BizTucson Summer 2024

BizLETTER

We are proud to present our fourth annual Women Leading the Region Awards, honoring the extraordinary women who advance Southern Arizona with their vision and dedication. These women are making an incredible impact in Alzheimer’s research, Black history and appreciation, broadcast journalism, childhood advancement, commercial and residential real estate, downtown development, economic policy, finance, law enforcement, retail, science, senior care, utilities and zoo operations. Writ ers Jay Gonzales, Tara Kirkpatrick, Tif fany Kjos, Dave Perry, Steve Rivera, Valerie Vinyard and Romi Carrell Witt man share their stories and accomplish ments in this summer edition.

Dave Perry also files an in-depth report on the Town of Oro Valley, which marks a milestone of 50 years of success. You’ll be impressed by the entrepreneurship, education, town government, pro-business environment, public art and sense of community that’s evolved in this municipality over the past half century. Perry writes “when Oro Valley was incorporated 50 years ago, it was envisioned as a bedroom community, cozy and low-key. The town had about 1,200 residents within 2ó square miles. In 2024, it’s estimated more than 48,000 people reside on 36 square miles of scenic desert generally west of Oracle Road, north of Ina Road and east of I-10.

The Southern Arizona region has caught the attention of economic development professionals across the country. Jay Gonzales provides a comprehensive overview of Sun Corridor Inc.’s recent Site Selectors Conference and key trends taking place. Tom Leyde provides a snapshot of the real estate economy after attending “The Power of Real Estate” summit at Tucson Convention Center a few months ago.

Loni Nannini files an in-depth Special Report on the Tucson Metro Chamber as “a conversation-starter, a change-maker and a community-builder for businesses of all sizes throughout Southern Arizona. Michael Guymon, Chamber president and CEO, says, “As a voice of business, we are working to create a stronger business ecosystem here in our region, and we want businesses to trust us to do that work. We have members on all sides of the political spectrum, but they all agree that the work we do collectively builds a stronger economic environment.”

We feature some exciting industry expansions and workforce development efforts. Writer Ken Cook covered Ascent Aviation’s recent groundbreaking of two new wide-body aircraft hangers this spring, broadening its regional footprint. Pima Joint Technical Education District celebrated the grand opening of its Bridges Campus Industrial Technologies Addition, including the Shirley Dail Construction Classroom and Lab presented by the Cornerstone Building Foundation.

Writer Rodney Campbell reports on the game-changing Mosaic Quarter, whose southside lease was just unanimously approved by Pima County and clears the way for a 90-acre project with an estimated $12.5 billion economic impact. He also features a preview of Pima Community College’s new expanded Center of Excellence for Health Professions on its West Campus, which will be completed this fall.

On the philanthropic front and benefitting the University of Arizona, Steve Rivera features the new state-of-the-art William “Bill” Clements Golf Center at Tucson Country Club. Ginny Clements also hosted a recent symposium at her namesake Breast Cancer Research Institute. Loni Nannini reports on its ambitious mission. Meanwhile, Christy Krueger details the Lovell Foundation’s plans to sunset after 30 years and $50 million in gifts to the community.

In closing, we are grateful for our loyal readers, the tremendous support of our advertisers and our exceptional editorial team and their high standards of journalism.

Steven E. Rosenberg Publisher & Owner BizTucson

Summer 2024 Volume 16 No. 2

Publisher & Owner Steven E. Rosenberg

Creative Director Brent G. Mathis

Contributing Editors Jay Gonzales Tara Kirkpatrick

Editor Emeritus Donna Kreutz

Contributing Writers

Rodney Campbell

Ken Cook

Jay Gonzales

Tara Kirkpatrick

Tiffany Kjos

Christy Krueger

Contributing

Photographers

Brent G. Mathis

Chris Mooney

Taylor Thoenes

Thomas Leyde

Loni Nannini

Dave Perry

Steve Rivera

Valerie Vinyard

Romi Carrell Wittman

Britta Van Vranken

BizTucson News Update (Email Newsletter) Brent G. Mathis Tara Kirkpatrick

Contributing

Technology Director

Contributing Project

Mike Serres

Coordinator Maricela Robles

Member:

American Advertising Federation Tucson DM-50

Metropolitan Pima Alliance

Oro Valley Chamber

Southern Arizona Leadership Council

Sun Corridor Inc.

Tucson Metro Chamber

Visit Tucson

BizTucson Magazine Issue 4 (ISSN 1947-5047 print, ISSN 2833-6739 online) is published quarterly for $16 per year by Rosenberg Media, LLC., 4729 E. Sunrise Dr., PMB 505, Tucson, AZ 85718-4534. Periodicals postage pending at Phoenix, AZ, and additional mailing offices.

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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS COMPANY EXPANSIONS & RELOCATIONS

Ajax Metal Forming Solutions

Ajax Metal Forming Solutions announced plans to expand its operations and provide sheet metal fabrication in Tucson.

Ajax purchased 30,162 square feet of space at 4646 S. Overland Drive. The full expansion over five years will add 20 jobs, primarily in operations and manufacturing, with an economic impact of $22 million. The facility is scheduled to become operational later this year.

Ajax offers a variety of manufacturing services, including progressive metal stamping, sheet metal fabrication, fiber laser cutting, press brake forming, robotic welding, finishing, assembly and kitting.

Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minn., the company specializes in producing tight-tolerance metal parts for Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and OEM suppliers. Ajax offers a wide variety of manufacturing services that cater to a wide range of industries, primarily HVACR, medical devices, transportation, architecture, power generation, engineered product, and consumer goods.

It selected Tucson as a site to expand production capacity to serve customers in the Southwest. Ajax also operates a plant in Raleigh, N.C.

“Tucson checked all the boxes for us − proximity to our customers, access to raw materials, good transportation infrastructure and a superior technical workforce,” said Ajax President Kent Djubek. “We’re especially looking forward to welcoming colleagues on board from the University of Arizona and Pima Community College”

American Battery Factory

American Battery Factory has formed partnerships with two leading automation companies to support its gigafactory currently under construction south of Tucson International Airport.

Lead Intelligent Equipment will collaborate on the custom, fully automated production line. From mixing and coating to stacking and packaging, machinery will cover every key step of the battery cell manufacturing process. In addition to the machinery, LEAD will initially provide onsite support including system installation, commissioning and training.

“Our collaboration with LEAD allows us to secure world-leading intelligent equipment, a significant milestone as we advance toward construction in the coming months,” Jim Ge, CEO of American Battery Factory, said in a news release.

ABF is also partnering with Honeywell which will provide central controls and digital visualization to increase operational efficiency, enhance safety and drive more energy-efficient production, the company said in a news release.

Honeywell’s manufacturing excellence platform known as Experion® Batch will help ABF optimize its manufacturing process and workflow. The technology will also assist in the collection of operations data while gathering insights about upcoming tasks or potential delays for operators. The technology should improve yields, reduced waste and achieve more energy-efficient and cost-effective battery production.

SkyWest Airlines

SkyWest Airlines, which operates through partnerships with United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, American Airlines and Alaska Airlines, is building a new aircraft maintenance hangar at Tucson International Airport (TUS).

The company has leased 14 acres at TUS and is building a nearly 160,000 square-foot maintenance, repair and overhaul facility which is expected to be completed in February 2025.

The full expansion over five years will add jobs primarily in operations, mechanics, general assembly and support staff. The total capital investment over the next five years will be approximately $41 million, resulting in a total economic impact of $105 million, according to Sun Corridor Inc.

SkyWest has operated in Tucson as a subtenant of Bombardier at TUS. The company said it needed to secure a larger facility and chose to continue its operations at TUS with a long-term lease to accommodate current needs and future growth.

SkyWest Airlines, with nearly 13,000 employees, carried nearly 39 million passengers in 2023. Headquartered in St. George, Utah, its fleet of nearly 500 aircraft connects passengers to 255 destinations throughout North America.

Partners in the project included the Tucson Airport Authority, Arizona Commerce Authority, Pima County and City of Tucson.

New Study Marks a Turning Point in Employee Health

Extensive analysis of community health and social influences reveals a significant impact on workforce health, productivity, and cost efficiency

By Patty Starr, President and CEO, Health Action Council, & Craig Kurtzweil, Chief Data & Analytics OfficerUnitedHealthcare Employer & Individual

A first-of-its-kind study reveals that community health and non-clinical social barriers have a much more profound impact on workforce health than previously recognized.

The report, which focused on Health Action Council (HAC) members’ claims across more than 217,000 cov-

ered lives, marks the first study to examine social factors within any claims data. It unveils some of the most comprehensive findings on social determinants of health (SDoH) – the conditions in which people live, learn, work, play, and worship – ever released at the member level.

Unveiling Community Divides

One of the white paper’s most striking takeaways is the connection between where employees live, its effect on their life expectancy, and costs for both employers and their employees.

• There is an extreme disparity in mortality rates among employees who work for the same company, across various states.

o When analyzing claims data across the 10 states with the most HAC members, South Carolinian employees are 55% more likely to die before age 75 than their Californian coworkers.

• Employees who live in less healthy states cost employers more.

o Approximately 66% of HAC members live within the 20 least healthy states, according to America’s Health Rankings data. If those members lived in the 20 healthiest states, the total covered per member per month (PMPM) amount would be reduced by $61 million — 7% of spend.

• Four in ten (41%) children have a parent battling at least one highrisk SDoH hardship, such as social isolation or financial, food or housing insecurities.

o Those children faced higher rates of suicidal ideation, depression, and ER visits.

• Thirty percent of adults are at risk for social isolation, which increases the risk of dementia by 50%, stroke by 32%, and heart disease by 29%.

“Community insights: Key factors that influence employee health,” the seventh annual white paper by HAC and UnitedHealth Group highlights crucial insights for HR and benefits managers to utilize when customizing their plans, ultimately helping to improve the health and productivity of their workforce.

o Adults diagnosed with a condition such as diabetes or depression face even higher rates of food insecurity and social isolation, respectively.

• Millennials have the highest rates of SDoH risk across generations, as 13% of them are facing three or more SDoH risks.

Taking Action

This study marks a turning point in benefits strategy, transitioning from the traditional focus on retrospective claims data, company culture, and budgets, to a more comprehensive approach. It emphasizes a need for employers to consider both the geographic locations of their employees and the associated community health and SDoH data to help advance employee health, boost productivity and optimize costs.

The evidence presented is a clear testament of the profound impact that strategic decisions can make in workforce health, operational efficiency, and business performance. For more than 13 years, HAC employers have experienced better health outcomes and beat industry trends, regardless of where their employees are based.

Here are three steps benefits managers can take to help lead this change for their employees and their dependents:

• Conduct comprehensive analysis: Broaden your data analysis by integrating geographic, community health, and SDoH risk factors. This expanded view should also consider identifying key subpopulations within your workforce to go beyond generic disease categories. Use this in-depth analysis to assess the impact of location on health outcomes and costs, factoring in state health rankings and regional health expenditures. A holistic approach allows for a nuanced understanding of your workforce’s health needs, setting the stage for more targeted interventions.

impact on employees and employers

“Putting the pieces together: Community Health and SDOH risk have widespread impact on employees and employers” section highlights implications with icons and higher PMPM costs

• Tailor health solutions: A one-sizefits-all approach is ineffective in addressing the diverse needs of your workforce. Recognizing the unique health challenges among your employee groups allows you to move beyond standard solutions to design health plans and initiatives that are truly reflective of your employees’ varied lifestyles. Engaging directly with employees to understand their specific concerns enables the development of custom tools and resources to help address individual health needs and foster a more inclusive and supportive workplace environment.

• Educate your workforce: Empower your employees with knowledge about the importance of timely healthcare access, the benefits of

establishing strong relationships with primary care providers, and the value of engaging in preventive healthcare practices. Educating your workforce is crucial in fostering a culture of health awareness and proactive health management, which may ultimately lead to improved health outcomes and enhanced organizational health.

By embracing these strategies, benefits managers can spearhead transformative health management initiatives within their organizations. This approach helps ensure that interventions are grounded in comprehensive data analysis, tailored to meet individual needs, and enhanced by educational efforts to foster a proactive and informed culture of health.

Health Action Council is a not-for-profit organization representing large employers to enhance human and economic health through thought leadership, innovative services, and collaboration.

Scan QR code to view the full Health Action Council White Paper

Katia Jones

The Women’s Foundation for the State of Arizona appointed Katia Jones as its new CEO. Jones brings over two decades of experience in development and donor relations to her new role, having joined WFSA in 2021. Jones holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Georgia and an MBA from the W.P. Carey School at Arizona State University.

CrossFirst Bank, a subsidiary of CrossFirst Bankshares, has hired veteran banker Xavier Manrique as its local market president. Manrique has 25 years of banking experience with extensive knowledge in business and middle market banking. He’s an adjunct faculty member at the Catholic University of America in Tucson and volunteers as diversity coordinator with the Notre Dame Club of Tucson.

Business Succession Planning is a Vital Step in Your Retirement Plan

Make business succession planning a priority to help achieve family wealth, philanthropic giving and personal retirement goals.

Early planning can help achieve personal, philanthropic or family wealth goals.

When it comes to creating a business succession plan, one early step should be determining an answer for the ageold question, “what’s the meaning of life?”

That may seem complicated or cloudy, but evaluating your life goals in retirement should be part of your calculation for how you plan to carry on your business once your working days are over.

Keep or Sell

A primary question to answer when stepping away from an owned business is whether you wish to sell it entirely or keep a stake in it. It’s common for business owners to experience remorse in the short term after selling due to a lost sense of purpose. Having a plan for a third act is important. This could mean staying involved in the business to a lesser extent, or it could mean taking on new challenges outside of the business.

Keeping the business, though, creates a new set of decisions about who will succeed in a leadership role, whether that’s a family member or a trusted employee; what does a limited role look like for you; and how do you transfer the business efficiently financially when you’re ready to limit your stake?

Selling can create a financial windfall but is a big decision in its own right.

How will you handle the proceeds of your sale? What do you want to accomplish in retirement; do you have family goals or considerations for generational wealth; are there philanthropic causes that you hope to support?

Your goals in retirement, whether they be personal, philanthropic, or passing along wealth to heirs, will come at a cost. Determining what it costs to achieve those retirement goals and how your business succession plan can work to fund them is key.

Cost of doing nothing

A key to making your business succession goals a reality is to start planning as early as possible. A succession plan should be part of your family business from its early days. Planning early allows for your plan to be flexible and

account for family or business governance concerns, shifting financial goals and future tax implications of the sale or transition of your business. Each plan should contain essential steps:

• Understand the cost of your lifestyle – Know what part the income and wealth generated by your business plays in paying for your current life and future goals.

• Perform due diligence – Evaluate honestly any potential problems within your business, so they can be remedied before a sale.

• Understand value – Consider what drives the most value for your business and document it, so you can monitor and maximize that value over time.

Jeffrey Quijano PNC Private Bank market leader for Arizona

• Decide early – Evaluate the estate and transfer tax liabilities in your state so you can gift or transfer your business over time in a tax efficient manner.

Succession planning is important to ensure that your business carries on once you no longer wish to be fully involved, but it’s also an important part of achieving your personal retirement goals. Creating a succession plan early in the life of your business can create the flexibility you need to ensure your legacy – and your assets – are passed along according to your desires. Contact Jeffrey Quijano, PNC Private Bank market leader for Arizona, at Jeffrey.quijano@pnc.com or 602-603-7093.

Dream Reality

Dr. Andrew Weil

Center for Integrative Medicine Opens Its New Home

By Christy Krueger

Dr. Andrew Weil, the father of integrative medicine, has always dreamed of having a dedicated center to continue and expand his mission of bringing the field into mainstream medicine. After years of working out of a small, cramped house north of the University of Arizona campus, the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine has found a new home.

The 30,000-square-foot facility opened with a public open house on May 4. The complex is made up of three buildings, each representing one of the three aspects of the whole person – mind, body and spirit

Weil says as far as he knows, he invented the term “integrative medicine.”

“I certainly popularized it,” he noted. He defines the term as “the combination of conventional medicine and natural therapies and treatments not typically taught in medical school.”

His goals have always included educating the public and those in the medical field on the advantages of integrative medicine and striving for its acceptance. He’s written books and given seminars geared toward the general public. “I stress to have confidence in your body’s

ability to heal. It’s been one of my major goals.”

He’s also responsible for convincing medical schools, including UArizona College of Medicine, to add curriculum to their programs. “It’s becoming a mainstream movement,” he said. “Medical schools have dedicated programs to integrative medicine. Our medical school has graduated 3,000 in the program.”

The architectural design of the new buildings was by Line and Space, a Tucson firm. “Esther Sternberg worked on the environmental aspects with all nontoxic materials to promote wellness,”

Weil said. “Now we can do events, and everyone is in one place. We want to open a clinic there to see patients. We hope to have it open by middle of the year.”

Of course, having classrooms and research space is an important part of the center’s function. Medical students and residents have rotations there, according to Weil. And upcoming research projects include comparing patient success and costs between conventional medical treatments and integrative practices.

Each of the three buildings making up the complex has a dedicated theme and continued on page 28 >>>

continued from page 26

purpose. The spirit building has a tranquil environment for meditation and spiritual engagement. The mind building houses the administrative functions. The Iris Cantor building represents the body and houses education and wellness programs, with funding coming from Iris Cantor and the Iris & B. Gerald Cantor Foundation.

Since her sister’s passing at the age of 29 from breast cancer, Iris Cantor and the foundation have been regular donors to the field of medicine as well as the arts. “In medicine we champion institutions at the forefront of biomedical research and compassionate care,” she said. “The Andrew Weil Center encapsulates the type of project that aligns with our core mission, so we wanted to make sure his center became a reality.”

Cantor’s journey to Tucson from New York began with her longtime friendship with Weil. “What Andy is pioneering at UArizona is truly groundbreaking and has the potential to impact countless lives worldwide,” she said. “Andy understands that the healthcare system

is fundamentally broken. The new facility will be the perfect place to facilitate the research needed.”

As the new complex opened, a changing of the guards occurred. Dr. Stephen

“For a very long time I dreamed of having a physical center that embodied our dream.”

– Dr. Andrew Weil Founder Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine

Dahmer is the new director of the center. “I gave up the position and I’m now called the founder of the center,” Weil

said. He noted that he and Dahmer have similar interests and goals. “He’s interested in psychedelic medicine, clinical services, education and culinary medicine, which is becoming a movement in this country.”

The realization of the new facility has been a prolonged wait for Weil. It’s been 30 years since he created the world’s first program in integrative medicine at the UArizona College of Medicine. “For a very long time I dreamed of having a physical center that embodied our dream.” But past UArizona presidents were not fully supportive, and there was a lack of funding, he said. That all changed when Dr. Robert C. Robbins came along.

“This wouldn’t have happened without President Robbins,” Weil stated. “When we first met, he told me he was a big fan of my work. He wanted to visit the center and he promised to get us a building. He helped find some of the money for the building. It’s a wonderful space. You can feel the energy of the space. We’re on the brink of great expansion.”

Pictured above from left – Lex Hemeyer, SVP, Business Development, Arizona Commerce Authority; Jeffrey McClure, Vice Chair, Pinal County Board of Supervisors; Joe Snell, President & CEO, Sun Corridor Inc.; Ed Honea, Mayor, Town of Marana; Dave Querio, President & CEO, Ascent Aviation Services; Gov. Katie Hobbs; Jared Rubenstein, Director of Equity Group, Monroe Capital, LLC; Scott Butler, Chief Commercial Officer, Ascent Aviation Services; Jared Hellums, CEO, Constructable; Jim Petty, Director, Airport Economic Development, Pinal County

Gaining Altitude Ascent Aviation Services Expands Regional Footprint

Ascent Aviation Services broke ground on two new wide-body aircraft hangers this spring at Pinal Air Park in Marana, offering the region an expanded presence from a kingpin aircraft company in the U.S.

With the expansion, Ascent triples its Marana facilities, growing from 100,000 square feet to almost 300,000 square feet of maintenance and conversion space. There is an additional 60,000 square feet of storage and shop space.

“The construction of these two hangers reflects our long-standing commitment to grow our footprint in Southern Arizona and to provide long-standing stability to all of our team members,” said Dave Querio, Ascent president and CEO.

Ascent Aviation Services is one of the largest independent aircraft aftermarket services providers in the world, offering heavy maintenance, component MRO, flight line, storage and reclamation services for wide-body, narrow-body, and regional aircraft. Ascent is a Class IV FAA 14 CFR Part 145 certified repair station and has maintained a robust workforce in Arizona for over 40 years.

“This investment not only enhances our aerospace capabilities, but also underscores the collaborative and regional spirit of our community,” said Joe Snell, president and CEO of Sun Corridor Inc., the region’s economic development arm. “Together, we continue to position Southern Arizona as a leader in aviation innovation, driving economic growth and prosperity for generations to come.”

Other impacts from this expansion include:

By Ken Cook

• Adding 300 new jobs to an existing workforce of 600, with 130 already hired, bringing the total to 900 employees in Marana.

• Increasing revenue and man-hours by 50%.

• A $55 million capital investment for the new hangers, and an additional $10 million capital investment for the storage and shop space.

Querio added, “With our long-term partnership with the world’s leader in passenger-to-freighter modifications, Israel Aerospace Industries, Ascent continues to execute on our aggressive and methodical expansion of capabilities for our global network of customers.”

A 15-year contract with IAI involves engine overhaul, component overhaul, and composite overhaul services. IAI is Israel’s major aerospace and aviation manufacturer, producing aerial and astronautic systems for both military and civilian usage. Upon completion of the hanger development, the Marana operation will convert two lines of Boeing B777-300ER aircraft.

In a global company, Ascent could have chosen anywhere to locate its new facility. Querio indicated that several locations were under consideration, including Roswell, N.M.

In the end though, Querio indicated that Ascent wanted to keep the focus in Southern Arizona. Project partners, including the State of Arizona, Town of Marana, Sun Corridor Inc., Pinal County and Pima County, influenced Ascent’s leaders and its ownership group Monroe Capital to choose the Pinal Air Park in Marana.

“For more than 40 years, Ascent has

maintained a strong and continuous presence in our state − bolstering our robust aviation industry and bringing hundreds of jobs to the region,” said Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs, who attended the Mar. 29 groundbreaking. “Today’s announcement is the beginning of what is sure to be another 40 years of partnership, collaboration and innovation that will move our state and country forward. Not only will this expansion grow Ascent’s existing Arizona footprint, it represents a $55 million-dollar capital investment in this community and will create more than 300 new, good-paying jobs.”

Ascent’s expansion also continues to bolster the region as a thriving aerospace & defense megaregion that includes 200+ companies, 25,000+ employees, and 4,000+ aerospace technology graduates. Anchored by Raytheon, University of Arizona, Pima Community College and Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Southern Arizona offers the industries a deep supply chain presence here.

PCC’s Aviation Technology Center, an 87,000 square-foot, hands-on learning center adjacent to Tucson International Airport, is training a workforce to meet the region’s aeronautical needs. UArizona also powers this area as a Space City of the Southwest with its Space Institute, Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, engineering and optical science departments.

In addition to Raytheon and Ascent, Tucson is also home to other aerospace companies such as Bombardier, Sargent Aerospace & Defense, Universal Avionics, Parker Meggitt, and FreeFall Aerospace.

