPLE

Vance Falbaum

RBC Wealth Management’s Vance Falbaum has been named to the Forbes/SHOOK Best-In-State Wealth Advisors.

Founded in 1909, RBC Wealth Management is a member of the New York Stock Exchange, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, the Securities Investor Protection Corporation, and other major securities exchanges. It has $537 billion in total client assets with more than 2,100 financial advisors in 183 locations across 42 states.

John Winchester John Winchester has joined Arizona State University as its Southern Arizona director, representing ASU’s policy agenda with local government and community leaders.

A Tucson native, Winchester was one of Tucson’s 40 under 40, is a FlinnBrown Fellow as well as an Alumni of Greater Tucson Leadership. Winchester holds a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Arizona.

He most recently served as executive director of the Southern Arizona YMCA.

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BizPEOPLE Cristian Cormier

Cristian Cormier has joined Carondelet Health Network as the Chief Financial Officer for St. Joseph’s Hospital.

Cormier has 20+ years’ experience in finance and accounting healthcare leadership. Most recently she served serving as the CFO for The Hospitals of Providence Sierra Campus in El Paso, TX. She holds a bachelor’s degree and MBA from Belhaven University, as well as a master’s degree in accounting and financial management from Keller Graduate School.

Irene Coppola

Irene Coppola has been named president and CEO of the Better Business Bureau Serving Southern Arizona Coppola has worked for several years as the BBB’s director of finance and HR. Before joining BBB, Coppola held a variety of positions, including business manager for the Green Valley News and Sahuarita Sun for over 20 years. She also has served as chair for the Green Valley/Sahuarita Salvation Army and as board treasurer for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southern Arizona Donation Center.

Lacey Nymeyer-John

Lacey Nymeyer-John has joined The Jacobson Coaching Group, LLC, as an assistant coach where she will deliver high-impact leadership workshops and one-on-one coaching services to clients in Southern Arizona and nationwide.

A former NCAA swimmer and U.S. Olympic swim team member and silver medalist, Nymeyer-John holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Arizona. She also serves in leadership roles in the Tucson Metro Chamber of Commerce and Tucson Young Professionals.

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11 REASONS When we first launched this magazine, there was one central theme fueling it.

Specifically, that The World Was Watching Tucson. There are so many exciting advances and achievements coming out of this region that are making a difference and changing the world. While many outside our region respect and celebrate those, perhaps our very own residents don’t always know about them. This is the foundation behind BizTucson Magazine and the mantra we follow with each story we write. So, for our Summer 2022 issue, we proudly offer not 5, not 10 but an impressive “11 Reasons the World is Watching Tucson.”

We think the world is watching because of our globally rec-

1 No. 2 No. 3 No. 4 No. 5 No .

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ognized cuisine, world-class cycling and dedication to wellness, our stellar achievements in space and defense, our growing significance in mining technology and biosciences − not to mention our top-ranked University of Arizona, which powers so much of our progress.

Did you know this region is referred to not only as “Optics Valley” but also “The Silicon Desert”? As IBM’s Calline Sanchez tells us, “As much as Santa Clara and San Jose are the heart of the Silicon Valley, Tucson is a geo-rival for technology breakthroughs.”

We think Tucson is a great place and we hope you enjoy our business take on the region’s very best attributes.

UNESCO City of Gastronomy

Tucson was among the first U.S. cities to receive the prestigious UNESCO City of Gastronomy designation.

Two-thirds of the city’s 1,200+ restaurants and bars are locally owned, compared to the national average of 40%.

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Silicon Desert

With a prevalence of corporations including IBM, local technology clusters, the University of Arizona and support organizations, Tucson is a place the world is watching.

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Bioscience Mecca

One of the region’s most respected business voices says Tucson is the next Austin, San Diego and Boston when it comes to biotech and biomedical industries.

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City of Wellness

World-renowned spas, 300+ days of sunshine and a climate perfect for cycling, walking and outdoor recreation make Tucson one of the top U.S. wellness destinations.

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Aerospace & Defense Megaregion

Led by Raytheon Missiles & Defense, the region is home to the fifth-highest concentration of aerospace and defense employees in the country.

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the WORLD is WATCHING Space City of the Southwest

NASA calls the University of Arizona a “crown jewel” among U.S. universities in space science research.

A growing sector of private space enterprises here are only accelerating our reputation.

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Cycling City USA

With a signature bike path voted USA Today’s Best Recreational Trail for two years in a row, as well as our worldclass El Tour de Tucson bike race, Tucson can’t be beat as a USA Cycling City.

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Mining, Mineral & Surface Technology

With a rich mining history dating back 1,000 years, the region is becoming an emerging hub for mining technology thanks not only to Caterpillar, but many other companies who have established roots here.

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Downtown Revitalization

Thanks to bullish investment, Downtown Tucson is now a thriving city center with multiple hotels, a revamped convention center, a street car and signature restaurants which have garnered national notice.

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Optics Valley

Designated an “Optics Valley” in the 1990s, this region offers the lucrative and high-paying jobs that keep the best of the best here.

Optics has a $2 billion impact on the state.

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World’s Largest Gem Show

The Tucson Gem & Mineral Show isn’t just a normal tourist attraction, it’s THE tourist attraction for the region, bringing the world to Tucson during the winter for a $131 million economic impact.

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11 REASONS THE WORLD IS WATCHING TUCSON

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UNESCO

Desert’s Culinary Scene Reigns

EL CHARRO CAFÉ

CARLOTTA FLORES

TITO & PEP

By June C. Hussey What does Tucson have in common with Bergamo, Italy; Bendigo, Australia; and Phuket, Thailand? The correct answer is: All are UNESCO-designated Cities of Gastronomy.

So what’s the big deal?

According to VisitTucson.com, travel is the leading exportoriented industry in Arizona and according to the World Food Travel Association, visitors spend approximately 25% of their travel budget on food and beverages. Cities of Gastronomy benefit from increased global media exposure and tourism.

And after two tumultuous years of the COVID-19 pandemic, tourism and business travel are rebounding with a vengeance.

So when Food & Wine’s Travel Issue in May said Tucson is one of the “next great food cities” and BuzzFeed blogger AnaMaria Glavan described Tucson as “a city of detailed murals, quaint shops, morgues-turned-bars, and oh yeah, it’s also a UNESCO City of Gastronomy due to its high volume of amazing food,” in a 2021 travel column, the acclaim only reaffirmed this region’s prowess in cuisine.

After all, it’s no secret that the James Beard Awards – the Academy Awards of foodies – have consistently honored numerous Tucson chefs including Janos Wilder, who enjoyed a storied culinary career here, and El Guero Canelo’s Daniel Contreras. Award finalists currently include Don Guerra of Barrio Bread and semifinalists have included Carlotta Flores’ El Charro Café, Maria Mazon of Boca Tacos y Tequila and John Martinez of Tito & Pep. In late 2015, UNESCO designated Tucson a City of Gastronomy – the first of only two in the country. A group of conscientious Tucson leaders had strategically applied for the UNESCO designation, presenting an impressive case: As the country’s oldest continuously inhabited and cultivated region, Tucson’s noteworthy gastronomical heritage has been in the making for 4,000 years. Two-thirds of Tucson’s 1,200+ res40 BizTucson

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taurants and bars are locally owned, compared to the national average of 40% and Tucson has 12 times the number of locally owned food trucks and carts per capita than New York City. All of these factors combined make Tucson a gastronomy dream town.

Only three dozen cities in the world hold the prestigious designation, which comes up for renewal every four years. To qualify, a city must demonstrate that it possesses all of the following characteristics:

• • • • • • • •

Well-developed gastronomy that is characteristic of the urban center and/or region; Vibrant gastronomy community with numerous traditional restaurants and/or chefs; Indigenous ingredients used in traditional cooking; Local know-how, traditional culinary practices and methods of cooking that have survived industrial/technological advancement; Traditional food markets and traditional food industry; Tradition of hosting gastronomic festivals, awards, contests and other broadly targeted means of recognition; Respect for the environment and promotion of sustainable local products; Nurturing of public appreciation, promotion of nutrition in educational institutions and inclusion of biodiversity conservation programs in cooking schools curricula.

A nonprofit board comprising key stakeholders helps ensure that Tucson maintains its status in the eyes of UNESCO. Tucson City of Gastronomy is a 501(c)(3) organization whose mission is “growing a sustainable desert community by supwww.BizTucson.com

BizTUCSON

City of Gastronomy Supreme

BOCA TACOS Y TEQUILA DON GUERRA MARIA MAZON

JANOS WILDER

BARRIO BREAD

porting our creative food cultures.” Tucson is also a member of the Delice Network, a professional network linking food and gastronomy to city development, promotion and the overall well-being of its citizens.

Two consecutive spring festivals are also popularizing the area’s ancient and new world cultural traditions. The agave plant, synonymous with the borderlands region, is the source of tequila, mezcal and bacanora. The Agave Heritage Festival, held the last weekend in April, draws attention to the cultural and commercial significance of the ubiquitous desert plant, with increasing focus on sustainable spirit production. Recognizing that tequila and tacos go hand in hand, Visit Tucson wisely brought the Pueblos del Maiz Fiesta into being the first week of May. Now, after the area’s long history and culture of maize cultivation, this bilingual culinary festival is putting Tucson squarely on the map.

Not a month goes by that there isn’t something foodworthy to celebrate in Tucson and all of Tucson’s food-forward festivals owe a deep bow of respect to Tucson Meet Yourself, the mother of them all.

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Sponsored by the Southwest Folklore Alliance and the University of Arizona’s Southwest Center along with dozens of local businesses, this free event has been attracting attention to downtown Tucson on the second weekend in October since 1974. Because of Tucson Meet Yourself, more than 100,000 people come together every fall to experience a funky mixture of food, folk art and performances.

Tucson Meet Yourself was co-founded by University of Arizona folklorist and anthropologist James Griffith, together with his wife, Loma. They understood early on, perhaps better than anyone, why this melting pot of indigenous, European and many other cultures is worth preserving and celebrating.

When Griffith passed away late last year, Gary Nabhan, cofounder of Native Seeds/Search and TCoG board member was quoted in the Tucson Sentinel: “None of us who were involved in forwarding Tucson as a UNESCO City of Gastronomy in 2015 could have achieved that designation without the groundwork that Big Jim had developed though years of food folklore celebrations.”

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11 REASONS THE WORLD IS WATCHING TUCSON

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Silicon

A ‘Geo-Rival’ for Technology

UA TECH PARK AT RITA ROAD CAROL STEWART

By Christy Krueger

Since 2018, when IBM’s Calline Sanchez told BizTucson, “I consider this location the Silicon Desert,” the label has embodied the region’s commitment to growth in the technology sectors.

Three years later, CBRE ranked Tucson No. 9 in new U.S. tech markets for its ability to attract and grow technology talent, demonstrated by Tucson’s 47% growth in the industry in the previous five years.

“These headlines got the attention of tech companies,” said Carol Stewart, associate VP of Tech Parks Arizona, a University of Arizona umbrella for UA Tech Park at Rita Road, UA Tech Park at The Bridges and UA Center for Innovation. Tech Parks Arizona was established to attract new businesses, grow established businesses and commercialize new technologies.

According to Stewart, it includes approximately 80 companies employing 6,000 workers.

The parks provide both physical space and a virtual presence for technology-related companies, and their recent success is another indicator of the silicon industry’s growth in the region. The organization also has a presence in Oro Valley with its life sciences incubator, at UArizona-run Biosphere 2 and with business incubators in Vail and Sahuarita.

“Applied Energetics (lasers and optical systems) relocated its headquarters here,” Stewart said. “They thought it was the best place for their business, and they have access to a welleducated workforce. Also, we point out that Tucson is strategically located near Mexico for companies that want to make a foreign move. Having global leaders such as Raytheon and IBM help attract companies. There’s a sense of culture and community. Our program engages everyone. Small companies can connect with big companies. They have an economic im42 BizTucson

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pact of $2 billion to the state of Arizona.”

How and why Tucson took off as an important technology center is multi-faceted. “We are a short flight from California’s Silicon Valley and Los Angeles technology firms. This allows an easier flow of labor and skills. From a business continuity standpoint, we are relatively free of natural disasters.” Having reasonable commute times, lower labor costs and more affordable living add to the area’s attraction, said Sanchez, who is VP of IBM Global TSS Service Planning and Premium Support.

She is also IBM’s state leader in Arizona and New Mexico, as well as Tucson and Phoenix site leader, overseeing a team of premium support specialists.

“Technological innovation imagines tomorrow and builds it,” she said. “IBM and other tech companies in Southern Arizona are catalysts for our Silicon Desert.” Identifying a tech center with the word “silicon,” she added, refers to the extremely abundant mineral’s use in manufacturing microchips.

UArizona also has a strong role in the silicon sector, training students for future careers in technology, including engineering and management information systems. “We have been able to bring in a number of students from UArizona, and many have gone on to have stellar careers here at IBM,” Sanchez said.

U.S. News & World Report consistently ranks UArizona’s MIS graduate program among the top in the nation. This year, the publication ranked the program No. 1 among public universities.

Stewart, of Tech Parks Arizona, sees UArizona as a strong magnet for many companies looking at Tucson. “It’s a Tier 1 research university. UArizona wants to reach $1 billion per year in research activity,” she said. That number is currently $761 million. www.BizTucson.com

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Desert

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KARLA MORALES UA TECH PARK AT THE BRIDGES THE REFINERY

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college opportunities to develop tech leaders of the future.”

With the prevalence of corporations such as IBM, local technology clusters, UArizona and support organizations, Tucson is a place that the world is watching. IBM’s Sanchez said, “As much as Santa Clara and San Jose are the heart of the Silicon Valley, Tucson is a geo-rival for technology breakthroughs.

The Silicon Desert is here, it is growing and it is making a difference.”

Biz

BizTECHNOLOGY

IBM Impact on Tucson & the World 40+ Years of Innovation in the ‘Silicon Desert’

By June C. Hussey Arizona was but two years old, Congress Street was being paved for the first time and an industrious young businessman named Thomas Watson Sr. had just been appointed manager of a New York enterprise called Computing – Tabulating – Recording Company. The year was 1914 and the world, though entering a war of a previously unknown scale, was buying up the newfangled meat slicers and coffee grinders being distributed by his innovative Manhattan-based company.

It would be several decades before this growing company would set up shop in Arizona – but when it did, it was here to

IBM VP, Worldwide Systems Lab Services and Technical Universities, Tucson Site & New Mexico State Executive 118 BizTucson

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By Mary Minor Davis stay. Driven by global ambition and post-war economy, Watson had by then renamed the company International Business Machines. Known throughout the world today simply as IBM, the cognitive and cloud platform company is ranked by Forbes as the 17th most valuable brand in the world.

With more than 350,000 employees in 170 countries, IBM has come a long way from selling tabulating machines. From electric typewriters to mainframes, floppy disks, PCs, magnetic stripes, UPC barcodes and cognitive systems like the aptly named “Watson,” IBM has brought forth a parade of

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PHOTO: BRENT G. MATHIS

Startups are a big part of Tech Parks Arizona, especially those with a tie to UArizona. These include Solar Space, a company currently working on concentrated solar power technology, and Revolute Robotics, which uses hybrid ground and aerial robotics for data collection.

In addition to industry connections made possible between companies within the tech parks, businesses also have a local organization that supports technology employees and those wishing to gain employment in the field. Karla Morales, VP of the Southern Arizona chapter of Arizona Technology Council, is quick to point out the numerous benefits of being a member.

“Networking is crucial to our members, as is communication. We communicate with members on tech sector news and they can connect with us. We have a list of all Southern Arizona tech companies.

We have many member benefits – 401(k)s, discounted tuition, health plans and UArizona online classes.”

Arizona Technology Council has an apprenticeship program to help grow the workforce, and it puts on conferences to connect people to the industry. “At the photonics conference, people from around the world come in and demonstrate products. There’s a wide range of companies Calline Sanchez from all over to showcase the work done in photonics,” Morales said. For younger people, “we offer kindergarten through

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IBM & Calline Sanchez featured in the Summer 2019 issue of BizTucson

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11 REASONS THE WORLD IS WATCHING TUCSON

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Bioscience Strong Sector on the Rise

NUVOX PHARMA FLETCHER MCCUSKER

By Rodney Campbell When Fletcher McCusker, one of the region’s most respected business voices, says Tucson is on the cusp of being a bioscience hot spot, we listen.

Tucson’s location, entrepreneurial spirit, venture capital funding and world-class university are sending its star on the rise. The CEO of UAVenture Capital said he sees even bigger things coming this way. “Tucson is the next Austin, San Diego, Boston when it comes to biotech and biomedical industries,” he said.

The region has a solid bioscience foundation, thanks to the pioneering Dr. Thomas Grogan, the University of Arizona professor who founded Ventana Medical Systems in 1985.

Now known as Roche Tissue Diagnostics, the company is the largest biotech company in the world. The diagnostics instruments and accompanying assays developed there impact more than 26 million patients annually.

“Some of the most exciting work is taking place right here in Tucson,” Jill German, head of Roche Tissue Diagnostics, told BizTucson last year.

Additionally, the region is home to UArizona’s esteemed BIO5 Institute, led by director Jennifer Barton. BIO5 researchers have worked across disciplines for 20 years to solve some of humanity’s greatest challenges. The institute is truly UArizona’s crown jewel of innovation and discovery in bioscience.

The number of bioscience players across Southern Arizona continues to increase. Here’s a look at the growing list: Accelerate Diagnostics is an in-vitro diagnostics company that provides solutions for the challenge of antibioticsresistant and hospital-acquired infections. Established in 1987, the company began research activity for microbiology solutions in 2004 and relaunched in 2012 as Accelerate Diagnostics to develop and commercialize its first diagnostic platform.

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JILL GERMAN

ACCELERATE DIAGNOSTICS ROCHE TISSUE DIAGNOSTICS

Its headquarters are in Tucson and Spain.

Headquartered in Marana, Alicat Scientific is a pioneer of laminar differential pressure flow technology, and manufactures and develops custom flow control, flow meter and pressure solutions for gas and liquid applications as well as respiratory systems and ventilators.

BD, a global medical technology company, announced last year that it will construct a $65 million facility in Tucson that will be a hub for the company’s supply chain, serving as a final-stage manufacturing and sterilization center.

The 120,000-square-foot facility will be built at the corner of Valencia and Kolb roads.

Critical Path Institute is a world-class institution founded right here by Dr. Ray Woosley. It brings together patient groups, academic institutions, the pharmaceutical industry and regulatory agencies from around the globe to improve public health. These stakeholders work to identify or create tools that can accelerate the medical product development and regulatory review process. C-Path manages collaborative teams and programs in which stakeholders combine intellectual and financial resources to generate solutions that facilitate the development of safe and effective medical products.

Edmund Optics is a leading supplier of optics, imaging and photonics technology that has served a variety of markets including life sciences, biomedical, industrial inspection, semiconductor, research and development and defense. Edmund designs and manufactures an array of optical components, multi-element lenses, imaging systems and optomechanical equipment. Last year, Edmund opened an assembly and advanced design facility in Tucson, where the company has been for 24 years.

Emagine Solutions Technology, a medical software device www.BizTucson.com

BizTUCSON

Mecca SANDVIK MATERIALS TECHNOLOGY

EDMUND OPTICS

CRITICAL PATH INSTITUTE

BIO5 INSTITUTE DR. ROBERT C. ROBBINS BD

company in Tucson, was founded to expand access to diagnostic ultrasound technology. The company’s VistaScan platform transforms a doctor’s cell phone or tablet into an ultrasound machine. With VistaScan, doctors can diagnose patients in moments, saving time and lives at a fraction of the cost of a traditional cart ultrasound machine.

HTG Molecular Diagnostics is focused on sequencing-based molecular profiling. The company’s proprietary EdgeSeq technology automates complex, highly multiplexed molecular profiling from solid and liquid samples, even when limited in amount. HTG’s customers use its technology to identify biomarkers important for precision medicine, to understand the clinical relevance of these discoveries and identify treatments.

NuvOx Pharma is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company developing a drug that improves the flow of oxygen from lungs to blood and from blood to tissue.

Last year, NuvOx completed construction and initiated operation of its Tucson production facility for manufacturing its injectable pharmaceutical Bioscienc FA LL 20 12 21

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products. The building has an 1,800-square-foot hard-shell exterior space addition to the existing facility.

Recruited to Tucson during the pandemic, Sandvik Materials Technology is a developer and manufacturer of advanced stainless steel and special alloys. The company’s local facility manufactures fine medical wire and components. Sandvik agreed to establish an office here in 2020, working out details through video conferencing because of the pandemic.

Finally, UArizona continues to fuel the bioscience sector, producing more than $734 million in annual research. It’s ranked among the top 20 universities in the country in research and development expenditures, according to the National Science Foundation.

“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, and translating their research into products on the market is one of the best ways we can have a positive impact as an institution,” said President Dr. Robert C. Robbins.

“Through translation, we see technology innovations being developed to directly address needs, creating solutions as the need arises.”

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11 REASONS THE WORLD IS WATCHING TUCSON

4

City

No.

of

Climate, Culture and Recreation MIRAVAL

THE LOOP CANYON RANCH

By Romi Carrell Wittman

Since the early days of the city, Tucson has been a haven for those seeking a healthier, more balanced life.

With its dry climate and 300-plus days of sunshine each year, Tucson initially gained a reputation as a treatment center for asthma and tuberculosis patients. Today, it is world-renowned for its botanical splendor, diverse culture and amenities, yearround outdoor activities, top spas and overall embrace of healthy living.

In 2019, Jarrod Moss of Caterpillar jumped at the opportunity to work in Tucson. Moss, his wife, Autumn, and son, Josh, had lived all over the country, but they wanted to experience the biodiversity available here. “As a biologist, I wanted to live in an area with wildlife that we wouldn’t encounter anywhere else in the world,” Autumn said.

It was Tucson’s unique culture that drew Jamie Maslyn Larson here. A landscape architect born and raised in Phoenix, Larson has lived and worked in many cities. Last year, she accepted a position as executive director of Tohono Chul and made Tucson her home. Chief among her reasons was its authenticity.

“Through economic or development policy, some cities have unintentionally

eviscerated their spirit of place, wiping out their natural landscapes, undermining small business and erasing the culture that makes a place unique. Those cities have lost their soul,” she said. “Tucson citizens, on the other hand, seem to know what makes this place special and demand that policy makers embrace and celebrate its rich culture, protect the Sonora desert and deal with the quirks that make our city unique.”

Michael Guymon, president and CEO of Tucson Metro Chamber, echoed this feeling. “For many years, Tucson has promoted our quality of life to attract visitors and highly talented individuals,” he said. “The OF Tucson Sunshine Climate Club was created in the 1920s to promote Tucson as the place to live a healthy life and operate a business. While the Sunshine Climate Club no longer exists, today those strong quality-of-life values are evident in our cycling culture and our many wellness experiences and activities.”

Startup Tucson, a community nonprofit committed to growing small business and entrepreneurship, leveraged the region’s culture and community to attract remote workers during the panG IO TH E RE

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demic. “For those looking to make a change and move from pandemic-hit big cities, Tucson has so much to offer,” said Liz Pocock, Startup Tucson’s CEO. New residents Calder and Lisa Hynes agreed. Calder was part of Startup Tucson’s first cohort and he and his young family moved from Los Angeles to Tucson in 2021.

“A few people had shared Remote Tucson with me, including my parents,” Calder said. “We’d been considering a move so we could have a better lifestyle for our family.”

The family considered other cities along the West Coast and Southwest. Having grown up in Tucson, Calder thought it would be a good fit. “We wanted to raise our kids in a place that was safe and would provide opportunities,” he said. “Living in Los Angeles as two full-time working parents, we didn’t have the time with our kids that we wanted.”

Calder, who works at sports and entertainment agency Wasserman, had a job that went permanently remote. Lisa, on the other hand, had a position with Loyola Marymount University that was temporarily remote, so she had to decide whether she wanted to give up her position. After moving to Tucson, she was hired by the University of Arizona’s Eller College of Management.

“Life here is immeasurably better,” Calder said. “I don’t have a commute and I can pick the kids up from school each day. And it’s just easier to get around Tucson. We can be more present. It’s like we’ve found all these extra hours in the day.”

Tucson is also world-renowned as a top wellness destination.

With two famous destination spas – Canyon Ranch and Miraval – visitors flock here each year to rest and renew the soul.

Other features like The Loop, an award-winning paved mixeduse path that encircles the city, and the annual El Tour de Tucwww.BizTucson.com

DR. ANDREW WEIL son cycling event also draw people from around the globe.

Soon, the University of Arizona’s Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine will build its ambitious new headquarters here. Once completed, the 30,000-square-foot facility will be a central part of UArizona’s Health Sciences campus.

The center, created in 1994 and currently spread out over several off-campus facilities, is internationally recognized for its evidence-based clinical practice, innovative education programs and research in integrative medicine. The center’s approach to wellness includes both conventional medicine and complementary therapies like acupuncture and massage therapy.

At the center’s official groundbreaking in May, UArizona President Dr. Robert C. Robbins said, “Dr. Weil and the University of Arizona made medical history back in 1994 when he established the world’s first program in integrative medicine.

(Now) the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine will have a home worthy of the center’s reputation for excellence.”

Tucson’s sterling reputation for health and wellness will continue to grow. As Guymon said, “The Loop provides yearround, safe cycling and, as a destination, individuals flock here from all corners of the globe to experience our wellness amenities. Tucson has a great and unique story to tell.”

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11 REASONS THE WORLD IS WATCHING TUCSON

5

Aerospace & Defense

No.

A Workforce Rising in Dominance BOMBARDIER

ASCENT AVIATION SERVICES

JOE SNELL

By Rodney Campbell Aerospace and defense are a cornerstone of the Southern Arizona economy, with more than 200 companies representing the industry. This valued sector is only rising in dominance as this region is now home to the fifth-highest concentration of aerospace and defense employees in the country.

“Aerospace and defense companies offer high wages, at every level, for all our citizens,” said Joe Snell, president and CEO of Sun Corridor Inc. “These industries lead to a stronger economic foundation for all.”

Anchoring the megaregion first and foremost is Raytheon Missiles & Defense, the largest private employer here and a kingpin of our regional economy. With a Tucson campus of roughly 15,000 people, Raytheon provides the most advanced solutions to detect, track and engage threats. Once the vision of famed aviator Howard Hughes, the defense giant just celebrated 70 years in Southern Arizona.

As Wesley D. Kremer, president of Raytheon Missiles & Defense, told BizTucson: “We’ve created a hub of technology right here in our own backyard in Tucson.”

Here’s a look at several other aerospace and defense employers that make the region an industry hotspot: Ascent Aviation Services provides maintenance, modification, storage and reclamation services on transport cat1222 N G2020 RI LL SPFA

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egory aircraft in the aviation industry at Tucson International Airport and Pinal Air Park near Marana. Ascent is a critical supplier of these services to airlines, leasing companies and fleet managers across the globe.

Located at Tucson International Airport, Bombardier’s service center plays a crucial role in the company’s service center network. The facility provides an all-encompassing array of services for customers, including scheduled and unscheduled maintenance, interior modifications, avionics installations, paint and aircraft onground support for Bombardier Learjet, Challenger and Global aircraft.

An Onto Innovation Subsidiary, 4-D Technology in Tucson is a leader in precision, instantaneous 3-D measurement with applications for premier observatories to manufacturing plants to aircraft flight lines. In 2020, 4-D announced a strategic partnership with Aerontii, an aerospace and defense industry firm, to lead business development and expansion activities of its new automated visual inspection tools for the aerospace market. The 4-D measurement technology makes possible entirely new classes of instruments that change how manufacturers and scientists think about measurement.

