Who's Who in Business 2016

MEET 50 OF THE STATE’S HIGHEST RANKING WOMEN

2016

A S P E C I A L P U B L I C AT I O N O F

500+

COMPANIES IN 50 CATEGORIES FASTEST-GROWING RETAIL & LEISURE HEALTH CARE TECHNOLOGY & MORE

YOUR GUIDE TO ARIZONA BUSINESS CONNECTIONS

BETH JO ZEITZER, PRESIDENT AND DESIGNATED BROKER, R.O.I. PROPERTIES

DRIVEN TO EXCELLENCE

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LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER

A SPEC IA L PU B L IC ATIO N O F

In

2016

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EDITOR

STRIVING TO BE ARIZONA’S BEST

MI-AI PARRISH PRESIDENT, REPUBLIC MEDIA Who's Who in Business is a publication of The Arizona Republic/ Republic Media. To submit information for the 2017 Who's Who in Business, contact stacy. sullivan@ arizonarepublic.com or call 602444-6937.

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Retired U.S. Supreme Court justice and Arizona icon Sandra Day O’Connor once said “I don’t know that there are any short cuts to doing a good job.”

Her sentiment is as clear as it is concise: It takes hard work to be good at something. To be great. To be the best.

All the women in this year’s edition of Who’s Who in Business will tell you that it, indeed, takes hard work and short cuts are not an option. That’s what makes them so inspiring.

The 25th edition of Who’s Who in Business, aptly themed “Arizona’s Best,” showcases more than 50 of the state’s top women executives and more than 500 companies across dozens of industries and sectors.

The body of work paints a vibrant picture of women in leadership in Arizona. They will make you think, laugh, question, appreciate, maybe even cry as they discuss their back stories and unique positions within our business community.

One of this year’s “best” includes Aparna Mohla, a sales development coach at alternative energy company SolarCity, who arrived from her native India in 2008, earned an advanced degree from Hofstra University in New York, and now directs 425 salespeople across the country. She’s a completely selfmade executive in a male-dominated field.

“For a woman to show up and look at your breaker box and the rafters on your roof is still very unconventional,” Mohla laughs. But “the beauty about living in America is that you can become whoever you want to be. You struggle to get a break, but that struggle is so sweet.”

I love Mohla’s story. Scores of stories like hers fill the pages of Who’s Who, including our cover story written by longtime Arizona journalist Kathy Montgomery. She talks shop with a few more of Arizona’s best – Intel’s internet guru Rose Schooler; real estate powerbroker Beth Jo Zeitzer of ROI Properties; Peoria vice mayor and Cactus League baseball executive Bridget Binsbacher; Norma Izzo Milner of Jennings Strouss law firm; and with Banner Del E. Webb Medical Center CEO Debbie Flores.

Schooler, as an example, discusses women in leadership and technology while balancing home life, which includes guiding her college-bound 17-year-old daughter, who also takes an interest in science and technology.

“I never realized the importance of that role until I held it myself,” she says. “The necessity to be able to look up in the senior ranks, and see that there’s a woman that’s not only successful at work but also, importantly, successful at home.”

As someone who was the best of the best in her field – a leader, a thinker and a mother of three boys – Justice O’Connor would agree.

Mark Nothaft

ART AND DESIGN DIRECTOR Aliya Mood

CHIEF OF PHOTOGRAPHY Jake Johnson

WRITERS AND RESEARCHERS Ken Alltucker, Christina Barrueta, Bob Blayter, Gremlyn Bradley-Waddell, David M. Brown, Renie Cavallari, Joyce Hadley Copeland, Ken Coburn, Sonja Haller, Daniel Kehrer, Angelo Kinicki, Josh Levine, Hal Mattern, Kathy Montgomery, Sidnee Peck, Ryan Randazzo, Catherine Reagor, Anne Ryman, Alison Stanton, Eric Tyson, Russ Wiles, Georgann Yara

DIGITAL PRODUCER Karen Kurtz

EVENTS PRODUCER // SOCIAL MEDIA PRODUCER Joanna Brathwaite

GENERAL MANAGER // CUSTOM PUBLISHING Cami Kaiser

SENIOR ADVERTISING SALES CONSULTANT Kelli Fawcett

ADVERTISING COORDINATOR Arash Parsi

ADVERTISING OPERATIONS Craig Ludwig

DIRECTOR OF MARKETING Aimee Jolley

PRESIDENT & PUBLISHER Mi-Ai Parrish SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, NEWS

A var

Nicole Carroll

COMMUNITY RELATIONS DIRECTOR Stacy Sullivan

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Copyright 2016 by The Arizona Republic All rights reserved. No part of this publication can be reprinted or reproduced without the publisher’s permission. Statements and opinions printed in Who’s Who in Business are those of the authors and not necessarily those of The Arizona Republic.

VIEW THE BUSINESS LISTS AND PROFILES ALL YEAR LONG AT WHOSWHO.AZCENTRAL.COM.

WHO’S WHO IN BUSINESS // 2016

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CONTENTS

FEATURES

ARIZONA’S BEST LOCAL LEADERS The state’s greatness extends far beyond its initial five Cs to become far more diversified. Five innovative women leaders and their respective organizations in the areas of medicine, real estate, technology, law, sports and public service drive Arizona toward the future.

H

8 YOUR TIME 27 BEST RESULTS By narrowing focus, identifying your offering and establishing a competitive advantage, professionals find increased success in the business world.

YOUR BUDGET 41 MAKE A PLAN Designing a blueprint for charitable giving, debt elimination, long-term savings and for the unexpected events delivers peace of mind.

29 YOUR PHILANTHROPY CHARITY CHECKLIST Make sure your donations benefit the people and organizations your want to help. Here is a list of considerations before you give a dime.

53 YOUR MONEY ART OF THE DEAL Understanding market drivers, arming yourself with information and negotiation practice leads to securing the best possible price.

YOUR WEEKEND 57 AZ ROAD TRIP Buckle up for a round-up of iconic local getaways, including Tonto Bridge State Park in Payson and the Boyce Thompson Arboretum near Superior.

63 YOUR FAMILY INVEST FOR FUTURE Kids can’t own brokerage accounts until age 18, but they can jointly own a parents account to learn the rules of the investing road.

YOUR INVESTMENTS 65 BEYOND STOCKS Antiques and collectibles have proven to be a profitable secondary investment market – just start when you’re young.

YOUR TECHNOLOGY 75 VIDEO MAGIC You’ll want to consider everything from music and monetization to software and time commitment when making videos for the Internet.

YOUR HOME 87 VALLEY HOME VALUES Strong percentage gains have homeowners smiling across the Valley, especially in the west and southwest parts of town.

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73 YOUR LEADERSHIP PEAK PERFORMANCE The awareness that emerges from paying attention, staying in the present and working with purpose improves work and personal relationships.

80 YOUR WEEKEND GRAND GETAWAY Take a trip to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon and bust four popular myths about the side less-traveled.

90 YOUR TECHNOLOGY WORK SMARTER From expense trackers to file sharing services, explore 10 super small-business applications for your smart phone.

WHO’S WHO IN BUSINESS // 2016

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It’s all part of our plan to make healthy personal.

Scottsdale Healthcare and John C. Lincoln Health Network are now HonorHealth.

HonorHealth.com

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CONTENTS

TOP RANKED ARIZONA COMPANIES Public Woman-owned (midsize) Woman-owned large) Foundations Minority-owned Charities Largest employers Incubators Fastest-growing Private

20 21 22 24 26 28 30 32 33 34

BUSINESS SERVICES Employment Services Advertising and marketing firms Insurance firms Executive-search firms Convention/meeting space

36 37 38 40 42

ON THE COVER Beth Jo Zeitzer, President and designated broker, R.O.I. Properties COVER PHOTO BY Jake Johnson

LEGAL & FINANCE

HEALTH CARE

43 Stockbrokers 44 Mid-size accounting firms 46 Large accounting firms 48 Mid-size law firms 50 Large law firms 51 Mid-sizebanks 52 Large banks 54 Credit unions 56 Investment-advisory firms

68 Dental insurers 69 Health insurers 72 Hospitals 74 Assisted living

MANUFACTURING & TECHNOLOGY 58 59 60 61

Hardware/software firms Defense Contractors IT suppliers Alternative energy companies

EDUCATION 62 63 64 66

Charter schools Colleges and universities Private schools Community colleges

RETAIL & LEISURE 76 Grocery stores 77 Professional sports 78 Casinos 80 Hotels and resorts 82 AZ restaurant groups 84 Clothing retailers 85 Caterers

REAL ESTATE 86 Homebuilders 88 Commercial construction 90 Commercial developers 92 Architectural firms 93 Woman agents 94 Residential firms 96 Commercial services

Jennings, Strouss & Salmon is proud to be listed as a 2016 Who’s Who Top Law Firm by Republic Media, and congratulates our very own Norma C. Izzo on her recognition as a 2016 Who’s Who Honoree.

Norma C. Izzo, Chair Family Law & Domestic Relations 602.262.5848 norma@jsslaw.com

John C. Norling, Managing Attorney Jennings, Strouss & Salmon, P.L.C. | One E. Washington St., Ste 1900, Phoenix, AZ 85004-2554 jnorling@jsslaw.com | 602.262.5911 | www.jsslaw.com

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Rita Hartung Cheng A New Vantage Point Two years into her presidency, Rita Cheng is leading Northern Arizona University to new heights. Under her leadership, NAU is finding ways to thrive in a fast-changing environment. While today’s higher education sector offers no shortage of challenges, the university has much to celebrate: • Setting and expanding an ambitious research agenda has created more opportunities to directly impact lives in communities in Arizona and throughout the world.

• The university recently ranked first in the nation for graduate education degrees and second in undergraduate engineering degrees awarded to Native American students, putting NAU on the fast track to be the nation’s leading university for Native Americans.

• The American Association of State Colleges and Universities recognized the university’ss community economic development partnerships, which drive economic and cultural vitality in Aw the region, with an Excellence in Innovation Award.

These achievements, coupled with Dr. Cheng’s recent appointment to the Arizona State Board of Education, demonstrate the university’ss excellence in pursuing the discovery,, use, and advancement of knowledge.

At a critical time in the history of higher education, Dr. Cheng has amplified Northern Arizona University’s strengths and is steering NAU to claim its place among the great universities of our time.

nau.edu/republic-women

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ARIZONA ECONOMY

NORMA IZZO

ROSE SCHOOLER

BETH JO ZEITZER

BRIDGET BINSBACHER 8

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ARIZONA ECONOMY

DEBBIE FLORES

ARIZONA'S BEST

BUSINESS AND THOUGHT LEADERS ACROSS VARYING SECTORS SHAPE THE STATE'S ECONOMIC FUTURE

Arizona has the best weather.

Everyone from the Guinness Book of World Records to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has ranked Yuma the sunniest place in the country.

The city’s business leaders took that to the bank beginning in the early 1900s, offering everything from free board to free gas any day the sun didn’t shine. The innovative, decades-long campaign inspired media coverage from as far away as New York. And since the sun shines in Yuma 90 percent of the time, it was a pretty safe bet.

Needless to say, with the sun shining 85 percent of the time in Phoenix and Tucson, climate became one of the traditional drivers of Arizona’s economy, the fifth of the famed five Cs. This year’s economic forecast is particularly bright and the state’s economic climate is gaining national coverage. Forbes magazine recently named Arizona the best state in the nation for future job growth, and business magazine Fast Company ranked it tops for entrepreneurial activity.

Of course, it helps to have good weather. But the sunny forecast is also thanks to a comparatively low cost of living, available infrastructure and a talent pool graduating from schools that are racking up their own accolades. In its latest rankings, U.S. News & World Report lists both the University of Arizona and Arizona State University as top-tier schools, with ASU topping the list of the most innovative schools in the country.

Of course, innovation drives excellence, and it’s nothing new to the state. Long before Arizona businessmen and women figured out how to cash in on the weather, the ancient Hohokam dug miles of irrigation canals so advanced that others would build on them centuries later. Arizona’s subsequent innovations include everything from Pima cotton to Teva sandals.

So this year, we celebrate Arizona’s best. Through a comprehensive, proprietary study conducted by Republic Media, we present the most outstanding companies in the state — ASU and UA among them — in industries that extend far beyond the five Cs. We also recognize the achievements of their highest-ranking women.

Throughout history, pioneering women have helped make Arizona great, from frontier poet Sharlot Hall, who became Arizona Territory’s first female public official as territorial historian, to Sandra Day O’Connor, the first woman to serve on the nation’s highest court.

Now we introduce you to five of today's leaders: a top attorney practicing progressive family law, a developer breaking new ground, a health care leader reexamining the role of hospitals, the first female executive board member of a prominent sports league and a woman helping push the limits of our understanding of technology.

As certainly as the sun will shine tomorrow, we think you’ll agree they’re among Arizona’s best.

STORY BY KATHY MONTGOMERY PHOTOS BY JAKE JOHNSON

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A PASSION FOR INNOVATION

ROSE SCHOOLER VICE PRESIDENT OF INTEL'S INTERNET OF THINGS

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Intel’s non-stop innovation attracted Rose Schooler to the world’s leading semiconductor manufacturer 27 years ago. Now, as vice president of the company’s Internet of Things strategy, Schooler sets the direction for one of its most pioneering divisions.

At the simplest level, the Internet of Things involves connecting devices through a network to a cloud where data can be analyzed securely.

“I like to say the Internet of Things is an opportunity to save money, save resources and save lives,” Schooler says.

Intel has used the technology to reduce maintenance costs and increase efficiency in its own manufacturing processes, increase yields and reduce water use in a Malaysian rice field and to equip Parkinson’s patients with watches that capture a wide range physiological data.

But the possibilities are endless.

“It really has the opportunity to transform just about every industry,” Schooler says.

Schooler’s professional success flows from her passion for innovation, a competitive nature and the ability to create a collaborative environment.

Part of that came from her parents, both passionate people. Her mother, a recently retired senior vice president of a bank in Schooler’s hometown of Ellwood City, Penn., became her first female professional role model.

As an only child, Schooler learned teamwork and competition playing basketball, softball and tennis. These days, she gets to watch her daughter, a soccer player, learn these lessons on the field—though she can’t always resist providing a little extra guidance. One day, Schooler pulled out a PowerPoint presentation to explain how to lead by example.

“And yeah, she was 10,” Schooler says with a laugh.

Now 17, Schooler’s daughter feels passionately about biology. But she also loves cars, and Schooler hopes she will at least consider automotive engineering.

Schooler initially majored in biology, herself, wanting to become an orthodontist.

But her friends included engineering students whose coursework intrigued her. She ultimately earned a bachelor’s degree in ceramic science and engineering, the study of inorganic, nonmetallic materials used in things like semiconductors. That led her to Intel.

Today she’s passionate about women in technology, and serves on the National Center for Women in Technologies board, which helps create a strong pipeline for women in STEM fields.

She believes we can do a better job of presenting technology to women by focusing on what technology can do, rather than the technology itself. That’s what attracted her to the field.

And, yes, she leads by example, talking honestly about the tradeoffs.

“I never realized the importance of that role until I held it myself,” she says. “The necessity to be able to look up in the senior ranks, and see that there’s a woman that’s not only successful at work but also, importantly, successful at home.”

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REIMAGINING A HOSPITAL'S ROLE Debbie Flores tells tales.

That’s how the CEO of Banner Del E. Webb Medical Center reminds employees about their purpose in life and inspires them to live out Banner Health’s mission: “to make a difference in people’s lives through excellent patient care.”

“We get lost in all the things we’re asked to do,” she says, things like documentation, systems management and regulatory compliance.

To combat that, she shares stories. Sometimes those stories cross her desk on Dear Debbie cards. Available throughout the facility, Dear Debbie cards allow staff, patients, volunteers and visitors to communicate with her directly. Gathered up every couple of days, they allow her to take timely action, whether that means following up with a patient, writing a thank you note to a staff member or working with a leader to solve a problem.

To embody Banner’s vision of clinical excellence and innovation, Flores encourages staff members to make personal connections with patients.

“Patients expect that we’re going to provide good quality and that we’re going to have good outcomes,” she says. “The rest is really about the compassion, the caring, the extra little things that we do for people that make them feel that they’re important.”

Patients heal faster when caregivers make those connections, Flores says.

The hospital’s innovations include a planned birthing center that will allow women to give birth with the help of a midwife in a homelike environment, but under the supervision of a physician and with all of the hospital’s resources at hand.

But real innovation, Flores says, involves the hospital’s role in the community it serves.

“It’s a little bit contrary to normal business, which would suggest you want to grow, grow, be busy, busy,” Flores says. “From an innovative perspective, we have to start thinking about what our role is in the larger picture. How do we help our patients not come back to our facilities, not get sick? For the most part, we want them to be able to stay healthy and access care in less costly settings. That’s a very different world for us.”

That requires skills that don’t come naturally to someone who is by nature a high achieving, action-oriented person. It requires time to pause and reflect. And that’s where her roots in human resources serve Flores well. They taught her to listen and to communicate.

It also requires her to get out of her office on a regular basis.

“I don’t find inspiration by sitting at my computer,” she says. “For me it’s about getting out, rounding, spending time with the team, watching these great stories happen. And that allows me to take that little seed and share it with others."

DEBBIE FLORES CEO OF BANNER DEL E. WEBB MEDICAL CENTER

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INNOVATING IN REAL ESTATE

BETH JO ZEITZER PRESIDENT AND PRINCIPAL BROKER AT ROI PROPERTIES

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Beth Jo Zeitzer loves a puzzle. That quality combined with a competitive nature and an unwavering focus on real estate helped make the president and principal broker of R.O.I. Properties one of the top women real estate professionals in the state.

Zeitzer was 11 or 12 when she decided to pursue a career in real estate. She never vacillated, pursuing an undergraduate degree with a real estate and marketing emphasis, and earning the Hahn Award for Excellence in Real Estate while attending law school at the University of San Diego.

Her father, a doctor, invested in real estate and nurtured that passion by taking Zeitzer with him to tour properties. She enjoyed imagining who would own a particular property and why, and what would trigger their interest.

“Figuring out what makes a property tick is a really fun puzzle for me,” Zeitzer says.

The transition from law to brokerage came naturally. Having served as Del Webb’s corporate counsel, Zeitzer started a commercial division for the company, managing and developing commercial properties. She founded R.O.I. Properties in 2003, when real estate was appreciating wildly.

“I believed the market was oversold and likely overvalued,” she says. “We wanted to be in a position to service lenders, asset management firms and those who had experienced distress in the marketplace. So we built an R.O.I. machine to be able to do everything from valuation to management to sale in all these different asset classes.”

That platform served the company well during the recession.

Zeitzer assembled an infrastructure that could handle a high volume of assets, serving distressed property owners and lenders who were taking back properties.

The company seized and managed properties, documenting income streams and developing financial statements to help the owners make sense of them. With these in place, the R.O.I. team helped owners reimagine and reposition their properties so they could be sold.

“Now that we’re out of the recession, a lot of our work tends to be even more strategic,” she says.

It’s an innovative approach that requires creativity, a challenge Zeitzer finds rewarding.

“Our work boils down to three areas: valuations, management and sale of real estate assets,” Zeitzer says. “But our approach is unique. We’re able to bring very new perspectives and a fresh look into different types of real estate assets.”

Raising three athletic boys helped Zeitzer reach the top of her game in a male-dominated field. Watching them play team sports taught her the importance of a team. Seeing them deal with upsets taught her to shrug things off.

“They don’t dwell on things,” she says. “They move on. I learn from my kids every day and I think it makes me a better professional.”

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PROVIDING ALTERNATIVES IN FAMILY LAW Norma C. Izzo is a perfect 10.

That’s according to Avvo, an online rankings service launched by an attorney to help people find a lawyer. Izzo gets similarly high marks from Lawyers.com. Super Lawyers classifies her as a Rising Star. Not bad for someone just 10 years out of law school.

Izzo built that reputation on her work in collaborative divorce and alternative dispute resolution in family law. Four years ago, Jennings Strouss hired her to launch a family law section. Within a year, the certified mediator helped develop the firm’s ADR department. She also serves on the State Bar of Arizona’s Family Practice & Procedure Committee, and is president elect of the Maricopa County Bar Association.

But law school wasn’t Izzo’s original plan. Hired as a paralegal for her Spanish language skills, she was contemplating a master’s degree in translation and interpretation when Roxana Bacon, the attorney she worked for, suggested law school.

“I only applied to Arizona State,” Izzo says. “I said, ‘If I don’t get in to Arizona State I may not go to law school because I didn’t really want to uproot.’ But I got in.”

An adult child of divorce, Izzo believed she had something to offer the practice of family law. She joined a firm that offered those services and realized it was a good fit.

Divorce is a three-dimensional experience, Izzo says. In addition to legal considerations, there are financial and emotional aspects.

To be sure her clients address all of those needs, she generally works with other professionals in a collaborative process.

These specialists might counsel her clients on financial matters, help them better communicate or develop an appropriate parenting plan. In the collaborative process, they work with the client as a team, jointly developing a mission statement to be sure everyone works toward the same goal. With that support, Izzo believes clients are better able to make good decisions about redefining their families. They can exit their marriages with the same respect they had entering into them.

Having professionals in different disciplines all trained in collaborative protocols and working together in this way is innovative, Izzo says. In 2016 Arizona passed, in the form of a rule, the uniform collaborative law act, which recognizes collaboration as a formal alternative dispute resolution process.

“So I’m excited about what’s to come,” Izzo says.

In the end, Izzo hopes to give her clients tools they will use long after their case is over. The ultimate reward is when the opposing party hugs her at the end of a case and says, “Thank you for all you’ve done for my family.”

“You don’t get that in court very often,” she says.

NORMA IZZO FAMILY LAW EXPERT AT JENNINGS, STROSS & SALMON P.L.C

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A WHOLE NEW BALLGAME

BRIDGET BINSBACHER PEORIA VICE MAYOR AND VICE PRESIDENT OF CACTUS LEAGUE BASEBALL ASSOICATION

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Bridget Binsbacher wasn’t the obvious choice for executive director of Peoria Diamond Club, one of the Cactus League Baseball Association’s nonprofit partners.

“I was different. I wasn’t a baseball guy,” she says. “They never had a woman executive director. And they were used to a very traditional leader. I think I was a shock to a lot of members.”

Peoria’s then-mayor Bob Barrett assured Binsbacher the organization didn’t need a baseball guy. It needed a leader with a strong business background.

It didn’t take long for Binsbacher to earn their confidence. By 2012 when Cactus League members voted Binsbacher to serve on its executive board, no one batted an eye.

“I don’t think anyone at the Cactus League was focusing on gender,” she says. “We were just looking at our mission and getting the right skillsets in place.”

Since then, the Cactus League has grown in impact and sophistication. In 2015 it contributed $809 million to the economy, attracting nearly 2 million visitors—the largest number in the league’s nearly 70-year history—by giving fans and teams what they want: an intimate baseball experience and state-of-the art facilities, all in close proximity.

While not an avid fan, baseball played an important role in Binsbacher’s life. Growing up in San Diego, her brothers played baseball and she attended Padres games with her family.

“It’s completely coincidence that I ended up in Peoria, where one of our teams is the Padres,” she says.

She also considers herself a baseball mom, whose four children all played baseball. One currently attends college on a baseball scholarship.

That’s why the job with Peoria Diamond Club seemed a good fit for Binsbacher’s family and a way to introduce her children to community service. She paired her sons and their friends with Diamond Club volunteers on game days, which eventually led to the Partners Program, which encourages kids to earn funding awarded by the organization.

Binsbacher brought the Diamond Club’s financial reporting, automation, and policies and procedures into the 21st century.

She is doing the same for the Cactus League as an executive board member.

In January, Binsbacher stepped down as executive director of the Diamond Club, taking a part-time role to focus on her responsibilities as vice mayor of Peoria. With her Cactus League term ending in June 2016, she can’t say whether she’ll continue on the executive board. As in 2012, the board will look at the organization’s mission and goals, and decide what skills are needed.

“I have really enjoyed doing what I do for the Cactus League,” she says. “It’s been a great experience. But my No. 1 priority is serving the Mesquite District and taking care of the people that elected me.”

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ARIZONA COMPANIES

PUBLICLY HELD, RANKED BY 12-MONTH REVENUE

Top 10 AVNET INC. 2211 S. 47th St., Phoenix, 85374 // 480-643-2000 // avnet.com 12-MONTH REVENUE $27.9 billion INDUSTRY technology solutions distribution AZ EMPLOYEES 2,500 PRINCIPAL Rick Hamada, CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN MaryAnn Miller, senior vice president, chief human resources officer and corporate marketing and communications FREEPORT-MCMORAN INC. 333 N. Central Ave., Phoenix, 85004 // 602-366-8100 // fcx.com 12-MONTH REVENUE $15.9 billion INDUSTRY mining, oil and gas AZ EMPLOYEES 8,030 PRINCIPAL Richard C. Adkerson, president and CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Kathleen L. Quirk, executive vice president, chief financial officer, treasurer REPUBLIC SERVICES 18500 N. Allied Way, Phoenix, 85054 // 480-627-2700 // republicservices.com 12-MONTH REVENUE $9.1 billion INDUSTRY environmental services AZ EMPLOYEES 1,500 PRINCIPAL Don Slager, president and CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Catharine Ellingsen, senior vice president, human resources; Darcie Brossart, senior vice president, communications

PURSUING PURPOSE

NANCY LAMONS CHIEF HUMAN RESOURCES OFFICER

BY HAL MATTERN

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Sprouts Farmers Market Inc. attracts passionate employees. That’s one of the main reasons Nancy LaMons landed at the company.

While most companies have mission statements, Sprouts has a “passion statement” that is adhered to by everyone from top management to cashiers.

“Sprouts has a pretty interesting culture,” says LaMons, who joined the company two years ago as chief human resources officer. “When I met the company’s leaders, they were passionate about the company. And the people who work here firmly believe in helping customers make healthy choices around eating. There is a higher purpose here, something I can feel proud about.”

LaMons started her career in accounting after graduating from college with a finance degree.

But she soon discovered that she enjoyed seeing people grow and reach their potential within organizations, and moved into human resources. She went on to earn an MBA in international human resources and a master’s degree in organization and leadership development.

She spent time working in Barcelona and Germany in international labor relations and spent 12 years in various senior human resources roles at PepsiCo Inc. During her time in human resources, LaMons discovered that the field seems to attract more women to higher-level jobs,

which she says is good for any business or industry.

“Women leaders bring a diverse set of thinking and perspective to discussions that historically have been dominated without our voice,” she says. “Our own experiences and communication styles are different, and often, but not always, our approach is with a unique lens that taps into the emotional intelligence of others.”

LaMons says a woman’s perspective can be extremely important to innovation and creativity if valued by an organization. But the path to C-level jobs still can be difficult for women.

“Women executives have come a long way in breaking down barriers,” she says. “However, we still have room to grow as it relates to board seats and C-suite roles. As women continue to advance, it is important to leverage their full potential and encourage their voices to be heard.”

At Sprouts, SWAN, or Sprouts Women’s Action Network, has been formed to foster professional development and mentorship for women in the company.

“As a female executive, I feel an obligation to continue to create a path where everyone can realize his or her full potential,” LaMons says. “Someone did so for me, and it is my obligation and honor to my daughter and other upcoming female leaders to continue to chart such a path.”

INSIGHT ENTERPRISES 6820 S. Harl Ave., Tempe, 85283 // 800-467-4448 // insight.com 12-MONTH REVENUE $5.4 billion INDUSTRY technology AZ EMPLOYEES 1,339 PRINCIPAL Ken Lamneck, president and CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Glynis Bryan, chief financial officer SPROUTS FARMERS MARKET 5455 E. High St., Suite 111, Phoenix, 85054 // 480-814-8016 // sprouts.com 12-MONTH REVENUE $4.9 billion INDUSTRY grocery AZ EMPLOYEES 3,484 PRINCIPAL Amin Maredia, CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Nancy LaMons, chief human resources officer MAGELLAN HEALTH 4800 N. Scottsdale Road, Suite 4400, Scottsdale, 85251 // 602-572-6050 // magellanhealth.com 12-MONTH REVENUE $4.6 billion INDUSTRY health care AZ EMPLOYEES 540 PRINCIPAL Barry M. Smith, chairman and chief executive officer HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Dr. Karen Amstutz, chief medical officer; Caskie Lewis-Clapper, chief human resources officer SWIFT TRANSPORTATION 2200 S. 75th Ave., Phoenix, 85043 // 602-269-9700 // swifttrans.com 12-MONTH REVENUE $4.2 billion INDUSTRY trucking AZ EMPLOYEES 2,313 PRINCIPAL Jerry Moyes, founder and CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Ginnie Henkels, executive vice president and chief financial officer FIRST SOLAR, INC. 350 W. Washington St., Tempe, 85281 // 602-427-3359 // firstsolar.com 12-MONTH REVENUE $3.6 billion INDUSTRY photovoltaic solar AZ EMPLOYEES 390 PRINCIPAL James Hughes, CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Maja Wessels, vice president, public affairs ON SEMICONDUCTOR 5005 E. McDowell Road, Phoenix, 85008 // 602-244-6600 // onsemi.com 12-MONTH REVENUE $3.5 billion INDUSTRY semiconductors AZ EMPLOYEES 807 PRINCIPAL Keith Jackson, president and CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Debbie Brogan, vice president corporate program management; Kimberly Appleton, vice president global sales operations PINNACLE WEST CAPITAL CORP. 400 N. Fifth St., Phoenix, 85004 // 602-250-1000 // pinnaclewest.com 12-MONTH REVENUE $3.5 billion INDUSTRY electric utility AZ EMPLOYEES 6,407 PRINCIPAL Donald Brandt, chairman, president and CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Barbara Gomez, vice president, human resources

WHO’S WHO IN BUSINESS // 2016

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WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES (MIDSIZE), RANKED BY 2015 REVENUE

ARIZONA COMPANIES

Top 10 CONSOLIDATED RESOURCES INC. 4849 W. Missouri Ave., Glendale, 85301 // 623-931-5009 // consolidatedresources.com 2015 REVENUE $20 million EMPLOYEES 40 PRINCIPAL Vanessa Angell, president HARMON ELECTRIC INC. 945 W. Deer Valley Road, Phoenix, 85027 // 623-879-0010 // harmonsolar.com 2015 REVENUE $15.6 million EMPLOYEES 98 PRINCIPAL Julie King, CEO LOGAN SIMPSON 51 W. 3rd St., Suite 450, Tempe, 85281 // 480-967-1343 // logansimpson. com 2014 GROSS REVENUE $13 million EMPLOYEES 120 PRINCIPAL Diane SimpsonColebank, president N’GENUITY ENTERPRISES CO. INC. 8901 E. Pima Center Parkway, Suite 135, Scottsdale, 85258 // 480-565-6872 // ngenuity.net x 2015 REVENUE $11.3 million EMPLOYEES 6 PRINCIPAL Valerie LittleChief, president and owner ELONTEC 5502 W. Buckeye Road, Suite 100, Phoenix, 85043 // 602-759-5500 // elontec.com 2015 REVENUE $10 million EMPLOYEES 100 PRINCIPAL Ginger Clayton, president and CEO W.J. MALONEY PLUMBING 9119 N. Seventh St., Phoenix, 85020 // 602-944-5516 // wjmaloney. com 2015 REVENUE $10 million EMPLOYEES 44 PRINCIPAL Kathryn “Kitty” Maloney-Langmade, president BILL JOHNSON EQUIPMENT COMPANY 21 S. 40th St., Phoenix, 85034 // 602-275-5415 // blljohnsonequipment.com 2015 REVENUE $10 million EMPLOYEES 15 PRINCIPAL Ginger Johnson, president ESB DESIGN+BUILD 11280 W. Adonis Road, Marana, 85658 // 520-682-9024 // esbdesignbuild. com 2015 REVENUE $7 million EMPLOYEES 31 PRINCIPAL Patricia See, president IMAGINE TECHNOLOGY GROUP 420 N. Roosevelt Ave., Chandler, 85226 // 602-4540720 // itgarizona.com 2015 REVENUE $6 million EMPLOYEES 35 PRINCIPAL Mary Franz, managing member KNOODLE ADVERTISING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS 4450 N. 12 St., Suite 120, Phoenix, 85014 // 602-530-9900 // knoodle.com 2015 REVENUE $3 million EMPLOYEES 13 PRINCIPAL Rosaria Cain, CEO

HONORING A FAMILY LEGACY There were occasions when Kathryn Maloney-Langmade walked into business meetings and was assumed to be someone’s secretary. There were also people who walked through her doors asking to speak to the president of the company and not believing they already were.

But after 20 years of working for the company her parents started, the president of W.J. Maloney Plumbing has proven she deserves her place in the male-dominated industry and rarely hears those comments these days.

“As you develop relationships with contractors and go to meetings, you begin to earn respect,” says Maloney-Langmade, who goes by Kitty.

“As I got more into the trade, people welcomed me.”

William Joseph Maloney and Mary Kathryn Maloney started the business in 1964. Maloney-Langmade, a licensed plumber, was born the same year and grew up in the business.

Her father hailed from a family of plumbing professionals and, in addition to plumbing, had a talent for designing and building. This was key to the company’s success and growth.

“His drive and work ethic is what I learned and it’s what keeps you going, especially in a trade like construction,” Maloney-Langmade says.

Her mother did a variety of jobs, from managing the finances to handling the parts department, and learned how to plumb on the job.

When Maloney-Langmade was a child,

a faucet in the house broke during the night. Her mother went into the street and turned off the water line because she didn’t want to wake her husband.

It was a light-bulb moment for Maloney-Langmade.

“I realized my mom was a pretty capable female,” she recalls. “I was in my flannel nightgown looking at her and I said, ‘Wow mom. You’re pretty smart.’”

Maloney-Langmade earned a business administration degree from Colorado State University and returned home to earn her MBA from Thunderbird School of Global Management.

She started working for the family business in 1996, and held various positions before becoming president in 2009, three years after her father died.

Maloney-Langmade has been married to her husband Andrew for 20 years. They have three daughters.

Recent notable projects include renovations to the historic Hilton Garden Inn in downtown Phoenix and Terminal 3 at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. Reeves Journal, a trade publication, named W.J. Maloney Plumbing its first Western Contractor of the Year in 2015.

As a female business owner thriving in the plumbing industry, Maloney-Langmade’s key to success is applicable to both genders.

“There is no substitute for hard work,” she says. “Stay focused and stay the course, no matter what happens.

As a woman, you can definitely do anything if you put your mind to it.”

KATHRYN MALONEYLANGMADE PRESIDENT

BY GEORGANN YARA

2015 // WHO’S WHO IN BUSINESS 21

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ARIZONA COMPANIES

WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES (LARGE), RANKED BY 2015 REVENUE

Top 10 INTERNATIONAL CRUISE & EXCURSIONS, INC. 15501 N. Dial Blvd., Scottsdale, 85260 // 602-6355267 // iceenterprise.com 2015 REVENUE $704 million EMPLOYEES 1,534 PRINCIPAL John and Marcia Rowley, owners MACH 1 GLOBAL SERVICES, INC. 1530 W. Broadway Road, Tempe, 85282 // 480-921-3900 // mach1global.com 2014 GROSS REVENUE $112.1 million EMPLOYEES 72 PRINCIPAL Jamie Fletcher, CEO BUFFALO EXCHANGE P.O. Box 40488, Tucson, 85717 // 520-622-2711 // buffaloexchange.com 2015 REVENUE $84.6 million EMPLOYEES 150 PRINCIPAL Kerstin Block, president CHAS ROBERTS AIR CONDITIONING 9828 N. 19th Ave., Phoenix, 85201 // 602-943-3426 // chasroberts.com 2015 REVENUE $75 million (2014) EMPLOYEES 542 PRINCIPAL Sissie Roberts Shank, owner and CEO CALIENTE CONSTRUCTION INC. 485 W. Vaughn St., Tempe, 85283 // 480-894-5500 // calienteconstruction.com 2015 REVENUE $61 million EMPLOYEES 80 PRINCIPAL Lorraine Bergman, president and CEO

CREATING TRAVEL OPTIONS

MARCIA ROWLEY OWNER AND CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER

BY GEORGANN YARA

22

Thirty years ago, Marcia Rowley bought her first timeshare on the island of St. Thomas, partly motivated by the salesperson’s claim that she could trade some of those weeks for a cruise.

She later discovered it wasn’t true.

Years later, when Rowley and her husband John attempted to do the same, they were told that kind of exchange was impossible because a program that allowed for it didn’t exist.

Recognizing a need, the couple developed a business plan that allowed landlocked timeshare owners to do just that. The result is International Cruise & Excursions Inc., which launched in 1997 and has expanded to include resort options and other travel experiences.

“We knew timeshare consumers wanted it and we knew the resorts wanted to sell more timeshares,” says Rowley, chief marketing officer for ICE. “So, if we could make a product that would allow them to go on cruises, they would sell more timeshares.”

Their instincts were accurate, and lucrative. The idea has sprouted into partnerships with major financial and travel corporations and a nine-figure operation comprised of a dozen offices around the globe.

Maintaining a few characteristics of a small business, however, has been an asset amidst competition, marketplace demands and growth, which contin-

ued even through the recession.

“We’re getting large but we’re still very nimble,” Rowley says. “We have a great team and are very diverse with the talent and ability to be innovative and react very quickly.”

A native of Medicine Lodge, Kan., Rowley graduated from high school at 16, and studied English and communications at Kansas State University. She became a paralegal and moved to Colorado, where she met John, her husband of 21 years, who has a software development background.

Rowley ran the legal department of a software company they were running together, and John was the CEO. Wanting to be near his family inspired the couple’s move to Arizona in 1994.

Their daughter is one of eight children in the combined family. They also have 13 grandchildren.

In the company’s early years, Rowley found herself in meetings with top executives, trying to sell them on ICE’s concept. She didn’t have a sales background but she did have a sincere belief in what she and John wanted to do, which more than compensated for it.

“I was able to walk in with conviction and passion that what we had would prove to benefit clients and owners,” Rowley says. “When you believe in something and are passionate about it, it comes through.”

ALLIANCE HOME LOANS 5410 E. High St., Suite 200, Phoenix, 85054 // 602-867-6000 // alliancehomeloans.com 2015 REVENUE $40 million EMPLOYEES 170 PRINCIPAL Jamie Korus, president SPIRIT ELECTRONICS, LLC 23910 N. 19th Ave., Suite 26, Phoenix, 85085 // 480-998-1533 // spiritelectronics.com 2015 REVENUE $33.5 million EMPLOYEES 12 PRINCIPAL Vickie Wessel, president CORPORATE INTERIOR SYSTEMS, INC. 3311 E. Broadway Road, Phoenix, 85040 // 602-304-0100 // cisinphx.com 2015 REVENUE $31 million EMPLOYEES 33 PRINCIPAL Lisa Johnson, president and CEO COCHISE COMPANIES 333 N. Black Canyon Highway, Phoenix, 85009 // 602-272-0911 // cochisecompanies.com 2015 REVENUE $26 million EMPLOYEES 84 PRINCIPAL Apryl Erekson, owner ECO-CHIC CONSIGNMENTS, INC. 4025 N. 44th St., Phoenix, 85018 // 602-952-9616 // mysisterscloset.com 2015 REVENUE $25 million EMPLOYEES 200 PRINCIPAL Ann Siner, founder and CEO

WHO’S WHO IN BUSINESS // 2016

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LAW ENFORCEMENT SPECIALISTS LAW ENFORCEMENT SPECIALISTS

SPECIAl ADVERTISING FEATURE SPECIAL ADVERTISING FEATURE

Bonnie Lucas Bonnie K. Lucas, President & CEO, pictured with two of her Law Enforcement Specialists

Law Enforcement Specialists Local Security Firm Takes Police Protection Nationwide Security firm has been keeping the Valley safe for more than 20 years

By Dolores Tropiano

L

aw Enforcement Specialists draw from a

Law Enforcement Specialists transported Kid

data base of 10,000 law enforcement of-

Rock to his Phoenix concert and supplied crowd

By Dolores Tropiano

L

ficers to provide Specialists, armed, uniformed andold highly aw Enforcement a 20 year respected draws from a datato base trained andfirm, skilled professionals companies of 10,000 officers to provide acrosslaw theenforcement country. armed, uniformed and highly trained and skilled And that is all. professionals tonot companies across the country.

Law Enforcement transported Kid the control servicesSpecialists to Peyton Manning during Rock to his Phoenix concert and supplied crowd Super Bowl. Sen. John McCain, Jimmy Fallon control services to Peyton Manning during the and Bowl.

SarahSen. PalinJohn are McCain, among the company’s Super Jimmy Fallon list clients. andofSarah Palin are among the company’s list of clients.

If a dangerous situation presents itself, that poRecently a Chicago utility crew was the target of And that is not all. lice officer is positioned to use force if needed Recently gun firea Chicago and a Phoenix stealing from utility gang crew was the target of If a dangerous presents itself, thatdepartand bring situation in back-up from the police policement. officer is positioned to usehas force if Law EnThat kind of security made needed and bring in back-up from the police forcement Specialists one of the nation’s top department. That kind of security has made security firms for more than two decades.

Law Enforcement Specialists one of the nation’s top security firmshire for more than two decades.

“When you Law Enforcement Specialists, you acquire 911 authority,” says owner Bonnie “When you hire Law Enforcement Specialists, Lucas. “There’s no messing You receive you acquire 911 authority,” says around. owner Bonnie an armed law enforcement officer trained to deLucas. “There’s no messing around. You receive an armed law upon enforcement officer trained to tect, act and defuse unlawful activity.

You detect, act have uponto and defuse unlawful activity. never wait for the police to arrive. They You never have to wait for the police to arrive. are already on scene.”

They are already on scene.”

Lucas started the Phoenix-based company in Lucas1994, started theraising Phoenix-based company while a family. She knew in she had 1994, while raising a family. She knew she had discovered an unmet need in the community. discovered an unmet need in the community.

Arizona Public Service andRiver Salt Project River Project Arizona Public Service and Salt quickly signed on for construction quickly signed on for construction sites sites secusecurity. she was was working workingwith withWalmart Walmartstores, rity. Soon Soon she stores, CEOs, celebrities special events.