Social Venture Partners 2024 Fast Pitch

Eight Nonprofits Benefit from Annual Event

Eight Tucson nonprofits received thousands of dollars for their agencies at the ninth annual Social Venture Partners Fast Pitch Tucson event where they each convinced a panel of judges they were worthy of financial support.

Fast Pitch lets selected nonprofits present their programs to a panel of judges who decide how much money the groups are allotted. A representative from each group presents a video and a sales pitch. Presenters are mentored by professionals in marketing and donor relations to prepare for the pitch.

“Meaningful change requires more than financial support: It necessitates a holistic approach that combines re-

By Tom Leyde

sources, expertise and a genuine commitment to driving sustainable solutions,” SVP CEO Ciara Garcia said during the evening’s program at the Fox Tucson Theatre on Mar. 26.

SVP Tucson began in 2006 to boost the growth, development and sustainability of Southern Arizona’s nonprofits. It’s an engaged community of partners working to provide sustainable solutions for social impact.

“We are driven by the belief that through the power of collaborations and strategic philanthropy, we can overcome some of the most pressing challenges in Southern Arizona,” Garcia said.

Fast Pitch is just one of SVP’s pro-

grams. It is designed to accelerate nonprofit growth each year. At this year’s event, $120,000 was awarded, with more coming from pledges made online and by phone the night of the event.

Here are the eight nonprofits and the awards they received:

Children’s Clinics:

Presented by Amy Serafin, development and communications specialist. $5,000 Southern Arizona Community Foundation Vibrant Community Award; $2,000 Steve Goulding Celebration of Life Award. Children’s Clinics offers Southern Arizona families a unique environment to meet their chilcontinued on page 34 >>>

BizAWARDS

continued from page 32

dren’s health care needs with more than 25 medical and dental specialty clinics, primary care and therapy services under one roof.

The Haven:

Presented by Emilia Honkasaari, communications and development director. $10,000 Hillman Family Foundation Impact Award; $7,500 Arizona Complete Health Community Transformation Award; $2,000 Steve Goulding Celebration of Life Award. The Haven provides effective, affordable substance abuse recovery for women in a family-inclusive environment. Its residential treatment center and outpatient clinic welcomes clients along with their children and families.

BorderLinks: Presented by Ren Manning, co-director of education. $5,000 Alexander | Carrillo Consulter Do Gooder Award; $2,000 Steve Goulding Celebration of Life Award. BorderLinks offers experiential learning opportunities that explore the difficulties of migration and life along the U.S.Mexico border. Its aim is to educate individuals through interactive experiences.

Special Needs Solutions:

Presented by David Gordon, executive director. $10,000 Tucson Electric Power Power to the People Award; $10,000 Judges Award; $5,000 Anne Maley & Tim Schaffner Innovation Solutions Award; $2,000 Steve Goulding Celebration of Life Award. Special Needs Solutions creates custom made furniture, clothing, devices and equipment that help individuals with disabilities progress physically, emotionally and cognitively.

Interfaith Community Services: Presented by Jorge Ruiz, program outreach coordinator. $15,000 Connie Hillman Family Foundation Impact Award; $7,500 Banner University Health Plans Family Care Community Award; $2,000 Steve Goulding Celebration of Life Award. The mission of ICS is to provide pathways for more stable and self-sufficient lives.

TMM Family Services, Inc.:

Presented by Rebekah Welch, marketing and community outreach manager. $10,000 Joyful Life Award in Honor of Dr. Craig Watson; $2,000 Steve Goulding Celebration of Life Award. TMM serves vulnerable citizens in Southern Arizona through affordable housing, education and home repair, and other supportive services.

Parent Aid:

Presented by Sean McClintock, fatherhood support facilitator. $10,000 Joyful Life Award in Honor of Dr. Craig Watson; $2000 Steve Goulding Celebration of Life Award. Parent Aid works to prevent child abuse by strengthening families in the community. Its vision is that all children are raised in loving homes.

Casa de los Niños:

Presented by Kimberly Gutierrez, donor relations specialist. $10,000 Joyful Life Award in Honor of Dr. Craig Watson; $2,000 Steve Goulding Celebration of Life Award. For 49 years, Casa de los Niños has served the Tucson community to prevent child abuse and neglect and to support and empower families.

2024 Flinn-Brown Fellows Include Four Pima County Leaders

The Arizona Center for Civic Leadership at the Flinn Foundation’s leadership program selected four leaders from Pima County as part of its 2024 Flinn-Brown Fellows.

They are:

Tina Dorsey: Vice President, Commercial Banking, JPMorgan Chase and Co.

Manuel Felix: Founder & CEO, AZ Cyber Initiative

The Honorable Alexa Lucchese: Government Affairs Manager, Cox Communications

Erica Yngve: President/Owner Sonoran Stitch Factory; President/Owner, Postcraft Products

The 16th cohort of the nonpartisan Flinn-Brown Fellowship includes 28 leaders from the private and public sector, elected officials, founders of nonprofit organizations and companies, physicians, lawyers, educators and more.

“We are delighted to introduce a new group of Arizona civic leaders of many political perspectives, life experiences, and career paths to the Flinn-Brown experience,” said Dawn Wallace, Flinn Foundation VP of civic leadership.

The 2024 fellows will participate in the fall FlinnBrown Academy, an intensive public policy institute that begins with the Aug. 16 Flinn-Brown Convention. The first of 12 academy sessions will begin the following week.

Topics will span public finance and infrastructure to criminal justice and human services. The focus of the interactive all-day sessions is on policy, politics, and sharing key perspectives on solutions to Arizona’s pressing challenges from top elected and appointed officials, and subject-matter experts.

The fellows, selected through a competitive process, represent nine Arizona counties: Cochise, Coconino, Graham, Maricopa, Mohave, Pima, Pinal, Yavapai, and Yuma.

Tina Dorsey

Alexa Lucchese Erica Yngve

Manuel Felix

What Do Site Selectors Think? Sun Corridor Inc. Leadership Forum

Sun Corridor Inc. hosted a panel discussion Apr. 18 with six prominent site selectors to provide the business community with some of their insight into how decisions are made and what they look for in selecting sites for companies. The following are the highlights of the question-and-answer period before attendees at the Fox Tucson Theatre. The comments are lightly edited and condensed.

Joe Snell, president and CEO of Sun Corridor Inc., moderated the panel and asked the questions. The panel members were:

• Brian Corde, Owner and Managing Partner, Atlas Insight

• Laura DeFouw, U.S. Tax Partner, KNAV Advisory

• Jeffrey Garza Walker, Executive Vice President, NAI Horizon

• Amy Gerber, Executive Managing Director, Cushman & Wakefield

• Joe Gioino, Senior Managing Director, Global Corporate Services, Newmark

• Bhargava Kotapalli, Workforce Analytics Consultant, Newmark

By Jay Gonzales

Q: After the last couple of days, I was surprised to learn that Tucson and Southern Arizona fill in the blank.

Gerber: I was really surprised by the industry diversity that I saw, I didn’t realize you had your fingers in so many different types of industries.

Walker: I was just really surprised at how ready Tucson is to step into the next whatever-you’re-going-to-be, and I think, with that said, you’re still going to keep who you are.

DeFouw: What I was genuinely surprised about is the genuine sense of community from everybody. Everybody who’s here for the long haul genuinely loves this place, leans into the culture, and has the long-term best interests for everybody and is working as a community.

Q: How has site selection changed since COVID, and do you think those changes are here to stay?

Gerber: We still have companies that don’t know how they want to run their facility. I would have thought by now we would have our arms around that a little bit better. There are definitely some

companies that have, but you’re still seeing some messaging coming out about getting people back to the office. What’s really surprising is how long that hangover has lingered from COVID.

Corde: Developing a little bit more of a cushion with inventory and then developing your supply chain to be a little bit more resilient and not so reliant on one source are the primary industrial trends that I’ve seen coming out of COVID.

Walker: As we started to look at our supply chain, we needed to have closer intermodal ports. We needed to have more resiliency in that supply chain because what we learned is, when these issues happen, we want to be able to rely on ourselves. Companies are looking for supply chains that are more resilient, where they can be able to pivot and place themselves.

Q: How are the upcoming national elections impacting decisions by companies on whether to relocate or expand?

continued on page 38 >>>

Center picture – The forum panel from left Moderator Joe Snell, president and CEO, Sun Corridor Inc. Site selectors: Bhargava Kotapalli, Newmark; Amy Gerber, Cushman & Wakefield; Brian Corde, Atlas Insight; Jeffrey Garza Walker, NAI Horizon; Laura DeFouw, KNAV Advisory; Joe Gioino, Newmark.

continued from page 37

Corde: I think that whenever you’re in an election year where the outcome is somewhat undetermined, there’s a certain element of risk there, and companies would rather just sit still for a little bit. From Atlas Insight’s perspective, what we’ve seen slow down is decisions. Companies are taking a little bit more time.

Q: As global manufacturing shifts from being so concentrated in China, how would you describe the opportunity for Southern Arizona to become part of that supply chain of the rapidly growing manufacturing base in Mexico?

Walker: Opportunity is on your doorstep. What you need to be ready for is how you’re going to respond to it. Developers on the Baja (California) side want to build a port, and they see Nogales as the direct line to be able to come up through that port. You are going to be the beneficiary of what’s happened. I would also point out that Mexico has now overtaken China for manufacturing.

Corde: Having potential border issues, and not just closures but even slowdowns, is really making companies think twice about do I want to be across the border or do I want to be close to the border, but be on still on this side? There are a lot of advantages that you have in this market right out of the gate just for that reason alone.

Q: What are your impressions of Southern Arizona’s ability to meet talent workforce needs for current and prospective employers?

Kotapalli: I was happy to see what the community college is doing, how the university is developing programs, and how the connection between industry and all the institutions is coming along. The problem essentially comes back to a very base issue − population and labor force. At some point, you will have to attract more people here to be more competitive.

Gioino: The most important thing is recognizing that you have a problem and you’re addressing it. You recognize there are individuals that are in the community that need additional skills, and you’re working towards bringing them into the market and getting them the skills they need.

Q: When it comes to incentives for advanced manufacturing, what types of state and local incentives have helped communities position themselves to win?

DeFouw: Where I’ve seen the most success is communities that have the ability to be flexible with their incentives because every company is different. Having just a formula is helpful to understand exactly what’s going to happen, what cash flows are going to be, but that can sometimes be restrictive, especially if you’re trying to do something different. For a community like this, having flexibility provides the most benefit.

Gioino: I have a project that is going to build a daycare facility on site. Everywhere we went, when we did interviews, people at every single company said, if you offer daycare, you’ll be one of the premier employers in the community. It’s a huge issue.

Corde: Part of the issue with childcare is the barriers that we’ve put up to establishing a childcare facility. I’m certainly not recommending that we just erase all the controls and laws and things like that, because it is extremely important to make sure that these facilities are well maintained and well run. However, there are a lot of barriers that do seem to be overly challenging.

Q: We know from experience that winning new investments requires really strong regional collaboration among our public, private, academic and economic development partners. Can you provide some examples of some of the most successful regional economic development efforts that have seen really great returns?

Gioino: You look at the big ones – the Amazon HQ. Every community got together, did the applications and really realized that you can’t be an island. You really have to work together to attract companies because it sends a message to the client, to our clients. They don’t want to see a community that’s not together.

Gerber: I think regionalism is key to any success. Looking at it from a whole of winning as a region first, and then figuring out where in that region is that building going to go, we’ve just beat out all the other regions, that’s a big win. And that includes utility providers, that includes the cities, the counties, the state, it really takes everybody these days to get a deal done, because they are so complex today.

Corde: Playing the regional game, not only from a community perspective, but also from an organizational perspective and economic development organizational perspective, has been the best thing that I’ve seen in all the years that I’ve been doing economic development.

Q: What should we stop doing? What should we improve on?

Gioino: I think you need to follow a plan. Everyone needs to be rowing in the same direction. I always ask every community, what’s the plan? Is there consensus on a plan? If there’s not, that says something.

Gerber: Our RFPs right now are going directly to the utility with one question: How much power can I get at this existing building? It’s having some of that product out there, even if it’s not big enough, but allows the company to come in, it really helps them move quickly and at a lower cost. So there are some projects out there that you could win by just having that asset in place.

Corde: The number of incentive dollars that are not being adequately spread around the rest of the state is a major issue. It just seems to me that this area of the state is so economically important.

Our Women Leading the Region issue is always one of our favorites to present each year and 2024 is no exception. We are proud to feature 15 dynamic women succeeding in numerous industries that elevate the region.

In our fourth year producing this package, BizTucson honors a group of women making an incredible impact in Alzheimer’s research, Black history

By Tara Kirkpatrick

and appreciation, broadcast journalism, childhood advancement, commercial and residential real estate, downtown development, economic policy, finance, law enforcement, retail, science, senior care, television, utilities and zoo operations.

It’s a magnificent and diverse list of people who benefit and advance Southern Arizona.

As always, we are indebted to Gadabout SalonSpas for its partnership in this package each year and we are so grateful to its team for providing hair and makeup services for the honorees. We are also so thankful to photographer Chris Mooney for his outstanding photos.

continued on page 44 >>>

LANI BAKER

Principal Partner, Chief Financial Officer Holualoa Companies

By Romi Carrell Wittman

Lani Baker doesn’t like to sit still.

“I don’t like being bored,” she said. “I’m always learning something new or taking on a different challenge.”

That’s precisely how she became Principal Partner and CFO of Holualoa Companies, a real estate investment firm with global assets.

Adapting to change is Baker’s second nature. At the University of Arizona, she originally selected psychology as her major. “When you’re at that age, it’s fascinating to you. But I quickly switched.”

After graduating from UArizona’s Eller College of Management with an accounting degree, Baker hit the job market. Holualoa quickly snapped her up and she’s has thrived there for the past 22 years.

“Holualoa has a very collaborative culture,” she said. “It allows everyone to have a seat at the table.” Baker added that this inclusive culture allowed her to learn and contribute to numerous projects.

Rick Kauffman, CEO of Holualoa Companies, said Baker’s contributions are critical to the company’s continued success. “Lani’s skill and work ethic have been integral to Holualoa’s success. We are fortunate to have her as a partner.”

With several projects in the pipeline, Baker keeps busy. “We’re about to break ground on our newest hotel development in North Phoenix,” she said. The company is also developing several multifamily projects in Phoenix and Tucson.

Baker acknowledges that the historically male-dominated commercial real estate industry can be challenging for women.

“Twenty years ago, I would go into meeting and I’d be one of the few or the only woman in the room. That has changed. Creating change is creating progress.”

Baker attributes her success not only to her partners at Holualoa, but also professional organizations like Commercial Real Estate Women in Tucson. “CREW is a great organization to help women in real estate progress. I’ve made lifelong friends and it’s great to see the organization grow and achieve it’s mission.”

Baker is chair of ULI Arizona’s Mixed Use Product Council, a member of TMC Health Foundation and a member of Angel Charity for Children. She’s also a former board member for the Lupus Foundation of Southern Arizona.

Her advice to young women is simple: Be curious. “Don’t be afraid to not know something. Learn processes and procedures. Raise your hand.”

She hopes women realize its possible to have a successful career, engage in community organizations, and be a wife and mother. “I’m not always successful in keeping all the balls in the air. But, if one of them falls, you can always pick it up and throw it a little higher.”

PHOTO BY CHRIS MOONEY

CATHIE BATBIE-LOUCKS

Senior Director, Content and Creative Services

KVOA News 4 Tucson

By Steve Rivera

When Cathie Batbie-Loucks was a little girl, she wanted to be on TV for a noble reason.

“My dad was in the military and was overseas,” she said. “I would watch CNN as a little girl in hopes of seeing my father on TV because CNN was the only network at the time that really showed a lot of military personnel in front of a television. I had the hope I could see my dad.”

Batbie-Loucks decided she’d grow up and show “all the other military kids what their parents were doing (overseas),” she said. “That was my goal.”

She started her career in Indiana at WTWO-TV in production, then weekend director and reporter. At KVOA, she’s been a producer, assignment manager, assistant news director and news director before her current post as senior director of content and creative services.

Along the way, she’s worked with Today Show co-host Savannah Guthrie and longtime KVOA reporter Lupita Murillo.

Batbie-Loucks has had an incredible impact in the news business and away from it. In fact, two years ago, KVOA was chosen as an example of a trusted news source for a documentary on eroding trust in the industry.

“She finds the time to serve the community by volunteering her time to sit on boards, commit to the various walks, and collect food for the needy,” Murillo said. “Cathie is amazing and loves her family, the station, and her community.”

She also launched some key projects. Lifesaver is a campaign started 15 years ago after Tucson had a record number of drownings. The program started when her two children were young.

“I’ve always been an advocate for children,” said BatbieLoucks. “I have always wanted to make the world a better place for them. For me, it was looking around with my teammates and seeing what the problems in the community are and being able to fix them.”

She also started Season for Hope, a gift-gathering effort to ensure Southern Arizona families have toys, food and diapers during the holiday season.

“Those are projects I’m very proud of,” she said. “I think they’ve made a great difference in the community.”

She calls herself an “advocate by trade” helping many nonprofits like Angel Charity for Children, and as an advisory board member for Steele Children’s Research Center.

“You should be part of your community, doing things that make it a better place to live,” she said. “I love this place. I call it my family. I’ve grown up here. I’ve learned a lot here and I am very loyal to KVOA.”

JONI CONDIT

President & CEO

La Posada

By Tara Kirkpatrick

Joni Condit is caring for our greatest treasure.

As president and CEO of La Posada, Arizona’s first continuing care retirement community to be nationally accredited, Condit is making sure the generation that came before us and paved the way for our success is happy and healthy.

“You get to know people every day here, you know them through good times, and bad and you get to know their kids in many cases,” said Condit, a University of Arizona dual graduate who has served the nonprofit for 25 years. “We help them have a wonderful life in the later years of their life.”

La Posada, with a 130-acre campus in Green Valley, has become a national model for innovation and accountability in senior living since its start in 1987 with guidance from Tucson Medical Center. With an estimated $50 million impact in the region, La Posada employs more than 500 staff and serves approximately 800 residents who span the ages 65 to 105.

“We are not running a nursing home,” Condit said. “These are people who are living a wonderful life, and they have a whole continuum of services available to them. We take the stress out of their lives. It’s very special here. It’s what attracted me and has kept me here all these years.”

A sister property, La Posada at Pusch Ridge, broke ground in 2023 and is slated to open in 2025 in Oro Valley–a project that faced a few hurdles along the way.

“What I think really defined her character was when her new La Posada project planned for Northwest Tucson was put on hold due to rising construction costs and interest rates.” said Mark Irvin, a friend of Condit’s and a commercial real estate leader in Southern Arizona. “Rather than give up, Joni regrouped and then led a team that value-engineered the overall development to both improve its function ability and reduced the cost.”

“No other way to say it, Joni has a special way about her,” Irvin said. “She gets things done and in a positive way.”

Condit is a past president of Rotary Club of Tucson Foundation and the 2021 chair of its annual Tucson Classics Car Show, having served the organization for 33 years. “I firmly believe it’s really important to give back to your community and it’s so fulfilling. We’ve given a lot of money over the years back to the community.”

PHOTO BY CHRIS

MOONEY

ROBERTA DIAZ BRINTON

Director Center for Innovation in Brain Science University of Arizona

By Valerie Vinyard

Roberta Diaz Brinton has spent decades studying the intricacies of the female brain.

She and her team are discovering important ways to combat diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Multiple Sclerosis and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.

As a regents professor and director of University of Arizona’s Center for Innovation in Brain Science, Brinton is a pioneering neuroscientist in the field of Alzheimer’s, the aging female brain and regenerative therapeutics. The three-time UArizona graduate was just awarded Alumni of the Year for her groundbreaking work.

“It takes the right team, and I’m thrilled to say that we have that here,” said Brinton.

Before UArizona, Brinton was based at University of Southern California where she was the chair of therapeutic discovery and development and professor of pharmacology and pharmaceutical sciences, as well as professor of neurology and biomedical engineering.

When UArizona tried to lure her back to Tucson, it wasn’t an easy sell. Brinton reflected on what it would take to get her. The answer soon revealed itself.

“In the 21st century, there is not a single cure for a single neurodegenerative disease, and that is our mission,” she said.

The Center for Innovation in Brain Science works to advance evidence-based clinical care of brain disorders caused by disease, genetics or trauma. The center focuses on research across the spectrum of brain disorders and the emerging area of brain and cognitive development.

“Dr. Brinton has dedicated her career to unraveling the complexities of Alzheimer’s disease, with a special emphasis on the female aging brain,” said Fei Yin, associate professor in UArizona’s department of pharmacology and assistant director of translational neuroscience at the center.

“Her efforts have significantly advanced our understanding of why women are disproportionately affected by this devastating disease and have opened new avenues for personalized medicine.”

Brinton has been working to determine why.

She and her team have found that the transition to menopause unmasks the risk of developing Alzheimer’s and that estrogen therapy promotes and sustains brain health. Other studies are in the works and they’re currently recruiting volunteers for a Phase 2 study on hot flashes.

“We have very different backgrounds and skill sets, but Robbie’s philosophy has always been that together we know a lot,” said Kathleen Rodgers, a pharmacology professor and associate director at the center. “It is that type of team science and leadership that has made her the internationally recognized scientist she is today. Her contributions are vast and impactful.”

BEVERELY ELLIOTT

Executive Director

African American Museum of Southern Arizona

By Romi Carrell Wittman

When Beverely Elliott’s 7-year-old grandson asked if there was a museum to learn about “people who look like me” in Tucson, she was stunned there wasn’t one.

That inspired her to create the African American Museum of Southern Arizona, on the University of Arizona campus, dedicated to preserving Black history and culture.

A lifelong educator, Elliott’s mission is to give back to the community. “My parents and grandmother instilled in me the values of faith, education and treating others how you want to be treated,” Elliott said. “They showed through their own sacrifices and service to the community the importance of giving back.”

Originally from Ann Arbor, Mich., Elliott earned her bachelor’s degree from UArizona and a master’s degree from Prescott College before a multifaceted career as an educator, wife, mother, counselor, humanitarian and community activist.

Elliott worked tirelessly to get the CROWN Act passed in Arizona, which makes it illegal to discriminate based on hairstyles, and she has worked on removing racist language in Tucson HOA bylaws. Elliott was also the recipient of the Ray Davies Lifetime Humanitarian Achievement Award, annually given by the Educational Enrichment Foundation, to the individual who has dedicated themselves to education in the region.

Described by friends as an “Energizer Bunny,” Elliott has several projects in the works.

“We’re working to honor trailblazers like Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson,” she said. “We want to dedicate a bench to her in the Tucson Women’s Plaza of Honor.”

She’s focused on additional museum exhibitions, including one spotlighting slave code quilts. A showcase of the landmark miniseries ‘Roots’ is also on the calendar.

“Our history gets easily lost or forgotten, so we make it a point to lift up stories of extraordinary achievement and resilience against all odds,” she said.

Elliott is a member of the American School Counselors Association and a former officer of the National Basketball Wives Association. She is also an executive board member for the Elliott Accounting Group.

“She has had an incredible impact on the Tucson community,” said JP Roczniak, president and CEO of UArizona Foundation. “Learning changes lives and her passion for education has taken many forms.”