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MEGAREGION NORTHROP GRUMMAN

FREEFALL SARGENT

LEONARDO ELECTRONICS FREEFALL

FreeFall Aerospace develops antenna technology for satellite communications, fixed and mobile ground stations, aerial platforms and a variety of commercial and government applications. The company, which began its work based on research in high-frequency radio astronomy at the University of Arizona, has expanded its headquarters in midtown Tucson and has created a collaborative culture that emphasizes creativity, teamwork, inclusion and innovation.

Located near Oro Valley since 1985, Honeywell Aerospace is one of the leading providers of avionics, engines, systems and service solutions for aircraft manufacturers, airlines, business and general aviation industries, and military, space and airport operations. The company offers a range of commercial, defense and space products, systems and services to the aerospace industry. Its products can be used in a variety of applications, including single-engine, piston-powered airplanes; military and space vehicles; and other commercial applications.

A provider of technologies for defense and commercial applications, Leonardo Electronics in 2020 announced plans to expand its regional presence in a new Oro Valley facility. The company purchased land in Innovation Park and is planning construction of a semiconductor laser manufacturing facility. LEI, formerly known as Lasertel, has been in the Tucson region since 2009. The Innovation Park location will house approximately 120,000 square feet of manufacturing and administrative offices.

Leonardo’s laser operations are currently located in Marana.

One of 17 sites in the United States, www.BizTucson.com

Meggitt has a location in Oro Valley. Meggitt is an aerospace and defense company with headquarters in the United Kingdom. Its four global divisions include more than 9,000 employees across 37 offices. Its capabilities include expertise in airframe and engine systems; energy and equipment, and services and support.

Northrop Grumman Defense Systems’ autonomous and tactical air systems business sector is located in Sierra Vista. It’s the headquarters to the company’s Virtual Augmented Mixed Reality Aircraft Sustainment Ecosystem technology. VAMRASE is designed to support training and operations by fusing data content with technology to ensure operational readiness of personnel and supporting weapons systems.

Universal Avionics’ 165,000-square-foot corporate headquarters in Tucson is home to electronic assembly, test and repair facilities, which build and support its avionics products for customers around the world. The company is moving products and technologies from its parent company, Elbit Systems in Israel, into its Tucson facilities. The company also has a hangar at Tucson International Airport that houses its corporate aircraft, which it uses to test and demonstrate its navigation, communication, recording and display products.

Sargent Aerospace and Defense’s Marana campus measures 132,000 square feet. Sargent is a designer and manufacturer of precision‐engineered hydraulic assemblies, bearings and sealing rings serving the broader aerospace and defense industry. The company’s products are used in a variety of applications on airplanes, helicopters and nuclear submarines.

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11 REASONS THE WORLD IS WATCHING TUCSON

6

No.

Space City

Led by UArizona, Tucson Reaches f JAMES WEBB SPACE TELESCOPE

OSIRIS-REx

DANTE LAURETTA

By Rodney Campbell University of California-Berkeley. University of Arizona.

In its recent Best Global Universities rankings, U.S. News & World Report said those are the top two American public universities in space sciences. UArizona earned the lofty ranking for its research reputation in space sciences as well as the number of citations and publications by its researchers.

The magazine ranked UArizona 10th overall in the world among all universities and seventh in the nation.

“It is gratifying to see the University of Arizona listed alongside many of the world’s premier academic research institutions,” UArizona President Dr. Robert C. Robbins said. “Our university is home to many breathtaking scientific innovations, and it is upon this foundation that our faculty members seek to make further extraordinary discoveries.”

Tucson really is a “Space City of the Southwest,” as coined by local talk radio host Zach Yentzer, also executive director of Tucson Young Professionals.

On a recent visit here, NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy called UArizona a “crown jewel” among U.S. universities doing space science research. She called the school a significant partner with a “towering reputation in astronomy, planetary science and astrophysics.”

The university’s space-related ventures, which started with the Steward Observatory’s first telescope and building in 1923, have definitely accelerated over the past several years:

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UArizona researchers played a leading role in producing the first images of the galaxy’s black hole, captured by the Event Horizon Telescope, an array of radio telescopes named after the boundary of the black hole beyond which no light can escape.

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Launched in 2016, NASA’s UArizona-led OSIRISREx mission is an achievement for the team led by

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Principal Investigator and Planetary Sciences Professor Dante Lauretta. The craft landed on the asteroid Bennu in 2020 to sample and collect the asteroid’s organic material, which will be analyzed by UArizona researchers. Recently, it was announced that OSIRIS-REx would visit a second asteroid.

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NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope, launched last December.

UArizona husband-and-wife researchers Marcia and George Rieke played leadership roles: Marcia is the principal investigator for the Near Infrared Camera, the heart of the Webb Telescope for which she led the development.

George is science team lead for the Mid-Infrared Instrument, added to the telescope to expand its reach.

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Kristopher Klein, UArizona assistant professor of planetary sciences, will serve as deputy principal investigator for NASA’s HelioSwarm mission when it launches in 2028.

The purpose is to better understand plasma, the state of matter that makes up 99% of the visible universe. The nine spacecraft in the “swarm” will collect data for at least a year.

Private sector companies, all of which owe their existence to UArizona, which provided employees to some of them from the pool of its College of Science graduates, help make Tucson a true Space City.

FreeFall Aerospace develops antenna technology for satellite communications, fixed and mobile ground stations, aerial platforms and a variety of commercial and government applications. The company got its start in 2016 with high-frequency radio technology developed at UArizona.

“We are very much tied to Tucson,” CEO Doug Stetson said. Collaboration with UArizona “benefits FreeFall www.BizTucson.com

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PHANTOM SPACE

RYAN HARTMAN

WORLD VIEW ENTERPRISES

JIM CANTRELL

PARAGON Aerospace with a pipeline of talented engineers from UA, partners like AGM Container Controls and local investors like UAVenture Capital. Each milestone our products reach is a crucial step for FreeFall, the University of Arizona and Tucson’s developing space economy.”

Phantom Space is a technology and transportation company whose goal is to lower space access barriers through mass manufacturing of launch vehicles, satellites and space applications.

Phantom Space CEO Jim Cantrell, who started the company in Tucson in October 2019, enjoys the close cooperation he sees in Southern Arizona.

“Tucson has been a growing hub for space manufacturing for years,” said Cantrell, whose company provides spacecraft construction and full-service launch capability. “It’s inspiring to see the kind of work being done here from companies like Paragon Space Development and FreeFall Aerospace.

Unlike most cities, there’s a real community here for aerospace technology, a community that motivates, inspires and encourages growth.”

World View Enterprises, which specializes in space tourism and exploration, started a decade ago thanks to a collaboration with Pima WFA INLL TE R 2020 1217

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County. The organization’s headquarters at Spaceport Tucson is where the company manufactures stratospheric balloons and fabricates the crafts it flies on remote sensing missions.

World View also launches stratospheric missions from Tucson.

The space tourism company recently announced that reservations for its edge of space flights had reached 1,000.

CEO Ryan Hartman said the region’s history in the aerospace and space industries and the presence of a world-class university made Tucson the best choice for his company’s headquarters.

“Tucson provides an exceptional breeding ground for some of the top aerospace talent in the world,” he said. “Being headquartered in Tucson has allowed us to recruit and employ some of the best and brightest minds in the industry who exemplify our company ethos.”

Phantom Space’s Cantrell is optimistic about the industry’s future in Tucson. He sees many more accomplishments coming from Tucsonbased space companies.

“The need to explore outer space isn’t going anywhere,” he said. “The need for space technology and manufacturing isn’t going anywhere. The need for Tucson’s bustling industry isn’t going anywhere. Tucson, and by extension the state of Arizona, will continue to lead the way when it comes to space technology production, manufacturing and launching.”

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11 REASONS THE WORLD IS WATCHING TUCSON

7

Cycling

No.

Tucson is Tops for Cycling THE LOOP

DAMION ALEXANDER THE LOOP

By Romi Carrell Wittman Tucson is one of the nation’s top cycling destinations and it has the credentials to prove it.

Let’s start with The Loop.

For the second year in a row, The Chuck Huckelberry Loop earned top spot on USA Today’s 10 Best Reader’s Choice award for Best Recreational Trail in the nation. Tucson’s bicycle-friendly path beat out famed trails and riding paths around the country, including the Great Allegheny Passage in Maryland and the Virginia Creeper Trail.

At more than 136 miles, The Loop is the longest paved, vehicle-free public multi-use path in the United States. The complex network of paved, shareduse paths encircles the region, extending throughout Pima County, Marana, Oro Valley, Tucson and South Tucson. It’s just one of many reasons why Tucson is, definitively, a Cycling City.

Cycling and outdoor magazines consistently rank Tucson among the top “bike towns” in the country. And just last year, Tucson and eastern Pima County were deemed a Gold Level Bi1218 2020 LLER MM SUFA

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cycle Friendly Community for the fourth consecutive time since 2008 by the League of American Cyclists.

The Loop has only buoyed that status, and it came to be by virtue of a disaster. In fall 1983, a severe flood dumped more than seven inches of rain on the region in just four days. Normally dry riverbeds were quickly overwhelmed, their paths re-routing themselves due to the fast-running floodwaters. Structures all along the Rillito River were consumed and the path of the river itself was irrevocably altered. By the time the flood ended, some 10,000 people were left homeless and Pima County faced more than $300 million in flood damage repairs.

County leaders wanted to ensure that such an event never happened again. But as engineers began work to shore up and reinforce riverbanks, they discovered that locals were using the unpaved maintenance access paths for walking, running and cycling. And, so the concept for The Loop was born.

Today, The Loop plays host to a wide array of walkers, bicyclists, skaters, run-

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UARIZONA’S HEALTH SCIENCES CAMPUS TJ JUSKIEWICZ

ners and even equestrians. It’s also become a major attraction for visitors. As former Pima County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry said at The Loop’s dedication in 2018, “It’s one of the largest and finest recreational amenities in the country.”

Realtor, avid cyclist and El Tour board member Damion Alexander said, “The Loop has led to the construction of several bike boulevards.” he said. “That makes it a lot better for cyclists and, the more people we get out cycling, the safer it becomes for all cyclists.” Bicycle boulevards are residential streets designed with bicycling and walking in mind. Currently, there are 10 in Tucson, most located near the University of Arizona and central Tucson. Another 30 are planned.

The annual El Tour Loop de Loop event takes place in September and is meant as a sort of kick-off to the region’s biggest cycling event of the year: El Tour de Tucson. Attracting more than 6,000 riders from around the world, El Tour de Tucson has contributed up to $90 million since 1983 for more than 40 different local and national nonprofits, according to the City of Tucson.

It has a yearly estimated economic impact of $10 million for the region, according to the city. A 2019 economic impact study sponsored by Rio Nuevo found that each El Tour has $3.4 million of direct spending impact.

TJ Juskiewicz, executive director of El Tour organizing body Perimeter Bicycling Association, came to Tucson in 2020 after a 30+ year career directing some of the nation’s top cycling www.BizTucson.com

events. He said he was drawn to Tucson because it’s something of a biking mecca. “The weather is fantastic and the bike infrastructure is great – not just The Loop, but road shoulders and space. So much makes Tucson very bikeable.”

Juskiewicz added that the community is also a leading factor in Tucson’s growing reputation as a Cycling City. “Just the absolute love of cycling in this community and it’s been that way for a long time,” he said. “When you add up those things, that’s what make Tucson special. It’s the love and support of the community.”

This November, the 39th El Tour de Tucson takes place and Juskiewicz says upwards of 10,000 riders are expected. “It’s more than just a cycling event,” he said. “Tucson is a destination. People come here to ride then they can go have a worldclass meal and stay at a great resort. They’re coming to ride, but they’re basically having a vacation, too. It’s an experience.”

Alexander said that the economic impact of cycling, specifically El Tour, is sometimes overlooked. “El Tour is a major economic driver for Southern Arizona,” he said. “El Tour laid the groundwork for all the other things that are going on. The reason The Loop is what it is, is because El Tour is a hub. It brought national attention and showed what cycling can do, not just for the health and well-being of a community, but also financial benefits to the business community.”

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11 REASONS THE WORLD IS WATCHING TUCSON

8

No.

Mining, High Paying Jobs Fuel the

HEXAGON

CATERPILLAR

NICK HARE

By Tara Kirkpatrick When Caterpillar chose Tucson for the new offices of its Surface Mining & Technology Division in 2016, it put our already mining-rich region in the national spotlight as an emerging competitive hub in the industry.

“This is a huge win for Tucson and the entire region,” Governor Doug Ducey said when he announced the news. “In addition to bringing jobs and capital investment to Southern Arizona, a project of this level will have a ripple effect throughout the community and state. This is an excellent example of Arizona’s attractiveness to businesses as well as our strength in collaborative economic development.”

Even with a mining history that reaches back over 1,000 years, having the world’s largest manufacturer of construction and mining equipment here has cemented the region’s growing significance. Southern Arizona boasts companies that include Hexagon, University of Arizona-born Modular Mining, AXISCADES, MST Global and many others.

“In the ultra-competitive world of economic development, it’s vital for a region to play to its strengths, such as mining,” said Joe Snell, president and CEO of Sun Corridor Inc. “These are high-paying jobs which result in increased spending in this community each and every day.”

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included are gold, silver, gypsum, salt, cement and more. Recruiting mining companies here continues to be an economic initiative.

“Economic development is all about the range of business stages, from startup, to expansion to attraction,” Snell said.

“Modular Mining, now Komatsu, started out of the UA. We competed with several regions to keep Hexagon here and Caterpillar was a huge attraction win for this community. Every company contributes to this region’s success.”

Hexagon, which focuses on autonomous technology and digital solutions to promote safety and sustainability, recently built its headquarters near downtown Tucson. Hexagon Mining Mining Division President Nick Hare calls it “the ideal location for a North American headquarters of a global technology company. It’s no secret that Tucson is an emerging technology hub. There are numerous examples of both veteran and start-up tech companies choosing this city for their headquarters.”

“Tucson is highly attractive for millennial talent from universities and abroad,” added Hare. “Better yet, as a training center for customers, our location allows us to fully expose the rich possibilities of a smarter, safer, fully connected mine.”

Modular Mining, founded by a UArizona assistant professor and three graduate students, focuses on real-time, computerbased mine management solutions. The company, established www.BizTucson.com

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Community

UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING, MINING & GEOLOGICAL ENGINEERING

in Tucson in 1979, was purchased by Komatsu in 1996 and expanded its headquarters and added a new Customer Experience Center in 2020.

“Tucson is evolving into a key mining technology hub, and this expansion demonstrates our commitment to leading this transformation as a long-term member of this community,” Modular Mining President and CEO Jorge Mascena said at the time.

Fueling the mining industry’s workforce is UArizona. More than 600 graduates of the College of Engineering work to support the industry, according to Sun Corridor Inc. The college’s Mining & Geological Engineering program is not only one of the university’s oldest departments, it’s also one of the top-ranked programs in the nation.

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In 2021, the Arizona Board of Regents approved the creation of a School of Mining & Mineral Resources at UArizona. This new school, expected to make UArizona the premier institution devoted to mineral resources, will focus on bringing more sustainability to the industry. That’s in the face of a potential 200% increase in copper demand by 2050, forecasted by the World Bank, to fuel an increasingly digital and low-carbon life, from cell phones to cars to solar panels and wind turbines.

Key to the future mining workforce, Pima Community College also offers mining technology courses and Pima Joint Technical Education District is delivering tuition-free, hands-on courses to high school students in mining technology, as well as automation, welding and heavy equipment operation and more. Biz

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11 REASONS THE WORLD IS WATCHING TUCSON

No.

9

Downtown R Bullish Investment Draws

OMAR MIRELES

THE FLIN

By Jay Gonzales For longer than most Tucsonans care to remember, “going downtown” was less a treat than a task.

Today, it’s the place to be.

Private and public investment have turned downtown Tucson into a vibrant activity center with restaurants and entertainment and, importantly, abundant housing, for all generations.

Even the COVID-19 pandemic couldn’t stop the momentum as more than $500 million in construction projects pushed through, including a transformation of the Tucson Convention Center with a new hotel, parking garages and other improvements, a massive residential and retail community right next door on the site of the old La Placita Village office and retail complex, and two large residential/retail projects in the Mercado District west of Interstate 10.

Fletcher McCusker, board chair for Rio Nuevo, which has driven much of the development, told the board at its March meeting to expect even more in the years to come.

“There’s more interest in Tucson’s urban core. There are more developers talking to us about public/private partnerships. We’re seeing hotel operators, one, two a week. We’re seeing multifamily developers. We’re seeing restauranteurs,” McCusker said. “I think not only have we survived, but it’s clear to me that we probably will thrive. Buckle your seatbelt, because I think we’re going to be really busy here the next year, two years.”

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Those who have already invested in downtown and who weathered the pandemic are poised to reap the fruits of their patience and investment. For example, The Flin, the 243-residential unit complex built by HSL Properties is complete and open.

“In the long run, we are still very bullish on the downtown Tucson market,” said HSL President Omar Mireles as the development was under construction.

“There are others that are bringing apartment homes into the market downtown,” Mireles acknowledged, “and I think perhaps it will be a little bit slower absorption than we initially anticipated. Given the challenges, we still remain bullish.”

A $65 million renovation and improvement project at the Tucson Convention Center is wrapping up with another parking garage on the west side next to the recently renamed Linda Ronstadt Music Hall and improvements to the exhibition hall.

The 122-unit Monier apartment development built by the Gadsden Company opened last year in the heart of El Mercado District west of I-10. Another Gadsden property, The Bautista, is still expected to open in 2023. That is a $72 million development with 253 residential units and 16,500 square feet of retail and restaurants.

“We had to just plow along and take our lumps,” said Adam Weinstein, president and CEO of The Gadsden Company, of his decision to continue his two projects during the pandemic.

“We always knew that we’d be able to get through it. I think www.BizTucson.com

BizTUCSON

Revitalization National Notice

MARK IRVIN

DOUBLETREE AT THE TUCSON CONVENTION CENTER THE MONIER

TCC PARKING GARAGE it was just a matter of how much of a delay this was ultimately going to cause, and making sure that we were in a strong position to be able to cover all of these circumstances and be able to move forward.”

There is one major project that remains stalled, although it’s still expected to come to fruition.

Construction on the 19-story high-rise known as 75 E. Broadway is still not underway. The land remains vacant while financial aspects of the project continue to be ironed out. Construction was expected to begin last summer.

“I think the thing that is kind of interesting is while so many other people have their foot on the brake pedal, we’ve kept our foot on the accelerator,” said Mark Irvin, a Rio Nuevo board member. “We’re just seeing a lot of people that are looking at downtown from a business perspective.”

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Tucson has gained national visibility from many rankings in livability, jobs, workforce talent availability, tourism and more. That likely will continue to keep Tucson on the radar of companies, developers, employees and entrepreneurs, and leaders say, keep growth going.

“All of a sudden Tucson is now in the top five of cities to look to post-pandemic,” McCusker said. “We’re seeing a real migration of tech companies and tech workers like Austin and Portland saw. At same time, we’re seeing huge interest from developers that have targeted Tucson’s future.

And somehow that became almost like a Pied Piper, and none of us had anything to do with that. The attributes of Tucson all of a sudden became important to a post-pandemic population.”

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11 REASONS THE WORLD IS WATCHING TUCSON

10

Optics

No.

Creating Innovative Opportunity

OPTICAL COMMUNICATION CHIP

TOM KOCH

By Christy Krueger In 1992, two events happened that had a monumental effect on Tucson’s emergence as an optics center. BusinessWeek magazine gave Tucson the name Optics Valley, and an organization called Arizona Optics Industry Association was founded as the first ever optics cluster.

Bob Breault, founder of Tucson optics company Breault Research Organization, became chairman of AOIA in 1992. After moving to Tucson from Silicon Valley, John Dennis joined the group in 2010. AOIA remained an independent optics cluster – an entity that represents the optics industry – until 2016. “Those of us on the board closed AOIA,” Dennis reported, “and moved the cluster activity to Arizona Technology Council.” There, the cluster became a committee, known as Optics Valley, and is co-chaired by Dennis and Jack Schumann.

According to Dennis, the committee’s mission is “to catalyze, convene and connect astronomy, optics and photonics-related businesses. We work with companies with programs, both virtual and in-person, and we support educational programs.” + Karla Morales looks at optics as an

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important part of the general technology sector. As VP of the Southern Arizona office of Arizona Technology Council, her responsibilities include overseeing membership and creating opportunities for workforce growth, including apprenticeship programs.

“We continue to see optics grow,” she said. “That’s why the world should be looking at Tucson. A lot of the work we do is international. People are looking at Tucson because we create innovative opportunities.”

Perhaps the most important portal to technology jobs in Tucson is through UArizona, where future talent is being trained by some of the best. The National Science Foundation ranked UArizona #1 in astronomy and astrophysics for the fiscal year 2020, with expenditures of $122 million.

Dean Tom Koch has been leading the College of Optical Sciences since 2012. He explained that the college has four theme areas: optical engineering, which involves designing specialized optics; fundamental optical physics; photonics; and image science. Astronomy is actually a separate de-

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RADIOLOGY SCANNER PEYGHAMBARIAN LAB NASSER PEYGHAMBARIAN partment under Steward Observatory, he noted.

“Fundamental optical physics,” said Koch, is “understanding how light interacts with matter. Photonics is all the technology that makes the Internet work, semiconductors and fiber optics. Image science is used when you want to design a system for a specific purpose, such as in the medical field for taskbased imaging and computational imaging.”

Career opportunities for graduates of UArizona optical sciences programs are promising. “Jobs are exploding,” Koch said. “Companies come to talk to faculty, and students present research and form relationships with companies before they even graduate. A field you would think of for jobs in optics is aerospace, but now there’s Facebook, Apple, Microsoft, Amazon – they all involve optics.”

An important project the James C. Wyant College of Optical Sciences is currently working on is Quantum Information Science and Engineering, which Koch explained as “all kinds of applications that connect quantum computers to become more powerful. We were appointed to lead the engineering research center to lay the foundation for the future of quantum Internet. It’ll change the landscape of the things we can do.”

He acknowledges that Tucson has a good reputation among the nation’s companies that may hire optics graduates or consider moving here. “We have good visibility and it creates interest for companies to invest in Tucson.” On a local level, he said most graduates are getting jobs with smaller companies. “But then there’s Raytheon – they hire a lot of our students.”

UArizona has frequently been named the largest optics education and research program in the country. “We have more faculty, research grants and contracts and more graduates,” www.BizTucson.com

Koch noted. “Most colleges and universities are supported by government agencies, such as National Institutes of Health and Department of Defense. We’re primarily supported by government, but a lot of our support is from private sector.

With our research, we’re the first ones up to bat since others don’t know about it.”

One of the College of Optical Sciences’ big startup success stories is Nasser Peyghambarian, a faculty member who founded NP Photonics and moved to Tech Parks Arizona in 2000.

NP (the founder’s initials) Photonics is an optics company and manufacturer of fiber lasers, fiber amplifiers and specialty fibers for sensing, defense, metrology and research markets.

Carol Stewart, associate VP for Tech Parks Arizona, said, “The College of Optical Sciences has world rankings. One of the premises of the university is optics. We concentrate on education of students and provide practical experience. The professors and researchers are working on projects ready to be commercialized and students get hands-on experience.”

She’s familiar with the numbers that illustrate the university’s significant impact on our state. “Optics brings a $2 billion impact to Arizona. Students who pursue degrees in optics have a great chance to get jobs here, and 43% of UArizona grads say they want to stay here. Quality jobs are the key to economic development anywhere. Optics salaries are very high, and optics brings business to Tucson and they hire employees.

We’re moving forward in Southern Arizona. We have a lot of momentum right now.”

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11 REASONS THE WORLD IS WATCHING TUCSON

11

World’s Largest

No.

Largest, Oldest & Most Prestigious

THE TUCSON GEM, MINERAL & FOSSIL SHOWCASE FELIPE GARCIA

By Christy Krueger The Tucson Gem, Mineral & Fossil Showcase is not just another tourist attraction. It is THE tourist attraction of our region. The largest annual event in Pima County, it’s also the largest of its kind in the world and contributes millions of dollars to the local economy.

The numbers say it all. The global show brings more than 65,000 visitors to the region and has an estimated economic impact of $131 million. Visiting buyers hail from 42 states and 17 countries and exhibitors travel from 45 states and 42 foreign countries.

Not only just the largest, the Tucson Gem & Mineral Show® is also the oldest and most prestigious in the world. It has enjoyed international status since the 1970s and was the first gem and mineral show to bring together hobby enthusiasts, the general public and professionals, according to the Tucson Gem & Mineral Society.

“There really is something for everybody at the shows – from the Etsy shoppers, to rockhounds, to buyers of fine 60 BizTucson

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jewelry, gemologists and for those who just like to look,” said Jane Roxbury, director of gem show and convention services for Visit Tucson. “Kids interested in dinosaurs will have a ball at many of the warehouse shows, where full-size pterodactyls and T-rexes have been assembled.”

The event’s special exhibits also provide a coveted peek into private and museum collections of rare pieces, which differ each year. Past exhibits have included the Fabergé Collection, the Logan Sapphire, the Star of Asia and the Hooker Emerald Brooch.

Though the pandemic kept the 2021 show from its original form, the threeweek event returned in all its splendor this winter to a welcoming public with 48 distinct locations for shows across the city. “Tucson is very lucky to have so many gem show owners and operators owning their venues here, and some actually live here!” said Roxbury. “As operations have been normalizing in 2022, all eyes are on Tucwww.BizTucson.com

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THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA ALFIE NORVILLE GEM & MINERAL MUSEUM ALLAN NORVILLE AND HIS LATE WIFE ALFIE (PHOTO IN 2011)

son for best practices and modeling.”

Visit Tucson provides a variety of gem show information for visitors, including the printed Official Gem Guide, the website (www.tucsongemshow.org), welcome materials for local businesses, concierge tables at the airport and Tucson Convention Center.

The pandemic break did enable a retooling of sorts. “It’s always good to go back and look at procedures,” Visit Tucson CEO Felipe Garcia told BizTucson earlier this year. “It was a good time to look at how to become better. It also resulted in new features for visitors, including significant renovations to the Tucson Convention Center and a re-energized downtown.

Additionally, the University of Arizona Alfie Norville Gem & Mineral Museum found an impressive new home in the Pima County Historic Courthouse during the pandemic and now offers year-round world-class collection for visitors and locals alike.

The museum was named for the late Alfie Norville because of her love and dedication to all aspects of the gem showcase, as well as she and her husband Allan being instrumental in starting Gem & Jewelry Exchange, known as GJX, a wholesale show that offers colored stones and precious metals.

“They’ve been a staple of the gem shows and really made a positive change,” Garcia said, of the Norvilles. “The museum is a great legacy. It’s amazing.”

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WATCH OUR IN-DEPTH COVERAGE IN JULY

Tune in to KVOA - News 4 Tucson in July as our news team gives you in-depth coverage of what we believe are the “11 Reasons the World is Watching Tucson.” Our globally-recognized cuisine, world-class cycling and dedication to wellness, our stellar achievements in space and defense, our growing significance in mining technology and biosciences − not to mention the top-ranked University of Arizona, which powers so much of our progress. Did you know this region is referred to not only as “Optics Valley” but also “The Silicon Desert?” As IBM’s Calline Sanchez tells us, “As much as Santa Clara and San Jose are the heart of the Silicon Valley, Tucson is a geo-rival for technology breakthroughs.” We think Tucson is a great place to live and work and we want to share with you the very best attributes of our city. We are honored to collaborate with BizTucson magazine to bring you these stories.