CEOs, celebrities andand special events.

guna fire and a Phoenix gang was stealing from a convenience store before beating up the clerk. convenience store before beating up the clerk.

Both companies hired Law Enforcement SpeBoth companies hired Law cialists.

The presence of aEnforcement police officer with the Specialists. The presence of a police officer power to enforce the law is a definite deterrent. with the power to enforce the law is a definite deterrent.

Andrew Greider, director of community events for Breitbart News Network, hires Law EnforceAndrew Greider, director of community ment Specialists nationwide events.

He says, events for Breitbartfor News Network, hires Law Enforcement Specialists forwork nationwide events.

“They’re always on time, hard and provide He says, “They’re always on time, work hard and the highest level of security.” provide the highest level of security.”

MORE INFORMATION MORE INFORMATION Law Enforcement Specialists

Law Enforcement Specialists P.O. Box 11656 P.O. Box 11656 Glendale, AZ 85318-1656 Glendale, AZ 85318-1656 623-8256700 or 888-572-2442 623-825-6700 or 888-572-2442 offdutypoliceofficers.com offdutypoliceofficers.com

Putting the law on your side

Lucas says now, more than ever, her company is Lucas says now, more than ever, her company is essential to communities. essential to communities.

“In this day and age you don’t know what the “In this day and age you don’t know what the threat will be or where it will come from. A large threat will be or where it will come from. A large crowd is open to any of terrorist. crowd is open to any kindkind of terrorist.

PolicePolice presence andand security are indispensable for for presence security are indispensable keeping people safe.” keeping people safe.”

AR-0008537337-01

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ARIZONA COMPANIES

FOUNDATIONS, RANKED BY ASSETS

Top 10 ASU FOUNDATION FOR A NEW AMERICAN UNIVERSITY 300 E. University Drive, Tempe, 85281 // 480-965-3759 // asufoundation.org ASSETS $997.7 million AZ EMPLOYEES 318 PRINCIPAL R.F. “Rick” Shangraw Jr., CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Virginia “Ginny” DeSanto, vice president, finance; chief financial officer; and treasurer THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA FOUNDATION 1111 N. Cherry Ave., Tucson, 85721 // 520-621-5590 // uafoundation.org ASSETS $852.6 million AZ EMPLOYEES 86 PRINCIPAL John-Paul Roczniak, interim president and CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Vicki Fleischer, senior vice president for development; Jenny Flynn, senior vice president, development services ARIZONA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION 2201 E. Camelback Road, Suite 405B, Phoenix, 85016 // 602-381-1400 // azfoundation.org ASSETS $754 million AZ EMPLOYEES 52 PRINCIPAL Steve Seleznow, president and CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Jacky Alling, chief philanthropy officer; Megan Brownell, chief brand and impact officer

STARS ALIGNED FOR EXEC

MEGAN BROWNELL CHIEF BRAND AND IMPACT OFFICER

BY GREMLYN BRADLEYWADDELL

24

Nearly a decade ago, when she was working as an editor for Republic Magazines, Megan Brownell realized the stories she most enjoyed working on tended to focus on non-profit organizations and philanthropy.

So when she learned that the vice president of marketing and communications position would be available at the Arizona Community Foundation, she felt the stars had aligned.

The well-respected public charity administers more than 1,500 funds and professionally manages more than $750 million in assets.

“This is exactly what I was looking for,” recalls Brownell, who was hired for the post. “It’s a really interesting, unique and exciting business, and it’s amazing to work around so much generosity from our donors every day.”

With the exception of overseeing budgets, Brownell didn’t have much of a background in finance. But she quickly adapted to her new environment. Recently named as ACF’s chief brand and impact officer, Brownell’s responsibilities now include strategic planning and impact assessment. And she’s as enthusiastic as ever about the organization and its team-oriented, collaborative leadership structure.

Not only is ACF dedicated to providing innovative new programs, she notes, but it’s also committed to offering top-notch customer service, a hallmark that’s decidedly more per-

sonal—“high touch” as opposed to high tech, she says—than some other community foundations.

“We believe our donors choose us because they’re looking for something uniquely better than what’s out there,” Brownell says. “And it’s not just about cost. We are committed to mobilizing philanthropy for a better Arizona, and we are dedicated to doing it better with each passing year.

We’re really proud to be Arizona’s largest community foundation. It’s an honor and a privilege.”

When she’s not on the job, Brownell is likely to be found either working out, spending time with family or, more likely than not, sitting on bleachers or on the sidelines of a field somewhere around the Valley. That’s because she and her husband Derick, whom she met while attending Santa Clara University in California, have two children who are multi-sport athletes: son, Jonah, and daughter Dyllan.

Brownell’s family has also had the good fortune to be adopted by three rescue dogs, two miniature schnauzers and a very sweet-natured Chiweenie (a Chihuahua and Dachshund mix). The latter Brownell just happened to see at a pet-store adoption event while she was getting the other two dogs groomed.

“The best impulse purchase of my life,” she says.

HELIOS EDUCATION FOUNDATION 2415 E. Camelback Road, Suite 500, Phoenix, 85016 // 602-381-2260 // helios.org ASSETS $639 million AZ EMPLOYEES 18 PRINCIPAL Paul J. Luna, president and CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Barbara Ryan Thompson, executive vice president and chief operating officer VIRGINIA G. PIPER CHARITABLE TRUST 1202 E. Missouri Avenue, Phoenix, 85014 // 480-948-5853 // pipertrust.org ASSETS $500 million AZ EMPLOYEES 16 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Susan Pepin, president and CEO LINCOLN INSTITUTE FOR LAND POLICY 11010 N. Tatum Blvd., Suite D-101, Phoenix, 85028 // 602-393-4300 // lincolninst.edu ASSETS $471.6 million AZ EMPLOYEES did not disclose PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Kathryn J. Lincoln, chair and chief investment officer NINA MASON PULLIAM CHARITABLE TRUST 2201 E. Camelback Road, Suite 600B, Phoenix, 85016 // 602-955-3000 // ninapulliamtrust.org ASSETS $358.9 million AZ EMPLOYEES 6 PRINCIPAL Gene D’Adamo, president and CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Belen Gonzalez, grants program director FLINN FOUNDATION 1802 N. Central Ave., Phoenix, 85004 // 602-744-6800 // flinn.org ASSETS $204 million AZ EMPLOYEES 22 PRINCIPAL Jack Jewett, president and CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Nancy Welch, vice president, Arizona Center for Civic Leadership NORTHERN ARIZONA UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION P.O. Box 4094, Flagstaff, 86011 // 928-523-2012 // nau.edu/giving/nau-foundation/ ASSETS $162 million AZ EMPLOYEES 4 PRINCIPAL DeeAnn Palin, chair; Jeff Willis, vice chair HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN DeeAnn Palin, chair DEL E. WEBB FOUNDATION P.O. Box 7760, Surprise, 85374 // 928-445-9699 // dewf.org ASSETS $58.2 million AZ EMPLOYEES 6 PRINCIPAL Larry Johnson, president HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Shielia Johnson, chief financial officer

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ARIZONA COMPANIES

MINORITY-OWNED, RANKED BY NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES

Top 10 HARDROCK CONCRETE PLACEMENT CO., INC. 4839 W. Brill St., Phoenix, 85043 // 602-233-3334 // hrconcrete.com 2015 REVENUE $4.8 million AZ EMPLOYEES 320 PRINCIPAL Elias Lopez, CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Cindy Kennemer, vice president WEKOPA RESORT & CONFERENCE CENTER 10438 N. Fort McDowell Road, Scottsdale, 85264 // 480-789-5308 // wekoparesort.com 2015 REVENUE did not disclose AZ EMPLOYEES 250 PRINCIPAL Alberto Parra, chief financial officerHIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Michelle Huebner, CMP, senior national sales manager D.P. ELECTRIC, INC. 6002 S. Ash Ave., Tempe, 85283 // 480-289-3171 // dpelectric.com 2015 REVENUE $35 million AZ EMPLOYEES 203 PRINCIPAL Dan Puente, president HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Danielle Puente, controller LOVITT & TOUCHÉ 1050 W. Washington St., Suite 233, Tempe, 85281 // 602-956-2250 // lovitt-touche.com 2015 REVENUE $30 million AZ EMPLOYEES 189 PRINCIPAL Charles Touché, CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Magdalena Osborn, vice president, general counsel

A BIG PICTURE PERSON

MAGDALENA OSBORNE VICE PRESIDENT AND GENERAL COUNSEL

BY JOYCE HADLEY COPELAND

26

Early in her career, Magdalena “Maggie” Osborn developed a reverence for the big picture.

“When you’re a young lawyer, there are a lot of firms that will just give you a task—to write a brief or research a subject—and you don’t have the full picture,” she says. “I had a mentor who made an imprint on me as the leader I am today, who would talk about having a strategy and an end goal.”

That’s the approach to problem solving she employs every day as vice president and general counsel for Lovitt & Touché, one of the nation’s largest insurance agencies, with more than $400 million in total premiums. A former healthcare litigator, Osborn appreciates the century-old firm’s unique heritage.

“It feels unusual in business these days to have a family business where you can touch their history and that history is very much a part of the company,” she says.

The founders’ vision of a business-minded, community-focused company lives on for more than 200 employees working in Tempe, Tucson and Las Vegas.

Osborn divides her time between corporate work for the firm and supporting clients in a variety of business areas.

“There isn’t an average day,” she says.

One of her favorite duties is delivering hour-long presentations for The

Lovitt & Touché Learning Academy, which provides ongoing education on a variety of workplace challenges, from healthcare reform to risk management, along with certifications and licensing courses.

“I think it’s important to get people educated and involved,” Osborn says. “If you’re strategizing together and you’re educating your team about where you want to go and why you want to get there, then they’ll be able to get on board with you.”

Serving Lovitt & Touché’s diverse client base and staying current on changes in legislation and technology keep Osborn on her toes. She closely partners with each business to navigate the long process of implementing change.

“I’m team oriented,” she explains.

“I want to keep reassessing progress, I want to keep touching base. I think we’re all going to be more efficient if we’re all open to each other’s ideas and we’re headed toward the same place.”

Osborn spends many of her off-duty hours outdoors, gardening or hiking, and regularly attends sporting events and the theater. She plans to move from Tucson to Tempe in the near future.

“We’re growing and developing and I’m excited to come up here,” she says.

“So, that’s part of my time off work, getting to know Phoenix a bit better.”

AXIS EMPLOYMENT SERVICES 7000 N. 16th St., Suite 120-501, Phoenix, 85020 // 602-242-2626 // axisemployment.com2015 REVENUE did not disclose AZ EMPLOYEES 175 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Tran Tran, founder and CEO SOLAR TOPPS 102 S. 28th St., Phoenix, 85034 // 480-327-0041 // solartopps.com 2015 GROSS REVENUE did not disclose AZ EMPLOYEES 70 PRINCIPAL Joan Uppal, operational director HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Joan Uppal, operational director NINYO & MOORE GEOTECHNICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES CONSULTANTS 3202 E. Harbour Drive, Phoenix, 85034 // 602243-1600 // ninyoandmoore.com2015 REVENUE $59.6 million AZ EMPLOYEES 60 PRINCIPAL Steven Nowaczyk, managing principal engineer HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Michelle Fowler, principal GSA COURIER 825 E. University Drive, Suite B, Phoenix, 85034 // 602-625-7445 // gsacourier. com 2015 GROSS REVENUE $1.7 million AZ EMPLOYEES 30 PRINCIPAL Carmen Bates, CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Carmen Bates, CEO ARROWHEAD ADVERTISING 16155 N. 83rd Ave., Suite 205, Peoria, 85382 // 623-979-3000 // arrowheadagency.com 2015 GROSS REVENUE $20 million AZ EMPLOYEES 25 PRINCIPAL Kyle Eng, president HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Michelle Shepherd, chief financial officer SOLUGENIX CORPORATION 1365 N. Scottsdale Road, Suite 100, Scottsdale, 85257 // 602-3344550 // solugenix.com 2015 REVENUE did not disclose AZ EMPLOYEES 15 PRINCIPAL Shashi Jasthi, president and CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Jemma David, director of enterprise support

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YOUR TIME

NARROW YOUR FOCUS AND FIND SUCCESS IN BUSINESS WORLD You know there is never enough time to get to everything! What the heck do I do?

Recently, I had Greg Head, chief marketing officer of tech company Infusionsoft, speak to my entrepreneurship students at the W.P. Carey School of Business. He has been enlightening my Arizona State University students for years and always shares some of the most imperative information for new entrepreneurs when he visits.

He talks about the power of focus.

Focus isn't always top of mind, and it's a true challenge to master.

As an innate problem solver, you want to say "yes" to everything you can help with or improve. However, as a business owner, you must focus all of your energy on as few things as possible to be the best at those few things.

To start, take three minutes to write down your core offering, your target market, and your competitive differentiator.

You should be able to clearly and

concisely identify those three things.

Without knowing them, you couldn't possibly know where to spend your time and efforts.

If (or when) you know those things very well, then look deeper: From where does the best revenue in your business come? By "best," I don't necessarily mean the most. I mean the revenue that is the greatest return for the least effort. Focus your energies on creating more of that.

Why are you doing what you do?

What is the reason you started this business? Are you still working toward that big, audacious goal to change something? If all of the yes answers you've uttered over the years have pushed you into a direction that is not true to your vision, then recalibrate and decide what you're doing that does not move you the right way.

Why are you saying "yes" to so many things? If you are trying to grow your customer-acquisition pipeline, and as a result, you are involved in as many things as possible to reach as many

people as possible, then start measuring. What actually results in leads?

If something isn't fruitful, then stop doing it!

If you simply enjoy the things to which you say yes, then limit yourself to a certain number each month.

If you think you'll offend people, I promise you won't. A clear "no" to someone who asks for something is so much better than canceling at the last minute, dragging it out, or not being able to devote the proper attention to it.

Being mindful of how you choose to spend your time is one of the most important things you can learn.

No one else can decide what is right or "balanced" in your life. You can control how your precious energies are spent, if you just take the time to identify the right actions and actively make decisions to support that.

If you still find that you struggle with this, then I strongly recommend reading "Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less" by Greg McKeown. It is a quick read and is quite powerful.

BY SIDNEE PECK Sidnee Peck, director of the Center for Entrepreneurship at the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University, is a well-known expert on startups who regularly works with many Arizona businesses and business incubators.

Awards are great.

Happy clients are better.

Lovitt & Touché is honored to have Charles Touché and Magdalena Osborn recognized in this year’s Who’s Who. But they would be the first to tell you that our business is about satisfied and protected clients. In over a century of doing business in Arizona we’ve seen plenty of awards. Thankfully, we’ve seen even more smiling partners and clients.

LOVITT-TOUCHE.COM

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ARIZONA COMPANIES

CHARITIES, RANKED BY REVENUE

Top 10 MAKE-A-WISH AMERICA 4742 N. 24th St., Suite 400, Phoenix, 85016 // 602-279-9474 // wish.org REVENUE $299.9 million AZ EMPLOYEES 150 PRINCIPAL Kathy Forshey, vice president of corporate alliances HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Kathy Forshey, vice president of corporate alliances; Deborah Thompson, vice president of chapter support ST. MARY’S FOOD BANK ALLIANCE 2831 N. 31st Ave., Phoenix, 85009 // 602-242-3663 // firstfoodbank.org REVENUE $125 million AZ EMPLOYEES 170 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMEN Beverly Damore, president and CEO GOODWILL OF CENTRAL ARIZONA 2626 W. Beryl Ave., Phoenix, 85021 // 602-535-4000 // goodwillaz.org REVENUE $119.2 million AZ EMPLOYEES 2070 PRINCIPAL Tim O’Neal, president and CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Jackie Halleen, executive vice president and chief operating officer VALLEY OF THE SUN UNITED WAY 3200 E. Camelback Road, Suite 375, Phoenix, 85018 // 602-631-4800 // vsuw.org REVENUE $112.3 million AZ EMPLOYEES 115 PRINCIPAL Merl Waschler, president and CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Nancy Dean, chief development officer

FEEDING BODIES AND SOULS

BEVERLY DAMORE PRESIDENT AND CEO

BY DAVID M. BROWN

28

Sometime in 2017, St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance in Phoenix will distribute its one billionth meal in Arizona, and Beverly Damore, president and CEO of the world’s first food bank, plans to help serve it. Next year the nonprofit also celebrates its 50th anniversary.

Every day, St. Mary’s provides 250,000 meals to Arizona’s hungry through a network of more than 500 agency partners across the state. More than 66 million meals were distributed in 2014 and 2015.

“The best part about working for the food bank is that it is very easy to walk out the door and observe the impact we are making on people and families every day,” Damore says. “So I have many, many favorite moments: the little boy who hugged my knees and thanked me for the apple as part of his after-school meal that we delivered, the woman who cried when she realized we had included Brussels sprouts in her box (she hadn’t had them in years and missed them), the elderly woman who took my hand during our Thanksgiving distribution and thanked me for allowing her to have a holiday. I don’t think you have enough space for me to include them all, which I know makes me a very lucky person.”

Damore, a Phoenix native, graduated from Xavier College Preparatory, completed a bachelor’s degree at Loyola Marymount University and a master’s of mass communication degree at Arizona State University. She’s

had lifelong mentoring models.

“My parents both volunteered extensively when I was growing up and then in high school and college,” says Damore. “And I was active in service groups that worked in the community. So it was an easy, natural transition to move into the nonprofit sector as a career.

With her husband Dave, Damore is raising three stepchildren and tending to three dogs.

Although personally honored for her achievements—“they are always a terrific acknowledgement that you are doing something right,” she says—she is particularly proud that St. Mary’s was selected as a Scottsdale Chamber of Commerce Sterling Award nonprofit winner in 2010.

“The judging process was very rigorous,” Damore says. “In winning, it showcased the hard work that goes on behind the scenes to make the food bank as great as it is.”

Damore loves creating space for other people to succeed.

“I will only achieve success as a leader, or a spouse or a mother, if those around me have an opportunity to grow and shine themselves,” she says. “So I very much enjoy collaboration and collective thinking around an idea or a set of problems. And when you work for an organization that has ‘a hunger-free Arizona’ as its vision, there is an opportunity for a lot of collaboration!”

FOOD FOR THE HUNGRY 1224 E. Washington Street, Phoenix, 85034 // 480-998-3100 // fh.org REVENUE $104.6 million AZ EMPLOYEES 110 PRINCIPAL Edmonds Gary, president and CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Mary Vojtko, director of finance CHICANOS POR LA CAUSA, INC. 1112 E. Buckeye Road, Phoenix, 85034 // 602-257-0700 // cplc.org REVENUE $60 million AZ EMPLOYEES 825 PRINCIPAL David Adame, president and CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Alicia Nuñez, executive vice president and chief financial officer; Maria Spelleri, executive vice president and general counsel COMMUNITY FOOD BANK OF SOUTHERN ARIZONA 3003 S. Country Club Road, Tucson, 85713 // 520-622-0525 // communityfoodbank. org REVENUE $56 million AZ EMPLOYEES 120 PRINCIPAL Michael McDonald, president and CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Nicollette Daly, chief financial officer PETSMART CHARITIES 19601 N. 27th Ave., Phoenix, 85027 // 800-423-7387 // petsmartcharities.org REVENUE $52 million AZ EMPLOYEES 20 PRINCIPAL Jeremiah Beitzel, executive co-director; Susan Gulig, executive co-director HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Susan Gulig, executive co-director UNITED FOOD BANK 245 S. Nina Drive, Mesa, 85210 // 480-926-4897 // unitedfoodbank.org REVENUE $34.3 million AZ EMPLOYEES 37 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Ginny Hildebrand, president and CEO GIRL SCOUTS-ARIZONA CACTUS-PINE COUNCIL 119 E. Coronado Road, Phoenix, 85004 // 602-452-7012 // girlscoutsaz.org REVENUE $11 million AZ EMPLOYEES 100 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Tamara Woodbury, CEO

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YOUR PHILANTHROPY

CHARITY CHECKLIST It’s important to give back … but how can you ensure donations are getting to those in need? The Federal Trade Commission suggests you take precautions to make sure your donation benefits the people and organizations you want to help. Here are some of the agency’s suggestions: ›› Ask for detailed information about the charity, including name, address and telephone number. ›› Get the exact name of the organization and do some research. Searching the name of the organization online — especially with the word “complaint(s)” or “scam”— is one way to learn about its reputation. ›› Call the charity. Find out if the organization is aware of the solicitation and has authorized the use of its name. ›› Find out if the charity or fundraiser must be registered in your state by contacting the National Association of State Charity Officials. ›› Check if the charity is trustworthy by contacting the Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance, Charity Navigator, Charity Watch, or GuideStar. ›› Ask if the caller is a paid fundraiser. If so, ask: The name of the charity they represent.

The percentage of your donation that will go to the charity.

How much will go to the actual cause to which you’re donating.

How much will go to the fundraiser.

›› Keep a record of your donations. ›› Visit apps.irs.gov/app/eos/. This Internal Revenue Service webpage will identify which organizations are eligible to receive tax deductible contributions. ›› For security and tax purposes, it’s best to pay by check — made payable to the charity — or by credit card. Never donate cash.

SIGNS OF A CHARITY SCAM The Federal Trade Commission advises to avoid any charity or fundraiser that: ›› Refuses to provide detailed information about its identity, mission, costs, and how the donation will be used. ›› Won't provide proof that a contribution is tax deductible. ›› Uses a name that closely resembles that of a better-known, reputable organization. ›› Thanks you for a pledge you don’t remember making.

›› Never wire money to someone claiming to be a charity. Once you send it, you can’t get it back.

›› Uses high-pressure tactics like trying to get you to donate immediately.

›› Do not provide your credit or check card number, bank account number or any personal information until you’ve thoroughly researched the charity. ›› Be wary of charities that spring up too suddenly in response to current events and natural disasters. Even if they are legitimate, they probably don’t have the infrastructure to get the donations to the affected area or people. ›› If a donation request comes from a group claiming to help your local community (for example, local police or firefighters), ask the local agency if they have heard of the group and are getting financial support.

›› Asks for donations in cash or asks you to wire money. ›› Offers to send a courier or overnight delivery service to collect the donation immediately. ›› Guarantees sweepstakes winnings in exchange for a contribution. By law, you never have to give a donation to be eligible to win a sweepstakes.

Source: Federal Trade Commission; ftc. gov/charityfraud

A committed community development corporation building self-sufficiency and instilling empowerment

Congratulations to Alicia Nuñez

Congratulations to Maria Spelleri

CPLC Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

CPLC Executive Vice President and General Counsel

With more than 23 years of financial and operational management experience in both forprofit and non-profit businesses, Alicia Nuñez represents excellence in leadership.

Who recently received Arizona’s 2016 Associate Corporate Counsel Award for excellence in the nonprofit sector and has been recognized as one of Arizona’s top business lawyers in public finance.

AR-0008546171-01

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ARIZONA COMPANIES

LARGEST EMPLOYERS, RANKED BY NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES

Top 10 BANNER HEALTH 2901 N. Central Ave., Suite 160, Phoenix, 85012 // 602-747-4000 // bannerhealth. com AZ EMPLOYEES 39,781 AZ PRINCIPAL Peter Fine, president and CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMEN Rebecca Kuhn, executive vice president, community delivery; Kathy Bollinger, executive vice president, Banner University Medicine WALMART 4127 E. Van Buren St., Suite 250, Phoenix, 85008 // 602-732-3248 // walmart.com AZ EMPLOYEES 34,856 AZ PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Paula Ginnett, vice president and regional general manager FRY’S FOOD STORES/KROGER CO.500 S. 99th Ave., Tolleson, 85353 // 623-936-2100 // thekrogerco.com AZ EMPLOYEES 16,856 AZ PRINCIPAL Steve McKinney, president HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Monica Garnes, vice president of merchandising MCDONALD’S 2111 McDonald’s Dr., Oakbrook, 60523 // 800-244-6227 // mylocalmcds.com; mcdonalds.com AZ EMPLOYEES 15,781 AZ PRINCIPAL Bud Lord, director of operations, Rocky Mountain region HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Michelle Slayton, president, McDonald’s Owner-Operator Association of Phoenix and Northern Arizona

DELIVERING HEALTHCARE

RHONDA FORSYTH PRESIDENT

BY GEORGANN YARA

30

Rhonda Forsyth, president of HonorHealth, experiences daily the difference she and her team make in people’s lives. This prevents her from becoming alienated from those in the trenches.

“When you keep moving up, you can risk feeling disconnected from what you do every day in your business,” says Forsyth. “I’ve had a number of extraordinary opportunities to connect with what we fundamentally do.”

One of those opportunities came 10 years ago, when Forsyth was diagnosed with breast cancer. Early diagnosis led to treatment and today, Forsyth is cancer-free.

“I never felt more deeply connected to and in awe of what we do,” she says. “There’s nothing like being vulnerable to connect you to understanding you’re making a difference in this industry.”

Forsyth was born in Houston. Her father’s Air Force career moved the family to Germany and then to Luke Air Force Base when Forsyth was a child. Her interest in understanding how people think and behave propelled her to earn a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Pitzer College. She returned to Arizona and graduated from Arizona State University with her MBA. She worked at Salt River Project and taught at ASU. Forsyth joined the Honor Health in 1987, when it was known as John C.

Lincoln Health Network, and served as CEO at each of John C. Lincoln’s Phoenix hospitals before becoming president and CEO in 2009. She moved into her current position in 2013, with the merger of John C. Lincoln and Scottsdale Healthcare.

Forsyth’s involvement with community organizations includes Greater Phoenix Leadership, Charter 100, the Arizona Women’s Forum, Better Business Bureau, Phoenix Boys Choir and the American Cancer Society.

She credits great mentors with her ascent, namely former John C. Lincoln president and CEO Dan Coleman, who remains a good friend.

“He was a leader of vision and purpose and lived that every day,” she says.

“He was direct and compassionate, and pointed out where I needed improvement and provided encouragement.”

Forsyth met Chris, her husband of 24 years, when they both worked for SRP. They have been together for 35 years. Their grown son lives in California. She expresses gratitude to Chris, a retired engineer who adjusted his career plans to take care of the home front as Forsyth’s career catapulted.

“I could not have done what I’ve done in my career without him,” she says. “He’s been my support and counselor. And I’ve been well supported by John C. Lincoln and HonorHealth to enjoy my family. I feel very, very lucky.”

WELLS FARGO 100 W. Washington St., Phoenix, 85003 // 800-869-3557 // wellsfargo.com AZ EMPLOYEES 15,071 AZ PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Pamela Conboy, lead region president ALBERTSONS-SAFEWAY 20227 N. 27th Ave., Suite 100, Phoenix, 85027 // 623-869-6100 // albertsons.com AZ EMPLOYEES 14,490 AZ PRINCIPAL Shane Dorcheus, president, southwest HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Michelle Larson, vice president of marketing and merchandising INTEL CORPORATION 5000 W. Chandler Blvd., Chandler, 85226 // 480-554-8080 // intel.com AZ EMPLOYEES 11,300 AZ PRINCIPAL Doug Davis, senior vice president, general manager of internet of things group HIGHEST-RANKING WOMEN Beverly Crair, vice president data center group, general manager of storage group; Rose Schooler, vice president internet of things group, general manager of internet of things strategy and technology office HONORHEALTH 8125 N. Hayden Road, Scottsdale, 85258 // 623-580-5800 // honorhealth.com AZ EMPLOYEES 10,463 AZ PRINCIPAL Tom Sadvary, CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Rhonda Forsyth, president CIRCLE K P.O. Box 52085, Phoenix, 85072 // 602-728-8000 // circlek.com AZ EMPLOYEES 10,436 AZ PRINCIPAL Mitch Filiere, Franchise and planning director HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN did not disclose

WHO’S WHO IN BUSINESS // 2016

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YOUR GUIDE TO THE ARIZONA ECONOMY

Congratulations to Intel’s own

The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com keep track of the trends shaping Arizona’s economy.

COVERAGE BY THE LOCAL EXPERTS. Our team of reporters brings you the real-world story and the voices of Arizonans trying to build their futures. Look for news from these reporters and many others every day.

Plus, look for these special reports to keep you up to date:

ARIZONA REPUBLIC 100: An annual look at the state’s largest employers and how their workforces change year to year.

VALLEY HOME VALUES: A twice-yearly report on changes in home-sale prices in metro Phoenix.

35 ENTREPRENEURS 35 AND YOUNGER: Meet the annual class of up-and-coming business owners who are putting their innovations to work.

ECONOMIC SNAPSHOT: A monthly update of key data, the second Sunday of every month.

Bev Crair Vice President, Data Center Group and General Manager, Storage Group

Rose Schooler Vice President, Internet of Things Group and General Manager, IoT Strategy and Technology Office

CONSUMER PROTECTION: Scammers and safety issues could cost you.

Look for coverage every Wednesday.

TOP COMPANIES: Highlighting innovative workplace cultures and top rankings in employer practices, employee engagment and satisfaction scores.

Diversity and Inclusion are Transforming our Culture Learn More at Intel.com/diversity © Copyright 2016 Intel Corporation. All rights reserved. Intel, the Intel logo, Intel Inside, the Intel Inside logo, Intel. Experience What’s Inside are trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries.

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ARIZONA COMPANIES

FASTEST GROWING, RANKED BY INC. MAGAZINE THREE-YEAR PERCENTAGE GROWTH IN REVENUE

Top 10 BASE COMMERCE 1380 W. Auto Drive, Tempe, 85284 // 800-848-5826 // basecommerce.com THREE-YEAR GROWTH 4,401 percent PRINCIPAL John Hughes, president HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN did not disclose PLEXUS WORLDWIDE 9145 E. Pima Center Parkway, Scottsdale, 85258 // 480-998-3490 // plexusworldwide.com THREE-YEAR GROWTH 2,833 percent PRINCIPAL Tarl Robinson, CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN MaryAnn Luciano, vice president of ambassador education LIFETREE MANUFACTURING, LLC 2401 W. 1st St., Tempe, 85281 // 480-477-9075 // lifetreemfg. com THREE-YEAR GROWTH 2,646 percent PRINCIPAL Brandon Martin, co-founder and managing partner HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN LeeAnn Newcomb, chief financial officer AMERICAN RETIREMENT ADVISORS 8501 E. Princess Drive, Suite 210, Scottsdale, 85255 // 602-281-3898 // americanretire.com THREEYEAR GROWTH 2,229 percent PRINCIPAL David Schaeffer, CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Nancy Monaco, vice president of retirement planning

A HOLISTIC RETIREMENT

NANCY MONACO VICE PRESIDENT OF RETIREMENT PLANNING

BY HAL MATTERN

32

The number of people at or close to retirement age is growing rapidly, thanks to aging Baby Boomers.

So it only makes sense that companies focusing on retirement planning and advising also would be expanding.

That is certainly true of American Retirement Advisors, a Scottsdale company whose three-year percentage growth in revenue has been off the charts. But according to Nancy Monaco, the company’s vice present of retirement planning, that growth has more to do with the firm’s team of planners and advisers than the number of retirees.

“It has been an accumulation over the last four years of us working together as a team,” Monaco says. “Businesses go through a lot of growing pains, and they either click or they go away. We’ve really clicked.”

About 90 percent of American Retirement Advisors’ clients are within three to five years of retiring or already are retired, Monaco says. That means their financial life is about to change dramatically or already has because they no longer have income from working full time.

“They have to rely on the assets they’ve accumulated,” she says. “That’s where we excel. We focus on protecting what you’ve already accumulated.”

The company takes a holistic approach to retirement advising, looking closely at how clients live, including their everyday spending habits.

That fits perfectly with Monaco’s experience since she used to own a business that ran holistic medical clinics around the country.

“I look closely at my clients’ accounts and at their budgets,” Monaco says. “I once enrolled a couple in a cooking class because they were spending too much eating out. Another one of our planners went with his client to buy a car so he could help negotiate the price.”

Monaco also has experience in commercial and personal lending, and consumer finance, so when she learned of an opening at American Retirement Advisors in 2011, she considered it an opportunity to start a new career.

Now 40, with two young children, Monaco says her clients appreciate that she is younger and will be around to help them for the rest of their lives.

Many are sending their children to the company for retirement advice.

The retirement planning industry is male-dominated, Monaco says, something she doesn’t understand.

“I have no idea why there aren’t more women in this field,” she says.

“Women have an easier time in this industry because they are better at relationships, and I don’t mean that in a bad way. They have a softer side, and when you are talking about someone’s whole life savings, it’s not just blackand-white numbers. There is an emotional component.”

MY HOME GROUP 110 S Priest Dr Suite 101, Tempe, 85281 // 480-685-2760 // myhomegroup. com THREE-YEAR GROWTH 1,736 percent PRINCIPAL Jereme Kleven, designated broker, owner; Mark Hutchins, Realtor, owner HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Tina Garcia, agent PRINT.SAVE.REPEAT. 120 E. Corporate Place, Suite 2, Chandler, 85225 // 480-463-4548 // printsaverepeat.com THREE-YEAR GROWTH 1,355 percent PRINCIPAL Errol Berry, CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Mary Brooks, chief operating officer TRAPP TECHNOLOGY 7360 E. Acoma Drive, Suite 2, Scottsdale, 85260 // 602-443-9145 // trapptechnology.com THREE-YEAR GROWTH 1,187 percent PRINCIPAL David Trapp, founder and CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Ashley Capps, creative manager CALIBER COMPANIES 16074 N. 78th St., Suite B-104, Scottsdale, 85260 // 480-295-7600 // caliberco.com THREE-YEAR GROWTH 750 percent PRINCIPAL Chris Loeffler, CEO; Donnie Schrader, chief development officer HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Jennifer Schrader, chief operating officer WEBPT 625 S. Fifth St., Building A, Phoenix, 85004 // 866-221-1870 // webpt.com THREEYEAR GROWTH 622 percent PRINCIPALS Heidi Jannenga, founder and president; Brad Jannenga, founder HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Heidi Jannenga, founder and president HEALTHIEST YOU 5350 E. High St., Suite 350, Phoenix, 85054 // 480-779-4360 // healthiestyou. com THREE-YEAR GROWTH 525 percent PRINCIPALS Jim Prendergast, CEO; Pat Sir, president HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Kelly Traver, M.D., chief medical officer

WHO’S WHO IN BUSINESS // 2016

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INCUBATORS AND ACCELERATORS, RANKED BY NUMBER OF MEMBERS

ARIZONA COMPANIES

Top 10 GANGPLANK 260 S. Arizona Ave., Chandler, 85225 // 480-539-6800 // gangplankhq.com EMPLOYEES did not disclose MEMBERS 1,000 PRINCIPAL Jade Meskill, co-founder HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN no designee CO+HOOTS COWORKING 221 E. Indianola Ave., Phoenix, 85012 // 602-688-2825 // cohoots.com EMPLOYEES 3 MEMBERS 250 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Jenny Poon, founder SEED SPOT 2828 N. Central Ave, Suite 700, Phoenix, 85004 // 602-456-9944 // seedspot.org EMPLOYEES 5 MEMBERS 175 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Courtney Klein, CEO and co-founder NACET 2225 N. Gemini Dr., Flagstaff, 86001 // 928-213-9234 // nacet.org EMPLOYEES 12 MEMBERS 40 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Annette Zinky, CEO CENTER FOR ENTREPRENEURIAL INNOVATION 275 N. GateWay Drive, Phoenix, 85034 // 602-286-8950 // ceigateway.com EMPLOYEES 5 MEMBERS 18 PRINCIPAL Jeff Saville, executive director HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Susie Pulido, functioning high-level executive AZ TECHCELERATOR 12425 W. Bell Road, Surprise, 85378 // 623-222-8324 // aztechcelerator.com EMPLOYEES did not disclose MEMBERS 14 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Julie Neal, manager BIOACCEL 2702 N. 3rd St., Suite 3001, Phoenix, 85004 // 602-385-3210 // bioaccel.org EMPLOYEES 6 MEMBERS 13 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN MaryAnn Guerra, CEO IMPACT BUSINESS ACCELERATORS 3728 E. Highland Ave., Phoenix, 85018 // 480-251-9591 // impactbusinessaccelerators.com EMPLOYEES 5 MEMBERS 5 PRINCIPALS Donavon Ostrom, executive director; Anthony Bajoras, managing director HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN no designee MEDICOVENTURES 275 N. Gateway Drive, Suite 14, Phoenix, 85034 // 480-559-8819 // medicoventures.com EMPLOYEES 2 MEMBERS 2 PRINCIPALS Aaron Call, Partner; Kelvin Ning, Partner HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN no designee BIG BOUNCE LLC 170 S. Ash Ave., Tempe, 85281 // 480-861-9209 // bigbounce.com EMPLOYEES 2 MEMBERS 3 PRINCIPALS Bret Giles, managing member; Sandy Catour, managing member HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Sandy Catour, managing member

LAUNCHING NEW STARTUPS Susie Pulido was looking for ways GateWay Community College could better serve the needs of Maricopa County when she came across a grant from the city of Phoenix for a bioscience incubator in 2006.

Pulido, who was head of marketing, had only a passing knowledge of what an incubator was and how it worked, but GateWay was adding a bioscience curriculum, so it seemed like a great fit.

With partial funding from the grant, Pulido hit the ground running, networking, learning about staffing and programming, and eventually earning her business incubator certification. It took two years to cobble together the $6 million in federal, local and private funding necessary to break ground on the 18,000-square foot Center for Entrepreneurial Innovation, which opened its doors in 2012. Pulido led the charge every step of the way.

Her biggest challenge was finding champions for the incubator within the traditional community college system and keeping everyone engaged in the years it took to bring it to life.

“We were really pioneering some new, innovative ways,” Pulido says. “We knew we had a great thing, but there were many times when I was a fish swimming upstream.”

Today, Pulido administers the CEI as vice president of business development for Maricopa Corporate College, a new entity within the Maricopa Community College District that delivers customized workforce educa-

tion for businesses in the community.

“I’m involved on a daily basis with the staff, with the operations, with the strategic direction and providing the support that our great team there needs to continue to grow, and add new programming,” she says. “It’s a significant project to keep it relevant and continuing to serve our community.”

Local start-up companies apply to be residential or affiliate clients, which gives them access to one-on-one mentoring, sophisticated equipment and business services that help them grow to the next level.

“The day they come in we’re talking to them about the day they graduate from the program and what metrics they need to reach in their company to move them out of the nest,” Pulido explains.

At any given time, around 20 clients are soaking up knowledge at lunch-and-learns and participating in networking groups that meet on site.

During their tenure, startup clients may create a product prototype using CEI’s 3D printing lab, gather competitive intelligence about their target market in the research lab or get help creating a promotional video.

“The clients coming through our doors today are much more sophisticated companies than when we first opened,” Pulido says. “As we establish a greater reputation we are able to draw some top startup companies in the Valley and we have graduated several that are doing wonderful things.”

SUSIE PULIDO VICE PRESIDENT OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

BY JOYCE HADLEY COPELAND

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ARIZONA COMPANIES

PRIVATE COMPANIES RANKED BY NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES

Top 10 BASHAS’ FAMILY OF STORES 22402 S. Basha Road, Chandler, 85248 // 480-895-5369 // bashes. com EMPLOYEES 8,525 PRINCIPAL Edward Bashas III, chairman HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Ashley Shick, director of communications and public affairs; Elva Vivas, director of finance, planning and treasury PETSMART INC. 19601 N. 27th Ave., Phoenix, 85027 // 623-580-6100 // petsmart.com EMPLOYEES 3,356 PRINCIPAL Michael J. Massey, president and CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Paulette Dodson, senior vice president, general counsel and secretary; Daphne Smith, senior vice president, digital SONORA QUEST LABORATORIES 1255 W. Washington St., Tempe, 85281 // 602-685-5000 // SonoraQuest.com EMPLOYEES 3,300 PRINCIPAL David Dexter, president and CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Joyce Santis, chief operating officer

MARKETING EXEC GOT MILK

ANN OCANA CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER

BY HAL MATTERN

34

When Ann Ocana was a marketing student at the University of Arizona’s Eller College of Management, her goal was to get into brand management.

She also wanted to move to Phoenix, which wasn’t exactly a hotbed of the brand-management industry.

Then the milk gods smiled on Ocana.

The McClelland family, which runs Phoenix-based Shamrock Foods Co. and is a supporter of the business school (McClelland Hall is named after them), offered Ocana a job when she graduated in 1993, and she has been affiliated with the company ever since.

“I was given a career opportunity of a lifetime,” she says.

Shamrock didn’t even have a marketing department at the time, so Ocana was, in a way, working with a clean slate. She led the team that built the Shamrock Farms brand from the ground up—and introduced the company’s “spokescow,” Roxie.

Ocana facilitated the development of a long-term strategic plan for Shamrock Co., establishing a brand platform and initial marketing infrastructure for the company’s food service business. She also led the restructuring of the Shamrock Foods brand portfolio sold to restaurants and chefs.

At the time, dairy products such as milk were considered commodities. Then Shamrock developed single-serving bottles in 1998, “and milk

became a beverage rather than a commodity,” Ocana says.

When she relocated to another city in 2002, Ocana left the company and became a marketing consultant.

But she really didn’t leave—Shamrock was one of her clients, so she continued to be a part of the company’s introduction of new products, including Rockin’ Refuel, a protein beverage made with milk and aimed at athletes and active people.

Active within the dairy industry, Ocana led the marketing and business strategy for Dairy Management Inc., the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy, the Milk Processor Education Program (MilkPEP) and the Independent Marketing Alliance.

She played a critical role in the joint initiative between MilkPEP and DMI called the Milk Revitalization Alliance, which tackled challenges and opportunities to revitalize the industry. One of the primary initiatives Ocana helped lead was the Great American Milk Drive—a national program that helps deliver milk to hungry families.

Involved with the MilkPEP board for nearly 20 years, Ocana currently serves on the brand committee that launched the new “Milk Life” campaign. She rejoined Shamrock 18 months ago as chief marketing officer when “the McClelland family asked me to come home,” she says.

“It’s an amazing company. I am privileged to work there.”

