51 minute read
Technology
TECH NOTES by Mike Hunter
The Power of TikTok Can Boost Business
When many people think of TikTok, it’s likely they envision Gen Z kids creating goofy sketches or dance videos. While that may have been the case when the app initially launched, it’s evolved into a space where businesses and their content can flourish.
In the past, businesses primarily focused on Facebook and Instagram to reach new consumers, but over time the algorithms of these platforms changed and have now made it more difficult for businesses to reach the masses. TikTok’s “For You Page” is unique as it curates content for users based on their likes and videos they interact with. As the platform has grown to experts in every field imaginable, this has carved out a space for entertaining and educational videos. I wanted to give TikTok a try in hopes of not only educating viewers but gaining new business along the way.
Since joining TikTok to share my expertise in plastic surgery at the beginning of the year, I’ve gained more than 94,000 followers and more than 2.2 million likes. While my team and I create a variety of videos, the content that performs best has been educational. One video, “The Good, The Bad, and The Ripple: Breast Implants,” shared the different types of implants and the pros and cons of each. The clip has amassed 5.4 million views and 2,220 comments, with many looking to learn more about the procedure.
TikTok has provided an outlet for me to reach out to a new audience and create credibility. As a result, we’ve seen a 10% increase in business and more inquiries for procedures. TikTok is no longer a place for only mindless videos; users want to be educated and enjoy learning from experts in their field. —Pablo Prichard, M.D., “Dr. Scottsdale,” (drscottsdale.com) founder and senior partner at Advanced Aesthetics Associates and former chief of plastic surgery at HonorHealth John C. Lincoln Hospital for 14 years, who specializes in both reconstructive and cosmetic procedures.
Podcasts for Businesses
Podcasts are the hottest business trend and increasing daily. Podcasts can be produced professionally in a pro studio with experienced staff, and pro podcasting can help a business tremendously but amateur podcasting can hurt a business more than help. It is important businesses represent themselves at a professional level in everything they do.
By utilizing podcasts, businesses can share valuable product and service insights plus gain community support. In the U.S., eMarketer estimates that the number of U.S. podcast listeners will increase by 16% year-over-year to about 107 million in 2021. With this podcast boom, more businesses and individuals are looking to grab a mic and join in on the action. Below are some tips on how a business can launch a successful podcast:
SPEAK YOUR MIND
Podcasts work best for strong speakers with a lot of content. The authoritative presence on podcasts allows the speaker to show enthusiasm and to connect with audience members through meaningful language and tone of voice. Having a business’s top thought leader as the host of the podcast will also allow listeners to ask questions and, in turn, receive insightful and timely responses from the best of the best in the chosen industry.
Guests also play a vital role in a podcast’s success. It’s important to make sure guests are excited and qualified to share their thoughts on the podcast’s topic through engaging experience and stories. The more that a speaker can utilize storytelling, the better the understanding will be for listeners.
Traits for a good host include charisma, adaptability and the willingness to receive feedback in order to grow from their performances. An exciting host with passion and preparedness will fuel a podcast and engage listeners to tune in beyond the pilot episode.
QUALITY VS. QUANTITY
Viewers and listeners want to hear solid, quality content. It is important to not skimp on quality, because the audience will notice. Everything from top content to punchy episode titles to the control of background noise are all things to think about when producing a podcast.
Before investing in expensive equipment like microphones, filters, stands, studio monitors, mixing headphones and multiple recorders, which can cost thousands of dollars, businesses should consider utilizing local resources to help get the best bang for their buck. An alternative is to have a pro studio produce and distribute the podcast at the highest quality possible at an agreed-upon rate.
Having experienced pros on their side takes the guesswork out of podcasting and helps businesses avoid the awkward startup phase with cracking mics and guests who sounds like they are in a shoe box. Plus, it will save the first-time podcaster from aggravation. Why use duct tape and chewing game when a pro studio is available!
VODCASTS
Vodcasts are traditional podcasts with video elements added, making the experience more visually interactive. Star Worldwide Networks is the entertainment hub for Arizona’s first pro video podcast set, featuring four state-of-the-art robotic cameras and five modernized audio microphones. This type of setup allows hosts to create professional, high-end video and audio products to launch their brand to success.
Dedicated studio directors should produce and supervise the entire process to ensure seamless delivery. Adding the video element can be tricky, so a trusted team can help businesses avoid the bumps of audio issues, picture inconsistency or lighting problems that can be seen only by experienced pros behind the camera.
With podcasts increasing business popularity and customer attraction, it is essential to follow these tips to be successful, credible and, of course, fun for both the company and the audience. —Dave Pratt, Hall of Fame broadcaster, entertainer, multimedia expert and owner of Star Worldwide Networks & Agency (starworldwidenetworks.com), one of the nation’s fastest-growing digital media producers, distributors, and marketing agencies
&Leadership
Join us for the 2021 Women of Achievement In-Person Luncheon & Event on October 8, 2021 at The Phoenician Resort. Tickets at www.inbusinessevents.com
Leadership & Achievement: Honoring Our 2021 Women of Achievement
Women are in more prominent leadership roles than ever before, with the first woman in the White House as an elected officer — Vice President of the United States. The strengths they bring to the business world are proven in studies of businesses’ success in all segments of the economy. With such women in our community often eschewing the spotlight for themselves to, rather, shine it on their team or their cause, we at In Business Magazine are pleased to turn that spotlight on them as we celebrate the success of women in business in our community.
This issue presents our 2021 Women of Achievement — 14 women who have each proven her involvement in our business community and her connection to doing good for our community while demonstrating leadership in achieving success in business. Bringing their diverse backgrounds and strengths, they help bind and support the greater community, attesting to the collective achievement of women in business.
To honor and celebrate these women, we present on the following pages profiles of our honorees, in which they share their stories in their own words so that we can get to know them. And they will share the spotlight at our Women of Achievement luncheon event on Oct. 8, when we will once again come together in person. We also honor Linda S. Hunt, this month’s Guest Editor, as this year’s recipient of the Linda M. Herold Lifetime Achievement Award.