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ANGELIQUE LIZARDE

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BizWORKFORCE

LEE LAMBERT KATHY PRATHER

JILL GERMAN

JOHN LAI

ROBERT C. ROBBINS

SUSAN GRAY

ALEX HORVATH

The Future of the Workforce

PHOTOS BY DAVID SANDERS

By Tom Leyde

The future of the workforce in the region and in the state of Arizona is at a fork in the economic road, experts said at a recent panel discussion at the University of Arizona.

In “The Future of the Workforce Today and Tomorrow,” the April event’s participants examined the economic factors affecting jobs, including those linked to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was sponsored by Making Action Possible for Southern Arizona, a program of UArizona’s Eller College of Management that tracks economic indicators to measurably improve Southern Arizona’s economy.

A few key findings from the event:

•

In January, there were 241,000 unfilled job openings in Arizona due to myriad reasons, including “The

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Great Resignation,” a term that refers to the exodus of people from jobs as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

•

104,000 Arizonans quit their jobs in January.

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The unemployment rate in the Tucson area declined to 2.9% in March.

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Tucson’s non-farm employment grew by 1.6% in 2021, an improvement over job losses in 2020 due to the pandemic.

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Tucson-area business growth grew by 1.1% from 2019 to 2020.

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The Southern Arizona economy was in recovery before the pandemic.

Several factors, however, are hindering the return of labor force numbers

to pre-pandemic levels, said Jennifer Pullen, a senior research economist at Eller College Economic and Business Research Center.

Many people retired during the pandemic, for instance, and many left the workforce to care for their families.

Some workers have since returned to the workforce as their children returned to school, Pullen said. But some workers are still concerned about the COVID-19 virus. A number of workers saved money during the pandemic and that, Pullen said, will result in workers staying away from work longer.

An economic report by Jim Rounds, president of Rounds Consulting Group, was presented by Ron Shoopman, a member of the Arizona Board of Regents. continued on page 64 >>> Summer 2022

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continued from page 63 Arizona is a leading state in economic growth, the report found, but workforce issues represent a threat to economic expansion. For instance, last year Arizona companies brought from out-of-state 19,000 people with four-year college degrees or more because those jobs could not be filled

by Arizona residents.

The report also found that the Arizona college enrollment rate – the percentage of four-year degrees completed – declined. It was at 46% in 2020, compared to 52% in 2019. Under current economic conditions, the state will have an annual shortage of 26,300 graduates with fouryear degrees between now and 2030. That reduces the potential Arizona-based workforce pool available, a critical point that companies consider when opening or relocating businesses.

Also, average wages are declining along with per capita personal income. That means Arizonans are losing buying power and the ability to have a successful life here. These factors must turn around if Arizona’s economy is going to improve, the report said.

Shoopman pointed to solutions such as improving educational benefits and worker training.

“We’ve got to do better, not only for the students and children of the state, but we have to figure out how to help the workers of the state keep pace with the changing jobs, those new, often high-tech jobs,” Shoopman said. “Their jobs are being eliminated today because there are more manual-type jobs being replaced by technical jobs. They need some workforce training.”

The state needs to use its current excess revenue to invest in both education and workforce training, the report suggested.

“It will keep Arizona’s rapid growth and its expanding economy in place and, more important to me, it will help the people of Arizona share in the growth and benefits and the quality of life that high-paying jobs bring to our state,” Shoopman said. “The report indicates that we’re at an inflection point. We can continue to grow or we’ll begin to lose steam.”

Two panels, composed of academic and business professionals, offered views on workforce improvements that echoed Shoopman’s concerns.

The academic panel focused on the need for fast-tracking skills training, starting in high school. “Engage and inspire children and young people earlier,” said Kathy Prather, superintendent and CEO of Pima Joint Technical Education District. “Show them why education needs more hands-on experience earlier.”

JTED provides certificates to high school graduates for skilled jobs in medicine, culinary careers, veterinary science and more. Some programs provide dual enrollment for high school and college credits. “We teach applied academics. That’s the sweet spot,” she said.

Pima Community College also gets skilled workers into the workforce as quickly as possible, said PCC Chancellor Lee Lambert. It created a fast-track, 12-week training program that moves students into entry-level jobs.

“College is not for everyone,” Robbins said. Skills certificates can lead to good paying jobs. He believes there should be a greater emphasis on acquiring skills certificates after 64 BizTucson

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“

We can continue to grow or we’ll begin to lose steam.

Ron Shoopman, Member Arizona Board of Regents

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college graduation rather than getting a master’s degree.

A skills certificate is a quicker pathway to a job rather than working two to three jobs to pay for college.

Prather, Lambert and Robbins agreed on many issues that must be addressed to continue to develop a prepared workforce. They include pairing skills training with local business needs, getting K-12 students to understand that academics apply to learning job skills and, above all, improve state funding for education.

“There has to be a commitment,” Robbins said. “I do not want to see all things line up and then whiff on a pitch.”

The next five to 15 years are critical. If not, he said, companies will not want to come to Arizona.

The business panel discussed ways employers can attract and retain employees by meeting their needs both in and away from their jobs. This was especially important with new work environments during and after the COVID-19 disruption.

Tucson Electric Power, for instance, provided mental health assistance for its employees during the pandemic, said Susan Gray, president and CEO of Tucson Electric Power and UNS Energy. The utility is working on a development plan for employees at a coal plant that is shutting down. TEP has an apprenticeship program, which can lead to journeyman status. It is renegotiating its wages with the union.

Tucson Medical Center’s nursing staff declined by 19%, and 67 nurses retired during the worst of the pandemic.

Some 200 traveling employees were brought in. But TMC kept all its employees working, said Alex Horvath, senior VP and chief human resources officer for TMC HealthCare.

Jill German, head of Roche Tissue Diagnostics, said the company didn’t shut down during the pandemic and there were no significant resignations, but jobs changed. “We changed the way we work and get (new) workers in,” she said.

Panelists offered advice to employers who find themselves challenged by worker shortages. John Lai, CEO of Mister Car Wash, suggested that companies treat people well, especially those in middle management. Pay people well. People who burn out will walk away from the job.

Good economic development also comes down to the state making critical investment in good education. Said German: “We have to be willing to put our money behind education in this state.”

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BizEDUCATION

Novel Concept Can Serve as National Model

By Tom Leyde University of Arizona students have a greater chance of achieving their academic and personal goals with the opening of the new Student Success District.

The university held a grand opening for the new district in April outside the historic and now revamped Bear Down Gym, which will serve as the heart of the district as the Bear Down Building.

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host library services, learning support, tutoring, advising, mentoring, career services and health programs.

“It’s one-stop shopping for all students’ needs on campus...,” said UArizona President Dr. Robert C. Robbins.

“It’s a big part of our students’ plan, more than half of all our initiatives of strategic plans, and focused on students’ success. And this … has been envisioned and been in progress for over seven

years,” he said.

“I’m incredibly proud of all the work that’s gone into this. And … it’s not hyperbole. This is really the model for student success districts across any university in the country,” Robbins said. “So we’re very proud and hope that others will come and learn from it.”

The Student Success District was conceived in 2015 and the design procontinued on page 68 >>> www.BizTucson.com

PHOTOS COURTESY THE UNIVERSIT Y OF ARIZONA

UArizona’s New Student Success District

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BizEDUCATION continued from page 66 cess included input from students, faculty, staff and architects. Some of the feedback included more daylight, more workspace, more places to plug in and more access to buildings. Sundt Construction, in partnership with UArizona Planning, Design and Construction, led the work on the district.

It now connects the Main Library, the Albert B. Weaver Science-Engineering Library, the Bear Down Building and the Bartlett Academic Success Center. Both libraries and the Bear Down Building underwent extensive renovations. There are now three floors of study spaces, a basketball court, cabanas, a community clubhouse and an 1,800-square-foot fitness center.

The Bartlett Success Center, completed in 2020, is a new building named in recognition of Patricia and Bruce Bartlett, who made a $10 million gift to help launch the district. It has four floors and features the Strategic Alternative Learning Technics Center “Think Tank” and more.

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Features in the Main Library include: the Rhonda G. Tubbs Tech Toolshed, where students can check out 3D printers, computers and podcast equipment;

“

It’s one-stop shopping for all students’ needs on campus...

–

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Dr. Robert C. Robbins President University of Arizona

learning studios, a Scholars’ Corner, 24/7 Lounge, technical support, the Terry Seligman VR Studio, the Zone and CATalyst Studios.

Also available are IT help and support, research and learning support, study rooms, a visualization wall and workshops.

The Albert B. Weaver ScienceEngineering Building is home to the university’s first collaborative learning classroom. It seats 270 people. It also features a family study room for students with children.

University Libraries Dean Shan Sutton pointed out during the grand opening that the university had no template for the Student Success Center and created the plan from scratch. A Grateful Dead scholar, Sutton said, “What a long strange trip it’s been. We really are onto something here and we can’t screw it up.”

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BizHEALTH

El Rio Health’s New Grant Health Center Greater Access to Medical Services for High Needs Area

El Rio Health officially opened its newest healthcare facility May 4 at 3655 E. Grant Road. The nonprofit healthcare center’s grand opening brings the number of facilities in the Tucson area to 13.

El Rio Health spent nearly $13 million to refurbish a 36,000-square-foot former Wells Fargo Bank building – a sum that included more than $1 million in fundraising. Coincidentally, Wells Fargo Bank helped finance the project.

“It truly is a wonderful piece of architecture from the 1970s,” said Nancy Johnson, CEO of El Rio Health. “It has good bones. El Rio has (a total of) 1,700 employees and everyone has a role in this building.”

The new Grant Health Center will employ more than 120 people. Services include medical and dental care for children and adults, behavioral health, midwifery, women’s care, laboratory, radiology, pharmacy, transgender care and health and wellness programs. There are 24 exam rooms, nurse visit rooms and a separate entrance for behavioral health patients.

The two-story building includes two classrooms that will be used for El Rio Health’s nurse practitioner residency program and other activities. A staff break room includes showers and lockers.

El Rio Health opened its first health center in 1970 and is the largest provider of medical and dental services for Pima County’s uninsured and Medicaid populations. It serves about 125,000 people annually. More than 48% of El Rio’s patients live at or below the federal poverty level.

An estimated 3,000 to 4,000 patients will be served at the Grant Road location, Johnson said. “It takes a lot of people to come together to do this work.”

Tucson Mayor Regina Romero congratulated El Rio Health for refurbishing the building rather than demolishing it.

“The expansion of an El Rio clinic is a win for all of us,” Romero said. “I have a soft heart for El Rio clinic because it has a long history in Tucson of helping the most vulnerable among www.BizTucson.com

us. And under the leadership of Dr. Nancy Johnson, we have seen amazing growth in services for our community.”

“The doctors at El Rio have such care for our seniors and for our most vulnerable patients,” the mayor told the audience at the grand opening, including El Rio staff. “I have the utmost respect for what you all do.”

Kevin Dahl, the Tucson city councilmember representing Ward 3 where the health center is located, said the new clinic “is going to be staffed by superheroes. I am so grateful for this.”

The new health center is in the heart of a designated high-needs area that faces challenges regarding poverty, unemployment and crime.

Romero said she and her Tucson City Council colleagues are working hard to make changes in the area.

“We have to take a look at crime and poverty and the root causes of it and invest in our kids and invest in our schools and invest in our roads and our neighborhoods,” Romero said. “El Rio will be a partner in the reinvestment into the neighborhood to thrive once again.”

She said the city will look into designating the area a thrive zone. Thrive zones encourage collaborations in community-based crime reduction, choice neighborhoods and workforce and economic development.

Lloyd Construction Co. built Grant Health Center, which was designed by BWS Architects.

The environment of care offers a healing, calm decor and an open setting to promote wellness.

El Rio Health, which has an annual budget of more than $247 million, purchased the former Wells Fargo building in 2019. El Rio Health Center Foundation raised more than $1 million for the effort.

Most of the project was funded through New Markets Tax Credit allocations from Urban Research Park CDE and the Clearing House Community Development Financial Institution. Partial funding came from an Oral Health Infrastructure grant by the U.S. Resources and Services Administration. Solaris Community Capital provided consulting services.

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PHOTOS BY ERIK HINOTE

By Tom Leyde

From left – From left: Peter Dourlein, UArizona assistant vice president, Planning Design and Construction; Henry Tom, Line and Space architects; JP Roczniak, president and CEO of the University of Arizona Foundation; Lisa Rulney, senior vice president for Business Affairs and CFO; Dr. Michael Abecassis, dean of the College of Medicine – Tucson; Dr. Andrew Weil, founder of the Weil Center; Dr. Victoria Maizes, executive director of the Weil Center; University of Arizona President Robert C. Robbins; Cecilia Mata, Arizona Board of Regents; and Taylor Fulkerson of DPR Construction.

Transforming Healthcare Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine to Open Fall 2023

By Loni Nannini The University of Arizona’s Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine is one step closer to fulfilling a mission to transform healthcare as we know it with a new $23 million facility slated for completion in fall of 2023.

Located on the UArizona Health Sciences campus, the 30,000-squarefoot complex will serve as a global flagship for integrative medicine, featuring buildings and spaces that embody the seven core areas of integrative health: sleep, resiliency, environment, movement, relationships, spirituality and nutrition.

“To this day, many people have no idea what integrative medicine is. We need to teach people that it is not alternative medicine. We are not trying to replace conventional medicine: We are trying to make it more effective and less harmful and shift the emphasis from 72 BizTucson

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managing disease to prevention,” said Dr. Andrew Weil, the center’s founder and director.

Weil made history when he established the world’s first program for integrative medicine at UArizona in 1994.

The Harvard-educated physician has since evolved into the foremost expert in the field and the center is internationally recognized for its educational programs, evidence-based clinical practice, and policy-influencing research.

The new facility will designate UArizona as the epicenter for integrative health in the future, according to UArizona President Dr. Robert C. Robbins.

“We are so grateful to Dr. Weil for the vision that brought integrative medicine to the University of Arizona and to the world. This center is part of the university’s goal to enable discoveries that fundamentally shape how we live and work.

By following Dr. Weil’s advice, we will live longer, healthier lives that are more productive and more fulfilling.”

The center will comprise three buildings designed to reflect the ideology of “whole person” wellness epitomized by mind, body and spirit. The “mind” building will house the center’s administrative functions; the “body” building will serve as the axis for education and wellness activities for healthcare professionals and the public; and “spirit” will provide a space for meditation and nondenominational spiritual engagement.

It will also feature desert gardens, a teaching kitchen and a “living lab” for collaborative research in integrative medicine.

The entire facility embraces innovative design practices that balance well-being and sustainability through continued on page 74 >>> www.BizTucson.com

IMAGES COURTESY THE UNIVERSIT Y OF ARIZONA’S ANDREW WEIL CENTER FOR INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE

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Michael Trueba, CCIM Great Western Bank michael.trueba@greatwesternbank.com

Gary Andros, CCIM * Andros Properties ggandros@comcast.net

Bob Benedon, CCIM Russ Lyon Sotheby’s bobbenedon@yahoo.com

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BizWELLNESS continued from page 72 the use of non-toxic building materials and sound-absorbing surfaces. Organic shapes and building footprints that facilitate circadian lighting in workspaces also feature prominently.

“In the post-COVID era, it is so important to design well-being workplaces … to help people maintain resilience against stress and viral infections,” said Dr. Esther M. Sternberg, the center’s director of research.

Dr. Victoria Maizes, the center’s executive director, said, “University of Arizona has been ground zero for integrative medical education. Our worldrenowned fellowship and residency education training programs are training more than 1,000 fellows and residents each year. We are in every state in the United States, 26 countries and more than 100 medical residency programs worldwide.”

New educational partnerships include training for health and wellbeing practitioners with Ireland’s largest insurance company; a collaboration with Drexel University for a master’s degree in com-

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plementary and integrative health and a fellowship program with an emphasis on ayurvedic medicine from Maharishi International University.

Research also continues to make strides: A new project funded by the National Institutes of Health utilizes non-invasive technology to investigate healthy aging while ongoing projects from the center’s Institute on Health, Wellbeing & Performance are examining the effects of built environments.

Dr. Weil added, “My goal is that, one day, our curriculum will be in every residency program in every specialty, so whether you go to a psychiatrist, a dermatologist, a gastroenterologist or any other practitioner, it is a given that they will have learned the basics of nutritional medicine, mind-body interactions and the strengths and weaknesses of other systems of medicine.”

The new center will also build on collaborations with several UArizona colleges, including Pharmacy, Nursing and Humanities. Future plans include expanding the center’s reach to other UArizona departments and building

relationships with non-profits and other businesses, both locally and globally.

Additionally, the center will continue to support Arizona’s native and indigenous communities through education, partnerships and community service.

It will also continue to expand its programming for the general public.

Current offerings include the popular integrative medicine podcast, ‘Body of Wonder’; IMmersive, a healing series presented live on Zoom free of charge, and, the Andrew Weil, M.D., Integrative Health Telemedicine Platform for New York-based patients.

“This is medicine of the future. Every health care practitioner is going to have to learn the basic principles of integrative medicine and understand the body’s intrinsic capacity for healing,” Dr. Weil said. “Everyone needs to understand how to use lifestyle change to promote health and reduce risk of disease. We need to know how to make use of natural remedies and low-cost, lowtech alternatives to the kind of hightech medicine that we rely on now.”

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BizAWARDS

2022 Common Ground Awards Metropolitan Pima Alliance Honors Collaborative Projects

By David Pittman

Warrior Village, a project that will merly said. “We have built the first of allow eight military veteran families to eight houses, so we have seven more to receive forever homes free of financial go and they will all go to ill and disabled burden, received the Award of Disveterans.” tinction from the Metropolitan Pima Allison Solomon, MPA’s executive diAlliance at its 17th annual Common rector, said more than 50 building firms Ground Awards ceremony. and construction suppliers provided More than 275 people attended the time, money, labor and materials for April 29 event at JW Starr Pass Resort. free or at greatly reduced prices in supMany veterans struggle with physical port of Warrior Village, which is near illness, disabilities, post-traumatic stress Speedway and Swan avenues. disorder and other difficulties that can lead to financial problems and homelessness.

According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, there were 37,252 homeless veterans in the nation on a single night in January 2020.

The creation of Warrior Village began as a vision of Chris Kemmerly, CEO of Miramonte Homes, who Warrior Village enlisted the formidable assistance of landowner Richard Studwell, who donated the propEven local utilities – such as Tucson erty the village is being built on; and Electric Power, Southwest Gas and TucOperation Finally Home, a national son Water – helped to launch Warrior nonprofit organization based in Texas Village by coming up “with design soluthat is dedicated to providing mortgagetions dealing with non-ideal conditions free housing and home modifications to that worked for everyone,” Solomon wounded, ill and injured U.S. soldiers, said. “This truly is Tucson at its best.” first responders, widows of the fallen U.S. Army veteran Sean Shields and and their families. his wife, Bree, recently moved into the “This project is giving us a chance to first completed mortgage-free home. In give back to our community and to our 2013, Shields was deployed in Afghaniwounded and disabled veterans,” Kemstan, where he took part in more than

70 combat missions that included multiple firefights and explosions. The decorated soldier was diagnosed with PTSD and knee injuries that force him to use a cane or scooter to move around.

“We thank everyone who made this possible,” said Bree. “We were unsure where the road was taking us because things were so hard and painful, but having this home is a 100% confirmation that the future is ours and we can have peace.”

The mission of MPA is to advocate for sensible land-use policies to improve the Tucson region’s quality of life and economic vitality, while also reasonably preserving the natural environment. MPA is an alliance of business, government and nonprofit organizations that encourage respectful dialogue among diverse groups to reach meaningful agreements, partnerships and common ground.

“Common Ground is MPA’s signature event and is at the core of what we do,” said Rory Juneman, a partner at the Tucson law firm of Lazarus & Silvyn and board chair of MPA. “The Common Ground Awards highlight the programs and projects – and more importantly the people – that exemplify that when working together success can be achieved.”

Connie Hillman Urban Construction Knowledge Center

City Center Adaptive Reuse Sunshine Mile Urban Overlay District

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Other collaborative projects winning Common Ground Awards were: Airfield Safety Enhancement Program/ Multi-Party Land Transaction, which

when completed will be the largest project in the 74-year history of Tucson International Airport. In planning stages for more than 10 years, construction of the project is expected to take six to eight years at an estimated cost exceeding $350 million. The program is defined by the Federal Aviation Administration as a “safety and standards” project which includes the demolition, relocation and replacement of a parallel general aviation runway with a new modernized parallel runway capable of handling commercial, military and general aviation users. To reach the point of construction a multi-party working group was formed in 2015 that included the FAA, TIA, the City of Tucson, Pima County, the U.S. Air Force, the Arizona Air National Guard and Raytheon Missiles & Defense.

City Center Adaptive Reuse, a rezon-

ing/renovation project allowing the City Center Hotel, a 10-acre property along Granada Road near the El Presidio Historic District, to be converted into an apartment complex that includes some housing units. Approval of the project required negotiation and collaboration involving the El Presidio Neighborhood Association, officials from numerous City of Tucson Departments and Tucson Ward 1, Lazarus & Silvyn, FORS Architecture; + Interiors, and Sterling Real Estate Partners.

Thrive in the O5, a community-cen-

tered collaboration that included the City of Tucson, Pima County, the Pascua Yaqui Tribe, area residents, businesses and more than a hundred local Thrive in the 05

organizations and institutions in support of neighborhood and community investment to improve public housing, encourage economic development and bring workforce development to a 2.3-square-mile area within the 85705zip code along parts of Oracle, Stone and Miracle Mile roads.

Connie Hillman Urban Construction Knowledge Center is a 15,000-square-

foot facility that combines storage, classroom and office space on property owned by Habitat for Humanity that is in a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development designated Flowing Wells Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy Area. The Center is designed to relieve a shortage of both affordable housing and skilled labor needed by the construction industry. In addition to Habitat, collaborators include Sundt Construction, Pima County, Pima Community College, Feng Shui and Urban Design, The WLB Group and Breckenridge Group Architects/Planners.

University of Arizona Student Success District, is a collaboration involving

Sundt Construction, Miller Hull Partnership, Poster Mirto McDonald and various university entities that gives students easier access to academic services. The fully completed project has established a more integrated approach to improve student achievement by weaving together revitalized services in upgraded facilities within a nine-acre district in the campus center. Previously much of the career guidance and academic support locations was scattered throughout the university. Now most of those activities are in the Student Success District, benefiting students and the employers looking to hire them.

Sunshine Mile Urban Overlay District, a collaboration of government, business and the community to allow the revitalization of the Sunshine Mile in Tucson.

The Sunshine Mile is a two-mile stretch of Broadway Boulevard between Euclid and Country Club roads. The City of Tucson and the Regional Transportation Authority have made a substantial investment to improve this section of the Broadway Corridor, but because of the long planning and construction process caused by the pandemic, many businesses have closed or relocated, leaving vacant properties. The goal of the district is to provide an optional zoning overlay to encourage high density multi-modal infill development while protecting residential properties and historic assets.

The project was adopted by Mayor and Council in September 2021.

Buffalo Soldier Memorial Plaza, at the

Quincy Douglas Neighborhood Center at 1575 E. 36th Street, tells the story of the all-Black cavalry and infantry regiments known as the Buffalo Soldiers and the role it played in the development of the American West. The Tucson monument was dedicated May 3, 2021. While there are other such memorials in the nation, Tucson’s is the only one approved by its city’s voters (through passage of Proposition 407 in 2018). Among those most responsible for construction of the memorial were members of the Tucson City Council (particularly Councilman Richard Fimbres), Parks Director Fred Gray, former City Manager Michael Ortega, the South Park Neighborhood Association, Quincy Douglas Neighborhood Center, Tucson Granite and Marble, and the Greater Southern Arizona Chapter of the Buffalo Soldiers 9th and 10th Cavalry.

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1. The Forum – Roche Tissue Diagnostics’ new employee focused center 2. Roche front lobby 3. Collaborative meeting space 4. Fitness center 5. Jill German, Head of Roche Tissue Diagnostics 6. Ann Costello, Global Head of Roche Diagnostics Solutions 7. Terri Johnson, Head of Roche’s Real Estate, Facilities and Site Services 8. Joe Winfield, Oro Valley Mayor 9. View of Pusch Ridge from Roche Diagnostics facilities

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The Forum

Roche Tissue Diagnostics’ New Employee-Focused Center

PHOTOS BY BRENT G. MATHIS

By Ken Cook This spring marked another milestone in the commitment Roche Tissue Diagnostics has made to the greater Tucson region. After more than three years of construction, the corporate center of its Oro Valley campus had its grand opening.

This new corporate center, called The Forum, is affectionately known as “The Heart” of the campus. The layout of the building, the services offered and the overall look and feel reflect the employees’ and the company’s culture.

Employee input was seriously considered when designing this new building. The Forum was designed by ZGF Architects. The general contractor was Sundt.

The April ribbon cutting included Jill German, head of Roche Tissue Diagnostics; Terri Johnson, head of Roche’s Real Estate, Facilities and Site Services and Ann Costello, global head of Roche Diagnostics Solutions. Community leaders included Oro Valley Mayor Joe Winfield and Greater Oro Valley Chamber of Commerce President Dave Perry.

German walked groups through the space with a smile and a palpable sense of pride, not just from the building and the completion of a long project, but also because of her team’s reactions.

Smiles, warm greetings and hugs were everywhere.

Roche is the largest biotech company in the world. The diagnostics instruments and accompanying assays developed at Roche Tissue Diagnostics impact more than 26 million patients annually.

The Roche Group has a 10-year environmental impact and a goal to achieve real zero greenhouse gas emissions from scope 1 & 2 (its operations and purchased energies) by 2050.

One prominent part of Roche’s culture is taking care of employees. Early www.BizTucson.com

in the building design process, Roche leadership asked what the employees would like to see in the building and created a design that delivered on that input.

The Forum can accommodate up to 500 people, and is a wonderful space to enjoy camaraderie, conversation and spectacular views of the Santa Catalina Mountains. Adjacent to The Forum is the new cafeteria – an upscale food court focused on serving healthy food with seven different stations. It’s literally a gastronomic tour of the world, featuring Italian, Asian, American and other cuisines. A consulting nutritionist helps craft the offerings, and restaurants from around Tucson will be visiting in the future.

There is also a Wellness Center where employees can get personalized and confidential healthcare help. It is staffed by medical professionals, and offers a wide array of services and diagnostics. There is even a private entrance to protect confidentiality.

The fitness center is outfitted with smart machines and iFit online tracking so employees can track their personally designed fitness programs. The equipment checks all of the boxes, including a wide variety of cardio machines, Nautilus machines, TRX type bands and free weights. Spin classes, yoga and stretching/meditation classes will also be offered.

There is an abundance of meeting space available – for five people or 500.

Flexibility is the heart of the meeting space design. From casual brainstorming environments to classroom instruction to auditorium presentations, the space meets the needs of the users rather than users adapting to the meeting space. State-of-the-art audio/visual facilities, natural light galore and scenic views help create environments that enable collaboration and innovation.

Tom Hebner, senior director of Real Estate, Facilities & Site Services at Roche, and Greg Thompson, the company’s construction project manager, shared how Roche’s commitment to the environment and sustainability manifested itself in this project. It has a corporate directive that all company facilities be 100% hydrofluorocarbon-free by 2030 and 90% free by 2022. This building is 92% hydrofluorocarbon-free.