FOX RESTAURANT CONCEPTS 4455 E. Camelback Road, Suite B100, Phoenix, 85018 // 480-9056920 // foxrc.com EMPLOYEES 2,500 PRINCIPAL Sam Fox, founder HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Leezie Kim, vice president, general counsel SHAMROCK FOODS CO. 3900 E. Camelback Road, Suite 300, Phoenix, 85018 // 602-2726721 // shamrockfoods.com EMPLOYEES 2,148 PRINCIPAL Norman McClelland, chairman HIGHEST-RANKING WOMEN Ann Ocana, chief marketing officer; Monica McCombs, chief supply chain officer DISCOUNT TIRE 20225 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, 85255 // 480-606-6000 // discounttire. com AZ EMPLOYEES 2,032 PRINCIPAL Bruce Halle, founder and chairman of the board HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN no designee EARNHARDT AUTO CENTERS 7300 W. Orchard Lane, Chandler, 85226 // 480-783-4620 // earnhardt.com EMPLOYEES 1,966 PRINCIPAL Hal J. Earnhardt III, president HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Robbyn McDowell, chief financial officer TROON GOLF LLC 15044 N. Scottsdale Road, Suite 300, Scottsdale, 85252 // 480-606-1000 // troongolf.com EMPLOYEES 1,826 PRINCIPAL Dana Garmany, chairman and CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Ruth Engle, executive vice president and chief financial officer CHAPMAN AUTOMOTIVE GROUP P.O. Box 12375, Tempe, 85284 // 480-970-0740 // chapmanchoice.com EMPLOYEES 1,735 PRINCIPAL Eddie Davault, CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Kristine Barber, controllerww P.F. CHANG’S CHINA BISTRO, INC. 7676 E. Pinnacle Peak Road, Scottsdale, 85255 // 480-8883000 // pfchangs.com EMPLOYEES 1,643 PRINCIPAL Michael Osanloo, CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Allison Schulder, vice president, finance

WHO’S WHO IN BUSINESS // 2016

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MEET THE WINNERS Meet the winners of

REACHING NEW HEIGHTS PRES ENTED

BY

CONS ULTIN

G PARTN ER

ER RESEA RCH PARTN

azcentral’s Top Companies recognizes the best places to work in Arizona. From excellent jobs to quality cultures, find out which organizations came out on top.

On June 7, visit topcompanies.azcentral.com for a full list of this year’s winners including videos, photos from the award event, howToptoCompanies register recognizes your company CareerBuilder’s the best places to work in Arizona.

From excellent jobs to quality cultures, for next year, and more! find out which organizations came out on top.

LEADE RSHIP

PARTN ERS

Pick up the special section inside The Arizona Republic on Sunday, June 28 and visit topcompanies.azcentral.com. Plus, find videos of the winners, photos from the award event and more!

Consulting Partner

AZCompanies_Master.indd 35

Research Partner

5/17/16 4:17 PM

BUSINESS SERVICES

EMPLOYMENT SERVICES, RANKED BY 2015 PLACEMENTS

Top 10 TRUPATH 1440 E. Southern Ave., Tempe, 85282 // 480-374-7100 // trupathsearch.com AZ RECRUITERS 12 AZ EMPLOYEES 25 JOB PLACEMENTS 1,700 PRINCIPAL Nouis Ryan, president HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Chrissi Atchley, strategic account manager ACCLIVITY HEALTHCARE 8800 E. Chaparral Road, Suite 105, Scottsdale, 85250 // 480-5511311 // acclivityhealthcare.com AZ RECRUITERS 10 AZ EMPLOYEES 19 JOB PLACEMENTS 765 PRINCIPAL Ted French, CEO HIGHESTRANKING WOMAN Cheri French, chief financial officer GOVIG & ASSOCIATES, INC. 4800 N. Scottsdale Road, Suite 2800, Scottsdale, 85251 // 480-9411515 // govig.com AZ RECRUITERS 38 AZ EMPLOYEES 66 JOB PLACEMENTS 628 PRINCIPAL Todd Govig, president and CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Jan Govig, president AEROTEK 2625 S. Plaza Drive, Suite 301, Tempe, 85282 // 602-567-1980 // aerotek.com AZ RECRUITERS 95 AZ EMPLOYEES 158 JOB PLACEMENTS 619 PRINCIPAL Luke Zauhar, director of branch operations HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN no designee

BUILDING CONNECTIONS

BETH BRIZEL

PRESIDENT AND OWNER

BY GEORGANN YARA

36

Beth Brizel had successful sales career the textiles industry, but when the president and owner of Recruiting Connection moved from San Francisco to Arizona more than 20 years ago, her line of work wasn’t available here.

Faced with finding a new career, she consulted a friend in the Bay area who was in the recruiting industry, a field that piqued her interest and one that was viable in the Valley.

“I like the idea of working with people, the idea of helping people make a career move, making a difference in their lives,” Brizel says.

And when dealing with hopefuls needing to land a new gig, Brizel can relate.

“I did it myself,” says Brizel, who launched her employment services firm in 2002 with business partner Melissa Neary. “It makes me more empathetic to the situation they are in.”

Focusing mostly on commercial real estate, property management and construction, Brizel’s company has amassed a national clientele comprised of many East Coast-based clients with whom she has built a long-distance trust.

Raised in the Bay area, Brizel graduated from California State University, Long Beach, with degrees in political science and economics. The

opportunity to own a home in the Valley’s more affordable real estate market inspired Brizel and her former husband to leave San Francisco in 1995.

Brizel candidly talks about her experiences as a single mother when her children, a son who is now in college and a daughter who is in high school, were very young. Being involved with their education and activities was important to her and being a business owner granted her the flexibility to do that. She knows most single working mothers are not as fortunate. But that does not mean she doesn’t understand their situations.

“I work with a lot of single moms,” she says. “They are the people I try to help because I know how important it is to manage a career while managing a life with your family.

The rapport and personal connections Brizel has built with her clients and job candidates have been vital to her firm’s success.

“A candidate works with recruiters and they can feel like a number or a dollar sign,” she says. “I try not to do that. I care about them and they are important to me. To help them make a change in their life that’s better than the one they have is why I got into this industry in the first place.”

AXIS EMPLOYMENT SERVICES 7000 N. 16th St., Suite 120-501, Phoenix, 85020 // 602-242-2626 // axisemployment.com AZ RECRUITERS 8 AZ EMPLOYEES 175 JOB PLACEMENTS 500 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Tran Tran, founder and CEO RENAISSANCE PERSONNEL GROUP, INC. 8414 N. 90th St., Suite 103, Scottsdale, 85258 // 602-263-5100 // renaissancepersonnel.com AZ RECRUITERS 7 AZ EMPLOYEES 241 JOB PLACEMENTS 407 PRINCIPAL Laura Piel, president; David Piel, chief operating officer HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Laura Piel, president; Lauren Crider, director of client services DESERT DENTAL STAFFING 4423 N. 24th St., Suite 560, Phoenix, 85016 // 602-840-4703 // desertdentalstaffing.com AZ RECRUITERS 3 AZ EMPLOYEES 4 JOB PLACEMENTS 307 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Gina Saunders, president and owner AZ TECH FINDERS, INC 6930 E. Chauncey Lane, Suite 250, Phoenix, 85054 // 480-342-9900 // aztechfinders.com AZ RECRUITERS 14 AZ EMPLOYEES 14 JOB PLACEMENTS 275 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Sharon Bondurant, founder and CEO RECRUITING CONNECTION 2048 N. 44th St., Suite 220, Phoenix, 85008 // 602-954-8886 // recruiting-connection.com AZ RECRUITERS 2 AZ EMPLOYEES 2 JOB PLACEMENTS 92 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMEN Beth Brizel, president and owner ALLSTAFF SERVICES 5080 N. 40th St., Suite 103, Phoenix, 85018 // 602-277-3381 // allstaffaz.com AZ RECRUITERS 11 AZ EMPLOYEES 19 JOB PLACEMENTS did not disclose PRINCIPAL Paul Smith, president and owner HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN no designee

WHO’S WHO IN BUSINESS // 2016

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ADVERTISING AND MARKETING FIRMS, RANKED BY NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES

BUSINESS SERVICES

Top 10 LANETERRALEVER 725 W. McDowell Road, Phoenix, 85007 // 602-258-5263 // laneterralever. com AZ EMPLOYEES 92 PRINCIPAL Beau Lane, CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Isabelle Jazo, senior vice president brand strategy RIESTER 3344 E. Camelback Road, Phoenix, 85018 // 602-462-2200 // riester.com AZ EMPLOYEES 90 PRINCIPAL Tim Riester, partner and CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Mirja Riester, partner and chief strategic officer LAVIDGE 2777 E. Camelback Road, Suite 300, Phoenix, 85016 // 480-998-2600 // lavidge.com AZ EMPLOYEES 68 PRINCIPAL Bill Lavidge, CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMEN Alicia Wadas, chief operating officer; Sandra Torre, chief financial officer CRAMER-KRASSELT 1850 N. Central Ave., Suite 1800, Phoenix, 85004 // 602-417-0662 // c-k.com AZ EMPLOYEES 42 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Kristin Bloomquist, executive vice president, general manager ZION & ZION 432 S. Farmer Ave., Tempe, 85281 // 480-751-1007 // zionandzion.com AZ EMPLOYEES 38 PRINCIPAL Aric Zion, CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN DuGue Zion, chief operating officer MOSES, INC. 20 W. Jackson St., Phoenix, 85003 // 602-254-7312 // mosesinc.com AZ EMPLOYEES 35 PRINCIPAL Louie Moses, president/creative director HIGHEST-RANKING WOMEN Diana Moore, V.P. administration & HR; Jodi Elle, V.P., director of accounts and consumer engagement BIG YAM, THE PARSONS AGENCY 7707 E. Marilyn Road, Building 5, Scottsdale, 85254 // 480-998-3154 // bigyam.com AZ EMPLOYEES 32 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Marianne Curran, CEO OFF MADISON AVE 5555 E. Van Buren, Suite 215, Phoenix, 85008 // 480-505-4500 // offmadisonave. com AZ EMPLOYEES 30 PRINCIPAL David Anderson, CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Lorraine Murrietta, chief financial officer ARROWHEAD ADVERTISING 16155 N. 83rd Ave., Suite 205, Peoria, 85382 // 623-979-3000 // arrowheadagency.com AZ EMPLOYEES 25 PRINCIPAL Kyle Eng, president HIGHESTRANKING WOMAN Michelle Shepherd, chief financial officer KNOODLE ADVERTISING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS 4450 N. 12 St., Suite 120, Phoenix, 85014 // 602-530-9900 // knoodle.com AZ EMPLOYEES 13 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Rosaria Cain, CEO

INNOVATE IN NEW WAYS The ability to create compelling content that connects with target markets made RIESTER one of Advertising Age’s 20 agencies to watch in 2001. It also earned Principal and Chief Strategic Officer Mirja Riester the honor of being named 2016 Ad Person of the Year

by Phoenix Ad Club.

“My focus has been on the planning side,” Riester says. “So I do a lot of the consumer research, trying to identify the emotional relationships consumers have with a specific brand, product or service we are to solve problems for.”

As part of her master’s degree studies in marketing and psychology at the University of Hamburg, Reister apprenticed at DDB Needham, now DDB Worldwide, where she worked on international accounts including Panasonic, Volkswagen and Guinness.

Her work today is much more challenging, Riester says. “The ever-evolving technology is pushing us to create more content more quickly and to make sure we connect it.”

She likens emerging digital channels, platforms and practices such as geo-fencing, which uses GPS to trigger when a customer enters a geographical boundary such as a retail store or a mall, to different trains.

“Historically, it was okay to be on one train, because that’s where everybody was, and much of that was TV,” she says. “Now, it is all online. We have multiple people who just follow which trains people are on, and we constant-

ly have to jump from one train to the next to make sure we are where they are and change the content depending on where they go.”

Riester moved to the United States to lead marketing for Heel, a homeopathic pharmaceutical company. In 1997, she joined the agency her husband, Tim, launched in his garage.

Today, Riester oversees research, strategic planning, and the integration of the agency’s full range of services, including brand planning, web and mobile marketing, advertising, media planning and buying, social media and public relations for clients such as Aramark Corporation, Medicis Pharmaceutical Corporation and Motorola.

“I think what is most challenging for us is to constantly seek new ways to innovate in the way we communicate,” she says.

Reister leads by setting a high bar for her staff, calling her style tough, but fun.

“We want to win and we also want to be able to provide a fun environment for people and allow them to participate in meaningful projects,” she says. “All of that doesn’t happen if you aren’t creating good work.”

Outside of work, Riester can be found cheering on the sidelines of her sons’ soccer games. She guides the boys, ages 12 and 14, using the philosophy that defines her own life: “You won’t be successful unless it’s something you do with your whole heart.”

MIRJA RIESTER PRINCIPAL AND CHIEF STRATEGIC OFFICER

BY JOYCE HADLEY COPELAND

2016 // WHO’S WHO IN BUSINESS 37

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BUSINESS SERVICES

INSURANCE AGENCIES, RANKED BY 2015 GROSS REVENUE

Friends.

Family.

Community.

THE ‘SKY’S THE LIMIT’ Mary Contreras, LUTCF 2145 E Warner Rd, Suite 101 Tempe, AZ 85284 480-775-7788 Phone 888-992-9682 Toll Free Mary@MaryContreras.com

Hablamos Español

DARLENE OWEN EMPLOYEE BENEFITS DIRECTOR

BY ALISON STANTON

Congratulations to the outstanding Who’s Who in business companies.

Thank you for your commitment to your employees and your contribution to our community.

BusinessServices_Master.indd 38

When Darlene Owen first got into the insurance industry in 1977, she quickly noticed that she was one of very few women.

“I remember going to life insurance conferences and seeing lots of men but there were very few women there,” she says.

Over the years, Owen says, this trend has changed for the better. Nowadays, men and women are almost on equal footing.

“It is refreshing to see more women come into the industry,” she says.

Owen, who has worked for The Arizona Group since 1993 and is now employee benefits director, says the company provides a variety of insurance needs to its clients.

“I enjoy meeting entrepreneurs and finding out how we can meet their needs,” she says. “And watching as three people who started their company from a garage grows to a company with 150 people. I just love meeting all different kinds of people and finding out what makes them tick.”

From talking with her co-workers over the years, Owen has discovered another interesting phenomenon about insurance and what inspires people to work in the industry.

“I have learned that for most people, they didn’t find insurance,” she says.

“Insurance found them.”

That was the case for Owen. She answered an ad in the newspaper placed

by an insurance agent who needed someone to help with bookkeeping.

“I wanted to work part time so I could be home with my young kids,” she says. “So I took the job. I then saw the opportunities in the insurance industry and got my license. I found out how I could benefit from the job and how it could help me grow.”

While Owen admits that the Affordable Care Act has “turned the benefits world upside down,” she says through it all, The Arizona Group has found ways to turn the challenges into opportunities.

“In our world, we have not been able to continue like we were,” she says.

“And the ACA has made us have to change the way we do things. But we have prospered from it.”

When she is not in the office, Owen enjoys spending time with her 10 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

“All of them live here in the Valley,” she says.

Owen also likes to prepare delicious meals for her family.

“My passion is cooking,” she says.

“I don’t really like baking, but I love cooking.”

Looking back, Owen is glad that the insurance industry found her almost four decades ago.

“I have learned that when it comes to insurance, the sky is the limit,” she says.

5/17/16 5:40 PM

INSURANCE AGENCIES, RANKED BY 2015 GROSS REVENUE

BUSINESS SERVICES

Top 10 THE SEGAL GROUP, 1230 W. Washington St., Suite 501, Tempe, 85281// 602-381-4000 // segalco.com AZ EMPLOYEES 39 2015 GROSS REVENUE $3.4 billion PRINCIPAL John J. Coyle, senior vice president HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Did not disclose MARSH AND MCLENNAN COMPANIES, 2325 E. Camelback Road, Suite 600, Phoenix, 85016// 602337-6300 // marsh.com AZ EMPLOYEES 200 2015 GROSS REVENUE $2.5 billion PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Cheryl Vogt, president WILLIS TOWERS WATSON, 16220 N. Scottsdale Road, Suite 600, Scottsdale, 85254// 602-787-6000 // willis. com AZ EMPLOYEES 150 2015 GROSS REVENUE $2.5 billion PRINCIPAL Carolyn Smith, managing partner HIGHEST-RANKING WOMEN Carolyn Smith, managing partner; Paula Bernal, vice president and public entity practice leader POMEROY AND ASSOCIATES, 3134 N. 7th St., Phoenix, 85014// 602-265-8900 // pomeroygroup. com AZ EMPLOYEES 21 2015 GROSS REVENUE $452 million PRINCIPAL Thomas Pomeroy, managing partner HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Dora Mercea, office manager

LOVITT & TOUCHÉ, 1050 W. Washington St., Suite 233, Tempe, 85281// 602-956-2250 // lovitt-touche. com AZ EMPLOYEES 189 2016 GROSS REVENUE $400 million PRINCIPAL CharlesTouché, CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN MagdalenaOsborn, vice president, general counsel; JessicaHuber, chief financial officer AON 2555 E. Camelback Road, Suite 700, Phoenix, 85016// 602-427-3200 // aon.com AZ EMPLOYEES 42 2015 GROSS REVENUE $307 million PRINCIPAL James Jorgensen, managing director HIGHESTRANKING WOMAN Kimberly Wack, director LEAVITT GROUP ENTERPRISES, INC. 216 S. 200 W., Cedar City, Utah 84720// 435-586-6553 // leavitt. com AZ EMPLOYEES 150 2015 GROSS REVENUE $229 million PRINCIPAL Billy Bond, executive vice president HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Charlene Powers-Broadbent, vice president AAA ARIZONA INSURANCE 2375 E. Camelback Road, Suite 500, Phoenix, 85016// 602-650-2700 // aaa.com/insurance AZ EMPLOYEES 119 2015 GROSS REVENUE $141.6 million PRINCIPAL Mike Tully, president and CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Mary Beth Reisinger, chief administrative officer

“I have learned that for most people, they didn’t find insurance.

Insurance found them.”

DARLENE OWEN THE ARIZONA GROUP

LEBARON & CARROLL LLC 1350 E. Southern Ave., Mesa, 85204// 480-834-9315 // lebaronandcarroll.com AZ EMPLOYEES 50 2015 GROSS REVENUE $95.8 million PRINCIPAL Milo R.LeBaron III, owner and CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMEN Mannino Joann, managing director of operations; Jaclyn Skipper, business development manager THE ARIZONA GROUP 3325 E. Baseline Road, Gilbert, 85234// 480-892-8755 // arizonagroup.com AZ EMPLOYEES 48 2015 GROSS REVENUE $6.7 million PRINCIPAL Boyd Bonner, president HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Darlene Owen, employee benefits director

Congratulations Who’s Who Honorees!

On behalf of Willis Towers Watson, we share our heartfelt congratulations to all of the 2016 Republic Media Who’s Who in Business’ honorees.

We are humbled to be in such good company.

Willis Towers Watson (NASDAQ: WLTW) is a leading global advisory, broking and solutions company that helps clients around the world turn risk into a path for growth. With roots dating to 1828 we design and deliver solutions that manage risk, optimize benefits, cultivate talent, and expand the power of capital to protect and strengthen institutions and individuals.

Our unique perspective allows us to see the critical intersections between talent, assets and ideas.

Together, we unlock potential every day.

Contact us at 602-787-6000. willistowerswatson.com

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BUSINESS SERVICES

EXECUTIVE SEARCH FIRMS, RANKED BY PLACEMENTS

Top 10 TRUPATH 1440 E. Southern Ave., Tempe, 85282 // 480-374-7100 // trupathsearch.com AZ RECRUITERS 12 AZ EMPLOYEES 25 JOB P LACEMENTS 1,700 PRINCIPAL Nouis Ryan, president HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Chrissi Atchley, strategic account manager GOVIG & ASSOCIATES, INC. 4800 N. Scottsdale Road, Suite 2800, Scottsdale, 85251 // 480-9411,515 // govig.com AZ RECRUITERS 38 AZ EMPLOYEES 66 JOB PLACEMENTS 628 PRINCIPAL Todd Govig, president and CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Jan Govig, president STEWART, COOPER & COON P. O. Box 50099, Phoenix, 85076 // 602-385-3000 // stewartcoopercoon.com AZ RECRUITERS 7 AZ EMPLOYEES 10 JOB PLACEMENTS 235 PRINCIPAL Fred Coon, chairman and CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMEN Michelle Settle, senior vice president, corporate operations; Kristine Barney, senior vice president, executive evaluation

KEEP A FLEXIBLE WORKPLACE

KATHLEEN DUFFY YBARRA FOUNDER AND OWNER

BY JOYCE HADLEY COPELAND

40

“I discovered my passion for recruiting when I was at ASU, I just didn’t know it at the time,” says Kathleen Duffy Ybarra, with a laugh.

While she was participating in sorority rush, showing new students around campus and recruiting National Merit Scholars, Ybarra learned to trust and sharpen her intuition, essential for executive search professionals.

After graduation, she joined a national retained executive search firm, where she spent 8 years developing expertise in research and search development. By the time the firm left Phoenix, Ybarra was ready to go solo.

She launched Duffy Group in 1991 with only five clients and a distinctly different approach. Her model allows customers to buy pieces of the recruiting process—purchasing only a short list of interested candidates, for example—and pay for services rather than a percent of compensation.

Over the past 25 years, Duffy Group has partnered with a growing list of national and international clients in industries ranging from health care to higher education.

“They see how they can blend their current team and their technology and then pull us into the mix, so that it’s a seamless transition and a real partnership,” Ybarra says.

She applies the same flexibility to her organization.

“I have been a virtual organization since day one,” she says. “It’s really all about work-life balance. People are still able to care for their families, yet con-

tinue to work in their profession.”

She also encourages her staff to take an entrepreneurial approach to their career paths. One team member interested in the evolving solar industry has become one of the top recruiters in that space.

Ybarra is a founding member of the Arizona Human Resource Leadership Forum and a highly regarded speaker on recruiting techniques. As a board member of an international management search association, she can expand Duffy Group globally, combining business and pleasure in places like Hong Kong, Copenhagen, and Berlin.

In her free time, Ybarra volunteers with family members at organizations like the National Charity League, a mother-daughter community service and leadership organization supporting the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, Desert Mission Food Bank, St. Vincent de Paul and Phoenix Children’s Hospital, among others. Every year, she and her husband, an artist, invite Make-A-Wish children and their families into their home to create a piece of art expressing the journey of their illness or the Wish they received.

Ybarra’s own journey has brought her full circle, back to ASU. Today she chairs the National Board of Directors of the ASU Alumni Association National Council.

“Now I help businesses engage with ASU, creating internships, employment, and opportunities for students to do job-shadowing,” she says.

DHR INTERNATIONAL 11811 N. Tatum Blvd., Suite 3031, Phoenix, 85028 // 602-992-7810 // dhrinternational.com AZ RECRUITERS 3 AZ EMPLOYEES 3 JOB PLACEMENTS 190 PRINCIPAL Bill Franquemont, partner HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN No designee DUFFY GROUP, INC. 4727 E. Union Hills Drive, Suite 200, Phoenix, 85050 // 602-861-5840 // duffygroup.com AZ RECRUITERS 14 AZ EMPLOYEES 15 JOB PLACEMENTS 92 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Kathleen Duffy Ybarra, president T3 SEARCH, INC. 1840 E. Morten Ave., Unit 238, Phoenix, 85020 // 602-508-8629 // t3search. com AZ RECRUITERS 1 AZ EMPLOYEES 2 JOB PLACEMENTS 47 PRINCIPAL Todd Phillips, CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Treacy Brockman, chief financial officer CIZEK ASSOCIATES, INC. 2415 E. Camelback Road, Suite 700, Phoenix, 85016 // 602-553-1066 // cizekassociates.com AZ RECRUITERS 2 AZ EMPLOYEES 6 JOB PLACEMENTS 35 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Marti Cizek, president TOWERHUNTER, INC. 4550 E. Bell Road, Building 4, Suite 142, Phoenix, 85032 // 602-652-8603 // towerhunter.com AZ RECRUITERS 7 AZ EMPLOYEES 6 JOB PLACEMENTS 25 PRINCIPALS Terry Hindmarch, managing partner; Scott Smith, managing partner HIGHESTRANKING WOMAN Colleen Neese, vice president and partner INTERNATIONAL SEARCH CONSULTANTS 7650 S. McClintock Drive, Suite 103-158, Tempe, 85284 // 888-866-7276 // iscjobs.com AZ RECRUITERS 15 AZ EMPLOYEES 15 JOB PLACEMENTS 18 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Ann Zaslow-Rethaber, president VANDERZEE & ASSOCIATES, INC. 8149 N. 87th Place, Suite 210, Scottsdale, 85258 // 480-5638150 // vanderzee.net AZ RECRUITERS 3 AZ EMPLOYEES 4 JOB PLACEMENTS 17 PRINCIPAL Siebe Vanderzee, president HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN no designee

WHO’S WHO IN BUSINESS // 2016

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YOUR MONEY

DEFINE, VISUALIZE YOUR GOALS In my budget seminars, I begin by asking participants to write down their most important financial goal. I do this because the budget is an essential tool to helping you realize your dreams.

Visualizing your goal will keep you engaged and intrinsically motivated.

When you take time to define your financial goals in clear, measurable and attainable ways, the results are astonishing.

Years ago, I read a story in The Tightwad Gazette about a family who wanted to buy a country home in Maine. When they looked over their budget, they determined that eating out was something they could easily give up. They decided that one of the many ways to reach their goal was to put all the eating-out money into the Maine home category. When they were tempted to eat out, they focused on their goal to help get past it.

To set financial goals, you must first define your priorities. Buying a vacation house in Maine is a great goal, but if you have kids who want to go to college, it might not make much sense.

Brainstorm with your family and decide together what you want to work on. Do you want to pay off a car? Save for a

family vacation?

Another crucial step is to write down your goal and plan of action. This is a key step to making your goal a reality.

Regularly share your plan and updates with your family. Having input and ownership in the process keeps others from sabotaging the plans.

One of the keys to set up a budget that works is creating an order of priorities. I have listed the priority sequence everyone should follow to ensure maximum financial success.

GIVING: I bet you’ve never seen this on a list of priorities before! I put it here because research shows that generous people have less money worries, including less debt. It teaches people to put others first; becoming less preoccupied with keeping up with the Joneses.

MEETING BASIC FAMILY NEEDS: These are expenses that are essential to your family’s survival. Items such as groceries, mortgage/rent, insurance, transportation, phone, fall into this category. This will usually take up the lion’s share of your money.

ESTABLISH AN EMERGENCY FUND:

A sudden illness, an accident or job

loss can shatter your financial stability if you’re not prepared. The goal is to have three to six months worth of savings to meet your family’s basic needs.

This money should be in a savings account, protected by the FDIC where it’s completely safe and easy to access.

DEBT REDUCTION AND ELIMINATION:One of the most important ways to eliminate debt is to have a plan. I suggest that you make a list of all your debts and begin by paying off your smallest debt. Once that’s paid off, use that money and put it toward the next smallest debt.

LONG-TERM SAVINGS: This area includes retirement savings, saving for college for your children, anything that is for the long haul. Once you establish the above five priorities, then add your personal goals as the next step.

PERSONAL GOALS: These goals are called personal because they may apply only to you. Do you want to save money for a once-in-a-lifetime trip, college education for your children, adopting a child, or starting a business?

Priorities allow you to make choices as to how you want to spend your money.

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BusinessServices_Master.indd 41

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BUSINESS SERVICES

CONVENTION/MEETING SITES, RANKED BY SQUARE FEET

Top 10 PHOENIX CONVENTION CENTER & VENUES 100 N. Third St., Suite 2A, Phoenix, 85004 // 602-2626225 // phoenixconventioncenter.com MEETING/ EXHIBIT SPACE 900,000 PRINCIPAL John Chan, director HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Kathryn Wenger, deputy director business services TALKING STICK RESORT ARENA 201 E. Jefferson St., Phoenix, 85004 // 602-379-2000 // talkingstickresortarena.com MEETING/EXHIBIT SPACE 600,000 PRINCIPAL Ralph Marchetta, senior vice president and general manager HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Maria Baier, senior vice president, communications and public affairs JW MARRIOTT DESERT RIDGE RESORT 5350 E. Marriott Drive, Phoenix, 85054 // 480-293-5000 // jwdesertridge.com MEETING/EXHIBIT SPACE 240,000 PRINCIPAL Steve Hart, area vice president HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Jennifer Martin, director of human resources; Yoko Hodges, director of finance THE WESTIN KIERLAND RESORT & SPA 6902 E. Greenway Parkway, Scottsdale, 85254 // 480-6241000 // kierlandresort.com MEETING/EXHIBIT SPACE 200,000 PRINCIPAL Bruce Lange, managing director HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Elizabeth Franzese, director of sales and marketing

PARADISE LOST, FOUND

PAIGE CABACUNGAN DIRECTOR OF SALES AND MARKETING

BY GEORGANN YARA

42

With an enviable life and a career she loved in Hawaii, Paige Cabacungan was living a dream.

But the area director of sales and marketing at The Phoenician and Arizona Starwood Hotels & Resorts vividly recalls two days during the recession that felt far from idyllic.

In 2007, Cabacungan’s job at a Maui hotel was to assist 20 newly laid-off employees transition from the working world into unemployment. She spent 45 minutes with each person, talking about medical coverage options, job agencies and answering questions from worried workers who didn’t know how they were going to feed their families.

“It was very hard and very sad,” Cabacungan recalls.

However, the Seattle native was able to turn that experience into an asset that has influenced how she now does her job.

“It created more creativity and strategies about bringing business to the destination,” says Cabacungan, who has held her current position since 2015, when she moved to Arizona to work for The Phoenician.

The venue itself makes her job easier. Cabacungan is eager to tout the resort’s amenities as well as the Valley’s restaurants, cultural scenes and unique destinations like Desert Botanical Garden.

“There are so many options here

and it’s so much fun to expose people to them,” she says.

Cabacungan’s interest in the industry was piqued while earning her economics degree at the University of Puget Sound. She interned with a company that was a vendor at the Washington State Convention Center in Seattle, and was hooked.

“Everyone in the hospitality industry likes to help people,” she says.

“That’s the core of what we do.”

Cabacungan’s career took her to the islands when a destination management company recruited her.

Cabacungan decided to reenter the hotel side of the industry in 2002. She joined Starwood in 2007, and rose through the ranks. The opportunity to work at The Phoenician lured her from the ocean to the desert.

Cabacungan is the youngest of three children. Her father owned a heating and air conditioning company. Her mother owns a tour business.

Cabacungan’s daughter is a student at Northern Arizona University.

Some might question her decision to leave life in an island paradise for the dusty Southwest. But Cabacungan has no second thoughts.

“I’ve really enjoyed Arizona and the people in Arizona,” she says.

“I came with the lens that Hawaii had so much aloha that you were never going to find that again. But I have here.”

ARIZONA BILTMORE, A WALDORF ASTORIA RESORT 2400 E. Missouri Ave., Phoenix, 85016 // 602-955-6600 // arizonabiltmore.com MEETING/ EXHIBIT SPACE 200,000 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Sheila Foley, general manager UNIVERSITY OF PHOENIX STADIUM 1 Cardinals Dr., Glendale, 85305 // 623-433-7101 // universityofphoenixstadium.com MEETING/EXHIBIT SPACE 160,000 PRINCIPAL Peter Sullivan, general manager, regional vice president HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Melissa Wasson, assistant general manager THE PHOENICIAN 6000 E. Camelback Road, Scottsdale, 85251 // 480-941-8200 // thephoenician.com MEETING/EXHIBIT SPACE 160,000 PRINCIPAL Mark Vinciguerra, managing director, The Phoenician; area managing director, Starwood Arizona HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Paige Cabacungan, area director of sales and marketing, Starwood Hotels and Resorts Arizona FAIRMONT SCOTTSDALE PRINCESS 7575 E. Princess Drive, Scottsdale, 85255 // 480-585-4848 // fairmont.com/scottsdale MEETING/EXHIBIT SPACE 156,000 PRINCIPAL Jack Miller, general manager HIGHEST-RANKING WOMEN Pam Gilbert, director of sales and marketing; Rosemary Taylor, director of human resources ARIZONA GRAND RESORT & SPA 8000 S. Arizona Grand Parkway, Phoenix, 85044 // 480-438-9000 // arizonagrandresort.com MEETING/EXHIBIT SPACE 120,000 PRINCIPAL Paul Gray, general manager HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Kerry Feltenberg, director of catering and conference services THE SCOTTSDALE RESORT AT MCCORMICK RANCH 7700 E. McCormick Parkway, Scottsdale, 85258 // 480-991-9000 // thescottsdaleresort.com MEETING/EXHIBIT SPACE 60,000 PRINCIPAL Ken McKenzie, general manager HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Willow Jodar, director of human resources

WHO’S WHO IN BUSINESS // 2016

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LEGAL & FINANCE

STOCKBROKERS, RANKED BY ARIZONA EMPLOYEES

Top 10 CHARLES SCHWAB & CO. 6350 N. 24th St., Phoenix, 85016 // 800-308-1486 // schwab.com AZ EMPLOYEES 3,200 PRINCIPAL Don Bakhaus, regional vice president HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Angela Birmingham, senior vice president EDWARD JONES 8640 S. River Parkway, Tempe, 85284 // 314-515-2000 // edwardjones.com AZ EMPLOYEES 1,653 PRINCIPAL Dave Long, principal, operations HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Diane Vanderburgh, principal, client strategies group training and support MORGAN STANLEY 14850 N. Scottsdale Road, Suite 600, Scottsdale, 85254 // 480-922-7800 // morganstanley.com AZ EMPLOYEES 300 PRINCIPAL Robert Gaines, executive director, complex manager HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Laura Ladrigan-Cobb, executive director, wealth advisor WELLS FARGO ADVISORS 8777 N. Gainey Center Drive, Scottsdale, 85258 // 480-425-4873 // wellsfargoadvisors.com AZ EMPLOYEES 219 PRINCIPAL David Kistner, market manager HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN No designee, UBS FINANCIAL SERVICES PHOENIX 2555 E. Camelback Road, Suite 600, Phoenix, 85016 // 602-957-5100 // financialservicesinc.ubs.com/ branch/phoenixux/ AZ EMPLOYEES 195 PRINCIPAL James Van Steenhuyse, branch manager, complex director HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Susan Bailey, senior vice president, wealth management UNITED PLANNERS 7333 E. Doubletree Ranch Road, Suite 120, Scottsdale, 85258 // 800-9668737 // unitedplanners.com AZ EMPLOYEES 169 PRINCIPAL David Shindel, president HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Sheila Cuffari-Agasi, vice president, partner development FIDELITY INVESTMENTS 15445 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, 85254 // 480-483-2490 // fidelity.com AZ EMPLOYEES 84 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Jolene Ignarski, vice president, senior branch office manager RBC WEALTH MANAGEMENT 2398 E. Camelback Road, Suite 700, Phoenix, 85016 // 602381-5300 // rbcwm-usa.com AZ EMPLOYEES 83 PRINCIPAL Glen Hatch, director of the Phoenix complex HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Kathleen Lipscomb, vice president and assistant complex director FIRST FINANCIAL EQUITY CORPORATION 7373 N. Scottsdale Road, Suite D-120, Scottsdale, 85253 // 480-951-0079 // ffec.com AZ EMPLOYEES 80 PRINCIPAL George Fischer, president and sole director HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN no designee ROBERT W. BAIRD & CO. 14648 N. Scottsdale Road, Suite 175, Scottsdale, 85254 // 480-6242300 // rwbaird.com AZ EMPLOYEES 44 PRINCIPAL Mark A. Peterson, director, Arizona market HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Sharon Zeidler, managing director, senior investment consultant

MUSIC KEY TO CAREER If things had gone differently, Angela Birmingham could have been a classical pianist or a music teacher today. She might even be living and working in China.

Instead, she oversees all of the banking operations in Phoenix for financial services company Charles Schwab. And she wouldn’t have it any other way.

“I am very happy with what I have,” says Birmingham, senior vice president of Charles Schwab Bank.

Birmingham grew up in a small town in Oklahoma, where she was a classical pianist and played pipe organ at her Baptist church. That led to her being offered a music scholarship at Oklahoma Baptist University.

“But I knew I didn’t want to be a music teacher, and I wondered what I would do with a degree in music,” Birmingham says.

So she also took courses focusing on television advertising and wound up graduating with a bachelor of fine arts degree in music, telecommunications and art.

“I pretty quickly figured out that telecommunications wasn’t my cup of tea,” says Birmingham.

She moved to China for 18 months, taught English as a second language and studied Chinese culture and the Mandarin and Uyghur languages. At the time, she looked around and realized that business made the world go round, so she enrolled in the MBA program at

Oklahoma State University.

“That set me on the path I’m on today,” she says.

That path involved banking from the start because, as a musician, Birmingham has an affinity for math and numbers.

She started her career in financial services with a regional bank in St. Louis and held various positions with Bank of America. She joined Charles Schwab in 2006 on the brokerage side of the business, leading sales, service and operations activities for broker-dealer branches across seven states in the Midwest.

When she moved to the company’s banking side in 2010, she relocated to Phoenix, the primary location for Charles Schwab Bank.

Birmingham says the financial services industry in general, and Schwab in particular, are great career choices for women, although the industry currently is about 60 percent male and 40 percent female.

“As a woman working in the financial services industry, I think it is a great place to be,” she says. “There are huge opportunities for women in financial services. I see no reason that it stops at 40 percent.”

Birmingham still plays piano, but no longer in public.

“I do find it to be very therapeutic,” she says. “It’s a big part of my life. I am fortunate to be able to tickle the ivories a bit.”

ANGELA BIRMINGHAM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, FINANCIAL ADVISER

BY HAL MATTERN

2016 // WHO’S WHO IN BUSINESS 43

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LEGAL & FINANCE

MID-SIZE ACCOUNTING FIRMS, RANKED BY NUMBER OF CPAS

BDO WOULD LIKE TO CONGRATULATE

SUSAN WOLAK Assurance Managing Partner for being recognized as a Who’s Who in Business in Phoenix.

FORTITUDE EQUALS SUCCESS

BDO provides assurance, tax, advisory and consulting services to a wide range of publicly traded and privately held companies.

We offer a sophisticated array of services and the resources and capabilities of the BDO global network, combined with the personal attention of experienced professionals.

Accountants and Consultants www.bdo.com

© 2016 BDO USA, LLP. All rights reserved.

Legal&Finance_Master.indd 44

SANDY ABALOS PRINCIPAL IN CHARGE

BY GEORGANN YARA

With more than 40 tax seasons under her belt, Sandy Abalos’ niche in the accounting world is solid.

And Abalos, the principal-in-charge of REDW’s Phoenix office, got off to a quick start thanks to the CPA she worked for while in college.

Abalos earned her accounting degree from Arizona State University.

When she was unable to get an offer from a major firm, Abalos asked CPA David Schwartz for an opportunity to be a partner in his firm. He agreed.

Abalos was 24.

“David saw in me what I didn’t,” Abalos says. “He was so accepting of women in the workplace. I will never forget it or take that for granted.”

When Schwartz retired in 1988, Abalos, who also holds a Master of Accountancy from ASU, took over the firm that became Abalos & Associates. In 2012, she merged her firm with REDW. Not every man Abalos encountered was as progressive as Schwartz.

Once, a male client told her he would not work with her because she was a woman. Abalos had done his work for 10 years, but he never knew it because Schwartz had always presented it to him.

Not intimidated, Abalos responded by looking him in the eye saying: “I don’t want to work with you.”

By that time, Abalos was amply equipped to face more than condescension. A hard worker and a gifted

archer, Abalos is an NCAA archery champion, winning a national title as a freshman.

Born in Riceville, Iowa, Abalos was 2 when she moved to Phoenix with her family for her father’s job with an insurance company. A high school accounting class got her hooked and she pursued a career in accounting.

Her community involvement includes the Phoenix Chamber of Commerce, Upward Foundation and National Association of Women Business Owners, for which she was named 2002 Business Owner of the Year. She has championed issues in taxation as a delegate to the White House Conference on Small Business and testified before Congress about the impact of tax legislation.

Abalos has three daughters, six grandchildren and two stepdaughters. Her husband of 10 years, Alan Havir, is a semi-retired financial planner and professional musician.

Abalos credits much of her success to the focus developed through the master level of archery, a sport that requires inner fortitude and tapping into the subconscious mind.

“That internal strength, no one can take away from you. If someone tells me I can’t do something, they don’t know anything about me,” says Abalos, who offers the same advice to those she mentors. “Don’t let anyone ever tell you that you can’t. Use that to go forward stronger.”

5/17/16 5:41 PM

LEGAL & FINANCE

MID-SIZE ACCOUNTING FIRMS, RANKED BY NUMBER OF CPAS

Top 10 REDW LLC 5353 N. 16th St., Suite 200, Phoenix, 85016 // 602-730-3600 // redw.com NO. OF LOCATIONS 1 NO. OF CPAS 26 AZ EMPLOYEES 62 PRINCIPAL Sandy Abalos, principal; Mike Allen, principal HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Sandy Abalos, principal-in-charge of Phoenix office

SCHMIDT WESTERGARD & COMPANY, PLLC 77 W. University Drive, Mesa, 85201 // 480-864-6030 // sw-cpa.com NO. OF LOCATIONS 1 NO. OF CPAS 23 AZ EMPLOYEES 35 PRINCIPAL James Schmidt, managing title HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Kelly White, director

“That Internal strength, no one can take away from you. If someone tells me I can’t do something, they don’t know anything about me.”