Please meet our 2021 Women of Achievement. —RaeAnne Marsh, Editor and 2018 Women of Achievement recipient, In Business Magazine
Organization Name: Dignity Health Southwest Division
Main Office Address: 3030 N. Central Avenue Phoenix, Arizona
Phone: (855) 475-4747
Website: dignityhealth.org
Linda Hunt
Linda Hunt oversees Dignity Health’s Southwest Division, which is anchored by ten outstanding hospitals in Arizona and Nevada: St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center, Chandler Regional Medical Center, Mercy Gilbert Medical Center, St. Joseph’s Westgate Medical Center, Arizona General Hospital – Laveen, Arizona General Hospital – Mesa, Yavapai Regional Medical Center and St. Rose Dominican Rose de Lima, San Martin and Siena hospitals. Under Hunt’s leadership, Dignity Health’s Southwest Division has grown into a respected and comprehensive healthcare system, which also includes imaging centers, specialty hospitals, physician groups, clinics, freestanding emergency rooms, urgent cares, insurance providers, an accountable care organization, a medical school campus and other clinical partnerships. During her previous role as president and CEO of Dignity Health St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center, the 571-bed facility became one of Arizona’s busiest hospitals and attracted patients from around the world to its Barrow Neurological Institute, Norton Thoracic Institute and the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center.
Hunt has served on several state and national commissions that are working to shape the future of healthcare and medical education. She is a founding member of the Health System Alliance of Arizona and serves as a board member for Creighton University Arizona Health Education Alliance. She is the co-chair of Greater Phoenix Leadership’s Affordable Housing and Homelessness Committee, and served as the chair of the Phoenix Forward Healthcare Leadership Council as well as a member of the Governor’s business leadership council, called Arizona Zanjeros. Additionally, she has served on the Governor’s Arizona Commerce Authority Board, Greater Phoenix Economic Council’s Healthcare Leadership Council, Council of Teaching Hospitals and Health Systems Administrative Board of the American Association of Medical Colleges, American Association of Medical Colleges Executive Council, Arizona Commission on Medical Education and Research, Arizona Bioscience Roadmap Steering Committee and Greater Phoenix Leadership Bioscience Task Force. Hunt has also represented Dignity Health in several community organizations, including Greater Phoenix Leadership and the Greater Phoenix Economic Council.
She received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from William Carey College in Mississippi and her Master of Science in Nursing Administration from the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. She graduated from the Johnson & Johnson Fellows Program in Management at the prestigious Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and was on the faculty at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center and Regis University in Denver. She recently received an Honorary Doctor of Nursing from Creighton University.
Hunt has received local and national recognition for her leadership in the healthcare field, including being named one of the Top 25 Women in Healthcare by Modern Healthcare magazine, a Top 25 Most Admired CEOs by the Phoenix Business Journal, and she was given the Transformational Leader award by the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Among numerous other awards are Outstanding Business Leader of the Year from the YWCA, the inaugural Humanitarian Award from the Sage Foundation for Health, being named Bioscience Leader of the Year and being chosen a finalist for the prestigious Athena Award.
Organization Name: Greater Phoenix Leadership
Main Office Address: 400 E. Van Buren Street Phoenix, Arizona
Phone: (602) 252-5667
Website: gplinc.org
Heather Carter
Heather Carter, Ed.D., is executive vice president with Greater Phoenix Leadership, with a special focus on Arizona’s health and education sectors. Prior to this role, Dr. Carter served 10 years in the Arizona State Legislature, in both the House of Representatives and Senate.
Serving as House Health Committee Chairwoman, she worked relentlessly to make sure our Arizona healthcare system is innovative, efficient and effective. She championed Medicaid restoration and expansion in 2013 and restoration of Arizona’s KidsCare in 2016, providing healthcare to hundreds of thousands of people in Arizona. She spearheaded comprehensive public policy for both the electronic medical records system and telehealth legislation in Arizona, setting Arizona up as a national leader in using technology to deliver and improve care. As a champion for patients, she created and chaired the Senior Caucus and a Diabetes Caucus, to bring together elected officials, stakeholders and constituents to address the needs of individuals facing multiple health challenges. She also sponsored key legislation to address the Arizona opioid epidemic, ongoing substance abuse issues for adolescents and increasing access to behavioral health services.
Dr. Carter is a well-respected educational leader in her community, having served as vice-chair of the House Education Committee and worked as a clinical associate professor at ASU, preparing teachers and leaders for Arizona schools. Her passion for public education is rooted in her experience as a 7th-grade teacher in the Paradise Valley Unified School District. She was an important voice during the legislative session to increase teacher salaries in Arizona by 20% by 2020 and helped shepherd the referral that ultimately became Proposition 123, bringing millions of dollars to the state’s K-12 education system. She continues her work to advance an equitable funding system for public schools, recognizing the unique challenges faced in the state.
Prior to joining GPL, she was a full-time assistant professor of practice in the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health and associate director of the Center for Rural Health, at the University of Arizona, Phoenix Campus. She spent a considerable amount of her faculty and administrative time focused on healthcare workforce shortages, tobacco-cessation policy and telehealth.
Dr. Carter graduated from ASU with a bachelor’s degree in communication, completed a master’s degree in educational technology at ASU, and earned a doctorate degree in education leadership from NAU. She is a Cahn Public Service Fellow, completing the Harvard Kennedy School Executive Education, Senior Executives in State and Local Government Program, as well as an Aspen Institute Rodel Fellow, member of the Public Leadership Class of 2013. Currently, she serves on the board of directors for several prominent organizations, including the American Heart Association National Advocacy Committee, Southwest Chapter of the American Cancer Society and the Institute for Mental Health Research; she is vice chair of the Flinn Bioscience Roadmap Steering Committee and serves on the BIO5 Institute University of Arizona Business Advisory Group.
Dr. Carter; her husband of 27 years, Jay; and their daughter, Jacey, have lived in Phoenix for more than 30 years.
Organization Name: Hospice of the Valley
Main Office Address: 1510 E. Flower Street Phoenix, Arizona
Phone: (602 530-6900
Website: hov.org “This recognition is valuable because it lets younger women be inspired by those who have walked ahead of them. Once they become Women of Achievement, their experiences will be the impetus for women walking behind them.”
Lin Sue Cooney
Director of Community Engagement, Hospice of the Valley
Lin Sue Cooney’s path has been irrevocably shaped by two things: her strong faith and her love of writing. As it turns out, that was a perfect combination. She was destined to find her life’s purpose in the extraordinary power of words — weaving stories that educate, inspire and help people in need.
The eldest of four children, raised by a strong single mom who championed education, Cooney graduated cum laude with a double major in English and Political Science from Willamette University in Salem, Oregon, and then pursued her MSJ degree from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. She worked at several TV stations — including a 31-year stint at KPNX-12, where she won nine Emmy awards for excellence in reporting and anchoring.