Her advice to future generations: “If you go into everything with a positive attitude, thinking I’m going to learn from this, it will be a good experience.”

PHOTO BY CHRIS MOONEY

KATHLEEN ERIKSEN

President & CEO

Downtown Tucson Partnership

By Jay Gonzales

As Kathleen Eriksen co-owned and operated her family restaurants with her brother in her hometown in Michigan, she always knew there was more to it than serving up the best food.

“Like most downtowns in the early 90’s, Downtown Jackson was primarily boarded up and desolate,” she said, recalling when she and her brother started opening up restaurants in the city center.

“We both had this passion to redevelop the downtown,” she said, “and I believe that we were an important piece of revitalizing downtown Jackson.” The restaurant businesses and the related renovation work they did led Eriksen to a 20+-year career in downtown development. She led downtown development organizations in Jackson, Battle Creek, Mich., and Ventura, Calif., eventually culminating in founding her own development company, the Eriksen Development Company.

“I was providing consulting services and planning services for smaller townships and cities throughout Michigan that couldn’t necessarily afford an economic development director much less a downtown development director,” she said. “There was a real niche there.”

Eriksen has brought that passion to Tucson as CEO of Downtown Tucson Partnership.

After getting the Downtown Tucson Partnership job over a pool of more than 100 candidates nationwide, Eriksen realized immediately she’d made a great career and life decision to come to Tucson in October 2016.

“I fell in love with the people, and I fell in love with the downtown,” she said. “I remember the first night that I came here, walking out after dinner and meeting the community and literally crying because I was so happy.”

She’s made a lot of people happy since she’s been here including Fletcher McCusker, who’s driven Rio Nuevo’s efforts to revitalize downtown.

“Kathleen is a downtown rat, and I mean that in a good way,” McCusker quipped. “She lives, works and breathes to make our downtown desirable. You can see it everywhere − flowers, clean streets, events, Christmas lights and so on.”

When Eriksen thinks of the best work she’s done in Tucson, she thinks of late 2017 and early 2018 when Downtown Tucson Partnership, working with Old Pueblo Community Services, found homes for 86 homeless people during the reactivation of Jacome Plaza outside the main library.

A service was established in the plaza where homeless citizens could get help. Meanwhile, the plaza was “reactivated” for Tucsonans to be able to enjoy being there.

“We brought in red tables and chairs and ping pong tables and activated the space with movies and yoga and all sorts of this and that,” she said. “That was very thrilling.”

“It is hard to imagine where our downtown would be without Kathleen,” McCusker said.

CARMALA GARZIONE

Dean

University of Arizona College of Science

By Tiffany Kjos

As a geologist, Carmala “Carmie” Garzione spent years digging up clues to the past. As dean of the University of Arizona College of Science, she is firmly focused on the future.

“We’re going through a time of transformation as a college, and in the sciences in general,” said Garzione. “And the College of Science at the University of Arizona is one of those places where we are contributing much more, diversifying the culture, the perspectives, and people in the sciences.”

This is the second time Garzione has called Tucson home. She grew up outside of Washington, D.C., and earned a bachelor’s degree in geology at the University of Maryland, College Park, then came here for her master’s degree and doctorate in geosciences, focusing on the climate and tectonic history of mountain belts.

“University of Arizona is one of the best geosciences programs in the country, so I applied there for graduate school,” Garzione said. “Tucson is surrounded by mountains and outstanding geologic history, and the rocks are 100% exposed, so it was an excellent place to study.”

After UArizona, she went to the University of Rochester to teach and research. Garzione moved to the Rochester Institute of Technology in 2019 and returned to Tucson in 2021 to lead the College of Science, with 14 departments and numerous specialties. She also serves on the Deans Advisory Board of BIO5 Institute, which supports student scholars with internships in biology and life science disciplines.

“One of the most fulfilling parts of this job is expanding opportunities for a diverse community of learners and young scientists,” Garzione said.

The College of Science’s outreach includes Mount Lemmon SkySchool, where K-12 students conduct field experiments; K-12 field trips and summer camps at Flandrau Science Center & Planetarium; and K-12 summer camps and tours at UArizona’s Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research.

“Sharing the impact and importance of science with the community is incredibly important to Carmie,” said Michael Luria, the college’s assistant dean of corporate and community engagement. “She cares deeply about our students, research and how the college can positively impact the community, near and far.”

“Learning and experimentation that brings people joy and enables them to access more experiences is an important part of what we do at the university, but it’s also an important part of how we nurture our children as they grow up,” Garzione said.

PHOTO BY CHRIS

MOONEY

JILL HARLOW

General Manager La Encantada

By Tara Kirkpatrick

As general manager of one of Tucson’s premier shopping destinations, Jill Harlow is keeping it that way.

Part of the entrepreneurial force behind La Encantada, Harlow’s marketing acumen has been honed by experiences with several Fortune 500 companies and a world-renowned spa.

“It’s a great time to be in this market because companies and national retailers are excited about Tucson for many reasons,” said Harlow. “Tucson is an amazing city with many economic opportunities ahead, especially for women.”

La Encantada has added True Food Kitchen, Tecovas and Drybar to the upscale shopping venue of late, and will soon welcome Alo, Evereve, Gorjana and Vuori.

The granddaughter of one of the Midwest’s first hospice volunteers and daughter of a U.S. veteran, Harlow is guided by integrity and an unparalleled work ethic. After graduating from Missouri State University and serving the Hospice Care of Mid-America, Harlow joined General Growth Properties, which owned more than 200 malls in 43 states. She was named marketing director for one of Kansas City’s premier shopping centers at age 26.

Among her many career highlights was hosting a free concert with then-trending band Hansen at the mall that drew thousands and served as a successful food drive.

GGP offered Harlow the chance to venture West with her husband, Brian, more than 20 years ago and they chose Tucson to raise their two daughters. She would thrive at Tucson Mall where she worked on the mall’s redevelopment and boosted the philanthropic Evening of Giving to new levels, before taking over as marketing director for Miraval/Miraval Group.

“Miraval came my way and I was part of a great team and led the marketing efforts through the brand expansion into the Berkshires and Austin markets,” Harlow said. After Hyatt Hotels Corp. purchased the Miraval brand, Harlow made a life pivot to Town West Realty, which helped acquire La Encantada in 2021.

“Jill is one of the best in the business and most importantly, one of the nicest people,” said Kristen Grove, senior VP of JLL 10Twelve National Retail Leasing. “She brings grace, experience and credibility to all of her projects and I am thrilled to be teaming up with her for La Encantada.”

Harlow has served on numerous non-profit boards. The past two years, she chaired Graduation Night for Catalina Foothills High School – which entails entertaining high school seniors all night with dinner, entertainment and more. She also chaired Tucson Symphony Cotillion in 2023 and is a member of Silver & Turquoise Board of Hostesses and National Charity League.

NANCY KLUGE

President & CEO

Reid Park Zoological Society

By Tiffany Kjos

More than 600,000 people will visit Reid Park Zoo this year – a milestone for one of the region’s largest attractions. It’s programs, from Zoo Lights to summer camps to conservationist talks, regularly sell out.

That popularity is due in large part to Nancy Kluge, president and CEO of Reid Park Zoological Society.

“She leads with passion for the zoo employees and passion for our animal collection as well as our community,” said Mica Blane, zoo foundation board chair.

Among the biggest missions Kluge has led in her 15-year tenure is expanding the elephant exhibit. “Reid Park Zoological Society has one of the leading elephant habitats in North America, and this is evidenced by the birth of a young elephant this spring,” said Dan Ashe, president and CEO of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, noting the Mar. 8 birth of Meru.

Kluge helped develop and is implementing the zoo’s 10-year master plan, including a new sloth exhibit and Angel Charity for Children World of Play. She is directing construction of Pathway to Asia.

“It’s going to bring tigers back to Reid Park Zoo, which is exciting, so there will be a tiger conservation breeding center,” she said. “We’ve had Malayan tigers, which are so highly endangered, here before, so anything we can do for that population is critically important.”

Pathway to Asia will feature Komodo dragons, red pandas, and a rare aviary where visitors can feed exotic birds. “You won’t be the best you can be if you’re not constantly changing and staying up to date with whatever the latest is,” Kluge said.

The zoo supports the Tanzania Conservation and Research Program, which has preserved more than one million acres of African elephant habitat. It promotes species survival and research in elephant care. “The more we can do to connect people with conservation, with protecting wild animals and wild places, the better,” she said.

Kluge credits the zoo’s success to its 140 employees, 300+ volunteers, and funding from donations, sponsorships and more.

A Tucson native, Kluge is the past chair of Visit Tucson’s board. She is part of the Planned Giving Round Table of Southern Arizona, the Southern Arizona Cultural Leaders Consortium, Women Leaders of Southern Arizona and Charter 100. She is a deacon for Christ Presbyterian Church and serves on the United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona audit and ethics committee.

PHOTO BY CHRIS

MOONEY

LAL

President & CEO Larsen Baker

By Romi Carrell Wittman

Melissa Lal confronted a harsh reality after she graduated with honors from the University of Arizona: It’s hard for English majors to find job openings.

Fortunately, she applied to Larsen Baker, a full-service commercial real estate firm and the largest privately held retail property owner in Southern Arizona.

“I was also an English major and I knew how tough it could be,” said George Larsen, then- president of Larsen Baker. “Of course, I hired her.”

Today, Lal is president and CEO of the firm, with a portfolio valued at $300 million. She leads all facets of its commercial development, brokerage, and management divisions, including investor and lender relations, property leasing, acquisitions, dispositions and financing.

Lal’s rise to the top could be described as meteoric. “She became the CEO of our company before her 36th birthday,” Larsen said.

“It’s a combination of her communication and people skills. Plus, she’s wicked smart!” Larsen said, noting that Lal breezed through the Certified Commercial Investment curriculum in two-a-half years instead of the usual five to 10 years.

Lal’s drive was evident early on. “I always wanted to work. I loved making my own money,” she said. “That financial independence and need to be great at what I did spoke to me very early on and has helped me in my career.”

She is former president of the Southern Arizona CCIM Chapter and past president of the Southern Arizona Chapter of Commercial Real Estate Women. Lal is also active in several nonprofits, including Angel Charity for Children.

Lal is committed to mentoring the next generation.

“Don’t be afraid to start low or at any entry-level position,” she said. “Talented employees are the most important thing a small business owner or manager can have.”

She admits the male-dominated commercial real estate field can be intimidating for young women just starting out. “My hope is that the generations after me will never think twice about being a broker, a developer, or a construction project manager, that no stigma exists because our industry is ‘male dominated.”

Lal said she’s humbled to be honored. “These are women who are at places in their careers where they don’t get underestimated, overlooked, or put in a corner. They are confident in their abilities, and they can go toe-to-toe with the best in their business. That’s always how I aspire to be viewed.”

JUDY LOWE

CEO Tucson Association of REALTORS®

By Jay Gonzales

After a journey that began as an assistant in a real estate office and led to owning two top Tucson real estate brokerages, Judy Lowe thought she was retired when she sold her last business.

But the Tucson native’s leadership qualities apparently had caught the eye of then-Gov. Jan Brewer, and Lowe was on the move to Phoenix as the director of the Arizona Department of Real Estate, where she oversaw 85,000+ real estate licensees.

Lowe kept the job through the administration of Gov. Doug Ducey and decided when he reached his term limit, it was time to retire again and return to Tucson.

That retirement didn’t last long either as she decided she was interested in a job as VP of operations at Tucson Association of REALTORS®, which led to her current leadership position as the organization’s CEO.

Joining TAR was an opportunity to lead an organization that had helped her along the way as a REALTOR® and business owner, Lowe said.

“Back when I owned the companies, I looked to the association as a source of education, for all of the things that it offers, advocacy and the forms that we use in a real estate transaction,” she said, running down the services TAR provides to more than 7,000 REALTORS® who are members.

“There needs to be a place where real estate professionals can look to, where they know they can synergize with all the other REALTORS® and achieve their goal of finding or selling a property and delivering that property,” she said.

One of those is REALTOR® Cathy Wolfson, who Lowe hired at her local Coldwell Banker Realty office. Wolfson still works for Coldwell Banker and is now TAR’s board president.

“Her enduring support and inspiration continue to uplift not just myself but the entire Tucson Association of REALTORS® community,” Wolfson said.

“Judy stands as a pillar of strength, a visionary leader whose impact transcends both our local community and the broader real estate industry. Her dedication serves as a beacon, guiding us forward with integrity and resilience, and her legacy as a role model resonates deeply with many.”

Lowe said of the industry: “It’s my passion. It’s my life. It’s my hobby. When (the REALTORS®) come swinging in that door and they have just opened escrow on a $300,000 property for a firsttime homebuyer, they’re so excited. There’s never a dull moment.”

BY

PHOTO

CHRIS MOONEY

MELANIE RICE

Vice President Southwest Gas Corporation

Southern Arizona Division

By Romi Carrell Wittman

Melanie Rice vividly remembers the day her father graduated from college.

“He started working right out of high school and attended college by taking night classes,” Rice said. He and her mother showed her the benefits of hard work and determination. Today, she is the VP of the Southern Arizona Division of Southwest Gas Corporation.

Rice began her career at a large Houston oil and gas company as a field engineer. In 1999, her husband wanted to attend the University of Arizona for his graduate degree so the couple moved here and Rice pivoted to civil engineering consulting.

When the 2008 recession hit, she pivoted once again to the utility sector. Rice joined Southwest Gas as an engineer. “I was able to marry my prior experiences and the professional relationships I developed in the greater Tucson area to bring value to the organization,” she said.

Rice rose steadily through the ranks at Southwest Gas and today oversees 400 employees in a division that provides energy service to 430,000 customers. She attributes her rise to her classic first-born, Type-A personality.

“My parents had high expectations, but in a supportive way,” she said. “I learned that seeking perfection is an impossible and often paralyzing standard, but excellence is a worthwhile pursuit.”

Rice believes in leveraging one’s network to help others. “Women can have considerable influence and have more to offer than we give ourselves credit for. It’s important for women to set a good example by sharing our experiences, influence and accomplishments while remaining humble and supportive of future generations.”

She serves on the boards of Aviva Children’s Services and Easterseals Blake Foundation. Rice is also a member of the Southern Arizona Leadership Council.

“Melanie’s active community engagement and advocacy for policies that support both growth and community needs highlight her impact beyond the corporate sphere,” said SALC President and CEO Ted Maxwell. “Her efforts will help to improve the quality of life in our region.”

After 27 years in her industry, Rice has solid advice for young women. “It’s okay to change paths during your career. Find a trusted mentor or advisor to be your sounding board.”

Rice hopes that she’ll be remembered for her work to create positive change. “I hope to be remembered as helping to lead energy transformation here in Southern Arizona and making it an even more vibrant place to live.”

KARA RILEY

Chief

Oro Valley Police Department

By Dave Perry

After years living in Sudan, 16-year-old new driver Kara Riley sped down a Tucson street.

She was pulled over by a Tucson police officer.

“Can women do this?” she asked, in the form of a career inquiry. “He looked at me as if I was crazy. And he said, ‘Yes.’” Right then, “I knew, that’s what I’m going to do.”

Riley’s 38-year law enforcement career has taken her from Pima County Corrections, to the Tucson Airport Authority, and finally to the Oro Valley Police Department after she “became a mom.” Twenty years after her start at OVPD, she is “your police chief.”

“I don’t think twice” about leading as a woman, Riley said.

“She’s never wanted to be treated any differently,” said OVPD Deputy Chief Curtiss Hicks. “Her gender has no bearing, both on the way she leads, and the way people treat her. She’s a genuine leader.”

Riley succeeded her mentor, longtime OVPD Chief Danny Sharp, on Feb. 22, 2020. Within weeks, the COVID-19 pandemic struck, the Bighorn Fire ignited on Oro Valley’s edge, and George Floyd was killed.

“It’s been an adventure,” she said. “But I get to work with amazing men and women.”

She holds Oro Valley’s 107 sworn officers, 35 civilian staff, and numerous volunteers in the highest regard.

“It isn’t me,” Riley said. “They’re the heroes, selfless and courageous.” It is “an honor and privilege” to serve them. “I couldn’t be more proud of everything they do, every day. And they do it every day.”

“She cares about her people, which is huge, but she also cares about the community,” Hicks said.

At OVPD, “we foster and encourage a family environment,” Riley said. “That sets our culture apart from others.”

The OVPD culture emphasizes integrity, respect, compassion, gratitude, and a belief in “doing the right thing for the right reason.” Riley goes on patrol regularly, in part to be “shoulder to shoulder” with her officers.

“I never ask them to do something I wouldn’t do myself.

“I love these men and women, and I think they know it,” Riley said. “I hope they do. If I have a legacy, it’s unconditional love for them, humility, and remember where you came from.”

She’s not tall, but Riley acknowledges people look up to her. “Even when I get called ‘chief,’ I still find it humbling. I’m a police officer who happens to have been appointed a police chief.”

Riley’s husband Joe Shelley is a retired police officer, commander and chief. Daughter Cecelia Sickelbower, 22, is studying anti-terrorism analytics.

BY

PHOTO

CHRIS MOONEY

SHELLEY WATSON

Senior Vice President, Chief Operating Officer

Southern Arizona Leadership Council

By Valerie Vinyard

As senior VP and COO of Southern Arizona Leadership Council, Shelley Watson works tirelessly to positively impact this region.

“We’re the smallest big town there is,” said Watson, a graduate of Canyon Del Oro High School and Arizona State University. “As a region, we try harder and work harder for our successes.”

SALC is a membership organization of 160 CEOs and community leaders that is a unified voice for public policy that advances the region’s economic vibrancy and quality of life. The group focuses on education, governance, healthcare, infrastructure and innovation economy.

“We’re not an economic development organization,” Watson said. “We work to shape effective public policy and set the environment and the landscape that helps attract business here. Our goal is to have the best policy environment.”

She first heard about the organization from a friend and found out it was looking for a VP in 2016. “I fell in love with the whole concept. What a cool opportunity to make a difference in our community.”

It’s a community that Watson fully embraces.

“It’s the wonderful outdoors,” she said. “It’s beautiful here. We’re a City of Gastronomy. There’s a lot that can happen in Tucson that maybe can’t happen in other places because the cost of doing business is so much more permissive here. I’d like to think we prioritize people who are seeking to come here. We roll out the red carpet.”

Watson serves on the boards of Education Forward Arizona, Tucson Values Teachers and MAP Dashboard. She also is a past board president of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southern Arizona.

She’s especially passionate about Sister Jose Women’s Center, a compassionate organization that aids homeless women. Watson is finishing up her two-year term in July as board chair for the center and will continue to serve on the board afterward.

“It’s an absolutely wonderful organization that is meeting such a need in the community,” said Watson.

Nicola Hartmann, CEO of Sister Jose’s, has known Watson for several years.

“I think she’s very smart, she is an incredible diplomat,” Hartmann said. “I have seen her navigate really delicate situations and handle them. She gets what she needs to get done, but she doesn’t offend people. It’s a skill I wish I had. She’s very tactical. She’s also very kind.”

“She really gives back to this community and gives back in a really impactful way.”

DENISE WATTERS

Chief Executive Officer Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson

By Tiffany Kjos

When Denise Watters moved to Tucson six years ago, she made a huge decision to turn her career in a new direction, and the result has been amazing.

As CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson, Watters helps impact some 6,000 children each year at six clubhouses, where they engage in programming that focuses on health, community engagement, science, technology, engineering, art, math, and workforce readiness.

“We run over 40 programs,” she said. “We are trying to develop these kids every day in healthy lifestyles and academic success, and really position them for being good citizens in the community.”

Watters and her husband came here from Washington, D.C., where she worked in human resources and operations for government contractors, after her husband got a job at Raytheon. “People say, ‘Why didn’t you just go to Raytheon?’ That wasn’t really what I set out to do when I came out here. I thought I could kind of turn a page and really start a new phase in my life,” she said.

“When she moved to Tucson from back East she jumped right into the community – attending events, joining nonprofit and industryspecific organizations,” said Debbie Wagner, BGCT’s past CEO. “She made connections quickly and was able to find groups with missions that she could support with her passion and energy.”

Watters got involved with the Arizona Bowl, the Make-A-Wish Foundation and joined the BGCT board, which offered her the CEO position in 2022. “I really felt like it was the best way for me to stay relevant in what I do, because I am clearly a people person,” said Watters, who participated in club activities growing up in Maryland.

The clubs are open to 7- to 17-year-olds after school on weekdays during the school year, with all-day summer camps. They youths can also experience Reid Park Zoo, parks, University of Arizona games and more. “They’re seeing Tucson beyond school and home and the Boys & Girls Clubs,” Watters said.

BCGT’s newest project aims to equip students for life after graduation. The Holmes Tuttle Clubhouse on East 36th Street, currently under renovation, will be renamed the Tech and Workforce Readiness Center and offer students critical skills in hospitality to automotive and beyond.

“I am passionate about these kids and their futures, and I really felt like it came full circle. I love what I do every day,” Watters said.

PHOTO BY CHRIS

MOONEY

Tool of the Trade

Pima JTED Opens New Industrial Technologies Addition

Pima Joint Technical Education District, a boon for regional workforce development, recently celebrated another advancement in its effort to offer crucial career skills to students.

On May 2, joined by Tucson Mayor Regina Romero and more than 100 guests, Pima JTED celebrated the grand opening of its Bridges Campus Industrial Technologies Addition, including the Shirley Dail Construction Classroom and Lab presented by the Cornerstone Building Foundation.

Thanks to a $100,000 gift from the Cornerstone Building Foundation and a $1.9 million gift from the Thomas R. Brown Private Family Foundation, JTED’s industrial technologies programs—construction, welding, robotics, and engineering—now have a new 3,400-square-foot shared space outfitted with CNC machines and other hightech tools to prepare students for success in the workforce.

“Businesses, community leaders, and educators not only see the value of providing the hands-on, work-based learning that we offer, so students can find success and contribute to the economy, but they’re also investing in it because this is an educational model that works for everyone,” said Kathy Prather, Pima JTED Superintendent and CEO.

“It means they care about the program and they want people going into the workforce. It’s comforting to think— hey, they want me here and they’re supporting me,” said Ami Petz, a Tucson High School student and president of the Construction SkillsUSA student organization.

Pima JTED provides more than 60 career and technical education programs to approximately 27,000 high school students each year at its central and satellite campuses. Thousands of those students earn industry certifications in the trades each year and quickly

secure high-paying jobs.

“Young people who are entering the construction trades today are thriving, they are loving what they do, and they are graduating with little student debt. They are graduating with the skills and experience necessary to take on good jobs,” said Romero.

The late Shirley Dail, who started Shirley’s Plan Service in 1982, was known as the “Leading Lady in Tucson Construction.” She was one of the first women in construction in Southern Arizona and encouraged many young women to enter the field by establishing the National Association of Women in Construction, Tucson Chapter.

Fred Dail said his mother would be doing “a jig,” knowing that so many students who enroll at JTED will be able to enter the construction trades with such remarkable skills and confidence.

TUCSON METRO CHAMBER

Michael Guymon President & CEO

Metro Chamber

Tucson

Tucson Metro Chamber The Voice of Business

By Loni Nannini

The Tucson Metro Chamber is a conversation-starter, a change-maker and a community-builder for businesses of all sizes throughout Southern Arizona.