GRANT THORNTON LLP 2398 E. Camelback Road, Suite 600, Phoenix, 85016 // 602-474-3400 // grantthornton.com NO. OF LOCATIONS 1 NO. OF CPAS 26 AZ EMPLOYEES 75 PRINCIPAL Ralph Nefdt, territory managing partner - desert and mountain west HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Stella Shanovich, partner, audit

BDO 2201 E. Camelback Road, Suite 360, Phoenix, 85016 // 602-956-3400 // bdo.com NO. OF LOCATIONS 1 NO. OF CPAS 17 AZ EMPLOYEES 56 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST RANKING WOMAN Susan Wolak, office managing partner, assurance

SANDY ABALOS

LOHMAN COMPANY, PLLC 1630 S. Stapley Drive, Suite 108, Mesa, 85204 // 480-355-1101 // lohmancompany.com NO. OF LOCATIONS 1 NO. OF CPAS 15 AZ EMPLOYEES 23 PRINCIPAL Jay Lohman, president HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Cati Piorkowski, partner

SARVAS, COLEMAN, EDGELL & TOBIN, P.C. 5050 N. 40th St., Suite 310, Phoenix, 85018 // 602-2411200 // scetcpa.com NO. OF LOCATIONS 1 NO. OF CPAS 9 AZ EMPLOYEES 17 PRINCIPAL Terry Sarvas, shareholder HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Debi Tobin, shareholder

HUNTER HAGAN & COMPANY 4110 N. Scottsdale Road, Suite 200, Scottsdale, 85251 // 480-946-0751 // hunterhagan.com NO. OF LOCATIONS 1 NO. OF CPAS 12 AZ EMPLOYEES 20 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Victoria C. Harris, managing shareholder

VAVRINEK, TRINE, DAY & CO. 2355 E. Camelback Road, Suite 500, Phoenix, 85016 // 602-381-0381 // vtdcpa.com NO. OF LOCATIONS 1 NO. OF CPAS 7 AZ EMPLOYEES 17 PRINCIPAL Steven Bandler, partner; Jacob Gregory, partner HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN no designee

TULL, FORSBERG & OLSON PLLC 5225 N. Central Ave., Suite 220, Phoenix, 85012 // 602-277-5447 // tfocpa.com NO. OF LOCATIONS 1 NO. OF CPAS 25 AZ EMPLOYEES 38 PRINCIPAL John Tull, managing partner HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Jill Robinson, senior CPA WALLACE, PLESE + DREHER 500 N. Juniper Drive, Suite 275, Chandler, 85226 // 480-345-0500 // wpdcpa.com NO. OF LOCATIONS 1 NO. OF CPAS 24 AZ EMPLOYEES 41 PRINCIPAL Mark R. Dreher, CPA, managing partner HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Sara B. Nance, CPA, senior tax manager

REDW LLC

DISSECT AN ADVISER’S TRACK RECORD QUESTION: I am shopping for a financial adviser.

I see that they produce reports with performance numbers from their other clients. Can I trust these numbers?

ANSWER: Mutual-fund companies must have their performance records audited and reviewed by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. Most also provide an independent auditor›s report. Private money managers face no such SEC requirement. Few provide independent audits. Of course, you really want to know the performance facts about the money manager who you›re considering for ongoing management of your funds. What rate of return has he earned year by year? How has he done in up and down markets? How much risk has he taken, and how have his funds performed versus comparable benchmarks? These are important questions. Getting objective and meaningful answers from most investment advisers who manage money on an ongoing basis is difficult.

Money managers play a number of marketing games to pump themselves up. If all the money managers are telling the truth, 99 percent of them have beaten the market averages, avoided major market plunges over the years, and just happened to be in the best-performing funds last year. Money managers pump up their supposed past performance to seduce you into turning your money over to them through common marketing ploys: SELECT ACCOUNTS: If you can get the money manager to give you performance numbers and charts, too often an asterisk refers you to some

microscopic footnote somewhere. If you have a magnifying glass handy, you can see that the asterisk states something like select or sample accounts.

What this term means, and what the money manager should’ve said instead, is ”We picked the accounts where we did best, used the performance numbers from those, and ignored the rest.” (Interestingly, using smaller type in this way is a violation of SEC regulations.) Advisory firms also may select the time periods when they look best. Finally, and most flagrantly, some firms simply make up the numbers (such as Bernie Madoff did).

FREE SERVICES: Some money managers will produce performance numbers that imply that they›re giving their services away. Remember, money managers charge a fee (a percentage of assets) for their services - they are required to show your returns net of fees (or after fees have been deducted) to clearly show the amount that, as an investor using their services, would’ve made. Because most money managers place their fund trades through discount brokers who charge transaction fees, they must deduct these fees from returns as well.

BOGUS BENCHMARKS: Some money managers make their performance numbers higher than they really are; some also try to make themselves look good in relation to the overall market by comparing their performance numbers to inappropriate benchmarks. For example, money managers who invest worldwide (including in international stocks) may compare their investment performance only to the lowest-returning U.S.-based indexes.

SWITCHING INTO (YESTERDAY’S) STARS: Money managers don’t want to send out updates that show that they’re sitting on yesterday’s losers and missed out on yesterday’s winners. So guess what? They may sell the losers and buy into yesterday’s winners, creating the illusion that they’re more on top of the market than they are. (Some newsletters also engage in this practice.) This strategy, known as window dressing, is potentially dangerous because they may be making a bad situation worse by selling funds that have already declined and buying into others after they’ve soared (not to mention possibly increasing transaction and tax costs).

THE HULBERT FINANCIAL DIGEST Q: Is there a way for me to check out how a particular investment newsletter has done with their past recommendations?

BY ERIC TYSON SPECIAL FOR AZCENTRAL.COM

A: Yes! Mark Hulbert started a useful business in the 1980s. Many investment newsletter were making outrageous claims about the success of its previous predictions. But how could you, the potential new subscriber, know whether a newsletter was telling the truth or blowing smoke? Answer: You couldn’t.

Not until Mark Hulbert came along, that is. He tracks the actual performance of the newsletters’ investment picks. He tracks each newsletter’s recommendations. So, over time, Hulbert knows exactly how the newsletters’ picks have done.

Has The Hulbert Financial Digest stopped the outrageous claims of the investment newsletters?

No, but the claims seem to be slowly getting more STORY CONTINUED ON PAGE 55

2016 // WHO’S WHO IN BUSINESS 45

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LEGAL & FINANCE

LARGE ACCOUNTING FIRMS, RANKED BY NUMBER OF CPAS

Top 10 DELOITTE 2901 N. Central Ave., Phoenix, 85012 // 602-234-5100 // deloitte.com NO. OF LOCATIONS 1 NO. OF CPAS 117 AZ EMPLOYEES 360 PRINCIPAL Jonas McCormick, managing principal HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Sheryl Hildebrand, enterprise risk services practice and marketplace practice leader EY 2 N. Central Ave., Suite 2300, Phoenix, 85004 // 602-322-3000 // ey.com NO. OF LOCATIONS 1 NO. OF CPAS 107 AZ EMPLOYEES 275 PRINCIPAL Ron Butler, Arizona managing partner HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Debbi Fitzgerald, partner CLIFTONLARSONALLEN, LLP 20 E. Thomas Road, Suite 2300, Phoenix, 85012 // 602-266-2248 // claconnect.com NO. OF LOCATIONS 3 NO. OF CPAS 75 AZ EMPLOYEES 171 PRINCIPAL Chad Kunze, managing principal of office, Phoenix; Jay Buck, managing principal of office, Tucson HIGHESTRANKING WOMAN Anita Baker, managing principal of industry, employee benefits

LETTING OTHERS GROW

ZANDRA O’KEEFE MANAGING DIRECTOR

BY GEORGANN YARA

46

With more than two decades experience in the industry, CBIZ tax department Managing Director Zandra O’Keefe admits she didn’t take the most direct road to her professional calling.

“I went at it the hard way,” O’Keefe says, laughing.

By the time she graduated cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in accountancy from Arizona State University, O’Keefe had been working full time for CBIZ Inc., which she joined in 1992. Prior to this, a series of education and career moves included community college biology classes and jobs in a variety of fields.

But shying away from hard work has never been in the Phoenix native’s blood. Her father, a rancher who hails from a family of ranchers, helped instill a solid work ethic. And for her college-educated dad, whose first language was Spanish, earning a degree was non-negotiable.

O’Keefe’s professional ascent prepped her to face challenges ranging from grueling seven-day work weeks during tax season to the occasional sexism she faced in the male-dominated finance field. She talks about men even shaking her hand differently.

“Once, there was a lawyer,” O’Keefe says. “He had this limp handshake, as if to say, ‘Here’s this little girl. We’re not going to take her seriously.’”

The patience O’Keefe tapped into while pursing her career came in handy. She quickly learned that sometimes it’s best when clients think

every decision is their idea.

“You really have to demonstrate your knowledge out of the gate pretty fast,” she says. “You have to get your point across but say, ‘You might want to consider this.…’ Or ‘If you go this route, this could happen….’ We try not to tell people what do to.”

However, these encounters have become less frequent. And O’Keefe credits CBIZ with advocating for women in business with initiatives and programming geared toward networking and mentoring. This includes the CBIZ Women’s Advantage task force, on which O’Keefe serves.

“We need to have diversity in these board rooms,” O’Keefe says.

“It’s the only thing that keeps us moving forward.”

O’Keefe has been married to her husband Glenn for 30 years. Their daughter Sarah is an attorney.

In addition to mentoring other women, O’Keefe donates time to charitable efforts including Southwest Human Development.

She is also a believer of teamwork and asking for help. These components, she says, have been vital to her success—and, she hopes, to that of others.

“It’s about learning how to rely on my team to get things done,” O’Keefe says. “Without a team, you’re really not going to be able to do bigger things. Sometimes women have a hard time letting go. But if you just let go and let someone else grow, they can lift everybody else.”

HENRY & HORNE, LLP 2055 E. Warner Road, Suite 101, Tempe, 85284 // 480-839-4900 // hhcpa. com NO. OF LOCATIONS 3 NO. OF CPAS 67 AZ EMPLOYEES 143 PRINCIPALS Chuck Goodmiller, co-managing partner; Chuck Inderieden, co-managing partner HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Christine Brueser, partner, director of audit and accounting RSM US LLP 501 N. 44th St., Suite 300, Phoenix, 85008 // 602-636-6000 // rsmus.com NO. OF LOCATIONS 1 NO. OF CPAS 61 AZ EMPLOYEES 142 PRINCIPAL Terry Schwartz, office managing partner HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Carrie Pavano, assurance leader KPMG LLP 60 E. Rio Salado Parkway, Suite 800, Tempe, 85281 // 480-459-3500 // kpmg.com/us NO. OF LOCATIONS 2 NO. OF CPAS 60 AZ EMPLOYEES 200 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Lisa Daniels, office managing partner PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS 1850 N. Central Ave., Phoenix, 85004 // 602-364-8000 // pwc.com NO. OF LOCATIONS 1 NO. OF CPAS 55 AZ EMPLOYEES 185 PRINCIPAL Richard Kalenka, Phoenix managing partner HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Monique Connor, partner EIDE BAILLY LLP 1850 N. Central Ave., Suite 400, Phoenix, 85004 // 480-264-5844 // eidebailly. com NO. OF LOCATIONS 1 NO. OF CPAS 40 AZ EMPLOYEES 70 PRINCIPAL Andrew Spillum, chief practice officer HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN LeAnn Rudolph, audit partner CBIZ MHM, LLC 3101 N. Central Ave., Suite 300, Phoenix, 85012 // 602-264-6835 // www.cbiz.com NO. OF LOCATIONS 1 NO. OF CPAS 35 AZ EMPLOYEES 93 PRINCIPAL Carlos Wagner, executive managing director; Chuck McLane, lead managing director - operations HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Zandra O’Keefe, managing director MOSS ADAMS LLP 8800 E. Raintree Drive, Suite 210, Scottsdale, 85260 // 480-444-3424 // mossadams.com NO. OF LOCATIONS 1 NO. OF CPAS 34 AZ EMPLOYEES 42 PRINCIPAL Mark Weber, partner-in-charge HIGHEST-RANKING WOMEN Lupita Martinez, senior manager; Laura Ward, senior manager

WHO’S WHO IN BUSINESS // 2016

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THE CAVANAGH LAW FIRM

SPECIAL ADVERTISING FEATURE

MORE INFORMATION The Cavanagh Law Firm 1850 N Central Ave STE 2400 Phoenix, AZ 85004 602-322-4000 www.cavanaghlaw.com

Kerry Griggs and Christina Hamilton

The Cavanagh Law Firm Attorneys at The Cavanagh Law Firm find satisfaction and joy in their work

By Nick Kostenko

W

hen he was growing up, Kerry Griggs remembers how a number of people advised him to become a lawyer.

“I have vivid memories in elementary school of having difficulty on multiple choice exams, since I felt that I could make an argument that most of the options were correct. More than one teacher told me that the practice of law was my calling in life,” says Griggs, who has been with The Cavanagh Law Firm since its inception in 1999 and is now managing partner.

Attorney Christina Hamilton, who has been with The Cavanagh Law Firm since its inception, also had teachers comment on her apparent knack for law.

“My

high

school

English

teacher

encouraged me to think about law and then my college professor and dean of my department did the same: both saying that I seemed to enjoy persuasive writing and argument,” says Hamilton, who practices exclusively in the area of family law.

Through their roles with The Cavanagh Law Firm, both Griggs and Hamilton say they find their work to be immensely satisfying.

“In over 20 years of practice, I have never been bored at work, even for a single day. I enjoy speaking with highly intelligent people about issues within their areas of expertise,” Griggs says, adding that he also likes, in the context of products cases, learning the history

and engineering details of the products and working with the engineers who designed them.

“I have a lot of respect for good engineering and fabrication. I am something of a frustrated engineer,” he says.

For Hamilton, knowing that she is helping people through one of the worst situations in their lives while also assisting them in resolving the issues and moving on is very satisfying.

“I love the interaction with my clients who are typically very prominent in their own fields. I love the fact that I am helping children when their care is of concern.”

AR-0008542654-01

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LEGAL & FINANCE

MID-SIZE LAW FIRMS, RANKED BY NUMBER OF ATTORNEYS

Top 10 JENNINGS, STROUSS & SALMON, P.L.C. 1 E. Washington St., Suite 1900, Phoenix, 85004 // 602262-5911 // jsslaw.com ATTORNEYS 56 EMPLOYEES 129 PRINCIPAL John C.Norling, managing attorney HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Norma C. Izzo, member DAVIS MILES MCGUIRE GARDNER, PLLC 40 E. Rio Salado Parkway, Suite 425, Tempe, 85281 // 480-733-6800 // davismiles.com ATTORNEYS 50 EMPLOYEES 106 PRINCIPAL Pernell McGuire, managing partner HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Jackie McAferty, chief operating officer TIFFANY & BOSCO P.A. 2525 E. Camelback Road, Seventh Floor, Phoenix, 85016 // 602-2556000 // tblaw.com ATTORNEYS 50 EMPLOYEES 175 PRINCIPAL Mark Bosco, director HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Alisa Gray, shareholder OSBORN MALEDON PA 2929 N. Central Ave., Phoenix, 85012 // 602-640-9000 // omlaw.com ATTORNEYS 47 EMPLOYEES 96 PRINCIPAL Scott Rodgers, managing partner HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Mary O’Grady, member

KEEPING GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE

KAREN DICKINSON SHAREHOLDER

BY HAL MATTERN

48

Karen Dickinson learned a while ago that she doesn’t like making business decisions. She would much rather help her clients make those decisions.

That’s why Dickinson, a shareholder at Polsinelli PC, returned to the practice of law after trying careers as a supply chain executive and an entrepreneur.

“I found out I really was not an entrepreneur,” she says. “I liked being a lawyer, not a business person. I like advising, which probably has something to do with my [undergraduate] psych degree.”

Dickinson started her law career as an associate for a large Phoenix law firm. Then she worked for eight years as an in-house attorney for Honeywell Inc., before shifting to supply management for the company.

At about that time she also joined four other people to start an online party-planning business with busy executives as target clients.

“That was the late 1990s, when everybody was going to make millions on the Internet,” Dickinson recalls. “It sounded like a good idea. Then the crash came.”

When the Internet bubble burst, it wiped out many fortunes made by Internet start-ups.

“We didn’t lose too much money,” she says. “And it was a great experience for me, and helped me in my technolo-

gy law career.”

By the time the party business imploded, Dickinson had returned to a law firm, focusing on technology and international law. She helped start the firm’s China and technology law teams.

She joined Polsinelli in 2013 and continues to represent international clients with business interests in the United States as well as U.S. clients doing business overseas.

Dickinson never experienced problems with businessmen in Asian countries, where the perception is that women are treated as second-class citizens.

“Under the communist system in China, women are plugged into positions of power, so men are used to dealing with women in power,” she says. “And in Japan, as long as you are the person anointed as the one with power, they will deal with you. So I’ve never had a problem, not once.”

That hasn’t always been her experience in this country, where Dickinson says a client once refused to work with her because she was a woman until a male partner told the client she was the best person for the job. But that attitude has changed dramatically.

“Women don’t have to fight for credibility the way we used to,” Dickinson says. “We don’t have to have that kind of support from men now. We don’t have to try to be copies of men.”

THE CAVANAGH LAW FIRM 1850 N. Central Ave, Suite 2400, Phoenix, 85004 // 602-322-4072 // cavanaghlaw.com ATTORNEYS 47 EMPLOYEES 45 PRINCIPAL Kerry Griggs, president and chairman HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Christina S. Hamilton, shareholder KUTAK ROCK LLP 8601 N. Scottsdale Road, Suite 300, Scottsdale, 85253 // 480-429-5000 // kutakrock.com ATTORNEYS 43 EMPLOYEES 78 PRINCIPAL Patrick A. Ray, managing partnerHIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Emily K. Smith, partner SQUIRE PATTON BOGGS 1 E. Washington St., Suite 2700, Phoenix, 85004 // 602-528-4000 // squirepattonboggs.com ATTORNEYS 41 EMPLOYEES 70 PRINCIPAL D. Lewis Clark, managing partner HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Sara Regan, partner BURCH & CRACCHIOLO, P.A. 702 E. Osborn Road, Suite 200, Phoenix, 85014 // 602-234-8746 // bcattorneys.com ATTORNEYS 40 EMPLOYEES 88 PRINCIPAL Ed Bull, managing partner and president HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Clare H. Abel, partner BRYAN CAVE LLP 2 N. Central Avenue, Suite 2200, Phoenix, 85004 // 602-364-7000 // bryancave.com ATTORNEYS 39 EMPLOYEES 79 PRINCIPAL Jay Zweig, office managing partner HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Tia Cottey, partner POLSINELLI PC 1 E. Washington Street, Suite 1200, Phoenix, 85004 // 602-650-2338 // polsinelli.com ATTORNEYS 36 EMPLOYEES 90 PRINCIPAL EdwardNovak, office managing partnerHIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Karen Dickinson, shareholder; Anne Kleindienst, shareholder STEPTOE & JOHNSON LLP 201 E. Washington St., Suite 1600, Phoenix, 85004 // 602-257-5200 // steptoe.com ATTORNEYS 36 EMPLOYEES 65 PRINCIPAL Paul Charlton, managing partner HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Nancy White, partner

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BURCH & CRACCHIOLO P.A.

SPECIAL ADVERTISING FEATURE

(left to right): Susie Ingold, Ann Marie Stevens, Susan Dana-Kobey, Sarah O’Keefe, Sharon Oscar, Clare Abel, Martha Patrick, Amy Howland, Laura Meyer, Tonya MacBeth, Melissa Iyer Julian and Wendi Sorensen.

Burch & Cracchiolo P.A. Bringing a woman’s perspective to business

By Alison Stanton

A

s an attorney at Burch & Cracchiolo, Clare Abel understands the importance of women holding top positions in a company.

Susie Ingold concentrates in labor and employment law and litigation, including civil rights, discrimination and wrongful termination.

Numerous studies have shown that Fortune 500 companies that have the most women in top positions are the ones doing best with consumers, Abel said, and the different perspectives that women bring are a key to that success.

Melissa Iyer Julian has represented businesses in a variety of commercial matters including securities litigation, business and partnership disputes, and real estate disputes.

“Women look at problems differently and handle things differently,” Abel said. “If you don’t have a broader perspective, you’re missing out on things, and the market is starting to show that.”

Burch & Cracchiolo has a wide variety of knowledgeable and innovative women on staff, including: Clare Abel is a Certified Real Estate Specialist who represents developers, builders and real estate investors in transactions, valuation issues and zoning and subdivision matters.

Wendi Sorensen has been certified by the State Bar of Arizona as a specialist in Personal Injury and Wrongful Death law.

Her practice focuses on aggravated liability and damages matters, vehicular products liability matters and construction site matters.

Susan Dana-Kobey practices in all areas of Construction-related and General Liability litigation. She has served as lead counsel for construction industry clients in multimillion dollar residential and commercial litigation matters.

Martha Patrick is a Certified Tax Specialist representing clients in federal, state and local tax controversies.

Tonya MacBeth focuses her practice on litigation. Her practice areas include Family Law, Construction Defect Defense, Medical Malpractice, Personal Injury and Commercial Litigation.

Amy Howland represents clients in real estate and financial transactions, including purchase, sales and leasing for commercial properties and negotiation of financial transactions.

Sharon Oscar’s real estate practice focuses on the sale, acquisition, leasing and property management of all types of commercial properties. In addition, she practices equine law covering a broad array

of services including the sale and leasing of horses and horse properties.

Laura Meyer’s practice concentrates on litigation matters, including business litigation, professional liability, and matters involving government liability.

Sarah N. O’Keefe joined Burch & Cracchiolo in 2013 and is focusing on business and corporate law, commercial litigation and personal injury cases.

Ann Marie Stevens joined Burch & Cracchiolo in 2014 after a successful career in real estate. Her practice focuses on commercial litigation, employment and labor law and real estate law.

MORE INFORMATION Burch & Cracchiolo P.A. 702 E. Osborn Rd., Suite 200 Phoenix, AZ 85014 602-274-7611 bcattorneys.com

LEGAL & FINANCE

LARGE LAW FIRMS, RANKED BY NUMBER OF ATTORNEYS

Top 10 SNELL & WILMER 400 E. Van Buren St., Phoenix, 85004 // 602-382-6000 // swlaw.com ATTORNEYS 204 EMPLOYEES 476 PRINCIPAL Matthew P. Feeney, chairman HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Barbara J. Dawson, partner FENNEMORE CRAIG, P.C. 2394 E. Camelback Road, Suite 600, Phoenix, 85016 // 602-9165000 // fennemorecraig.com ATTORNEYS 128 EMPLOYEES 287 PRINCIPAL Stephen Good, managing partner HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Sarah Stunk, shareholder and chairman QUARLES & BRADY LLP 2 N. Central Avenue, Phoenix, 85004 // 602-229-5900 // quarles.com ATTORNEYS 120 EMPLOYEES 215 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Nicole Stanton, office managing partner LEWIS ROCA ROTHGERBER CHRISTIE LLP 201 E. Washington St., Suite 1200, Phoenix, 85004 // 602-262-5311 // lrrc.com ATTORNEYS 106 EMPLOYEES 241 PRINCIPAL Kenneth Van Winkle Jr., managing partner HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Amy Altshuler, practice group leader, partner; Carla Consoli, practice group leader, partner JONES, SKELTON & HOUCHLI, PLC 2901 N. Central Avenue, Suite 800, Phoenix, 85012 // 602-263-1700 // jshfirm.com ATTORNEYS 83 EMPLOYEES 211 PRINCIPAL Bill Holm, managing partner HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Georgia Staton, partner

ATTORNEY DEEP IN WATER

SHERYL SWEENEY SENIOR SHAREHOLDER

BY HAL MATTERN

50

When Sheryl Sweeney was a student in Kansas, she had no idea what she wanted to do when she grew up.

But she figured she had to say something when people asked her what she wanted to be. So when she was in middle school, she starting telling them she planned to go to law school, even though it really wasn’t her goal.

In fact, Sweeney wound up majoring in sociology in college.

“I graduated from college as a social worker with the prospect of working who knows where—probably a prison,” Sweeney recalls. “Suddenly law school looked pretty good.”

Now, 32 years later, Sweeney is very happy she decided to follow through with her declared childhood desire to be a lawyer.

“I love being a lawyer,” says Sweeney, who worked at Ryley Carlock & Applewhite in Phoenix as a summer clerk while a student at the University of Kansas School of Law, then joined the firm as an associate when she graduated in 1984.

And she has been there ever since, a rarity these days in the legal industry— and in the working world in general.

“When I started, you picked a firm where you wanted to stay forever,” says Sweeney, the firm’s senior female shareholder.

There was something else different about law firms when she started— there were few women.

“There were three of us who started with the firm at the same time, all of us women,” Sweeney says. “And there was only one other woman at the firm at the time. We sort of broke the ice.”

She recalls when male lawyers would ask her to type for them, something that would never happen today. The days also are long gone when clients refused to work with female attorneys.

“If it’s happening, I’m sure not being told about it,” Sweeney says. “I think we are pretty well beyond that.”

When she joined the firm, Sweeney was assigned to the water law practice, an area she has focused on ever since, along with environmental and energy law.

“Water law was perfect for me,” she says, explaining that much of her work involves assured water supplies, water rights and hydrology studies. “In Arizona, it makes you feel like you are in the middle of everything.”

Sweeney says she is one of a small number of female lawyers in Phoenix working in energy law, which she says is going to continue to be a boom area.

“I always encourage women to get into that area,” she says.

GALLAGHER & KENNEDY 2575 E. Camelback Road, Suite 1100, Phoenix, 85016 // 602-5308000 // gknet.com ATTORNEYS 79 EMPLOYEES 171 PRINCIPAL Dean Short, managing partner HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Julie Rystad, shareholder RYLEY CARLOCK & APPLEWHITE 1 N. Central Ave., Suite 1200, Phoenix, 85004 // 602-440-4800 // rcalaw.comFounded xx ATTORNEYS 72 EMPLOYEES 125 PRINCIPAL James Brophy, managing shareholder HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Sheryl Sweeney, shareholder PERKINS COIE LLP 2901 N. Central Ave., Suite 2000, Phoenix, 85012 // 602-351-8000 // perkinscoie.com ATTORNEYS 62 EMPLOYEES 131 PRINCIPAL Shane Swindle, managing partner HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Judy Weiss, partner GUST ROSENFELD PLC 1 E. Washington St., Suite 1600, Phoenix, 85004 // 602-257-7422 // gustlaw. com ATTORNEYS 60 EMPLOYEES 127 PRINCIPAL Tom Chauncey, member HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Barbara Rodriguez-Pashkowski, member DICKINSON WRIGHT PLLC 1850 N. Central Ave., Suite 1400, Phoenix, 85004 // 602-285-5000 // dickinsonwright.com ATTORNEYS 58 EMPLOYEES 102 PRINCIPAL Gary Birnbaum, member HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Anne Tiffen, member

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MID-SIZE BANKS, RANKED BY ARIZONA DEPOSITS

LEGAL & FINANCE

Top 10 AMTRUST BANK 6900 E. Camelback Road, Suite 100, Scottsdale, 85251 // 480-970-6500 // amtrust. com AZ DEPOSITS $1 billion AZ EMPLOYEES 92 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Doreen Rast, senior vice president and regional executive BANK OF THE WEST 7272 E. Indian School Road, Suite 210, Scottsdale, 85251 // 800-488-2265 // bankofthewest.com AZ DEPOSITS $964 million AZ EMPLOYEES 134 PRINCIPAL Kevin Gillette, director, commercial banking sales manager, team leader HIGHEST-RANKING WOMEN Nicole Strom, vice president, business banking officer; Marianne Berlan, vice president, CBG division marketing officer NORTHERN TRUST 2160 E. Elliot Road, Tempe, 85284 // 480-887-9222 // notherntrust.com AZ DEPOSITS $797 million AZ EMPLOYEES 400 PRINCIPAL Tony Bolazina, president HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Pamela Higdon, director, Arizona operating center BANK OF ARIZONA 16767 N. Perimeter Drive, Suite 200, Scottsdale, 85260 // 602-808-5357 // bankofarizona.com AZ DEPOSITS $664 million AZ EMPLOYEES 112 PRINCIPAL Vickie Larsen, senior vice president, market executive HIGHESTRANKING WOMEN Jennifer Pescatore, senior vice president, manager, commercial real estate banking; Stacy Sanner, senior vice president, manager, treasury sales UMB 2700 N. Central Ave., Suite 110, Phoenix, 85004 // 602-274-7500 // umb.com AZ DEPOSITS $654 million AZ EMPLOYEES 83 PRINCIPAL Larry J. West, CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Deborah Wahl, senior vice president, human resources director ARIZONA BUSINESS BANK 2600 N. Central Ave., Suite 2000, Phoenix, 85004 // 602-240-2700 // cobizfinancial.com AZ DEPOSITS $600 million AZ EMPLOYEES 110 PRINCIPAL Toby Day, market president HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Valorie Simpson, regional president MUTUAL OF OMAHA BANK 9200 E. Pima Center Parkway, Suite 260, Scottsdale, 85258 // 480-4582000 // mutualofomahabank.com AZ DEPOSITS $565 million AZ EMPLOYEES 339 PRINCIPAL Kevin Halloran, state president HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Grace Duval, senior vice president COMERICA BANK - ARIZONA 3200 E. Camelback Road, Suite 150, Phoenix, 85018 // 602-333-7443 // comerica.com AZ DEPOSITS $461 million AZ EMPLOYEES 139 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Annette Musa, Arizona market president THE BILTMORE BANK OF ARIZONA 5055 N. 32nd St., Phoenix, 85018 // 602-992-5055 // biltmorebankaz.com AZ DEPOSITS $450 million AZ EMPLOYEES 27 PRINCIPAL Rich Endicott, president HIGHEST-RANKING WOMEN Desirae Outcalt, vice president and client relations officer; Leticia Scearce, vice president and government guaranteed lending manager ARIZONA BANK & TRUST 2036 E. Camelback Road, Phoenix, 85016 // 602-381-2090 // arizbank.com AZ DEPOSITS $406 million AZ EMPLOYEES 70 PRINCIPAL Paul F. Muscenti, Chairman HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Nancy Tengler, senior vice president, wealth advisory services market manager

HELPS WOMEN IN FINANCE When Annette Musa was working in the brokerage industry in the early 1990s, there were very few Hispanic women colleagues, let alone mentors. But Musa, Arizona market president for Comerica Bank, didn’t have to search far to find a strong Latina who proved bucking the system could lead to success.

The youngest of seven children born into a blue-collar family in Omaha, Neb., Musa recalls her oldest sister Olivia earned a teaching degree because education and nursing were the only professional options for women at the time. But instead of settling, Olivia went on to pursue her dream of becoming a lawyer.

“She would say, ‘Always make sure to carry yourself with dignity,” Musa says. “She knew there were barriers to overcome.”

Musa followed her sister’s lead as she rose through the white, male-dominated brokerage environment, earning a business administration degree from the University of Phoenix.

“When you don’t look like everybody else, when you don’t have the same background as everyone else, it’s more challenging,” Musa says.

“You can combat that over time, but you must remember to present yourself in a respectable manner. You had to work a little harder to make sure people knew you were knowledgeable and capable.”

Much has changed over the years, with the finance realm becoming more diverse at the higher ranks.

Musa credits Comerica with recognizing the need to support women’s pursuit of these positions.

“At Comerica, you look at the leaders and so many are strong women,” says Musa, who joined Comerica in 2006, and has held her current position since 2013. “Our firm looks to recruit women specifically and from different cultures.

They understand that if the leadership looks like the community, we can better serve the community.”

Banks started to provide investment services about 20 years ago, not long after Musa moved to Phoenix. She was thriving in the brokerage field, but when she was approached to apply her skills to the banking arena, Musa made the move.

Outside of work, Musa is involved with community and nonprofit organizations, including the Arizona Bankers Association and Fresh Start Women’s Foundation.

She has two sons with her husband of 26 years, who has a law enforcement background.

“Being married to a wonderful man and being able to enjoy your children can help you become successful if you have that kind of stability and support,” Musa says.

She treasures being in the position to give generations of women leaders the mentor and inspiration that was rare when she was getting her start.

“Someone like me did it and I enjoy it,” she says. “I hope that does encourage [women] in the world of finance.”

ANNETTE MUSA ARIZONA MARKET PRESIDENT

BY GEORGANN YARA

2016 // WHO’S WHO IN BUSINESS 51

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LEGAL & FINANCE

LARGE BANKS, RANKED BY ARIZONA DEPOSITS

Top 10 JPMORGAN CHASE & CO. 201 N. Central Ave., Phoenix, 85004 // 877-302-4273 // chase.com AZ DEPOSITS $27.53 billion AZ EMPLOYEES 9,500 PRINCIPAL Curtis Reed, managing director, Arizona and Nevada middle market manager, commercial bank HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Noreen Bishop, region manager for Chase business banking WELLS FARGO 100 W. Washington St., Phoenix, 85003 // 800-869-3557 // wellsfargo.com AZ DEPOSITS $25.6 billion AZ EMPLOYEES 15,071 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Pamela Conboy, lead region president BANK OF AMERICA 201 E. Washington St., Phoenix, 85004 // 800-432-1000 // bankofamerica.com AZ DEPOSITS $17.7 billion AZ EMPLOYEES 9,800 PRINCIPAL Benito C. Almanza, Arizona president HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Eleanor Millwood, senior vice president, Arizona area executive NATIONAL BANK OF ARIZONA 6001 N. 24th St., Phoenix, 85016 // 602-235-6000 // nbaz. com AZ DEPOSITS $4.4 billion AZ EMPLOYEES 800 PRINCIPAL Mark Young, president and CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Deborah Bateman, vice chairman, director of premier wealth management

AN ACCIDENTAL BANKER

NOREEN BISHOP BUSINESS BANKING REGION MANAGER

BY GEORGANN YARA

52

Banking was not the career Noreen Bishop had in mind when she graduated from Providence College with a degree in social studies and a minor in labor relations.

But from the first interview Bishop had with the company then known as Chemical Bank nearly 30 years ago, she knew it was the company she wanted to work for.

Since 1987, the New Jersey native has held a number of positions within the company, now JPMorgan Chase & Co., and thrived through several mergers.

When the bank first explored services dedicated to small business banking, Bishop, who had once eyed a career in labor relations, shined. It propelled her career into a direction she’s passionate about—the role a bank plays to a small business owner.

“Helping the small business owner meet their financial objectives… that’s the rewarding aspect,” she says.

Bishop’s career brought her to Arizona in 2008. Four years ago, she took over her current position as business banking region manager.

The move made Bishop the bank’s most senior woman executive in the state, which has allowed her to support professional women in Arizona and get involved with the community in a more influential way.

“There were many years when I

was the only female at the table and in management,” Bishop says. “We’ve made remarkable progress with having more high-level female leaders.”

Bishop serves on the board of Jobs for Arizona’s Graduates. She has been a leading advocate for a number of Chase programs, including Women on the Move and PHX Startup Week, an annual entrepreneur-focused event Bishop has championed. In 2016, the event doubled its inaugural 2015 attendance.

In addition to her bachelor’s degree, Bishop completed an executive leadership program at Smith College.

She is a newlywed, having married husband Steve Hill this spring, and a new stepmother to Steve’s 8-yearold daughter.

Bishop’s mother is a city planner and owns a housing consulting business. Her father owned an executive search firm in New York City.

Having a support system—including the male executives who advanced her career and the female advocates who stood firmly in her corner—has been key to Bishop’s rise, along with a willingness to go with the flow.

“As this business continues to evolve and grow, being willing to learn and adapt has been a critical part of my career,” she says. “To have that balance has served me well.”

BBVA COMPASS 2850 E. Camelback Road, Suite 140, Phoenix, 85016 // 480-783-8010 // bbvacompass.com AZ DEPOSITS $4.4 billion AZ EMPLOYEES 834 PRINCIPAL Jeff Talpas, west region executive HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Elizabeth Dobers, national small business sales manager ALLIANCE BANK OF ARIZONA 1 E. Washington St., Phoenix, 85004 // 602-389-3500 // alliancebankofarizona.com AZ DEPOSITS $3.5 billion AZ EMPLOYEES 230 PRINCIPAL Jim Lundy, founding president and CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Sherri Slayton, executive vice president BMO HARRIS BANK 1 E. Camelback Road, Suite 1100, Phoenix, 85012 // 312-461-7956 // bmoharris.com AZ DEPOSITS $2.55 billion AZ EMPLOYEES 554 PRINCIPAL Steven Zandpour, sunbelt regional president HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Susan K. Hasenstein, premier market manager U.S. BANK 101 N. First Ave., Suite 1600, Phoenix, 85003 // 602-257-5351 // usbank.com AZ DEPOSITS $1.5 billion AZ EMPLOYEES 739 PRINCIPAL Brian Schwallie, Arizona market president HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Mary Martuscelli, president, wealth management MIDFIRST BANK 3030 E. Camelback Road, Phoenix, 85016 // 602-801-5000 // midfirst.com AZ DEPOSITS $1.26 billion AZ EMPLOYEES 311 PRINCIPAL Jeffrey Lowe, Arizona market president HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Virginia Nelson, executive vice president, treasury management, commercial products and Arizona retail banking WASHINGTON FEDERAL 6710 N. Scottsdale Road, Suite 210, Scottsdale, 85253 // 480-607-4848 // washingtonfederal.com AZ DEPOSITS $1.26 billion AZ EMPLOYEES 209 PRINCIPAL Mike Brown, Arizona regional president HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Paris Davis, vice president and northwest Arizona retail banking division manager

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YOUR MONEY

THE ART OF HAGGLING Negotiating to get a better price is something that I have practiced for years with effective results. Most people find negotiating to be somewhat awkward and even intimidating. Negotiating for a lower price is an accepted practice at car dealerships and garage sales, but are you aware that you can also do this at department and grocery stores? The first rule of negotiating is to know the price of the item you want to buy and how much you are willing to pay. Thanks to the use of smart phones, shoppers can easily compare prices and make deals. You must also be willing to walk away from any deal if it is over your price limit.

The art of haggling can become an easy part of your shopping experience if you follow these five strategies.

SELLER INITIATES

One of the most obvious situations to begin negotiating is when the seller tells you that you can have the item for a lower price than listed. Essentially, they have given you permission to haggle.

Car and furniture stores traditionally do this. They expect the price will be debated, so take this as an invitation to start the bidding!

A variation of this scenario is the store’s response when you state, “I would love this item, but it costs more than I am willing to pay.� If the seller’s reaction is that they are willing to lower the price, ask them how much. Let them make the first reduction in price because they might go lower than what you had in mind.

OUT OF STOCK OR LAST ITEM

I have been in stores, where a sales clerk tells me the particular item I want is out of stock and the display item is the last one they have. This is music to my ears and a signal to ask for a discount on the display item. Explain to them that the display model has been touched over and over, so in essence it’s a used item. Again, don’t make the initial offer, but ask them how much they are willing to lower the price.

SLIGHT DEFECT OR FLAW

If you notice a slight defect that you can live with, point out the flaw to the seller and ask them if they are willing to give you a discount. If at any point in your negotiating, the person you are dealing with does not have the authority to lower the price, ask to speak to a

manager. Make sure you don’t haggle at the checkout counter.

PAYING CASH

Cash is the preferred method of payment for many merchants who want to avoid paying a fee when clients use debit or credit cards. Many of these businesses are willing to give you a discount but you must ask for it.

BUYING IN VOLUME OR BULK

You can also ask for a discount whenever you do volume purchasing.

The reason you can be successful in this type of negotiating is the store would be losing a bigger sale than if a person was just buying one item.

I find that I am about 85 percent successful when negotiating. Many more retailers are willing to negotiate on price because they want to keep you as their customer. This is also an edge they have over online competitors. I believe in negotiating anytime, anywhere for an item I want. The worst thing that can happen is that they will say no. Remember to always be polite when asking for a discount and thank your retailer if you receive a price reduction.

BY BOB BLAYTER, SPECIAL FOR THE REPUBLIC AZCENTRAL.COM Â Bob Blayter is a budget and debt-reduction counselor.

To attend a seminar, schedule a talk or seminar, or get personal budget counseling, reach him at 480-239-4843 orfinanciallyfreeseminars@gmail. com. Visit www. financiallyfreeseminars.com.

Congratulations, Noreen!

Noreen Bishop has been an integral part of the Arizona business community for the past eight years and part of the JPMorgan Chase family for almost three decades.

In addition to leading Chase Business Banking across

We want to congratulate Noreen and all of this year’s honorees who have been recognized as Arizona Republic’s “Who’s Who in Business.�

Š2016 JPMorgan Chase & Co.

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LEGAL & FINANCE

CREDIT UNIONS, RANKED BY ASSETS

Top 10 DESERT SCHOOLS FEDERAL CREDIT UNION 148 N. 48th St., Phoenix, 85034 // 602-433-7000 // desertschools.org ASSETS $3.8 billion EMPLOYEES 1,100 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Susan Frank, CEO ONEAZ CREDIT UNION 2355 W. Pinnacle Peak Road, Phoenix, 85027 // 800-671-1098 // oneazcu. com ASSETS $1.8 billion EMPLOYEES 467 PRINCIPAL David E. Doss, president and CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Deborah Pearson, executive vice president brand and strategy VANTAGE WEST CREDIT UNION 2480 N. Arcadia Ave., Tucson, 85712 // 520-298-7882 // vantagewest.org ASSETS $1.5 billion EMPLOYEES 440 PRINCIPAL Robert D. Ramirez, president and CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Brenda Gordon, vice president, legal counsel ARIZONA FEDERAL CREDIT UNION P.O. Box 60070, Phoenix, 85082 // 602-683-1000 // arizonafederal.org ASSETS $1.3 billion EMPLOYEES 447 PRINCIPAL Ronald Westad, CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Amy Hysell, senior vice president and chief Information officer

HARD WORK PAYS OFF

LORI GALLEGOS EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT AND CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER

BY GEORGANN YARA

54

Much has changed since Lori Gallegos joined First Credit Union as an administrative assistant in human resources 27 years ago.

As the executive vice president and chief operations officer rose through the ranks of the once-small credit union, she saw the company grow from 70 employees to a staff of 151, and from $89 million in assets to $427 million.

It’s not the first time she made the most of a modest start. Born early in Eldridge, Iowa, Gallegos spent her life in the Quad City area. She and her husband traded in small-town life for big city bustle when they moved to Phoenix, where her brother lived.