Over the years, Cooney covered a lot of breaking news but sprinkled in plenty of lighter moments — determined to balance tragic stories with those of hope and kindness. In a series of touching reports from China, she took viewers along on a trip to adopt her youngest son.
Cooney considers motherhood one of life’s greatest blessings — and she’s grateful to have been generously blessed four times. All four astonish her with their talents, interests and giving hearts.
By example, she teaches them the joy of serving others, making community service a top priority. She volunteers time on behalf of countless charities, raising funds for worthy causes like cancer research, pediatric care, women’s shelters, feeding the hungry, housing the homeless, pet rescue, veteran support and music and the arts.
After three rewarding decades in television news, Cooney was ready for a new challenge and joined the leadership team at not-for-profit Hospice of the Valley. Having experienced the agency’s care with friends and family, she felt drawn to the agency’s mission of comfort, dignity and compassion. In her role as director of community engagement, she oversees fund development, volunteers, business development and marketing.
In her marketing capacity, she draws upon her love of storytelling to dispel myths and educate our community about hospice care. Her leadership style is the same one she honed in her television career — teamwork all the way. Cooney believes collaboration maximizes each person’s gifts and talents to create something more powerful and impactful than is otherwise possible.
This award is an unexpected surprise — and a humbling one. To Cooney, being a Woman of Achievement means using all the gifts and blessings that have been given to her, sharing all of them, wasting none, and empowering everyone she encounters each and every day to do the same.
Organization Name: Coppersmith Brockelman, PLC
Main Office Address: 2800 N. Central Avenue Phoenix, Arizona
Phone: (602) 224-0999
Website: cblawyers.com
Roopali Desai
Partner, Coppersmith Brockelman, PLC
Partner and head of Phoenix law firm Coppersmith Brockelman’s Election and Political Law practice, Roopali Desai is a leading election lawyer in Arizona. She advises clients on all aspects of election law, including campaign finance compliance, disclosure and reporting requirements, and bringing and defending election challenges. She is especially known for her experience representing initiative, referendum and recall campaigns, and has served as legal counsel for numerous successful statewide and local measures.
Prevailing in 11 lawsuits related to Arizona’s 2020 general election, Desai worked tirelessly defending election challenges, ensuring compliance with campaign finance laws, and successfully representing Smart and Safe Arizona (Prop. 207) and Invest in Education (Prop. 208). Her efforts in drafting Prop. 207’s language and revising it after meeting with company executives, criminal justice advocates, first responders and others resulted in her being named one of Business Insider’s 11 power players shaping Arizona’s new, potentially multi-million-dollar recreational cannabis market, while her peers selected her for the recognition of Best Capitol/Political Lawyer in the Arizona Capitol Times 2021 Best of the Capitol Awards.
Meanwhile, Best Lawyers in America© selected Roopali as 2021 Phoenix Civil Rights Law “Lawyer of the Year,” and Chambers USA welcomed her into their ranks in the area of General Commercial Litigation. Additionally, she has earned recognition in Southwest Super Lawyers since 2014, and in Best Lawyers every year since 2016.
Yet, while achieving career highs during a banner year, Desai also received Valle del Sol’s 2021 Mom of the Year award for dedicating countless hours of service to the community and being an exemplary mother of three daughters. She serves on the boards of several high-profile nonprofit organizations, including the Arizona Center for Law in the Public Interest and Save Our Schools Arizona, and also commits a significant amount of time to pro bono legal work relating to children in Arizona’s foster system, issues of voting rights, and fairness and equality in public education.
Whether representing pro bono, political or business clients, Desai’s creative, strategic and dogged approach yields outstanding results. Her business clients rely on her extensive litigation experience when they need help resolving disputes in a variety of areas, including contracts, business and partnership disputes, trade secrets, and enforcement actions. Likewise, the many female ASU and University of Arizona law students, younger attorneys and peers she mentors find her sage counsel and seasoned suggestions invaluable in helping them realize their dreams.
After earning a bachelor’s degree in Women’s Studies and master’s degree in Public Health from University of Arizona, Desai helped develop service programs for abused and neglected children at the Southern Arizona Children’s Advocacy Center and for domestic violence survivors at Brewster Center. She came to realize the strength of the American legal system and went back to University of Arizona to obtain her law degree. While in law school, Desai co-founded a nonprofit, Saheli, which educated attorneys, judges and other legal professionals about cultural barriers affecting women in situations of family abuse and violence.
Organization Name: Quantum Leap Productions
Main Office Address: 6910 E. 5th Avenue Scottsdale, Arizona
Phone: (480) 862-4809
Website: qlpnow.com
Photo courtesy of Harrison Hurwitz INBUSINESSPHX.COM
Kristin Ford
Director/Producer, Quantum Leap Productions
Emmy® Award-winning filmmaker Kristin Atwell Ford has been trusted with our state’s most formative stories and tells them with the intent of making life richer and our community stronger.
Water is a subject that flows through Ford’s work and touches all Arizonans. Ford’s first film, Quartzite’s Fall, about the value of a wild river, foreshadowed her next film. In 2010, the Salt River Project tapped Ford to co-direct and write Theodore Roosevelt Dam: Arizona’s Living Legacy. The film celebrates the dam’s critical role in creating the water certainty needed to support our quality of life and the state’s $13.5 billion water economy. Narrated by actor Peter Coyote, the film won the regional Emmy® Award.
Ford had a front row seat to Arizona’s political history when she produced SRP’s The Arizona Centennial Series hosted by Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. The nine-part series aired on Arizona PBS and features John McCain, Jon Kyl, Janet Napolitano, Rose Mofford, Dennis DeConcini and Ed Pastor. Ford also wrote and co-produced the regional Emmy® Award-winning SRP Environmental Special hosted by Lin Sue Cooney, Protecting the Source, which traces the impact of catastrophic forest fire on our water supply in the desert.
Ford’s most recent water story is about a fabled spring on the ancestral lands of the Yavapai People that gave rise to Arizona’s first resort. Produced with Quantum Leap Productions, Castle Hot Springs: Oasis of Time is the winner of the 2020 Rocky Mountain Emmy® Award for best historical documentary. Ford is partnered with Quantum Leap Productions, a full-service script-to-screen video company. Corporate and nonprofit clients include Willmeng Construction, Avnet, Accelerant, Deloitte, Bank of America and O’Connor Institute.