“As a voice of business, we are working to create a stronger business ecosystem here in our region, and we want businesses to trust us to do that work,” said Michael Guymon, Chamber president and CEO. “We have members on all sides of the political spectrum, but they all agree that the work we do collectively builds a stronger economic environment.

“They all support business and business growth. They support growth in the sense of hiring more employees and growth in the sense of selling more products, which creates a stronger tax base. All of that helps to grow our overall economy.”

Founded in 1896, the Chamber is a membership-based business advocacy and community development organization representing 1,400 businesses and more than 160,000 employees in Tucson and Pima County.

The Chamber offers five tiers of membership. Entry-level is $495 annually for Connectors; followed by Promoter, Champion and Catalyst. Keystone Investors are the highest tier and include prominent leaders in the industries of defense, finance, utilities, healthcare, major manufacturing, real estate and development.

Since Guymon was promoted to Chamber CEO in 2022, Keystone membership has more than doubled to 31 Investors. Connectors—comprising entrepreneurs, sole proprietors, restau-

rants and small businesses—remain the largest group.

“As a Keystone Investor, the Port of Tucson very happily supports the Chamber’s efforts to represent well the interests of all of Tucson’s businesses,” said Eli Peart, COO of Port of Tucson. “Many of our own customers and

“As a voice of business, we are working to create a stronger business ecosystem here in our region, and we want businesses to trust us to do that work.”

– Michael Guymon, President & CEO Tucson Metro Chamber

tenants are local small businesses, so it serves us well that these businesses have a strong advocate with the Chamber, which ultimately results in a strong business ecosystem for Tucsonans.”

Big Vision for Business

Small, medium and large businesses are booming in the region, resulting in a wealth of opportunities and challenges.

The Chamber is updating its strategic plan with a comprehensive approach that embraces Advocacy, Connection and Education. At the forefront is a laser focus on local issues that directly impact businesses and their success. That includes emboldened advocacy with governance such as the Tucson City Council, Pima County Board of Supervisors, Pima Community College Governing Board, Rio Nuevo and more.

“We have learned that there are issues in the community that we need to focus on to increase our ability to compete against other markets our size,” Guymon said. “A lot of that relates to transportation infrastructure, access to talent and workforce development, public safety, and quality of life issues.”

As Tucson continues to grow—the population now tops 1.2 million in the metro area—another priority is collaboration with economic development agencies such as Sun Corridor Inc., Visit Tucson, Southern Arizona Leadership Council, Tucson Industrial Development Authority and more.

“Tucson has the charms of a small, closely-connected community, but we are gaining the scale of a larger city,” said Joe Salkowski, senior director of communications and public affairs at Tucson Electric Power and a Chamber board member. “We need to make sure to hold on to the connectedness that is so important to our business community, while scaling to meet the needs of a larger city, and part of that is working in tandem with economic development agencies to promote job creation

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in sectors that will be best aligned with our community and the desires of local elected leaders and residents.”

Workforce Development

Over the past seven years, the Chamber has become increasingly involved in workforce development, culminating in a Workforce Development Blueprint launched in 2021 that incorporates five strategies built on innovative educationindustry partnerships.

“Our recommendations relate to making sure we are addressing supply and demand—the demand being the open positions that exist throughout the industry—and making sure that Pima Community College, UArizona, local school districts and other educational institutions are developing the right kind of skills to meet that demand,” Guymon said.

Key to the effort is the Chamber’s director of workforce advocacy, who engages employers and educational institutions to address policies including access to transportation, food security,

housing affordability and quality childcare.

“Employers care more about these now than in the past because if talented employees can’t get to work because they can’t afford childcare, their talents are completely moot,” he said.

Thinking Local

Perhaps one of the Chamber’s greatest triumphs is its devotion to all things local, as evidenced through its Tucson Restaurant Advisory Council, for example.

“TRAC is one of the most creative and dynamic things the Chamber has done, which speaks volumes to the operating style of this Chamber to be flexible and innovative and to think local,” said Ray Flores, president of Flores Concepts, a Tucson-based management and creative company overseeing restaurants, concessions and catering businesses.

Flores said TRAC aims to represent Tucson restaurants at all levels and advocate for good policy and good rela-

tionships with the Pima County Health Department, Tucson Planning & Development Services, Pima County Wastewater, fire and safety departments and others.

“We have been able to gain access to city, county and state leadership and messaging on topics that may be federal issues as well,” he said.

As the ultimate advocate, educator, connector and communicator, the Chamber is truly the pipeline for the many voices of Tucson business.

“We are proud to be members of the Tucson Metro Chamber,” said Garrett Workman, government relations manager for South32’s Hermosa Project.

“The Chamber provides helpful opportunities for us to tell our story to an important audience as well as advocating for us and other members in order to keep our economy growing and continuing to attract new investments and opportunity.”

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BizLEADERSHIP

Linda Welter Board Chair

Tucson Metro Chamber Founder & CEO, Caliber Group

Q&A with

Board Chair Linda Welter

Q. What are the major local challenges the Tucson Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce is working on that businesses in the region currently face to remain competitive?

A. Access to Talent. The No. 1 challenge that businesses of all sizes experience is finding qualified individuals to fill their job openings. The Chamber facilitates conversations between business, government, education, and community leaders to address workforce barriers including training, education, access to quality childcare, affordable housing and transportation. Addressing these issues will connect qualified job seekers to local employers, which our community needs.

Affordable Housing. The rising costs of homes in Tucson have become a challenge for job seekers and employers. The Chamber works closely with policymakers to advocate for responsible land use within our community. By identifying solutions to streamline the entitlement processes and ease the regulatory burden on subsequent development, the Chamber plays a key role along with other community partners such as the Southern Arizona Homebuilders Association, Metropolitan Pima Alliance, and the Tucson Association of Realtors in shaping policies that

enable more affordable homes in our community.

Public Safety. The rising number of people using illegal substances, vandalizing business property and committing retail theft has caused some local small businesses to close and eliminate jobs. Other businesses are relocating to safer communities. Those that stay are passing along increased security costs to their customers through higherpriced goods and services. The Chamber is leading discussions with local law enforcement, policymakers and prosecutorial offices to find solutions to this growing public safety problem.

Transportation. The Chamber is working with Pima Association of Governments staff and regional representatives on the Regional Transportation Authority board to advocate for a more accessible transportation system throughout the region that links employees to jobs and customers to local businesses.

Q. How is the Chamber collaborating with other organizations to support local business expansion and job creation?

A. The Chamber works closely with Sun Corridor, Southern Arizona Leadership Council, Chamber Alliance of Southern Arizona, and oth-

er organizations that excel in addressing statewide issues that impact local businesses. Those partnerships are crucial when working with the City of Tucson and Pima County to advance policies that bolster our region’s business competitiveness. Site selectors and company executives state that regional partners who solve problems collaboratively are the areas that achieve the greatest business growth and expansion.

Q. How is the Chamber different today than it was five years ago?

A.

The Chamber’s primary focus today is on solving local business issues within the city and county. Our partners, including SALC and Greater Phoenix Chamber, are effectively addressing state regulations impacting Arizona businesses. Rather than duplicate efforts at the state level, the Chamber realigned its staff, strategic plan and resources to achieve greater impact locally. The primary local policies and initiatives the Chamber’s business advocacy team is engaged with in 2024 include RTA Next, prevailing wage ordinances, Plan Tucson, Pima Prospers and others to ensure the business community is an active participant in these important conversations that impact growth.

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Q. Why should businesses join and get involved with the Chamber?

A.

We’ve been working very hard to collaborate with not only business, but also nonprofit organizations and the community at all levels. Our aim is to be a connector and a collaborator. Along those lines, a goal of mine this year is to meet all the local elected officials. While we may not always agree politically, we can work collaboratively to advance our shared interests. We’re fostering relationships that perhaps were broken down before.

Q. What do you plan to accomplish in your role as Board Chair?

A.

My ultimate goal is to create a pro-business community where businesses can grow and succeed in our region. When businesses are successful here, they are creating jobs, paying taxes, donating to causes, and contributing to the prosperity of our region. I see the direct connection very clearly, and moving the needle through the Chamber’s work is a goal I am passionate about. The Chamber has a

diverse, experienced, talented board and staff capable of accomplishing this goal. However, the Chamber still has work to do, including narrowing its strategic focus and realigning resources to increase its impact, strengthening and expanding its relationships and partnerships, increasing its membership base, building its PAC, and elevating its reputation as a diverse, effective organization through outcomes. The Chamber board, staff and I are making progress, and I am encouraged about the possibilities that we can achieve together.

Q. What does leadership look like to you? How does the Chamber lead?

A.

Leaders have a vision. They surround themselves with smart people, many of whom think differently than themselves. Leaders are willing to make tough decisions, even if it will subject them to criticism, because the tough decision is the right decision. Leaders also listen to their team and pivot when needed. That’s what the Chamber has done and will continue to do. We’re helping people and making a difference. Take the COVID-19 pandemic. The Chamber is connecting people to resources, while working remotely. I’m proud to be part of an organization that selflessly helps others.

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From left – Michael Guymon, Chamber President & CEO; Lisa Lovallo, VP & Market Leader, Cox Communications (Vice Chair of the Board); Linda Welter, Founder & CEO, Caliber Group (Chair of the Board); Edmund Marquez, Agencies Owner, Edmund Marquez Allstate Agencies (Immediate Past Chair); Travis Jones, Accounting and Assurance Senior Manager, BeachFleischman PC (Treasurer)

PHOTO: BRENT

TUCSON METRO CHAMBER EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Advocacy

Tucson Metro Chamber is the Ultimate Advocate for Business

By Loni Nannini

The Tucson Metro Chamber of Commerce is a champion for businesses of all sizes.

“We are a bold advocate for probusiness policies and want to educate businesses about why they should care about the issues, how they can get more involved, how they ultimately benefit if pro-business policies go through,” said Michael Guymon, Chamber president and CEO.

The Chamber’s Business Advocacy Team and seven Advocacy Committees help shape government affairs, develop initiatives and other public policy at city and county levels.

The committees include the Coalition Against Retail Theft; Military Affairs Committee; Tucson Restaurant Advisory Council; Tucson Metro Chamber Political Action Committee; the Candidate Evaluation Committee; and two roundtables—the Mining and Construction Workforce Collaborative and the Health Science and Healthcare Workforce Collaborative.

Another key player is the 31-seat Public Policy Council, which guides public policy for the Chamber and is proportionally reflective of its member industries. “Because of this, the recommendations that come out of this council are true representations of our members,” said Zach Yentzer, Chamber VP of business advocacy.

“We ask business owners what keeps them awake at night and what gets them up in the morning,” Yentzer said.

“There are major challenges that make it harder than ever to do business and they need the Chamber’s Business Advocacy Team to tackle these issues. That is how we build public policy from the bottom up.”

Action Plan for Public Policy

The Chamber recently released its Public Policy Guide 2024, which highlights timely issues identified by member businesses: a diversified economy; transportation, infrastructure and water; crime and public safety; land use and regulatory policy for development and construction; workforce development; and homelessness.

“I like to say our Public Policy Guide is the most comprehensive regional snapshot of what businesses are thinking about and the conditions they believe are necessary for their businesses and the community to thrive,” said Yentzer.

Advocacy committee leadership and membership is open to all Chamber members to give small, medium and large businesses equal voices. At monthly meetings, committee members often find that issues and challenges are interconnected.

“Mine is not traditionally a retail business, but the Coalition Against Retail Theft factors into my business since I am constantly buying things for my family. Prices are becoming impossibly high and retail theft is part of that. Plus, my business is located downtown near

retail businesses and there is a spillover effect if they are having issues, and I am inherently concerned about the community where I live and raise my kids,” said Ron Stauffer, a member of CART and owner of Leider Digital, a digital agency specializing in website marketing and SEO.

Building Bridges

Advocacy committees also help bridge the private and public sectors. For example, for 95 years, the Military Affairs Committee has supported Davis-Monthan Air Force Base and other branches of the military throughout Southern Arizona.

“We want to educate people who may not be familiar with the military about what they do, the sacrifices they make, and how they support the United States on the world stage. We also want people to know the military is an economic driver for Tucson,” said Katie Moore, chair of MAC and hotel operations manager of Desert Diamond Casinos.

MAC spearheads programs not covered by federal tax dollars, such as Thanksgiving meals for officers at Davis-Monthan, and Operation Otter Pop, which supplies them with frozen treats and water.

“The Chamber is a strong advocate for businesses, and they want to make sure the business community is heard,” Moore said. “They are out front, working hard to make it easier to do business in Tucson now and in the future.”

Education From Candidates to Emerging Leaders, Tucson Metro Chamber Does its Homework

Education is the hub around which successful business revolves.

“With education and information— and opportunities to be involved with different Chamber committees and programs—our members both bring their subject matter expertise and also grow in their knowledge and awareness of local issues,” said Zach Yentzer, VP of business advocacy for the Tucson Metro Chamber. “This will move the needle for challenges that we are facing in our business community and help us form a platform that is reflective of our members’ expertise and their lived experiences.”

The Chamber’s Education initiatives are often intertwined with Advocacy and Connection and include everything from seminars and meetings to its

By Loni Nannini

Candidate Evaluation Committee and Emerging Leaders.

“At the Chamber, we are focused on the ‘How’ of Advocacy, and that involves using Education to get members plugged in with us to co-advocate on issues in the community,” said Yentzer.

A Powerful Ally for Political Education

The Chamber educates its members about the platforms of current and prospective local politicians through its Candidate Evaluation Committee.

The committee is a mix of business owners, executives, major employers, and community partners of different political outlooks that are also representative of varied industries.

Each year, the committee develops

a questionnaire and invites submitted responses, resulting in score cards that rank the stance of each candidate on key issues. The committee also produces video interviews with candidates.

“We don’t endorse candidates, but instead go through a lengthy and in-depth education process to produce a package for members and the community that shows where candidates are in relation to business and growing the economy in Southern Arizona,” said Yentzer.

That helps cut through the clutter and bring clarity to what can be a chaotic legislative process.

“This fall, Arizona voters will be making lots of voting decisions that would nor mally be done by the legislature or the governor, and that gives us a lot to

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think through,” Yentzer said. “Having organizations like the Chamber focus on metro issues and bring that information to our members is very valuable.”

A Culture of Civic Activism

The Chamber advocates for civic activism, philanthropic involvement and professional development through its Emerging Leaders.

This cohort of motivated leaders, ages 25 to 40, is dedicated to boosting local business—and career trajectories—through a five-year program that pairs participants with accomplished senior executives. EL members also must serve on a Chamber committee and volunteer with a regional nonprofit.

The experience has been educational and enjoyable for Amanda Bruno, community affairs administrator for Pima Association of Governments and Vice Chair of EL.

Bruno, 31, is currently paired with Lisa Lovallo, VP and market leader for Cox Communications. Her past mentors included Pima County Administra-

“At the Chamber, we are focused on the ‘How’ of Advocacy, and that involves using Education to get members plugged in with us to co-advocate on issues in the community.”

– Zach Yentzer VP of Business Advocacy

Tucson Metro Chamber

tor Jan Lesher and Amber Smith, CEO of Pipeline Arizona.

She credits each of them with providing positive coaching on multiple levels, from assistance with job searches, development of leadership and management skills, and the necessary mindset for professional advancement.

“My first year, I was in the process of looking for a new job and Amber helped me sort through opportunities and prepare for interviews,” Bruno said. “Having her insight when she had been on the hiring side of the process was really valuable and I owe a lot of my success in that process to her support.”

She’s also gratified by the opportunities to network and forge lasting business relationships.

“I appreciate the opportunity to build rapport and relationships with people that I plan to work alongside and serve the community alongside in the future,” said Bruno, who serves on the boards for the Arizona Association for Economic Development and the Junior League of Tucson. She is also incoming Chair of Planned Parenthood of Arizona.

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Congratulations, Ambassadors of the Quarter/Year

Kat Robey, Licensed Professional Counselor & Founder of Let All Thrive Counseling and Coaching, is a dedicated advocate for personal and professional growth. With over 20 years of counseling experience in Arizona, Kat empowers clients to thrive. As 2023 Ambassador of 1st Quarter, she champions Tucson businesses. Contact Kat at Let All Thrive for compassionate counseling and coaching services that inspire positive change.

520.284.6887

Dawn Gerhart, GMD Notary Services: Notary Public & Loan Signing Agent, named 2023 Ambassador of the Year & 2nd Quarter. With a focus on customer service, Dawn assists clients with vital documents including adoptions, refinancing, and power of attorney. Proud member of the Tucson Metro Chamber, fostering connections and celebrating business achievements.

520.344.2747

Nancy Gungor, 2023 Ambassador of the 3rd Quarter, is an agent with Farm Bureau Financial Services in Tucson and Oro Valley. She offers personal and commercial insurance and wealth management services. Nancy is a true cheerleader of Tucson businesses. Contact her at Farm Bureau Financial Services for more information.

520.989.7467

of 4th Quarter & 2024 Ambassador of 1st Quarter. LegalShield offers affordable access to legal services for individuals and business owners, including assistance in writing a will, addressing traffic violations, fighting identity theft, and helping companies with business matters. Contact Eugene for dedicated local business support.

520.808.3068

KAT ROBEY

DAWN GERHART NANCY GUNGOR EUGENE CARTER

Connection More than 100 Events for Members

By Loni Nannini

A good network means good business.

Tucson Metro Chamber hosts more than 100 networking events and programs annually for its members.

“While our main focus is on advocacy, we have many, many members who join for a variety of other reasons such as networking and connecting with other businesses,” said Carrie Gilchrist, Chamber VP of membership relations. “We are the voice of business in Tucson, and we are working to better the business community locally.”

The opportunities run the gamut, including monthly breakfast meetings, happy hours, mixers, and speed networking; weekly mission-driven Advocacy Committee meetings; and annual events such as a regional gathering, a business summit, a holiday legislative reception and a University of Arizona Athletics mixer.

The Chamber’s signature event, the 27th annual Tucson Metro Chamber Copper Cactus Awards Presented by Wells Fargo, recognizes businesses and nonprofits for leadership and innovation.

Networking to New Heights

Innovative offerings include Good Morning Tucson, a high-energy monthly breakfast featuring five to seven speakers on topics such as the workforce, business resources, community events and policy. Through these “Lightning Talks,” each speaker is given just seven minutes per presentation to cover a broad range of ideas and concepts.

Recent speakers include Arizona Bowl Executive Director Kym Adair, who discussed the new partnership with Snoop Dogg; a presentation about the benefits of hiring employees with dis-

abilities by WorkAbility; talks highlighting La Fiesta de los Vaqueros Tucson Rodeo, the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show, the Tucson Airport Authority and others. Programs have also covered insurance needs, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity.

“It is fast-paced, informative and educational,” said Gilchrist. “A lot of the information is unusual—these aren’t topics that you would typically think of—and you hear it all in an hour. We have had incredibly positive feedback.”

The breakfasts also offer unique interactions, said Kat Robey, owner of Let All Thrive, which provides mental health counseling for all ages. “These are power-packed conversations with awesome networking where you get breakfast and then move forward with your day.”

“Tucson is a small, close-knit town, and being a Tucson Metro Chamber member makes it more accessible. I am able to connect with other members on resources, supplier issues, and general small business issues.”

– Erica Yngve, President/Owner, AZ Stitch Lab

Ambassadors of Connection

The Chamber’s Ambassadors Program utilizes about 40 members who volunteer at events, meet and welcome new members, and assist with recruitment. Ambassadors also attend business openings and ribbon-cutting ceremonies and present new members with signature swag bags.

The Ambassadors act as extensions of the Chamber staff and as “buddies” to new members, said Robey, who became an Ambassador in 2020.

“We understand what it means to be a business owner in today’s economy in Tucson,” Robey said. “Each new business helps the community thrive and Ambassadors are able to do a lot of business-to-business networking that is very beneficial.”

Super Summit

The Chamber’s popular annual Business Summit & Expo has attracted 400-plus attendees since it began three years ago. The high-powered event helps forge business connections while offering strategic information, said Michael Guymon, Chamber president and CEO

The Spring 2024 event included sessions on access to capital; employee recruitment; employee retention/culture; and employment law.

“These are things that businesses pay consultants and lawyers to assist them with and we provide the information as a service as part of the Summit and Expo. They learn very valuable information that would normally cost them a lot,” said Guymon.

The Expo functions as a resource fair where members can generate new con-

tacts, promote goods and services, and learn about current events.

“Tucson is a small, close-knit town, and being a Tucson Metro Chamber member makes it more accessible. I am able to connect with other members on resources, supplier issues, and general small business issues,” said Erica Yngve, president/owner of Sonoran Stitch Factory & Postcraft Products and Manager of AZ Stitch Lab, a nonprofit that trains industrial sewing machine operators. She is also a member of the Chamber Public Policy Committee.

“They do a great job of highlighting small businesses that otherwise would go unnoticed,” Yngve said. “Their annual Copper Cactus awards mean a lot to our community. They recognize the work of so many individuals, businesses and nonprofits that do good work here in Southern Arizona.”

BizLEADERSHIP

TUCSON METRO CHAMBER HIGH-LEVEL INVESTORS

KEYSTONE

AGM Container Controls, Inc.

Arizona Complete Health

Arizona State University

Banner - University Medical Center

Casino Del Sol Resort

Caterpillar Surface Mining and Technology Division

Chase Bank

Citi

Cox Communications, Inc.

Desert Diamond Casino - Sahuarita

Diamond Ventures

D2 Dispensary

Fry’s Food Stores

Hexagon Mining

HSL Properties, Inc.

Jim Click Automotive Team

Lovitt & Touche’, Inc.

Nextrio

PNC

Port of Tucson

Raytheon Missile System

South32 Hermosa Inc.

Tucson Airport Authority

Tucson Electric Power Co.

Tucson Medical Center

UnitedHealthcare

University of Arizona Business Affairs

Vantage West Credit Union

Verizon

Wells Fargo Bank

CATALYST

Alliance Bank of Arizona

Amazon Distribution Center

Arizona Lotus Corp

Arizona Party Rental

Bank of America

BFL Construction

BizTucson Magazine

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona

CAID Industries, Inc.

Caliber Group

Carondelet Health Network

Casa de la Luz

Cigna

Crest Insurance Group, LLC

Cushman & Wakefield | PICOR

Denova Collaborative Health

DPR Construction

El Conquistador Tucson, A Hilton Resort

El Rio Health

Empire Southwest, LLC

Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospitals

Exact Sciences Corporation

Finley Distributing Co.

Gibson’s Office Solutions

HDS, Inc.

Holualoa Companies

HUB International

iHeart Radio

Institute for Better Education

Intuit

JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort & Spa

Long Realty Company

LUMEN

Meridian Wealth Management, LLC

Modular Mining Systems

NextEra Energy

Norville Investments

NuPOINT Marketing

Parsons Steel Builders

Pima Community College

ProVentures, Inc.

Rancho Sahuarita

Si Charro

Sol Flower Dispensary

Sonora Quest Laboratories of Tucson

Southwest Airlines

Southwest Gas Corp.

Sundt Construction, Inc.

Swaim Associates Ltd Architects

Trico Electric Cooperative, Inc.