“We had no job, no home, we drove here with $1,000 in our pocket,” recalls Gallegos, who was in her early 20s. “We thought we’d give it a try. If it didn’t work, we’d go back home.”

A month later when they ran out of money, Gallegos’ job as a receptionist helped pay the bills. She and her now former-husband started a small company specializing in building management and maintenance.

Then Gallegos went on to work for Del Webb and the Orange Tree Golf Resort where, as human resources director, she watched the resort facility expand into what it is today.

“It was this great opportunity to see business growth and a rapidly changing environment,” she says.

In 1989, at the suggestion of a former co-worker, Gallegos applied for a position at First Credit Union and was offered the job by the end of the lunch interview.

Gallegos earned a degree in business administration from the University of Phoenix. In 2008, she recieved the Credit Union National Association’s Training Champion Award for creating the credit union’s award-winning training programs. In 2015, she was named Operations Professional of the Year for developing the credit union’s personalized sales and service culture.

Gallegos married her husband, Les, 19 years ago. Together, they have one child. Their blended family includes twins from Gallegos’ first marriage and a child from Les’ previous marriage.

Among the mentors Gallegos credits as influencing her career is the late Fred L. Kent, the former CEO of First Credit Union who hired her.

“He encouraged me to stretch my knowledge and my abilities,” she says.

“He always gave me the opportunity and room to grow.”

Willingness to step up to a challenge and not being afraid to get into the trenches propelled Gallegos’ success.

When she arrived at the credit union, she even plunged toilets.

“Be the person who does it,” she says. Someone people can count on, who doesn’t shy away from a challenge and helps other people through theirs.

TRUWEST CREDIT UNION 1667 N. Priest Drive, Tempe, 85281 // 602-629-1842 // truwest.org ASSETS $927 million EMPLOYEES 180 PRINCIPAL Alan Althouse, president and CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Karen Bejarano, vice president - Arizona branch operations HUGHES FEDERAL CREDIT UNION P.O. Box 11900, Tucson, 85734 // 520-794-8341 // hughesfcu.org ASSETS $836 million EMPLOYEES 201 PRINCIPAL Robert J. Swick, president and general manager HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Kellie Terhune Neely, vice president marketing CREDIT UNION WEST P.O. Box 7600, Glendale, 85312 // 602-631-3200 // cuwest.org ASSETS $595 million EMPLOYEES 180 PRINCIPAL Robert MacGregor, president and CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Karen Roch, executive vice president ARIZONA CENTRAL CREDIT UNION 2020 N. Central Ave., Suite 300, Phoenix, 85004 // 602-523-8255 // azcentralcu.org ASSETS $439 million EMPLOYEES 199 PRINCIPAL Todd Pearson, president and CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Janet Moodie, vice president and chief operating officer FIRST CREDIT UNION 25 S. Arizona Place, Suite 111, Chandler, 85225 // 480-756-5500 // firstcu. net ASSETS $427 million EMPLOYEES 150 PRINCIPAL Jay Curtis, president and CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Lori Gallegos, executive vice president and chief operations officer PIMA FEDERAL CREDIT UNION 6850 N. Oracle Road, Tucson, 85704 // 520-887-5010 // pimafederal.org ASSETS did not disclose EMPLOYEES 155 PRINCIPAL Nathanael Tarwasokono, president and CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Cindy Campano, chief lending officer

WHO’S WHO IN BUSINESS // 2016

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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 45 accurate, thanks to Hulbert’s influence. The problem is that people still believe the marketing hype of the newsletters and never bother to check with Hulbert’s service.

Hulbert’s service has created another problem, however.

Many newsletters can claim to be No. 1 by selecting short time periods when they actually were on top, even though they’ve underperformed the rest of the time. And some falsely lay claim to the No. 1 status by simply comparing their performance to all those that are worse, while ignoring the ones that perform better!

Take a look at the performance track record of investment newsletters. According to The Hulbert Financial Digest, which looks at risk as well as return, only a few newsletters have managed to keep ahead of the market averages over the past 15 years. And these newsletters only managed to do so by a small margin (and that doesn’t take into account the cost of subscribing to a newsletter). The worst investment newsletters, on the other hand, have underperformed the market averages by dozens of percentage points: Some would’ve even caused you to lose money during time periods when the financial markets performed extraordinarily well.

Of course, you’d never know about newsletters’ dismal performances if all you ever listened to were the claims made by newsletter writers themselves. Most claim that they told their loyal followers to sell everything just before the last dozen times that the stock market plunged. They also usually go on to proclaim that they advocated buying at every bottom in the market.

Newsletter writers don’t know anything that isn’t already reflected in the prices of securities. If newsletter writers did have a knack for unearthing information that no one else typically knew, they’d be too busy investing their own money and making millions off their predictions to waste their time publishing a newsletter.

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5/17/16 5:43 PM

LEGAL & FINANCE

INVESTMENT ADVISORY FIRMS, RANKED BY ASSETS UNDER MANAGEMENT

Top 10 SAGEPOINT FINANCIAL 2800 N. Central Ave., Suite 2100, Phoenix, 85004// 602-744-3278 // sagepoint financial.com ASSETS UNDER MANAGEMENT $36 billion AZ EMPLOYEES 250 PRINCIPAL Jefff Auld, president and CEO, SagePoint Financial HIGHESTRANKING WOMAN Erica McGinnis, president and CEO, advisor group MADISON SCOTTSDALE 8777 N. Gainey Center Drive, Suite 220, Scottsdale, 85258// 480-596-3338 // madisonscottsdale.com ASSETS UNDER MANAGEMENT $5.7 billion AZ EMPLOYEES 7 PRINCIPAL Don Miller, managing director, portfolio manager HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Anjanette Fowler, managing director, portfolio manager UNITED PLANNERS 7333 E. Doubletree Ranch Road, Suite 120, Scottsdale, 85258// 800-966-8737 // unitedplanners.com ASSETS UNDER MANAGEMENT $3.9 billion AZ EMPLOYEES 169 PRINCIPAL David Shindel, president HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Sheila Cuffari-Agasi, vice president, partner development

BACK TO THE BEGINNING

SHARON ZEIDLER MANAGING DIRECTOR AND SENIOR INVESTMENT CONSULTANT

BY HAL MATTERN

56

Sharon Zeidler grew up around stockbrokers and investment advisors at her father’s Scottsdale business, meeting his clients and getting to know about the industry.

“At a young age I spent time in my dad’s office, and I really kind of got the bug early,” Zeidler says. “But I didn’t know if I wanted to do it out of the chute.”

So instead of following in her father’s footsteps after graduating from college, she started an invitation and calligraphy business with her sister.

“We sold lines of invitations for weddings and bar mitzvahs,” she says. “We did business cards and letterheads, and I did the calligraphy.”

The business was successful, but after two years Zeidler got married and moved to California, so she and her sister closed the business.

When Zeidler returned to Scottsdale in 1991, her father, Edward Yalowitz, asked her to join his business on the administrative side.

“I learned about the back office and the ins and outs of the business,” Zeidler says. “It was a shortterm thing that ended up being 24plus years.”

When she decided in 1997 that she wanted to be a financial adviser, her father offered to gradually make her a full partner over the next five years. During that time she earned her Series 7 securities license and completed a rigorous brokerage

program, which she finished at the top of her class.

“I also got a lot of mentoring from my father, which was indispensable,” Zeidler says.

In 2003, she and her father moved their business to Robert W. Baird & Co. in Scottsdale, where she is now managing director and senior investment consultant in the company’s private wealth-management division. Her father, now 81, still works beside her.

“We enjoy working together,” Zeidler says. “We collaborate with a lot of our clients and we feel they are in a good situation because they have many layers watching over their finances.”

Zeidler says the investment industry has changed since she started, and is now customized.

“What’s right for a 70-year-old widow is not right for a 40-year-old couple with kids,” she says. “They have different mindsets about their short-term and long-term goals and about the level of risk they are comfortable with.”

And it’s not just about buying and selling stocks anymore.

“We take a more comprehensive approach to investing now, a helicopter view of our clients’ financial situation in terms of their goals,” she says. “We’re working with attorneys and CPAs. If a client is remodeling his house, we get him names of interior designers. We have tentacles in a lot of areas.”

FIRST FINANCIAL EQUITY CORPORATION 7373 N. Scottsdale Road, Suite D120, Scottsdale, 85253// 480-9510079 // www.ffec.com ASSETS UNDER MANAGEMENT $2.8 billion AZ EMPLOYEES 80 PRINCIPAL George Fischer, president and sole director HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN no designee MILLER RUSSELL ASSOCIATES 3200 E. Camelback Road, Suite 300, Phoenix, 85018// 602-468-1232 // miller-russell.com ASSETS UNDER MANAGEMENT $2.3 billion AZ EMPLOYEES 41 PRINCIPAL Mark Feldman, managing partner and CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMEN Maureen Rzeppa, managing partner and chief administrative officer; Christina Burroughs, managing partner ROBERT W. BAIRD & CO. INC. 14648 N. Scottsdale Road, Suite 175, Scottsdale, 85254// 480-624-2300 // rwbaird.com ASSETS UNDER MANAGEMENT $2.3 billion AZ EMPLOYEES 44 PRINCIPAL Mark A. Peterson, director, Arizona market HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Sharon Zeidler, managing director, senior investment consultant AXA ADVISORS LLC 14851 N. Scottsdale Road, Suite 103, Scottsdale, 85254// 480-444-3700 // axaadvisorssouthwest.com ASSETS UNDER MANAGEMENT $2 billion AZ EMPLOYEES 100 PRINCIPAL Dillan Micus, executive vice president HIGHEST-RANKING WOMEN Kristina Coyle, marketing and recruiting director; Karen Most, branch compliance manager TCI WEALTH ADVISORS INC. 6929 E. Greenway Parkway, Suite 150, Scottsdale, 85254// 480-991-0401 // tciwealth. com ASSETS UNDER MANAGEMENT $1.8 billion AZ EMPLOYEES 38 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Trisa Summers, partner and CEO TFO PHOENIX 2400 E. Arizona Biltmore Circle, Suite 1400, Phoenix, 85016// 602-466-2611 // tfophoenix. com ASSETS UNDER MANAGEMENT $1.3 billion AZ EMPLOYEES 26 PRINCIPAL ScottHorn, president HIGHEST-RANKING WOMEN Laura Jansen, senior wealth advisor; Kim Llumquinga, senior wealth manager STOKER OSTLER WEALTH ADVISORS INC. 4900 N. Scottsdale Road, Suite 2600, Scottsdale, 85251// 480-8908088 // stokerostler.com ASSETS UNDER MANAGEMENT $1 billion AZ EMPLOYEES 18 PRINCIPAL Mike Bolar, managing director HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Michelle Decker, managing director; April Ward, managing director

WHO’S WHO IN BUSINESS // 2016

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YOUR WEEKEND

9 ARIZONA ROAD TRIPS SUPERSTITION WILDERNESS

The Superstitions, looming east of Apache Junction, are the largest of the mountain ranges ringing Phoenix. The 160,200-acre wilderness area, part of Tonto National Forest, contains one of the state’s most popular trails — the Peralta — yet the vast interior of the Superstitions boasts some of the state’s most rugged, seldom-seen territory. Stretching 24 miles east and west and 9 to 12 miles north and south, the wilderness is crossed by trails ranging from flat and easy to steep and strenuous. More than a dozen access points lead into the wilderness; the Peralta Trailhead is one of the most popular. It has large parking areas and a restroom but no water.

DETAILS: To get to the Peralta trailhead, take U.S. 60 past Apache Junction to Peralta Road. Turn north and drive about 8 miles to the trailhead.

Free. 480-610-3300,www.fs.usda.gov/tonto.

APACHE TRAIL SCENIC DRIVE

The Apache Trail through the Superstition Mountains was built to supply construction workers building Roosevelt Dam in the early 1900s. When Theodore Roosevelt drove there in 1911, he compared the region’s beauty to that of Yellowstone and Yosemite national parks. Saguaro-covered hills and deep canyons stretch for miles, broken by red-rock cliffs and hoodoos. The area is a favorite of sightseers, boaters, hikers and anglers. The Apache Trail, aka State Route 88, is not for the squeamish or those afraid of heights. It’s full of twists and turns, rising and falling with the hills and valleys. Part of the road is paved; the graded dirt stretch is suitable for most cars but not recommended for RVs. DETAILS: www.americansouthwest.net/arizona/ apache_trail.

LOST DUTCHMAN STATE PARK

Located on the Apache Trail northeast of Apache Junction, this park has a visitor center, picnic ramadas and hiking trails leading into Tonto National Forest at Superstition Mountain. The park offers such programs as ranger-led hikes and family campouts.

DETAILS: 6109 N. Apache Trail, Apache Junction. $7 per vehicle. 480-982-4485,azstateparks.com/ parks/LODU. RIPARIAN PRESERVE AT WATER RANCH

The Riparian Institute oversees a 110-acre preserve in Gilbert that provides great bird-watching. More than 200 species have been spotted here. The institute works to educate people and promote awareness of Arizona’s ecology, and the preserve offers hiking and biking trails and fishing.

DETAILS: 2757 E. Guadalupe Road, Gilbert. Free.

480-503-6234, riparianinstitute.org.

SAGUARO LAKE

This reservoir on the Salt River offers plenty to do. The Saguaro del Norte recreation site is near Stewart Mountain Dam and has a restaurant, picnic tables,

restrooms, boat ramps and a marina with boat rentals. Board the Desert Belle for a sightseeing cruise. A camping site with 30 spaces is accessible only by boat and is open year-round. The Arizona Game and Fish Department keeps the lake stocked with a rainbow trout, largemouth bass and channel catfish, to name a few.

ing, plus restrooms and shower facilities.

DETAILS: 41835 N. Castle Hot Springs Road, Morristown. $6 per vehicle; $4 per watercraft. 928501-1710, maricopa.gov/parks/lake_pleasant.

ESTRELLA MOUNTAIN REGIONAL PARK

DETAILS: Take State Route 87 north for 8 miles to Bush Highway, then follow the signs to the lake. $6 per vehicle; $4 per watercraft.

602-942-3000,azgfd.gov/h_f/waters_saguaro_ lake.shtml. Desert Belle tickets are $12-$25 (free for age 4 and younger). 480-984-2425, www. desertbelle.com.

Here’s something that no other park in the Maricopa County system has: 65 acres of grassy picnic space. In addition to picnicking, the park has close to 20,000 acres of desert topography for hikers, bicyclists, joggers and horseback riders. Duffers can try the links at Tres Rios Golf Course, and fishermen can catch and release along the Gila River, which runs through the park.

BOYCE THOMPSON ARBORETUM STATE PARK

DETAILS: 14805 W. Vineyard Ave., Goodyear. $6 per vehicle. 623-932-3811,maricopa.gov/parks/ estrella.

At 323 acres, this park is Arizona’s largest and oldest botanical garden, founded in the 1920s. Managed by the University of Arizona and Arizona State Parks, the arboretum features more than 3,000 types of Sonoran Desert vegetation and a 1.5-mile main loop walking trail. There are events galore, including guided walks along the main trail.

DETAILS: About 55 miles east of Phoenix on U.S. 60, near Superior. $5-$10. 520-689-2811, azstateparks.com/Parks/BOTH. LAKE PLEASANT REGIONAL PARK

From boating to water-skiing to parasailing and scuba diving, this park offers an abundance of aquatic activities. The park has two boat ramps, both of which have restrooms and paved parking lots. For those who like to wet a line, Lake Pleasant is stocked with 12 species of fish and the park hosts fishing tournaments year-round.

The park has more than 4 miles of pedestrian-only trails. There are 148 developed and semideveloped sites for RV and tent camp-

TONTO NATURAL BRIDGE STATE PARK

Tonto Natural Bridge is an impressive span.

The man who first documented the bridge came across it while being chased by Apaches. David Gowan, a prospector, hid in a cave inside the bridge for three days.

After that, Gowan claimed the land by squatters rights and persuaded his family to emigrate from Scotland to settle there. It is believed to be the largest natural travertine bridge in the world, standing 183 feet high over a 400-foot-long tunnel that measures 150 feet wide. The half-mile Gowan Loop Trail leads down the bank of the creek — and several steep flights of steps — to an observation deck near the tunnel under the natural bridge. Two other short trails provide good views of the park’s features. Call before you make the drive to find out if any trails are closed because of snow or ice.

Mexican Gold Poppies and Coulter's Lupine bloom along the trails at Lost Dutchman State Park in Apache Junction.

PHOTO BY CHRISTINE KEITH

BY ARIZONA REPUBLIC STAFF

DETAILS: 10 miles north of Payson off State Route 87. $2-$5. 928-476-4202,azstateparks. com/Parks/TONA.

2016 // WHO’S WHO IN BUSINESS 57

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MANUFACTURING & TECHNOLOGY

HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE SELLERS, RANKED BY NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES

Top 10 AVNET INC. 2211 S. 47th St., Phoenix, 85374 // 480-643-2000 // avnet.com EMPLOYEES 2,500 PRINCIPAL Rick Hamada, CEO HIGHESTRANKING WOMAN MaryAnn Miller, senior vice president, chief human resources officer and corporate marketing and communications INSIGHT ENTERPRISES 6820 S. Harl Ave., Tempe, 85283 // 800-467-4448 // insight.com EMPLOYEES 1,339 PRINCIPAL Ken Lamneck, president and CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Glynis Bryan, chief financial officer MCKESSON SPECIALTY HEALTH 4343 N. Scottsdale Road, Suite 150, Scottsdale, 85251 // 480-663-4000 // mckessonspecialtyhealth.com EMPLOYEES 1,300 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Heather Morel, chief operating officer, U.S. oncology network INFUSIONSOFT INC. 1260 S. Spectrum Blvd., Chandler, 85286 // 866-800-0004 // infusionsoft. com EMPLOYEES 610 PRINCIPAL Clate Mask, CEO, co-founder HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Elizabeth Pitt, chief customer officer

EASING A TOUGH PROCESS

HEATHER MOREL CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER

BY HAL MATTERN

58

Heather Morel got her start in the health-care industry as a consultant in the complex world of reimbursement, which she describes as “one of the most despised areas of health care.”

“Doctors hate it, it’s a challenging area for the government and patients are confused by it,” Morel says. “It’s a confusing, complex system, and when something is that complex, there is a need for people to make it less so, and I grew a career out of it.”

Morel initially carved out a niche helping pharmaceutical companies navigate the complexities around payment and reimbursement for expensive, cutting-edge drugs. She eventually brought those skills to McKesson Specialty Health, a Scottsdale business unit of McKesson Corp., where she has been the top executive for eight years.

Late last year, Morel moved into a new role as chief operating officer of McKesson’s U.S. Oncology Network, helping to support the company’s national network of community oncology clinics.

“My team and I oversee all the things doctors didn’t go to medical school for,” she says, including patient engagement, billing and collections.

Morel, who is still based in Scottsdale, says that more than half of the country’s cancer patients are now treated at outpatient oncology clinics as opposed to hospitals, and they are

receiving comprehensive, quality care.

“Community oncology clinics are a very important part of cancer care,” she says. “It costs less overall in community centers than in hospitals.”

Morel was attracted to the healthcare industry because she loved the science of it, the evolving technology and the impact on people’s lives.

“When you do your job well,” she says. “You are really helping people through the hardest part of their lives.”

Health care has long been attractive to women, who seem to advance to decision-making and executive management positions more than they do in other industries.

“Absolutely, health care attracts a lot of women,” Morel says. “And in a lot of families, women make the health-care decisions. Women do seem more likely to advance from mid-management to the executive ranks in health care.”

She says that is true at McKesson, which works hard to grow and advance female leadership. The company has a women’s affinity group, which helps female employees as they progress through their careers, providing them with a “safe area” for discussing issues that help them advance to the upper levels of management.

“It’s not 50-50 yet,” Morel says about male and female executives in the health-care industry. “But we’re making progress.”

JDA SOFTWARE GROUP INC. 14400 N. 87th St., Scottsdale, 85260 // 480-308-3000 // jda.com EMPLOYEES 310 PRINCIPAL Baljit S. Dall, CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMEN Jean Yatska, group vice president, product management; Veena Nyak, group vice president, product development ICM DOCUMENT SOLUTIONS 4320 E. Cotton Center Blvd., Suite 106, Phoenix, 85040 // 602678-1978 // icmdocs.com EMPLOYEES 155 PRINCIPAL John Harrington, president HIGHEST-RANKING WOMEN Linda Matson, director of human resources; Kristin Macedo, director of sales APPOINTMENTPLUS 15300 N. 90th St., Suite 100, Scottsdale, 85260 // 480-483-1199 // appointmentplus.com EMPLOYEES 66 PRINCIPAL Bob La Loggia, CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Stephanie La Loggia, vice president, finance COMPUTER GUIDANCE CORP. 14624 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, 85260 // 480-444-7000 // computerguidance.com EMPLOYEES 45 PRINCIPAL Mike Bihlmeier, president HIGHEST-RANKING WOMEN Stephanie Meyer, controller; Victoria Satran, vice president of marketing SENTINEL TECHNOLOGIES INC. 1241 W. Warner Road, Suite 112, Tempe, 85284 // 480-820-7141 // sentinel.com EMPLOYEES 40 PRINCIPAL Brad Faubion, general manager, Southwest operations HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Cassondra Taylor, advanced branch manager - Arizona MANIFEST 4110 N. Scottsdale Road, Suite 315, Scottsdale, 85251 // 602-395-5850 // manifest. com EMPLOYEES 37 PRINCIPAL Dan Brenner, senior vice president HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Melissa Bouma, vice president, acquisition and analytics

WHO’S WHO IN BUSINESS // 2016

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DEFENSE CONTRACTORS, RANKED BY NUMBER OF LICENSED AGENTS

MANUFACTURING & TECHNOLOGY

Top 10 RAYTHEON MISSILE SYSTEMS 1151 N. Hermans Road, Tucson, 85706// 520-794-3000 // raytheon. com 2015 REVENUE $3.5 billion AZ EMPLOYEES 9,600 PRINCIPAL Taylor Lawrence, president, integrated defense systems HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN no designee THE BOEING CO. 5000 E. McDowell Road, Mesa, 85215// 480-891-3000 // boeing.com 2015 REVENUE $754.4 million AZ EMPLOYEES 3,850 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Kim Smith, vice president of attack helicopter programs and senior Mesa site executive HONEYWELL AEROSPACE 1944 E. Sky Harbor Circle, Phoenix, 85034// 602-365-3099 // aerospace. honywell.com 2015 REVENUE $222.1 million AZ EMPLOYEES 10,000 PRINCIPAL Tim Mahoney, president and CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMEN Carey Smith, president, defense and space; Harriet Mountcastle-Walsh; vice president and general council GENERAL DYNAMICS MISSION SYSTEMS 8201 E. McDowell Road, Scottsdale, 85257// 480-441-0342 // gdmissionsystems.com 2015 REVENUE $156.6 million AZ EMPLOYEES 2,200 PRINCIPAL Chris Brady, vice president, engineering; Scotty Miller, vice president, supply chain management HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Ann Rusher, director, mission payloads for space and intelligence systems NORTHROP GRUMMAN TECHNICAL SERVICES 4067 Enterprise Way, Sierra Vista, 85635// 520-4178500 // northropgrumman.com 2015 REVENUE $122.9 million AZ EMPLOYEES did not disclose PRINCIPAL Robert Sova, Director HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN no designee ORBITAL ATK 3380 S. Price Road, Chandler, 85248// 480-324-8600 // orbitalatk.com 2015 REVENUE $121.1 million AZ EMPLOYEES 1,670 PRINCIPAL Scott Lehr, executive vice president and president, flight systems group HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Lisa Brown, program director, weapon systems MD HELICOPTERS 4555 E. McDowell Road, Mesa, 85215// 480-346-6300 // mdhelicopters.com 2015 REVENUE $74.5 million AZ EMPLOYEES did not disclose PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Lynn Tilton, CEO BAE SYSTEMS AEROSPACE AND DEFENSE GROUP 7822 S. 46th St., Phoenix, 85044// 602-643-7233 // baesystems.com 2015 REVENUE $66.9 million AZ EMPLOYEES 500 PRINCIPAL Donald Dutton, vice president HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Kim Dominguez, human resources manager L-3 AVIATION COMMUNICATION AND SURVEILLANCE SYSTEMS 19810 N. 7th Ave., Phoenix, 85027// 623-445-7000 // acss.com 2015 REVENUE $42 million AZ EMPLOYEES did not disclose PRINCIPAL Terry Flaishans, president HIGHEST-RANKING WOMEN Kimberly Murdoch, vice president, operations; Amy Bobbitt; vice president, chief financial officer NAMMO TALLEY INC. 4051 N. Higley Road, Mesa, 85215// 480-898-2200 // nammo.com 2015 REVENUE $25 million AZ EMPLOYEES 180 PRINCIPAL Chad Parkhill, president HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Rebecca Bradley, director of human resources

AN ‘ACCIDENTAL CAREER’ A sharp intuition and a talent for reading people come in handy in Rebecca Bradley’s line of work.

For about three years, Bradley has served as director of human resources for Nammo Talley, the Mesa-based division of the Norwegian-owned Nammo Group, which designs, develops and manufactures ammunition and energetic material solutions for commercial and defense applications. She sees her role as an astute observer whose job it is to identify individuals’ strengths in order to help the entire organization be more effective.

“I’m very much about contributing to the bottom line because all strategy is executed through people,” says Bradley, who graduated from Simpson College in Iowa, where she studied pre-law and minored in women’s studies. “To be good at this job, you have to take seriously the families, their lives and the importance that jobs play in our everyday lives. I think if you don’t take it seriously, you’re probably in the wrong role.”

Born and raised in a rural part of the Hawkeye state, Bradley credits her mom and dad—a teacher and a livestock farmer, both retired—for a strong work ethic and the ability to recognize opportunities. She and her three sisters learned the value of hard work early on.

“I can run a skid loader and feed pigs,” says Bradley. “That was our life growing up on the farm, especially when you don’t have brothers.”

She now has four children of her own, between ages 2 and 9, with husband Scott McFadden, a geologist.

While a career in law was where Bradley initially thought she was headed, she couldn’t be happier with where she is today. In her current post, one day is rarely like the next, but it’s that kind of variety that Bradley enjoys.

Her position has also expanded her horizons, quite literally, taking her to such places as Norway, Sweden and Germany, where she’s had the chance to learn about international employment law, and view the cultural differences and similarities in communication styles, collaborative approaches and expectations.

“It’s kind of an accidental career, but I believe you gravitate toward what you’re good at,” says Bradley, who is a fan of country music and Southern rock and admits to singing “really loud” in the car.

“In this day and age, with as litigious a nation as we live in, it has really helped me to have a legal compliance focus,” she adds. “I feel law has been a complementary area of interest for me.”

REBECCA BRADLEY HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR

BY GREMLYN BRADLEYWADDELL

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MANUFACTURING & TECHNOLOGY

IT SUPPLIERS, RANKED BY NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES

Top 10 AVNET, INC. 2211 S. 47th St., Phoenix, 85374 // 480-643-2000 // avnet.com EMPLOYEES 2,500 PRINCIPAL Rick Hamada, CEO HIGHESTRANKING WOMAN MaryAnn Miller, senior vice president, chief human resources officer and corporate marketing and communications INSIGHT ENTERPRISES 6820 S. Harl Ave., 17th Floor, Tempe, 85283 // 480-889-9500 // insight.com EMPLOYEES 1,500 PRINCIPAL Ken Lamneck, CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Glynis Bryan, chief financial officer KONICA MINOLTA BUSINESS SOLUTIONS USA 4415 E. Cotton Center Blvd., Phoenix, 85040 // 602-244-9944 // kmbs.konicaminolta.us EMPLOYEES 200 PRINCIPAL John Stringer, vice president, southwest market HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Lisa Fischer, southwest market admininstration director; Korbi McDonald, AllCovered managing director ONENECK IT SOLUTIONS 5301 N. Pima Road, Suite 100, Scottsdale, 85250 // 855-663-6325 // oneneck.com EMPLOYEES 186 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Teresa Snyder, vice president, marketing

A LEADER IN TECHNOLOGY

CASSONDRA TAYLOR ADVANCED BRANCH MANAGER

BY JOYCE HADLEY COPELAND

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Cassondra Taylor parlayed an early aptitude for technology and a natural inclination for business and leadership into a career, beginning with a college internship at Sentinel Technologies, Inc. “It was a great fit from the start,” Taylor says of the Chicago-based business technology solutions provider. “I really enjoyed the pace, the challenge, the culture within the company and the customer base.”

When she was offered a full-time job after graduation, there was just one problem: She didn’t want to live in the cold anymore. Fortunately, the company maintains an office in Tempe. So after nine months of learning the ropes, she transferred to the Phoenix area, where there has been plenty of opportunity to advance as the company grows.

Twelve years after joining Sentinel Technologies, Taylor is the advanced branch manager for Arizona operations. The company likes to train and promote from within, and Taylor believes her own path from technical team member to manager has made her a better leader.

“A lot of what my engineers do now I started off doing,” she says. “I’ve worked with many of them my entire time at Sentinel, so they know and respect that I’ve been in their shoes and I understand what’s involved. I’ve worked the evenings and the weekends and the out of town and all of the rest of it.”

With her parents as role models,

Taylor looks to Sentinel executives for guidance and career mentorship.

“Sentinel’s kind of a unique company in that almost all of the executive management on board today has been with the company almost since the beginning, over 30 years,” she says.

CEO Dennis Hoelzer earned her loyalty by building a family-friendly company with a commitment to customer service. She also admires the leadership of Brad Faubion, general manager, southwest operations, for retaining engineering talent in an industry known for job-hopping.

“Almost all the engineers have been here as long or longer than I have been,” Taylor says. “It’s very unusual to find a team that has such longevity working together. I believe his leadership style and his mentoring with me has been very, very integral to my continued success.”

One perk of moving into management is having her nights and weekends free to spend time with her husband and 2-year-old daughter, who loves the beach.

“We like to go over to San Diego and down to Mexico,” Taylor says.

She and her husband also enjoy yoga and being active outdoors.

The latest family project? Raising chickens.

“We got them as chicks and they just started laying eggs, so it’s been very exciting,” she says. “My husband and daughter are enjoying seeing that cycle of life.”

UNICON, INC.1760 E. Pecos Road, Suite 432, Gilbert, 85295 // 480-558-2400 // unicon.net EMPLOYEES 113 PRINCIPAL John Blakley, CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Patience Breinholt, vice president of human resources IT1 SOURCE 4110 N. Scottsdale Road, Suite 300, Scottsdale, 85251 // 480-892-2914 // iT1.com EMPLOYEES 78 PRINCIPAL Bryan Clifton, principal HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Lauren Young, director of operations SOLÜ TECHNOLOGY PARTNERS9380 E. Bahia Drive, Suite A202, Scottsdale, 85260 // 480948-9322 // solutechnology.com EMPLOYEES 52 PRINCIPAL John O’Brien, vice president HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Donna Johnson, recruiting manager SENTINEL TECHNOLOGIES INC.1241 W. Warner Road, Suite 112, Tempe, 85284 // 480-820-7141 // sentinel.com EMPLOYEES 40 PRINCIPAL Brad Faubion, general manager, Southwest operations HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Cassondra Taylor, advanced branch manager, Arizona ENTERPRISE TECHNOLOGY SERVICES730 N. 52nd St., Suite 100, Phoenix, 85008 // 602-4268600 // etechservices.com EMPLOYEES 28 PRINCIPAL James Siragusa, president HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Jennifer Terry, controller SOLUGENIX CORPORATION1365 N. Scottsdale Road, Suite 100, Scottsdale, 85257 // 602-3344550 // solugenix.com EMPLOYEES 15 PRINCIPAL Shashi Jasthi, president and CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Jemma David, director of enterprise support

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ALTERNATIVE-ENERGY COMPANIES, RANKED BY NUMBER OF ARIZONA EMPLOYEES

MANUFACTURING & TECHNOLOGY

Top 10 FIRST SOLAR, INC. 350 W. Washington St., Tempe, 85281 // 602-427-3359 // firstsolar.com EMPLOYEES 390 PRINCIPAL James Hughes, CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Maja Wessels, vice president, public affairs SOLARCITY 3834 E. Roeser Road, Phoenix, 85040 // 602-826-7977 // solarcity.com EMPLOYEES 350 PRINCIPAL Lyndon Rive, CEO and co-founder HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Aparna Mohla, sales development coach SUN VALLEY SOLAR SOLUTIONS 3225 N. Colorado St., Chandler, 85225 // 480-689-5000 // svssolutions.com EMPLOYEES 100 PRINCIPAL Russ Patzer, CEO; Joe Messner, chief technology officer HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Michelle Burnett, vice president, residential sales and marketing HARMON ELECTRIC, INC. 945 W. Deer Valley Road, Phoenix, 85027 // 623-879-0010 // harmonsolar.com EMPLOYEES 95 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Julie King, owner SOLAR TOPPS 102 S. 28th St., Phoenix, 85034 // 480-327-0041 // solartopps.com EMPLOYEES 70 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Joan Uppal, operational director AMERICAN SOLAR & ROOFING 1230 W. 23rd St., Tempe, 85282 // 480-994-1440 // americansolarandroofing.com EMPLOYEES 55 PRINCIPAL Joy Seitz, CEO; Sean Seitz, vice president HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Joy Seitz, CEO SCHLETTER INC. 2201 N. Forbes Blvd., Tucson, 85716 // 520-289-8700 // schletter.us EMPLOYEES 42 PRINCIPAL Wolfgang Fritz, vice president, engineering; Ed Grover, vice president, business development HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Angela Kliever, director of marketing and communications TPI COMPOSITES INC. 8501 N. Scottsdale Road, Suite 100, , Scottsdale, 85253 // 480-305-8910 // tpicomposites.com EMPLOYEES 35 PRINCIPAL Steve Lockard, president, director and CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Deane Ilukowicz, vice president global human resources ARIZONA SOLAR SOLUTIONS 21402 N. 7th Ave., Phoenix, 85027 // 623-254-2040 // az-solarsolutions.com EMPLOYEES 35 PRINCIPAL Patrick Lamore, member; Robert Lamore, member HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Lori Lane, chief financial officer SOLAR ELECTRIC SYSTEMS & PRODUCTS, INC. 2716 N. Ogden Road, Suite 105, , Mesa, 85215 // 480-510-2170 // solarelectricfreedom.com EMPLOYEES 10 PRINCIPAL Keith Rowley, president and owner HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Beverly Bentley, office manager

POWERED BY THE DREAM Aparna Mohla arrived in America in 2008, landing at New York’s JFK International Airport with a scholarship to Hofstra University, and four massive suitcases her mother had stuffed with necessities like salt and laundry detergent. She earned her MBA, but couldn’t follow classmates to Wall Street.

“I wanted to do something more meaningful than a regular desk job,” she says.

After a stint as a field organizer for a Washington state Senate race, Mohla moved to Phoenix to rally homeowners around the concept of solar for a nonprofit. She quickly noticed that consumers who installed solar chose a company called SolarCity.

“I thought, this is the big dog in this industry,” she remembers.

She signed on with the company, generating leads at lunch-and-learns, then quickly rose through the ranks to energy consultant, sales manager and sales director. Today, Mohla travels to train 425 sales reps as a sales development coach.

Her passion for renewable and alternative energy stems from her humble beginning. Growing up in a 500-square foot Mumbai apartment, Mohla’s family made do with intermittent electricity. She and her sister often studied for school tests under a neighborhood streetlight.

“The power to turn a switch on and off in your home is a luxury for people in different parts of the world,” she says. “It’s super-critical for the First

World to be aware and find alternative ways of using energy. SolarCity and the solar industry give me the platform to execute on it.”

Mohla’s success in a male-dominated industry came with personal and professional challenges.

“For a woman to show up and look at your breaker box and the rafters on your roof is still very unconventional,” Mohla says with a laugh.

Yet she became SolarCity’s top energy consultant nationwide in 2014, logging 226 residential installations.

“They actually retired a jersey in my name,” she says.

The company’s only female sales executive, Mohla resisted the company policy to write up and replace struggling salespeople.

“I asked my director to give me six weeks to turn my team around,” she says, finding all they needed was more coaching. “I’m very proud to say I was able to change the minds of my male counterparts, that business decisions also have an emotional angle to them, not just logic or analytics.”

With her second child on the way, Mohla cherishes time with her husband and 2-year-old daughter.

“The beauty about living in America is that you can become whoever you want to be,” she says. “You struggle to get a break, but that struggle is so sweet. I know when I share my story of coming to America and making it with my kids someday, they’ll be proud of me.”

APARNA MOHLA SALES DEVELOPMENT COACH

BY JOYCE HADLEY COPELAND

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EDUCATION

CHARTER SCHOOLS, RANKED BY ENROLLMENT

Top 10 PRIMAVERA ONLINE HIGH SCHOOL 2471 N. Arizona Ave., Chandler, 85225 // 480-4566678 // Chooseprimavera.com AZ EMPLOYEES 300 ENROLLMENT 17,000 AZ CAMPUSES 1 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Maveonien Creamer, superintendent and chief operating officer GREAT HEARTS ACADEMIES 3102 N. 56th St., Suite 300, Phoenix, 85018 // 602-4387045 // greatheartaz.org AZ EMPLOYEES 750 ENROLLMENT 11,000 AZ CAMPUSES 23 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Christine Jones, interim CEO BASIS EDUCATIONAL GROUP 7975 N. Hayden Road, Suite B-100, Scottsdale, 85258 // 480289-2088 // basised.com AZ EMPLOYEES 800 ENROLLMENT 10,000 AZ CAMPUSES 17 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Olga Block, co-founder; Michael Block, co-founder

ALIGNING ROLE AND SOUL

MAVEONIEN CREAMER SUPERINTENDENT AND CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER

BY DAVID M. BROWN

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As chief operating officer and superintendent of Primavera Online High School in Chandler, Maveonien Creamer oversees all departments, including academic, finance, human resources, marketing and curriculum, and participates in legislative initiatives affecting school choice and academic programing for online schools.

The AdvancEd-accredited school was founded in 2001 by her brother, Damian Creamer, as a tuition-free Arizona charter school serving grades 6-12. With 16,000-plus students annually, it’s the state’s largest online high school.

“Our mission is to provide a rigorous, personalized and quality education in a highly interactive virtual learning environment delivering successful student academic outcomes,” Creamer says.

Born in Washington D.C., Creamer moved often as a child. Her dad, a professional ballroom dancer, opened up Fred Astaire and Arthur Murray dance studios across the East and Midwest, finally settling in Spokane, Wash., when Creamer was 10.

“All of that moving around taught me to enjoy the journey, to be flexible and to make friends quickly,” she says.

At Brigham Young University, Creamer earned a bachelor’s degree in French and English. She also studied at the Sorbonne, in Paris, for a year.

Later, in Boise, Idaho, she completed work at Boise State University,

earning a post-baccalaureate in secondary education as well as a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction.

A master’s degree in administration and leadership from the University of Phoenix followed. Currently, she is finishing a doctorate in industrial and organizational psychology.

Creamer is also proud of her role as a mother of two, as well as her commitment to serving her neighbors.

“I have been able to return the kindness that so many showed to me and my children in our times of need,” she says. “We adopt families for Thanksgiving and Christmas and give food and gifts anonymously, and I like to take food to the sick and homebound.”

Throughout her life, great teachers have inspired Creamer, including high school and college French teachers, and Parker Palmer, author of “The Courage to Teach,” who taught her the importance of inviting silence into the learning experience.

“Whether I am in the classroom with students, leading teachers in a professional learning experience or leading an organization and school, I am always a teacher,” she says. “I believe in collaborative leadership, leveraging the skill set of every employee and encouraging them to find their role and soul connection. In turn, my role and soul must be connected in order for me to give the best of myself to those I serve every day.”