In perhaps her greatest community achievement to date, Ford co-produced Arizona Opera’s triumphant world premiere of the opera Riders of the Purple Sage, a new work by Craig Bohmler and Steven Mark Kohn based on Zane Grey’s dime novel masterpiece. A visionary driver of the project, Ford expanded the world premiere to include fine art painter Ed Mell, Billie Jo and Judd Herberger, the ASU Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts, and Scottsdale’s Museum of the West.
Ford is currently directing a documentary about Liberty Wildlife, a local conservation engine that integrates individuals and organizations dedicated to wildlife rehabilitation. Supported by the Rob and Melani Walton Family Foundation, the film will showcase how Liberty Wildlife’s Non-Eagle Feather Repository benefits indigenous cultures across the country.
Born in Arizona, Ford is the daughter of Sherri Chessen. Phoenicians will remember “Miss Sherri” as the local Emmy® Award-winning television host of the children’s television show “Romper Room.” For 20 years, Ford volunteered with The Rancho Feliz Charitable Foundation and documented how a small Scottsdalebased charity raised more than $10 million to build a neighborhood of 42 homes, a computer learning center and childcare facility in the impoverished border town of Agua Prieta, Mexico. Ford sat on the board of a KidsRead USA, a childhood literacy program, and Arizona Family Health Partnership and is the proud recipient of the 2021 Governor’s Arts Awards as Arizona’s Artist of the Year.
Organization Name: Open Hearts Family Wellness
Main Office Address: 4414 N. 19th Avenue Phoenix, Arizona
Phone: (602) 285-5550
Website: openheartsaz.org
Arjelia Gomez
President and CEO, Open Hearts Family Wellness
Arjelia “Argie” Gomez is an experienced and well-respected leader in the nonprofit sector and a champion for people and organizations to work together to take action on behalf of youth and other at-risk populations. She is the president and chief executive officer of Open Hearts Family Wellness, a high-quality provider of mental healthcare since 1974. Prior to joining Open Hearts, Gomez served in the top three officer positions of Chicanos Por La Causa as the chief operating officer, chief economic development officer and chief financial officer. Her drive for innovation secured sustainable funding for the social services programs and brought diverse opportunities to the community.
Throughout her career, Gomez has been an advocate and a driver of change in multiple nonprofits. At her core is the passion to work collaboratively with individuals and families to promote and improve mental health. She is also comfortable directing outpatient care, community-based mental health services, substance abuse treatment and a wide variety of other services for medically diagnosed conditions.
Her core philosophy was forged over many years of steering organizations and working closely with partners in both the private and public sectors. She stands at the forefront of the nonprofit sector and believes that connecting families to communities is about generational help and giving people the tools they need to succeed today, tomorrow and to the future.
Her nomination for the Women’s Achievement Award is a testament to an individual dedicated to servant leadership. With the crisis of mental health at a tipping point, she understands the need for timely and compassionate intervention has never been greater. This is why she continues to confront and solve the mental health dilemma that is ravaging our families and communities.
Gomez has been recognized by The Arizona Republic as a top female leader in Arizona, “Who’s Who” in Business, the Phoenix Business Journal as a top female leader, and Women in Business. She is a former member of the multi-cultural business advisory board of ONE Community, served on the Grand Canyon University business advisory board, board of the Arizona Council of Human Service Providers, board member for the National Latino Children’s Institute and is an Arizona Los Diamondbacks Ambassador. Currently, she serves on the board of ASU Southwest Interdisciplinary Research Center strategy planning committee. Gomez has worked tirelessly for justice, inclusion, collaboration and integrity.
As a former probation officer, Gomez was influenced by the strength, values and culture of her family in Superior, Arizona. Her mother, Amparo “Ampy” Gomez, was a powerful leader and the first female judge in Superior, who influenced Gomez’s mindset of service, in addition to thousands of others whose lives were touched. Gomez combines a strong background in program management with experience in community outreach, business development, budget management and team management. She holds a Bachelor of Science in criminal justice and political science from Northern Arizona University and an MBA from Grand Canyon University in addition to being a champion for diversity and inclusion.
Organization Name: Diana Gregory Outreach Service
Main Office Address: 1934 E. Camelback Road Phoenix, Arizona
Phone: (480) 420-8344
Website: dianagregory.com “Leaders need followers, so this honor acknowledges not only me, but also volunteers, partners and donors who provide nutritious food to over 10,000 seniors and veterans annually.”
Diana L. Gregory
No stranger to challenges, Diana Gregory was raised in the Pruitt-Igoe housing projects in St. Louis, Mo. Her parents taught her that it is not where you live but what lives in you that determines your destiny; that the purpose of life is a life of purpose; that education was her path to the future; and that she should live by an attitude of gratitude. She graduated as valedictorian of her high school, winning a scholarship to and graduating from Boston University.
Gregory started her career with Anheuser-Busch in 1978, when it was uncommon for women to have careers in the beer/alcohol industry. After a successful 30-year corporate marketing and sales career with them, Gregory placed her attitude of gratitude alongside her expertise to raise social awareness and bring long-term, meaningful change to needy lives in her community.
And she has done just that. An innovative and creative visionary, Gregory founded the Diana Gregory Outreach Services Foundation and Gregory’s Fresh Market, a 501(c)(3) division of the organization, in 2009, the year following her “retirement.”
GFM serves Greater Phoenix seniors as one of only a handful of companies to deliver fresh fruits and vegetables directly to senior independent- and affordable-living complexes, making it easy for seniors to receive free produce. GFM includes education to increase senior awareness about and understanding of healthy food choices.
GFM now serves more than 10,000 seniors and veterans at more than 60 facilities in the Greater Phoenix area. A volunteer organization, GFM fulfills its mission — and Gregory’s goal — to enrich lives for seniors and veterans in Arizona.
Among Gregory’s many guiding principles is persistence and never giving up on a dream.
When starting Diana Gregory Outreach Services and Gregory’s Fresh Market, Gregory needed a produce supplier. During her career with Anheuser-Busch, she had learned a great deal about making cold calls. Obtaining a list of produce suppliers in Phoenix, she visited six suppliers to present her mission and ask if they would support the organization with affordable pricing to bring a farmers’ market program to underserved seniors. Five out of the six companies passed on the opportunity. But on the sixth visit to Peddler’s Son Produce, the owner, Ted Palmisano, responded, “I want to be a part of this.” He was the first partner and, 12 years later, Peddler’s Son Produce remains a partner.