Tucson Association of Realtors

Tucson Convention Center

Tucson Federal Credit Union

Tucson Local Media

Tucson Media Partners

Tucson Media Studio

Tucson Water

U-Haul Moving & Storage at Automall

Universal Wallboard Corporation

Visit Tucson

Walmart Supercenter

CHAMPION

AAA Landscape

AC Hotels

Advance Auto Parts

Afni, Inc.

Alpha Fleet Services

Arizona Correctional Industries

Arizona Mohs Surgery, PLLC

Arizona Sands Club

Bain Law Firm, PLLC

Barker Contracting, Inc.

BeachFleischman PLLC

Bin Masters

Chamberlain Group

Chasse Building Team

Circle K

CODAC Health, Recovery & Wellness, Inc.

Columbia Southern University

Comfort Systems USA Southwest

CopperPoint Mutual Insurance Company

Dave & Buster’s

Dias Management, Inc.

Elements Fitness + Coaching LLC

Farhang & Medcoff

Film Creations, Ltd.

First Interstate Bank

Hamstra Heating & Cooling, Inc.

HeinfeldMeech

Higher Ground a Resource Center

HomeGoods Tucson Distribution Center

Hughes Federal Credit Union

Kalil Bottling Co.

KB Home

KE & G Construction

KGUN9/The W.W. Scripps Company

Kyte Enterprises

Lapan Sunshine Foundation

LoveBlock

M3 Engineering & Technology Corporation

Mesch, Clark & Rothschild, P.C.

O’Rielly Chevrolet, Inc.

OOROO Auto

Pacific Premier Bank

Pain Institute of Southern Arizona

Paragon Space Development Corporation

Pima Federal Credit Union

Pizza Hut

PMI Global Services, Inc.

Psomas, Inc.

Pueblo Mechanical and Controls, Inc.

PuroClean of Southeast Tucson

Rain Bird Corporation

Republic Services of Arizona

Royal Automotive Group

Saguaro Solar

Santa Rita Landscaping, Inc.

Sears, Gerbo Architecture, LLC

Seldin Real Estate

Sion Power Corporation

Strategy1

Stantec

Sunbelt Holdings

Swire Coca-Cola, USA

The L Office

Tomlinson Financial Group

Tucson Fire Fighters Association, Local 479

Tucson Games & Gadgets

Tucson Orthopaedic Institute

Tucson Roadrunners Hockey Club

Union Pacific Railroad

Ventana Canyon Club and Lodge

Vista Point Properties

WaFdBank

Watermark Retirement Communities

WaterWalk Tucson South

Winsor Consulting Group, LLC

Women’s Foundation for the State of Arizona

BizLEADERSHIP

Linda

2024 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Lisa

Travis

Rob

Julie Katsel Assistant VP of Community Relations University of Arizona

Michael Guymon President & CEO

Carrie Gilchrist Vice President of Membership Relations

Zach Yentzer Vice President of Business Advocacy

David A. Bowers Regional Partnership Specialist

Stephanie Spencer Business Advocacy Specialist

the many nature trails and retreats in the region, in addition to noting Kitt Peak Observatory, Saguaro National Park, Starr Pass, the Chuck Huckleberry Loop and more.

place to live in Arizona,” Redfin said. “Home to gorgeous weather, a worldrenowned cycling race, and surrounded by four mountain ranges providing endless vistas and hiking trails, Tucson is truly an outdoor haven.”

es, which would you most want to invest in.” Tucson was ranked in the top 10 for its growing tech sector, low cost of living, rich cultural heritage and natural beaut y.

ranked No. 93 among nearly 21,000 colleges and universities worldwide. CWUR took into account factors such as quality of education, employability, quality of faculty and research performance.

The Tucson Advertising Federation Educational Foundation announced the esteemed honorees for the 2024 Hall of Achievement event. The Sept. 5 event at Hacienda Del Sol, will bring together industry leaders, professionals and supporters to celebrate the remarkable accomplishments of this year’s honorees.

Receiving the 2024 Silver Medal Award will be Kerry Stratford, president of Caliber Group.

The American Advertising Federation’s Silver Medal is a nationally recognized award honoring individuals who

2024 Tucson Advertising Federation Educational Foundation Awards

have made outstanding contributions to advertising and have been active in furthering the industry’s standards, creative excellence and responsibility in areas of social concern.

Bill Hussey, senior account executive at Clear Channel Outdoor, is the 2024 Ad Professional of the Year, which recognizes marketing and advertising professionals who have led, mentored and inspired others to succeed.

Mitch Sigsworth, director of sales and business development at Cox Media, and Darrell Durham, retired mar-

keting director at the Arizona Daily Star, will be inducted into the Advertising Hall of Fame, which recognizes the best among local industry professionals who have led, mentored and inspired others to succeed in this industry.

The Next Generation Award goes to Bekah Collins, VP at Good News Communications. This award recognizes advertising professionals 40 and younger who are making a significant impact on the industry through leadership, career achievements and personal qualities that also inspire others to excel.

Kerry Stratford Bill Hussey

Mitch Sigsworth

Darrell Durham Bekah Collins

Biz

Game Changer Mosiac Quarter Takes Next Step to Reality

Pima County is getting an exciting new place to gather and play, a project that will benefit the region by creating an estimated $12.5 billion economic impact across Southern Arizona over the next 40 years.

When the Pima County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a four-decade southside lease for the Mosaic Quarter development in March, it cleared the way for a 90-acre project that will include MQ Iceplex, a facility with three rinks, and two indoor sports centers, MQ Field House and MQ Sportsplex, that will provide a variety of courts and fields for team and individual sports.

The county sees Mosaic Quarter as a game changer, an amenity that will offer locals a much-needed sports and entertainment complex and draw visitors from across the country. The first phase, including the Iceplex and Field House,

By Rodney Campbell

will open in 2026 on the footprint of the Kino Sports Complex.

“The development will alter the landscape for sports and tourism opportunities in Pima County,” said Carmine DeBonis, Jr., the deputy county administrator for public works. “The development of sports, hospitality and restaurant options will not only provide a significant capital expenditure, but will make Pima County an especially strong contender when looking to attract additional sporting events, league play and other types of conferences to the region.”

Frank Knott, Jr., senior managing director for Mosaic Quarter Development, said the idea for the project started in 2018. He and his team spent the next two years meeting with community, business and sports program leaders.

What he found was a populace that reminded him of Baltimore, his home-

town. The city hosted a fair for 20 years that united residents from numerous neighborhoods.

“I saw a familiar opportunity for Pima County,” Knott said. “The gathering place was what seemed to be missing − a place for everyone, a place for celebration, a place that could stimulate economic growth, a place to engender pride and confidence in the entire community, a place that became Mosaic Quarter.”

His team was given the go-ahead for the project in December 2020 and a development agreement was finalized in June 2021. They spent the next three years finalizing site and facility plans and obtaining construction permits and approvals.

One of the goals is to provide opportunities for underserved youth to compete in sports. A key element is the Mosaic Foundation, a nonprofit that

BizDEVELOPMENT

“Mosaic Quarter represents a gathering place for sports, recreation, entertainment and dining.”

– Frank Knott, Jr., Senior Managing Director, Mosaic Quarter Development

will partner with local groups and organizations to provide support to 8,600 children through $1.5 million in grants annually.

“From the athletics perspective, too often enthusiastic youth are relegated to the sidelines due to a long list of uncontrollable socioeconomic circumstances,” Knott said. “Most prevalent of these, however, is the affordability gap that exists in today’s youth sports landscape.”

While projections show that 12% of Mosaic Quarter’s revenue will be generated from travel sports events, Knott said the project’s main focus will be on local activities, including youth sports and University of Arizona hockey events as well as live music, performing arts and movies.

“Mosaic Quarter’s business model is not isolated to travel sports,” he said.

“To do so, as discovered by many travel sports destinations, is folly. Instead, local programming serves as Mosaic Quarter’s financial foundation while travel sports events provide the catalyst for community impact.”

The plan includes three hotels and 14 restaurants as part of the MQ Pavilion. Having amenities on site will be an advantage for visitors and will spur the local economy by supporting 92,000 jobs, according to Mosaic Quarter officials.

“Usually, athletic facility complexes are developed without attention to support amenities,” Knott said. “The prevailing thought is that hotels, restaurants and retail will arrive separately once the athletic programming develops and stabilizes. The result is that athletic facilities are developed in geographic isolation with support amenities located

at a significant distance.”

Knott calls Mosaic Quarter “both local and personal.” When complete, it will have 1 million square feet of facilities and amenities, all to the daily benefit of Southern Arizonans.

“For our local customers, Mosaic Quarter represents a gathering place for sports, recreation, entertainment and dining,” Knott said. “A date night out skating, followed by dinner and a movie at MQ Pavilion. Enjoying a child’s hockey game at MQ Iceplex while another child is enjoying an open gym experience at MQ Field House. The congregation of athletics, hospitality and dining brings a convenience factor to family events not found in sports-only developments.”

Biz

Power House

2024 Power of Real Estate Summit Offers State of Regional Housing Industry

Demographics and attracting new businesses, the redevelopment of Foothills Mall and industry challenges were he agenda at The Power of Real Estate Summit, hosted by the Tucson Association of REALTORS® and Southern Arizona Home Builders Ashe need for more housing continues to be a major factor, said Jessica Lautz, deputy chief economist with the National Association of REALTORS®, of the key sessions at the summit. With interest rates at 7%, the cost a monthly mortgage payment on a $350,000 home has increased by $600. And the income required to purchase a home increased dramatically by $25,000 last year.

“It’s a different market than a couple of years ago,” Lautz said at the event held April 19 at the Tucson Convention Center. “We’re not a balanced market yet, but home prices are still going up.”

Lautz added that 28% of home buyers don’t care about interest rates because they’re paying cash, and last year, of homes sold went above listing

Demographically, millennials are the country’s largest demographic group.

By Tom Leyde

The median age of a home buyer today is 35. People are renting longer to save money to buy a home, and Gen X is the most likely to buy a multi-generational home, she said.

In the 1960s, Lautz said, 70% of adults were married. Today, only half of adults are married, and 30% of recent home buyers were single women.

Other points from Lautz’s address:

• The number of home buyers with kids has plummeted. There has been a huge increase in older home buyers who have no kids at home.

• 19% of home buyers factor their pets in a purchase.

• Commuting time is another important factor.

• Migration to other states continues, but at a smaller rate than during the COVID-19 pandemic.

• More people are buying homes sight unseen and view them online.

• It remains a seller’s market.

Lautz also commented on demographics in home ownership, noting that last year, home ownership by Hispanics

and Asian-Americans reached an alltime high of 3.2 million. In 2023, more than half of home buyers were AfricanAmerican, Asian-American and Hispanic, and 29% of African-American home buyers were single women. In the next five years, the number of renters meeting the median home buying age will be higher for Asian-Americans (13%) and African-Americans (11%).

Joe Snell, president and CEO at Sun Corridor Inc., discussed economic development in the region.

Over the last several years, Sun Corridor has successfully facilitated 200 business relocations, representing 5,700 jobs and adding $36 million to the local economy. “We create wealth through the recruitment and expansion of primary companies,” he said.

Snell said there is strong corporate demand for larger buildings and large pieces of real estate. The average business building is 300,000 square feet and the average real estate is one to three acres.

One of the biggest challenges, he said, is that many large land parcels around Tucson are state-owned. Snell also said the area has seen a 40% increase in continued on page 100 >>>

Edmond Marquez emcee of the 2024 Power of Real Estate Summit 2. Jessica Lautz, deputy chief economist with the National Association of REALTORS® 3. Solving the Housing Equation Panel – from left: Panel Mediator Jeremy Sharpe, President, Sharpe and Associates; Jim Tofel, managing member of Tofel Dent Construction; Anjela Salyer, president of Mattamy Homes’ Tucson Division; Kevin Kaplan, COO of Long Realty Company 4. Joe Snell, president and CEO at Sun Corridor Inc. 5. Don Bourn, president and CEO of Bourn Companies 6. M. Nolan Gray, research director and land use expert for California YIMBY

manufacturing products, led by the automotive and clean energy fields. Labor remains a key economic driver.

“Companies want to know if they can find skilled employees in the market,” he said. “Anybody who has skills and wants a job, they’re out there. Our success has really been in our ability to attract, retain and train a qualified workforce. If we can attract them, companies will follow.”

But skilled employees need housing, he said. “If we’re going to attract more industry, we have to get a bigger inventory.”

Uptown Update

One of Tucson’s most anticipated real estate projects is the redevelopment of the Foothills Mall site, to be called Uptown. Don Bourn, president and CEO of Bourn Companies, the project developer, presented an update on the ambitious project.

The first new building for Uptown is under construction. The project will be Tucson’s first high-density, urban village outside of Downtown Tucson. It will be a mixed use of retail, high-end residences, hotel rooms, entertainment and fitness.

Uptown is based on several fundamental elements: safety and security, design and aesthetics, food and beverage entities, health and wellness, hospitality and technology.

All of this will be contained within 2 million square feet, to include 700,000 square feet of retail, 750 to 1,000 square-foot residences, and 400 hotel rooms.

The first building will be 250,000 square feet, including 157 residences and 150,000 square feet of retail. The second building will have a 144-room hotel, with a second-level pool and 20,000 square feet of ground floor retail.

“It’s a different market than a couple of years ago.”

– Jessica Lautz Deputy Chief Economist National Association of REALTORS®

The Housing Equation

A panel of speakers tackled the subject, “Solving the Housing Equation: Perspective on the Challenges and Opportunities.” Here are some key points:

• Kevin Kaplan, COO of Long Realty Company, said the Tucson area has 35% more housing inventory over last March, but is still below the years 2015-2019. That means it is 1,200 listings short of normal. Growth is coming in higher-end homes. It’s still a seller’s market, home prices are going up and there are still many people who want to own homes.

• Anjela Salyer, president of Mattamy Homes’ Tucson Division, said builders are still paying high prices for materials and labor. “We don’t have a very deep trade base so builders wind up competing for it. That helps drive higher prices,” she said. It’s taking 12 to 18 months to get homes built now. There is much state land around Tucson and her company’s team works with state trusts to promote and advocate for more land for housing. But, she said “it takes years and years for that to come to fruition.”

• Work with “not in my backyard” (nimby) groups continued from page 99

The third building will be six stories, with four levels of residential units, including three levels of urban lofts (400 to 700 square feet) and a top floor of penthouses (2,500 square feet with 12foot ceilings), and a ground floor with modern entertainment uses. The project also will include a 900-space parking garage. Construction is expected to be completed in 2027.

• Jim Tofel, a general contractor and managing member of Tofel Dent Construction, said there has been a 75% increase in construction costs since 2015, starting with lumber. Lumber costs rose from $300 per board foot to $1,600 per board foot in six months. Costs for electrical, air conditioning and concrete rose as well. There are more inspections and projects are

taking longer to complete. He said a building slowdown expected in 2025 and 2026 may help decrease labor costs. There is a need to create opportunities for people to buy homes. He suggested that reducing parking requirements and making building codes more flexible will make building easier.

Urban Zoning

M. Nolan Gray, research director and land use expert for California YIMBY, spoke on legal issues affecting housing in Arizona. He is author of the book, “Arbitrary Lines,” about zoning.

“We have a long, long way to go to solve the housing shortage,” Gray said. “We’re simply not building enough housing. It has increasingly become an issue across the country.”

Gray said people are spending a larger share of their income on housing and the only way to grow is to expand outside city boundaries.

“Rule changes can result in more housing supply,” Gray said.

He offered the following suggestions to help boost housing:

• Reduce lot size mandates and streamline the building process

• Consider changing rules for granny flats, mother-in-law units and casitas

• Legalize mixed use in commercial districts

• Be more flexible with height restrictions

• Do more infill housing

• Review parking requirements

• Support growth

• Consider smaller yards and shared common areas

• Reduce time from permits to construction

• Change zoning for multi-family housing in residential neighborhoods

• Consult state and local planners to lessen regulatory barriers for new affordable housing

A Goal to Eradicate

Ginny L. Clements Breast Cancer Research Institute Fuels Ambitious Mission

Ginny Clements stands roughly five feet tall, but her aspirations are gigantic. She is determined to revolutionize treatments for − and eventually cure − breast cancer.

Her blueprint revolves around great minds, giving hearts and innovative visionaries, all of which were on display in April at the Ginny L. Clements Breast Cancer Research Institute Symposium at the University of Arizona.

“The Institute is dedicated to advancing treatments and diagnosis of breast cancer through new imaging techniques, new biomarkers, new drugs and new ways of treating the disease,” said UArizona President Dr. Robert C. Robbins. “Since the best way of treating any disease is to try to identify it early or prevent it, these are important discussions centered around the wide range of different strategies that can be deployed. I hope that events such as this evangelize

By Loni Nannini

the message to the rest of the world that something special is going on in Tucson at the University of Arizona Ginny L. Clements Breast Cancer Research Institute.”

Established by Clements in 2020 with an $8.5 million endowment, the institute is the only National Cancer Institute Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center headquartered in Arizona. It evolved from the Ginny Clements Breast Cancer Fund, which she funded with a gift of $50,000 annually beginning in 2006.

Clements has leveraged lessons learned over decades as an owner of Golden Eagle Distributors with her late husband, William “Bill” Clements. After his untimely death in 1995, Ginny managed the family-owned business, which was the local distributor of Anheuser-Busch products, before handing daily operations to her children in 2003.

She has also applied leadership skills learned through serving on boards for more than 50 Arizona nonprofits.

“One of the most important things I have learned is to think out of the box and to listen. I have also learned that it takes a village, and all of you are the village. I am proud of those who have believed in this mission and chosen to help eradicate breast cancer through donations to the Ginny L. Clements Breast Cancer Research Institute,” said Clements, who is a breast cancer survivor. “I have said that it doesn’t matter what you give, if you just give − whether it is $1 or $5 or whatever is comfortable for you − just give. It is so important for research to have those dollars.”

Her diagnosis at age 15, in 1956, resulted in a mastectomy followed by chemotherapy, radiation and numerous reconstructive surgeries during a time when conversations about breast cancer were often stigmatized.

Dr. Rachna Shroff , MD, MS, FASCO Symposium Moderator

Ginny Clements

“The Institute is dedicated to advancing treatments and diagnosis of breast cancer through new imaging techniques, new biomarkers, new drugs and new ways of treating the disease.”

– Dr. Robert C. Robbins, President, University of Arizona

Clements credits Nancy Brinker, founder of Susan G. Komen breast cancer foundation, for accelerating change through global initiatives research, community health and public policy. The foundation has funneled more than $3 billion into research, advocacy and resources since 1982.

“With the Susan G. Komen foundation, Nancy is absolutely the one who opened the door for all of us survivors and for those who had breast cancer that didn’t make it,” said Clements.

lighted the importance of healthcare access for women of all backgrounds.

“Access to care is critical, and we know that when diagnosed early, breast cancer can be 99% survivable and cervical cancer can be 95% survivable and the HPV vaccine is critical for women,” she said. “But too many women don’t have access to care and have minimal insurance.”

The institute embraces a multidisciplinary approach to diagnosis, treatment and care. The integrated breast cancer team includes a wide range of physicians and specialists, a breast cancer nurse navigator who guides patients, genetic counselors and more. Other key components are researchers, scientists and students who pursue new ways to diagnose and treat breast cancer.

Brinker, who is the World Health Organization Goodwill Ambassador for Cancer Control, also founded the Promise Fund of Florida in 2018 to help women access lifesaving care.

At the symposium, her keynote speech, “Developing a Continuum of Care Model to Address Healthcare Disparities in Breast and Cervical Cancer: The Promise Fund’s Approach,” high-

Brinker said prevention and early detection can be facilitated by confronting social determinants of health, incorporating community care, and implementing a gold standard of care by partnering government entities with the private, public and nonprofit sectors.

“Our healthcare system is too complex for many people to manage,” said Brinker. “For women already struggling with rent, poverty, childcare and their own safety, healthcare is a luxury they can’t afford.”

“This Breast Cancer Institute isn’t about me,” Clements said. “It has my name, but it is about all of you helping out. It is about people like my dear friend, Claudia, who died when she was 35 years old, and about others who have died because of breast cancer − and that includes men. When people come up to me and tell me they are survivors, I tell them they are my sisters and brothers, but I hope not to have to say that. I just want to eradicate breast cancer.”

Nancy Brinker

Dr. Robert C. Robbins

A Space of

Bald Beauties Project Donates $150,000 for

By Valerie Vinyard

Michael and Maya Luria wanted to create something in memory of their daughter, Kelsey.

Kelsey was an 18-year-old Catalina Foothills High School student who died April 18, 2015, after a 5½ month battle with acute myeloid leukemia, a rare cancer in which the bone marrow produces a large number of abnormal blood cells.

The last months of Kelsey’s life were spent at Diamond Children’s Medical Center. A hospital stay – especially a long one – can be a tough atmosphere for anyone.

“When you’re sick, you have no place to go,” said Michael, who recalled walking laps around the wing with Kelsey. “We wanted a space that didn’t look or feel like any part of the hospital.”

So, the Lurias raised the $150,000 to create the room, which is geared toward ages 13 and older.

The Teen Room opened on Apr. 12, which would have been Kelsey’s 27th birthday. When you enter the cozy room, you’ll notice a 75-inch flat screen television on one wall. Video game

Michael & Maya Luria with picture of Kelsey in the New Teen Room at Diamond Children’s

Their Own

New Teen Room at Diamond Children’s

controllers and DVDs make it feel less like a hospital and more of a fun respite.

Three changing picture screens line another wall. Teens can choose from various settings, including Paris, the beach or the jungle.

“We wanted to provide a window with a view outside the hospital walls,” Maya said. “It was to give them a little bit of levity.”

Emily Lynch has been a child life specialist at Diamond

Children’s Medical Center for about two years. “I’m very excited about it,” she said about the new room. “People have been enjoying themselves. It’s been a very good space for kids to meet each other. It’s a nice escape.”

It’s also a place to be social. In the months she spent at the hospital, Michael said that Kelsey had made friends with a fellow patient named Sarah. “I swear they looked like twins,” he said. “But they had no place to go.”

In the Teen Room, “these kids actually can meet another

Bald Beauties Project Fulfills Kelsey Luria’s Wish

By Valerie Vinyard

When Kelsey Luria was undergoing chemotherapy treatments for pediatric acute myeloid leukemia in 2015, she lost her hair.

“She was afraid of what she would look like after she lost her hair,” her mother Maya Luria recalled. “She wanted a wig, she wouldn’t let anyone see her.”

The day before her second round of chemotherapy, Kelsey participated in a photo shoot. To her parents’ surprise, she asked to do the shoot without her wig. “She left that day feeling so confident and so comfortable,” Maya said. “She never wore that wig again.”

Thus, the Bald Beauties Project was born. Its mission is to empower and impact the lives of children and young adults with cancer.

Although Kelsey lost her battle with cancer, her spirit, legacy and desire to positively impact the lives of children with cancer lives on through the project. “Her dying wish was for us to bring the Bald Beauties Project to life,” said her father, Michael Luria.

With the Bald Beauties Project, kids with cancer have the opportunity to be professionally photographed and build self-esteem and confidence. The photo sessions take place around Tucson or at Banner Children’s at Diamond Children’s Medical Center.