The Forum is just one part of a larger campus expansion project on the tissue diagnostics campus. For example, a 9,000-foot centralized utility plant was built to provide cooling for the campus and replaces the need for traditional, freon-cooled air conditioning. The new chiller system cools water reservoirs, which are then pumped across coils throughout the buildings through newly installed air conditioning units. The coils cool the immediate air, and that air cools the building.

Water conservation is a top priority. The building systems maximize recycling of water, and all of the appliances and bathroom facilities employ low-use / no-use water systems. During construction, the first phase was the demolition of the old building, which produced 3,800 tons of material. More than 84% of that material was recycled.

German spoke of gratitude toward Roche employees, the project team and the fulfillment of a promise made to create a space where employees could build trust and connections with each other. Hebner and Thompson, when talking about the building reflecting Roche’s culture, used a similar set of phrases – hang out, interact and innovate.

“We continue to grow in Tucson because of the people here,” German said.

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Pima County Board of Supervisors Taps Jan Lesher to be New County Administrator Jan Lesher has been named County Administrator by the Pima County Board of Supervisors. She takes over from Chuck Huckelberry, who had been County Administrator since 1993. A Tucson native and University of Arizona graduate, Lesher is the first woman to be appointed County Administrator since the Board created the position in 1971.

Lesher has held a variety of public and private-sector positions, including a number of high-profile roles in Gov. Janet Napolitano’s office. Lesher served as director of the Arizona Department of Commerce before becoming the Napolitano’s chief of staff in 2008. When Napolitano was confirmed as the Homeland Security Secretary in the Obama Administration in 2009, Lesher moved to Washington, D.C., and continued to serve as Napolitano’s chief of staff.

Lesher returned to Tucson in 2010 and was hired as a special assistant to the County Administrator. Lesher was promoted to Deputy County Administrator in 2011 and Huckelberry named her Chief Deputy County Administrator in 2017.

Lesher has served on numerous charitable organization boards, including the Board of Directors of Arizona Town Hall; the Community Foundation of Southern Arizona; the University of Arizona College of Social & Behavioral Science; the Community Food Bank; and La Frontera.

She was named a Woman of Influence by Inside Tucson Business and recognized with the Women Who Lead award from the University of Arizona Women’s Studies Advisory Council in 2004. She was honored as the Metropolitan Tucson Chamber of Commerce Woman of the Year in 2005. In 2008 she was the Arizona Capitol Times Leader of the Year in Public Policy and received the YWCA Business Leadership Award.

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Joe Snell

Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Butler

Judy Rich

Danette Bewley

David Hutchens

Michael Crow

David Adame David Smallhouse

Sharon Bronson

Susan Gray

Wesley Kremer

Dr. Robert Robbins

Lisa Lovallo

Mike Ménard Bill Rodewald

Marc Cameron

Sandra Watson

Lee Lambert

Ian McDowell Diane Quihuis Fletcher McCusker

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Mayor Regina Romero

Dr. Chad Whelan

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Reaching

New Heights Region Eyes Future with Renewed Collaboration

By Jay Gonzales For the better part of 2021, businesses and communities everywhere spent their time and energy strategizing how to emerge economically from a historic, global pandemic.

At the same time, business leaders in Southern Arizona were hearing positive things about the region, mainly that it was better positioned for recovery than most communities because of its inherent characteristics– the wide-open spaces, the environment, the affordability.

Sensing an opportunity, business and government leaders banded together to build and start to implement a longterm plan for the economic future of the region. And therein lies the difference between Tucson’s economic reality today versus that of the past, and how it sets up the region for success in the future.

There’s a strong, collaborative sense of direction now that, admittedly, has not always been there.

“I think we’ve come a long way. Before Sun Corridor, the community was fractured and not as well-aligned as it is today,” said Lisa Lovallo, market VP for 84 BizTucson

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Southern Arizona Cox Communications. Lovallo also is a member of the Sun Corridor Inc. Chairman’s Circle.

“We’ve had a breakthrough in the last four to five years where the private sector and the public sector are working much better together.”

Make no mistake, there’s massive work to be done to realize the region’s potential, business leaders say. But there is palpable optimism.

Evidence the number of economic development victories in the last several years, the two biggest being the 2016 arrival of a division of Caterpillar, the massive mining equipment manufacturing company, and the decision by Raytheon to expand its missiles operation here and add more than 2,000 jobs, while consolidating lines of business. Each of those efforts came about because of what some called unprecedented public- and private-sector collaboration in the community.

Another sign that the economic development interests in the region are on the same page is the group of private and public sector leaders who

came together last year to build a plan to address the region’s economic challenges. The Pivot Playbook is the third comprehensive economic development plan produced by Sun Corridor Inc. in recent years, but this one has specific measurable initiatives and tasks that are now being put into play.

The Pivot Playbook acknowledges the major economic victories in the region while at the same time recognizes that it’s still not where it wants to be when it comes to jobs, attracting top companies, infrastructure, the talent pool and overall economic strength.

“We have made some progress with Caterpillar, Raytheon, TuSimple and many others,” said Joe Snell, president and CEO at Sun Corridor Inc. “We still have much to do. At some point, to take that next bold step, we’re going to have to have investment.”

That time and that opportunity are now, said Snell, with the federal government’s $1 trillion infrastructure improvement initiative that can begin to address the backlog of infrastructure needs in the region. There will be www.BizTucson.com

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I think we’ve come a long way. We’ve had a breakthrough in the last four to five years where the private sector and the public sector are working much better together.

– Lisa

Lovallo, Market VP, Southern Arizona Cox Communications

heavy competition for funding over the next several months and getting the region’s fair share is critical to positioning for future economic development and growth.

To win in that arena, the economic development community is going to have to show the same level of collaboration that it has in recent years – maybe more.

To that end, this may be the time that the Tucson region must collaboratively decide what it aims to be to compete for the jobs and the industries that define a thriving community. The pieces are here with a top-ranked research university, a burgeoning high-tech industry sector and more cohesion among the various sectors.

So where does the region get its future direction?

“Economic development is a long www.BizTucson.com

game,” Snell said. “Our original Economic Blueprint was an exercise in creating a vision for Tucson, and it still stands firm today.

“You have to have a purpose and know where you’re headed. There are going to be people that say we can’t have growth because it hurts the environment. The reality is we need economic growth to pay for our quality of life. We are able to find the balance between growing our economy and preserving and protecting the assets that make us unique.”

With three massive entities – Pima County, the City of Tucson and the University of Arizona – that have their own long-term visions, and in some cases their own economic development plans, and add on a business community that has become significantly more engaged entities in recent years, bringing

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all of those together for a cohesive direction may sound out of reach.

Jan Lesher, the newly appointed Pima County Administrator, is a Tucson native who has been through all the iterations of economic development plans both through her political involvement here and as former director of the Arizona Department of Commerce under Gov. Janet Napolitano.

Up to now, Lesher said, economic development plans for the region, including those coming from Pima County, have “been all over the board.”

“When you don’t have a strategic plan, you say yes to the next guy that comes in the door because we want to have an opportunity to say, yes. That’s the shoot-at-anything-thatflies approach,” she said.

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BizECONOMY continued from page 85 sors, these same economic plans, while tailored to entities, even large ones like Pima County, need to find a common ground for the overall economic good of the region to realize an organized and strategic direction.

“My hope as we begin to work in this next phase with Sun Corridor is if the County develops an economic development plan that is adopted and embraced by the Board of Supervisors, that it is a document that is in collaboration with Sun Corridor’s plans and the Pivot Playbook,” Bronson said. “I think that’s what tells us what our direction and our goal is.”

The Pivot Playbook was published last summer with five broad focus areas that were gleaned as priorities based on sources such as site selectors, opinion leaders and business experts. Specific initiatives were discussed and suggested, and various aspects of the plan are being implemented.

Most pressing, is getting the region’s hands on the aforementioned billions of federal infrastructure dollars to begin making an immediate impact not only for the benefit of those already here, but to attract new business, new employees and new resources.

Snell said it’s no secret that Tucson must focus on its infrastructure, most notably its roads with stronger efforts by the various government entities. Millions and millions of dollars in funding through the Regional Transportation Authority, and state, county and municipal government have been a start, but there is a long way to go.

The 2014 arrival of the streetcar, the widening of Grant Road and current widening of Broadway and some improvements on Interstate 10 between Tucson and Phoenix have been visible and needed. But site selectors continue to tell Tucson it has to get moving on its infrastructure to be competitive for attracting businesses.

“The streetcar was a start,” said Snell, who arrived in Tucson in 2005 to lead Sun Corridor Inc. “The roads are the next focus. We’re going to have to put some real money into this.”

But that’s only a piece of what the region wants and needs for its economic future. Companies like Raytheon, World View and Bombardier are the foundation of an aerospace, space and defense industry that is growing as an economic anchor for the region. Cater86 BizTucson

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pillar is attracting other mining companies for a sector that has been critical to the region for decades.

And UArizona with its highly regarded science and engineering colleges is breeding new and innovative businesses with help from UArizona’s business incubator Tech Launch Arizona and Tech Parks Arizona.

When Dr. Robert C. Robbins arrived five years ago, he had missed most of the economic development dysfunction. Caterpillar was already here. Tech Launch Arizona had already begun its work. His vision is to help continue to build what was developing when he got here, although he acknowledges that the university was not always engaged in the overall economic development of the region.

“I think (economic development) obviously is always embedded in the mission of any land-grant university,” Robbins said. “I think people were aware, but I don’t know that my predecessors embraced that part because this is a big, complicated job.”

Crediting previous UArizona President Ann Weaver Hart with the decision to start Tech Launch Arizona – “That has been a game changer,” he said − Robbins added that he sensed that economic development had established a more prominent position on UArizona’s radar by the time he got here.

“There was a solid what I would call entrepreneurial innovation ecosystem here,” Robbins said. “It obviously wasn’t as developed as Boston or the Bay Area, and it was lagging behind maybe Boulder, Denver and Austin.

“I think that I certainly have embraced it. I think that it’s an incredible opportunity for the university and it is part of our mission to develop the region for new companies and new job opportunities, and to help the economy of Southern Arizona, but also to give our students opportunities to stay here.”

Robbins is more specific than most when discussing a potential economic direction for the region.

“If we are betting on the future, I would probably put most of my chips on quantum networking and quantum computing,” he said. “I think we potentially could leapfrog both of them (Boulder and Austin) if we went all in on the quantum side of things.

“It’s probably going to take another two decades to realize this, but why not start setting the foundation for building

out new companies around quantum computing and quantum networking?

It’s going to be like the internet, it’s just going be faster, more efficient and less expensive. There are going to be tremendous opportunities.”

Whether it’s quantum computing or some other high-tech industry, one thing is certain, Snell said. The region has to continue on its recent path of collaboration, reaching back, if appropriate, for some of the great ideas of the past that can help generate a prosperous future.

Snell said he thinks back to that first of the economic blueprints, put together in 2007, to establish a baseline for the economic direction of Tucson. It was more about vision and coming together and light on specific initiatives, Snell said. But overall, the blueprint remains valid today. The blueprint specifically identified four industry clusters − the best fit the makeup of the economic community.

“I think we should look at that original blueprint that was a framework,” he said. “I saw the government doing what the private sector should be doing, and the education sector doing what the government should be doing. That was really a way to reframe that, to say, ‘University you do this, city and county do this, private sector do this.’

“We went through a pretty exhaustive analysis to target that we can win with.

And then the third element of it, which was really maybe the most important, was to create a sense of direction for us.”

It was already happening pre-COVID, Lovallo said. It’s now a matter of continuing the momentum.

“We were together and going strong before COVID,” Lovallo said. “Pima County showed great leadership to get us ahead in COVID. We have all kinds of assets. We just have to execute better and set goals. There are a lot more good guys than bad guys.”

“We know we are stronger when we work together,” said Sun Corridor Inc. Chair Judy Rich. “The pandemic really brought this to light. With the Pivot Playbook, it’s been heartening to see elected officials and private-sector leadership come together to set a post-pandemic vision and action plan.

“Many of the playbook strategies are already in place and working. But we have to stay the course and strengthen many other areas noted in the plan.”

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A Moment in Time

REGION

for the $1.2 Trillion in Infrastructure Funds in Play

By Jay Gonzales There’s a key scene in a famous 1980s movie in which a main character looks at himself in a mirror before a lifechanging meeting, adjusts his tie and says, “Life all comes down to a few moments. This is one of them.”

The Tucson region is at one of those moments in time, leaders say, when it can either invest in itself and continue the economic development momentum of the last few years or play catchup to others who do.

The moment stems from the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, passed by Congress last year that will pump money into the infrastructure of U.S. communities.

“We have got a once-in-a-lifetime shot in the next 24 to 36 months with this federal infrastructure money coming down so we better be in line to get it,” said Joe Snell, president and CEO of Sun Corridor Inc. “That means not 88 BizTucson

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only getting funding from Washington and making sure we get our fair share of state money, but investing in ourselves.”

The backlog of infrastructure needs in the region nears hundreds of millions of dollars, perhaps even billions.

Efforts like the Regional Transportation Authority, the extension of a half-cent sales tax in the City of Tucson and millions in funding from local governments have made a dent. But the conversation about Tucson among site selectors and companies looking to relocate here still focuses on infrastructure needs and talent acquisition and retention.

“Our roads need investment, but so does everything else like trails and sidewalks,” Snell said. “We had a good start with the light rail, but we need to do more of that.”

Infrastructure and talent acquisition are two key focus areas in the Pivot Playbook, the recovery plan assembled

by members of Sun Corridor Inc. as an economic development action plan coming out of the pandemic.

Retired Raytheon executive Steve Eggen and Cox Communications Market VP Lisa Lovallo, a member of the Sun Corridor Inc. Chairman’s Circle, are spearheading the implementation of the playbook’s infrastructure and talent initiatives.

“The challenges I think many regions face − and I think one of the challenges that we certainly face as a region − are that we have to have investment in order to grow our economy and grow in our community,” Eggen said, noting that the infrastructure bill provides that investment opportunity. “We have to demonstrate why it should come to our region. We can’t let this opportunity pass us by.”

There are plenty of projects for which to make a pitch for the federal www.BizTucson.com

BizECONOMY dollars being made available to communities. Every municipality in the region is busy submitting grant requests for major projects like rebuilding the 22nd Street bridge between Kino Boulevard and Tucson Boulevard to more specific needs like improving broadband throughout the community.

Sun Corridor Inc. and the Pivot Playbook steering committee are trying to show a cohesive strategy to give the entities a better shot at getting the funding.

Sun Corridor Inc. members have been meeting with the various government entities, particularly the Tucson and Pima County governments, “to understand what are their priorities from an infrastructure standpoint,” Eggen said.

“Our position is that we can then use the business community to help facilitate and demonstrate from an overall governmental standpoint where this impacts the businesses in the community.

We can’t do a shotgun approach,” Eggen said. “We have to identify, say half a dozen or a dozen specific projects that we can go after and capture those tangible dollars to show an immediate result

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in the community.”

Tucson Mayor Regina Romero said the passing of Proposition 411, a 10year extension of a half-cent city sales tax to be used for road projects, in May is an example of how Tucson is investing in itself, which Snell and Eggen agreed is an important aspect of showing the region is worthy of the federal infrastructure dollars available.

“The passing of Prop 411 represents a $740M shot in the arm for Tucson’s streets and mobility infrastructure,” Romero said. “We also directed $65 million of our American Rescue Plan dollars across the next two years for transformational investments to promote affordable and stable housing, community reinvestment and relief for families, essential and frontline workers, and small businesses.”

New Pima County Administrator Jan Lesher said the initiatives in the Pivot Playbook were a guide for the county in making its decisions on which federal infrastructure grants to pursue.

“What we did was take all the different opportunities that we saw that might

be on our list for possible funding that we might receive, and we did a crosswalk with the Pivot Playbook,” Lesher said, adding that the county wants to make sure, going forward, that municipalities in Pima County are at the table and that Sun Corridor Inc. can help guide the efforts.

Lesher said, “going after federal money is great, but if we’re all looking for different things, and we’re not focused on critical elements, it’s not as helpful.”

Then, the key is to show progress with the millions coming your way, Eggen said.

“You need to first capture the dollars, then you need to be able to put them into action,” he said. “What happens when you put them into action? No. 1, you create jobs immediately. No. 2, you start to demonstrate your ability to improve your community to attract more investment. It’s kind of a synergistic thing that happens when that occurs.”

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SUN CORRIDOR INC. LEADERSHIP

PRESIDENT & CEO TMC HEALTHCARE

CHAIR OF THE BOARD

What are some of the ways you have seen collaboration between the various economic development partners improve over the last several years?

We know we are stronger when we work together. We see across the country that turf battles cannot happily co-exist with a successful, thriving and healthy community. We have to avoid squabbles at all costs if we want to continue our success. Our strength lies in our collective good work.

Which economic development “victories” over the years have had the most impact on your business and why?

The notable successes which have impacted all of us greatly were the establishment of Raytheon’s new headquarters here, the attraction of Caterpillar in 2016, TuSimple’s technology advancement and multiple expansions, and many others, large and small. Every new job results in a stronger economy and more money circulating in our community, benefitting us all.

What are some issues that you think need more or better collaboration and how would you begin to address those?

It’s really important to speed up timelines to fix our roads.

Also, it’s critical to leverage the federal dollars becoming available soon to achieve big goals in shoring up aging infrastructure, connecting growth corridors, and other priorities of the City of Tucson, Pima County and Tucson International Airport.

Two of the top focus areas in the Pivot Playbook recovery plan are infrastructure and talent acquisition. Within those two focus areas, what are the most pressing issues for your organization and what can your organization do to address those?

Here at TMC, we are laser-focused on talent attraction and retention of doctors, nurses and healthcare professionals. The pandemic was very tough on our caregivers. We have a robust talent strategy and are doing everything we can to keep them.

A strong, healthy, and vibrant community is critical to us as we recruit talent from all over the country.

In what ways can you, as a member of the Sun Corridor Inc. Chairman’s Circle, contribute to continuing the momentum that has been generated in the region in recent years?

Local business leaders have to be very aware of the role we play as economic engines for this region. At TMC, we specifically support teacher development, training future physicians and nurses, workforce investment efforts, and building upon the region’s strengths in biosciences. Economic growth can live in a place that celebrates kindness, that is inclusive, and that doesn’t leave the vulnerable behind. I see remarkable things for the future of this region.

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JUDY RICH

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SUN CORRIDOR INC. LEADERSHIP

PRESIDENT & CEO FORTIS INC.

To what do you attribute some of the improvements in collaboration between the various entities involved in the region’s economic development? In other words, why has the environment improved over the years?

The most important element has been trust. Years ago, many of the companies, governments and other groups that cared about economic development were focused on executing our own plans to promote it, partly because we didn’t know what other stakeholders were doing and whether they were as invested as we were.

But Sun Corridor Inc. has given each of us a way to prove our commitment to our region’s economic success. And now that we’re all working together, we can see how much everyone is bringing to the table and share in the development of strategies that make sense for everyone. That, in turn, lets each of us focus on what we do best, avoiding overlapping efforts and contributing to greater success.

Two of the top focus areas in the Pivot Playbook recovery plan are infrastructure and talent acquisition. Within those two focus areas, what are the most pressing issues for your organization and what can your organization do to address those?

TEP’s plan to transition to cleaner, less carbon-intensive resources will require significant investments in new infrastructure, including wind and solar generation, energy storage systems, upgraded transmission lines, and other necessary facilities. Its most pressing challenge is to develop that infrastructure at a pace that maintains both reliability and affordability while achieving its resource planning objectives.

IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIR

When it comes to talent, we’re focused right now on talent retention – fending off the impacts of the pandemic and other forces that have contributed to what some are calling the “great resignation.” We’re focused on promoting engagement among our employees, making sure they have everything they need to succeed and feel welcome and included in everything we do.

If you were involved in the recruitment of a company to the region, what are the top selling points of the region that you would want to communicate to a prospective employer?

Wearing my Sun Corridor hat, I’d highlight our strategic location, world-class integration between the research, education and business communities and the resilience of our local supply chain. But because personal factors also play into these decisions, I’d also point out that, to me, Tucson has always seemed to be a perfectly sized city, large enough to provide world-class amenities and opportunities, but small enough to support an ideal quality of life.

In what ways can you, as a member of the Sun Corridor Inc. Chairman’s Circle, contribute to continuing the momentum that has been generated in the region in recent years?

As a longtime Tucsonan serving as CEO of a Canadian company, I’m in a unique position to promote our community internationally. We already have a surprising amount of collaboration despite the physical distance that separates Arizona from Canada, with 500 Canadian-owned companies employing more than 146,000 Arizona residents.

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DAVID G. HUTCHENS

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SUN CORRIDOR INC. LEADERSHIP

MANAGING DIRECTOR MIRAMAR VENTURES

What are some of the ways you have seen collaboration between the various economic development partners improve over the last several years?

Even before the pandemic, it was apparent that the leadership in Tucson began a more collaborative process to address challenges and issues facing our region. It was refreshing to witness leadership in the local, state and federal government work with education and major employers to develop solutions. I truly believe that Sun Corridor Inc. played an instrumental role to create an even more cooperative culture during the pandemic, especially in economic development. Sun Corridor’s team was able to bring industry, government and higher-education leaders together to develop the Pivot Playbook. It is an effective plan to exit the pandemic with our region in a better place to live, work and attract, plus retain key economic contributors.

What are some issues that you think need more or better collaboration and how would you begin to address those?

Fixing and improving our roads has been an issue in our community for decades. The underlying issue is how do we fund this critical infrastructure? Some local funding solutions have been put into place but historically and currently these solutions have been essentially Band-Aid solutions. When you look at our neighboring states, they addressed the issue by increasing taxes on transportation fuels with the result that there is a noticeable difference in the quality of their roads and highways. With the increasing adoption of electric vehicles, there is a need to develop a means to include them in the solutions

SECRETARY/TREASURER

to finance our road infrastructure. Electric vehicles obviously pay no fuel taxes but the wear and tear these vehicles cause is at least equal to fossil-fuel-powered vehicles. Inclusion of electric vehicles to pay their fair share, I believe, is a high priority opportunity for the state to develop a creative solution to fund transportation infrastructure based on vehicle miles driven.

I do believe communication between the municipalities and Pima County have recently improved and I hope it continues.

It is always challenging to minimize turf issues and I do not know of a silver-bullet solution. But if we continue to improve communications and work together towards sound fiscal policies in a cooperative manner, our region will benefit in so many ways.

If you were involved in the recruitment of a company to the region, what are the top selling points of the region that you would want to communicate to a prospective employer?

Our regional community has so much to offer. We have a world-class education, research and outreach university. Plus, we have a community college that is being widely recognized for its cutting-edge workforce development education in conjunction with its quality traditional education curriculum. Tucson is widely known as a friendly, open and engaging community where newcomers are welcomed quickly. And of course, for outdoor enthusiasts, our weather and recreational offerings, including our beautiful natural resources, are world-renowned.

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SUN CORRIDOR INC. LEADERSHIP

JOE SNELL

PRESIDENT & CEO SUN CORRIDOR INC.

Businesses looking to relocate or expand will prioritize communities and regions that they can easily get to, move around in and transport product in and out of all on smooth and efficient surfaces of roads and highways. It’s a basic need for not only the primary job-focused clients we work with, but every business large and small. It’s a top site-selection criteria for these reasons. The most pressing issue in infrastructure is securing levels of investment we need from the federal infrastructure dollars coming down the pike.

As far as talent goes, it’s the No. 1 site-selection criteria in nearly every project we have. Talent drives all market decisions. The talent equation now has an elevated level of importance with low unemployment, massive job openings and higher wage levels needed to recruit and retain top talent.

Our Pivot Playbook has a number of key actions we are tackling in this area. Last year we developed a talent attraction-focused web site called Thrive in Tucson, which works as a “one-stop shop” of Tucson resources and information that answers the question – what’s it like to live and work in Southern Arizona?

If you were involved in the recruitment of a company to the region, what are the top selling points of the region that you would want to communicate to a prospective employer?

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with our higher education partners the University of Arizona, Pima Community College and ASU; and Pima JTED and the K-12 educational system that is bringing up the next generation of talent.

We sell the community’s partnerships and relationships. A client can work through SCI and leverage all of the resources we have on our Chairman’s Circle and Board. We can connect our clients with anything they need. We sell the fact that you can be a big fish in a smaller pond, at less cost of doing business, than larger markets.

Tucson has developed a number of industry clusters that are gaining momentum in the region such as aerospace and defense, mining, biosciences and medicine, and various aspects of technology. Do you consider those to be areas that need continued focus and why?

To be successful in economic development, we have to match our assets with a company’s needs. Simply put, these targeted industries are important because we can be competitive within them to attract business. We have what they need. Companies in these industries can leverage the current and future assets of the region and provide our economy the best opportunity for long-term success. In the work we do, we focus on four industry targets. This doesn’t mean we don’t serve any primary industry who may call us, but these are our best, higher-skilled and higher-paying prospects.

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Two of the top focus areas in the Pivot Playbook recovery plan are infrastructure and talent acquisition. Within those two focus areas, what are the most pressing issues for your organization and what can your organization do to address those?

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SUN CORRIDOR INC. CHAIRMAN’S CIRCLE

DAVID ADAME

PRESIDENT & CEO CHICANOS POR LA CAUSA

Beyond Zoom calls and baking sourdough bread, we’ve all learned many important lessons from the pandemic, and one of the big lessons has been that we are all in this together and must rely on each other. I think we previously understood that from a macro, 30,000-feet-above-the-ground level, but it really hit home on the micro level when all businesses, nonprofits, communities, government, education groups and individuals better understood the dynamics in relation to how everything – absolutely everything – is connected in one way or another, or more accurately in several different ways, big and small.

Which economic development “victories” over the years have had the most impact on your business and why?

There have been so many, including helping improve the housing crisis through various ways. In fact, I am pleased to accept the Housing Visionary Award awarded to CPLC at the National Housing Conference in Washington, D.C., for our work in this area. Understanding the positive or negative social determinants concerning housing as a community and family investment, we will continue to address the mounting challenge of affordable housing in the coming years, as will other organizations and entities, by building and overseeing the development of more affordable homes.

What are some issues that you think need more or better collaboration and how would you begin to address those?

We still need to continue to amplify and spread the word about Sun Corridor Inc. – about what that means in terms of economic development not just for Southern Arizona and the state, but for the region and the United States. Sun Corridor is a work in progress working for progress. It’s about connecting not only locations but commerce, health, education and culture. It’s both pragmatic and aspirational, as it should be.

The pandemic put us a little behind in terms of time and delayed opportunities. But I believe as we have more examples of collaboration, as we recover and can chronicle and showcase such collaborations, we can quickly regain lost ground and, in fact, find fresh common ground toward achieving our goals, with Sun Corridor becoming a highly recognized and highly respected brand and living blueprint for success.

If you were involved in the recruitment of a company to the region, what are the top selling points of the region that you would want to communicate to a prospective employer?

We’ve got space! This has been of particular interest during the pandemic, to promote the safety of more elbow room, and encourage new building. But we also have space for innovation and collaborative creation, for social impact as well as business growth, and for hosting extended assignments and visiting work teams and research teams, and the community developers and industry growth experts to liaison and assist with the business as well as the quality-of-life aspects of thriving in Southern Arizona. That’s a big plus.