LEGACY TRADITIONAL SCHOOL 3201 S. Gilbert Road, Chandler, 85286 // 480-2705438 // legacytraditional.org AZ EMPLOYEES 750 ENROLLMENT 10,000 AZ CAMPUSES 9 PRINCIPAL Bill Gregory, executive director; Aaron Hale, executive director HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Teresa Tate, chief operating officer IMAGINE SCHOOLS 1843 W. 16th Ave., Apache Junction, 85220 // 480-335-0502 // visitimagineschools.com AZ EMPLOYEES 700 ENROLLMENT 8,020 AZ CAMPUSES 21 PRINCIPAL Monte Lange, executive vice president HIGHEST-RANKING WOMEN Sherry Ruttinger, regional director; Heidi Lindsay, regional director SEQUOIA SCHOOLS - EDKEY INC. 1460 S. Horne, Mesa, 85204 // 480-461-3200 // sequoiaschools. org AZ EMPLOYEES 1,000 ENROLLMENT 5,800 AZ CAMPUSES 18 PRINCIPAL Mark Plitzuweit, CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Tamara Becker, assistant superintendent ARIZONA VIRTUAL ACADEMY 99 East Virginia Avenue, Suite 200, Phoenix, 85004 // 602-476-1320 // azva.k12.com AZ EMPLOYEES 217 ENROLLMENT 5,142 AZ CAMPUSES 12 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Kelly Van Sande, head of school EDUPRIZE SCHOOLS 580 W. Melody Ave., Gilbert, 85233 // 480-813-9537 // eduprizeschools. net AZ EMPLOYEES 505 ENROLLMENT 3,890 AZ CAMPUSES 2 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Lynn Robershotte, superintendent ARIZONA CONNECTIONS ACADEMY 335 E. Germann Road, Suite 140, Gilbert, 85297 // 480-782-5842 // connectionsacademy.com AZ EMPLOYEES 65 ENROLLMENT 1,919 AZ CAMPUSES 1 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Kerri Wright, principal HORIZON COMMUNITY LEARNING CENTER 16233 S. 48th St., Phoenix, 85048 // 480659-3000 // horizonclc.org AZ EMPLOYEES 150 ENROLLMENT 1,500 AZ CAMPUSES 1 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Betsy Fera, executive director

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COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES, RANKED BY ARIZONA ENROLLMENT

EDUCATION

Top 10 ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY P.O. Box 877305, Tempe, 85287-7305 // 480-965-4980 // asu.edu AZ EMPLOYEES 14,113 ENROLLMENT 71,000 NO. OF CAMPUSES 5 PRINCIPAL Michael Crow, president HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Christine Wilkinson, senior vice president and secretary of the university; president of the alumni association and managing director of the trustees UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA 1401 E. University Blvd., Administration Building, Tucson, 85721 // 520-621-2211 // arizona.edu AZ EMPLOYEES 15,530 ENROLLMENT 42,236 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Anne Weaver Hart, president NORTHERN ARIZONA UNIVERSITY P.O. Box 4133, Flagstaff, 86011 // 928-523-2282 // nau.edu AZ EMPLOYEES 4,600 ENROLLMENT 29,031 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Rita Cheng, president UNIVERSITY OF PHOENIX 1625 W. Fountainhead Parkway, Tempe, 85282 // 602-254-0086 // phoenix.edu AZ EMPLOYEES 6500 ENROLLMENT 18,307 NO. OF CAMPUSES 2 PRINCIPAL Timothy P. Slotto, president HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Meredith Curley, EdD, provost GRAND CANYON UNIVERSITY 3300 W. Camelback Road, Phoenix, 85017 // 602-639-7611 // gcu. edu AZ EMPLOYEES 3,500 ENROLLMENT 15,500 NO. OF CAMPUSES 1 PRINCIPAL Brian Mueller, president HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Sarah Boeder, executive vice president of operations OTTAWA UNIVERSITY 9414 N. 25th Ave., Phoenix, 85021 // 602-371-1188 // ottawa.edu AZ EMPLOYEES 30 ENROLLMENT 4,000 NO. OF CAMPUSES 3 PRINCIPAL Kevin Eichner, president HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Kim Coffman-Romero, associate dean, school of education MIDWESTERN UNIVERSITY 19555 N. 59th Ave., Glendale, 85308 // 623-572-3215 // midwestern. edu AZ EMPLOYEES 745 ENROLLMENT 3,329 NO. OF CAMPUSES 1 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Kathleen Goeppinger, Ph.D., president and CEO A.T. STILL UNIVERSITY OF HEALTH SCIENCES 5850 E. Still Circle, Mesa, 85044 // 480-219-6000 // atsu.edu AZ EMPLOYEES 1,139 ENROLLMENT 1,653 NO. OF CAMPUSES 1 PRINCIPAL Craig Phelps, president HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Ann Boyle, associate vice president for academic innovation and academic affairs DEVRY UNIVERSITY 2149 W. Dunlap Ave., Phoenix, 85021 // 602-749-7301 // devry.edu AZ EMPLOYEES 215 ENROLLMENT 1,318 NO. OF CAMPUSES 3 PRINCIPAL Anthony Spano, metro president HIGHEST-RANKING WOMEN Pamela Morrison, center dean, Mesa; Deena Handler, director, career services WESTERN INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY 1601 W. Fountainhead Parkway, Tempe, 85282 // 602-943-2311 // west.edu AZ EMPLOYEES 50 ENROLLMENT 1,300 NO. OF CAMPUSES 1 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Tracy Lorenz, president

LEADING TO NEW HEIGHTS Ann Weaver Hart became the 21st president of the University of Arizona in July 2012.

She moved to Tucson from Temple University in Philadelphia, where she served as president for six years. Hart has also been president of the University of New Hampshire. In addition, she served at Southern California’s Claremont Graduate University and at the University of Utah, where she received three degrees.

Since joining UA, Hart has led the implementation of Never Settle, an integrated strategic academic and business plan to guide the university’s future.

Seven areas are identified to advance interdisciplinary research excellence in partnership with community and industry: space systems, defense and security, water and the arid environment, health disparities, population health and outcomes, precision health, and neuroscience.

In defense and security research, for example, the initiative has led to a partnership with the Air Force Research Laboratory New Mexico to further efforts in defense technology, directed energy and space vehicles.

And UA’s 30-year affiliation with Banner Health will help make the university a national and worldwide leader in academic medicine, Hart says. This biosciences partnership is creating an academic health center in Phoenix, currently the largest city in the nation without one, and transforming the one in Tucson to lead academic medicine in the 21st century.

“It is bringing critical resources to support research faculty and enable the renewal and expansion of clinical facilities in Tucson,” she says. “And the scope of its clinical enterprise throughout Arizona provides access to a scale of clinical data necessary for success.”

Research in population health and outcomes has generated the UA Center for Population Science and Discovery, which enables health informatics and analytics in population health management, helping community partners and commercial organizations improve public health practices statewide. Students are benefitting from the plan, too, as they collaborate with premier scientists and scholars.

“They translate knowledge gained in formal learning environments to less-formal settings like those they will encounter in life and career,” she says.

As president, Hart guest lectures in two courses: one in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, which focuses on the traditions of UA and similar land-grant universities, and another on university management in the Eller College of Management.

In addition, she works with UA student leaders and stays involved in scholarship, having recently contributed a chapter to a book on women in leadership.

“In all of my work,” she says, “the lessons of my teaching career and the interactions I have with UA students inform my role of enabling student and faculty success wherever I may be.”

ANN WEAVER HART UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT

BY DAVID M. BROWN

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EDUCATION

PRIVATE SCHOOLS, RANKED BY ENROLLMENT

Top 10 NORTHWEST CHRISTIAN SCHOOL 16401 N. 43rd Avenue, Phoenix, 85053 // 602-978-5134 // northwestchristianschool.org AZ EMPLOYEES 160 ENROLLMENT 1,462 PRINCIPAL Geoff Brown, superintendent HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Dawna Underwood, elementary principal BROPHY COLLEGE PREPARATORY 4701 N. Central Ave., Phoenix, 85012 // 602-246-5291 // brophyprep.org AZ EMPLOYEES 158 ENROLLMENT 1,299 PRINCIPAL Edward A. Reese, S.J., president HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Adria Renke, vice president NOTRE DAME PREPARATORY HIGH SCHOOL 9701 E. Bell Road, Scottsdale, 85260 // 480634-8200 // ndpsaints.org AZ EMPLOYEES 139 ENROLLMENT 904 PRINCIPAL Jim Gmelich, president HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Lyric Naquin, director of advancement

SERVING FAITH, FAMILIES

DAWNA UNDERWOOD PRINCIPAL AND DIRECTOR OF EARLY EDUCATION

BY DAVID M. BROWN

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God, family, service: Dawna Underwood has synergized these into an inspired life.

As elementary principal and director of early education at the largest dually accredited Christian school in the Rocky Mountain region, Underwood oversees about 45 teachers and 720 children.

Nearly 1,500 students attend early education programs through high school at Northwest Christian School in Phoenix, a 35-year-old school, “where faith and excellence are inseparable.”

A native of Minot, N.D., Underwood grew up in Southern California. She earned her teaching degree at San Diego State and her master’s at Arizona State University, where she started doctoral work. Although she does not teach at NCS, she taught elementary school for 25 years and served as adjunct professor for seven years at Arizona Christian University.

“I love education and I love learning,” she says. “I believe every child matters, and that I have the opportunity to invest in the teachers, staff and children that God brings my way each day.”

Underwood’s husband coached their children in athletics when they attended NCS. Their two daughters went on to complete professional training in nursing and education; the youngest became a teacher. Their son met his wife at NCS. Their four children now attend the school.

As Underwood hopes to be an inspiration at NCS, she honors her mentors, formal and informal. Ruth Judge,

a teacher in the San Diego Unified School District, where Underwood did her student teaching, taught her “to love learning, teaching and children.”

Dr. Spencer Kagan changed her perspective on teaching with his seminars on cooperative learning.

Underwood’s heroes include Robert Marzano, recipient of the 2008 Brock International Prize in Education, and Richard Dufour, a proponent of collaborative K-12 teaching strategies. She also quotes the late Haim Ginott, author of Between Parent and Child: “I… am the decisive element in the classroom. It’s my daily mood that makes the weather. As a teacher, I have tremendous power to make a child’s life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration.”

Underwood says, “Overall, the teachers in the classroom who work with our kids every day, without giving up, are the ones that inspire me to keep going.”

She also endorses the school’s commitment to promoting service at every grade level, and particularly enjoys helping the homeless at the UMOM New Day Center in Phoenix, serving meals, and working with the organization’s Christmas and literacy programs.

Underwood also works with several elementary schools in South Phoenix, providing food and support to children, and with children’s ministries in her church. In addition, she has served international missions organizations involving families with children.

SCOTTSDALE CHRISTIAN ACADEMY 14400 N. Tatum Blvd., Phoenix, 85032 // 602-992-5100 // scarizona.org AZ EMPLOYEES 92 ENROLLMENT 790 PRINCIPAL Brent Hodges, superintendent HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Sheri Moy, elementary principal JOY CHRISTIAN SCHOOL 21000 N. 75th Ave., Glendale, 85308 // 623-561-2000 // joyschool. org AZ EMPLOYEES 104 ENROLLMENT 750 PRINCIPAL David Tomb, executive director HIGHEST-RANKING WOMEN Diane Stair, preschool director/finance; Kimberly Salazar, human resources SETON CATHOLIC PREPARATORY 1150 N. Dobson Road, Chandler, 85224 // 480-963-1900 // setoncatholic.org AZ EMPLOYEES 78 ENROLLMENT 593 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Patricia Collins, principal RANCHO SOLANO PREPARATORY SCHOOL 9180 Via de Ventura, Scottsdale, 85258 // 480646-8200 // ranchosolano.com AZ EMPLOYEES 140 ENROLLMENT 550 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Melisa Seward Block, managing director SAINT MARY’S CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL 2525 N. Third St., Phoenix, 85004 // 602-251-2500 // smknights.org AZ EMPLOYEES 73 ENROLLMENT 530 PRINCIPAL Rev. Robert Bolding, president-rector HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Suzanne Fessler, principal SAINT THOMAS THE APOSTLE CATHOLIC SCHOOL 4510 N. 24th St., Phoenix, 85016 // 602-368-5253 // staphx.org AZ EMPLOYEES 52 ENROLLMENT 500 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Mary Coffman, principal PHOENIX CHRISTIAN PREPARATORY SCHOOL 1751 W. Indian School Road, Phoenix, 85015 // 602-265-4707 // phoenixchristian.org AZ EMPLOYEES 73 ENROLLMENT 400 PRINCIPAL Jeff Blake, dean of students HIGHEST-RANKING WOMEN Yvonne Calderon, elementary principal; Karen Boyce, chief financial officer

WHO’S WHO IN BUSINESS // 2016

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YOUR MONEY

HOW TO GET KIDS INVESTING SHOULD BROKERAGE ACCOUNTS, REINVESTMENT PLANS ENCOURAGES PARTICIPATION The younger you are, the more time your invested dollars have to grow — but there’s a catch: Children can’t have brokerage accounts of their own. Still, there are several ways kids can get started learning about and practicing investing.

You can set up a custodial account for your child via the Uniform Gift to Minors Act (UGMA) or the Uniform Transfers to Minors Act (UTMA). The investments belong to them, but they can’t take control of them until early adulthood. Until then, the custodian (probably you) controls the money for their benefit. These accounts can be a bit complicated, so read up on them before opening one.

You might instead open a simple joint brokerage account, which you control until the child becomes an adult. Note that whoever’s Social Security number is on the account will face taxes on any gains. Since your children are probably in a lower tax bracket, their numbers

might be the best ones to use. Keep in mind, too, that when it’s time to apply for financial aid, colleges will want to draw more heavily from your child’s accounts than from your own.

Another great way to get kids started is through dividend reinvestment plans (and direct stock purchase plans). They allow you to buy small amounts of stock at a time, directly from companies themselves, bypassing brokers. Just ask a company you’re interested in if it offers such plans. Before opening an account, learn more at fool.com/school/drips.htm, directinvesting.com and dripinvestor.com.

Informal arrangements can work, too.

If you own stock in Hasbro, you can “sell” your son a few shares. If you’re buying 50 shares of Microsoft and your daughter wants to buy some, you can combine orders and buy 51 or 52 shares. Just keep track of which shares belong to whom.

Once your kids become adults, they can open their own brokerage accounts and you can transfer their shares.

Your kids can learn more about money with “The Motley Fool Investment Guide for Teens” by David and Tom Gardner with Selena Maranjian (Touchstone, $16).

BE CAREFUL WITH STOCK DILUTION Q: What is stock dilution?

A: It’s what happens when a company issues additional shares of its stock (via a “secondary offering”). That decreases the value of existing shares, because the more shares there are, the smaller the ownership stake each of them has.

In a simplified example, imagine owning one of a company’s three shares. If it issues a fourth share, you go from owning a third of the company to a quarter of it.

Additional shares aren’t necessarily bad. Sometimes shares are issued to raise money used to generate additional sales and earnings — perhaps by acquiring another company or building another factory. If so, then economic dilution might not occur.

Some new shares do destroy company value, though. This can happen, for example, if shares are used to finance a merger that fails to meet expectations, or to overpay a CEO who hasn’t helped the company grow and prosper.

THE MOTLEY FOOL, UNIVERSAL PRESS SYNDICATE

Northwest Christian School

“Where Faith and Excellence are Inseparable”

Now accepting applications for 2016/2017

Academics ★ Preschool, Elementary, Middle School and High School Athletics ★ Competitive Sports Teams for all grades Arts ★ Choir, Band, Drama, Art Contact Michelle Reddy for more information

602-978-5134

NorthwestChristianSchool.org • 16401 N. 43rd Ave Phoenix, Arizona 85053

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AR-0008547481-01

“Over its thirty year history, Northwest Christian School has become a valley leader in Christian education with strong traditions in academics, arts, athletics, and community service.”

5/17/16 5:46 PM

COMMUNITY COLLEGES, RANKED BY ENROLLMENT

EDUCATION

Top 10 RIO SALADO COLLEGE 2323 W. 14th St., Tempe, 85281 // 480-517-8000 // riosalado.edu AZ EMPLOYEES 557 ENROLLMENT 56,472 PRINCIPAL Chris Bustamante, president HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Dana Reid, acting vice president of academic affairs PIMA COMMUNITY COLLEGE 4905 E. Broadway Blvd., Tucson, 85715 // 800-860-7462 // pima.edu AZ EMPLOYEES 1,666 ENROLLMENT 47,288 PRINCIPAL Lee Lambert, J.D., chancellor HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Dolores Duran-Cerda, Ph.D., acting executive vice chancellor and provost MESA COMMUNITY COLLEGE 1833 W. Southern Ave., Mesa, 85202 // 480-461-7000 // mesacc. edu AZ EMPLOYEES 718 ENROLLMENT 36,938 PRINCIPAL Dr. Shouan Pan, president HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Dr. Sonya D. Pearson, vice president of student affairs GLENDALE COMMUNITY COLLEGE 6000 W. Olive Ave., Glendale, 85302 // 623-845-3333 // gccaz.edu AZ EMPLOYEES 1,929 ENROLLMENT 30,000 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Dr. Irene H. Kovala, president

CONSENSUS BUILDER

JONI GROVER VICE PRESIDENT OF STUDENT AFFAIRS

BY DAVID M. BROWN

66

Joni Grover’s 39-year career in education grew from humble beginnings.

Grover’s father, a former elementary school teacher and principal, then administrator in the Maricopa Community College system, first encouraged her to apply to one of its colleges as a clerk typist in the financial aid department. She is now vice president of student affairs at GateWay Community College, and is responsible for activities and tasks associated with the vision and mission of the community colleges.

Founded in 1968 as Maricopa Technical College, GateWay was the state’s first technical college and the first to tailor courses to business and industry needs. It was also the first to offer classes at off-campus locations and even to install a computer.

“At the district level, we are striving to expand upon a national movement dedicated to building healthy academic communities and providing an opportunity to consider how we, as a college system, can engage and support our students and employees to consider a healthy lifestyle,” Grover says.

At Gateway, she is working to integrate the four GateWay Community College and Maricopa Skill Center locations into one GateWay Community College.

“This means we will be able to develop similar processes, be more efficient in our efforts, offer programs beyond current locations and find better fits for students by working collaboratively,” she says.

Grover also oversees 18 student affairs departments including the Children’s Learning Center, student life, athletics, enrollment services, financial aid, student success, disability resources and services, and Title IX. “Our vision is to be the compass and support to navigate student dreams and potential through a knowledgeable, caring and respectful student affairs workforce,” she says.

Grover particularly enjoyed guiding students through the federal financial aid process during College Goal FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid), a statewide initiative coordinated by the Arizona Commission for Postsecondary Education. Several years ago, she received the Robert Thompson Memorial Leadership Award, the Arizona Association of Student Financial Aid Professionals’ highest honor, awarded for commitment to the profession through the sustained mentoring, training and support of members.

Born and raised in Phoenix, Grover received her associate’s degree at Mesa Community College and her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Northern Arizona University’s extended education program. She and her husband will celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary this August. They have two sons.

Although she is not in the classroom, she aspires to teach as a daily role model interacting with students and staff. She leads with her strengths: harmony, responsibility, discipline and consistency.

CHANDLER-GILBERT COMMUNITY COLLEGE 2626 E. Pecos Rd., Chandler, 85224 // 480-732-7093 // cgc.edu AZ EMPLOYEES 1,335 ENROLLMENT 14,654 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Sylvia Orr, vice president of academic affairs ESTRELLA MOUNTAIN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 3000 N. Dysart Road, Avondale, 85392 // 623-9358000 // estrellamountain.edu AZ EMPLOYEES 273 ENROLLMENT 14,644 PRINCIPAL Dr. Ernest Lara, president HIGHEST-RANKING WOMEN Dr. Patricia Cardenas-Adame, vice president of student affairs; Sue Tavakoli, vice president of administrative services PARADISE VALLEY COMMUNITY COLLEGE 18401 N. 32nd St., Phoenix, 85032 // 602-7877862 // paradisevalley.edu AZ EMPLOYEES 695 ENROLLMENT 13,300 PRINCIPAL Dr. Paul Dale, president HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Dr. Mary Lou Mosley, vice president, academic affairs PHOENIX COLLEGE 1202 W. Thomas Road, Phoenix, 85013 // 602-285-7777 // phoenixcollege. edu AZ EMPLOYEES 385 ENROLLMENT 11,865 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Christina Haines, interim president GATEWAY COMMUNITY COLLEGE 108 N. 40th St., Phoenix, 85034 // 602-286-8000 // gatewaycc. edu AZ EMPLOYEES 250 ENROLLMENT 11,000 PRINCIPAL Steven Gonzales, president, GateWay Community College HIGHEST-RANKING WOMEN Maria Wise, vice president of academic affairs; Joni Grover, vice president of student affairs SCOTTSDALE COMMUNITY COLLEGE 9000 E. Chaparral Road, Scottsdale, 85256 // 480-4236000 // scottsdalecc.edu AZ EMPLOYEES 400 ENROLLMENT 10,000 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Jan Gehler, president

WHO’S WHO IN BUSINESS // 2016

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YOUR MONEY

4 REASONS TO COLLECT APPRECIATION BUILDS THE EARLIER YOU START If you were born 20 to 30 years ago, consider yourself lucky, because time is on your side. Generational collector trends shows us, he who buys now will greatly profit later. In today’s auction world, the paradigms of the past have shifted. What was hot is not. Whole new avenues have opened in collections. Values in general have been greatly been diminished. I’m not talking about opening a savings account; rather I’m referring to your chance to make smart investments in the secondary market.

COLLECTING CYCLES

As it was in the 1920s and the 1960s, when no one wanted old things, the past has repeated. And here we are again, in a similar cycle where valuable furniture, antiques and other collectibles are selling for a fraction of their value years ago. Those who were smart enough to purchase during those lulls greatly profited in their collections later.

This is something I can attest to personally, as my parents were avid an-

tique collectors. They traveled often in the 1960s, purchasing a variety of treasures. And, when they would speak to me in values of which they purchased these items, I did not understand the method behind their madness. But when they went to sell these items in the 1980s and 1990s, the return on the items astounded me.

I am seeing the same trend today, and I now understand why growing collections and understanding the underappreciated value will greatly return tenfold.

generation to move into transition in U.S. history.

STEAMPUNK MOVEMENT

WHY SHOULD MILLENNIALS CARE?

I often hear, the antique market is ever dead, as the Millennial generation does not see or understand the true value of great antiques. So, if you fall into this age group, why should you care?

Here are four reasons why you should take a second look at buying on the secondary market: » Most antique and collectible markets have reached rock bottom. » This is the largest transfer of wealth in human history. » Collectibles are cyclical. » The Baby Boomers are the largest

We’re already seeing some of this with the steampunk movement, which takes its inspiration from the 19th century Victorian Age. Antique timepieces, old typewriters, vintage lamps, old maps, jewelry or décor with ornate engravings … it’s just a matter of time before we see more people serving dinner with fine china.

Now, I’m no psychic, but I know trends are cyclical. And if I were 20 years younger right now, I’d be researching these cycles and looking for great finds at yard sales, antique stores and auctions.

BY JOSH LEVINE SPECIAL FOR THE REPUBLIC AZCENTRAL Josh Levine owns J. Levine Auction & Appraisal in Scottsdale. Contact:josh@ jlevines.com or @ jlevines1 on Twitter.

CONGRATULATIONS CONGRATULATIONS The Maricopa Community Colleges are Proud to Recognize the Designated 2016 Who’s Who in Business COLLEGE

HIGHEST RANKING WOMAN

Chandler-Gilbert Community College

Sylvia Orr

Estrella Mountain Community College

Dr. Patricia Cardenas-Adame

GateWay Community College

Dr. Maria Wise

Glendale Community College

Dr. Irene H. Kovala

Mesa Community College

Dr. Sonya Pearson

Paradise Valley Community College

Dr. Mary Lou Mosley

Phoenix College

Christina Haines

Rio Salado College

Dana Reid

Scottsdale Community College

Dr. Jan Gehler

maricopa.edu Chandler-Gilbert | Estrella Mountain | GateWay | Glendale Maricopa Corporate College | Mesa | Paradise Valley | Phoenix Rio Salado | Scottsdale | South Mountain The Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD) is an EEO/AA institution and an equal opportunity employer of protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin.

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HEALTH CARE

DENTAL INSURERS, RANKED BY 2015W PREMIUMS

Top 8 DELTA DENTAL OF ARIZONA 5656 W. Talavi Blvd., Glendale, 85306 // 602-938-3131// deltadentalaz.com 2014 PREMIUMS $152 million PRINCIPAL Allan Allford, president and CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Sandi Perez, vice president of community benefit and executive director of the Delta Dental of Arizona Foundation CIGNA DENTAL HEALTH PLAN OF ARIZONA 25500 N. Norterra Drive, Building B, Phoenix, 85085 // 623-277-1000// cigna.com 2014 PREMIUMS $14.4 million PRINCIPAL Edward Kim, president and general manager HIGHESTRANKING WOMAN Stephahie Gorman, regional vice president of underwriting for medical, life, disability and client informatics HUMANA DENTAL INSURANCE 2231 E. Camelback Road, Suite 400, Phoenix, 85016 // 602-760-1700// humana.com 2014 PREMIUMS $12 million PRINCIPAL Charles Ritz, west region vice president, employer group HIGHESTRANKING WOMAN Victoria Coley, desert states vice president, employer group

BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS

YOLANDA RICHARDS SENIOR SALES MANAGER

BY ALISON STANTON

When Yolanda Richards tells a new acquaintance she works for a dental insurance company, she usually gets a lot of questions about what she does as part of her day-to-day job.

But as Richards has explained—and personally experienced—time and again over the last decade, dental insurance involves much more than meets the eye—or teeth.

“In our industry, there are so many moving parts, and it is more complex than I ever realized it would be,” says Richards, senior sales manager at United Concordia Dental. “There are so many factors to it, from the implementation and technology to learning about the people who use dental insurance. There is a lot of work and research that goes into developing dental plans.”

Richards, who is celebrating her eighth anniversary with United Concordia Dental this year, says her main job involves building relationships with the broker community and getting them excited about the company’s programs.

“I help educate them about our products and services, and our ultimate goal is to enhance oral and overall wellness by providing high-quality, cost-effective dental services,” she says.

Because good oral health has a positive impact on a person’s overall health, Richards says United Concordia Dental also places a large emphasis on the importance of wellness, and why keeping

up with regular visits to the dentist is so important.

Whether she is in the local office or on the road meeting with members of the broker community throughout Arizona and New Mexico, Richards is grateful for the chance to work with such a large group of fantastic people.

“Everyone I work with is great, from the brokers to the internal people who work for the company,” she says.

“We can always bounce ideas off of other people in different parts of the country and use each other as a resource.”

Working for a company that encourages her and other members of the sales department to propose their ideas to the development team is another way United Concordia Dental helps Richards feel like a valued member of the company.

“They listen to us and create products based on what people want or say,” she says.

Because she often spends time on the road, Richards also appreciates the communication tools her company has provided her that allow her to stay in close touch with her two young daughters and husband at home.

“The company is so supportive of me as a working mom, and my family and I are able to reach out to each other during the day,” she says. “I can chat with my kids if I’m in another state, and I’m able to maintain my work-life balance. I’m just so proud to work here.”

EMPLOYERS DENTAL SERVICES 3430 E. Sunrise Drive, Suite 160, Tucson, 85718 // 520-696-4343// mydentalplan.net 2014 PREMIUMS $10.2 million PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Cynthia Weeks, chief financial officer UNITED CONCORDIA DENTAL 4401 Deer Path Road, Harrisburg, 17110 // 602-667-2201// unitedconcordia.com 2014 PREMIUMS $9 million PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Yolanda Richards, senior sales manager TOTAL DENTAL ADMINISTRATORS HEALTH PLAN, INC. 2111 E. Highland Ave., Suite 250, Phoenix, 85016 // 602-266-1995// tdadental. com 2014 PREMIUMS $7.8 million PRINCIPAL no designee HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN no designee UNITED DENTAL CARE OF ARIZONA 1702 E. Highland Ave., Suite 110, Phoenix, 85016 // 800443-2995// uhone.com/insurance/dental 2014 PREMIUMS $5.3 million PRINCIPAL no designee, HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN no designee UNIMERICA INSURANCE COMPANY 2910 N. 44th St., Second Floor, Phoenix, 85018 // 602-3643100 2014 PREMIUMS $854,373 PRINCIPAL no designee HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN no designee

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GI

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YO U

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Make it easy for your employees to unleash their smile power with Delta Dental. With over 40 years of experience in dental benefits, we offer the tools, expertise, and exceptional overall value that will help your employees protect their smile and keep it healthy. Contact your benefits consultant today. SmilePowerAZ.com Arizona Dental Insurance Service, Inc. dba Delta Dental of Arizona

DDPA-0022-rev0416

We are proud to recognize our own Yolanda Richards for being honored among Arizona’s Top Women in Health Care for 2016.

Thank you, Yolanda, for your continued commitment to delivering better oral and overall wellness for our members.

CONNEC T WITH US:

UnitedConcordia.com SPO-0153-0516 • United Concordia dental FFS products are underwritten by United Concordia Life and Health Insurance Company in PA. United Concordia policies cover dental benefits only.

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HEALTH CARE

HEALTH INSURERS, RANKED BY 2013 ARIZONA PREMIUMS

Top 10 BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD OF ARIZONA 8220 N. 23rd Ave., Phoenix, 85021 // 602-864-4100 // azblue.com 2014 PREMIUMS $1.7 billion PRINCIPAL Rich Boals, president and CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Sandy Gibson, chief operating officer; Deanna Salazar, general counsel UNITED HEALTHCARE OF ARIZONA 1 E. Washington St., Suite 1700, Phoenix, 85004 // 602-954-3302 // uhc.com 2014 PREMIUMS $1.3 billion PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Beth Soberg, CEO HEALTH NET OF ARIZONA 1230 W. Washington St., Suite 401, Tempe, 85281 // 602-794-1400 // healthnet.com 2014 PREMIUMS $842.4 million PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Rose Megian, president and CEO HUMANA 2231 E. Camelback Road, Suite 400, Phoenix, 85016 // 602-760-1700 // humana. com 2014 PREMIUMS $755 million PRINCIPAL Charles Ritz, west region vice president, employer group HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Victoria Coley, desert states vice president, employer group

CAREER TOOK ABRUPT TURN

DEANNA SALAZAR GENERAL COUNSEL

BY ALISON STANTON

If someone told Deanna Salazar as a newly-minted, 24-year-old law school graduate that she would one day become a lawyer for a health insurance company, she wouldn’t have believed it.

“I would have said, ‘Are you insane?’” she says, laughing. “Actually, I wanted to join the Peace Corps, but they only wanted doctors and engineers, not lawyers.”

Salazar began her career as a partner at Lewis & Roca in Phoenix, now Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie, where she worked on lender liability cases, medical malpractice, AIDS cases and a fair amount of criminal work.

After leaving the firm, Salazar went on to work as an in-house attorney for Wells Fargo and then with a small startup company before joining Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona almost 17 years ago. Nine years ago, she became general counsel.

“I often think about how my past has prepared me for my work,” she says. “As general counsel, we can’t be one-trick ponies, and we have to be very broad in the ability to give advice to business people.”

Salazar says she especially enjoys hashing through issues with the eight other members of the company’s legal team.

“We are a really collaborative legal department, and it’s really a nice mix of people, kind of like a law firm,” she

says, adding that she is truly proud of the company’s core values. “We want people to live better quality lives, even if the waters get choppy. Blue Cross Blue Shield is a perfect example of a lighthouse, shining with ideas of what to do.”

Looking back at her career, Salazar says she is grateful to many mentors, including one who stressed the importance of learning to write well.

“I also like being allowed to do more than I might be completely capable of doing at the time,” she says.

“At Blue Cross Blue Shield, CEO Rich Boals always has confidence in us and gives us new opportunities that will help us grow.”

In her spare time, Salazar can be found giving back to the community—she recently helped build a home in south Phoenix through Habitat for Humanity—traveling and hiking.

“I love to cook, and in my next life I might do a food truck,” she says.

“But because I like to bake I have to work out a lot, which also helps keep my mind clear.”

When speaking with young women who are just starting their careers— whether in law or another field—Salazar offers this advice: “I tell them to try to not be all googly eyed about compensation and instead, take jobs where they will get good training because it will carry them along as they grow.”

CIGNA HEALTHCARE 25500 N. Norterra Drive, Building B, Phoenix, 85085 // 623-277-1000 // cigna.com 2014 PREMIUMS $482.6 million PRINCIPAL Edward Kim, president and general manager HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Stephahie Gorman, regional vice president of underwriting for medical, life, disability and client informatics BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD OF ARIZONA ADVANTAGE 8220 N. 23rd Ave., Phoenix, 85021 // 800-446-8331 // azbluemedicare.com 2014 PREMIUMS $229.3 million PRINCIPAL Dave Firdaus, CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Elaine Strader, chief compliance officer CAREMORE HEALTH PLAN OF ARIZONA INC. 750 E. Thunderbird Road, Phoenix, 85022 // 602866-1220 // caremore.com 2014 PREMIUMS $188 million PRINCIPAL AND HIGHESTRANKING WOMAN Rebecca Lindy, general manager, Maricopa County SCAN HEALTH PLAN 1400 E. Southern Ave., Suite 735, Tempe, 85282 // 855-901-7226 // scanhealthplan.com 2014 PREMIUMS $157.7 million PRINCIPAL no designee HIGHESTRANKING WOMAN no designee AETNA 4645 E. Cotton Center Blvd., Phoenix, 85020 // 800-225-3375 // aetna.com 2014 PREMIUMS $136.9 million PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Pamela Sedmak, president and CEO PHOENIX HEALTH PLANS, INC. 7878 N. 16th St., Suite 105, Phoenix, 85020 // 602-824-3700 // phoenixhealthplans.com 2014 PREMIUMS $87.1 million PRINCIPAL Matt Cowley, CEO HIGHESTRANKING WOMAN no designee

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YOUR LIFE

WHICH SMARTPHONE IS SAFEST? QUESTION: I’m trying to decide on a new phone; is it true that iPhones are safer than Android smartphones?

ANSWER: The dangers associated with using a smartphone continue to grow, but the relative dangers compared to using your desktop or laptop are still pretty minimal.

It’s not uncommon to see salacious headlines proclaiming huge percentage increases in mobile threats, but when you start with a really small number, these “huge” increases aren’t that significant in reality.

Many of the real threats to a mobile device come from allowing a malicious app to make its way onto it. Users that “jailbreak” or “root” their devices so they can install apps from wherever they want are at a much higher risk than the average user.

Often, the “threats” that you may see reported are focused on markets outside of the U.S. where installing apps from third-parties is much more common.

If you stick to using the associated app store for either platform, your chances of installing a malicious app are minuscule. If we look at the instances of malicious apps making their way into both the Apple App Store and Google Play store, statistically speaking Apple has less of a problem, but neither service has had any real rampant issues with malicious apps, so this statistical difference is negligible.

A REAL THREAT The single biggest real-world threat to your smartphone is having it lost or stolen, which has nothing to do with the platform. Making sure you have some sort of screen lock setup and installing a solid mobile tracking app is a must.

There are tracking programs available from Apple and Google, but I prefer the basic tools from the Prey Project, which are free for up to 3 devices. Forgetting to securely wipe the data from a device you’ll no longer be using is another very common security failure we see.

same approach should be taken with smartphones.

SOCIAL ENGINEERING Social engineering is simply using human interaction to trick users into bypassing normal security processes; a way of getting you to let your guard down. As mobile threats go, you’re much more likely to be compromised from a clever phishing scam then you are from a rogue app, which again impacts both platforms equally. I’ve preached the “guilty until proven innocent” suspicious approach with email and social media on computers for years and the

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS One area of security that Apple excels in, is the updating of the operating system. Since Apple is the only one that makes hardware that runs iOS, they more tightly control the distribution of updates to their users. The Android platform is open and can be used by any number of hardware manufacturers, but that also means that Google can’t provide a global security update to all Android users.

Each hardware manufacturer must create their own updates, often different for each type of handset and distribute them through the various wireless carriers.

These additional layers of complexity often cause long delays in getting security updates distributed, especially with smaller device manufacturers.

Updating your smartphone with security updates is just as important as updating your computer, so no matter which platform you choose, make sure you stay updated!

KEN COLBURN, SPECIAL FOR THE REPUBLIC AZCENTRAL.COM Ken Colburn is the founder and CEO of Data Doctors Computer Services, datadoctors.com. Ask any tech question at https://facebook. com/DataDoctorsor on Twitter @ TheDataDoc.

INSPIRING WOMEN MOVING BUSINESS AND COMMUNITIES FORWARD Congratulations to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona’s Senior Vice President and General Counsel Deanna Salazar for being recognized as one of Arizona’s Top Women in Business for 2016.

Deanna’s strategic leadership and dedication to our community are an inspiration to those around her. Every day she helps further our mission to improve the quality of life for Arizonans.

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Thank you, Deanna and to the other honorees for making Arizona a better place to live and work. You all have set the bar high and are important role models for the next generation of female leaders.

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HEALTH CARE

HOSPITALS, RANKED BY LICENSED BEDS

Top 10 BANNER UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER PHOENIX 1111 E. McDowell Road, Phoenix, 85006 // 602-839-2000 // bannerhealth.com/ universityphoenix EMPLOYEES 3,760 LICENSED BEDS IN AZ 733 PRINCIPAL Steve Narang, CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Rachel Behrendt, chief nursing officer BANNER DESERT MEDICAL CENTER 1400 S. Dobson Road, Mesa, 85202 // 480-412-3000 // bannerhealth.com/Desert EMPLOYEES 3,166 LICENSED BEDS IN AZ 639 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Laura Robertson, CEO DIGNITY HEALTH ST. JOSEPH’S HOSPITAL AND MEDICAL CENTER 350 W. Thomas Road, Phoenix, 85013 // 602-406-3000 // dignityhealth. org EMPLOYEES 4,500 LICENSED BEDS IN AZ 593 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Patty White, president BANNER THUNDERBIRD MEDICAL CENTER 5555 W. Thunderbird Road, Glendale, 85306 // 602-865-5555 // bannerhealth.com/thunderbird EMPLOYEES 2,584 LICENSED BEDS IN AZ 555 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Deb Krmpotic, CEO

CARE ‘FILLS HER BUCKET’

RACHEL BEHRENDT CHIEF NURSING OFFICER

BY GREMLYN BRADLEYWADDELL

A go-getter who credits her hard-working parents for her closeknit family’s industrious nature, Rachel Behrendt was in her early 20s when she became an East Coast director for the American Diabetes Association.

“I had a long history of fundraising experiences,” she says. “And I was in college and needed a job so I applied. They’re a pretty egalitarian bunch so they thought I’d be a good leader, and I was.”

But when a subsequent accident left Behrendt’s younger brother in a hospital burn unit, the incident changed her life as well. With their parents devastated by the situation, Behrendt’s brother turned to his sister for both emotional support and physical care while the “amazing” nurses in the burn unit taught her how to look after his wounds.

She was so impressed that, a month and a half after her brother returned home from the hospital, she quit her job and enrolled in nursing school.

Neither of them has looked back since.

Today, Behrendt is chief nursing officer for Banner-University Medical Center in Phoenix. Her younger brother is an attorney and hospital administrator at a New Jersey hospital.

“He has always wanted to help people and give back in some way, but he

didn’t want to be a physician,” she says, noting that her other brother, her twin, is chief financial officer for a Scottsdale-based electrical weapons firm.

The siblings’ mother passed away six years ago, but their father also lives in the Valley, which prompted Behrendt to leave her post at a Philadelphia-area hospital and move to Phoenix about three years ago.

While much of her job is spent in meetings, she still finds time write a weekly, work-related blog and to do bedside nursing. That was a stipulation she made before moving to Banner-University.

“I’ve never left the bedside, never stopped clinical practice,” says Behrendt, whose first degree is in English literature. “I love being able to maintain that connection with the nursing staff.

They want to know their nurse leader really knows what it’s like. And, frankly, it fills my bucket.”

At home, Behrendt stays busy, too, typically heading out for a run or cooking something yummy. A vegetarian, she has a new passion: making cheese.

“I read this article about how easy it is to make ricotta, and they’re right,” she says. “It’s the most amazing thing.

It tastes about a thousand times better than anything I’ve had anywhere else.”

MARICOPA INTEGRATED HEALTH SYSTEM 2601 E. Roosevelt St., Phoenix, 85008 // 602344-5011 // mihs.org EMPLOYEES 3,553 LICENSED BEDS IN AZ 526 PRINCIPAL Steve Purves, president and CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Kris Gaw, chief operating officer; Sherry Stotler, chief nursing officer BANNER UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER TUCSON 1501 N. Campbell Ave., Tucson, 85724 // 520-694-0111 // uahealth.com EMPLOYEES 2,742 LICENSED BEDS IN AZ 479 PRINCIPAL Tom Dickson, CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Kathy Bollinger, president YUMA REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER 2400 S. Avenue A, Yuma , 85364 // 928-344-2000 // yumaregional.org EMPLOYEES 1,755 LICENSED BEDS IN AZ 406 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHESTRANKING WOMAN Camie Overton, hospital administrator HONORHEALTH SCOTTSDALE SHEA MEDICAL CENTER 9003 E. Shea Blvd., Scottsdale, 85260 // 480-323-3000 // honorhealth.com EMPLOYEES 2,779 LICENSED BEDS IN AZ 405 PRINCIPAL Gary Baker, senior vice president and CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Rhonda Forsyth, president BANNER BAYWOOD MEDICAL CENTER 6644 E. Baywood Ave., Mesa, 85206 // 480-321-2000 // bannerhealth.com/baywood EMPLOYEES 1,589 LICENSED BEDS IN AZ 388 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Julie Nunley, CEO PHOENIX CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL 1919 E. Thomas Road, Phoenix, 85016 // 602-933-5871 // phoenixchildrens.com EMPLOYEES 4,229 LICENSED BEDS IN AZ 385 PRINCIPAL Robert Meyer, president and CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Betsy Kuzas, executive vice president and chief operating officer

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YOUR LEADERSHIP

BEING MINDFUL HELPS LEADERSHIP Have you ever forgotten someone's name shortly after being introduced?

Have you ever been in a meeting and heard someone ask a question that had already been answered? And if you are like me, have you driven to work or some other location without remembering the journey?

These are all examples of "mindlessness," automatic activities fueled by mind wandering, which happens about 50 percent of the workday. If left unchecked, mindlessness can negatively affect our interpersonal relationships, performance and health.

"Mindfulness," on the other hand, has the opposite impacts. Jon Kabat-Zinn, a renowned expert on the topic, defined mindfulness as "the awareness that emerges through paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally to the unfolding of experience moment by moment."

Mindfulness represents our ability to be aware and attentive to what is happening around us.

To improve your level of mindfulness, try these easy techniques: Practice focusing your attention. A simple way to do this is to pick an object and then spend five minutes or so

THINKSTOCK

putting your full attention on it. I like to use something like a rock or pen. First, hold the object and pay attention to its texture and the feeling it has in your hands. Note the edges and curves. Next, shift your focus to the object's color and smell, trying to notice all the different colors that may exist. The key to this activity is to maintain your focus for a period of time and to ignore any distracting thoughts that enter your mind.

Just note those thoughts and then return your focus to the object at hand.

Practice meditating. Many different

types of meditations are available. I like to use meditations in which you focus on your breath. Another option is walking meditations.

They are both easy to learn and can be done almost anywhere. I encourage you to start by reading about these techniques or finding a CD or app that provides simple instructions.

Practice setting daily intentions that benefit you or others. As I mentioned in last month's column, intentions specify the how, where and when of what you want to accomplish. Here is my intention for practicing mindfulness: "I intend to stop multitasking during all meetings, and I will turn off my cell phone after 7 p.m."

Note when your mind wanders. Pay attention to the frequency of your mind wandering. Make a point of noticing its occurrence, and then gently refocus your attention to whatever you are doing. Ultimately, mindfulness requires effort because our brains work in ways that detract from staying focused.