Each family is connected with a professional photographer and make-up artist for a special experience to be remembered. Patients receive a flash drive of their images from the session as well as one image on a large canvas print.

The project also provides a Teen Comfort Kit to newly diagnosed/hospitalized teens. Packaged in a small duffle bag, each kit contains a plush blanket, eye mask, small pillow, ear buds, a Dammit Doll and other luxury items.

The Lurias noted that only 8% of all National Cancer Institute funding goes toward pediatric cancer research. So, in partnership with the Children’s Oncology Group Foundation, the Bald Beauties Project supports ongoing research of AML. To date, the Bald Beauties Project has donated $204,000 to Target Pediatric AML.

To raise funds for that research, the Bald Beauties Project has held an annual Bubbles and Brunch event since 2018. This year’s event will take place Nov. 3 at Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse and will include a silent auction. Tickets cost $125, and the event is limited to 130 people.

“We wanted a space that didn’t look or feel like any part of the hospital.”

– Michael Luria

Father of Kelsey Luria Donor

continued from page 105

person,” he said.

Courtney McClellan, associate director of the D6W, Pediatric Hematology/Oncology/ BMT unit at Diamond Children’s Medical Center, was excited to partner with the Lurias in opening the Teen Room.

“The goal for the space is to provide a location for the teenage population undergoing inpatient treatment, specifically for ages 13 to 18,” McClellan said. “The space includes a large TV screen, three small screens with several chairs and LED lights. The patient can choose a ‘color card’ that changes the entire landscape of the room, including the LED light changes and backdrop screen rotations.

“We are hopeful that the teens who are needing a space away, away from the room where medications are given and where treatment is discussed, will experience the feeling of being outside of their room while still on the unit,” she added.

Michael described the room as a subtle nod to Kelsey. “We wanted to be very sensitive for people going through their own battle.”

The Lurias also have partnered with the New Jersey-based Arms Wide Open and Tucson’s Courtney’s Courage to host an annual weekend family bereavement retreat at Tanque Verde Guest Ranch. About 15 families each year are able to attend the event that offers support and sessions with a grief facilitator. It’s a weekend of hope and healing.

The Teen Room, however, serves as a daily option for kids.

“At the end of the day, we know this is a resource that is needed that will be used for the next decade or more,” Michael said. “Good things are going to happen in this space.”

Building a Workforce Pima Community College Health Professions Center of Excellence

Pima Community College consistently makes significant contributions to improve local healthcare.

The college’s health professions programs annually graduate approximately 800 students. Health Professions Dean says if those grads could see an average of five patients a day, it adds up to more than 1 million interactions each year in a variety of disciplines, including dental studies, fitness and wellness, nursing, pharmacy technology, phlebotomy, respiratory care, surgical technology, medical assistant and medical lab technology.

“That is the equivalent of the entire population of Pima County that one group of graduates will see each year,” Martin said. “We graduate a new group each year that will do the same thing.”

Next spring, those students will come together at the expanded Center of Excellence for Health Professions on the West Campus. The 80,000-square-foot facility, which is scheduled for completion by Oct. 31, will consolidate the college’s healthcare programs in a single location. The expansion will improve core services, create a community room, improve access to the facility and allow for better, more efficient use of instructional technology resources. The move will improve the efficiency of the use of common resources, such as disposable healthcare supplies.

Martin says students will benefit from working more closely with peers, allowing them to learn better together.

“The programs have historically been assigned to various campuses and deans,” Martin said. “This separation has prevented the implementation of interprofessional education, an ap-

By Rodney Campbell

proach to learning where individuals from different professions come together to learn with, from and about each other. The aim is to enhance collaboration and improve patient outcomes by fostering mutual respect, understanding and effective communication among healthcare professionals.”

Completing their work at Pima College isn’t the end of studies for many graduates. Many of those students transfer to four-year colleges and complete a bachelor’s degree or post-graduate degree in healthcare or healthcare administration.

Martin estimates that more than 90% of Pima College health professions graduates stay in Southern Arizona to help their friends and neighbors find high-quality care.

“Research has shown that an individual who completes their education locally is much more likely to stay in that community,” Martin said. “This has the effect of elevating the entire community. It also helps to address the issue of access to healthcare in communities where there has traditionally been a lack of practitioners.”

Martin said most of Pima College’s healthcare programs have stayed at the same capacity for the last 10 to 15 years while healthcare workforce needs have expanded. The expansion puts the college in a position to address the need to meet growing demand.

“The expanded space will increase the capacity of our programs, providing more opportunities to learners in our communities to enter high-paying stable careers in healthcare,” he said. “This has the added effect of providing more workers to begin to try to fill

the gap that has been created by baby boomers retiring from healthcare and the ‘Great Resignation’ initiated by the pandemic.”

More quality graduates also means better healthcare options across the region. Those million patient interactions each year could grow and even improve in quality.

“Expanding our capacity will not only allow more people to access jobs in healthcare, it will also allow more people to access the healthcare they need,” he said. “What we do at PCC and in the Center of Excellence in Health Professions truly impacts the lives of our communities and beyond in a very real, physical way.”

Most of the construction costs for the new center, approximately $24 million, was paid when the college issued revenue bonds in 2019. PCC received another $2.5 million from congressional funding, thanks to Senators Mark Kelly and Kyrsten Sinema.

Martin believes the results will more than justify the expense.

“This expansion and improvement in technology will allow the PCC Center of Excellence in Health Professions to offer professional development and upskilling to the current workforce and our institutional partners in the Pima County and Southern Arizona healthcare community in ways that were not possible previously,” he said. “This new opportunity will improve the quality of healthcare for our community and improve the efficiency of the healthcare delivery system, saving time and lives and promoting a higher quality of living.”

Ginny Clements

A Home for Wildcats Golf Vision Comes to Fruition for State-of-the-Art Facility

the project.

They all helped the men’s and women’s golf teams find a home after years of traveling from golf course to golf course in temporary homes.

Now, the Wildcats – behind Ginny Clements and other donors – have a state-of-the-art facility with new locker rooms, coaching offices, putting greens and an outdoor driving range. It has a short-game area for chipping and putting. The facility also includes the Jim

By Steve Rivera

yk Golf Lab, which features Putt View technology, named after the Wildcats alum and past U.S. Open cham-

e are proud that we didn’t just build a space that was solely functional or aesthetically pleasing,” said Blaylock. “We instead created a space that is both highly functional for our student-athletes and staff as well as having tremendous design elements.”

t’s not to love for a venue decades in the making through the vision of former Arizona golf coach Rick LaRose, ho called the venue “the best practice facility in the country.”

The facility was called “game-changing and monumental” for the program. e’ve been waiting for so long to have our own facility, finally,” said Gile Bite Starkute, a senior on the women’s team. “We are all very happy. The future of Arizona golf is really bright.”

No doubt the facility is “a huge step” for recruiting for the program, Starkute

“Tucson Country Club is excited to partner with the University of Arizona and their golf teams,” said Ryan Davis, general manager and COO of Tucson Country Club. “The men’s and women’s golf teams are consistent national powers and the opportunity to partner with them and work alongside the university with its importance to the community align firmly with the club’s desire to be a pillar of the community and continue giving back in Tucson. The partnership is a great sense of pride for TCC.”

The pride extends beyond the Tucson region given that the Phoenix Thunder-

birds – that city’s version of the Tucson Conquistadores of which Clements was a member – contributed $1 million to the cause.

“While The Thunderbirds are widely recognized as the organizers of the WM Phoenix Open, our dedication to the game extends far beyond professional golf,” said Pat Williams, Big Chief (president) of The Thunderbirds and president of Thunderbirds Charities. “We are deeply committed to supporting promising young athletes and fostering the next generation of community leaders through our backing of amateur golf initiatives. This amazing new golf facility is only the most recent example of our group’s support of the game, one that we are extremely proud to be a part of.”

The golf center was more than three decades in the making. LaRose kept diagrams of his ideal venue drawn up on napkins through the years.

“I needed to raise the level of our golf program,” LaRose said, talking about the early days after becoming the school’s new golf coach. “We needed to be a national power in golf.”

Arizona is just that, having won four NCAA titles between the men’s and women’s programs.

“The reason we (have the facility) is because (the donors) believe in us and this program,” said Arizona men’s coach Jim Anderson. “You believe in what we are doing to help these young men and young women to continue to grow and chase their dreams.”

ASID Arizona South Design Excellence Awards to be held Sept. 21

The ASID Arizona South Design Excellence Awards honor those who have achieved excellence in commercial and residential interior design by recognizing artisan spirit, talent, hard work and dedication.

The Design Excellence Awards are a unique opportunity to support the growth and recognition of local designers while showcasing southern Arizona’s

commitment to excellence and innovation in the design community.

For the first time in the chapter’s history, the competition will be open to non-members and related industries including architects, landscape architects, artists and industry partners based in Southern Arizona. Over 20 categories have been announced to appeal to the expanded field.

Designs will be judged by a panel of interior designers from around the country, all outside Arizona.

The call for entries began May 15 and closes on July 15. Winners will be announced on Sept. 21 at a black-tie gala held at the Tucson Museum of Art, which is celebrating 100 years.

Winning designs will be featured in BizTucson magazine.

BY

Eva Murzaite, ASID, Brandy Holden, Allied ASID, and Azucena Maldonado, Allied ASID, Interiors In Design

PHOTO

TAYLOR THOENES

ORO VALLEY

WESTWARD LOOK WYNDHAM GRAND RESORT AND SPA

HILTON EL CONQUISTADOR

Oro Valley at 50 Years From Bedrooms to Business

By Dave Perry

When Oro Valley was incorporated 50 years ago, it was envisioned as a bedroom community, cozy and low-key. The town had about 1,200 residents within 2½ square miles.

In 2024, it’s estimated more than 48,000 people reside on 36 square miles of scenic desert generally west of Oracle Road, north of Ina Road and east of I-10.

It is an evolving town that is clean, proud of its public safety, and populated by highly educated residents with disposable income. Winter visitors add to the economic pie. Oro Valley has the full menu of services and shopping. It has trails, bike paths and a new, $20 million investment in Naranja Park.

It takes care of its roads and is home to highperforming schools. There is public art everywhere, and views of the Catalinas out every door, all of which help make it a place to live, work and play.

Oro Valley is home to two industry-leading, home-grown companies. Roche Tissue Diagnostics employs more than 1,700 people dedicated to improving the lives of people afflicted with cancer. Simpleview’s 160 employees are part of a worldwide team serving 1,000 destination marketing organizations with digital solutions.

“There’s no place I’d rather be than here in Oro Valley,” says Simpleview CEO Ryan George, who grew up in the community, and is raising his family here.

George believes the Oro Valley story fits into a circle identified by Maura Gast, then the CEO of Visit Irving Texas.

“If you build a place where people want to visit, you’ll build a place where people want to live,” Gast once said. “If you build a place where people want to live, you’ll build a place where people want to work. If you build a place where people want to work, you’ll build a place where business wants to be. And, if you build a place where business wants to be, we’ll be back to building a place where people want to visit.”

“It all starts with the visit,” Gast said.

In Oro Valley, a visit can lead to so much more.

Oro Valley’s front door is long-tenured El Conquistador Tucson, A Hilton Resort. Each year, El Conquistador Tucson attracts thousands of guests to its 428-room property for meetings and conventions, weddings, celebrations and relaxation.

In 2021, Oro Valley went around the corner of the Catalinas to annex a second resort, the Southwest classic Westward Look Wyndham Grand Resort and Spa on Ina Road east of Oracle Road. Its 241 rooms bring the town’s total to 1,085 guest rooms.

The year 2023 was “record-setting” for the El Conquistador, general manager Shelby Francom said. That’s good for town government. El Conquistador Tucson generates on the order of $1.8 million a year in combined bed tax and sales tax revenues, helping to pay for roads, parks and prized public safety.

Retired Oro Valley Police Chief Danny Sharp put a community policing model in place that has been continued by his successor, Chief Kara Riley. In Oro Valley, you call a cop, you get a cop. The Town of Oro Valley commits onethird of its general fund to police because, officials say, a safe place attracts retirees and affluent residents. The median household income is $92,548. Those residents attract businesses of all sizes.

“We drive more economic development value in our community than Amazon ever will,” says Crispin Jeffrey-Franco, who opened Stacks Book Club with his wife Lizzy a year ago in Oro Valley Marketplace.

The Complete Package

Oro Valley Hospital and its related Northwest Healthcare system facilities employ 776 people in Oro Valley. The hospital’s 2023 payroll was $70.5 million.

“Having a hospital is really important, critical in fact, from an economic development

continued on page 118 >>>

BizMILESTONE

perspective,” said Brian Sinotte, market CEO for Northwest Healthcare. “New employers ask ‘How’s the healthcare, what’s it like?’ It’s excellent,” Sinotte asserts, buttressed by Oro Valley Hospital’s regional affiliations through Northwest Healthcare.

The senior living industry knows as much. It is a vital leg on Oro Valley’s economic stool. The town’s largest current building project is La Posada at Pusch Ridge, a $140 million state-ofthe-art senior living community rising east of First Avenue above the Cañada del Oro Wash. It’s due to open in spring 2025.

“We couldn’t find a more beautiful spot in the world to maximize the well-being of seniors,” La Posada President and CEO Joni Condit said at its groundbreaking.

And then there’s the beauty of the region. It has helped attract snowbirds and seniors who live their best lives at Splendido at Rancho Vistoso, Fairwinds Desert Point, All Seasons Oro Valley, The Watermark at Oro Valley, and a number of other properties.

Paul Melcher, Oro Valley community and economic development director, and Margie Adler, the town’s economic development specialist, point to an educated workforce, many of whom commute to the University of Arizona and Raytheon.

The town also has “great school choice for families,” said Adler. Among Oro Valley’s top-performing faith-based and charter schools, BASIS Oro Valley

is a nationally regarded high school. Six of eight Amphitheater Public Schools in Oro Valley earned “A” grades as “excelling” schools in 2023, Superintendent Todd Jaeger reports. Pima Community College’s Northwest Campus, just south of the community, is designated as Pima’s Center for Excellence in STEM – science, technology, engineering and math. The emphasis on education bodes well for Oro Valley employers who have demand for people with those skills.

Retail has thrived from Oro Valley’s southern terminus at Ina and Oracle. At less-dense Oracle and Tangerine, Oro Valley Marketplace has struggled to keep large retailers, but change is afoot. Two hotels and two major apartment communities have been approved by the town council. Ground is being broken on a four-story Hampton Inn & Suites this summer.

“This center is hopefully coming of age,” said Jim Horvath, chairman and founder of Town West Companies which owns Oro Valley Marketplace. “We’re bringing it to life.”

Within Oro Valley’s southern edge resides a gem, Tohono Chul, ranked as one of the world’s 10 best botanical gardens by Travel + Leisure Magazine. Since 2023, Children’s Museum Oro Valley has resided at Tohono Chul. Both have thrived, together; other gardens and museums seek to emulate the model.

At Oro Valley’s northern end, the Western National Parks Association serves parks and monuments across the West with books, puzzles and other ma-

terials as well as educational programming. Its National Parks Store is wondrously unique to greater Tucson.

In between Tohono Chul and the National Parks Store, the University of Arizona College of Veterinary Medicine occupies two buildings in the Foothills Business Park.

It is a paradigm-changing institution and economic driver. Dean Julie Funk reports the vet school is a $23 million annual enterprise with more than 140 faculty and staff serving 330 students who are educated year-round for three intensive years. The vet school had more than 2,500 applicants for its most recent class of 110.

Changing Perception

Melcher draws a distinction between Oro Valley’s public review and permitting processes.

“Navigating the entitlements process can sometimes lead to frustration,” he acknowledges. Oro Valley prides itself in giving voice to its citizens. But that can slow things down.

Once entitlements are in hand, “we’re customer-service-focused,”Melcher said. “We get you through the system.”

“The perception was ‘It’s going to be hard,’ ” said Hector Martinez, who opened The Hoppy Vine with his wife Marnel. “That was definitely not our experience. The Town was extremely helpful every step of the way.”

Martinez summed it up: “I would not hesitate to tell people ‘Yeah, Oro Valley is a great spot to open.’ ”

Biz

Kristen Sharp President & CEO

Oro Valley Chamber of Commerce

PHOTO: JD FITZGERALD

Tested by Fire Oro Valley Chamber Perseveres After

Office is Destroyed

By Dave Perry

The Oro Valley Chamber of Commerce can say it has been tested by fire since last year.

In March 2023, the Chamber’s office at 7435 N. Oracle Road caught fire. Most of the contents were lost, and the space was rendered unoccupiable.

Kristen Sharp, who became Chamber president and CEO in November 2022, led her staff in working remotely while trying to figure out an office solution. With the blessing of the Chamber board, she found a new space within Oro Valley’s Innovation Park. For the first time in its 30-plus year history, the Oro Valley Chamber now owns office space, with a conference room and flexible use area, at 1822 E. Innovation Park Drive.

“The most difficult part after the fire was navigating the immediate chaos and uncertainty,” Sharp said. “At the same time, it allowed us to reassess our priorities and focus on what’s important − our members and community. Ultimately, it led us to a new location that better suits our needs and future growth.”

With that new office settled, Sharp and her team are fully focused on serving members and community alike.

“Our reason for existing is to support business,” Sharp said. The Chamber does that with promotions, continuing education, networking, and major events, as well as 1-on-1 “connections to help members grow their businesses. We’re the voice of the business community, and advocates for the best interests of business.”

Sharp believes each chamber in the Tucson region “has strengths in different areas.”

“We focus on the greater Oro Valley community,” Sharp said. “Our strengths lie in our relationships with our members, and with government and community organizations. We are leveraging those relationships for the best interests of the business community.”

The Chamber and the Town of Oro Valley are in the midst of their “50 Businesses for 50 Years” promotion, a year-long marketing effort to highlight 50 Oro Valley businesses in honor of the town’s 50th anniversary.

This and other Chamber promotions such as its “Locals Eat Local” summertime restaurant promotion, and its holiday gift guide, are intended “to promote shopping local,” Sharp said.

“It’s not just small business, it’s all local businesses,” she continued. “When you shop local, your dollars stay in the community.”

Chamber dollars stay in the community, too. As part of Locals Eat Local, the Chamber buys $50 gift cards at local restaurants and gives them away. In turn, those restaurants and small businesses “support the people who are living here” while giving back, Sharp said. As two examples, Chamber members Freytag Orthodontics focuses its giving on Oro Valley schools, and Fork + Fire Smokehouse and Taproom recently provided lunch to two shifts of nurses at Oro Valley Hospital.

“The Chamber has always done a great job working for its members,” said Josh Bishop, owner of Fork + Fire.

“Being involved with the Chamber is really important,” said State Farm Insurance agent Wendy Wise. “The Chamber has been great” in helping businesses feel “comfortable and welcomed in Oro Valley.” And it plays “a key role as a liaison with the town,” Wise said.

The Chamber works directly to grow business in the community. In May, it committed $10,000 to support CellMedics Inc., winner of a sponsored launch competition for occupancy at the University of Arizona Center for Innovation at Oro Valley.

CellMedics, currently based in Las Vegas, is moving to Oro Valley with a product it wants to commercialize − a patented, topical and transdermal drug delivery platform for hard-to-deliver molecules.

As part of the sponsored launch, CellMedics principals get to work with UACI staff, mentors and subjectmatter experts “to really focus on the business side,” said Casey Carrillo, director of strategic partnerships for UACI. The company also receives a year’s use of office and laboratory space, courtesy of the Chamber, as well as Chamber membership for a year.

Sharp’s favorite part of the job “is when somebody is helped by the Chamber, or by something the Chamber did,” she said. “That’s when I say ‘Yes, that’s why we do what we do.’ ”

She considers the Oro Valley Chamber to be relational in its dealings, with a “family feel.” Sharp and her husband Danny Sharp Jr., are raising their two children in Oro Valley. Other members of the Chamber staff live in or near Oro Valley.

“Our staff truly cares about our members and the Oro Valley community,” Sharp said. “We want it to be successful and vibrant, and we want our children to stick around.”

New Life for the ‘Marketplace’ Town West Investing in the Business Center

By Dave Perry

Reimagination of Oro Valley Marketplace is moving from concept to construction, with the first building activity in nearly 15 years about to begin.

“This center is hopefully coming of age,” said Jim Horvath, chairman and founder of Marketplace owner Town West Companies. “We’re bringing it to life.”

After years of negotiation and public review, Town West has secured permission to build as many as 560 apartments, two hotels, and up to 200,000 square feet of additional retail space at the Marketplace at North Oracle Road and Tangerine Road.

The first to rise will be a hotel, the fourstory Hampton Inn and Suites on land near Oracle Road close to the former Red Lobster restaurant. It is being built and managed by HSL Properties and its subsidiaries. Permits are in final review. Construction may begin in August; work should take about a year.

Soon after, Town West and its partners expect to start on two apartment communities with 472 total units. Both are slated for already-scraped ground, one property south of Tangerine Road across from Oro Valley Hospital, another west of Oracle and north of the former Red Lobster and Chase Bank buildings.

Horvath believes construction of the twoand three-story garden-style apartments can begin in December. It’ll take two years to be “fully done.”

Later, Town West is going to create a central park and events space. “We’re excited about getting that all done,” Horvath said. And, along with the investment, Town West

plans “a whole new rebranding of the center,” from Oro Valley Marketplace to Oro Valley Village Center.

The 114-acre Marketplace, with 800,000 square feet of retail space, has languished for years. While Walmart Supercenter remains its busy anchor, big-box retailers Best Buy and Dick’s Sporting Goods have closed. Horvath is pleased to see smaller retail and professional businesses come in. But the Marketplace, approved in 2006 and built from 2007 through 2010 at the height of recession has needed new concepts and energy.

“It has been on the town council’s radar for quite a while,” Horvath said. “They’ve been trying to reposition that property and work with the owner to bring it back to life. They’ve worked with us. It’s been hard. We’ve had to go through COVID, and that slowed things down.”

While Horvath recognizes there is an anti-growth segment to the town, he said he appreciates decision-makers who have “overcome that for this particular property and feel this is an area where development should occur.”

“Development, as well as housing, commercial and hotels, should thrive (at the center). That’s good for the town, good for the revenue of the town, good for us, and good for everybody.”

There are few retail centers in greater Tucson that rival the Marketplace for size, access to major roads, scenery, and proximity to employment. It “should be a central entertainment and lifestyle center for all of Oro Valley,” Horvath said. “It could be a

continued on page 128 >>>

continued from page 127

really booming area, and it really needs the housing.”

“When you have 1,200 to 1,500 people living on site,” their daily lives bring “activity and excitement,” Horvath said. “They’re dining, shopping for groceries, going to the movie theater, buying furniture, exercising. It’s all within walking distance. It’s really a great amenity for the apartment dwellers, and vice versa, it’s great to have that activity for the retail.”

Prospective tenants are expressing “a lot of interest,” Horvath said. “We’re really thrilled about the demand for retail space.”

Dollar Tree has newly opened within an idle big-box space on the Marketplace’s east side. Surf-Thru Express Car Wash is going to build on 1½ acres close to In-N-Out near the Marketplace’s southern edge.

“Generally speaking, everyone’s doing well in Oro Valley,” Horvath said. “Our retailers are doing well.” But, he emphasizes, “there has to be enough demand. The population base and the

density have to catch up.”