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SUN CORRIDOR INC. CHAIRMAN’S CIRCLE

DANETTE BEWLEY

PRESIDENT & CEO TUCSON AIRPORT AUTHORITY

The Tucson Airport Authority (TAA) has been the beneficiary of the tremendous work of economic developers coming together to bolster growth for southern Arizona. Sun Corridor Inc. has placed the spotlight on the Tucson International Airport (TUS) through the TUS Blueprint which highlighted the resources the airport could leverage to further economic growth in the region. TAA took that vision a step further by publishing the TAA Commercial and Industrial Business Implementation Plan. With over 7,000 acres of undeveloped land, the TAA recognizes that our airports − both TUS and Ryan Airfield − are major contributors to the economic success of the region, and we have enjoyed partnering in the various forums made available in the metro area.

Which economic development “victories” over the years have had the most impact on your business and why?

Our most recent and public victory was a great regional collaboration. In October 2021, Flair Airlines, a Canadian airline, met with TAA leadership and Visit Tucson to develop a plan to bring non-stop air service from Canada to TUS. That effort, with the financial support of the City of Tucson and Pima County promises to yield winter season service to five locations in Canada – potentially bringing thousands of Canadian visitors to southern Arizona for the first time. The TAA, with its five partner airports and Flair Airlines made our intentions public at the end of February.

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TAA derives a significant portion of its revenue from its aeronautical tenants. Their success is our success: • Raytheon Missiles & Defense is not only the region’s largest employer; they are TUS’ largest tenant.

• The expansion of the Pima Community College Aviation Campus is a much-needed development for the aviation community in Tucson.

• SkyWest Airlines is in the final stages of design for its muchanticipated 200K SF hangar facility.

Two of the top focus areas in the Pivot Playbook recovery plan are infrastructure and talent acquisition. Within those two focus areas, what are the most pressing issues for your organization and what can your organization do to address those?

For the Tucson Airport Authority, infrastructure for Tucson International Airport and Ryan Airfield are extremely important. Like a highway system, standards of work change over time for runways and airfield configurations. As a result, TUS was prioritized by the FAA to complete the Airfield Safety Enhancement (ASE) program. The ASE Program, as defined, will transform the TUS airfield, which does not meet current FAA standards to a condition that meets current FAA safety standards.

In terms of talent acquisition, we understand our airlines and tenants need qualified aviation professionals. The ability to attract talent to the region and to create our own talent through educational opportunities, such as those offered by the Pima Community College Aviation Program, directly impacts our tenants and their bottom line.

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SUN CORRIDOR INC. CHAIRMAN’S CIRCLE

SHARON BRONSON

CHAIR PIMA COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS

Increased communication among our regional partners has yielded better collaboration. Part of this has been due to the creation of standing formal meetings among the partners, as well as the constant informal discussions that happen organically. These methods of communication also happen at multiple levels within the partner organizations, which has allowed everyone involved to be on the same page as much as possible.

These discussions have also evolved recently to more immediately include all participants necessary from these partner organizations when working on a project.

Two of the top focus areas in the Pivot Playbook recovery plan are infrastructure and talent acquisition. Within those two focus areas, what are the most pressing issues for your organization and what can your organization do to address those?

On the issue of infrastructure, Pima County has many land assets we would like to see developed to reach a more diverse economy. Strategic infrastructure development to attract new and growing industries will be key for us. There are many current opportunities related to infrastructure funding from the federal government. Leveraging those opportunities on a rolling basis will be pivotal. As an illustrative point on the importance of infrastructure in economic development, our Aerospace Research Campus is a fully infrastructure-ready campus with all major utilities lining the property which is more than 300 acres. Among our current land assets, this area has re102 BizTucson

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ceived the most attention due to the combination of several factors, including available acreage and adjacent plug-andplay infrastructure readiness.

If you were involved in the recruitment of a company to the region, what are the top selling points of the region that you would want to communicate to a prospective employer?

When we are actively in talks with a company, we tout several things, including: • Talent pool and pipeline – including the University of Arizona, Pima Community College, Pima County Community Workforce Development and other educational and workforce partners • Infrastructure availability and capacity • Community and sense of place • Collaborative work processes across jurisdictions, providers and private business • Ease of doing business in Pima County and surrounding municipalities • Low cost of doing business in Pima County • Existing companies that are comparable to, or can support/ feed the prospect • Possible incentives

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SUN CORRIDOR INC. CHAIRMAN’S CIRCLE DOD LIAISON

BRIG. GEN. JEFFREY BUTLER

COMMANDER 162ND WING AIR NATIONAL GUARD

Intentional collaboration between partners has made for the biggest improvements over the last several years. The Morris Air National Guard Base’s partnership with the Tucson Airport Authority is a prime example of a win-win situation for collaboration and economic development in Tucson.

As a self-sustaining entity, capital improvements at Tucson International Airport, such as runway and terminal construction, are traditionally funded through state and federal grants, with a matching share from the TAA depending on the grant and respective cost formula. One recent partnership that is taking shape is the End-Around Taxiway Project (referred to as DBB1). DBB1 is the first of three Design-Bid-Build (DBB) projects associated with the Airfield Safety Enhancement (ASE) Program at TUS. The ASE program has been a great opportunity for the 162nd Wing to partner with the TAA and Federal Aviation Administration to meet new federal safety standards and address long-standing airfield geometry issues that will increase airfield safety.

If you were involved in the recruitment of a company to the region, what are the top selling points of the region that you would want to communicate to a prospective employer?

Members of the Arizona Air National Guard are embedded in our community, and sense of community is one of the top selling points for this region. Tucson offers a rich, welcoming southwest culture blind to ethnicity. Diversity is an integral part of the AZ ANG, and that is reciprocated in the composi104 BizTucson

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tion of our hometown.

And food. You can’t beat the dining options and quality of food that is available locally. Our Force Support Squadron is praised on a monthly basis for the 7,000 meals they make from locally-sourced agriculture and goods.

Tucson has developed a number of industry clusters that are gaining momentum in the region such as aerospace and defense, mining, biosciences and medicine, and various aspects of technology. Do you consider those to be areas that need continued focus and why?

Aerospace and defense have bolstered the local and state economy since the 1950s, but there exists a small but vocal population that would just assume we packed up, moved out and never came back. The military’s presence in the region needs continued focus for several reasons, but primarily because of the local economic impact and homeland defense capabilities that we provide.

A 2014 Military Affairs Commission Study indicates that the military has a $383 million annual economic impact on the local community. But the roots are even deeper for members of the Arizona Air National Guard. We recruit locally and have several generations of families who work on the base.

But most importantly, securing our nation’s skies and protecting the U.S. and state of Arizona is a written and inherent part of our mission at the 162nd Wing. We support the North American Aerospace Defense Command in providing 24/7 immediate response operations from Tucson.

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SUN CORRIDOR INC. CHAIRMAN’S CIRCLE

MARC CAMERON

VICE PRESIDENT – RESOURCE INDUSTRIES SALES, SERVICES AND TECHNOLOGY – CATERPILLAR INC.

The need for talent is absolutely critical to Caterpillar’s Tucson office. From our downtown site where we design and develop our prototypes, to our testing and training sites in Green Valley where we validate our machines and technology, Caterpillar needs talent ready to drive innovative solutions to the marketplace. In addition to building a strong early talent pipeline, our region needs a robust pipeline of experienced mining professionals, test engineers, welders and mechanics.

We’re working to build those pipelines. For example, Caterpillar has started to work with the Tucson Metro Chamber to support a mining sector workforce initiative. Our company is also excited by the Tucson Hispanic Chamber’s efforts to build stronger Sonora, Mexico, industry connections. These and other efforts will help develop strong, cross‐sector workforce programs to promote the region’s sectors to talent.

as our nation’s supply chain was disrupted. It has increased the profile of Arizona’s natural resources as a source of competitive advantage for our nation’s economy.

Are there industries that the region should be more aggressive in pursuing and how would those fit within the makeup of the Tucson business structure?

With so many companies opening in Arizona along our I‐10 corridor, there is an opportunity to attract more business focused on autonomy, alternative energies, battery production, and more that can meet the growing needs of electric vehicle manufacturers. The universities and community colleges have great researchers and experts to train the workforce of the future. Tucson can do more to invest in research, early venture development, and corporate attraction to make I‐10 the road to innovation.

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Two of the top focus areas in the Pivot Playbook recovery plan are infrastructure and talent acquisition. Within those two focus areas, what are the most pressing issues for your organization and what can your organization do to address those?

Tucson has developed a number of industry clusters that are gaining momentum in the region such as aerospace and defense, mining, biosciences and medicine, and various aspects of technology. Do you consider those to be areas that need continued focus and why?

Arizona has always been known for copper, and it continues to be the number one state for mining precious metals − for example, lithium, which is critical for the shift to electric vehicles. There is a need for expanding the mining industry focus

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MICHAEL CROW

PRESIDENT ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY What are some issues that you think need more or better collaboration and how would you begin to address those?

I am a firm believer that we need to do a better job in working together to determine what kind of future we want to live in, and then working backwards to formulate the actions that will get us there.

We have a tremendous opportunity with an emerging new economy to work together to transform Arizona as a place where discovery and development drive job growth and catalyze new industries and business development in a way that make this state a destination for investment in new technologies. This is a moment for us to work together in all parts of the state.

Tucson has developed a number of industry clusters that are gaining momentum in the region such as aerospace and defense, mining, biosciences and medicine, and various aspects of technology. Do you consider those to be areas that need continued focus and why?

Overall, we need to work collectively and focus strategically on attracting and supporting industry clusters that will strengthen our regional economy and maximize our resilience to economic downturns or unanticipated disruptions in the long-term. The transformation happening now in the new economy means the time is right to establish a long-term return on investment by doubling down on the areas where we already have momentum.

Arizona’s traditional industries have served us well, but the pandemic highlighted their vulnerabilities. When we look at the rapidly increasing rate of knowledge creation and techno-

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logical innovation happening around the world, there can be no doubt that high-tech fields are driving the future.

Are there industries that the region should be more aggressive in pursuing and how would those fit within the makeup of the Tucson business structure?

In addition to biosciences and personalized medicine, the industries of the new economy include advanced manufacturing/materials, artificial intelligence, automation/robotics, big data, cybersecurity, digital media, and virtual/augmented reality. We should be enhancing our understanding of the strategies and investments other regions have made and are making to position themselves for future economic stability and success, assess and mobilize our unique strengths and advance a forward-looking trajectory.

In what ways can you, as a member of the Sun Corridor Inc. Chairman’s Circle, contribute to continuing the momentum that has been generated in the region in recent years?

I am working with my team to continue the economic momentum of the Arizona Board of Regents’ New Economy Initiative, a plan to increase educational access and attainment for Arizona students, which will effectively prepare the skilled workforce of the future in key areas like manufacturing, engineering, healthcare, mining and aerospace.

At ASU, we are enrolling more low-income students through the Arizona Promise scholarship program, establishing new science and technology centers, and preparing record numbers of highly trained engineers. Combined with the separate, targeted efforts of our sister state institutions, we believe that higher education can act as a catalyst for building a stronger, more prosperous Arizona.

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SUSAN GRAY

PRESIDENT & CEO TUCSON ELECTRIC POWER What are some of the ways you have seen collaboration between the various economic development partners improve over the last several years?

Improved collaboration has been critical to our community’s economic development success. The introduction of focused economic development stakeholder meetings has really helped, and we’ve seen strong participation from collaborators across our region – from top elected officials down through the development staff, plus infrastructure providers, education leaders and workforce development agencies.

Two of the top focus areas in the Pivot Playbook recovery plan are infrastructure and talent acquisition. Within those two focus areas, what are the most pressing issues for your organization and what can your organization do to address those?

Infrastructure is our business, so we never take it for granted.

Our projects have long lead times, particularly for new customers with significant electrical needs. That’s why our engagement at the front end of project inquiries is so critical, to ensure that we’re in a position to respond promptly and get started on any necessary improvements. It’s also why we’re focused so intently on resource planning to ensure the availability of safe, reliable and increasingly sustainable energy for our community’s future.

While those energy resources are critical, our people remain our most valuable resource. We’re focused on the engagement and growth of our current employees because we know that’s the best way to attract new talent. Like a lot of employers, we’ve also grown more innovative in our approach to remote and hybrid work in roles where that kind of flexibility is pos110 BizTucson

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sible. We’re also clear about communicating our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, so job seekers know that TEP is a place where they can bring their best, true selves to work.

If you were involved in the recruitment of a company to the region, what are the top selling points of the region that you would want to communicate to a prospective employer?

Quality of life and our location in a growing, warm-weather state with proximity to major markets have always been key selling points. But Tucson is also being recognized internationally for our diverse, talented workforce and a burgeoning entrepreneurial ecosystem supported by a major research university.

Tucson has developed a number of industry clusters that are gaining momentum in the region such as aerospace and defense, mining, biosciences and medicine, and various aspects of technology. Do you consider those to be areas that need continued focus and why?

We do need to continue supporting the growth of those sectors, but that’s not something we can do with a single, acrossthe-board approach. Each of those clusters is unique and requires different types of support from our government leaders, infrastructure providers and other stakeholders.

The pandemic has changed the game board, creating openings for us to build new clusters in areas like logistics/supply chain providers and automotive technologies. But we can’t ever lose sight of our need to support the unique and continuing needs of our community’s key industries.

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WESLEY D. KREMER

VP, RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES PRESIDENT, RAYTHEON MISSILES AND DEFENSE What are some issues that you think need more or better collaboration and how would you begin to address those?

Workforce development is the number one area that needs more collaboration with all our local partners. We should focus on developing a strong local pipeline, because highly skilled homegrown talent is more apt to stay and invest their talents in this community.

The skilled workforce I envision will require everything from advanced engineering degrees to vocational training. We’re addressing this need through our partnership with Pima County’s Joint Technical Education District, a public educational program that augments traditional high school with free, intensive career training. We also work with Pima Community College to influence certification programs and technical training, which allow workers to quickly gain new skills in manufacturing. This is important because a lot of what we do requires higher-skilled talent capable of advanced manufacturing.

Two of the top focus areas in the Pivot Playbook recovery plan are infrastructure and talent acquisition. Within those two focus areas, what are the most pressing issues for your organization and what can your organization do to address those?

The airport is a critical economic driver. We need more direct flights to key U.S. cities. More flights would help us better connect to our customers, suppliers, colleagues and future talent.

Beyond the airport, I think there’s a need for improved infrastructure, specifically roads. That could include widening the roads, especially I-10, and increasing driving speeds where pos-

sible. These improvements, along with others, will enhance our ability to move people and raw materials in and out of Tucson, which is essential to our growth and expansion.

We also spend a lot of time and energy on talent acquisition. We partner with UArizona to shape curricula as part of their industry advisory board, and we fund both engineering capstone and research and development projects. This helps keep innovative students thinking about the types of problems confronting industry today.

More broadly, we work with local school districts to support K-12 STEM programming and provide mentorship opportunities for students through academic enrichment programs, as well as financial support.

Tucson has developed a number of industry clusters that are gaining momentum in the region such as aerospace and defense, mining, biosciences and medicine, and various aspects of technology. Do you consider those to be areas that need continued focus and why?

These industry clusters are supported by UArizona’s undergraduate and advanced degree programs, and they are absolutely worth investing in further. The work done in these clusters is going a long way to enhance the economic competitiveness of the Arizona-Sonora region.

To thrive in Tucson, we must work with local and federal partners to grow and expand, and we partner extensively with UArizona in numerous ways. But we want those students to stay in Tucson when they graduate, and we’d like to see them contributing their talents to the aerospace and defense industry.

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LEE LAMBERT

CHANCELLOR & CEO PIMA COMMUNITY COLLEGE What are some of the ways you have seen collaboration between the various economic development partners improve over the last several years?

The sea change in the way Pima Community College does business is reflected in the deepening connections between our Workforce Development unit and Sun Corridor Inc., the City of Tucson, Pima County and the region’s other municipalities.

WFD is regularly invited by Sun Corridor and other entities to take part in discussions with businesses seeking to relocate or expand in Pima County, and to support those efforts through tours of our facilities, data and customized solutions.

For example, we have been at the table with the autonomous vehicle manufacturer TuSimple throughout their expansion in Tucson, and our long-term partnership has resulted in a firstin-the-nation Autonomous Vehicle Driver and Operations Specialist certificate that will allow truck drivers to successfully transition to the coming era of autonomous vehicles. Similarly, our participation in the initiative that brought Caterpillar Inc. to Tucson has led to the creation of our Applied Technology Academy in which Caterpillar engineers augment their theoretical training by getting their hands dirty in our machining and welding labs.

What are some issues that you think need more or better collaboration and how would you begin to address those?

Our region needs to make a concerted effort to move forward on existing comprehensive, far-reaching economic development plans such as the Pivot Playbook. Moreover, we need to ensure optimization of existing taxpayer-funded infrastruc-

ture, such as the Centers of Excellence that have been completed or are being constructed at several College campuses.

These Centers will expand the region’s capacity to provide skilled workers that businesses can rely upon as they expand or relocate in Tucson.

In addition, we need to bring to the attention of business the need for the federal government to change Pell Grants and other student aid programs to fund tuition for short-term noncredit training credentials.

Two of the top focus areas in the Pivot Playbook recovery plan are infrastructure and talent acquisition. Within those two focus areas, what are the most pressing issues for your organization and what can your organization do to address those?

The topline data regarding employment is encouraging – the state’s jobless rate is at a historic low. But if you dig a little deeper, another story emerges. Labor participation rates in Arizona are low to a degree that can’t be explained by the number of retirees in the state. In Tucson, the labor participation rate also is below the national average. That is a drag on our economic growth.

The challenge for the region is to move these non-participants back into the labor market by providing them with the skills that employers need to keep their business thriving. We need to maximize the existing infrastructure in place, such as our Centers of Excellence. And we need to find ways to incentivize employers to provide work-based learning, such as internships and apprenticeships, through tuition reimbursement and other means.

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LISA LOVALLO

MARKET VP SOUTHERN ARIZONA COX COMMUNICATIONS What are some of the ways you have seen collaboration between the various economic development partners improve over the last several years?

Every economic development organization, business and municipality is focused on creating more opportunities for Southern Arizona families. The only way we will achieve this is to work together.

We have improved because everyone understands that none of us can succeed if we don’t all come together. To make our community stronger, healthier and more equitable, we have to all pull in the same direction. Economic development is a team sport.

What are some issues that you think need more or better collaboration and how would you begin to address those?

We are still trying to figure out how to best leverage the federal infrastructure funds that are headed to our community.

There has never been a more critical time for business and government to hold hands to address our most pressing needs.

Two of the top focus areas in the Pivot Playbook recovery plan are infrastructure and talent acquisition. Within those two focus areas, what are the most pressing issues for your organization and what can your organization do to address those?

Cruz counties. We are working with all our municipal partners to figure out how to close the gap and get every household connected.

If you were involved in the recruitment of a company to the region, what are the top selling points of the region that you would want to communicate to a prospective employer?

Tucson and Southern Arizona have so many assets. We have a diverse economic base. We have a top research university, an award-winning community college, a workforce with access to training and development. We are committed to open space, to celebrating our cultural uniqueness and making our community a place where everyone is seen and heard.

Tucson has developed a number of industry clusters that are gaining momentum in the region such as aerospace and defense, mining, biosciences and medicine, and various aspects of technology. Do you consider those to be areas that need continued focus and why?

We have worked very hard to cultivate and develop these industries and we need to continue to build on our strengths and success with these employers. These clusters generate highpaying jobs and are businesses that are growing.

Cox is actively engaged in the broadband infrastructure priorities of the region. We have identified unserved and underserved communities throughout Pima, Cochise and Santa

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FLETCHER McCUSKER

CEO UAVENTURE CAPITAL

Which economic development “victories” over the years have had the most impact on your business and why?

Film and television production would expand 10 times, but our New Mexico neighbors trump us with huge tax credits and incentives. The Arizona Legislature recognized that this year and introduced legislation to allow us to compete with New Mexico. Clearly, our elected colleagues are beginning to see that we need to have more arrows in the quiver. Likewise, optics will soon become a major source of employment in the region. We have had international photonics companies recently move to Tucson and Sahuarita. With great innovation coming from the University of Arizona, the No. 1 optics college in the U.S., there are a number of optics start-ups flourishing in the region. The resultant merger-and-acquisition activity, to the extent we can keep these superstar researchers in Tucson, will give us the chance to really be “Optics Valley.”

Have you experienced or received feedback from outside entities regarding the region’s economic development climate? If so, what are some of the specific comments you’ve heard about the region’s economic development efforts and strategies?

In what ways can you, as a member of the Sun Corridor Inc. Chairman’s Circle, contribute to continuing the momentum that has been generated in the region in recent years?

The relocation of Caterpillar’s mining division from Illinois was a huge win for Tucson, especially given that we were competing against Denver. Other mining interests have followed − Hexagon, AXISCADES and others. Over a dozen mining conglomerates now have a presence in Tucson. The incentives provided to Caterpillar by Rio Nuevo, the City and the State also cemented the thesis that our region will not win these large employers on weather alone. Arizona’s so-called “gift clause” that prohibits most jurisdictions from aggressive incentives needs to be changed. Rio Nuevo is exempt from the gift clause prohibition, otherwise Caterpillar would be in Colorado.

Tucson has been identified as a Top Five destination post Covid. The attributes mentioned most often include geographically dispersed, affordable, a great university, a vibrant downtown and a rapidly evolving start up ecosystem. If we could combine incentives with our affordability, no city could compete.

Are there industries that the region should be more aggressive in pursuing and how would those fit within the makeup of the Tucson business structure?

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I still believe Tucson can better tell our story, especially following the pandemic. All of us travel for promotional tours.

All of us host company leaders that are looking at the region.

We need to weaponize our results and allow site selectors, company CEOs, remote workers, escapees from California to see that Tucson is to Phoenix what Austin is to Dallas. And, incentives, incentives, incentives. We need to do what we can to make Tucson fiercely competitive in attraction and retention.

That makes all of us public policy advocates. Now is our time.

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IAN McDOWELL

VP & TUCSON REGIONAL DIRECTOR SUNDT CONSTRUCTION INC. Which economic development “victories” over the years have had the most impact on your business and why?

The resurgence of downtown Tucson has been not only thrilling to see, but also very impactful on our business. One of the most significant successes occurred when we were selected to build the Tucson Mining Center for Caterpillar, as facilitated by Rio Nuevo in close collaboration with Sun Corridor Inc. The success of that project is one of the best calling cards we have and has led to multiple other projects for large corporate office tenants and other key clients working downtown.

What are some issues that you think need more or better collaboration and how would you begin to address those?

Our community’s ability to fast track a potential business from concept to construction will have an impact on how many of these organizations commit to the Tucson region. I think there is an opportunity to be the best in class in how we move projects through the design review process, namely how we deliver building permits and development plans to facilitate a rapid start to construction of new projects. Dialog has already started on these topics, and I believe solutions could include collaborations between the private sector and local area governmental agencies to facilitate fast tracking of development plans.

Tucson has developed a number of industry clusters that are gaining momentum in the region such as aerospace and defense, mining, biosciences and medicine, and various aspects of technology. Do you consider those to be areas that need continued focus and why?

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I absolutely think these areas should be where our focus continues. These industries provide high-paying jobs, and the corporations involved tend to foster other work with local small businesses to support their efforts in the region. Once a cluster is established, the ability to attract new similar enterprises is enhanced, and so does their ability to recruit their workforce.

That said, I think we ought to embrace businesses of all sizes and types. Manufacturing, data centers, and even light industrial projects provide opportunities for people in the region to earn a livable wage.

In what ways can you, as a member of the Sun Corridor Inc. Chairman’s Circle, contribute to continuing the momentum that has been generated in the region in recent years?

I was fortunate enough to be part of a meeting last year where a delegation of representatives from Sun Corridor Inc. met with a delegation from Sweden at their embassy in Chicago. At that meeting we found out they were bringing a technology consortium from their country to explore the possibility for expansion in Arizona. Staff from Sun Corridor Inc. were able to convince that group to extend their trip to Southern Arizona and we were able to host them through tours of existing businesses and by highlighting the advantages of living and working in Southern Arizona. I tell this story to express something simple. Join and show up. We had a strong contingent of volunteers on this trip and as a collective we are hopeful it will pay dividends for our region.

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MIKE MÉNARD

GENERAL MANAGER BOMBARDIER AVIATION TUCSON SERVICE CENTER

As a relatively recent transplant to the Tucson area, I still get the impression that Tucson is one of Arizona’s best kept secrets. While Sun Corridor Inc. is doing a fantastic job of promoting the region from a business perspective, in the final analysis, companies are people, and we need to attract people to come live in Tucson.

Two of the top focus areas in the Pivot Playbook recovery plan are infrastructure and talent acquisition. Within those two focus areas, what are the most pressing issues for your organization and what can your organization do to address those?

The most pressing issue for the aviation and aerospace industry is the need for a qualified workforce. To serve its customer base, Bombardier requires a workforce with skills acquired over a period of many years, including specialized training and schooling. Over the last two decades, the nature of the talent flow from the military services was such that there was no need for the promotion of aviation careers at the high school and college levels.

At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, corporate aviation flying dropped dramatically as the world shut down. As the world slowly re-opened, the need for corporate and private flying increased sharply to levels that are currently well above pre-pandemic levels. Those increased flying hours translate quickly into an increased maintenance demand which, concurrent with the overall labor shortage in the world, creates an exponentially larger problem.

If you were involved in the recruitment of a company to the region, what are the top selling points of the region that you would want to communicate to a prospective employer?

While the readily available inventory of industrial space remains low, the availability of land to support that development is there as a “build-to-suit” opportunity. The overall business climate in the region has improved and government entities stand ready to support and help in any way they can. From a talent acquisition point of view, the affordability of the Tucson area along with its countless offerings for entertainment, fine dining, hiking, golf, etc., is also a key selling point.

Tucson has developed a number of industry clusters that are gaining momentum in the region such as aerospace and defense, mining, biosciences and medicine, and various aspects of technology. Do you consider those to be areas that need continued focus and why?

Short answer: YES! As a general rule for those industry clusters, establishing a presence in a given location represents significant investment both in terms of real estate as well as talent.

Given the magnitude of that investment, these companies are considering a long-term presence in the Tucson area. From an economic development standpoint, these industries bring skilled, highly compensated and stable jobs to the area, creating a pool of talent attracting other companies in the same or closely related industries. Trying to be everything to everyone has never proven to be a winning strategy.

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What are some issues that you think need more or better collaboration and how would you begin to address those?

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DIANE QUIHUIS

BOARD OF DIRECTORS PIMA COUNTY INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY What are some of the ways you have seen collaboration between the various economic development partners improve over the last several years?

The Pima IDA has been working to build a better community since 1972. There are many, many local projects that have had excellent collaboration among governmental entities, local for-profit companies and nonprofit organizations. Some of the more recent notable partnerships include the following: • The Pima IDA issued bonds to develop the “Center of Hope Apartments” at 4554 S. Palo Verde Road in Tucson. The project consists of 100 units that provide housing for low-income tenants. HS Lopez Family Foundation, La Frontera Center, Family Housing Resources, Federal Reserve Bank and the Pima IDA all collaborated on the financial framework to complete this project that now serves many underserved residents in this community.

Tucson Medical Center was approved for revenue bonds • by the Pima IDA that were used to finance the costs of construction, improvement and equipping of healthcare and related facilities located at their main campus, southeast Tucson, and 35 acres in northwest Tucson. These are planned patient centric projects that will improve our community’s healthcare choices and increase business development.

• Southern Arizona Land Trust is developing Belnor Vista, a 125-acre parcel which is planned for mixed use live/work/ play, multi-modal development. This exciting new mixeduse project is located in the rapidly growing southwest market of Tucson and will provide economic and employment opportunities for Pima County residents and will be a wonderful place to live, work and enjoy activities.