Throughout her corporate career and 18 years as a Phoenix resident, Gregory has served on boards that advocate for minority opportunities and women. Among her current commitments are Desert Botanical Garden Board of Trustees, member of International Women’s Forum Arizona, member of the African American Women’s Giving and Empowerment Circle, founding member of the Phoenix Metropolitan Chapter of the Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc., and member of Archer-Ragsdale Arizona Chapter Tuskegee Airmen, Inc.
Her tireless work for seniors and veterans has also been acknowledged by many awards. Besides her parents, Gregory was also inspired by her late uncle, the comedian and activist Dick Gregory, that the secret to being happy is doing things for other people. Gregory has certainly taken his inspiration to heart. Under her leadership, GFM continues to widen its circle of compassion and inclusion in the State of Arizona.
Organization Name: WebPT
Main Office Address: 625 S. 5th Street Phoenix, Arizona
Phone: (866) 221-1870
Website: webpt.com
Heidi Jannenga PT, DPT, ATC
Co-Founder and Chief Clinical Officer, WebPT
Heidi Jannenga, PT, DPT, ATC, is the co-founder and chief clinical officer of WebPT, the leading software solution for physical, occupational, and speech therapists. As a member of the board and senior management team, Dr. Jannenga advises on the company’s strategic direction, product innovation and internal operations, while also advocating for the rehab therapy profession on an international scale. Since the company’s launch in 2008, Dr. Jannenga has guided WebPT through several milestones, including three funding rounds — an angel round with Canal Partners, a venture capital round with Battery Ventures and a private equity round with Warburg Pincus — five acquisitions and numerous national corporate and industry awards.
Today, WebPT is the fastest-growing physical therapy software in the country, employing more than 600 people and serving more than 90,000 therapy professionals at more than 20,000 clinics. The company also touts nine consecutive appearances on the prestigious Inc. 5000 list and has ranked twice on the Inc. 500 list.
Dr. Jannenga has been recognized as one of Health Data Management’s Most Powerful Women in Healthcare IT, was named a Most Admired Leader and, in 2018, was honored as the Ed Denison Business Leader of the Year at the Arizona Technology Council’s Governor’s Celebration of Innovation. She is also a proud member of the YPO Scottsdale Chapter and recognized as an outstanding alumnus of the University of California, Davis.
Prior to co-founding WebPT, Dr. Jannenga practiced as a sports medicine and orthopedic physical therapist for more than 15 years. She quickly advanced into leadership roles that include clinic director of one of the largest sports medicine clinics in the United States. Today, she regularly speaks as a subject-matter expert at regional, national and international technology, entrepreneurship and leadership events, as well as at national and international PT industry and businessfocused conferences.
Dr. Jannenga’s latest venture is Rizing Tide, which provides scholarships to students in physical therapy and physical therapy assistant programs and physical therapy residents to advance diversity and inclusiveness in the physical therapy workforce and inspire better — and more accessible — patient care.
Dr. Jannenga serves on the boards of numerous organizations: Arizona Science Center, FLINN Foundation, Institute for Private Practice Physical Therapy, Greater Phoenix Economic Council, Arizona School for the Arts and Arizona Community Foundation. She also dedicates time to mentorship within WebPT through her employee empowerment group PropelUs, and in the broader community through her work with physical therapy students, entrepreneurs and women in business. Additionally, she is a founding member of the Arizona chapter of Golden Seeds, an early-stage investment firm focusing on women founders and leaders who are creating lasting impact.
Being mother to her 10-year-old daughter, Ava, is Dr. Jannenga’s most cherished role. Having been a college basketball athlete at U.C. Davis, she also remains very active enjoying hot yoga, hiking, mountain biking and world travel.
Organization Name: Clear Dermatology and Aesthetics Center
Main Office Address: 20201 N. Scottsdale Healthcare Drive Scottsdale, Arizona
Phone: (480) 398-1550
Website: cleardermatology.net “I am honored to stand as an example that, for young women, anything you aspire to is possible regardless of where you grew up or your economic background.”
Brenda LaTowsky M.D.
Owner and Chief Medical Officer, Clear Dermatology and Aesthetics Center
Brenda LaTowsky, M.D., grew up on a small family farm in Nebraska and attended the University of Nebraska Medical College, graduating amongst the top in her class. During that time, she was selected for the prestigious Alpha Omega Alpha honor society. Dr. LaTowsky completed her internship in internal medicine at Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia. She then completed her dermatology residency in Houston at the world-renowned University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, where her first-class training emphasized the diagnosis and treatment of skin cancers, as well as many other skin disorders. She was selected for an esteemed laser and cosmetic surgery fellowship at SkinCare Physicians in Boston, Mass. During that time, Dr. LaTowsky learned highly specialized techniques in cosmetic dermatology, including advanced Botox procedures, injectable fillers, liposuction, autologous fat transfer, hair transplantation, laser procedures, and cosmetic and skin cancer surgery.
Dr. LaTowsky is Board Certified by the American Board of Dermatology. Her professional memberships include the American Academy of Dermatology, American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, American Society of Laser and Medicine, and Women’s Dermatologic Society.
Dr. LaTowsky has also served as a primary investigator for more than 50 research studies involving cutting-edge cosmetic technologies, including the latest innovations in cellulite and minimally invasive body contouring and has also developed her own research studies. She has written and lectured extensively on medical and cosmetic dermatology subjects, and her work has been published in peer-reviewed journals that include the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, Archives of Dermatology and Dermatologic Surgery. Dr. LaTowsky has also authored chapters on such topics as photodynamic therapy and the prevention and treatment of scars. She actively serves as a journal reviewer for Dermatologic Surgery, Archives of Dermatology and International Journal of Dermatology.
Because of her experience and expertise, she has served on many scientific advisory boards for companies that include Allergan, Endo Aesthetics, Sienna and Theravant. She also has served on the executive board of the Maricopa Medical Society. Because of her passion for medical education, she is a preceptor for the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix Campus, trains Mayo Clinic dermatology residents in cosmetics, and trains resident physicians in all aspects of dermatology through HonorHealth and St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center.
As a nationally recognized cosmetic dermatologist, Dr. LaTowsky is known for her attention to detail and expert skill. She believes that smaller, earlier interventions allow her patients to maintain a more balanced, youthful appearance, while at the same time preventing or slowing the signs of aging. By using an innovative, comprehensive approach, Dr. LaTowsky creates personalized treatment plans so that her patients are able to achieve optimal results and desired outcomes.