Town West is “thrilled we’ve gotten it to this point, and we’re very excited about the future of this property, of Oro Valley in general, and the community out there, in every way,” Horvath said. “We really want to make a difference in the community, and have a positive in-

“This center is hopefully coming of age.”

–

Jim Horvath Chairman

Town West Companies

fluence, as we have always tried to do.”

Current tenants are excited

Hotels and apartments at the Marketplace are “going to really grow the whole community,” said Hector Martinez, who owns The Hoppy Vine with his wife Marnel. When they considered where to open their beer and wine busi-

ness, they looked at the Marketplace, and thought “let’s get into the ground floor, literally.”

On first look, the Marketplace “hadn’t seemed like a very exciting place to be,” said Crispin Jeffrey-Franco, who owns and operates Stacks Book Club with his wife Lizzy. But, when the couple learned of the impending reinvention of the Marketplace, “we liked the idea of being able to get in and grow our business along with the Marketplace’s growth.”

Jeffrey-Franco can draw “a direct line between traffic and revenue.” The more vehicles, the “more opportunity to convert those cars into paying customers.”

Hotel guests “are coming and looking and buying somewhere,” said longtime tenant Wendy Wise of Wendy Wise State Farm. “They are our future customers.”

When Josh Bishop left the relative security of managing The Keg to open Fork + Fire Smokehouse and Taproom, “I didn’t take that risk merely to survive,” he said. “I think this can come to fruition. It’s a leap of faith. I think the town of Oro Valley can do it.”

Roche Anchors Business in Oro Valley

Largest Employer Expanding its Footprint

By Dave Perry

Any conversation about business in Oro Valley must begin with Roche Tissue Diagnostics, according to town community and economic development director Paul Melcher.

Roche is Oro Valley’s largest employer with approximately 1,700 people working on its expansive – and expanding – 118-acre Innovation Park campus. Close to 200 more work at Roche’s newer facilities near I-10 in Marana. It is Greater Tucson’s largest bioscience company.

RTD is the acknowledged U.S. and world leader in cancer tissue diagnostics. Its instruments and companion diagnostic tests can be found in most reference laboratories and major hospital labs across the country. Technology, tools and tests imagined and created in Oro Valley and Marana affect the lives of millions of people across the planet each year. In fact, if you have ever had a biopsy, there is a high probability your results were determined using an instrument and test built by RTD.

The company’s global impact is not a secret, yet it’s little known in much of Tucson.

“When I encounter people in Tucson, they don’t really realize that the world’s number one cancer tissue diagnostic company is right here in their own backyard, full of scientists and manufacturing,” RTD head Jill German said in 2022, when Roche cut the ribbon on its innovative Forum space in Oro Valley. “There are all kinds of folks here contributing to the betterment of people with cancer.”

RTD’s origins in Southern Arizona date to the mid-1980s, when Dr. Thomas Grogan, a University of Arizona pathologist, started Ventana Medical Sys-

tems, Inc. His original idea to automate cancer testing grew exponentially when Roche acquired Ventana in 2008.

“Today, our Oro Valley site is now the global headquarters for the Roche Tissue Diagnostics business, which impacts the lives of over 38 million patients worldwide each year,” German said.

Roche Tissue Diagnostics has a clear mission – “to improve the lives of all patients afflicted with cancer.” In Oro Valley, more than 300 research and development staff are doing precisely that. They create “innovative pathology lab instruments, tissue-based clinical assays (tests), and software solutions that empower anatomical pathologists worldwide.”

Laboratory instruments are assembled in RTD’s Marana manufacturing building, which opened in late 2022. Upwards of 1,500 instruments are built by 170 employees each year.

Those instruments require test kits, composed of “reagents” that react with suspect tissue to identify potential cancers. The company produces 250 different tests for specific, cancer-related biomarkers. Literally millions of test kits are produced annually by more than 300 manufacturing employees on the Oro Valley campus.

In December, Roche expanded its Oro Valley footprint by purchasing the idled, 112,500-square-foot Sanofi/Icagen research and development facility next to the RTD campus.

Subcontractors are now on site, improving the facility to make it “more sustainable and fit to purpose,” the company said. Roche expects to move in during the fourth quarter of 2024.

The space is intended to help RTD “support the growth of the pathology

business,” German said. “While RTD won’t be immediately adding jobs” with the expansion, it does plan to locate teams there that are working to bring “high medical value solutions to patients by identifying personalized health care solutions.”

Roche also cares about the environment. In 2022, the company constructed a 9,000-square-foot central utility plant on its Oro Valley campus, providing low-impact cooling to all buildings. That investment, along with other environmental practices, landed Roche (globally) in the 2023 Dow Jones Top Three sustainability index.

RTD focuses on “innovations that will transform the practice of medicine,” the company said. Its instruments and tests can give pathologists an important answer: Does my patient have cancer?

When a positive cancer diagnosis is confirmed, RTD’s companion diagnostic tests can provide further information about specific cancers, and oncologists “can get a more targeted therapy prepared for their patients.” RTD works with more than 30 other pharmaceutical companies to develop new tests that pair with their targeted cancer therapies, intended “to get the right treatment for patients.”

Other specialized staining kits produced by RTD are used to identify bacteria and microorganisms that can lead to diseases like tuberculosis, leprosy, Barrett’s esophagus, amyloidosis, vascular diseases and more.

In a community where the sun and seniors are prevalent, having a company like Roche taking the fight to cancer right in Oro Valley seems like a perfect match.

Expanding Employers for the Community

By Dave Perry

Oro Valley’s largest employers –Roche Tissue Diagnostics, Simpleview, and Oro Valley Hospital – create several thousand jobs in the community.

Beyond those big companies, Paul Melcher, the town’s community and economic development director since January 2021, has learned there are “a lot more primary employers than we imagined” in Oro Valley.

Among them:

Parker Meggitt

Known locally as Securaplane, Parker Meggitt employs 130 people at its facility in the town’s aptly named center of industry, Innovation Park. Parker Meggitt is a leading supplier of airplane cameras, aircraft batteries, wireless aircraft systems, aircraft security systems, and lithium battery solutions installed in various aircraft manufactured by the world’s leading aircraft companies.

Miles Label Company

Miles Label Company uses highquality technology and production equipment to print everything from stickers on tomatoes to labels on health and beauty products.

Electronic Design and Development

Oro Valley is home to Electronic Design and Development, or ED2, which is “innovating the 5G market with our repeater and unique antenna technology.”

Sigma Technologies

PolyCharge, created by Sigma Technologies in Oro Valley, has been recognized as a Solutions Provider by the publication Semiconductor Review for its development of capacitor products for use in electric drive vehicles, renewable energy inverters, medical, aerospace, and industrial mobility applications.

Other companies are working to create products to meet market demands.

At the University of Arizona Center for Innovation at Oro Valley, the UArizona’s bioscience incubator, startup businesses like Reparvi, Pioneer Neurotech and Macula Vision Systems are being supported in their efforts to achieve marketable, job-creating products. In the fiscal year that begins July 1, the Town of Oro Valley has proposed to commit $30,000 toward UACI Oro Valley operations.

“We focus on economic development,” said Casey Carrillo, director of strategic partnerships for UACI, with the goal of “being able to have an impact for the Town of Oro Valley, and helping to provide guidance, innovation, and companies that want to thrive in Oro Valley.”

“Let’s grow them, let’s get the next Roche to develop here,” Melcher said.

University of Arizona College of Veterinary Medicine

Meggitt Securaplane

Oro Valley Hospital

Ryan George Co-founder & CEO

Simpleview

Home Sweet Home

Simpleview Thrives from Oro Valley Location

By Dave Perry

With 1,000 clients around the world using its unique tools, Oro Valley-based Simpleview considers itself the world leader in providing integrated technology solutions to destination marketing organizations.

“Undisputed,” CEO Ryan George says. He doesn’t think he’s bragging. George makes that claim because his company’s technology has helped revolutionize an industry for two decades. Simpleview’s 425 employees, 160 of whom live in greater Tucson, take exceptional care of clients from Malaysia to Panama, and beyond.

This global business – think Visit Tucson as a prototypical customer − could be anywhere. George has been to most of those places.

“I flew 275,000 miles last year,” he said from his Oracle Road office where Pusch Ridge is so close you could almost touch it. “Every place has its good qualities and its drawbacks.”

He is quick to say, “There’s no place I’d rather be than here in Oro Valley.”

OV Roots Span Generations

Ryan George grew up near Hardy Road in Oro Valley, when there was “nothing north of the CDO wash. It was the boondocks out here back then.”

His father, the late Michael George, was in Canyon del Oro High School’s first graduating class, in 1968. Ryan graduated from CDO in 1993. He and his wife, Kim Evans, are raising their three children in Oro Valley. Two are students at CDO, and a third attends Cross Middle School.

Oro Valley was “a phenomenal place to grow up, a great place to start and have a career, and an awesome place to raise our family,” he said. “It’s close to our roots, it’s close to our families.” And its proximity to the University of Ari-

zona, Tucson, and the great outdoors make Oro Valley “a good place for the business,” George adds.

“People have a perception of Tucson and Oro Valley that doesn’t match what they experience once they’re here. We have a place where people can live, work and play.”

‘Reeling’ from COVID

“The pandemic sent everybody reeling,” George said. COVID-19’s impact was a double whammy for Simpleview, which is fundamentally a travel and technology company.

Travel halted. Employees worked at home. Forced remote and subsequent hybrid work made the world “one big, competitive landscape” for talent, George said.

Today, “travel’s boomed back,” George said. Simpleview employees are back, too, returning vibrancy to the copper-accented building originally constructed for Pulte Homes.

Post-pandemic, employees who live within 30 miles of one of its two offices – Simpleview’s other office is in Liverpool, England – are required to be in the office at least three days a week. In Oro Valley, many choose office hours on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.

This moment feels “normal,” George thinks, preferable to those reactionary days of the pandemic.

“We’ve made our way through it, and we’re stronger than ever before,” George said. “We’re back to putting one foot in front of the other, the way we always have.”

A Showplace for Southern Arizona

“As often as we can,” Simpleview loves to bring its remote workers and clients to Tucson and Oro Valley, George said.

Clients are “just in awe” at what they see and experience, he said. It’s greener than what they expect, and the mountains are breathtaking. “It’s an alien landscape to most people,” he said. And the dining is world-class.

Client meetings are held in a thirdfloor conference room dubbed Mountain View because Pusch Ridge fills a wall of windows. “We make sure the blinds are up” and guests sit on the tableside facing majesty.

They leave with “a little more energy, a little more excitement,” and the sense that Simpleview excels in part because Tucson and Oro Valley are destinations, too.

Working with the Town

“We had heard” Oro Valley was difficult to work with, George said, recalling when Simpleview set about remodeling its building.

“It was the opposite,” he said. “It was extremely easy to get the approvals we needed.”

George believes town government and the Oro Valley Chamber “work hard to promote business.”

While “nobody” in any community wants more traffic and bigger buildings, George believes communities “always need critical mass, and infrastructure,” to include housing. Assets such as roads and public safety cost money, which comes from economic activity. In turn, economic activity creates quality of life, and attracts families.

He’s hoping those families lead to more generations of CDO graduates who in turn can create businesses in the community he loves.

Small Businesses Thriving Affluent Customers Add Up to Good Business

Small business owners say business is good for them in Oro Valley.

“We are at various times of the day bursting at the seams, which is a good problem to have,” said Crispin JeffreyFranco, who opened Stacks Book Club with his wife, Lizzy, in Oro Valley Marketplace a year ago.

Marketplace entrepreneurs appreciate access to a relatively affluent community with disposable income.

“I love the demographic,” said Sangha Yoga’s Nicole Esposito. She enjoys helping “the young at heart” work on balance and strength. After Esposito closed a Tucson yoga studio during the

By Dave Perry

pandemic, she thought Oro Valley “felt right. And the view is awesome.”

“Our concept has been well-received,” said The Hoppy Vine’s Hector Martinez, who opened a wine and beer business in the Marketplace with his wife, Marnel. “People tell us ‘This community needed something like that.’ ”

And, Martinez notes, The Hoppy Vine needs “that economic base to have the buying power.” In Oro Valley, he said, “People have spendable money.”

Good coffee and new books are “a luxury item for many people,” JeffreyFranco agreed. “We needed to be in a place where a more affluent customer

base was available. Oro Valley fit that requirement.”

Broadly, small businesspeople perceive town government and the Oro Valley Chamber to be helpful.

“My experience has been very positive doing business in Oro Valley,” said Fork & Fire Smokehouse + Taproom’s Josh Bishop.

“We’ve had zero friction” with the town “in any capacity on this project,” Stacks’ Jeffrey-Franco said.

“You will hear a lot of naysayers,” said Wendy Wise of Wendy Wise State Farm. “The town was very helpful to me.” She urges businesspeople to “go

The Oro Valley Chamber of Commerce staff from left – Leah Noreng, Operations Director; Leah Bahan, Business Development Director; Kristen Sharp, President and CEO; Joni Bates, Member Engagement Director; Makenna Markley, Events and Communications Director

“My experience has been very positive doing business in Oro Valley.”

–

Josh Bishop, Co-Owner, Fork & Fire Smokehouse + Taproom

forth,” and “not let those type of people drive you backwards.”

Participation with the Oro Valley Chamber “is really important,” Wise continued. It has been “great” in helping businesses feel “comfortable and welcomed in Oro Valley.” And it plays “a key role ... as a liaison with the town.”

“The Chamber has always done a great job working for its members,” Bishop said.

“The support small businesses provide to each other is exceptional, and in the Marketplace especially,” JeffreyFranco said.

Employers ‘lucky’ with staff

Small businesses in Oro Valley have had success finding and keeping employees, despite housing costs. Employment – hiring and keeping employees − has been a difficult issue for employers since the COVID pandemic.

“We have a great team member who drives 45 minutes each way,” Wise said. Oro Valley home prices and rents are “really hard for some people.”

“Folks who are renting do not live in Oro Valley,” Jeffrey-Franco said. With tips, his book tenders earn from $19 to $23 an hour, “and still find it basically impossible to rent in Oro Valley.”

“You have to pay for people if you want to have quality people wherever you’re at,” Fork & Fire’s Bishop said. Commuting employees “certainly have options” before they reach the Marketplace. “They’re not going to take a minimum wage position. They can get that closer to home.”

How to reach the consumer

Sage Harmon manages a new business, 3 Degrees Infrared Sauna Studio.

“We’re doing pretty good for being open three months,” Harmon said. “I’ve noticed word-of-mouth here is very important.”

continued on page 140 >>>

Crispin Jeffrey-Franco Stacks Book Club

Josh Bishop Fork & Fire Smokehouse + Taproom

PHOTOS:

Wendy Wise

Wendy Wise State Farm

from page 139

Visibility confronts Sangha Yoga, 3 Degrees and Wendy Wise State Farm. “After 13 years, I still have people who walk in and say, ‘Did you just move here?’ ” Wise said.

“We have to learn to market towards our demographic,” Sangha Yoga’s Esposito said. “More mailing. Not a lot of social media.”

The Hoppy Vine is also “trying to find that fine line of email, and social media,” Martinez said.

Despite marketing and visibility concerns, Sangha Yoga is seeing “a lot of traffic, a lot of new people” enter the business, Esposito said. “Our job is to retain them.”

“You have to have a quality product” wrapped in “exceptional service,” to succeed, Stacks’ Jeffrey-Franco said. “If we’re not building a relationship,” people won’t return.

Stacks puts on a number of evening events. One of its biggest challenges is “teaching people there’s places to go in Oro Valley after 6 p.m.,” Jeffrey-Franco said. “Even though the sun’s down, there’s stuff to do.”

“You have to have caring hearts about the customer,” State Farm’s Wise said. Her staff sits 1-on-1 with customers to “look at what they need, what they’re protecting.” In Oro Valley, “there are lot of people who have a lot to protect.”

Bishop believes there is a growing opportunity to market to year-round residents, rather than rely upon winter visitors and snowbirds.

“Younger families don’t live in this town because they’re scraping by,” Bishop said. “If you don’t market to them, you don’t see them. It becomes self-perpetuating.”

The rising OV brand

Esposito believes Oro Valley is “up-and-coming and cool.” Others agree.

“Oro Valley as a brand has grown tremendously,” Martinez believes. “It’s not an afterthought. We’re not Tucson. We’re Oro Valley. We say ‘We’re where Oro Valley drinks.’ We tell our staff, every day, we get to make someone’s night.”

After years of give-and-take, the town of Oro Valley and Marketplace owner Town West Companies have agreed on a redevelopment plan that is bringing hotels, apartments and a central recreation district to the property at Oracle Road and Tangerine Road.

“We’re stoked,” Jeffrey-Franco said. “From a business perspective, you can draw a direct line from traffic to revenue.”

“It’s going to really grow the whole community,” Esposito said.

On a recent Saturday, she saw people walking their dogs, getting coffee, picking up groceries, cycling on the nearby Loop. Activity creates a “sense of community, and what the future of the Marketplace looks like,” Wise said.

“I think this can come to fruition,” Bishop said. He is “really optimistic” as he enters a third year at Fork & Fire.

“Everyone should live here,” he continued, noting he and wife, Aleina, raised their two children in a community with good schools and exceptional public safety.

“It’s amazing. If you can handle Arizona, I truly don’t think there could be a better place.”

Hector Martinez

The Hoppy Vine

PHOTOS: BRENT

G. MATHIS

Winfield

Mayor

Oro Valley

Changing Perception Face-to-Face Strategy Designed to Be Welcoming

By Dave Perry

Most Mondays, Oro Valley Mayor Joe Winfield goes face-to-face with Oro Valley retailers and business leaders, learning “about their challenges, and their successes, and how we can better serve the businesses in our community.”

He’s typically accompanied by Margie Adler, the town’s economic development specialist, and Leah Bahan, the Oro Valley Chamber’s business development director.

The visits try to communicate to businesses “we are interested in them, we care about them, and they’re an important part of our community,” Winfield said.

When the mayor walks in, or a prospect learns of the one-on-one visits, “that blows them away,” said Adler. She’s nine years into her position and serves as a liaison between the town and its 688 storefronts. “Ask me, and I’ll help you,” she said.

“Our goal is to respond to any issues they have in three days,” Adler’s boss, community and economic development director Paul Melcher, said. “The town’s not just going out to shake a hand. Margie’s out there to solve problems” and “find some common solutions.’ ” The Town offers promotional, informational and development assistance services to businesses. It conducts an annual business survey. It has an online directory, continued on page 144 >>>

Joe

BizMILESTONE

continued from page 142

The Business Navigator, and a website ChooseOroValley.com that helps site selectors and others learn about available properties, key industries, demographics, quality of life, workforce, and “what we do to help people,” Melcher said.

“We help them from the day we hear from them,” Melcher said. “We want to have that relationship because we’re invested in your success.”

Melcher knows there are challenges to meet, and perceptions to overcome. The Town has “a special strategy to defuse” the perception Oro Valley is hard to deal with, he said. “We love hearing the stories of the Paul Tees of the world.”

Tees is chief credit officer at Southwest Heritage Bank, formerly Commerce Bank of Arizona, which remodeled a space at Oracle Road and Ina Road for its southern Arizona headquarters.

“He said, ‘We heard you were so difficult,’ ” Melcher recalled. Not so. “It was an amazing experience,” he said Tees told him.

Marketing, outreach, signage and hot summers “are always going to be a challenge,” Melcher knows. Businesses must understand “the changing dynamics of consumer habits,” as well as modernday pressures on brick-and-mortar lo-

“Businesses want to be here, and we welcome them.”

– Joe Winfield

Mayor Oro Valley

cations. Oro Valley has put in rules for “adaptive re-use” of vacant retail spaces for “second and third generation uses,” he said. “We’re starting to finally see that rebound.” The Van Gogh Experience continues to thrive in a former retail space at Oro Valley Marketplace. Sherwin Williams now occupies a onetime Pizza Hut.

Crispin Jeffrey-Franco, who operates Stacks Book Club with his wife Lizzy, understands the “particular challenge” faced by town government and its leaders over a no-growth segment of the community.

“How does Oro Valley continue to grow in a way that businesses like ours can be successful, but in a way that is inclusive and brings the community with it, and we’re not fighting with residents, especially longtime residents, for that growth?” Jeffrey-Franco asks.

Jeffrey-Franco feels supported by citizens, customers and government alike. He believes that if local businesses can become “more ingratiated” with residents, those people will come on board in “an environment that’s more hospitable to businesses.”

Winfield believes the heart of Oro Valley’s business backing is “focusing on what communities do best,” namely providing public safety, good roads, water, parks and amenities.

“Generally speaking, our businesses are doing well,” the mayor said. “Businesses want to be here, and we welcome them.” Biz

1. Business Ethics Category I: Desert Diamond Home Inspections – from left: Irene Coppola, President & CEO, BBB Serving Southern Arizona; Jeremy Thompson, BBB’s Board Chair, COX; Alex Byron, Owner & Home Inspector, Desert Diamond Home Inspections 2. Business Ethics Category II: Anchor Wave Digital Marketing Agency – from left: Ally Howes, Project Coordinator, Anchor Wave Digital Marketing Solution; John Decker, Chief Strategy Officer, Anchor Wave Digital Marketing Solution; Katie Krasinski, Support Coordinator, Anchor Wave Digital Marketing Solution; Irene Coppola, President & CEO, BBB Serving Southern Arizona; Jill King, Vice President, Anchor Wave Digital Marketing Solution 3. Business Ethics Category III: OOROO Auto Care – from left Irene Coppola, President & CEO, BBB Serving Southern Arizona; Lindsey Wiederstein, Chief of Staff, OOROO Auto Care; Jeremy Thompson - BBB’s Board Chair, COX 4. Non-profit Ethics Below $1.5 in Revenue Category: Ben’s Bells –from left: Irene Coppola, President & CEO, BBB Serving Southern Arizona, Andre Luria - Ben’s Bells Board Chair, ADP 5. Non-profit Ethics Above $1.5 in Revenue Category: Junior Achievement of Arizona – from left: Paloma Santiago, District Director, Southern Arizona, Junior Achievement; Maria Fernanda Romero, San Miguel Student, Junior Achievement 6. Spark Category: Azucena Bravo – from left: Paola Arvizu - Youth Mentor, Mini Poderosas, Irene Coppola - President & CEO, BBB Serving Southern Arizona, Azucena Bravo, Ed. S., CEO & Founder, Mini Poderosas; Elizabeth Rodriguez, Youth Mentor, Mini Poderosas; Madeline Rodriguez, Youth Mentor, Mini Poderosas

2024 Better Business Bureau Torch Awards

The Better Business Bureau Serving Southern Arizona honored six companies for their ethics and business integrity at the annual dinner for the BBB Torch Awards for Ethics presented by South32.

Three companies and two non-profits were recipients of the BBB Torch Awards for ethics in business. The BBB

Spark Award is also given to a single company that demonstrates business acumen while also prioritizing giving back to the community.

“These organizations should be commended for their unwavering dedication to ethics and integrity, illuminating the path for others to follow,” said Irene Coppola, president & CEO of BBB

Serving Southern Arizona.

The awards, begun in 2004, are given to companies that “exemplify the highest standards of ethics and trust, fostering a marketplace where integrity reigns supreme,” the BBB said in a news release.