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El Tour de Tucson, The Pima IDA extended the loan that they had previously made to Perimeter Cycling, to assist them with the financial aspects of failing to hold an El Tour event during COVID.

What are some of the issues that you think need more or better collaboration and how would you begin to address those?

As needs grow for affordable housing across all income ranges, new approaches allow for unique public-private partnerships dedicated to middle income and workforce housing. How do we get homebuyers over the finish line? In today’s roller coaster market with rising home prices and higher mortgage rates, we need to seek innovation and deliver right-fit homeownership programs.

We must continue to identify the community and federal resources that will create a path forward for the workforce and middle-income housing, as well as loan and economic development opportunities.

To what do you attribute some of the improvements in collaboration between the various entities involved in the region’s economic development?

Post-Covid, we are starting to see more interactions among people which has spurred on collaboration aspects. I also think more people are open to new and innovative ideas and areas of expansion and collaboration that we did not see previously. The focus from local entities like Sun Corridor Inc., Rio Nuevo and Pima County have also brought new patrons to the downtown Tucson area and new businesses throughout Pima County.

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DR. ROBERT C. ROBBINS

PRESIDENT UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA

Any time we can attract major employers to the region or retain those that are here, it is a win, and I think of the University of Arizona’s partnership with Raytheon as a key asset for southern Arizona. The company has a need for talent in STEM fields, particularly areas like aerospace engineering, as well as business and other disciplines, and the university’s ability to educate students who can then go meet these needs, and those of other employers, is the core of our mission.

Two of the top focus areas in the Pivot Playbook recovery plan are infrastructure and talent acquisition. Within those two focus areas, what are the most pressing issues for your organization and what can your organization do to address those?

The University of Arizona plays an important role in meeting the workforce needs of our region, and we are proud to partner with economic development organizations, our other state universities, community colleges, Pima JTED, and many others to create a pipeline of talent. Key to keeping talented graduates here in southern Arizona are two things: opportunity and quality of life. Through our research and innovation enterprise, we contribute new ideas and products that can make their way to market, spurring growth and opportunity.

Tucson has developed a number of industry clusters that are gaining momentum in the region such as aerospace and defense, mining, biosciences and medicine, and various aspects of technology. Do you consider those to be areas that need continued focus and why?

We want to pursue every area of opportunity, but these three sectors − aerospace and defense, mining, and biosciences and medicine − are key points of strength and opportunity for our region. The university has prioritized all of them in our strategic plan as areas where we can have outsized impact because of our distinctive strengths and interdisciplinary culture. As I have said since I arrived in Arizona, the university, our region and the entire state are poised to lead in the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the convergence of biological, digital and physical technologies that is transforming our world.

In what ways can you, as a member of the Sun Corridor Inc. Chairman’s Circle, contribute to continuing the momentum that has been generated in the region in recent years?

I take every opportunity I can to champion southern Arizona. We live in one of the most distinctively beautiful places in the world, and we have an amazing combination of talent, institutional capacity, history, and community spirit that I think will propel us onto the world stage in the years to come. Sharing this story is one of the most important things the members of the Chairman’s Circle can do to help contribute to the success of our region and our state, equally important as the work we do leading our individual institutions.

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Which economic development “victories” over the years have had the most impact on your business and why?

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BILL RODEWALD

SVP, REGIONAL MANAGER SCHNITZER PROPERTIES What are some issues that you think need more or better collaboration and how would you begin to address those?

Since Schnitzer Properties entered the Tucson market with our first acquisition in 2015, we have seen incredible growth and improvement in terms of infrastructure, job creation and amenities. The opportunity for collaboration among all stakeholders continues to be the improvement of the condition of the streets and roads in many areas of the community. Attracting new industries that create jobs at every level depends on transportation of people and products. Building state-of-theart manufacturing facilities, distribution warehouses and hightech campuses will require some real attention to road conditions. We can begin by educating the community as to the benefits of additional job opportunities and upward mobility with some basic surface road infrastructure improvements.

If you were involved in the recruitment of a company to the region, what are the top selling points of the region that you would want to communicate to a prospective employer?

There are so many advantages to locating or expanding a company in Tucson that make this a fun conversation to have with almost any prospect. The easy points are the physical beauty of the area, the access to all of the benefits of UArizona, the affordable housing, world-class shopping, restaurants and terrific hotels and resorts. The possibilities for year-round recreation including golf, hiking, biking and sightseeing are an easy sell. Although a bit more nuanced, most prospects appreciate the fact that the cost of doing business in Tucson can be significantly less than bigger markets like Phoenix, Salt Lake City, Denver or San Diego. The companies that I deal with 124 BizTucson

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are almost universally impressed with the potential of working with Sun Corridor Inc., the City of Tucson and Pima County to facilitate an easy transition into the community. Until recently, all of these selling points only helped if there were existing facilities that could accommodate a new prospect to the area, particularly one who could not wait 12 to 18 months for a build to suit. Fortunately, that has changed with several spec developments by Schnitzer Properties and others. The future looks bright!

Tucson has developed a number of industry clusters that are gaining momentum in the region such as aerospace and defense, mining, biosciences and medicine, and various aspects of technology. Do you consider those to be areas that need continued focus and why?

Communities with a diverse industry base are always better and stronger. Imagine a community with tourism as its only industry during the past two years. One of the true strengths of the Tucson market is the diversity of the employment base and the fact that the institutions of higher education in Tucson and Pima County graduate students who can support the many industries mentioned. It has been great to witness the influx of technology-based companies that have added to or supplemented the growth of lower tech industries like manufacturing and distribution.

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REGINA ROMERO

MAYOR CITY OF TUCSON

In one word: urgency. More people were at the table as we sought, and continue to search, for answers to shortages around supply chains, housing, and the workforce. There was a realization that through collaboration and an all-of-government approach we could jumpstart our economy and thrive as a region.

What are some issues that you think need more or better collaboration and how would you begin to address those?

Water shortages and climate change present existential challenges to business that are now coming to a head. Customers and constituents are already asking businesses, government and utilities to accelerate efforts to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions. The City of Tucson is doubling down on stakeholder meetings so we can communicate the urgency of our Climate Action and Adaptation Plan while getting clear input on the impacts of our efforts in community.

If you were involved in the recruitment of a company to the region, what are the top selling points of the region that you would want to communicate to a prospective employer?

Prospective companies are looking closely at Tucson because of the availability of talent coming out of the University of Arizona and Pima Community College. From bioscience to entrepreneurship to technical education, Tucson produces a reliwww.BizTucson.com

able stream of talent year after year. Another important selling point is quality of life. Just this month our Economic Initiatives office was able to recruit Phantom Aerospace. Tucson is a hub for aerospace and defense, and they chose Tucson as their next home for 35 engineers to build their rockets.

The Phantom Aerospace team cited our quality of life and opportunities for workforce as levers to successfully attract or relocate employees from other parts of the country. Housing in Tucson is relatively more affordable than in other states. And proximity to California, Colorado, and New Mexico − states where they do business − allows their workforce to stay and grow here.

Are there industries that the region should be more aggressive in pursuing and how would those fit within the makeup of the Tucson business structure?

In addition to our bullish approach to Tucson’s existing and small businesses to foster economic resiliency, Tucson’s Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy is laser focused on our seven regional clusters to provide a strong foundation for Tucson’s economic development strategy. These include Aerospace & Defense; Photonics & Optics; Bioscience; Transportation & Logistics; Business Services; Renewable Energy & Natural Resources; and IT Services & Software.

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To what do you attribute some of the improvements in collaboration between the various entities involved in the region’s economic development? In other words, why has the environment improved over the years?

T

SANDRA WATSON

PRESIDENT & CEO ARIZONA COMMERCE AUTHORITY Which economic development “victories” over the years have had the most impact on your business and why?

Arizona’s unprecedented economic growth has been fueled by our state’s visionary leadership, most notably Governor Doug Ducey and our legislature.

Policies that lower taxes, reduce regulatory burdens, expand investments in key infrastructure like roadways and broadband, and increased education opportunities have driven growth. Examples include Arizona’s lowest-in-the-nation flat tax and the governor’s proposed $100 million investment to expand broadband to underserved areas.

Another example would be HB 2822, which the governor signed in March. The new law lowers business personal property tax liability 90% or more, making Arizona substantially more competitive for high-wage, high-tech jobs and industries.

If you were involved in the recruitment of a company to the region, what are the top selling points of the region that you would want to communicate to a prospective employer?

Arizona offers companies the complete package: a low-cost business environment, a skilled and growing workforce, toptier universities and community colleges, a vibrant innovation ecosystem, modern infrastructure, affordable energy, and access to top global markets.

With 130,000 miles of highway, Arizona provides access to more than 85 million consumers within a day’s drive. In addition, the state offers access to six border ports of entry with Mexico, convenient access to air travel with 12 commercial and 71 reliever airports, the Port of Tucson – a full-service inland port and rail yard offering more than 1.7 million square feet of amenities – and SkyBridge Arizona, the nation’s first air cargo hub to house both U.S. and Mexican customs officials.

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Tucson has developed a number of industry clusters that are gaining momentum in the region such as aerospace and defense, mining, biosciences and medicine, and various aspects of technology. Do you consider those to be areas that need continued focus and why?

Tucson’s vibrant export industries such as aerospace and defense, mining and biosciences are ripe for further expansion.

For example, we’ve seen new expansions in the biosciences from companies like BD and Eurofins.

Advanced manufacturing is also primed for additional growth. In March, the ACA, along with our partners in Southern Arizona, Sun Corridor Inc., was proud to announce a new U.S. headquarters and manufacturing facility from PowerPhotonic in Sahuarita. In December, Leonardo announced plans to expand its regional presence in Oro Valley by 200 jobs.

In what ways can you, as a member of the Sun Corridor Inc. Chairman’s Circle, contribute to continuing the momentum that has been generated in the region in recent years?

Southern Arizona is an exciting place to be for economic growth. The ACA works closely with our partners at Sun Corridor Inc. to promote the region’s many assets and attract future expansions in targeted industries.

The University of Arizona, which is a national leader in emerging technologies such as quantum computing, optics, agrisciences, and space technology, will continue to enable innovation. The University of Arizona Tech Park is an example of how entrepreneurs can partner with university expertise to bring new products and services to market.

Biz www.BizTucson.com

PHOTO BY BRENT G. MATHIS

E

SUN CORRIDOR INC. CHAIRMAN’S CIRCLE

SUN CORRIDOR INC. CHAIRMAN’S CIRCLE

DR. CHAD WHELAN

CEO BANNER-UNIVERSITY MEDICINE TUCSON

A skilled workforce is a key attractor for economic development, and it is an area in which our region struggled, even pre-pandemic. Now, it is an even greater risk. But, we also have some highly innovative and effective institutions that are transforming opportunities not only for our young adults but also older adults looking for new and improved opportunities.

I do believe though, that we collectively need to help publicly celebrate these innovations locally and afar so that people can see the impact on our future workforce. At the same time, the economic development partners in our region do need to help coordinate and prioritize what target areas our talent pipeline development efforts need to focus on. All sectors of our economy are struggling to find talent at this moment, so if we do not help prioritize and focus, we run the risk of trying to do everything for everyone and not succeeding for anyone.

Two of the top focus areas in the Pivot Playbook recovery plan are infrastructure and talent acquisition. Within those two focus areas, what are the most pressing issues for your organization and what can your organization do to address those?

JTED, Pima Community College, The University of Arizona and others, to build a better pipeline for people who want a career in the healthcare sector. We need to do a better job of helping people see the broad opportunities that the healthcare field can offer.

Tucson has developed a number of industry clusters that are gaining momentum in the region such as aerospace and defense, mining, biosciences and medicine, and various aspects of technology. Do you consider those to be areas that need continued focus and why?

Given the size of the population in Southern Arizona, I think it is important that we have industry clusters that we are known for. It will be hard for us to be everything for everyone.

These clusters have been successful, and we should continue to look to grow these. However, we also need to look to how to expand the circle of these clusters where it makes sense. As an example, our current footprint in biosciences and medicine while solid could grow significantly in size but also expand into the sector more broadly.

PHOTO BY BRENT G. MATHIS

What are some issues that you think need more or better collaboration and how would you begin to address those?

Far and away the most pressing issue for our organization and industry is people. The healthcare sector is growing and has been dramatically affected by the pandemic and subsequent great resignation. We have an immediate need for healthcare workers today, but we also know that our future needs will dwarf what we are seeing today. We see this as an opportunity to work with our pipeline partners such as Pima

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SUN CORRIDOR INC. BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Travis Anderton

Don Bourn

Mara G. Aspinall

Jean-Claude Bernard

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James D. Buie

Travis Anderton Vice President, Sterilization – Global Supply Chain BD BD is one of the largest global medical technology companies in the world, advancing the world of health by improving medical discovery, diagnostics and the delivery of care. The company develops innovative technology, services and solutions that advances clinical therapy for patients and clinical process for health care providers.

BD has a global presence of 75,000 associates who are addressing some of the most challenging global health issues.

BD helps customers enhance outcomes, lower costs, increase efficiencies, improve safety and expand access to health care. www.bd.com

Jean-Claude Bernard Manager – Global Expansion Bombardier Inc. Global leader in aviation headquartered in Montreal, Canada, with over 13,000 employees worldwide. Bombardier is present in more than 12 countries including its production/engineering sites and its customer support network.

For fiscal year ended Dec. 31, 2021, Bombardier posted revenues of $6.1 billion.

The Tucson facility serves the aftermarket business, servicing in-service business aircraft.

The facility provides services such as aircraft maintenance, interior refurbishment, and paint services to its worldwide customers.

Bombardier has been present in Tucson since 1975 through Learjet Inc.

Mara G. Aspinall Managing Director, BlueStone Venture Partners CEO, Health Catalysts Group A $50 million venture capital fund focused on life sciences investments in the Southwestern states. BlueStone has three portfolio companies in Arizona.

Serves on the board of directors of BCBS of Arizona, Abcam, Allscripts, Orasure, and Castle Biosciences.

Co-founder of ASU School of Biomedical Diagnostics, the only program in the world focused entirely on the study of diagnostics. Aspinall is also the Principal Investigator in The Rockefeller Foundation / ASU grant on COVID-19 diagnostics research.

Don Bourn CEO Bourn Companies Founded in 1990 and headquartered in Tucson.

Privately held real estate development and investment company, specializing in large-scale mixed-use projects, corporate office and retail properties.

Completed more than 4 million square feet of projects across Tucson and the Western United States.

Summer 2022

Jaime S. Chamberlain James D. Buie President Involta Award-winning national hybrid IT service provider and consulting firm. Involta helps organizations plan, manage and execute hybrid IT strategies using a broad range of services including strategic consulting, colocation, cloud computing, managed IT, cybersecurity, fiber, and network connectivity.

Led the company’s expansion from a regional provider to a national brand, establishing its hybrid cloud strategy and building capabilities to better serve clients through numerous acquisitions while continuing to grow organically.

Jaime S. Chamberlain Chairman Greater Nogales and Santa Cruz County Port Authority Founded in December 2004.

Brings together key stakeholders from the area to address improving Arizona’s largest port facilities, streamlining the crossing process at the Nogales ports of entry and enhancing economic development in the Nogales-Santa Cruz County region.

The Mariposa Port of Entry and the Nogales port of entry system are the gateway for 13 million cars, 21 million people, 1,200 trains and 380,000 trucks representing close to $30 billion in international trade.

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SUN CORRIDOR INC. BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Amy Cohen Amy Cohen Vice President, Product Based Transformation Raytheon Missiles & Defense The industry’s most advanced end-to-end solutions to detect, track and engage threats.

Engineer/Program Manager with 30 years of experience in aerospace and defense.

Assesses risk and ensures resiliency of products including missile defense systems, precision weapons, radars, command and control systems and advanced defense technologies.

Michael DiChristofano Vice President, Tucson Subaru President, Tucson New Car Dealer Association The Tucson New Car Dealers Association was established in 1947 by dealers to offer support for economic development and transportation initiatives.

Jon Dudas Senior VP and Chief of Staff University of Arizona Founded in 1885.

A land-grant university with a total enrollment of 49,471 students for Fall 2021.

Ranks in the top 20 among all U.S. public research institutions and No. 35 overall nationwide with more than $761 million annually in total research activity.

Nationally, ranks No. 1 in astronomy/astrophysics (since 1988), No. 5 in physical sciences and NASA-funded activity, and No. 2 for universities with high Hispanic enrollment.

www.BizTucson.com

Michael DiChristofano

Rafael Barceló-Durazo Head Consul Consulate of Mexico in Tucson Consul Barceló took office in 2020. Previously, has served at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Human Rights Department. A career diplomat since 2010, has been posted to the Embassies of Mexico in Brazil and Costa Rica. He also served as a consultant at the Mexican Supreme Court of Justice.

Consul Barceló is a lawyer and Master in Administration and Public Policy. The Mexican Consulate promotes economic, cultural and social relationship between Mexico and Southern Arizona, representing the interests of Mexican nationals in Pima and Pinal counties.

Ali J. Farhang Managing Partner Farhang & Medcoff Firm has offices in Tucson and Phoenix. Practices business consultation, commercial litigation, labor and employment law, and various regulatory issues. Awarded Best Lawyers in America, Labor & Employment Law 2022, 2021, 2020, and Arizona’s Finest Lawyers 2015 - present.

Member of the Southern Arizona Leadership Council.

Chairman and founder of the Arizona Bowl. Co-owner of the Tucson Sugar Skulls.

Co-host of the Spears & Ali show on ESPN Tucson Radio 104.9FM/1490AM.

Jon Dudas

Rafael Barceló-Durazo

Jenny Flynn President & CEO Community Foundation for Southern Arizona The Community Foundation for Southern Arizona strives to create an equitable and vibrant community for all Southern Arizonans by connecting donors to the causes they care about, now and forever.

Serving the region south of the Gila River, the foundation offers philanthropic services to donors, nonprofit capacity building, and impact funds for southern Arizonans to support causes important to our region, including arts, workforce development, sustainability, and healthy communities.

Manages the economic development compliance team.

Sarah Frost CEO Banner - University Medical Center Tucson Banner - University Medical Center South Expanded access for telehealth services. Nonprofit health system making the highest level of care accessible for Arizona residents.

Nearly 7,000 employees providing exceptional patient care, teaching future healthcare professionals and conducting ground-breaking research.

Opened a $450 million hospital in April 2019.

Partnership between the University of Arizona and Banner allows for aligned leadership of academic research and clinical care delivery.

Banner’s 2019 economic impact in Tucson was $944 million.

Ali J. Farhang

Jenny Flynn

Sarah Frost

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SUN CORRIDOR INC. BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Edmundo Gamillo

Michael Groeger

Guy Gunther

Ryan M. Hartman

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Lawrence M. Hecker Edmundo Gamillo Executive Director Middle Market Banking/Commercial Banking Chase Bank, N.A. With 25+ years in the financial services industry, leads the unit providing banking solutions for Middle Market clients.

Chase is the U.S consumer and commercial banking business of JPMorgan Chase &Co. and serves 20,000 businesses in metro Tucson.

In 2020, the firm donated almost $600,000 to charities in the Tucson area. Also in 2020, JPMorgan Chase committed $30 billion to advance racial equity. As part of that, the firm hired a Community Manager in southern Arizona to connect the community to tools and resources focused on financial health to help close the racial wealth gap.

The firm has served Arizonans for 100+ years through its predecessors Valley National Bank and Gila Valley Bank.

Michael Groeger VP, Commercial Group & Specialty Sales Blue Cross® Blue Shield® of Arizona Committed to helping Arizonans get healthier faster and stay healthier longer.

Offers health insurance and related services to more than 2 million customers with a focus on connecting people with the care they need.

A not-for-profit company and an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association.

Employs more than 2,300 people in its Phoenix, Chandler, Flagstaff and Tucson offices.

Inspires health through advanced clinical programs and community outreach.

Summer 2022

Timothy Hou Guy Gunther Sr. Director of National Consumer Fiber CenturyLink Responsible for deploying and selling fiber in large and small markets across the United States.

Under the CenturyLink brand, Lumen offers high‐speed internet, fiber, phone and TV services for residential and small business customers. CenturyLink is dedicated to empowering people through technology, both at home and work.

Ryan M. Hartman President and CEO World View Enterprises, Inc. World View is the leading stratospheric exploration company on a mission to inspire the global community to rediscover Earth through its space tourism and stratospheric remote sensing businesses.

Hartman, a 23-year aerospace veteran, joined World View as CEO in early 2019 and has since led World View to become a purpose-driven, global brand that continues to pioneer humanity’s exploration and understanding of the Earth from the stratosphere.

Lawrence M. Hecker Managing Partner Hecker & Pew Of Counsel, Sun Corridor Inc. Longtime Tucson attorney.

1993-2022 named among Best Lawyers in America in Corporate Law; Mergers and Acquisitions, Business Organizations, including LLC’s and partnerships; Corporate Governance Law; and Venture Capital Law. Practice is recognized among Best Law Firms in America.

Mary Jacobs Timothy Hou Economic Development Policy Manager Amazon Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Amazon strives to be Earth’s most customer-centric company, Earth’s best employer, and Earth’s safest place to work.

Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Career Choice, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, Alexa, Just Walk Out technology, Amazon Studios, and The Climate Pledge are some of the things pioneered by Amazon.

Mary Jacobs Town Manager Town of Oro Valley Incorporated 1974 Population: 47,070 (2020 census) Median household income: $86,863 Oro Valley is home to global bioscience and high-tech companies.

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SUN CORRIDOR INC. BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Nancy J. Johnson Nancy J. Johnson CEO El Rio Health Founded over 50 years ago as a small neighborhood health center.

Providing fully integrated healthcare, including medical, dental, behavioral health, laboratory, radiology, pharmacy and health and wellness services for over 125,000 individuals at 13 locations across Tucson.

Over 1,700 employees and a budget of $250 million.

Bill Kelley CFO Diamond Ventures Founded in 1988, the leading real estate development and investment company in Arizona.

Mission-driven to provide high quality real estate investments and business ventures that create value for our partners and customers through successful collaboration, careful consideration for the community and attention to business details.

As CFO, responsible for corporate financial planning, project financing and oversees the commercial and industrial portfolios.

Bill Kelley Adriana Kong Romero President Bank of America Tucson Through its commitment to the community, Bank of America has invested close to $4 million in grants and matching gifts to local nonprofits over the past five years. Last year, employees volunteered more than 2,400 hours in service to the community and provided more than $235 million in loans to Tucson businesses.

Dr. Clinton Kuntz CEO MHC Healthcare Founded in 1957.

Arizona’s oldest community health center and the state’s first nonprofit community health center to integrate medical and behavioral healthcare into one facility. Serves Marana and greater Tucson in primary care, behavioral health, dental, radiology, lab, pharmacy, urgent care, women’s health and WIC. 16 health centers in the MHC Healthcare family serve more than 60,000 patients a year and employ more than 614 employees.

Adriana Kong Romero

Dr. Clinton Kuntz

Robert Lamb CEO GLHN Architects & Engineers Established 1963.

Employee-owned company offers services in architecture and mechanical, electrical, civil and technology engineering. 70plus employees work in Tucson and Phoenix offices.

Judy Lowe Interim CEO Tucson Association of Realtors (TAR)

Robert Lamb

The largest trade association in Southern Arizona, representing the interests of over 6,500 real estate professionals.

United by adherence to a Code of Ethics, our members work as real estate professionals in the sale, lease, appraisal, and development of residential and commercial properties as well as the mortgage and lending industry throughout Southern Arizona.

Clint Mabie Senior Vice President Northern Trust Company The Northern Trust is the leading private bank in the world, serving individuals, foundations and families since 1889.

Judy Lowe

Clint Mabie

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SUN CORRIDOR INC. BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Eric Majchrzak

Mark Mistler Eric Majchrzak CEO BeachFleischman PC Arizona’s largest locally owned CPA and advisory firm and a “Top 200” Largest CPA Firm in the United States. Serving over 7,000 private enterprises, nonprofit organizations, and entrepreneurs in the U.S., Mexico, and Canada.

The firm provides assurance, cybersecurity, tax, financial forensics and valuation services, outsourced accounting, and strategic operations and advisory resources. Specialized industry expertise includes cannabis, construction, financial and professional services, healthcare, manufacturing, nonprofit, real estate, restaurant/ hospitality, and technology.

Edmund Marquez

Dennis R. Minano

Edmund Marquez Agency Principal Edmund Marquez Allstate Agencies Founded the agency in 1996.

The largest captive insurance agency in Southern Arizona, and one of the largest Hispanic-owned Allstate agency groups in the U.S. Current Chairman of the Board of the Tucson Metro Chamber, and the Arizona Sands Club board of directors, and is an Executive Officer of the Rio Nuevo board.

Serves on the Boards of Directors of the Southern Arizona Leadership Council, Sun Corridor Inc., Reid Park Zoo, and is the Immediate Past-Chairman of the Board of United Way, Past-Chairman of the Pima Community College Foundation, and the Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

Omar Mireles

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Summer 2022

Farhad Moghimi Dennis R. Minano Retired Managing Director CMM, Vice President Public Policy, Chief Environmental Officer General Motors Corporation Past Chair, Sun Corridor Inc. Omar Mireles President HSL Properties Founded 1975.

Owns and operates 38 apartment communities in Arizona, including 31 in the Tucson metro area, totaling more than 10,000 apartment homes. HSL is currently developing three apartment communities in Pima County, including The Flin in downtown Tucson.

The company also owns and operates hotels and resorts, including the El Conquistador Tucson, a Hilton Resort, and The Ritz Carlton, Dove Mountain.

Mark Mistler Regional President and Head of Commercial Banking Tucson and Southern Arizona PNC Bank PNC Bank, National Association, is a member of The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE: PNC). PNC is one of the largest diversified financial services institutions in the United States, organized around its customers and communities for strong relationships and local delivery of retail and business banking including a full range of lending products; specialized services for corporations and government entities, including corporate banking, real estate finance and asset-based lending; wealth management and asset management. For information about PNC, visit www.pnc.com.

Jim Mullen Farhad Moghimi Executive Director Pima Association of Governments/Regional Transportation Authority Coordinates regional planning efforts to enhance mobility, sustainability, livability and economic vitality of the region.

Programs federal, state, regional and local funding for all regional transportation investments.

Manages the locally funded RTA and its 20-year, $2.1 billion regional transportation plan.

Jim Mullen Chief Administrative and Legal Officer TuSimple More than 15 years of executive leadership experience in the trucking industry. A member of the Board of Directors for the American Trucking Association, the largest and most comprehensive national trade association for the trucking industry.

TuSimple is the world’s largest and most advanced self-driving truck company.

The company was founded in 2015 with a mission to improve the safety and efficiency of the trucking industry and reached unicorn status in 2019.

www.BizTucson.com

SUN CORRIDOR INC. BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Tom Murphy Tom Murphy Mayor Town of Sahuarita Population – 32,232 Median Household Income – $73,579 Full-time-equivalent employees – 144 Incorporated in 1994.

Arizona’s fifth youngest town.

Focus on economic development is embodied in Sahuarita Advanced Manufacturing and Technology Center (SAMTEC), a project that will establish a high-tech business incubator and offer opportunities to firms seeking relocation or expansion.

Known for its well-maintained infrastructure, great schools, pristine neighborhoods, highly educated population and strong community spirit.

Steve Odenkirk Managing Director, Commercial Banking Alliance Bank of Arizona, a division of Western Alliance Bank. Member FDIC Founded in 2003.