Everybody benefits from mindfulness. Remember the words of Mahatma Gandhi: "The future depends on what we do in the present."

ANGELO KINICKI Angelo Kinicki is a management professor and the Weatherup/Overby Chair in Leadership at the W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University.

CONGRATULATIONS

Betsy Kuzas Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Phoenix Children’s

Phoenix Children’s provides the most comprehensive pediatric care in the Southwest. With our deep expertise in more than 75 pediatric specialties, including Barrow Neurological Institute at Phoenix Children’s and other elite programs in cancer, orthopedics, trauma, cardiac services

Your employees deserve the best care.

Make sure your health plan includes Phoenix Children’s and Phoenix Children’s Care Network, its network of physicians, so the best is available for your employees and their families.

and precision medicine, Phoenix Children’s is leading the way, breaking new ground in pediatric research and treatment.

1919 E Thomas Rd, Phoenix, AZ 85016 | PhoenixChildrens.org

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HEALTH CARE

ASSISTED LIVING FACILITIES, RANKED BY LIVING UNITS

Top 10 FRIENDSHIP VILLAGE TEMPE 2645 E. Southern Ave., Tempe, 85282 // 480-831-5000 // friendshipvillageaz.com AZ EMPLOYEES 500 LIVING UNITS 836 PRINCIPAL Cole Marvin, executive director HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Julie Holden, associate executive director GLENCROFT SENIOR LIVING 8611 N. 67th Ave., Glendale, 85302 // 623-847-3006 // glencroft.com AZ EMPLOYEES 425 LIVING UNITS 794 PRINCIPAL John Wenzlau, president and CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Susan Hornbostel, chief operating officer BEATITUDES CAMPUS 1610 W. Glendale Ave., Phoenix, 85021 // 602-995-6136 // beatitudescampus.org AZ EMPLOYEES 420 LIVING UNITS 650 PRINCIPAL Michelle Just, president and CEO; Allen Bloch, chief financial officer HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Michelle Just, president and CEO

CULTIVATING COMMUNITY

FRAN DONNELLAN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

BY JOYCE HADLEY COPELAND

Fran Donnellan has worked with seniors since she volunteered at her neighborhood nursing home during high school.

Donnellan worked as a nursing assistant while earning her degree in social work. Upon graduation, she advanced from activity director to management positions at a number of facilities before coming to The Fountains at La Cholla as executive director.

At The Fountains at La Cholla, a retirement campus combining independent living, assisted living and memory care in northwest Tucson, Donnellan says her greatest reward is creating a community that fosters friendship among residents and caregivers.

“It’s just the simple stuff, like life,” she says. “You walk down the hall and residents are laughing with each other, associates are engaged and enjoying the residents. It’s just those sweet moments that make you think, ‘Oh yeah, that’s why I work so hard.’”

Residents of The Fountains at La Cholla enjoy activities and outings, as well as access to parent company Watermark Retirement Communities’ Watermark University, which offers free classes in everything from tai chi to conversational Spanish. They also have opportunities to get involved with local organizations such as the Southern Arizona Arts and Cultural Alliance and the Tucson Community Food Bank.

Donnellan is especially proud of the quality of care provided by longtime associates, many of whom have flourished under her leadership.

“We have low turnover and we have had several in-house promotions, “ she says.

She credits the advice of an early mentor for helping her deftly handle issues unique to the care-giving profession. When a memory care resident struck a caregiver who was bathing her, the caregiver overreacted, swinging the bath towel and hitting the resident.

“Totally not OK,” Donnellan says.

But her mentor cautioned against a knee-jerk reaction. The two sat down with the caregiver, who had been doing a great job until then, and determined that she was burning out in nursing.

When the human resources documentation was complete, the caregiver was transferred to the dining department.

Donnellan saw it as a win-win.

“We were able to keep her in an environment that was less stressful for her,” she says. “She still got to engage with residents, but not in such an intense manner.”

Since then, Donnellan’s style of leadership has been to observe, listen and ask probing questions to find out what’s going on first, then to plant the seeds and let people grow.

“I’m going to be a senior pretty quick,” she says. “I want good people out there to take care of all of us.”

In the meantime, Donellan continues her “fabulously rewarding” work with seniors.

“It can build lifelong relationships with co-workers,” she says. “But also residents and their families. It’s a beautiful thing.”

ROYAL OAKS RETIREMENT COMMUNITY 10015 W. Royal Oak Road, Sun City, 85351 // 623-933-2807 // royaloaks.com AZ EMPLOYEES 350 LIVING UNITS 535 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Kendra Eberhart, president and CEO FELLOWSHIP SQUARE - HISTORIC MESA 35 W. Brown Road, Mesa, 85201 // 480-834-0600 // azfs.org AZ EMPLOYEES 120 LIVING UNITS 475 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Kristie Larsen, executive director THE FOUNTAINS AT LA CHOLLA 2001 W. Rudasill Road, Tucson, 85704 // 520-797-2001 // watermarkcommunities.com AZ EMPLOYEES 159 LIVING UNITS 414 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Fran Donnellan, executive director GRANDVIEW TERRACE - SUN HEALTH SENIOR LIVING 14515 W. Granite Valley Drive, Sun City West, 85375 // 623-975-8000 // sunhealthseniorliving.org/arizona-life-care-communities/ grandview-terrace/ AZ EMPLOYEES 255 LIVING UNITS 406 PRINCIPAL Ronald D. Guziak, president and CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Sharon Grambow, executive vice president and chief operating officer THUNDERBIRD SENIOR LIVING 5401 W. Dailey St., Glendale, 85306 // 602-938-0414 // thunderbirdsenior.com AZ EMPLOYEES 80 LIVING UNITS 281 PRINCIPAL Peter Richardson, executive director HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Linda Wiley, associate executive director THE FORUM AT TUCSON 250 N. Rosemont Blvd., Tucson, 85712 // 520-325-4800 // theforumattucson.com AZ EMPLOYEES 1,200 LIVING UNITS 255 PRINCIPAL Tod Murray, southwest regional director HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Sheri King, regional director of sales and marketing FELLOWSHIP SQUARE TUCSON 8111 E. Broadway Blvd., Tucson, 85710 // 520-886-5537 // fellowshipsquareseniorliving.org AZ EMPLOYEES 145 LIVING UNITS 56 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Tariequa Powell, LPN

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YOUR TECHNOLOGY

INTERNET VIDEO CONSIDERATIONS THERE’S PLENTY TO THINK ABOUT BEFORE STARTING QUESTION: Is there a simple way to

make wedding or funeral videos that I can put on the Internet if I’m not very technical?

ANSWER: There’s no shortage of options for making slideshow videos, but there are a few things that you should think about before making a choice. The general rule is that the simpler the program is, the fewer options you’ll have for customizing the presentation. For instance, some will allow you to place images randomly on the screen while others have specific containers where each picture will go.

MUSIC OPTIONS

I suggest that you start by determining whether you want music to accompany the slideshow and if so, whether you want to choose the music or use whatever comes with the program. Using someone’s favorite songs is a great way to make the presentation really special, but if you use copyrighted music and plan to upload it to YouTube (or

other sites like Facebook) as a lasting memory there are caveats.

The copyright owner of the music can mute, block or at the very least monetize your video by running ad banners at the bottom. If you want music that won’t be subject to YouTube’s Content ID system or Facebook’s more restrictive rules, there are a number of places that offer pre-cleared music such as the Free Music Archive or the list of sites at CreativeCommons.org.

PROGRAMS

If you’re comfortable with how PowerPoint works, you can certainly create a slideshow and convert it to a video to upload to the Internet, but I think there are better options. Windows user can checkout Microsoft’s free Movie Maker, which strikes a nice balance between ease of use and powerful features. Their “AutoMovie” themes will automatically add titles, credits, transitions and effects to your movie if you’re looking for some extra pizazz.

If you plan on using a large number of photos and/or videos, the amount of RAM your computer has will come into play. For a really large slideshow, you

ROYAL OAKS

may have to break it up into separate movies, so use a computer with lots of RAM. Mac users should take a look at iMovie, which also provides pre-configured themes for many common themes and is easy to use.

If those options look too time consuming or complicated, checkout the options atSmilebox. The program and basic themes are free to use, with premium templates that you can buy if you so desire. With Smilebox, there are only a couple of design decisions to make to get started: the background, the title color and the duration of each slide. If you want music, you can select one of the options they offer or use your own music and then choose a transition between each picture or video.

INVESTING TIME

Time is also one of the biggest factors in making a decision, especially if you want to use a large number of images and/or videos. All of these programs will have a small learning curve, so give yourself plenty of time to get the hang of the program and have others review the video before the event.

KEN COLBURN, SPECIAL FOR AZCENTRAL.COM

SPECIAL ADVERTISING FEATURE

For Who’s Who in Business

By Vicki Ullery

T

his past year was a fruitful one for Royal Oaks, the only lifecare community in Sun City.

We opened a new memory care building—56 private suites--that has subsequently won many awards for design and programming.

Our lifelong learning program, The Learning Tree, hosted our first Film Festival. Celebrity Chef Fabio Viviani entertained current and prospective residents with a cooking demonstration. Many of our residents medaled at the Leading Age Arizona Fitness Challenge. Our partnership with Phoenix Children’s Hospital—our residents make toys and blankets for the patients-

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-continued to flourish. We won five of the nine annual awards for excellence given out by Leading Age Arizona. And we launched a new resident portal while enhancing our on-line education for employees.

I’m proud of the accomplishments of our 640+ residents and the 325+ staff members that make life on our campus a joy.”

Kendra Eberhart

MORE INFORMATION Royal Oaks Retirement Community 10015 W. Royal Oak Road Sun City, AZ 85351 623-815-4132 royaloaks.com

5/17/16 5:47 PM

RETAIL & LEISURE

GROCERY STORES, RANKED BY NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES

Top 10 WALMART 4127 E. Van Buren St., Suite 250, Phoenix, 85008 // 602-732-3248 // walmart. com AZ EMPLOYEES 34,856 AZ PRINCIPAL Paula Ginnett, vice president and regional general manager HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Paula Ginnett, vice president and regional general manager FRY’S FOOD STORES 500 S. 99th Ave., Tolleson, 85353 // 623-936-2100 // frysfood.com AZ EMPLOYEES 16,856 AZ PRINCIPAL Steve McKinney, president HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Monica Garnes, vice president merchandising ALBERTSONS-SAFEWAY 20227 N. 27th Ave., Suite 100, Phoenix, 85027 // 623-869-6100 // albertsons.com AZ EMPLOYEES 14,490 AZ PRINCIPAL Shane Dorcheus, president, southwest HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Michelle Larson, vice president of marketing and merchandising BASHAS’ FAMILY OF STORES 22402 S. Basha Road, Chandler, 85248 // 480-895-5369 // bashas. com AZ EMPLOYEES 8,525 AZ PRINCIPAL Edward Basha III, chairman of the board HIGHESTRANKING WOMAN Ashley Shick, director of communications and public affairs; Elva Vivas, director of finance, planning and treasury

FEELING FAMILY TIES

ASHLEY SHICK COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR

BY CHRISTINA BARRUETA

76

Telling stories and creating strategic partnerships are two things Ashley Shick likes best about her job as director of communications and public affairs for the Bashas’ Family of Stores.

Growing up in Wisconsin as the youngest of nine, including stepsiblings, helped shape Shick’s career.

“I had to speak louder in order to be heard,” she muses. “I naturally fell into dealing with a lot of personalities and finding ways to relate to people.”

Likewise, storytelling was a talent at an early age.

“I used to write a lot of silly stories as a little girl and journaled through my teenage years,” she recalls. “I remember my parents telling me, ‘You should be a writer one day. You’ve got a great knack for it.’

All those things combined have set me on this path and brought me to where I am today.”

Shick uses those inherent talents in her responsibilities at Bashas’, which include overseeing the company’s public relations, fundraising affairs, internal communications and customer service.

In the four months since she joined Bashas’, Shick has focused on building strong connections with employees and the local community.

“When I had the opportunity to come over to the Bashas’ Family of Stores, it just felt like a natural fit,” she says. “It is such a longstanding

Arizona family-grown business. It was really the right time, the right move and the perfect opportunity to continue with their longstanding community legacy.”

Shick had never worked for a family-run company before.

“It’s amazing to see how everyone feels that connection, whether or not Basha is their last name,” she notes. “Not only at our corporate office, but at our store level and [in] our distribution centers. It is something that I’ve never seen anywhere else.”

Shick’s goals at Bashas’ involve strengthening connections.

“I think people really want to support companies that are supporting them and their families,” she says.

“And at the Bashas’ Family, we want that strong connection to our local communities. I think that media and PR is really all about storytelling and making those connections.”

Across the board people are looking to companies that are doing their best to be good stewards, a founding principle of the Bashas’ Family of Stores, Shick says.

“Being a good steward of the community was something the family instilled at the very beginning of growing this organization,” she adds.

“As cliché as it sounds, everyone in the building really does feel that.

They really do have the best interests of the company and the community at heart. It’s a unique and fascinating thing to see.”

TARGET 8550 S. Priest Drive, Tempe, 85284 // 480-533-2223 // target.com AZ EMPLOYEES 8,241 AZ PRINCIPAL Kobie Zimmerman, group vice president HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN no designee COSTCO WHOLESALE CORP. 4649 Morena Blvd., San Diego, CA, 92117 // (858) 812-1400 // costco. com AZ EMPLOYEES 4,600 AZ PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Jill Whittaker, regional operations manager SPROUTS FARMERS MARKET 5455 E. High St., Suite 111, Phoenix, 85054 // 480-814-8016 // sprouts.com AZ EMPLOYEES 3,484 AZ PRINCIPAL Amin Maredia, CEO HIGHESTRANKING WOMAN Nancy LaMons, chief human resources officer WHOLE FOODS MARKET 207 Goode Ave., 7th Floor, Glendale, CA, 91203 // 818-581-9029 // wholefoodsmarket.com AZ EMPLOYEES 1,500 AZ PRINCIPAL Bill Cano, executive coordinator, operations HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Stacy McLean, store team leader, Paradise Valley WINCO FOODS 650 N. Armstrong Place, Boise, ID 83704 // 208-377-0110 // wincofoods.com AZ EMPLOYEES 860 AZ PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Nancy Lebold, senior vice president, southern operations TRADER JOE’S 800 S. Shamrock Ave., Monrovia, CA, 91016 // (626) 599-3700 // traderjoes.com AZ EMPLOYEES unavailable AZ PRINCIPAL Rory Violette, regional vice president HIGHESTRANKING WOMAN no designee

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PROFESSIONAL SPORTS AND EVENTS, RANKED BY 2015 ATTENDANCE

RETAIL & LEISURE

Top 10 ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS 401 E. Jefferson St., Phoenix, 85004 // 602-462-6500 // dbacks. com 2015 ATTENDEES 2.08 million EMPLOYEES 373 PRINCIPAL Derrick Hall, president and CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Nona Lee, senior vice president and general counsel; Marian Rhodes, senior vice president, chief human resources and diversity officer CACTUS LEAGUE 16101 N. 83rd Ave., Suite 4, Peoria, 85382 // 623-628-3450 // cactusleague. com 2015 ATTENDEES 1.88 million EMPLOYEES 6 PRINCIPAL Mark Coronado, president HIGHESTRANKING WOMAN Bridget Binsbacher, vice president, business affairs PHOENIX SUNS 201 E. Jefferson St., Phoenix, 85004 // 602-379-7912 // suns.com 2015 ATTENDEES 693,862 EMPLOYEES 1,000 PRINCIPAL Jason Rowley, president HIGHESTRANKING WOMAN Maria Baier, senior vice president, communications and public affairs WASTE MANAGEMENT PHOENIX OPEN/THE THUNDERBIRDS 7226 N. 16th St., Suite 100, Phoenix, 85020 // 602-870-0163 // wmphoenixopen. com 2015 ATTENDEES 618,365 EMPLOYEES did not disclose PRINCIPAL Dan Mahoney, 2016 Waste Management Phoenix Open tournament chairman HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN No designee ARIZONA COYOTES 9400 W. Maryland Ave., Glendale, 85305 // 623-772-3200 // arizonacoyotes. com 2015 ATTENDEES 547,149 EMPLOYEES 125 PRINCIPAL Andrew Barroway, majority owner, chairman and governor HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Elizabeth Kaplan, executive director, Arizona Coyotes Foundation ARIZONA CARDINALS 8701 S. Hardy Drive, Tempe, 85284 // 602-379-0101 // azcardinals.com 2015 ATTENDEES 513,487 EMPLOYEES 180 PRINCIPAL William V. Bidwill, owner HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Lisa Manning, vice president, marketing PHOENIX MERCURY 201 E. Jefferson St., Phoenix, 85004 // 602-379-7900 // phoenixmercury.com 2015 ATTENDEES 169,077 EMPLOYEES did not disclose PRINCIPAL Robert Sarver, managing partnerHIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Ann Meyers Drysdale, vice president CAN-AM 500 AT PHOENIX INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY 7602 S. Avondale Blvd., Avondale, 85323 // 623-463-5400 // phoenixraceway.com 2015 ATTENDEES 100,000-plus EMPLOYEES 30 PRINCIPAL Bryan Sperber, president HIGHESTRANKING WOMAN Marie E. Buck, senior director of business operations GOOD SAM 500 AT PHOENIX INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY 7602 S. Avondale Blvd., Avondale, 85323 // 623-463-5400 // phoenixraceway.com 2015 ATTENDEES 100,000-plus EMPLOYEES 30 PRINCIPAL Bryan Sperber, president HIGHESTRANKING WOMAN Marie E. Buck, senior director of business operations ROCK N ROLL ARIZONA MARATHON 9477 Waples St., Suite 150, San Diego, 92121 // 800-3111255 // runrocknroll.com/Arizona 2015 ATTENDEES 100,000 EMPLOYEES did not disclose PRINCIPAL Paul Walsh, chairman HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN No designee

A ‘NERD’ AND PROUD OF IT Marie E. Buck was a senior in high school when she took her first accounting class, and she was immediately hooked.

“I was definitely a nerd, and I say that with no derogatory sense at all,” says the California-born, Phoenix-raised only child of Swedish immigrants. “I’m proud of it.”

As the senior director of business operations for Phoenix International Raceway, Buck has parlayed her love of numbers into an 18-year career within the decidedly un-nerdy world of auto racing. And the truth is that the mix of accounting, sports and entertainment has been an ideal career combination that she’s all but perfected over time.

At the University of Arizona, for example, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in accounting, Buck worked at sporting events and concerts, and when she transferred to ASU for her graduate degree in business, she did much the same.

Her first jobs after graduation were as a ticket office manager for the Phoenix Symphony and ASU athletics, both of which she recalled as “amazing experiences,” but when she heard there was an opening for a director of accounting at PIR, she knew she had to try for it.

“I had always heard PIR was a great place to work,” she says.

Buck landed the job, and her role

has expanded significantly over the years. Today it includes not only finance and accounting, but also ticket operations, guest operations and venue experience.

“I feel like I’m involved in most every aspect of our business,” she says, noting she couldn’t do what she does, or have gotten this far, without all the people who have worked with and for her.

“They help you develop your skills and your career,” she says. “Those are the people that are so important.”

Although she didn’t grow up a race fan, Buck has always been an outdoorsy type with a penchant for hiking and hunting, activities she enjoys with her husband, Dale. She’s also had a unique summer job for more than two decades: rowing a baggage boat through the Grand Canyon for a commercial outfitter. It’s something she and her dad did together for years, until he couldn’t anymore. It’s a physically demanding task, but one she relishes, perhaps because there’s a customer service aspect to it.

“I just disappear for two weeks,” she says, “hauling gear, washing dishes and being totally disconnected from the world. I get to interact with other crew members and passengers from all around the world, and it’s so satisfying to help them have a great experience.”

MARIE E. BUCK SENIOR DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS OPERATIONS

BY GREMLYN BRADLEYWADDELL

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RETAIL & LEISURE

CASINOS, RANKED BY NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES

Top 10 TALKING STICK RESORT P.O. BOX 10099, Scottsdale, 85271 // 480-850-7777 // talkingstickresort. com AZ EMPLOYEES 1,980 PRINCIPAL Delbert Ray, president HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Patricia Tate, senior vice president and chief financial officer CASINO DEL SOL RESORT 5655 W. Valencia Road, Tucson, 85757 // 855-765-7829 // casinodelsol.com AZ EMPLOYEES 1,500 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Kimberly Van Amburg, CEO CASINO ARIZONA P.O. BOX 10099, Scottsdale, 85271 // 480-850-7777 // casinoaz.com AZ EMPLOYEES 1,450 PRINCIPAL Delbert Ray, president HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Patricia Tate, senior vice president and chief financial officer WILD HORSE PASS HOTEL AND CASINO, GILA RIVER CASINOS 5040 Wild Horse Pass Blvd., Chandler, 85226 // 800-946-4452 // wingilariver. com AZ EMPLOYEES 1,430 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Pamela Johnson, principal and chairperson of the board VEE QUIVA HOTEL AND CASINO, GILA RIVER CASINOS 15091 Komatke Lane, Laveen, 85339 // 800-946-4452 // wingilariver.com AZ EMPLOYEES 990 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Pamela Johnson, principal and chairperson of the board

GOT LUCKY IN GAMING

KIMBERLY VAN AMBURG CEO

BY GREMLYN BRADLEYWADDELL

78

Kimberly Van Amburg considers herself more than a little lucky to work in the gaming industry.

“It has to be the most interesting business there is,” says the CEO of Casino del Sol Resort in Tucson. “It has a culture of its own.”

In recent years, Casino del Sol’s accolades have included being named a four-star Forbes Travel Guide winner and a AAA four-diamond awardee.

Whether she’s witnessing the excitement on the gaming floor, meeting with fellow casino colleagues from around the country or having lunch with employees from one of the many departments she oversees, Van Amburg is very much a hands-on leader.

Originally from Dallas, Van Amburg graduated from the University of Arizona with a journalism degree before going on to earn a law degree.

After several years in private practice, however, she became pregnant with her first child and realized her profession wasn’t going mesh with her idea of parenthood.

A search for a career with a more flexible schedule led her to the casino, one of the enterprises owned by the Pascua Yaqui tribe, which was in need of a general counsel. She got the job in 2007, the same year, incidentally, that her husband, Noah,

started his own law firm.

With each following year, she took on more responsibilities, eventually becoming senior vice president and, last year, chief executive officer. But she’s the first to admit that old habits are hard to break.

“I love the law so I still try to insert myself in legal questions that come up because I just can’t help myself,” she says.

That said, most of her days are spent in meetings, either with the finance, human resources or marketing departments, or with employees regarding any number of issues.

Her workload is demanding, but she says the Pascua Yaqui tribe is an ideal employer—not only respectful and family-oriented but also generous in sharing its background and culture so others can “understand and appreciate their history and where they’ve been.”

At home, Van Amburg is mom to Jack, 9, and Sam, 7, and much of her after-hours time is spent either overseeing their homework or shuttling them to basketball or soccer practice and other extracurricular activities.

“It’s like a puzzle every week,” she says of the perennial after-school dilemma so many parents experience, “trying to figure out what will and what will not work.”

LONE BUTTE CASINO, GILA RIVER CASINOS 1077 S. Kyrene Road, Chandler, 85226 // 800-9464452 // wingilariver.com AZ EMPLOYEES 817 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Pamela Johnson, principal and chairperson of the board HARRAH’S AK-CHIN CASINO 15406 N. Maricopa Road, Maricopa, 85139 // 480-802-5000 // caesars.com/harrahs-ak-chin AZ EMPLOYEES 750 PRINCIPAL Robert Livingston, vice president and general manager HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Bambi Johnson, director of finance and administration DESERT DIAMOND CASINO AND ENTERTAINMENT TUCSON 7350 S. Nogales Highway, Tucson, 85756 // 866-332-9467 // ddcaz.com AZ EMPLOYEES 622 PRINCIPAL Henry Childs, general manager HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Elizabeth “Libby” Francisco, chief operating officer TWIN ARROWS NAVAJO CASINO RESORT 22181 Resort Blvd., Flagstaff, 86004 // 928-8567200 // twinarrows.com AZ EMPLOYEES 600 PRINCIPAL Bryce Warren, general manager HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Katherine Davis, director of operations CLIFF CASTLE CASINO HOTEL 555 W. Middle Verde Road, Camp Verde, 86322 // 928-567-7999 // cliffcastlecasinohotel.com AZ EMPLOYEES 425 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Mary Ketterling, general manager

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“I’m honored that Casino Del Sol is being recognized among Arizona’s best by Republic Media” “Casino Del Sol is truly southern Arizona’s premier entertainment and hospitality destination, all thanks to the dedication and commitment of our hardworking staff. Our resort runs so smoothly because of the exceptional job they do day in and day out.”

Kimberly Van Amburg, CEO, Casino Del Sol

CASINODELSOL.COM 855.SOL.STAY 1-19, EXIT VALENCIA WEST

ENTERPRISE OF THE PASCUA YAQUI TRIBE

AR-0008550118-01

Leaders in business.

Champions of the Community.

The Salt River Pima–Maricopa Indian Community is proud to congratulate Senior Vice President & CFO Patricia Tate and SRPMIC President Delbert W. Ray Sr. for their recognition as industry leaders.

Patricia Tate and Delbert W. Ray Sr. are driving forces behind Patricia Tate Senior Vice President and CFO Casino Arizona and Talking Stick Resort

the success of our properties and the Salt River Pima–Maricopa Indian Community as a whole. We are honored to have their winning

Delbert W. Ray President Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community

attitude on our team and look forward to their continued leadership.

480.850.7777 · CASINOARIZONA.COM · TALKINGSTICKRESORT.COM Locally owned and caringly operated by the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community.

AR-0008537286-01

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RETAIL & LEISURE

HOTELS AND RESORTS, RANKED BY NUMBER OF ROOMS

Top 10 SHERATON GRAND PHOENIX 340 N. 3rd St., Phoenix, 85004 // 602-262-2500 // sheratongrandphoenix. com ROOMS 1,000 AZ EMPLOYEES 470 PRINCIPAL Mike Ehmann, general manager HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Erin Flothmeier, director of human resources JW MARRIOTT DESERT RIDGE RESORT 5350 E. Marriott Drive, Phoenix, 85054 // 480-293-5000 // jwdesertridge.com ROOMS 950 AZ EMPLOYEES 1,034 PRINCIPAL Steve Hart, area vice president HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Jennifer Martin, director of human resources; Yoko Hodges; director of finance ARIZONA GRAND RESORT & SPA 8000 S. Arizona Grand Parkway, Phoenix, 85044 // 480-438-9000 // arizonagrandresort.com ROOMS 744 AZ EMPLOYEES 650 PRINCIPAL Paul Gray, general manager HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Kerry Feltenberg, director of catering and conference services THE WESTIN KIERLAND RESORT & SPA 6902 E. Greenway Parkway, Scottsdale, 85254 // 480624-1000 // kierlandresort.com ROOMS 732 AZ EMPLOYEES 800 PRINCIPAL Bruce Lange, managing director HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Elizabeth Franzese, director of sales and marketing

HELPING PEOPLE GROW

ERIN FLOTHMEIER DIRECTOR OF HUMAN RESOURCES

BY GREMLYN BRADLEYWADDELL

80

In Erin Flothmeier’s opinion, a company’s human resources department should be the kind of place where folks know the employees’ stories, even details like favorite vacation spots and kids’ names. So that’s exactly the kind of department she runs as director of human resources for the Sheraton Grand Phoenix.

“I think a lot of people think we are only here to maybe hire you, process your paperwork when you start and to fire you,” she muses.

“We don’t want to just be the business people who say, ‘Hey, did you need something?’”

While in high school she imagined either becoming a chef or a baker, Flothmeier discovered the world of human resources while attending college at Miami University in Ohio and “kind of fell in love with it.”

After graduation, Flothmeier took a job as catering manager with a small hotel outside Washington, D.C. There was no human resources department, so Flothmeier volunteered to interview job candidates. Soon, she found herself employed in human resources at a hospital. When she discovered hospitals weren’t her happy place, she returned to the hospitality industry and snagged her first director of HR position at age 25.

“I think I walked around with

my policy manual for about three months,” she quips, adding that it’s a big advantage to have a sense of humor in the HR world. “I think it was about proving that even though I was young, I knew what I was doing.”

At the Sheraton Grand Phoenix, where she’s been for nearly a year, Flothmeier is proud not only of the in-house mentoring programs but also the hotel’s focus on sustainability—a garden on the fourth floor, for example, is utilized by the kitchen.

The resort’s other efforts include Sheraton Cares, a group of employees who volunteer to feed the less fortunate. Flothmeier, whose background includes helping refugees, is also pleased her industry offers so many opportunities to people of diverse backgrounds.

“I love to see them develop and grow,” says Flothmeier, who enjoys yoga and outdoor activities in her spare time, which has been a wee bit limited since she purchased a fixer-upper with her husband when they moved to Phoenix two years ago.

“Even if they end up leaving us after a couple years, it never bothers me,” she adds. “They’re usually leaving to go to school. It’s rewarding to see many of them move up and move on if that’s what they choose to do.”

HYATT REGENCY PHOENIX 122 N. Second St., Phoenix, 85004 // 602-440-3110 // phoenix.hyatt. com ROOMS 693 AZ EMPLOYEES 285 PRINCIPAL Thomas Delaney, general manager HIGHESTRANKING WOMAN Danyell Schastny, director of sales and marketing FAIRMONT SCOTTSDALE PRINCESS 7575 E. Princess Drive, Scottsdale, 85255 // 480-585-4848 // scottsdaleprincess.com ROOMS 648 AZ EMPLOYEES 1,060 PRINCIPAL Jack Miller, General Manager HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Pam Gilbert, director of sales and marketing; Rosemary Taylor; director of human resources THE PHOENICIAN 6000 E. Camelback Road, Scottsdale, 85251 // 480-941-8200 // thephoenician.com ROOMS 643 AZ EMPLOYEES 800 PRINCIPAL Mark Vinciguerra, managing director, The Phoenician; area managing director, Starwood Arizona HIGHESTRANKING WOMAN Paige Cabacungan, area director of sales and marketing, Starwood Hotels and Resorts Arizona JW MARRIOTT STARR PASS RESORT AND SPA 3800 W. Starr Pass Blvd., Tucson, 85745 // 520-7923500 // marriott.com ROOMS 575 AZ EMPLOYEES 630 PRINCIPAL Russell Bond, general manager HIGHEST-RANKING WOMEN Meredith Nicklas, director of finance and accounting; Jennifer Horstman; director of human resources RENAISSANCE PHOENIX DOWNTOWN HOTEL 50 E. Adams St., Phoenix, 85004 // 602-333-5200 // renhotels.com ROOMS 521 AZ EMPLOYEES 185 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Paige Lund, general manager SHERATON WILD HORSE PASS RESORT & SPA 5594 W. Wild Horse Pass Blvd., Chandler, 85226 // 602-225-0100 // wildhorsepassresort.com ROOMS 500 AZ EMPLOYEES 500 PRINCIPAL Bunty Ahamed, general manager HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Stephanie Sanstead, director of public relations

WHO’S WHO IN BUSINESS // 2016

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YOUR WEEKEND

5 MYTHS ABOUT NORTH RIM When it comes to Grand Canyon rims, tourists are far more familiar with the South than the North. After all, the South Rim receives 10 times as many visitors than the North (5 million vs.

500,000). It’s time to bust a few myths to help you better understand the rim less taken.

MYTH: Snow renders the North Rim uninhabitable in winter.

BUSTED: The North Rim closes because of its older, poorly designed infrastructure. Most water pipes are buried just 18 inches down and thus susceptible to hard freezes. A handful of structures are serviced by pipes buried 3 feet deep, allowing a crew to remain during winter.

MYTH: On Oct. 15, everything at the North Rim shuts down for winter.

BUSTED: When the Grand Canyon Lodge closes on Oct. 15, many amenities disappear, the majority are food- and beverage-related (although the most missed feature is indoor plumbing). But the park remains open for day use through Nov. 30 or until snow closes SR 67.

MYTH: Once SR 67 is closed, only official personnel are allowed on the premises.

BUSTED: Hikers may visit and camp along the North Rim as long as they have a backcountry permit. The vast majority of winter visitors arrive

TOM TINGLE/THE REPUBLIC

Most of the facilities on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon shut down for winter on Oct. 15. The rim closes every year not because of snow but because of extreme cold. from the South Rim, in the midst of a rim-torim-to-rim odyssey.

MYTH: The South Rim is more popular than the North Rim because of better scenery.

BUSTED: The South Rim’s popularity has everything to do with location. As trains cut across northern Arizona in the late 1800s and early 1900s, tourists discovered the

geological delights of the high desert. They flocked to the South Rim, leading to the building of better roads, overnight lodgings and expanded infrastructure.

BY SCOTT CRAVEN THE REPUBLIC AZCENTRAL.COM

MYTH: There is no cell service at the North Rim. BUSTED: The most reliable signal is at the lodge, and visitors can find pockets of service along the rim.

A C O L L ECTIO N O F E XCE P T I O N A L M O M E N TS , CE L E B R ATE D IN LU X U RY Draped in the magnificent splendor of the Sonoran Desert, Arizona’s premier AAA Five Diamond luxury resort honors both traveler and destination. From highly personalized service to expertly crafted signature offerings, The Phoenician is home to your next collectible experience.

THEPHOENICIAN.COM 480 941 8200

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RETAIL & LEISURE

ARIZONA RESTAURANT GROUPS, RANKED BY NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES

Top 10 FOX RESTAURANT CONCEPTS 4455 E. Camelback Road, Suite B100, Phoenix, 85018 // 480-9056920 // foxrc.com EMPLOYEES 2,500 PRINCIPAL Sam Fox, founder HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Leezie Kim, vice president, general counsel P.F. CHANG’S CHINA BISTRO, INC. 7676 E. Pinnacle Peak Road, Scottsdale, 85255 // 480888-3000 // pfchangs.com EMPLOYEES 1,643 PRINCIPAL Michael Osanloo , CEO HIGHESTRANKING WOMAN Allison Schulder, vice president, finance MACAYO’S MEXICAN RESTAURANTS 1480 E. Bethany Home Road, Suite 130, Phoenix, 85014 // 602-212-2402 // macayo.com EMPLOYEES 1,000 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Sharisse Johnson, CEO PITA JUNGLE FRANCHISING CORP 7373 E. Doubletree Ranch Road, Suite B125, Scottsdale, 85258 // 480-969-2427 // pitajungle.com EMPLOYEES 850 PRINCIPAL Bassel Osmani, co-owner; Fouad Khodr, co-owner HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Nelly Kohsok, co-owner

FOSTERING COMMUNITY

LAUREN BAILEY CO-FOUNDER

BY CHRISTINA BARRUETA

82

As founding partner at Upward Projects, Lauren Bailey is living her dream.

At age 23, she set the goal of owning a restaurant and has attained that 12 times over.

Bailey was born in Texas, and lived in Indiana and Florida before attending ASU. One summer found her bartending in Nantucket, where she made a life-changing decision.

“I had this ‘aha’ moment,” Bailey says. “I was deciding whether to go to grad school for art, and I realized this industry had everything I love—the people, the food, design and all my interests, and I said, ‘I’m going to open my own restaurant.’”

In one year, the industrious young woman saved $30,000 as the first step toward her goal. On returning to Arizona, Bailey worked for Craig DeMarco of Postino Arcadia, shared her dream, and in 2009 they partnered to open Postino Central and founded Upward Projects along with Wyatt Bailey and Kris DeMarco.

The company now includes seven Postino locations in Arizona and Colorado along with Windsor, Churn, Federal Pizza and Joyride Taco House.

With her focus on operations, design and concept, Bailey especially enjoys rehabbing historical and architecturally relevant buildings. And she loves Arizona.

“It’s a great place to live and it’s a great place to do business with a community of people who are really fo-

cused on helping others,” Bailey says.

“Any time we face something challenging, not only in our business, but in the community, there is no shortage of people willing to step up and give a hand, advice or some experience-sharing. It’s pretty remarkable.”

Upwards Projects shares the same philosophy, with community needs paramount in decision-making. The company also values employees.

“People think we’re in the food business, but we’re actually not,” Bailey says. “We’re in the people business, and the food we make is a byproduct of the people. We know if we put the employees first, then all the other things will fall in line.”

This has contributed to Upward Project’s success.

“We’ve made sure that we’ve only grown at the pace our culture can withstand,” Bailey says. “As we’ve gotten bigger, we’ve had to be more thoughtful and innovative about how we can continue to have that connection with our employees.”

The recurring themes of connection and community are integral to Upward Projects.

“We like to go into neighborhoods and connect the communities,” Bailey explains. “To provide a space for people to gather, whether it be for a meeting, to have a family celebration, to go on a first date, to catch up with friends, we consider it a huge privilege to provide those spaces for people.”

UPWARD PROJECTS 5210 N. Central Ave., Suite 101, Phoenix, 85012 // 602-246-7555 // upwardprojects.com EMPLOYEES 650 PRINCIPAL Lauren Bailey, co-owner; Craig DeMarco, co-owner HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Lauren Bailey Kris DeMarco, co-owner WILDFLOWER BREAD COMPANY 7755 E. Gray Road, Scottsdale, 85260 // 480-951-9453 // wildflowerbread.com EMPLOYEES 625 PRINCIPAL Louis Basile, founder and president HIGHESTRANKING WOMAN Cheryl Campbell, chief financial officer GRIMALDI’S PIZZERIA 15005 N. Northsight Blvd., Scottsdale, 85260 // 480-947-7100 // grimaldispizzeria.com EMPLOYEES 480 PRINCIPAL Joe Ciolli, CEO; Eric Greenwald, president and chief operating officer HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Brittany Maroney, director of marketing WILD THYME GROUP 8525 N. Central Ave., Phoenix, 85020 // 602-427-7123 // wildthymegroup.com EMPLOYEES 385 PRINCIPAL Heinrich Stasiuk, founder and president HIGHESTRANKING WOMAN Kyli Miller, director of events and marketing KONA GRILL, INC. 7150 E. Camelback Road, Suite 333, Scottsdale, 85251 // 480-922-8100 // konagrill.com EMPLOYEES 373 PRINCIPAL Berke Bakay, president and CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Christi Hing, chief financial officer TILTED KILT FRANCHISE OPERATING 664 W. Warner Road, Tempe, 85284 // 480-456-5458 // tiltedkilt.com EMPLOYEES 40 PRINCIPAL Ronald Lynch, president HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Torie Lynch, vice president of marketing and brand initiatives

WHO’S WHO IN BUSINESS // 2016

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RETAIL & LEISURE

ARIZONA CLOTHING BOUTIQUES, RANKED BY NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES

Top 10 ECO-CHIC CONSIGNMENTS, INC. 4025 N. 44th St., Phoenix, 85018 // 602-952-9616 // mysisterscloset.com AZ EMPLOYEES 200 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Ann Siner, founder and CEO BUFFALO EXCHANGE P.O. Box 40488, Tucson, 85717 // 520-622-2711 // buffaloexchange.com AZ EMPLOYEES 150 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHESTRANKING WOMAN Kerstin Block, president BRAND X T-SHIRTS 414 S. Mill Ave., Suite 106, Tempe, 85281 // 480-200-2833 // brandxtshirts. com AZ EMPLOYEES 23 PRINCIPAL Charles Goffnett, CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Alyssa Shirley, director of everything FRANCES 10 W. Camelback Road, Phoenix, 85013 // 602-279-5467 // francesvintage.com AZ EMPLOYEES 8 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHESTRANKING WOMAN Georganne Bryant, owner HUB CLOTHING 5213 N. Central Ave., Phoenix, 85012 // 602-277-4822 // hubclothing.com AZ EMPLOYEES 5 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Jennifer Mumford Hodge, owner

RESALE FASHION PIONEER

KERSTIN BLOCK FOUNDER

BY JOYCE HADLEY COPELAND

84

“I got into this business because I am addicted to secondhand shopping,” admits Kerstin Block.

Like other discriminating thrift shoppers, she spent hours sorting through acres of merchandise in giant Goodwill stores. But she couldn’t help wondering whether a boutique-style store might appeal to customers who prized fashion over a good deal.

In 1974, Block and her husband Spencer opened the first Buffalo Exchange in Tucson—a 450-square-foot store with clothing racks made of old bicycle rims that put a fresh spin on resale shopping by offering only quality, fashionable items in a fun atmosphere.

It was a hit. Today resale fashionistas buy, sell and trade secondhand clothing at five Buffalo Exchange outposts in Arizona, part of a nationwide network of 48 stores in 17 states.

For more than four decades, success has hinged on hiring the right people.

“We are always looking for the diamond in the rough,” Block says. “We look for people who have the ability to look at clothing and ascertain if this is something we can sell in the store or not.”

She believes in hiring young people and training them in all aspects of the retail business—from cashiering to merchandising. Employees are empowered to curate their store’s inventory of designer, everyday, vintage and

one-of-a-kind items.

Another routine business challenge is picking plum locations for Buffalo Exchange stores. Accessibility and convenience are always key, of course, but each location is as unique as its merchandise. When Block risked opening a store in downtown Tucson, it backfired. As soon as the store opened, the city began construction for a streetcar.

“I thought we would be able to establish ourselves before this happened, but they hopped right to it and tore up the street,” she says.

The recipient of a number of entrepreneurship awards, Block draws inspiration and business lessons from many different quarters, including the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, where she served on the board.

“That was a great experience for me,” she says. “It took me out of my business and gave me the opportunity to work with some other people who were really smart. Even though it’s a not-for-profit, it’s still a business, faced with a lot of the same choices about hiring and making enough money.”

Away from Buffalo Exchange, Block tends a restaurant and a bed and breakfast her husband established on Tucson’s west side.

“Those businesses are more of a hobby for me,” she says. “We get tourists from all over the world. It’s a lot of fun.”