BizCONSTRUCTION

NEW TO MARKET

Project: La Posada at Pusch Ridge

Location: 10930 N. First Ave., Oro Valley

Owner: La Posada at Pusch Ridge

Contractor: Sundt Construction

Architect: Gensler

Completion Date: April 2025

Construction Cost: N/A

Project Description: Phase I of the CCRC senior living community comprises 169 independent living units on an 80-acre site.

Project: Gladden Farms K-8 School

Location: Marana

Owner: Marana Unified School District

Contractor: CORE Construction

Architect: BWS Architects

Completion Date: Fall 2025

Construction Cost: $35 million

Project Description: This new school will span nearly 91,000 square feet and include 45 classrooms, offering an innovative learning center for decades to come.

Project: Banner Health Cardiovascular Clinic at Tri-Pointe Plaza

Location: 6365 E. Tanque Verde Rd.

Owner: Banner Health

Contractor: W.E. O’Neil Construction

Architect: Swaim Associates

Completion Date: April 2024

Construction Cost: N/A

Project Description: The project entailed a complete renovation of an existing 12,000- square-foot office building for a new cardio clinic.

BizCONSTRUCTION

NEW TO MARKET

Project: Epiroc

Location: 6393 S. Campbell Ave.

Owner: South Central Industrial Properties XIII

Contractor: Lloyd Construction

Architect: Seaver Franks Architects

Completion Date: May 2024

Construction Cost: $10,800,000

Project Description: Epiroc’s fourth expansion houses a 30,000-square-foot HVAC service facility.

Project: La Estrella Bakery

Location: 141 S. Stone Ave., Suite 100

Owner: FHG DTN Tucson Owner

Contractor: MW Morrissey Construction

Architect: FORS Architecture

Completion Date: May 2024

Construction Cost: $268,871

Project Description: Tenant improvements were done for a complete retail project for the local Tucson bakery.

Project: Saguaro Creek K-8

Location: 8150 S. Rocking K Ranch Loop

Owner: Vail School District

Contractor: Concord General Contracting

Architect: Swaim Associates

Completion Date: June 2025

Construction Cost: $27 million

Project Description: This project is a ground-up, 70,000-square-foot K-8 school located in the Rocking K community that will serve 800 students.

NEW TO MARKET

Project:

Villa Cielo Cortaro

Location: Northwest Tucson

Owner: Holualoa Companies/Greenlight Communities

Contractor: Greenlight Construction

Architect: WORKSBUREAU

Completion Date: August 2024

Construction Cost: N/A

Project Description: The 196-unit attainable rental community features studios along with one- and two-bedroom units with modern design and appealing amenities.

Project: Youth On Their Own

Location: 2509 & 2525 N. Country Club Rd.

Owner: Youth On Their Own

Contractor: Building Excellence

Architect: WLFA & Associates

Completion Date: December 2023

Construction Cost: $1.5 million

Project Description: The project includes 13,300 square feet of a new Forever Home campus, a 3,400-square-foot administration building and a 9,900-square-foot student services building.

Project: Desert Dove Apartments

Location: 6163 S. Midvale Rd.

Owner: GHK Properties

Contractor: Tofel Dent Construction

Architect: Perlman Architects of Arizona

Completion Date: December 2025

Construction Cost: $16,854,204

Project Description: New construction will consist of five two-story buildings with one-, two- and three-bedroom units and a playground.

Allyson Solomon Karpuk, MPA Executive Director with Father and Honoree Steve Solomon

2024 Metropolitan Pima Alliance Common Ground Awards

By Tom Leyde

With a toast to the Wild West, Metropolitan Pima Alliance presented its 19th annual Common Ground Awards May 16 at Fox Theatre Tucson.

Ten projects and eight individuals were honored during the MPA event. The organization works to create a prosperous community by promoting collaborative real estate development policies and building partnerships.

“The projects and individuals that are being honored tonight for their collaboration, dedication to improving the community and commitment to going above and beyond that standard are all proof that even in in a rough and tough industry,

Individuals honored at the event:

Chuck Huckleberry. Huckleberry began his career with Pima County in 1974 as a field engineer in the Department of Transportation. He was director of the department and Flood Control District from 1979-1986, and assistant county manager for Public Works from 19861993. In 1993, he became county administrator, holding the post for 29 years before retiring in 2022.

Sharon Bronson. She served as District 3 Pima County Supervisor for 27 years, stepping down in 2024. Bronson focused her efforts on economic development, job creation and balanced, smart growth. She served on the blue-ribbon commission that led to creation of Sun

good prevails,” said Allyson Solomon Karpuk, MPA executive director.

“This year’s submissions,” said MPA Common Grounds Awards committee chair Edgar Parra, “set a precedent for future projects to come and others are the result of past Common Ground winners initiatives.”

Greg Mohl, MPA board chair said: “Some might say that the honorees tonight are just lucky, but remember, we’re in the West, The West is where you make your own luck. ... The people and projects honored tonight are shining examples of the positive outcomes that are possible.”

Corridor Inc., and served as president of the County Supervisors Association of Arizona and president of The U.S./ Mexico Border County Coalition.

Michael Ortega. Ortega began serving as Tucson city manager in 2015. He oversees a $2.2 billion budget and 5,000 employees. He is a former Cochise County administrator and Douglas city manager. He previously worked as an engineering manager for Pima County and various consulting firms. Ortega increased the city’s rating with all major bond agencies and managed more than $1.2 billion from voter-approved ballot initiatives.

Steve Kozachik. Kozachik was elected to the Tucson City Council in 2009, serving as Ward 6 representative until resigning in April to work for Pima County. His work for the county will include work with the Mosaic Quarter project team, staff at the Kino Sports Complex and building on existing partnerships with Visit Tucson and other regional groups. He worked in the University of Arizona athletics department for 32 years.

Steve Solomon. Solomon was appointed to fill a vacancy on the Oro Valley Town Council in 2010. He recently announced his retirement. He and wife Val created Canada Vistas Homes, a development and home building company in 2007. The company owned the

Oro Valley Hohokam Archeological Site Honey Bee Village. He created a partnership to preserve the 13-acre site and also worked to preserve the closed Vistoso Golf Course acreage.

Alice Templeton. Templeton has a long history of service to MPA. She has been a member of the board of directors for more than 20 years. She has chaired the MPA Common Ground Committee, Wild Ride Committee, Communications Committee and supported MPA in many ways. She is currently working for Stantec.

David Ollanik. Ollanik is an MPA board member and past chair. He has been involved in the construction industry for 38 years. As project director with Sundt, Ollanik is responsible for day-today management of numerous regional projects. He has helped shape the Tucson community by constructing many public and private buildings.

2024 Award of Distinction

MPA’s 2024 Award of Distinction was given to the City of Tucson’s Planning & Development Services Department.

In the past year, the department has taken many steps to improve customer service, make the departmental process more transparent and promote sustainable growth.

ments, neighborhood and area plan updates and other initiatives.

Other projects honored:

Continental Ranch Regional Pump Station Force Main Augmentation: The design-build project delivery method provided the flexibility to keep other portions of the project moving forward while working with many stakeholders. Pima County residents are now able to use the new public recreation space for outdoor activities.

City of Tucson’s Planning & Development Services Department

Peter Dourlein. Dourlein recently retired from a 32-year career at the University of Arizona, most recently as associate VP of Planning, Design & Construction and as the university architect. He and his team led more than $3 billion in campus development. He oversaw all of the units responsible for the physical development of the campus.

Since the appointment of Kristina Swallow as director in May 2023, the department delivered tangible results, including permit review lanes, adjusting target review times, streamlining the turnaround process, and launching Permit Dashboard.

The department was awarded an AARP 2023 Community Challenge grant to host a Casita Model Plan Design Competition. The competition selected 10 designs to be featured in a Casita Model Plan Library. The department also has engaged the community in the general plan update, code amend-

Corbett’s: Corbett historical block is a complicated site bordered by SP Railyard, Downtown Tucson, new freeway construction, aviation exercise loop, the warehouse district and integrally situated into the downtown Fourth Avenue merchant neighborhood. The historical Corbett Building was renovated to house two professional pickleball courts with three more outside. Adjacent to that is a spacious beer garden with picnic tables and a stage for live music. A new restaurant space was built as well.

El Vado Food Forest: It is a pioneering Green Stormwater Infrastructure initiative. The site is nestled within the Elvira Neighborhood on Tucson’s south side, continued on page 156 >>>

El Vado Food Forest Man in the Maze Trials Park

Chuck Huckleberry Sharon Bronson Michael Ortega Steve Kozachik

Steve Solomon Alice Templeton

David Ollanik

Peter Dourlein

BizAWARDS

“This year’s submissions set a precedent for future projects to come and others are the result of past

Common Ground winners

initiatives.”

– Edgar Parra, Committee Chair, MPA Common Grounds Awards

continued from page 155

an area facing economic vulnerability and limited tree coverage. This necessitated a strategic placement of the food forest to address environmental inequities and food insecurity. El Vado demonstrates a correlation between park equity and health equity, offering a multifaceted strategy for improved physical and mental well-being. This park serves as a community space that embraces and reflects the values of surrounding neighborhoods.

Man in the Maze Trials Park (‘I’itoi Ki ‘Ajij Wog Cicwi Jekkad). The project is the only one of its kind in Southern Arizona. It was previously a lead/zinc milling operation in Sahuarita owed by ANAMAX Arizona Inc. It encompasses 250 acres of land split by the Union Pacific Railroad Mine Spur. The northern portion held an old mill and lead/zinc tailings. Freeport and Anaconda created a plan to make recreational space open to the public with a focus on conservation and STEM concepts. This involved consolidating the tailings, installing an engineered cap/cover system, constructing open space and donating the property to Sahuarita.

Patagonia Wastewater Treatment Plant

Improvements. The Town of Patagonia operates a 110,000-gallons-per-day wastewater treatment plant. The plant

needed rehabilitation of critical components. Leaks posed a significant risk for discharging untreated water into Sonoita Creek. The improvements were anticipated to save $500 a month in electrical costs and monthly savings to date are $1,350. Chemical costs have been reduced by about 50%.

Sol Block. Sol Block was a unique project due to its historic designation along with myriad issues, including a lack of road access and parking. Rio Nuevo stepped in. The new project benefits the health of Sunshine Mile and the Sam Hughes Neighborhood. The Sol Block is for local businesses that lack the cash for pricey buildouts and pay rent of $40 per square foot. Local businesses will now be able to take advantage of this exciting new property.

South Houghton Roadway Widening and Fairgrounds Channel Construction. Innovative solutions and collaboration transformed this roadway widening project. It was initially designed to benefit nearby schools and communities with a multifaceted effort that successfully improved traffic needs and drainage. It was a collaboration between the Pima County Department of Transportation and Regional Flood Control District, Tucson Water and Psomas. The project’s primary goals were to improve safety, reduce traffic congestion, increase mobility, address flooding issues

and serve as a vital connection between the growing communities of Corona de Tucson and southeast Pima County.

University of Arizona Chemistry Building Renovation. The project turned the historic 1936 chemistry/physics building into a 21st century space for labs and accessible collaborative classrooms. It also transformed the courtyard into an inviting lobby, showcasing the preserved historic features of the original building.

Vistoso Highland Redevelopment. The closing of Vistoso Golf Course in Oro Valley in 2018 by the Canadian-based Romspen company led to many problems. Preserve Vistoso was formed to explore options to buy the course and create public park space and trails. Preserve Vistoso bought the Conservation Fund, a nonprofit that works to protect properties with wildlife protection or historic significance. An agreement was reached with Romspen to buy the property but funding fell short. A sixacre parcel that was the clubhouse was sold to the town. Developer Ross Rulney will build a 132-unit apartment complex here. In March, the Oro Valley Town Council honored a collaboration between the property owner, a local nonprofit preservation group, a national conservation fund and a local developer to create Vistoso Trails Nature Preserve. Biz

Wastewater Treatment

Sol Block

Houghton

Vistoso Highland Redevelopment

Pictures below from left – Lisa Chastain, CEO GRM; Iliana Lopez, HSLopez Family Foundation; Humberto Lopez, Founder, HSLopez Family Foundation; Czarina Lopez, HSLopez Family Foundation; Clinton Kuntz, CEO El Rio Health; Terrance Watkins, Catholic Community Services; Ian Roark, Pima Community College

Humberto Lopez

Homeless to Hope H.S. Lopez Family Foundation Center of Opportunity Celebrates Five Years

A program that offers hope for a life beyond substance abuse and homelessness celebrated its fifth anniversary June 7, and its accomplishments are nothing short of amazing.

The H.S. Lopez Family Foundation Center of Opportunity works in conjunction with the Gospel Rescue Mission at 4550 S. Palo Verde Road in Tucson to turn lives around.

The Center of Opportunity is a comprehensive center dedicated to providing holistic care for people experiencing homelessness in Tucson. Through partnerships with organizations and volunteer service groups, the center offers a wide range of services to help guests regain stability, find jobs and permanent housing

Gospel Rescue Mission is the managing partner of the Center of Opportunity. It’s a faith-based nonprofit dedicated to providing shelter, meals, recovery services and housing programs for those in need.

In five years, the program has recorded these statistics:

• 15,115 guests received at least one service

• 747,375 meals served

• 1,861 individuals secured permanent housing

• 490 people completed a 12-month recovery program

• 1,652 secured new employment

• 1,055 children served, through shelter, meals and being reunited with parents after the parents have completed recovery

By Tom Leyde

Humberto Lopez, founder of the H.S. Lopez Family Foundation, had a vision for the center 12 years ago when he visited a homelessness center in Phoenix, which offered similar services to the Center of Opportunity.

“When I first envisioned the HSL Center of Opportunity, I had high hopes for its success,” Lopez said. “But the reality has far exceeded my expectations. ... I want the center to become a national model where other communities can replicate what we have done in our community by using the Center of Opportunity name.”

Lopez has registered the center’s name in all states with homelessness groups to help solidify best practices, services and job relocation so they are all consistent.

“In order for this dream to become a reality, we would need other wealthy individuals or foundations to provide the initial funding, and we would help them by providing the necessary training and tools to replicate our homeless shelter,” Lopez said.

The program got off the ground when the Lopez Family Foundation bought a closed hotel on Palo Verde Road. It has expanded by adding buildings, staff and services.

For Lopez and his wife Czarina, the center and GRM’s mission has become personal. Their daughter Illiana Lopez is a successful graduate of the program and will be working there. Illiana Lopez spoke during the event and thanked those who helped her recovery journey.

Lisa Chastain, CEO of Gospel Rescue Mission said: “The Center of Opportunity is not just a homeless shelter. It is a homeless service center taking people from homeless to wholeness. We join hands with over 60 organization and volunteer service groups to provide holistic care for our neighbors experiencing homelessness. This holistic approach is what sets us apart and allows us to make a lasting impact on the lives of those we serve.”

Derrick Nicholson, who also successfully graduated from the Center of Opportunity, spoke about his transformation from homeless drug addict to a contributing member of society.

“I was living in the trenches of hell in Tucson ...,” he said. “I had a life of destruction. I was in and out of jail and had nowhere to go.”

“It was a real defining moment to me ... to get a new life started,” Nicholson said. He continues to do mentoring and teach a class at the facility. “I love coming back here. It’s amazing.”

Among the organizations partnering with GRM and the center are El Rio Health, Pima Community College and Catholic Community Services of Southern Arizona, which has a new medical respite partnership with the center.

“It takes a village, it really does,” Chastain said. And to those who have sought help from GRM and the center she added, “Thank you for your bravery. It takes courage to walk through those doors.”

1. YWCA Staff and volunteers 2. Az End of Life Partnership event with Lavonne Douville, United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona; Kelly Huber, Community Foundation for Southern Arizona; John Amoroso, Lovell Foundation Executive Director; Dr. Jessica Zitter, Reel Medicine Media; and W. Mark Clark, Pima Council on Aging. 3. Alfredo “Freddy” Vazquez  Regional Director for Tucson, AZ with Morgan Maxwell Lead Guitar Students 4. Dr. Victoria Maizes and Dr. Andrew Weil  from the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine with Ann Lovell 5. Growth Partners Arizona Board/Staff

30 Years of Giving Lovell Foundation Closes after $50 Million in Gifts

When David and Lura Lovell were negotiating the sale of his family businesses in 1993, they realized the proceeds would be substantial enough to start a foundation that could make a significant impact.

Thirty years later, after granting a total of $50 million to various efforts, the David and Lura Lovell Foundation has closed, but its positive influence on lives continues.

The Lovells’ daughter, Ann Lovell, was involved with the foundation from the beginning.

“During the sale (of the businesses), Dad was diagnosed with lung cancer and died three months later,” Ann said. “He left my mother and me to finish the sale of the companies.”

An attorney suggested Lura create a board of advisors for the Lovell Foundation that was not exclusively family. “More than 50% were non-family members. That’s unique and smart,” she said.

Organizations that were in line with the family’s interests were the first to receive Lovell Foundation funding. “My mom advocated for mental health and integrative medicine, the arts and youth education,” Ann said. “We started participating in helping integrative health move to the surface. We worked to elevate doctors and by funding infrastructure.”

Her mother joined the first board of Dr. Andrew Weil’s foundation and Weil holds the Lovell-Jones Endowed Chair in Integrative Rheumatology.

One of the ways the foundation supported mental health and end-of-life issues was by financing documentaries on the topics. This included the 2019 docu-

By Christy Krueger

mentary “Ernie and Joe: Crisis Cops,” on the San Antonio, Tex., police department’s handling of mental health calls.

Ann was passionate about helping organizations succeed by supporting their goals. “We also partnered with other foundations to help them raise money.”

She’s thankful for the hard work of Christina Rossetti, interim director and consultant, and John Amoroso, executive director, who were both hired in 2015 and were instrumental in moving the foundation forward.

One of Lovell Foundation’s local partnerships was with Lead Guitar, a Tucson organization founded by Brad Richter in 2000 to bring music back into schools. Richter was a touring guitarist when he started visiting schools and creating programs for teaching music. “I wrote curriculum for guitar that included a guitar expert co-teaching with a teacher who was not a guitarist.”

The format took off, and in 2007 Lead Guitar became a non-profit. Today, it continues to rapidly expand its mission to teach guitar to students in third through 12th grade.

“We’re only in schools where 80% of students get free lunch, where students can’t afford lessons outside of school,” Richter said.

The guitar program is in 17 schools in the Tucson area, 113 nationwide, and is still growing. The collaboration with Lovell Foundation started with small gifts, Richter said.

“In 2018, we got a large grant for three years of $300,000 to refine how we work with schools,” Richter recalled. “That led to a $1 million gift in 2021 for five years for strategic national growth.” In total, Lead Guitar received just under

$2 million in grants from the foundation and also inherited Lovell’s office building.

One of Richter’s favorite success stories that he attributes to Lovell Foundation’s assistance is about a youngster named Christian.

“When he joined guitar class, he was in special education. He was expelled from school because of his temper,” Richter said.

But Christian took an interest in guitar and his teacher realized he had a serious hearing impairment, so the school bought him hearing aids. “He went from being ostracized to playing guitar in the lunchroom,” Richter said. “Suddenly, he became a friend and a star. His grades went from failing to Bs and As. Now he’s a music teacher and does gigs.”

Richter strongly believes Lead Guitar’s accomplishments are directly tied to the Lovell Foundation’s support, and he says the effect is permanent. “We feel proud to help the legacy of the foundation and to push on with their and our mission,” he said. “Everything we do is impacted by their giving and advice. We’re sad not to have them now as a constant collaboration and conversations. They’ll be missed.”

Talks of sunsetting the foundation began in 2017.

“It was a thoughtful conversation,” Ann said. “When it’s a family foundation, do people want to step forward? Some foundations have family members who want to continue, some don’t. My mother wanted it to end with me. She didn’t think anyone would be as involved as me. We wanted to go out beautifully.”

Amy Bhola Devoted Volunteer, School Board Member, Mentor

By Tara Kirkpatrick

Whether in career or community service, it’s common to boast about accomplishments, spotlight them on social media and bask in the compliments and love that follow.

And then, there are people like Amy Bhola.

Educator, school board member, volunteer, mentor, beloved wife and mother of two, Bhola was the last to herald herself. Her legacy is rather the no-nonsense, no-drama, nose-to-thegrindstone hard work and service to this community that is easily measured by the many blessings she left behind.

After a brave battle with glioblastoma, Bhola died on Mar. 28. She was 58.

“In every community, there are those rare individuals whose light shines so brightly that it illuminates the path for others,” said friend and interior designer Lori Carroll. “Amy Bhola was one such beacon in Tucson, whose kindness and compassion touched countless lives.”

“Amy Bhola to me is a woman of strength, leadership, positivity and power,” added friend Laura Hisey. “Everything she did was with grace and purpose.”

Growing up in Phoenix, Bhola attended Colorado State University before transferring to University of Arizona. With her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education, Bhola would teach math and science for 11 years in three different school districts in Arizona. She returned to Tucson with her husband, Khushvant Bhola, and brought all her dynamo to this community.

Bhola was a steadfast supporter of the Catalina Foothills School District where her son Mason, and daughter Lily, would grow up and graduate. Over 18 years, CFSD benefited from her ex-

perience and knowledge as a volunteer leader in the classroom, on Family Faculty Organizations, and on the CFSD Foundation board of directors.

Bhola was elected to the CFSD Governing Board in 2014, fighting for adequate funding for public education and ensuring that all students had equal access and opportunities.

“It was my privilege to work with a governing board member as thoughtful and dedicated as Amy,” CFSD Superintendent Mary Kamerzell posted on

Facebook. “Her teaching background provided an insider’s perspective on the challenges and rewards of the work. She was a vocal champion of public education and the professionals who make it their life’s work. I will really miss her.”

Added Julie Farbarik, CFSD director of alumni and community relations, “For nearly 20 years, Amy was a mentor and a source of constant inspiration to me. She exemplified what it means to live a life of service.”

Bhola was especially passionate about serving as an advisor for Chi Omega sorority at UArizona–a position she relished for more than 20 years, mentoring and counseling countless classes of young women.

“Amy’s willingness to go above and beyond exemplified the true spirit of service and sisterhood within Chi Omega, and her legacy will be remembered fondly by thousands of women throughout the years who had the privilege of working with her,” said Elizabeth Moreland, who served as an advisor with Bhola. “It is so difficult to express the loss the Chi Omega Chapter at the U of A feels. We have lost our leader, confidante, mentor, and most importantly, our friend.”

A member of Silver & Turquoise Board of Hostesses, Bhola was chair when the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020. Her resolve helped steer the historic organization through two years of uncertainty before resuming its annual ball in 2022.

“Amy led with hard work, vision and grace,” said Jennifer Harris, an S&T member and longtime friend of Bhola. “Silver & Turquoise, and many other Tucson organizations, were lucky to have her as a member.”

While her service was so evident, her humanity shined even brighter.

“She was always teaching the next generation how important it was to give back,” said attorney Keri Silvyn, another longtime friend of Bhola. “One of the things that I learned from her personally...is it can sometimes be really difficult to meet people where they are in life, emotionally and otherwise. And she just was always really good at doing that.”

Biz

PHOTO BY BRITTA VAN VRANKEN