Alliance Bank offers a full spectrum of loan, deposit and treasury management capabilities with 10 offices in Tucson, Greater Phoenix and Flagstaff.

Named the #2 best-performing of the 50 largest public U.S. banks in the S&P Global Market Intelligence listing for 2021, ranks high year after year on the Forbes list of “America’s Best Banks” and was named #1 Best Emerging Regional Bank per Bank Director’s 2022 RankingBanking study.

Steve Odenkirk Jon Post Vice Mayor Town of Marana Marana native owns the 6,000-acre Post Farms and the Marana Pumpkin Patch. Crops include cotton, wheat, corn and alfalfa.

Elected Marana vice mayor in 2013.

Served on the board of directors for Trico Electric Co-Op, Cortaro Water Users Association and Cortaro Marana Irrigation District.

Served as chairman of Marana’s Planning and Zoning Commission and was president of the Marana Junior Rodeo Association.

Jennifer Preston Lead Human Resources Manager Resource Industries Sales, Services and Technology, Caterpillar Inc. Caterpillar is the world’s leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines and diesel-electric locomotives.

Tucson is home to the Tucson Mining Center. Our Proving Ground and Tinaja Hills Demonstration and Learning Center are located in Green Valley.

Jon Post Barbi Reuter CEO/Principal Cushman & Wakefield|PICOR Commercial Real Estate Services Founded in Tucson in 1985.

Leading independently owned, full-service commercial real estate company.

Licensed in Southern Arizona and Sonora, Mexico, provides services in office, retail, industrial, medical, multi-family and land sectors.

Walter Richter Public Affairs Administrator Southwest Gas Corporation Founded in 1931.

Southwest Gas serves more than two million residential, commercial and industrial customers in parts of Arizona, Nevada and California. Works with local, state and federal government officials to help create policies that result in lower greenhouse gas emissions by utilizing compressed natural gas in vehicles and the direct use of natural gas in homes and businesses.

Jennifer Preston

Col. Brant A. Putnam

Barbi Reuter

Col. Brant A. Putnam Liaison to Board of Directors Vice Commander 162nd Wing Morris Air National Guard Base Assists wing leadership in the management of more than 1,800 members of the Air National Guard’s largest F-16 and Remote Piloted Aircraft wing.

Walter Richter

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SUN CORRIDOR INC. BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Steve Rosenberg

Keri Lazarus Silvyn

Jeffrey S. Rothstein

Steve Rosenberg Publisher & Owner BizTucson Founded in Spring 2009, BizTucson is the region’s premiere business magazine.

BizTucson provides in-depth coverage of the region’s business news, including economic development, university research, technology, the arts, education, tourism, defense, bioscience, hospitality and nonprofits.

Produced quarterly in print and online, the magazine has received national awards.

Jeffrey S. Rothstein Head of Legal Roche Tissue Diagnostics A world leader and innovator of tissue-based cancer diagnostic solutions.

Provides 250-plus cancer tests with related instruments globally to improve outcomes for the 14 million people diagnosed with cancer annually.

Corey Saba-Basha

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Corey Saba-Basha Senior Vice President, Commercial Banking Leader Wells Fargo Bank Wells Fargo Commercial Banking provides deep financial expertise and a complete range of capital, advisory, risk management, and operating solutions tailored to the needs of middle market companies in Arizona and across the U.S. Wells Fargo brings the full strength of its platform to support clients in all stages of the business lifecycle. Our Arizona Commercial Banking team combines our local market expertise with industry advisors in sectors such as tech, healthcare, commercial real estate, and hospitality to deliver financial insights and solutions to give you the competitive edge.

Corey has 25 years’ experi-

Summer 2022

Brian Sinotte ence in the banking industry in Arizona. She established the Women’s Networking Luncheon to empower and promote women leaders in 2014. The events are meant to learn from others to improve and achieve individual goals.

She was also recognized as one of the 50 Most Influential Women in Business in the State of Arizona in 2019.

Keri Lazarus Silvyn Partner & Owner Lazarus & Silvyn, PC Arizona’s preeminent land-use law firm in Phoenix and Tucson specializing in zoning, land use, entitlements, development agreements and project approvals.

Predominantly representing private property owners in zoning and economic development entitlements. Also represents local jurisdictions to draft land use codes and ordinances.

Silvyn serves on the Arizona State Land Board of Appeals as vice chair of the Tucson Airport Authority Board of Directors and as a member of many other organizations.

Brian Sinotte CEO Northwest Healthcare An integrated network of healthcare services including Northwest Medical Center, Oro Valley Hospital, Northwest Medical Center Sahuarita, Northwest Emergency Centers, Northwest Urgent Care Centers and affiliated physician practices, employing more than 80 outpatient providers in 15 specialties.

Will open Northwest Medical Center Houghton and Northwest Transitions Skilled Nursing and Inpatient Rehabilitation facility in 2022 – opening first week of June 2022.

James V. Stover Offers online check-in for emergency room and urgent care visits and online scheduling for in-person and virtual primary care appointments.

Employs more than 3,000 people.

James V. Stover Medicaid President Arizona Complete Health Arizona Complete Health provides comprehensive healthcare services for about 600,000 Arizonans statewide through Medicaid, Medicare and Marketplace health plans using a whole-health, community-based approach.

Mr. Stover has direct oversight for the programs serving nearly 400,000 members.

With offices in Tempe, Tucson, Yuma and Sierra Vista, Arizona Complete Health, and its parent company, Centene Corporation, employs approximately 3,500 individuals with emphasis on supporting equity, diversity, and inclusion.

As a wholly owned subsidiary of Centene Corporation, Arizona Complete Health provides and administers health benefits through individual, Medicaid, Medicare, and dual eligible programs. Its two Medicaid health plans are Arizona Complete Health-Complete Care Plan and Care1st Health Plan Arizona. Arizona Complete Health also offers Medicare Advantage coverage through its Wellcare by Allwell plan and Marketplace coverage through Ambetter. For more information on Arizona Complete Health, please visit the company’s website at www.azcompletehealth.com.

www.BizTucson.com

We Exist to Build ® Great Things healthcare. advanced technology. higher education. life sciences. commercial.

TUCSON | 3100 N Campbell Ave Suite 102 | Tucson, Arizona | 85719 | 520.355.8247 www.BizTucson.com

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SUN CORRIDOR INC. BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Kerry Stratford

Jim Tofel

Kerry Stratford President & Chief Creative Officer The Caliber Group The Caliber Group is a brand marketing, public relations, and digital firm based in Arizona representing clients across the U.S. that engage with national and international customers. We are the strategic business partner that organizations turn to when faced with a business or market challenge that requires breakthrough thinking to outpace the competition or better serve their customers.

Jim Tofel Managing Member of Development Tofel Dent Construction Formed in 1984.

Tofel Dent Construction is a uniquely structured third-party general contractor specializing in commercial, hospitality, and multi-family housing construction. Formed in 1984, our roots are in multi-family housing construction and as a company, we have completed 132 projects with over 12,700 units.

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John Winchester John Winchester Director, Government & Community Engagement, Tucson Arizona State University Arizona State University is in the Top 10 for graduate employability, No. 1 in the U.S. for innovation six years in a row, No.10 in the U.S. for total research expenditures.

ASU continues to earn national recognition as a top university for graduate employability, inspiring master learners prepared with the knowledge and skills necessary to excel and achieve in today’s changing workplace.

Steven G. Zylstra Steven G. Zylstra President & CEO Arizona Technology Council The state’s premier trade association for technology- and sciencedriven companies. Connecting and empowering Arizona’s community of innovation, AZTC is the driving force behind making the state the fastestgrowing tech hub in the nation.

AZTC works to further the advancement of technology through leadership, education and advocacy. Fostering a climate of creativity, innovation and community, AZTC works to create a destination for companies to be, thrive and stay.

www.BizTucson.com

SUN CORRIDOR INC. RECENT BUSINESS EXPANSION AND RECRUITMENT SUCCESSES

Business Expansion & Relocation 2021-2022 The following is a list of companies that relocated, set up operations or expanded in the Tucson region in 2021 and 2022. Company information provided by Sun Corridor Inc. Amazon Amazon announced plans to open a new distribution facility in Marana creating hundreds of new jobs with an economic impact of $4.3 million over the next 5 years.

The facility, to be known as the Silverbell Gateway Distribution Center, will be 220,000 square feet on a 65-acre site at the northeast corner of Ina Road and Silverbell Road in the Town of Marana.

The facility will be Amazon’s fifth in the Tucson area. The company first opened in Tucson in 2019 with an 855,000-square-foot fulfillment center.

Amazon has invested more than $16 billion and created more than 30,000 jobs in Arizona since 2010.

Eurofins CellTx Eurofins Donor Testing Services, a company that provides laboratory services for the transplant community, selected Tucson for its newest laboratory, Eurofins CellTx, at the UArizona Tech Park, 9052 S. Rita Road.

The new location will be approximately 15,000 square feet of laboratories and administrative offices. The new laboratory is anticipated to be completed by the second quarter of 2022.

The full expansion over five years will add an additional 24 jobs to the Tucson facility, primarily laboratory technicians, technologists and managers. The total capital investment over the next five years will be approximately $3 million, resulting in a total economic impact of $14 million.

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Imperial Brown® Imperial Brown®, a leading manufacturer of custom walk-in coolers and freezers, announced plans to open a manufacturing plant in Tucson in 2023.

Imperial Brown is working with Schnitzer Properties, a real estate development and investment firm based in Portland but with significant holdings in Tucson. The companies are building a 99,000-square-foot stand-alone building at the corner of East Medina Road and Brosius Avenue.

Imperial Brown has already relocated staff to the Tucson area, to assist with preconstruction and construction phases. Once completed, the company plans to hire approximately 100 employeeowners at the new location at Tucson Airport Distribution Center. The economic impact of the new operation will be $225 million over the next 10 years.

Leonardo Electronics US Leonardo Electronics US, a provider of next-gen technologies for defense, security, medical and industrial applications, and a U.S. subsidiary of Leonardo, announced plans to expand in Oro Valley.

LEI’s existing Tucson operation has approximately 200 employees. The expansion over five years will add an additional 170 jobs primarily in engineering, production, quality control, information technology, human resources, marketing, business development, purchasing and finance.

The total capital investment will be approximately $100 million, resulting in a total economic impact of $374 million over the next 10 years.

The company purchased 12 acres in Innovation Park, at North First Avenue and Tangerine Road, and is planning a new state-of-the-art semiconductor laser manufacturing facility. The new location will have approximately 120,000 square feet of manufacturing and administrative offices.

PackDash PackDash, a third-party logistics partner for small to mid-sized ecommerce companies, moved its headquarters from Chicago and established a westcoast delivery operation in Tucson.

PackDash’s fulfillment business in Tucson is its first Arizona operation.

PackDash leased 6,000 square feet for its new operation at 820 E. 16th St. The company plans to add 50 jobs, including managers, directors, warehouse and additional c-level headquarters positions, with an estimated 10-year economic impact of $84 million.

PowerPhotonic PowerPhotonic, a leader in design and manufacture of wafer scale optics for advanced lasers and optical systems, announced that its U.S. subsidiary has signed a long-term lease for manufacturing facilities in the Sahuarita Advanced Manufacturing and Technology Center.

PowerPhotonic will add 20 hightech jobs in Sahuarita with a five-year economic impact of $32 million. PowerPhotonic will be hiring for optical design engineers, process engineers, machine operating technicians, product planners, inventory control, purchasing, shipping.

PowerPhotonic products are precision optical parts that are both complex to design and challenging to make. Consequently, PowerPhotonic has developed its own unique production machines that produce products from wafers of glass. These machines are quite similar in concept to some electronic semiconductor wafer systems, and also need to be operated in a “clean room” environment to eliminate dust.

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SUN CORRIDOR INC. INVESTORS & STAFF continued from page 137 lines and Alaska Airlines, plans to move and build a new aircraft maintenance hangar at the Tucson International Airport (TUS).

SkyWest will lease 14 airside acres, part of the Aeronautical Way 50 site at TUS, and build a nearly 200,000 square-foot MRO (maintenance, repair, overhaul) facility.

The total capital investment over the next five years will be approximately $41 million, resulting in a total economic impact of $105 million.

SkyWest Airlines, with nearly 15,000 employees, carried more than 21 million passengers in 2020 and 43 million passengers in 2019.

Headquartered in St. George, Utah, its fleet of over 450 aircraft connects passengers to over 230 destinations throughout North America.

Steel Jupiter Steel Jupiter, a minority-owned, specialty coating manufacturer has leased a 13,000-square-foot facility in Sahuarita for its manufacturing, research and development facility.

The facility is expected to be operational by the end of 2022, initially creating 15 jobs in the community.

“Steel Jupiter’s mission is to help make indoor air as free from viruses as possible,” said Carlos Tellez, Chairman and President of Steel Jupiter. “Our product, developed by leading scientists, has the promise to significantly improve the effectiveness of HVAC filters and masks in filtering viruses from the air we breathe.

“The establishment of this new facility will have an economic impact of $27 million over the next five years,” said Joe Snell, President and CEO, Sun Corridor Inc. TuSimple TuSimple announced plans to add hundreds of jobs to its Tucson footprint, with an expansion of roughly 35,000 square feet of office, lab and warehouse space for continued technology development.

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billion with a successful initial public offering on the Nasdaq stock market. Prior to the IPO, TuSimple raised more than $600 million in private-equity investments, including a major stake owned by an affiliate of Chinese online giant Sina Corp.

TuSimple has been running paid loads from its Tucson test center since 2017, with a driver and engineer aboard as the company awaits regulatory approval for fully driverless operations, which it expects by 2024.

Walgreens/Village MD Walgreens and VillageMD announced plans to open eight new Village Medical at Walgreens coordinated primary care and pharmacy practices in the Tucson area in 2022. The openings represent expansion into the second major market in Arizona, following Phoenix, and add to the growing number of locations in the state.

Village Medical at Walgreens practices in the Tucson area will create 285 full-time jobs and employ 140 STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) professionals, such as physicians, nurse practitioners, and medical assistants.

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Cathy Casper, CFO

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Susan Dumon VP, Economic Development

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Daniela Gallagher VP, Economic Development

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Angela Kish Controller

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Skye Mendonca Corporate Administrator

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Jeff Powell Economic Development Coordinator

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Business Development Finance Corporation

Laura Shaw Senior VP

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Joe Snell President & CEO

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David Welsh Executive VP

Biz

DPR Construction Freeport-McMoRan GEICO Hacienda Del Sol Resort Hughes Federal Credit Union Long Realty Nova Home Loans Terracon Trico Electric Cooperative Venture West, Inc. Visit Tucson Westland Resources

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Project:

Windows on the Universe Center for Astronomy Outreach Location: Kitt Peak National Observatory, Sells Owner: Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy Contractor: W.E. O’Neil Construction Architect: Advantech Facility Design Completion Date: Date: May 2022 Construction Cost: N/A Project Description: The 60-year-old, 7,175-square-foot McMath-Pierce solar telescope has been remodeled to create an educational center to share Kitt Peak’s cutting-edge research with visitors from around the world.

Project: Vail Academy Location: 7762 E. Science Park Drive Owner: Vail Unified School District Contractor: Concord General Contracting Architect: Swaim Associates Architects Completion Date: August 2022 Construction Cost: $4.5 million Project Description: Vail’s existing academy is adding a new 14,000-square-foot classroom building for K-5 students, as well as adding playground equipment and site work for improved traffic flow.

Project: Pima County Public Defense Building Location: 2231 E. Ajo Way Owner: Pima County Contractor: Lloyd Construction Architect: BWS Architects Completion Date: April 2022 Construction Cost: $5.6 million Project Description: Lloyd Construction was general contractor for this light-filled combined renovation/new construction project for the county’s legal department to expand services.

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The Monica

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BP City Park Investors

Contractor: MW Morrissey Construction Architect:

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January 2022

Construction Cost:

$2 million

Project Description: This new downtown eatery includes an open kitchen, full bar and both indoor and outdoor courtyard seating.

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PHOTO BY TOM SPITZ

BizMILESTONE

Pros of Promos

Williams & Associates Celebrates 45 Years in Business

By Valerie Vinyard Sometimes, all it takes is a cool Tshirt or a flashy pen to give a company an edge.

For the past 45 years, Tucson promotional products company Williams & Associates has provided that edge in many companies’ quests to attract customers.

Whether they’re banks or schools, companies and organizations realize they need to stand out from the competition. What better way than to pair their printed information with a free logo-emblazoned tote bag, apparel or drinkware?

According to Bert Williams, the 78-year-old founder of Williams & Associates, adding size and weight to a direct mailing is a proven way to get results. www.BizTucson.com

After all, it’s easy to toss out a flimsy cardboard mailing trying to persuade you to open a bank account. It’s another to hold on to and make your way through a pad of handy sticky notes with the company’s name printed on them.

Promotional products such as notepads serve as a constant reminder to potential customers that often translates into business. And according to Irving, Texas-based Promotional Products Association International, it’s a $25 billion-a-year industry.

Williams & Associates’ headquarters is located in a 7,500-square-foot building on Wilmot Road south of Broadway. The company employs 28 and has offices in Tempe and Lahaina, Hawaii.

In the company’s conference room,

three Gold Pyramids sit along the center of a long table surrounded by a dozen chairs. A mere 18 of these awards are presented each year in honor of the creative use of promotional products and are the equivalent to the Academy Awards in the industry.

Williams didn’t start out as a promotional products guy, however.

He had stints as a soda jerk in 1963, worked in retail credit at Sears, Roebuck and Co., and served as a credit manager at Montgomery Ward. From 1973 to 1977, Williams made a lucrative living selling Native American turquoise jewelry, eventually becoming the national jewelry supplier for Montgomery Ward.

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BizMILESTONE continued from page 145 promotional product trade show in Las Vegas with his brother, Bob, who owned radio stations. “I was blown away,” he said. “It was a natural machine where there has to be a supplier and a distributor.”

He saw how magnets, calendars, mugs and other products could be customized to meet the needs of clients’ advertising or marketing efforts. Williams saw the power of promotional products, but was a bit leery about changing professions. “I didn’t want to go from selling thousanddollar bracelets to 49-cent pens,” he said.

At first, he didn’t realize how expansive the promotional products industry was. “Bob was strictly a pens and pencils and T-shirts kind of guy,” Williams said. “I was interested in the creativity.”

Once Williams became involved, he liked to solve marketing problems for companies.

“We have to rise above our competitors for our buyers’ attention,” he said.

Even in Tucson, Williams & Associates faces competition – there are an estimated 30 to 40 product competitors throughout the city compared to 12 when he started in 1977. The company also has served thousands of national and international clients, including Raytheon, Invisalign, Maui Jim, Marriott, Westin Kapalua, Wailea, L&L Manufactured Components, Tucson Roadrunners hockey team and American Airlines.”

Williams said that, in the company’s 45 years, it has survived some rough patches. But through hard work and dedication, they have persevered and continually rank in the Top 1% in sales in the nation out of 22,000 companies.

“Besides the honors and awards we’ve won,” said Williams, “Anne and I are especially proud of the fact that our average salesperson has been with us 35 years. Many have retired – but us – we’ll probably be here till we drop.”

Williams met his wife, Anne, in 1961 during a high school group trip to Flagstaff. Both had attended Camelback High School in Phoenix. They married two years later after their freshman year at the University of Arizona. Anne still runs the accounting department and serves as the company’s corporate treasurer. Their three kids also work for the company: Jeff, 46, Mike, 50, and Kim, 57, who works in Lahaina.

In 2016, the company was awarded the “Family Business of the Year” at the Counselor Awards, which honor resilient and innovative leaders in the promotional industry. Advertising Specialty Institute named Williams & Associates the No. 13 “Top Place to Work” in the nation.

“I never planned to work in the family business – it was never a thought,” said Mike Williams, who has been with the company for 21 years. “But 21 years ago, I was in a rut. I needed to find a job where I could better support my wife and kids. So, I asked my dad for a job. Thankfully, he felt I would make it as a salesperson.

“I love my job. I love that I get to come to work every day and see my parents. I look forward to the future of Williams & Associates. I hope someday my kids will want to be a part of the family business.”

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PHOTO BY BRENT G. MATHIS

Michael Adams Market President First Interstate Bank

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BizBANKING

First Interstate Bank is Back

Merger Returns Familiar Name to Tucson

By David Pittman A bank in Tucson has a new name with a familiar ring to it.

Great Western Bank became First Interstate Bank on May 23 when its parent, Great Western Bancorp, merged with First Interstate BancSystem.

Other than a change in signage, it’s difficult for bank visitors to see any difference at the branch at 3002 N. Campbell Ave. There have been no renovations to the bank building, no staff changes, and no policy shifts that would be noticeable to customers. To most, it’s business as usual.

First Interstate Bank had a large presence in Tucson until 1996 when it was bought by Wells Fargo. However, branches in Montana and neighboring states were not part of the purchase and they kept the rights to the name and identity.

Great Western Bank operated in nine states and had 170 retail offices. Combining Great Western with First Interstate creates an operation about twice as large with 320 retail locations in 14 states − Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Washington and Wyoming.

“The only state where both banks competed directly was a small area in South Dakota,” said Mike Adams, who, as group president at Great Western Bank, ran the company’s Southern Arizona division. There were six retail offices and a single business office. He now has the same job working for First Interstate. www.BizTucson.com

“First Interstate Bank, like Great Western, has always stressed being good community partners,” said Adams. “It’s something we don’t take lightly. Being a good community partner means you’re putting money into the community so families can grow, business can expand, jobs can be created, and the economy of the community can thrive.”

When the merger was first announced, Kevin Riley, president and CEO of First Interstate, called it a historic day for his company. “We are excited for this partnership with Great Western and believe our expansion into this new footprint will continue to build shareholder value over the long term,” he said.

First Interstate BancSystem, headquartered in Billings, Mont., bought Great Western Bancorp in an all-stock merger. The headquarters will remain in Billings.

Although Adams said bank clients on the outside will be unable to see noticeable change, employees will spot changes from the inside. For instance, he said workers from both companies are analyzing various banking systems to determine which organization reflects “best practice” standards recognized within the industry.

“I still have the same boss. I still work with the same credit people and it’s mostly business as usual,” he said. “But there will be change; and the changes that are made will benefit both organizations.”

Adams has some 40 years’ experience in banking in various leadership positions and is something of a veteran when it comes to bank acquisitions and mergers. After overseeing two California banks, he took a job managing some business units at Bank of the West in Northern California.

“When I joined Bank of the West it was a $2 billion bank, when I left 27 years later, it was up to $65 billion because we had several acquisitions,” Adams said. “Being at the forefront of that was fun and I got to travel a lot because I had a job running treasury management sales to people in 19 states. I was on a plane a lot.

“That’s the reason I came to Tucson nearly 14 years ago,” he added. “I wanted to get out of the traffic, get out of California, curtail the air travel and live in a smaller community.”

Banking runs in Adams’ family. His father managed six states for the Comptroller of the Currency in the U.S. Treasury Department.

Adams is a graduate of the University of Oregon where he studied literature.

He and his wife, Krystal, have three children, Blake, Mikaela and David.

Krystal is chief operating officer at Tucson Federal Credit Union.

“My father told me to go into banking and go through the training and I would learn about all types of industries and I could decide about what to do in life.

Forty years later, here I sit. I followed in my father’s footsteps. Banking was in his blood and he put it in my mine.”

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BizHONORS

RISING STARS TO WATCH

Tucson’s Next Generation of Leaders

By Loni Nannini BizTucson is proud to announce the list of 2022 Next Gen Leaders — 22 Rising Stars to Watch.

This group of leaders and visionaries are businessbuilders, changemakers, community creators and problem solvers who are working toward a prosperous future for Tucson and Southern Arizona.

Using 21st century skills, technology and innovation, they seek to build a region where current and future generations can thrive.

(All profiles by Loni Nannini)

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BizHONORS LANI BAKER

PRINCIPAL & CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER HOLUALOA COMPANIES

Lani Baker brings more than 20 years of experience in commercial real estate to Holualoa Companies, a commercial real estate asset management and development firm. Baker’s areas of expertise and responsibility encompass the planning, implementation and management of the company’s finance activities, including commercial real estate transactions, treasury, management reporting and investor relations.

A native Tucsonan, Baker received her bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Arizona’s Eller College of Management in 2002 and also earned an MBA. Baker is a member of the board of directors and past VP of the Lupus Foundation of Southern Arizona. She is also past president and board member of CREW and a member of Angel Charity for Children. She was a Tu Nidito Remarkable Mom in 2018 and the 2020 Women of Influence Real Estate Champion.

“In addition to our beautiful weather and scenery, Tucson is great because of the connectivity within the community. Depending on your interests, there are so many opportunities to be a part of the city’s growth and evolution.”

LINDSEY BAKER

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER JEWISH PHILANTHROPIES OF SOUTHERN ARIZONA

Lindsey Baker has always worked in nonprofit management. The skills she acquired nationally have returned with her to her hometown and to Jewish Philanthropies of Southern Arizona.

Baker built her nonprofit credentials on a bachelor’s degree in psychology and sociology from Emory University and an MBA from Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management. She also boasts 15-plus years of experience at Hands On Atlanta, Feeding America and other nonprofits in Atlanta, Chicago and Washington D.C. Baker said there is something magical about bringing the knowledge acquired in major metropolitan cities to the city where she was raised. She hopes to promote awareness about the robust opportunities for every generation in the region’s nonprofit sector.

“Nonprofits need leaders who know how to manage finances, raise funds, galvanize communities and mentor and lead staff — the same skills needed in the private sector. We need business people of all kinds who recognize that nonprofits can be a career path along with a way — speaking of board service — to build skills and give time, talent and treasure.”

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2022 Tucson’s Next Generation of Leaders RISING STARS

GUSTAVO CORTE

ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT FINANCIAL ADVISOR SCHAEFER PRESENT INVESTMENT GROUP/RBC WEALTH MANAGEMENT

Gustavo Corte, CFP®, earned his B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Arizona’s Eller College of Management in 2015. Corte, a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, passed the Series 7 and 66 securities exams and holds life, health, disability and long-term care insurance licenses in Arizona.

An advocate of affordable housing and mentorship, he is chair of the finance committee for Casa de los Niños and chair of the advocacy board for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southern Arizona. He is also a member of El Rio Vecinos, Tucson Young Professionals, the Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and Tucson Metro Chamber of Commerce Emerging Leaders Council.

Corte views Tucson as a growing hub of opportunity for young professionals and businesses of all sizes. “I see the dollars being invested in Tucson’s businesses and the arts, and that attracts young people. We are in a big boom in Tucson and that should continue over the next few years.”

STEVEN EDDY

MANAGER OF GOVERNMENT RELATIONS TUCSON ELECTRIC POWER AND UNISOURCE ENERGY SERVICES

As the manager of government relations for Tucson Electric Power and UniSource Energy Services, Steven Eddy represents and advances company and utility policies with federal, state and local elected officials, while also maintaining relations with government agencies, trade associations and community stakeholders.

A native Tucsonan and University of Arizona graduate, Eddy has been with TEP for 10 years. Prior to that, he held positions in land use planning, real estate development and economic development.

Eddy is active in the Tucson Conquistadores and the Centurions. He sits on the Arizona Chamber of Commerce Board and Industry and Arizona Tax Research Association. Additionally, he is chairman of District Four Board of Adjustments and chair of the Community Advisory Board for Arizona Public Media.

An avid outdoor enthusiast, Eddy believes that young people who enjoy nature will appreciate that Tucson is “a bicyclist paradise that offers two of the most treasured assets in America for cyclists, runners and hikers: Mount Lemmon and The Loop.”