Outside of her passion for dermatology, Dr. LaTowsky enjoys hiking, running, weightlifting, reading, cooking and community outreach. She loves spending time with her husband, Aaron, who serves the Arizona community as a urologist, and her three young children.
Organization Name: Cionne McCarthy PC, Russ Lyon Sotheby's International Realty
Main Office Address: 6900 E. Camelback Road Scottsdale, Arizona
Phone: (602) 619-4550
Website: cionnemccarthy.com “I needed a career where my work mattered. The word ‘home’ is powerful. It conjures unique images and emotions in all of us. Matching people with the homes of their dreams that stir those magnificent images and feelings has been and continues to be a work of love for me every day.”
Cionne McCarthy
Cionne McCarthy is a consummate real estate professional, leader and humanitarian who has excelled within her community, her personal life and her industry.
Her achievements are too numerous to list. They represent a pattern of excellence over a 40-years-and-counting career capsulated most recently by her achievements in 2020, in the face of a global pandemic. McCarthy’s sales resulted in her reaching 16th out of all individual agents in Arizona and a hall of fame level placement among the “Russ Lyon’s Elite.” But 2020’s success is nothing new for McCarthy; with more than $1 billion in real estate sales, her perpetual career honors include being in the top 1% of all agents, “Top Producer” at Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty for the past 39 years, listing in the “Who’s Who in Luxury Real Estate,” and “Realtor of the Year” by Broker Agent Magazine.
McCarthy was one of the original founders of the Luxury Home Tour, which not only was one of the first networking opportunities that sought to bring together top luxury agents from different real estate firms for the first time, but also one of a small number of tours that give thousands of dollars every year to multiple, thoughtfully selected charities. McCarthy has served in virtually every leadership role since its founding, including president, CEO and a continuing board member.
Paralleling her long, successful career are her community achievements. McCarthy is always willing to do the hands-on work; no job is too small or too challenging for this lady. McCarthy has been a dedicated American Heart Association Heart Ball volunteer for 13 years, having served as a chair and co-chair of numerous committees. She has also been a volunteer for Fresh Start Women’s Foundation; the Sojourner Center, whose efforts are to help victims overcome the impact of domestic violence; and the Child Crisis Nursery.
McCarthy has a compelling personal story worthy of the great American dream. She is in every sense a truly self-made woman. Her origins as a Nebraska ranch girl include competing in rodeo events such as barrel racing and pole-bending. She worked her way through college, graduating from Arizona State University with a degree in psychology. After college, she built her remarkable career in the highly competitive, cyclical Real Estate industry, where there is no recurring revenue or safety net — certainly not a career for the faint of heart. Along the way, her competitive spirit continued as an amateur polo player, and throughout her career she has demonstrated great resilience, enthusiasm, humor, compassion and high energy in everything she does. She is loved by a multitude of great friends and family who fuel the passion that she demonstrates every day.
Organization Name: Vista College Preparatory
Main Office Address: 812 S. 6th Avenue Phoenix, Arizona
Phone: (602) 374-7159
Website: vistacollegeprep.org
Julia Meyerson
Founder & Executive Director, Vista College Preparatory
Julia Meyerson solidified her commitment to education as a Teach For America corps member in the South Bronx, where she taught first grade for two years. Realizing the tremendous impact of state and local policy on transforming education, Meyerson went on to join the Democratic Governors Association in Washington, D.C., where she worked on both the political and finance teams and later served as the organization’s policy director. In this capacity, Meyerson had a unique opportunity to work with innovative governors, business leaders and policy experts on the pressing issues facing state and local government, including education reform.
Meyerson came back to her home state of Arizona to found Vista College Prep, following a year-long fellowship with Building Excellent Schools, a national organization that trains, mentors and supports individuals who seek to found, build, and lead urban public schools of uncompromising excellence. Starting in 2013 with just one campus and 63 students, Vista College Prep is now a network of three schools serving 1,200 students. Nearly 100% of those students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch and more than 90% are students of color.
For the last four years, Vista College Prep has dramatically outperformed all schools where more than 90% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Vista College Prep is modeled after some of the highest-performing public schools across the country and committed to the idea that demographics do not determine destiny and that all students can succeed if they are able to have access to a high-quality education. With an incredible team, Vista College Prep is determined to redefine what is possible in urban education. In 2018, the first year the campus was eligible, Vista College Prep’s Hadley campus was one of five schools in the State of Arizona to receive the National Blue Ribbon Award from the United States Department of Education.
Meyerson is a member of YPO, a graduate of Valley Leadership, and a 40 under 40 honoree. She earned a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Southern California and a Master of Science in teaching at Pace University. Meyerson lives in Phoenix with her husband, Peter, and their two children, Greer (three years old) and William (six months old).
Organization Name: American Nonprofit Academy
Main Office Address: 3104 E. Camelback Road Phoenix, Arizona
Phone: (602) 603-9886
Website: americannonprofitacademy.com
"All women are working women and unfortunately not as privileged as I have been. Great female leaders, such as Linda M. Herold, have been standing beside me and behind me — pushing me forward. They have prodded me when I didn’t think I could do it and they tempered me when I was far too boastful. While I may be honored with the In Business Woman of Acheivement, it is all the women in my life who have truly achieved this recognition.”
Julia C. Patrick
Founder and CEO, American Nonprofit Academy
How it all began …
“I marvel at the spirit of philanthropy and the can-do attitude of nonprofits,” comments Julia C. Patrick. As the founder and CEO of the American Nonprofit Academy, Patrick sees the passion and dedication of service organizations daily. A multi-generational philanthropist, board member and volunteer, Patrick has been involved with community service since she can remember. “From my parents’ and grandparents’ active community service to my own child’s volunteerism, the process of philanthropy has been a constant in our lives.” Patrick has served on cultural, social service and educational boards in addition to the more than 500 nonprofits she has worked with directly.
During her board work, for all the good will and commitment to supporting nonprofits, she realized there was something missing. “I quickly observed that when an organization lacks structure and the knowledge of best practices, their missions go unfulfilled.” This conclusion led Patrick to form the American Nonprofit Academy in 2014. “I continually met and worked with organizations who filled a definite need in their community,” Patrick explains. “Yet often, at the core of their structure, they were missing essential procedures and policies critical to effective governance.”
From localized beginnings in 2014, by 2016 the American Nonprofit Academy worked with more than 2,000 nonprofit leaders and staff. In 2017, the organization moved its live content to an online portal opening with 24/7 access to students. In 2018, the website added a robust nonprofit sector newsfeed and certificate programs targeting boards. By 2019, more than 100 courses were fully available through the American Nonprofit Academy’s innovative website portal.