The environmentally aware will also appreciate that TEP is at the center of clean energy transformation, he said.

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BizHONORS NATALIE FERNANDEZ LEE

PRESIDENT MERIDIAN WEALTH MANAGEMENT CO-CHAIR, AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION 2022 GO RED FOR WOMEN

Natalie Fernandez Lee makes it a priority to create the best financial experience for her clients.

Fernandez Lee discovered her passion for business while studying education at the University of Arizona. She developed her career over 10 years with Compass Brokerage and then partnered with her father, Ruben Fernandez, in 2007. In 2020 she spearheaded the opening of the Meridian Wealth Management Tucson office. Meridian manages $1.8 billion in assets and serves clients in 40 states through offices in five cities.

She and her team believe in creating individualized plans centered around trusted relationships with clients, which include individuals, families, small businesses and corporations, nonprofits and foundations.

The mother of five is committed to educating youth in finance and personal responsibility and to empowering women to command their financial futures.

She is co-chair for the American Heart Association’s 2022 Go Red for Women and serves on the board of directors for the Catholic Foundation for the Diocese of Tucson and Banner UArizona Advisory Council.

“As a native, I have watched Tucson leadership grow and develop and bring fresh and new ideas to complement the authentic character that makes Tucson so special.”

KENDALL FOSTER

CO-CHAIR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR, PASCUA YAQUI TRIBE TUCSON YOUNG PROFESSIONALS

A native of Tucson and the Gila River Indian Community, Kendall Foster wants to shine a light on the underserved Black and Indigenous communities through economic development.

Foster has utilized skills attained through the University of Arizona Eller College of Management to promote economic development with the tribal governments, assist with workforce development in sectors such as industrial sewing with Sonoran Stitch Factory, and launch native entrepreneurial courses with Startup Tucson.

The father of two believes that Tucson offers unparalleled opportunities for all entrepreneurs.

“Tucson is small but mighty: It offers a ‘big fish in a small pond’ mentality as opposed to some of the bigger cities where you can get lost. Entrepreneurs and artists can showcase their talents and quickly rise into the top five in their chosen category or industry.”

Foster is a member of Tucson Young Professionals and serves on the board of directors for University of Arizona Cancer Center, The Dunbar Pavilion and Boys to Men. Other passions include Twenty Five Twelve Collective Tattoo Studio, which he hopes will grow into Tucson’s first Black-owned and operated strip mall.

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2022 Tucson’s Next Generation of Leaders RISING STARS

MELISSA LAL

PRESIDENT LARSEN BAKER

Melissa Lal is the president and managing member of Larsen Baker. She handles all facets of Larsen Baker’s commercial development, brokerage and management divisions including investor and lender relations, property leasing, acquisitions and dispositions, and the financing of the company’s $300 million portfolio. Larsen Baker is the largest privately held retail property owner in Southern Arizona.

Lal graduated summa cum laude from the University of Arizona in 2005 with a bachelor’s degree in American literature and obtained her Certified Commercial Investment designation in 2011. She is a former president of the Southern Arizona CCIM Chapter and president-elect of Southern Arizona Chapter of Commercial Real Estate Women.

Lal, a member of Angel Charity for Children, praised Tucson as a great city because it is completely unpretentious.

“We know who we are. We are a million-plus population, but we feel like a small town. We resist growth. Summers are hot, but the nights cool down.

Homes are affordable. The reasons I love Tucson are sometimes the same reasons I hate it, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

JORDAN LANCASTER

CO-FOUNDER & CEO AVERY THERAPEUTICS

Jordan Lancaster is the co-founder and CEO of Avery Therapeutics, Inc., a Tucson-based regenerative medicine and therapeutics company dedicated to curing heart disease.

Lancaster earned his bachelor’s degree in molecular and cellular biology and a doctorate in physiology from the University of Arizona. He began as an assistant professor at UArizona College of Medicine and a member of the Sarver Heart Center. He serves on the Alliance of Regenerative Medicine’s Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering Committee and was named a senior member of the National Academy of Inventors.

He has been at the intersection of academia, science, biotechnology and entrepreneurship for more than a decade. “Avery Therapeutics is an amazing story,” he said. “The core technology started as an idea in the laboratory that we’ve continued to pursue and today we are on the forefront of ushering in a new class of medicine — cellular medicine — which has the potential to enable curative and transformative therapies for intractable diseases.”

As the company grows, he said it will bring new economic opportunity to Southern Arizona and put Tucson on the global map for biotechnology.

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BizHONORS JUSTIN LUKASEWICZ

PROGRAM MANAGER GREATER TUCSON LEADERSHIP OWNER & EXECUTIVE PRODUCER TUCSON IMPROV MOVEMENT

As the CEO of Greater Tucson Leadership, Justin Lukasewicz is committed to leadership development, recognizing people through their strengths and working to create a stronger community.

When he joined GTL as a program manager in 2021, Lukasewicz focused on improving access to programs. He has since worked to refine Lead Tucson and the Civic and Political Leadership Academy curriculums and helped launch GTL’s Tucson Youth Leadership Academy.

Originally from Pennsylvania, Lukasewicz earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Misericordia University in Dallas, Pa. He moved to Tucson in 2006 to pursue a master’s degree in higher education from the University of Arizona and fell in love with the desert. Lukasewicz worked at UArizona for over a decade, managing student groups and the training and development of more than 500 students and staff annually.

“As we face an ever-unpredictable world, our greatest asset is community leaders. As millennials step into leadership roles, GTL gives them the foundation to understand the community issues we are facing and how to make change in our community.”

CARSON MEHL

VICE PRESIDENT, COTTONWOOD PROPERTIES PRESIDENT, DOVE MOUNTAIN HOMES

Carson Mehl began his development career with projects in Texas, California and Colorado before returning to his hometown of Tucson in October 2009.

A 2004 graduate of Pepperdine University, Mehl is a licensed general contractor in Arizona.

He oversees sales and marketing for Cottonwood Properties, which develops residential communities, resorts, retail centers, office complexes and apartment communities in excess of $800 million across the region. As president of Dove Mountain Homes, he serves as general contractor of The Ritz-Carlton Residences and additional custom homes within Dove Mountain.

“In Dove Mountain, we are creating a community that celebrates and respects the natural beauty of the Sonoran Desert and enriches the lives of those who come to visit, play or choose to make it their home,” said Mehl.

Mehl said believes that natural beauty is the number one reason for young people to consider Tucson, as well as its affordability.

“There are a lot of terrific businesses based in Tucson, but a local career is not a prerequisite for living here with so many remote working opportunities across the country and world.”

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2022 Tucson’s Next Generation of Leaders RISING STARS

SHAIMA NAMAZIFARD

SBA BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT OFFICER VICE PRESIDENT WELLS FARGO

With more than 10 years in the commercial banking industry, Shaima Namazifard has held business lending positions in retail banking, business banking, commercial banking and Small Business Administration.

The University of Arizona graduate, who has an MBA from the University of Phoenix, takes a collaborative approach to lending. Her goal is to add value for clients and prospects by creating efficiencies for their businesses and providing solutions to their specific needs.

Namazifard is president of CREW Tucson and El Rio Vecinos. She also serves on the board of directors for El Rio Foundation, the Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, YMCA of Southern Arizona and Southern Arizona Land Trust.

She also is a member of Angel Charity for Children.

The Tucson native received the Wells Fargo 2019 Pinnacle Award and is gratified that work and service give her a front row seat to Tucson’s growth. “Tucson has a lot of heart and soul and we have so much to offer: It is a city built on relationships and it is very conquerable,” she said.

KENESHIA RAYMOND

INTERIM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TUCSON URBAN LEAGUE DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMS, STARTUP TUCSON AUTHOR, “FROM HOTMESS EXPRESS TO ACHIEVABLE GOALS”

As interim executive director of the Tucson Urban League, Keneshia Raymond is dedicated to empowering the Black community by dismantling systemic racism and securing generational prosperity through the advancement of social, economic and educational equity. Raymond’s diverse skill set includes more than a decade of extensive project management experience in the creation and cultivation of communities and small businesses.

She also utilizes those skills as the director of programs and access to capital for StartUp Tucson, where she is committed to building the startup community and increasing the quality and diversity of startups and small businesses.

A California native, Raymond relocated to Tucson five years ago. She realized immediately that “Tucson is a city that puts people first. It’s a place where people can come together and work to see change. By changing things here, we can change Arizona, the nation and then the world.”

“People starting businesses have more support and opportunity here than anywhere else. They have opportunities for growth from within. You can get a leg up that you wouldn’t in a bigger city,” she said.

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BizHONORS ANTHONY SCHAEFER

REALTOR/TEAM LEAD AT THE SCHAEFER TEAM AT LONG REALTY VICE PRESIDENT OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL AT LONG REALTY PRESIDENT, EL RIO FOUNDATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS TUCSON HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 40 UNDER 40 HONOREE

Tucson native Anthony Schaefer leads the Schaefer Team at Long Realty with a commitment to excellence and a heart of service. He has created notable value in the marketplace, earning 1926 Circle of Excellence Platinum recognition for three consecutive years.

A University of Arizona graduate, Schaefer is committed to improving the lives of those around him. He and wife Emily co-chaired the 2019 Cirque El Rio Gala and the 2022 American Heart Association Heart Ball Campaign.

Schaefer has held numerous offices within El Rio Vecinos and received the Vecino of the Year award. He has served as president and VP of Long Realty Cares Foundation, is a mentor for Social Venture Partners and has been recognized as a Rising Star with Tucson Real Producers.

“Tucson offers special opportunities for millennials as they can enjoy all the amenities of a larger city while they retain the personal touch and feel of a smaller town. Add a thriving cultural scene, notable affordability, natural beauty and growing economic opportunities, and Tucson makes a compelling case to plant roots and build a life.”

EMILY SCHAEFER

HOSPICE NURSE, HAVEN HOSPICE

Emily Schaefer proudly serves the Tucson community as a nurse with Haven Hospice. Previously, the University of Arizona College of Nursing graduate worked for 16 years with Banner University Medical Center as a registered nurse and manager consistently recognized for exemplary effort.

Schaefer, known for her big smile and loving heart, is focused on creating an impact to improve the health and wellness of the community where she was born and raised. She is a member of Angel Charity for Children and Soroptimist Desert Tucson.

Schaefer has teamed up with her husband, Anthony, to become the Dynamic Duo of Gen Y fundraising. The pair co-chaired the Cirque El Rio Gala in 2019, and most recently, the record-breaking 2022 Heart Ball - Miami Nights, which raised more than $750,000 for the American Heart Association.

“We believe health is wealth! By working together, we can raise up everyone around us! Our neighbors in the community deserve full, happy and healthy lives. Together, we can provide more resources and hope for those most in need.”

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2022 Tucson’s Next Generation of Leaders RISING STARS

JEREMY SHARPE

PRESIDENT SHARPE AND ASSOCIATES MANAGING PARTNER RANCHO SAHUARITA

As president of Sharpe and Associates, Tucson native Jeremy Sharpe oversees a four-decade multigenerational family operation that manages real estate investments, including master-planned communities, land development, commercial development and community management. Sharpe’s team led development of Rancho Sahuarita, an award-winning, master-planned community in Southern Arizona.

A graduate of the University of Arizona’s Eller College of Management MBA program, Sharpe is passionate about sustainability and building impactful places. He is a member of the Urban Land Institute, the Housing Innovation Alliance and Young Presidents’ Organization. Sharpe is also involved with the Southern Arizona Leadership Council and serves on the board of directors for Banner Health Foundation and Jewish Philanthropies of Southern Arizona.

“Since my early 20s, I have had opportunities to sit on boards and engage in the community in ways that colleagues may not be able to in larger markets like Phoenix, Denver and San Francisco. Another thing that sets Tucson apart is the affordable lifestyle we can create for our kids, with hiking, swimming and outdoor activities year-round. We can’t do that elsewhere.”

SHALANE SIMMONS

MANAGER, CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY RAYTHEON MISSILES & DEFENSE

A Tucson native, Shalane Simmons’ experiences as a Sahuaro High School student athlete and leader prepared her to be the first female manager of the University of Arizona women’s volleyball team. Earning a bachelor’s degree in communication, she was a marketing associate with UArizona’s athletic department before moving to Raytheon Missiles & Defense.

As manager of corporate social responsibility, Simmons organizes events, collaborates with business and community partners, manages donations and the grants budget, and supports CSR social media, public relations and advertising content.

Simmons is active in Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southern Arizona, the Gospel Rescue Mission and Girl Scouts of Southern Arizona. She serves on the board of directors for Southern Arizona Research, Science and Engineering Foundation and the W.A. Franke Honors College.

“There are so many choices for individuals to find meaningful careers here.

Tucson is a gem that is becoming more and more popular, but for us natives or anyone who has been here for a significant amount of time, we’ve known it all along!”

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BizHONORS ALLYSON SOLOMON

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, METROPOLITAN PIMA ALLIANCE DIRECTOR, PIMA COMMUNITY COLLEGE FOUNDATION BOARD NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF WOMEN IN CONSTRUCTION TUCSON “20 WOMEN LEADERS IN CONSTRUCTION 2020” GREATER TUCSON LEADERSHIP ALUMNI, 2013

A graduate of the University of Arizona Eller College of Management, Allyson Solomon is the executive director of Metropolitan Pima Alliance, an organization that works to create a prosperous community by promoting collaborative real estate development policies, building partnerships and finding common ground.

Solomon advocates to build a community to retain and recruit other young professionals in Tucson. She launched a program called Immersion, a nonpartisan, professional leadership development program that provides indepth knowledge about the specifics of regional construction, real estate and development sectors. It also seeks to bridge gaps between public and private sectors.

Solomon is a board member for the Pima Community College Foundation and champions efforts for young professionals to build both careers and social networks.

“Tucson is an easy place to settle into. The weather is great, there are many young families here, the food scene is unparalleled, the culture is hip and every weekend there is something happening with festivals and events. Plus, Tucson is all about location, location, location.”

DRE THOMPSON

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER TUCSON INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY

Dre Thompson is the CEO of the Tucson Industrial Development Authority, a nonprofit financial institution dedicated to investing in the equitable, sustainable and innovative future of Tucson.

Born in Sonora, Mexico, and raised in Tucson, Thompson earned a bachelor’s degree in political history and a master’s degree in social service administration from the University of Chicago. She is passionate about helping communities tackle vexing challenges through innovative and research-based initiatives.

Thompson’s experience includes economic development through startups, gang violence prevention in Chicago, universal pre-K in New York City, and helping national utilities engage customers in energy efficiency. She brings a deep understanding of policy and experience crafting community-wide initiatives.

Thompson lends her time to Tucson Young Professionals, the Women’s Foundation for the State of Arizona, the Tucson Metro Chamber Talent Attraction and Retention Task Force, Pima Community College Business Advisory Committee and the Tucson Innovation Partnership.

“There are so many exciting projects and people coalescing in Tucson. It is a great place for someone like me who is interested in leadership and helping to form the growth of the city.”

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JESSA TURNER

DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS TECH PARKS ARIZONA

Jessa Turner is passionate about building the community through universitybased economic development activities. For 18 years, she has worked at the intersection of innovation and university to advance Tech Parks Arizona, which comprises UA Tech Park, UA Tech Park at The Bridge and the UArizona Center for Innovation.

Turner prepares and executes communication strategies — including marketing materials, messaging and branding — that promote and publicize the facilities.

The UArizona alumni is a member of the Public Relations Society of America, president of the Southern Arizona PRSA Chapter and an award-winning practitioner. She is also an active member of the Association of University Research Parks communications special interest group, a graduate of the Greater Tucson Leadership class of 2013 and a member of GTL board of directors.

“I connect with Tech Parks across the world, and our international colleagues are applauding Tucson, our startup scene, and how we support business.

Young professionals can shine internationally for the work they are doing right here in Tucson,” Turner said.

HEATH VESCOVI-CHIORDI

DIRECTOR OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PIMA COUNTY GABE ZIMMERMAN PUBLIC SERVICE AWARD FOR EMERGING LEADER 2021

Heath Vescovi-Chiordi graduated with a bachelor’s degree in political science and Spanish from the University of Arizona in 2009, followed by a master’s degree in public administration with an emphasis on local government.

Vescovi-Chiordi’s focus within Pima County includes economic development and workforce development with a priority on sustainable and diverse growth. The ultimate goal is to increase the county’s viability for business attraction, retention and expansion. A certified Arizona Economic Development Professional, he designed a class at the UArizona School of Government & Public Policy that focuses on teaching economic development and local government administration.

Vescovi-Chiordi is a board member for Arizona Town Hall and Tucson Young Professionals and an appointee to the Arizona Judicial Performance Review Commission. Last year, he received the Gabe Zimmerman Public Service Award for Emerging Leader. He is also a member of the Tucson Metro Chamber of Commerce Emerging Leaders Council.

“I believe millennials and future generations have legitimate opportunities to shape the way that the community grows and the future of the entire region.

We have representation in areas of influence and can use that influence to impact progress and careers.”

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BizHONORS

2022 Tucson’s Next Generation of Leaders RISING STARS

RYAN VONDRAK

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER NOVA HOME LOANS

As CEO of NOVA Home Loans, Ryan Vondrak focuses on NOVA’s path of responsible growth while upholding the company’s three core values: provide borrowers with the best combination of service, rates, and fees; promote from within to provide employees with sustainable careers; and give back to the communities that NOVA serves.

Vondrak, a Tucson native and University of Arizona alumni, began his career in mortgage banking in 2003 with First Magnus Financial Corporation, where he became a key member of the Secondary Marketing team. He joined NOVA in 2010 and was instrumental in creating a Capital Markets division before his promotion to COO and subsequent promotion to CEO. The father of two considers it a privilege to lead NOVA, which is consistently ranked among the Top 50 Mortgage Lenders in the U.S. and recognized as one of the Best Places to Work in the Southwest.

“I look forward to NOVA continuing as a great community partner. Over the past 42 years, NOVA has expanded brick and mortar branches into Arizona, California, Colorado and Nevada, but Tucson will always be home.”

AMANDA WIGGINS

PRESIDENT & CEO MARANA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

A community builder and connector, Amanda Wiggins relocated to Marana with her family from Tallahassee, Fla., in 2020. As the president and CEO of the Marana Chamber of Commerce, her goal is to foster collaborations within the business community to propel it forward. Wiggins believes the community is a vital part of the region, state and nation; and recognition of the business community as a foundation for growth is imperative.

Wiggins honed her skills by developing community leaders through Leadership Tallahassee, where she found that community leadership is service-based in addition to skills-based.

“I believe in heart-based community leadership with compassion and connection,” said Wiggins, who has spoken at the Association of Leadership Programs’ national leadership conference and was featured in Tallahassee Woman’s “2020 Business Women to Watch.”

Wiggins also is a member of the Junior League of Tucson and the Western Association of Chamber Executives and Tucson Young Professionals. She encourages newcomers of all ages not to hesitate to become involved.

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H

BizMILESTONE

onoring 70 Years

Silver & Turquoise Board of Hostesses Supports Mission San Xavier del Bac

It’s history is 70-plus years in the making: Since 1950, the Silver & Turquoise Board of Hostesses has honored and supported the unique heritage of Tucson.

The group of prominent women, many whose families are interwoven through the historic fabric of the Old Pueblo for generations, holds a signature event each spring—the Silver & Turquoise Ball at the Arizona Inn. Since 1993, the board has gifted $800,000 to one of the most iconic symbols of the region’s history–the Mission San Xavier del Bac. “The Board of Hostesses was actually created as an arm of the Tucson Festival Society to promote, support and encourage the preservation of Tucson’s historical traditions and diverse cultural heritage,” said Barbara Peck, an active hostess and the 2015 ball chair. “It is truly an honor to carry on the tradition established by these amazing women.”

Peck, a public relations consultant and one of the founders of LP & G Marketing in 1991, is in good company. Early hostesses included Isabella Greenway, founder of the Arizona Inn and the state’s first U.S. congresswoman; Aurora Patania, jewelry designer and wife of the legendary silver and turquoise jeweler Frank Patania; Abbey Grunewald of Grunewald and Adams Jewelers; and Viola and Peggy Steinfeld, whose family owned downtown landmarks such as Steinfeld’s department store and the Pioneer Hotel.

Today’s roster of active and honorary hostesses

includes many other names synonymous with the progress of Tucson itself, including Almquist, Amos, Clements, Click, Drachman, Lovitt, Lyons, Ronstadt, Stilb, Sundt and Touché.

The Silver & Turquoise Ball has become the black-tie gala that caps off the spring season with distinctive old-world Southwestern elegance. This May, the group held its 70th anniversary ball, co-chaired

by Amy Bhola and Tara Kirkpatrick, which was delayed two years because of the pandemic.

The roots of the ball are signature Tucson: It originated as a potluck thank-you for volunteers of the now-defunct Tucson Festival Society, which staged events such as Pioneer Days, La Parada de los Niños and the Children’s Writing and Art Festival. When the potluck was disrupted by an untimely rainstorm, the event was moved to the Arizona Inn at the urging of Greenway. It has remained there ever since.

Before 1993, the Board of Hostesses’ proceeds went back to the Tucson Festival Society, but that year the board voted to distinguish itself from the society and gift its proceeds to the restoration efforts of the mission. That gift has since averaged about $30,000 each year.

“Tucson has such an important and rich history and culture. It makes our community such a wonderful place to live. For the hostesses, the ball is a highlight of the year. It is a special time to celebrate our unique heritage,” said Peck. continued on page 168 >>>

From left: Amy Bhola, co-chair of the 2022 Silver & Turquoise Ball; Tara Kirkpatrick, co-chair of the 2022 Silver & Turquoise Ball; and Lori Carroll, chair of the 2023 Silver & Turquoise Ball Summer 2022

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PHOTO BY BRENT G. MATHIS

By Loni Nannini

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continued from page 167 That appreciation is at the heart of the group’s gifts to the mission, located at 1950 W. San Xavier Rd. in the Tohono O’odham Reservation’s San Xavier District. Founded by Father Eusebio Kino in 1692, the mission is renowned as the finest example of Mexican Baroque architecture and art in the nation.

“The mission is the oldest European-inspired building in the state and one of the first to be designated as a National Historic Landmark,” said Miles Green, executive director of Patronato San Xavier, a nonprofit dedicated to the ethical conservation and preservation of the mission. “It is a very special place that continues to be an active parish serving the native people for whom it was built. It has a very special aura. For many people, there is something very moving about the church that is more than just its history.”

Green said the Board of Hostesses has been among the largest supporters of the Patronato over the last three decades. The gifts have been instrumental in all major projects ranging from the initial cleaning of interior artwork by Italian conservators and work on the ceiling of the Chapel and the Baptistry to conservation and preservation of the West Tower, the Sacristy Arcade and the recently completed East Tower.

“Donations from the Board of Hostesses have played a significant part in being able to move forward with all of those projects,” he said. “The mission has no sustaining support from religious or government entities, so we rely on organizations like the Board of Hostesses to partner with us in recognition that this building is probably the most deserving within our state for the kind of conservation work we are doing.”

The Patronato is preparing to launch two major projects in the next two years, including cleaning and conserving the interior artwork of the dome and work on the iconic facade, which will mark the first major conservation work in that area since the 1950s.

Peck, who also sits on the board of directors for the Patronato, said that the Board of Hostesses takes great pride in contributing to the mission’s conservation.

“This is a global treasure that has been placed on the World Monument Fund Watchlist. It is visited annually by over 200,000 visitors and pilgrims and is really a light to the world,” said Peck.

Because of the Board of Hostesses’ long history here, carrying its legacy forward is a priority, said Lori Carroll, who will chair the 71st anniversary ball on May 6, 2023.

“Tucson is really a special community and this is a unique group with so much insight into the area’s history,” said Carroll, founder of Lori Carroll & Associates, one of the region’s pre-eminent interior design firms. “They are accomplished, talented women with amazing backgrounds who work very hard, just like the members of so many other committees and groups in town. It is an honor to work with them and I hope I can meet their standards.”

Added Peck, “We are all so grateful to be part of this tradition and we feel a sense of responsibility to carry it forward for future generations.”

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BizAWARDS

Fast Pitch Class of 2022 from left – Lance Meeks of Goodwill of Southern Arizona, Rob Pecharich of Edge High School, Carolina Silva of Scholarships A-Z, Lisa Hansen of Power Over Predators, Cathy Lolwing of Felicia’s Farm, Colin Waite of Cooper Center, Jennie Hedges of FosterEd Arizona, Desiree Cook of I Am You 360, Bailey Hollingsworth of Clínica Amistad, and Anthony Pelino of Florence Immigrant and Refugee Rights Project.

Social Venture Partners Tucson Fast Pitch 2022

Region’s ‘Shark Tank’ Rewards Nonprofits

By Tom Leyde

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nations and $97,500 was handed out in on-stage awards, totaling $217,155 and donations were still coming in at press time. The money will be divided among the 10 nonprofits.

A look at the 10 nonprofits and the on-stage awards they received: • Power Over Predators: Fast Pitch by Lisa Hansen, Founder and Executive Director. $7,500 from the Dr. John Smith and Jane Ragle SVP Fast Pitch Founders’ Award sponsored

by Cande and Dr. Tom Grogan; Arizona Complete Health Community Transformation Award. $7,500; Founders’ Award sponsored by The David and Lura Lovell Foundation. $10,000.

• FosterEd Arizona: Fast Pitch by Jennie Hedges, Program Manager, Pima County. Audience Choice TEP Power to the People Award. $7,500 • I Am You 360: Fast Pitch by Desiree Cook, Founder and Executive Director. Connie Hillman Family Foundation Impact Award $12,500.

• Clínica Amistad: Fast Pitch by Bailey Hollingsworth. Connie Hillman Family Foundation Impact Award. $12,500.

• •

Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project: Fast Pitch by Anthony Pelino. SVP Tucson Award. $10,000.

Scholarships-AZ: Fast Pitch by Carolina Silva. Community Foundation for Southern Arizona Vibrant Community Award. $5,000. Anne Maley and Tim Schaffner Innovative Solutions Award. $5,000.

Each of the nonprofits received $2,000 from the Steve Goulding Celebration of Life Award, sponsored in memory of Steve by Peggy Goulding, including: • Cooper Center, University of Arizona Foundation: Fast Pitch by Colin Waite, Director • Goodwill Center of Southern Arizona: Fast Pitch by Lance Meeks, Metro/REC Senior Program Manager • Felicia’s Farm, Izi Azi Foundation: Fast Pitch by Cathy Lolwing, Executive Director Edge High School: Fast Pitch by • Rob Pecharich, Executive Director & District Principal

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PHOTO COURTESY SOCIAL VENTURE PARTNERS

Ten regional nonprofit organizations received a total of more than $217,000 in donations at the seventh annual Social Venture Partners Tucson Fast Pitch event this spring.

The event marked the first time in two years SVP Tucson held a public event because of the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 400 invited guests turned out at the University of Arizona Health Sciences Innovation Building in March.

SVP is a global network of some 3,500 individuals in 40 cities throughout 9 countries. Its goals including helping nonprofits realize their missions. This year, SVP Tucson is celebrating 15 years of impact in the community.

Representatives of the 10 nonprofits were mentored by SVP representatives and community members months ahead of their three-minute “fast” presentations seeking financial support: a sort of “Shark Tank” for such groups.

Short videos about the groups were screened prior to each presentation before a panel of 10 judges.

A matching grant of $40,000 was offered by the Connie Hillman Family Foundation. At the end of the event, $79,655 was raised from audience do-