In 2020, driven by a desire to keep nonprofit leaders connected during the COVID-19 pandemic, Patrick created a national web series, “The Corona Chronicles.” By mid-2020, Patrick realized that her daily show was gaining global traction and she re-branded it to “The Nonprofit Show,” taking the audience past the crisis and into the future. Today, “The Nonprofit Show” can be seen live Monday through Friday as well as streaming. The innovative program also has its own The Nonprofit Show channel on both Roku and Amazon Fire TV. More than 375 episodes are available for viewing and shows are uploaded daily. Combined, these channels reach into 69 million homes in the United States.
Patrick continues to lead lectures, board retreats and keynote speeches. Her lively speaking style engages nonprofits and those who serve them. “I get to see the genius of nonprofit organizations daily,” she notes. With her Chalk Talk series, Julia delivers specific approaches, tools and best practices along with innovations that strengthen nonprofit communities and all they do. She travels around the globe virtually, spreading her messages of nonprofit success and advocacy with the mantra “When Nonprofits Succeed, We All Succeed.”
When asked about her place on the philanthropic landscape, Patrick reflects, “I guess I am a nonprofit architect of sorts. I love seeing NPOs build, grow and find solutions.”
Organization Name: Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona
Main Office Address: 8220 N. 23rd Avenue Phoenix, Arizona
Phone: (602) 864-4400
Website: azblue.com “I am honored to be recognized as one of this year’s Women of Achievement. This past year and a half has been challenging for us all, and I’m proud to contribute to and make a difference in the overall health of our state, alongside many of my Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona colleagues.”
Paige Rothermel
As the chief operating officer for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona, Paige Rothermel oversees business performance and customer experience for the Individual, Medicare & Federal Employees, Commercial, and the newest BCBSAZ segment, Medicaid. Since her arrival in 2018, BCBSAZ has seen 11% organic membership growth while delivering consistent financial performance. Rothermel is responsible for igniting new business opportunities while transforming the customer experience to keep pace with customer and consumer expectations. With a keen understanding that, as consumers, we have high expectations for healthcare, Rothermel is driving a business strategy focused on personalized healthcare that is easy to access and understand.
Rothermel is committed to employee development and has modeled a leadership style that encourages communication, engagement and collaboration and has increased employee job satisfaction. In her unwavering commitment to serve our customers and our Arizona community, Rothermel is helping to drive the company’s mission to inspire health and make access to healthcare easy and affordable. With her people-centered focus as the cornerstone of both planning and action, Rothermel remains focused on creating products and processes that meet customers and the community where and when they need care. Her commitment to people both internally and externally is visible in many ways across the BCBSAZ organization. Rothermel introduced the current business segment structure, which organizes people and expertise around how customers interface with BCBSAZ. Understanding that individuals and business groups need different services and therefore different resources, Rothermel worked with segment leaders to create a customer needs-based culture. With this goal in mind, BCBSAZ employees work toward customer-specific objectives and customers receive a more personalized customer experience through the products and services BCBSAZ offers. This personalized service, bringing both service and clinical services together, is modeled in a Customer Advocacy approach that Rothermel introduced recently to BCBSAZ.
Continuing to build on her established reputation as a change driver and strong customer relationship builder, Rothermel is an industry leader, delivering on her promise to develop and implement innovative solutions that are driving growth, account retention and financial performance. Her commitment to people extends into her family and community engagement. Balancing her leadership role with quality time with her family and committing time to serve the community has always been a priority. In addition to her role as chief operating officer, Rothermel chairs the subsidiary board for Blue Advantage, BCBSAZ’s Medicare subsidiary, and Health Choice of Arizona, BCBSAZ’s Medicaid subsidiary. She also serves on the board of directors of Trinnovate Ventures, a BCBSAZ healthcare venture capital firm; is an incoming board member of the American Heart Association; and actively supports many charitable organizations.
Organization Name: First Western Trust, Scottsdale
Main Office Address: 7025 N. Scottsdale Road Scottsdale, Arizona
Phone: (480) 596-1800
Website: myfw.com
Trish Stark
Managing Partner, First Western Trust, Scottsdale
Trish Stark is managing director for First Western Trust, Scottsdale, a boutique financial services company whose clients are high net worth, entrepreneurial and, in many cases, self-made. She is responsible for developing, building and strengthening new and existing investment management, trust, commercial and private banking clients for the bank. She was part of the founding team of financial professionals who established the Scottsdale office more than 13 years ago, and has been instrumental in growing it from scratch to one with more than $180 million in deposits, $96 million in loans and more than $400 million in investment assets under management. She has done so by orchestrating a diverse team of financial professionals to provide exceptional, holistic solutions to clients, their families and their businesses.
One area she focused on is assisting women to get comfortable understanding and overseeing their financial assets, developing a series of luncheons entitled “Women and Wealth” at which a unique, non-financial topic is presented to a small group of women on a semi-annual basis. These luncheons generated significant interest in learning more about a wide array of financial topics for the women as well as their spouses.
Prior to joining First Western, Stark served in several senior executive roles for Bank of America’s Treasury Management Division, starting out in a regional management role and moving into the position of National Treasury Management Sales Executive focusing on business banking clients. Her division generated more than $800 million in annual revenue for the bank. A core element of her ascent at Bank of America was her in-depth knowledge of the sales process, as, in addition to her “day job,” she trained the entire national/international division in value-based selling principles.
Stark has also been very actively involved in her community, starting out as an ASU Alumni Association Board member (and ultimately board chair) during her first year after graduation from ASU’s W. P. Carey School of Business with a bachelor’s degree and MBA. Over the course of her career, she has served on several nonprofit and advisory boards, including the Phoenix Children’s Hospital Operating Board and Catholic Community Foundation Board. She served as chairman of the board for both organizations. During her tenure on the PCH Board, the hospital grew from a hospital within a hospital at then-Good Samaritan to a free-standing regional hospital with an outstanding national reputation in multiple specialties. She also served on the ASU Foundation Board/Board of Trustees for more than 10 years.
Stark currently is a member of the ASU Lodestar Center for Non-Profit Leadership Advisory Board, the Arizona Community Foundation Board (currently serving as chairman) and the McDowell Sonoran Conservancy Board (currently serving as treasurer).
She was named a Phoenix Business Journal 2013 Dynamic Woman in Business Leaders and an Arizona Business Magazine 2016 Influential Women in Business. She co-chaired the 2019 Crozier Gala, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Phoenix Catholic Diocese.
Stark is married to Greg, and has one adored son, Matt, age 24. She and her family love to travel, ski and play golf.
Organization Name: Kelly Zitlow Group, Cornerstone Home Lending
Main Office Address: 14635 N. Kierland Boulevard Scottsdale, AZ 85254
Phone: (480) 725-0150
Website: houseloan.com/ kelly-zitlow-mortgage-lender
Kelly Zitlow
For more than 25 years, Kelly Zitlow has built her award-winning, highly respected career as a vice president and Certified Mortgage Planning Specialist® on earning the trust of her clients and partners by providing honest, well-communicated and knowledge-based lending experiences.
Zitlow’s unmatched level of personal service, commitment to education and clientcentered approach has led her to receive top-level production awards for the last 17 consecutive years. She is ranked as one of the top 1% of loan officers nationally in both Scotsman Guide and National Mortgage News Magazine. In 2020, Zitlow helped more than 496 families achieve their home ownership goals, for an annual production that exceeded $151 million. She has also received the Five-Star Mortgage Professional Award (voted on by consumers) for the last five years in a row and has more than 400 five-star reviews online. Her success is second to the pride she feels for helping individuals in her community realize the dream of homeownership.
A professional mortgage industry speaker who has appeared in mortgage industry events across the nation, Zitlow is also a certified instructor with the Arizona Department of Real Estate and previously served on their Special Education Committee. She feels very passionate about education. Therefore, to help further educate her community and the nation, she has created two educational YouTube channels aimed at providing both real estate agents and consumers important, relevant information about the home-lending process. This has led her to receive two Video Influencer Awards from BombBomb. In addition, this exposure has led her to TV appearances such as being featured on “Designing Spaces” on Lifetime TV and as the previous Arizona host for “The American Dream” TV show in the Phoenix/ Scottsdale Market airing on CBS Channel 5.
Zitlow recently launched the Real Estate Video Influencer Group, a community of real estate professionals who aim to educate, entertain and positively influence their communities through the use of video. It is her mission to make an impact on the lives of real estate professionals by helping them grow their digital influence.
After losing her mother to cancer, in 2020 Zitlow launched Sunshine Warrior in honor of her mother. Sunshine Warrior is a community that comes together to share stories, lift others up, inspire and give hope on both sunny days and in life’s storms. Being a Sunshine Warrior represents a beacon of light during a storm, one who brings peace, love, inspiration and strength to the world. In addition to giving back through Sunshine Warrior, Zitlow enjoys involvement with other charitable organizations. Two of her favorites are Andre House, which supports our homeless population, and Giving Sole, a unique charity for foster children started by a 10-yearold boy named Gavin.
Raised in Arizona, Zitlow graduated cum laude from Arizona State University (go Sun Devils!). When she’s not working, she cherishes time with her husband, Dan, and their two sons, Jack and Nicholas, as well as their two Labradoodles, Champ and Buddy.
HIRING OUR HEROES
Hire Our Heroes is a 2021 initiative launched by international employment agency Express Employment Professionals to match employers with veterans seeking jobs. The company has a long history of supporting veterans in the workplace because of the value veterans bring to the workplace.
Daria Orozco, owner of the South Phoenix Express Pros location, says the heart of the program is in the tagline, “You took care of us. Now let Express take care of you.”
Express Pros offers jobs ranging from temporary, to part-time to full-time, which allows veterans the flexibility to transition at their own pace into a new career. Among other services, its staffing consultants help veterans translate their unique military experience into skills employers need in the civilian workplace, as well as providing resources and tools to build new skills.
Orozco notes veterans have many characteristics that employers want in their employees, such as reliability, working well with a team and understanding strategic plans.
“We reach out to several veteran organizations within the Phoenix area to let them know about our job openings,” Orozco says. “We have multiple relationships with nonprofit organizations that help veterans.” expresspros.com/ Phoenix/Veterans
Labor Shortage? Could Be a Job for Our Military Veterans
Benefits and challenges as veterans enter the civilian workforce
by Rose Tring
As the economy continues to surge in a post-pandemic recovery, veterans are among those seeking opportunities for employment in a labor market desperate for experienced and dedicated workers.
Labor experts say it’s a job-seekers market now with more opportunities available than people to fill the positions. Although the country is not at full employment, part of that is a result of a record number of employees leaving voluntarily from their jobs. It is unlike any other time in recent history, with extended unemployment benefits coming to an end in September and employers in all industries seeking qualified candidates, including veterans.
The most recent Bureau of Labor data shows that in June 2021, the veteran unemployment rate was 4.8%, up from 4.4% the previous month. The comparable non-veteran unemployment rate was 5.9% in June.
“It is critical that military personnel get the support they need as they transition out of the military,” says Paula Pedene, executive director of the nonprofit Honoring America’s Veterans. The Phoenix-based agency sponsors the annual Veterans Day Parade in Phoenix, and helps veterans access a variety of community resources.
“It’s so daunting to make that transition from a very structured environment in the military to having multiple options, such as choosing what to wear each day,” says Pedene, who served in the Navy as a Petty Officer First Class. “Finding the right job fit helps them make that adjustment, and both the veterans and the community benefit.”
One of several challenges veterans face in their job searches is taking their military experience and explaining how that translates to positions in a civilian workplace. An officer’s role may include leadership, management of people and resources, and overseeing large budgets. But a specialist title in the military doesn’t necessarily translate to skills posted for a specific job.
Other challenges for job seekers who are veterans may include culture differences between where they were stationed vs. their home in the U.S.; physical or mental injuries suffered during service; finding meaning in a new position after serving their country; competing with candidates with more direct experience; and not having the necessary training or education for some career options.
Specialists at Express Employment Professionals work with veterans to emphasize their skills and help match them to a fulfilling position. Express Pros also assists with translating military job skills onto a résumé that emphasizes their experience.
Daria Orozco, owner of the South Phoenix Express Pros location, says veterans are prized by employers for their work ethic, especially in the current labor climate. “Veterans are reliable. They show up and they do the job. They know how to stick to schedules, and they learn quickly,” she says. “These are exactly the skills that employers are looking for. These qualities are really important.”
Currently, employers nationwide are eager to find workers from all backgrounds to fill jobs ranging from management level to the mail room. Extra unemployment benefits awarded those who lost their positions due to the COVID-19 pandemic are phasing out nationwide, with Sept.6 marking the final date for those benefits.