CHA-CHA CHIC, LLC 20823 N. Cave Creek Road, Suite 104, Phoenix, 85024 // 623-363-9377 // cha-chachic.com AZ EMPLOYEES 4 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Cathy Garcia, president CLOTHES MINDED 4910 E. Chandler Blvd., Suite 104, Phoenix, 85048 // 480-621-5322 // clothesmindedaz.com AZ EMPLOYEES 4 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Kim Kendall, owner and operator FED BY THREADS USA 345 E. Congress St., Suite 145, Tucson, 85701 // 520-396-4304 // fedbythreads.com AZ EMPLOYEES 3 PRINCIPAL Alok Appadurai, founder and CEO HIGHESTRANKING WOMAN Carleen Kopacek, store manager KNEE DEEP DENIM 24 W. Camelback Road, Suite A450, Phoenix, 85013 // 602-502-6074 // kneedeepdenim.com AZ EMPLOYEES 3 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN RaeAnn Luksza, owner BOUTIQUE A GO~GO 3709 E. Sunnyside Drive, Phoenix, 85028 // 602-531-4933 // not applicable AZ EMPLOYEES 1 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHESTRANKING WOMAN Amy Falkenberg, owner

WHO’S WHO IN BUSINESS // 2016

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CATERING, RANKED BY 2015 GROSS REVENUE

RETAIL & LEISURE

Top 10 M CULINARY CONCEPTS 20645 N. 28th St., Phoenix, 85050 // 602-200-5757 // mculinary.com AZ EMPLOYEES 234 REVENUE $10.2 million PRINCIPAL Brandon Maxwell, president and CEO; Michael DeMaria, chief culinary officer HIGHESTRANKING WOMAN Kristine Ruzylo, director of finance and administration SANTA BARBARA CATERING 1090 W. Fifth St., Suite 1, Tempe, 85281 // 480-921-3150 // santabarbaracatering.com AZ EMPLOYEES 220 REVENUE $7.8 million PRINCIPAL AND HIGHESTRANKING WOMAN Patricia Christofolo, owner FABULOUS FOOD FINE CATERING AND EVENTS 120 S. 26th St., Phoenix, 85034 // 602-267-1818 // fabulousfood.net AZ EMPLOYEES 285 REVENUE $6.5 million PRINCIPAL Alan “Skip” Hause, president HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Chantal Hause, vice president ATLASTA CATERING AND EVENT CONCEPTS 428 E. Thunderbird Road, PMB 146, Phoenix, 85022 // 602-242-8185 // atlastacatering.com AZ EMPLOYEES 130 REVENUE $6.3 million PRINCIPAL Steve Short, president and CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Kristine Short, vice president and chief financial officer NIBBLERS CATERING 225 N. 32nd Place, Phoenix, 85034 // 602-266-8100 // nibblerscatering.com AZ EMPLOYEES 32 REVENUE $3.9 million PRINCIPAL Brandon Maxwell, president and CEO; Michael DeMaria, chief culinary officer HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Cynthia Sharkey, general manager ARIZONA CATERING, INC. 1716 W. Main St., Mesa, 85201 // 480-898-8848 // Arizonacatering. com AZ EMPLOYEES 26 REVENUE $3.87 million PRINCIPAL Mitch Katz, president HIGHESTRANKING WOMAN Stephanie Sallie, vice president of operations JENNIFER’S CATERING AND THE MARKET RESTAURANT+BAR 3603 E. Indian School Road, Suite A, Phoenix, 85018 // 602-626-5050 // themarketphx.com AZ EMPLOYEES 25 REVENUE $2.5 million PRINCIPAL AND HIGHESTRANKING WOMAN Jennifer Russo, owner and chef COOKIES IN BLOOM/HANNAH’S CARAMEL APPLES 3931 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix, 85018 // 602-955-3030 // cookiesinbloom.com/ phoenix, hannahscaramelapples.com AZ EMPLOYEES 10 REVENUE $1.3 million PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Andrea Madden, president THE HERB BOX CATERING + EVENTS 7051 E. Fifth Ave., Suite W, Scottsdale, 85251 // 480-2896166 // theherbbox.com AZ EMPLOYEES 65 REVENUE $1.3 million PRINCIPAL Michael Mazzocco, president and co-owner; Susan Wilcox, CEO and co-owner HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Susan Wilcox, CEO and co-owner DAD’S CATERING SERVICE, INC. 739 E. Dunlap, Phoenix, 85020 // 602-861-1379 // dadscatering.com AZ EMPLOYEES 65 REVENUE $1.2 million PRINCIPAL Timothy Ferman, president HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Linda K. Ek, vice president, secretary and treasurer

A BIG-LEAGUE CATERER A brief stint working in a department store during the holidays confirmed what Chantal Hause did not want to be doing. On a friend’s advice, she applied for a food service job at John Gardiner’s Tennis Ranch (now Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain).

“It was amazing,” Hause says. “I got food.”

A few years later, she got her first taste of catering at Vincent on Camelback, where she eventually became catering director. By 1996, Hause and her husband Skip, an executive chef, took their expertise on the road. For two years, they managed a mobile concession and catering company licensed by McDonald’s Corporation, providing food and beverage service for large-scale events such as NBA All Star Week, The NFL Experience, and NASCAR races from Atlanta to Seattle.

“It was quite an education!” Hause recalls. Overseeing hundreds of employees, tackling the logistics of bringing cooking equipment into a building like Javits Convention Center in Manhattan, and slicing through the associated red tape honed the couple’s event-planning chops.

They returned to loyal clients in Phoenix, where they continue to specialize in producing one-ofa-kind events and artisan cuisine through Fabulous Food Fine Catering and Events. “If the client can dream it, we can make it,” Hause says. “We do a lot of research, a lot of testing. We’re not locked into one

style of food or even of service.”

She thinks nothing of orchestrating events from Sedona to Montana or setting up a kitchen to serve dinner to a thousand people, insisting, “Managing the timing, organizing the service and kitchen staff it takes to pull that off is pretty daunting at times—but fun!”

Fabulous Food Fine Catering and Events also operates Gertrude’s at Desert Botanical Garden, and The Lab Cafe at the Arizona Science Center. Hause admits she couldn’t do it all without an extraordinary staff, including 30 in the kitchen and five salespeople, who she insists, “really rock the socks in this town.”

“I am not a micromanager,” Hause says. “My teams are better at doing this than I am—on purpose. Some of our employees have been with us for almost 20 years.”

Hause and her husband rely on family time to balance the hectic pace of their business. Every summer and at Christmas, they travel with their sons, ages 5 and 7, to Kalispell, Montana, in their motor home.

But, the alchemy created by changing expectations of new clients and the innovative ideas of her staff continue to fire her up.

“We’re learning something new every day,” Hause says. “Every time somebody new comes in, they bring a fresh perspective and this business evolves. The things that we implement just amaze me.”

CHANTAL HAUSE OWNER

BY JOYCE HADLEY COPELAND

2016 // WHO’S WHO IN BUSINESS 85

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REAL ESTATE

HOMEBUILDERS, RANKED BY 2015 ARIZONA SALES CLOSED

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For additional details, please call 480.889.3713 NewHomes@MaracayHomes.com Equal Housing Opportunity. Maracay Homes reserves the right to discontinue or modify all prices, plans, design, specifications, features, materials and financing at any time without notice and obligation. Models or house plans that have the same or corresponding plan numbers may reflect changes or options that are different for each community for the city that model homes or house plans are located in. All square footage is approximate. Marketing promotions/incentives only available through approved lenders. Prices, terms, incentives, materials and availability vary between Maracay Homes’ communities, and are subject to change without notice. No unconditional offer for sale or lease made be made and no unconditional offer purchase or lease may be accepted prior to issuance of an Arizona Public Report. Broker/agent must register their clients in person or on the client’s first visit at each community for a broker/agent to receive a commission. ©2016 ROC #172120

RealEstate_Master.indd 86

ANDREA GOUDGE VICE PRESIDENT AND CONTROLLER

BY CHRISTINA BARRUETA

Andrea Goudge believes working in her family’s business as a child has been the foundation of her accomplishments.

Originally from the Pacific Northwest, she spent most of her years growing up in Montana.

“I grew up in a small family business in hardware and lumberyards,” she says. “Stacking nails at age 8 or 9, learning general ledger accounting through my high school years, customer service and what it takes to help a company become profitable has made a difference.”

It’s important for women just starting their careers to seek out those kinds of experiences at a young age that can be foundational learning opportunities that carry forward throughout a career.

“For women in general, it’s important to be aware of our own self talk, to be our own best advocate,” Goudge says. “It’s okay to toot your own horn, to celebrate your own personal successes and to quantify them in metrics. It’s okay to be a strong woman but also okay to show vulnerability.”

As vice president of Maracay Homes, Goudge describes her responsibilities as the “three Cs: cash, closings and computers.” Her team has responsibility for fiscal aspects such as accounting and financial

planning, processing sales contracts, working with title companies and lenders, maintaining data integrity and advancing the information technology system.

“It’s really diverse and that’s what I love about it,” says Goudge. “To be trained in accounting but to be able to lend experience developed growing up in a small business is what really drives me. It’s a very diverse scope of responsibilities, but it keeps every day interesting.”

In her free time, Goudge enjoys exploring Arizona. Skiing, hiking, and camping are favorite pastimes.

“There is nothing like spending a few hours in the Sonoran preserve to recharge the batteries,” she says.

“Moving to Arizona has really fostered a desire to get out and see our new home state. The desert just has a beauty that is unique.”

When asked about future goals at Maracay Homes, Goudge is enthusiastic.

“There is a saying my boss has, which is, ‘Bloom where you’re planted,’” she says. “What I’ve enjoyed the most about being in my role is the continued expansion of my overall responsibilities. I think that’s pretty exciting and will lead me in a lot of bold and different directions.”

5/17/16 5:49 PM

REAL ESTATE

HOMEBUILDERS, RANKED BY 2015 ARIZONA SALES CLOSED

Top 10 PULTE GROUP 16767 N. Perimeter Drive, Suite 100, Scotsdale, 85260 // 480-391-6000 // pulte.com AZ HOME SALES 1,167 PRINCIPAL Scott Wright, Arizona division president HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Michelle Gregorec, vice president of finance

D.R. HORTON 20410 N. 19th Ave., Suite 100, Phoenix, 85027 // 480-483-0006 // drhorton.com AZ HOME SALES 581 PRINCIPAL Rick McDowell, vice president HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Holly James, vice president, operations

MERITAGE HOMES CORP 8800 E. Raintree Drive, Suite 300, Scottsdale, 85260 // 480-515-8017 // meritagehomes.com AZ HOME SALES 1,008 PRINCIPAL Steven Hilton, CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Hilla Sferruzza, executive vice president and chief financial officer

MARACAY HOMES 15279 N. Scottsdale Road, Suite 300, Scottsdale, 85254 // 480-346-2673 // maracayhomes.com AZ HOME SALES 480 PRINCIPAL Andy Warren, president HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Andrea Goudge, vice president and controller

DOUBLEDIGIT PRICE INCREASES FOR MANY AREAS

17 74

85387 85310

303 85375

85306

85032 85053 85023

85022 85254

85304 85302

85345

85020

85031

85035

85253

85043 85353

85034

85203 85213 85281

85283 85048 85045

85284

60 85202 85233

101

85209

85234 85296

85224

85044

85225

85295

85212

202 85226 10

87 85248

85286 85249

85297 85298

2016 // WHO’S WHO IN BUSINESS

RealEstate_Master.indd 87

85208

85206

85204

85282 85042

85323

85205

85201 85210

85339

85326

85207

85257

85040

85338

85215

85251

202 85008

85041

+12% OR MORE

87

85250 85018

85006 85009

85258

85028

85013 85012 85014

85033

85268 85259

85016 85015

85301

85392

85021

17

85305 85303

85037

85051

85260

51

85029

85007 85003

85340

101

85381

85363

85255

85054

85308

101 85351

85335

85395

85050

85382

85019

60

85379

85355

85388

85374

85024 85027

+4 TO +7.9%

DATA FROM INFORMATION MARKET ANALYSIS BY RONALD J. HANSEN/THE REPUBLIC; GRAPHIC BY SUZY PALMA/THE REPUBLIC

85263

85083

10

+8 TO 11.9%

85262

85266

85331

85085 85383

85307

0 TO 3.9%

WILLIAM LYON HOMES 8840 E. Chaparral Road, Suite 200, Scottsdale, 85250 // 480-893-1000 // lyonhomes.com AZ HOME SALES 250 PRINCIPAL Julie Collins, president - Arizona division HIGHESTRANKING WOMAN Julie Collins, president - AZ division

85086

85087 85373

The Valley’s housing market started 2016 strong.

85361 Home sales are up 11 percent for the year, and home prices are climbing in most areas. This could be the year home values in many Phoenix-area neighborhoods finally recover from the housing crash.

85396

SHEA HOMES ARIZONA 8800 N. Gainey Center Drive, Suite 350, Scottsdale, 85258 // 480-348-6000 // sheahomes.com AZ HOME SALES 363 PRINCIPAL Don Murphy, president, Shea Homes Arizona HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Joyce Manigold, vice president, human resources and administration

85087

85390

-0.1% OR LESS

MARACAY HOMES

FULTON HOMES CORP. 9140 S. Kyrene Road, Tempe, 85284 // 480-753-6789 // fultonhomes.com AZ HOME SALES 400 PRINCIPAL Douglas Fulton, CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Kathy Barnes, manager

85017

LENNAR HOMES 1725 W. Greentree Dr., Suite 114, Tempe, 85284 // 480-777-4600 // lennar.com AZ HOME SALES 700 PRINCIPAL Alan Jones, division president HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Sherrie Eckert, controller

ANDREA GOUDGE

K. HOVANIAN HOMES 20830 N. Tatum Blvd., Suite 250, Phoenix, 85050 // 480-824-4200 // khov.com AZ HOME SALES 480 PRINCIPAL Steve Davis, vice president HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN no designee

85378

TAYLOR MORRISON HOME CORP 4900 N. Scottsdale Road, Suite 2000, Scottsdale, 85251 // 480-8408125 // taylormorrison.com AZ HOME SALES 874 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Sheryl Palmer, president and CEO

“To be trained in accounting but to be able to lend experience developed growing up in a small business is what really drives me.”

87

5/17/16 5:49 PM

REAL ESTATE

COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION, RANKED BY 2015 ARIZONA BILLINGS

Top 10 MCCARTHY BUILDING COS. INC. 6225 N. 24th St., Suite 200, Phoenix, 85016 // 480-449-4700 // mccarthy.com AZ BILLINGS $515 million PRINCIPAL Bo Calbert, president, southwest region HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Kristine Newman, controller and secretary, southwest division RYAN COMPANIES US INC. 3900 E. Camelback Road, Suite 100, Phoenix, 85018 // 602-322-6100 // ryancompanies.com AZ BILLINGS $292 million PRINCIPAL Rick Collins, president, southwest region HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Molly Ryan Carson, vice president, development HAYDON BUILDING CORP 4640 E. Cotton Gin Loop, Phoenix, 85040 // 602-296-1496 // haydonbc.com AZ BILLINGS $222.5 million PRINCIPAL Gary Haydon, president HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN no designee SUNDT CONSTRUCTION INC. 2620 S. 55th St., Tempe, 85282 // 480-293-3000 // sundt.com AZ BILLINGS $215.3 million PRINCIPAL Dave Crawford, CEO; Mike Hoover, president HIGHESTRANKING WOMAN Chandra Reilly, project director

TOWARD A COMMON GOAL

KRISTINE NEWMAN REGION CONTROLLER

BY CHRISTINA BARRUETA

88

“I wasn’t looking to work in construction, but I’d say it’s turned out to be one of the best decisions I’ve ever made,” Kristine Newman says.

She may have taken a circuitous path to her current position as Region Controller at McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. but she’s right where she wants to be.

Newman grew up in northwest Indiana. After graduating from Purdue University, she lived in Chicago, where she began working for Arthur Andersen. She was sent to Phoenix to work on a project, and the Valley of the Sun has been her home ever since.

Working her way up through the ranks, Newman had her sights on partner, until Arthur Andersen closed its doors. After a brief stint working for a national insurance broker, she “happened to stumble upon” the opportunity at McCarthy.

“I really have fallen in love with this industry,” she says. “It’s just such a close-knit group of professionals.”

Newman is involved in the Construction Financial Management Association, which provides a great opportunity for networking and sharing expertise.

“It’s really a great industry community,” she says.

She is also proud to be a part of McCarthy Building Companies’ advanced leadership forum, the next step in getting into executive management within the company.

“I look at this leadership as a step in the right direction,” she says.

As controller, Newman oversees the Southwest region, which encompasses Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico and Colorado.

“We are a general contractor with expertise in many markets,” she says.

“But here in the Southwest, we are predominantly focused on waste water treatment facilities, renewable energy projects, healthcare, grades K-12 and higher-education work.”

This diverse portfolio is an aspect Newman particularly enjoys. A current McCarthy Companies project is the highly anticipated OdySea Aquarium, slated to open in Scottsdale in July 2016. At 200,000-square feet, it will be the largest aquarium in the Southwest.

Creating its innovative features has been a particular highlight.

“All our projects are very much unique,” Newman says. “At OdySea, we are working on a turntable which will rotate you around to see the exhibits.

It’s going to be pretty amazing.”

Another facet that distinguishes McCarthy Building Companies, and why Newman loves being part of the team, is that it’s an employee-owned company.

“It’s all about the people and the culture here,” she says. “I think that makes us unique, and we really take ownership and accountability for everything we do, knowing it impacts one another and our success. We are all just marching towards that common goal of giving back to our communities, giving our clients excellent service and being the best builder we can be.”

OKLAND CONSTRUCTION 1700 N. McClintock Drive, Tempe, 85281 // 480-990-3330 // okland. com AZ BILLINGS $183 million PRINCIPAL Bill Okland, president HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Marcella Gilbert-Peralta, project manager THE WEITZ CO. 2111 E. Highland Ave., Suite 400, Phoenix, 85016 // 602-225-0225 // weitz.com AZ BILLINGS $132.9 million PRINCIPAL Chris Harrison, executive vice president, southwest president HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Beth Rogers, accounting manager D.L. WITHERS CONSTRUCTION 3220 E. Harbour Drive, Phoenix, 85034 // 602-438-9500 // dlwithers.com AZ BILLINGS $119.4 million PRINCIPAL Dan Withers, president HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Lynne Pace, chief financial officer ADOLFSON & PETERSON CONSTRUCTION 5002 S. Ash Ave., Tempe, 85282 // 480-345-8700 // a-p.com AZ BILLINGS $85 million PRINCIPAL Jeff Keck, vice president HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Lana Harris, director of business development CALIENTE CONSTRUCTION INC. 485 W. Vaughn St., Tempe, 85283 // 480-894-5500 // calienteconstruction.com AZ BILLINGS $61 million PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Lorraine Bergman, president and CEO KITCHELL 1707 E. Highland, Phoenix, 85016 // 602-264-4411 // kitchell.com AZ BILLINGS $23.6 million PRINCIPAL Jim Swanson, CEO HIGHESTRANKING WOMAN Nancy Kelley, assistant controller

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WHO’S WHO IN BUSINESS // 2016

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Sup the of d the

5/17/16 5:50 PM

Congratulations to all those who, through hard work, perseverance, and talent, have reached the pinnacle of their profession!

Superlite is an Oldcastle Company proud to be a part of a network of companies who comprise the leading manufacturer of building products and materials in North America. Ours is a family of dedicated employees committed to delivering industry-leading brands that are tried and true; the brands that can be trusted for quality, reliability and style.

Oldcastle has the largest manufacturing footprint, the greatest product breadth and we are not in a category that we do not lead. Superlite offers a wide range of architectural products featuring the nation’s leading hardscape brand, Belgard, who received the coveted Good Housekeeping Seal in 2015. This product was also featured in HGTV’s 2016 Dream House.

Winner of two 2015 Concrete Masonry Design Awards of Excellence,voted the #1 Manufacturing/ Non-Electronic company in both the 2015 and 2016 editions of Ranking Arizona (the Best of Arizona Business), the Superlite team offers the highest level of expertise and an unparalleled customer experience. Superlite provides the Products and Service that innovate the way exterior environments and landscapes come to life!

4150 W Turney Ave Phoenix, AZ 85019 P: 602-352-3500

RealEstate_Master.indd 89

5/17/16 6:39 PM

REAL ESTATE

COMMERCIAL DEVELOPERS, RANKED BY 2015 ARIZONA HOLDINGS IN SQUARE FEET

Top 10 VESTAR 2425 E. Camelback Road, Suite 750, Phoenix, 85016 // 602-866-0900 // vestar.com 2015 HOLDINGS IN SQ. FT 25.5 million DEVELOPMENT TYPES retail LOCAL DEVELOPMENTS Tempe Marketplace, Desert Ridge Marketplace, Queen Creek Marketplace PRINCIPAL Rick Kuhle, CEO; David Larcher, president HIGHESTRANKING WOMAN Pam Bentle, treasurer MARK-TAYLOR INC. 6623 N. Scottsdale Rd., Scottsdale, 85250 // 480-991-9111 // mark-taylor.com 2015 HOLDINGS IN SQ. FT 2.1 million DEVELOPMENT TYPEs Multi-family LOCAL DEVELOPMENTS San Milan, San Posada, San Sonoma, San Privada PRINCIPAL Jeff Mark, chariman; Scott Taylor, president HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Doreen Gannon, vice president, development operations KITCHELL 1707 E. Highland Ave., Phoenix, 85016 // 602-264-4411 // kitchell.com 2015 HOLDINGS IN SQ. FT 1.73 million DEVELOPMENT TYPES retail, industrial, commercial LOCAL DEVELOPMENTS Mountain Ranch Marketplace, McDowell Mountain Business Park, Camelback Crossing PRINCIPAL Jim Swanson, CEO HIGHESTRANKING WOMAN Nancy Kelley, assistant controller

IT’S A FAMILY AFFAIR

DOREEN GANNON VICE PRESIDENT OF DEVELOPMENT OPERATIONS

BY CHRISTINA BARRUETA

90

A multiple award-winning development and management company, Mark-Taylor Inc. has a reputation for both excellence and employee loyalty and longevity. No one knows this better than Doreen Gannon.

Soon after moving to Phoenix from northern California, Gannon joined the then 5-year old company and has never left.

“About two weeks after I moved here, I applied for an admin opening working for Mr. Mark and Mr. Taylor,” Gannon says. She’s remained with the company ever since.

“They let people really flourish,” she explains. “Whatever strengths they have, they will support. We have a lot of strong individuals that have come up from the grassroots and entry level, and made it all the way to upper management over the years. They are very supportive and just a good, honest group of individuals.”

That environment not only encourages employees to grow, it contributes to the company’s success.

The company parleyed Gannon’s strengths into her current position: vice president of development operations.

With a background in property management, and title and escrow, Gannon is responsible for executing real estate purchases, including everything

from entering into contracts to closing on land deals.

She is involved in the due diligence process for the purchase and sales of properties, the administration of contractual obligations and coordination of property dispositions. In this role, Gannon strives to conduct herself in line with the values that are important to her.

“Honesty, integrity, respect and teamwork,” she says.

“Those are my core beliefs.”

Gannon emphasizes that Mark-Taylor is a company that supports these values in its commitment to high standards as it works to remain on the leading edge of the industry.

That includes an eye to the future with a “Next Generation” portfolio of communities.

“The company has a fairly young demographic,” Gannon explains. “So as we move forward, we are calling it the Next Generation of Mark-Taylor, bringing in the Millennials. We’re constantly developing our product with the professionalism and knowledge to get that next generation to understand the culture of Mark-Taylor.

“When I started here 21 years ago, the company was fairly young,” Gannon adds. “So it has been very rewarding and fulfilling for me to watch this company evolve.

TRAMMELL CROW CO. 2231 E. Camelback Road, Suite 102, Phoenix, 85016 // 602-222-4000 // trammellcrow.com 2015 HOLDINGS IN SQ. FT 1.46 million DEVELOPMENT TYPES Industrial and Office LOCAL DEVELOPMENTS Park Lucero, Phase 1; Park Ladera at Spectrum Ridge; Coldwater Depot Logistics Center Phases 1&3 PRINCIPAL Jim Mahoney, senior managing director; Cathy Thuringer, principal HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Cathy Thuringer, principal HINES 2375 E. Camelback Road, Suite 150, Phoenix, 85254 // 602385-4010 // hines.com 2015 HOLDINGS IN SQ. FT 395,000 DEVELOPMENT TYPES mixed use LOCAL DEVELOPMENTS Chandler Viridian PRINCIPAL Chris Anderson, managing director, city leader HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Michelle Brown, property manager, designated broker RED DEVELOPMENT 1 E. Washington St., Suite 300, Phoenix, 85004 // 480-947-7772 // reddevelopment.com 2015 HOLDINGS IN SQ. FT 263,000 DEVELOPMENT TYPES Retail LOCAL DEVELOPMENTS CityScape, Town & Country, Shops at Norterra PRINCIPAL Mike Ebert, managing partner HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Roxanne Southwell, executive vice president, human resources, information technology, operations LINCOLN PROPERTY CO. 3131 E. Camelback Road, Suite 318, Phoenix, 85016 // 602-912-8888 // lpcphx.com 2015 HOLDINGS IN SQ. FT 260,000 DEVELOPMENT TYPES Office LOCAL DEVELOPMENTS Tempe Commerce Park, Waypoint, The Grand PRINCIPAL David Krumwiede, executive vice president HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Alisa Timm, director of management services RYAN COMPANIES US INC. 3900 E. Camelback Road, Suite 100, Phoenix, 85018 // 602-322-6100 // ryancompanies.com 2015 HOLDINGS IN SQ. FT 203,000 square feet, plus 55 acres of land DEVELOPMENT TYPES office; industrial; retail; healthcare/bioscience; hospitality; multifamily; senior living LOCAL DEVELOPMENTS Marina Heights; Farmers Insurance at 17 North; Central & Willetta multifamily PRINCIPAL Rick Collins, president, southwest region HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Molly Ryan Carson, vice president, development SIMON CRE 5111 N. Scottsdale Road, Suite 200, Scottsdale, 85250 // 480-745-1956 // simoncre.com 2015 HOLDINGS IN SQ. FT 104,500 DEVELOPMENT TYPES Retail, redevelopment LOCAL DEVELOPMENTS Grand Avenue PRINCIPAL Joshua Simon, president HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Debbie Noble, director of finance DE RITO PARTNERS 3200 E. Camelback Road, Phoenix, 85018 // 480-834-8500 // derito.com 2015 HOLDINGS IN SQ. FT 7,157 DEVELOPMENT TYPES Retail LOCAL DEVELOPMENTS The Pavilions at Talking Stick, Mesa Riverview, Casa Paloma PRINCIPAL Marty De Rito, CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Cheri Buchholz, chief financial officer

WHO’S WHO IN BUSINESS // 2016

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YOUR TECHNOLOGY

10 SUPER SMALL-BUSINESS APPS Over the past few years, the number of cloud-based applications that can help you run and grow your business more effectively has exploded. Whether you access them via your desktop, laptop, tablet or mobile device, they can help you plan and complete tasks more quickly, effectively and profitably. These apps span a complete range of activities, including communications, finance & accounting, collaboration, payments, organization and others.

Here are 10 apps that are gaining popularity with small business owners and startup entrepreneurs: EVERNOTE has evolved from a basic note-taking app to something far more sophisticated. You can write everything from short lists to lengthy research, collect Web articles, photos and other items, and connect your work with other people who help you get it done. With Evernote, there’s no need to build slides – with one click your notes are transformed into a screen-friendly layout.

JOIN.ME is a perfect way for small businesses to hold online meetings and presentations. It lets you set up instant screen sharing and online collaboration.

CLEAR from Realmacsoftware.com, is a great task-management app that helps you create and manage your to-do lists and schedules, and set reminders.

RealEstate_Master.indd 91

EXPENSIFY has taken the painful task of managing T&E expenses and made it simple. You can even link your business credit card to an Expensify account and have expenses automatically entered into reports.

FUZE is a popular app for holding low-cost online meetings and videoconferences. Start meetings with one click from your calendar, and record them for later reference.

SQUARE has become one of the most popular payment apps for mobile type businesses. It lets you take credit and debit card payments wherever you are.

POCKET is a simple app that lets you quickly store information you find online for later viewing. Save articles, videos and more in one place and view it later from any device.

DROPBOX: Most business owners are already familiar with Dropbox, which has become the most popular cloud platform for storing and sharing files of almost any size. It your need a reliable way to share files (especially large ones) with people outside your business, Dropbox is for you.

BASECAMP is a collaboration platform that’s great for helping a disbursed team of people work together on complex projects. Upload files, check progress, complete to-do lists, and finish projects on time.

WAZE: If your business involves lots of local driving, this is an app for you.

Waze offers real-time road reports and alerts to help you find the fastest route to get wherever you or your employees need to go. Also helps you find the cheapest gas in your area.

BY DANIEL KEHRER SPECIAL FOR AZCENTRAL.COM

5/17/16 5:50 PM

REAL ESTATE

ARCHITECTURE FIRMS, RANKED BY NUMBER OF REGISTERED ARCHITECTS IN ARIZONA

Top 10 SMITHGROUPJJR 455 N. Third St., Suite 250, Phoenix, 85004 // 602-265-2200 // smithgroupjjr. com AZ ARCHITECTS 31 EMPLOYEES 120 PRINCIPAL Brad Woodman, vice president, office director HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Martha Abbott, vice president, workplace studio leader ORCUTT WINSLOW 3003 N. Central Ave., 16th Floor, Phoenix, 85012 // 602-257-1764 // owp. com AZ ARCHITECTS 26 EMPLOYEES 76 PRINCIPAL Bill Sheely, managing partner, architect HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Kristine Millar, associate partner, director of marketing DWL ARCHITECTS + PLANNERS, INC. 2333 N. Central Ave., Phoenix, 85004 // 602-264-9731 // dwlarchitects.com AZ ARCHITECTS 24 EMPLOYEES 45 PRINCIPAL Steve Rao, president HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Sandra Kukla, executive vice president DLR GROUP 6225 N. 24th St., Suite 250, Phoenix, 85016 // 602-381-8580 // dlrgroup.com AZ ARCHITECTS 18 EMPLOYEES 57 PRINCIPAL Charles Dalluge, chief operating officer; David Boehm, senior principal HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Elizabeth Hawkins, project manager

NURTURING CAREER, FAMILY

KRISTINE MOWERMILLAR DIRECTOR OF MARKETING

BY CHRISTINA BARRUETA

92

Kristine Mower-Millar had planned some globetrotting after completing college. It didn’t quite work out that way, but that’s just fine with her.

An Indiana native, Mower-Millar attended Arizona State University, where she earned a degree in journalism and public relations, with an emphasis in marketing.

“I was going to travel Europe so I wasn’t really looking for a job,” she says.

“But I came in for an interview, got the job at Orcutt | Winslow, and this year will be 25 years.”

In that time, five children grew to eight with a remarriage and blended family, and Mower-Millar recognized that she had found something special with the architecture company.

“Orcutt | Winslow has been so amazing in giving me new opportunities year after year,” she says. “Through kids and life circumstances, they’ve helped me grow in the areas that they needed me to grow in, but also to have a fulfilled life with my family.”

As an associate partner and director of marketing, Mower-Millar relishes her responsibilities.

“It’s very diverse and that’s what makes it fun,” she says.

In her position, Mower-Millar leads creative services, “which does everything but architecture.” That includes renderings, graphics, branding, marketing, social media, public and community relations, and fundraising events.

“The majority of our clients are in

healthcare, education and senior living,” she says. “Every day is completely different. My job, I think, is one of the most fun jobs in the world. It can be tiring, but it’s never dull.”

Ask Mower-Millar which facet she enjoys the most and without hesitation she answers, “the people, for sure.”

Implementing corporate employee and client engagement programs is a favorite role.

“No matter what I do, for me it is about the people and being engaged, whether it is my colleagues as architects or interior designers, physicians I work with, superintendents of schools, or, when we do senior living, the people who are moving into the facility,” she says. “They all have great stories and different perspectives.”

These values are mirrored in the company philosophy, including giving back to the community, another aspect that Mower-Millar enthusiastically supports.

“Every employee is asked to serve 44 hours of community service a year on company time,” she says. “We try to support everybody’s outside interests because we know when they get to work, it is going to make them a better person and a more creative person if they have the outlets they need to keep them healthy. I love this firm because we really try to figure out what the needs are of every person—the people working on the project, the clients we are serving, our employees—and what makes people satisfied.”

GENSLER 201 E. Washington St., Suite 750, Phoenix, 85004 // 602-523-4900 // gensler.com AZ ARCHITECTS 16 EMPLOYEES 41 PRINCIPAL Beth Harmon-Vaughan, managing principal HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Beth HarmonVaughn, managing principal CCBG ARCHITECTS INC. 102 E. Buchanan St., Phoenix, 85004 // 602-258-2211 // ccbg-arch.com AZ ARCHITECTS 14 EMPLOYEES 18 PRINCIPAL Brian Cassidy, president HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Virginia Senior, project architect DEVENNEY GROUP 201 W. Indian School Road, Phoenix, 85013 // 602-943-8950 // devenneygroup.com AZ ARCHITECTS 13 EMPLOYEES 45 PRINCIPAL Stephen Stack, director of marketing HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Julie Barkenbush, CEO ARRINGTON WATKINS ARCHITECTS 5240 N. 16th St., Suite 101, Phoenix, 85016 // 602-2794373 // awarch.com AZ ARCHITECTS 13 EMPLOYEES 40 PRINCIPAL David Watkins, principal; Lynn Arrington, principal HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Patricia Thornton, architect; Michelle Diaz, business manager HKS INC. 821 N. Central Ave., Phoenix, 85004 // 602-462-0996 // hksinc.com AZ ARCHITECTS 11 EMPLOYEES 20 PRINCIPAL Morris Stein, principal, senior vice president, regional director; John Niziolek, principal, senior vice president HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Irene Clark, vice president WESTLAKE REED LESKOSKY 1 E. Camelback Road, Suite 690, Phoenix, 85012 // 602-212-0451 // wrldesign.com AZ ARCHITECTS 8 EMPLOYEES 28 PRINCIPAL Peter Rutti, principal, director of Phoenix studio HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Rebecca Olson, principal, director of healthcare

WHO’S WHO IN BUSINESS // 2016

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WOMEN AGENTS, RANKED BY TOTAL TRANSACTION VOLUME

REAL ESTATE

Top 10 DEBORAH BEARDSLEY, SILVERLEAF REALTY 20789 N. Pima Road, Suite 100, Scottsdale, 85255 // 480-502-6902 // silverleaf.com 2015 TRANSACTION VOLUME $71.8 million CAROL ROYSE TEAM, KELLER WILLIAMS REALTY EAST VALLEY 2077 E. Warner Road, Suite 110, Tempe, 85284 // 480-776-5231 // carolroyse.com 2015 TRANSACTION VOLUME $70.8 million LISA LUCKY, RUSS LYON SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY 8852 E. Pinnacle Peak Road, Suite J-3, Scottsdale, 85255 // 602-320-8415 // lisalucky.com 2015 TRANSACTION VOLUME $58 million LISA WADEY, RUSS LYON SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY 20909 N. 90th Place, Suite 209, Scottsdale, 85255 // 480-229-3455 // lisawadey.com 2015 TRANSACTION VOLUME $53.4 million AMY JONES, RE/MAX INFINITY 2450 S. Arizona Ave., Chandler, 85286 // 480-250-3857 // amysellsaz.com 2015 TRANSACTION VOLUME $52.7 million MONICA MONSON, RUSS LYON SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY 20909 N. 90th St., Suite 209, Scottsdale, 85255 // 480-250-0848 // scottsdalerealestates.com 2015 TRANSACTION VOLUME $44.2 million KRISTY RYAN, RE/MAX FINE PROPERTIES 21000 N. Pima Road, Suite 100, Scottsdale, 85255 // 480-688-2429 // kristyryan.com 2015 TRANSACTION VOLUME $32.27 million KATIE DABE, BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY HOMESERVICES ARIZONA PROPERTIES 28190 N. Alma School Parkway, Suite 111, Scottsdale, 85255 // 480-473-4900 // bhhsaz.com 2015 TRANSACTION VOLUME $27.6 million JULIE PELLE, PLLC, REALTY ONE GROUP REALTOR 21020 N. Pima Road, Scottsdale, 85255 // 480-323-6763 // juliepelle.com 2015 TRANSACTION VOLUME $25.7 million CARIN NGUYEN, SOLD BY CARIN 4840 N. Litchfield Road, Suite 101, Litchfield Park, 85340 // 623-223-1663 // soldbycarin.com 2015 TRANSACTION VOLUME did not disclose

CLIENTS ARE ‘FAMILY’ If you want to know anything about Silverleaf, the premier north Scottsdale enclave where breathtaking Spanish- and Mediterranean-inspired homes start at $1.3 million, just ask Debbie Beardsley.

The veteran real estate agent primarily sells properties within the gated community, and she was part of the sales team the developers assembled more than 15 years ago, when Silverleaf was only an idea. She is fiercely proud that what that team envisioned has come to fruition—a unique neighborhood of stunning homes with dramatic desert views and a focus on healthy living.

“We were standing on dirt roads with ruts in the ground, trying to explain to people that there were going to be parks and trees and homes, and it is all here now,” recalls Beardsley, adding that she’s stood on all the lots and been in nearly all the homes in the development. “We kept the promises we made, and Silverleaf looks and feels like we believed it would. It’s a vibrant, active community and I’m blessed to be a part of it.”

Originally from Indiana, Beardsley discovered Arizona on family vacations, and quickly became enamored with the Valley. She considers moving to the Grand Canyon State in the

1980s one of the best things she and her husband, Jeff, have ever done.

The couple, with three grown children and six grandchildren, have had the opportunity to work together several times in the real estate industry and are thrilled that their son, Andrew, is following in their professional footsteps. He has been his mom’s business partner for five years.

“He has been instrumental in both the success and growth of my business,” Beardsley says. “It is so gratifying to me, and certainly a relief, to have a partner that I trust totally with my clients, residents and members.”

Beardsley’s early career was in teaching, and it was only when her youngest child was in high school that she began looking around “for something to do” and earned her license on a lark. It’s been full-speed ahead ever since.

“It didn’t occur to me that it was going to be a full-time career and become my passion,” says Beardsley, who had $43 million in real estate either sold or pending in the first couple of months of 2016. “But I’m blessed with a huge referral base, and my clients are my family. I love the people I work for and with, and I say probably once a month, ‘This is my second family.’”

DEBBIE BEARDSLEY SLIVERLEAF REALTY

BY GREMLYN BRADLEYWADDELL

2016 // WHO’S WHO IN BUSINESS

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REAL ESTATE

RESIDENTIAL FIRMS, RANKED BY NUMBER OF LICENSED AGENTS

Top 10 HOMESMART 8388 E. Hartford Drive, Suite 100, Scottsdale, 85255 // 602-230-7600 // homesmartinternational.com AZ LICENSED AGENTS 5,187 PRINCIPAL Matt Widdows, owner and CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Ashley Bowers, chief operating officer REALTY ONE GROUP 3530 S. Val Vista Dr., Suite 114, Gilbert, 85297 // 480-321-8100 // realtyonegroup.com AZ LICENSED AGENTS 2,275 PRINCIPAL Pat Kelly, vice president of operations HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN KC Cyga, managing broker, Scottsdale WEST USA REALTY INC. 16807 N. Cave Creek Road, Phoenix, 85032 // 602-942-4200 // westusa. com AZ LICENSED AGENTS 2,008 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Debbie Quain, administrative officer COLDWELL BANKER RESIDENTIAL BROKERAGE 10446 N. 74th St., Suite101, Scottsdale, 85258 // 480-481-8400 // coldwellbankerhomes.com AZ LICENSED AGENTS 1,457 PRINCIPAL Greg Hollman, president HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Martha Appel, vice president and designated broker

HIRE THE BEST, CLEAR OUT

CONNIE SWENSON VICE PRESIDENT AND DIRECTOR OF RELOCATION

BY JOYCE HADLEY COPELAND

94

Corporate employees are on the move, according to the 48th Annual Corporate Relocation Survey by Atlas Van Lines. In 2004, 49 percent of firms saw relocations increase, with the average company moving 50 to 99 employees.

Before families arrive to make a new home in the Phoenix area, Connie Swenson and her staff smooth the way.

As vice president and director of relocation for Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty, Swenson works closely with local corporations and national relocation management companies.

“The thing I love most about it is it’s different every day,” Swenson says.

“We’re working with all sorts of individual families and corporations, and all their needs and wants are different.”

Multiply the requirements of one family by several hundred at one time and you have the relocation professional’s biggest challenge.

“When a corporation is moving many, many families into or out of the area at once, it’s good news, bad news,” Swenson admits. “A lot of people don’t want to do the move. Or they’re excited about it, but maybe the kids are having problems leaving their schools.

Group moves can also be great when they’re completed, because we’ve got everybody settled in, kids in school and people making new friends.” S w e n son follows a simple philosophy when it comes to building a top-performing team: Hire the best people and get out of their way.

“Many of the people who work for

me have been with me for 10, 15 years,” she says. “The ultimate decisions are mine, but they’re extremely experienced… so it’s a lot of sharing and collaboration.”

Of course, a key element is finding each family the right home—and, for Swenson, one of the true joys of the process is working with residential sales associates.

“I find real estate sales people to be some of the most interesting, creative and hardworking people,” she says. “I learn from them every day.”

Swenson started her career 35 years ago when corporate relocation was in its infancy. She has become an industry leader, garnering numerous awards, including the Meritorious Service Award from the Worldwide Employee Relocation Council.

She is a member of the Relocation Directors Council and the Arizona Relocation Alliance, and is often a featured speaker at local and national industry conferences.

Thanks to its satisfied corporate clients, Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty Relocation Division earned the distinction of becoming a principal broker for the greater Phoenix area in the Cartus Relocation Network.

Not surprisingly, “I’m kind of a workaholic,” Swenson confesses. “On my off time, I like to hike. There are so many beautiful places to hike in Arizona. I’m a voracious reader. But a lot of my time is spent at a job I love.”

DPR REALTY LLC 8341 E. Gelding Drive, Scottsdale, 85260 // 480-994-0800 // dprrealty.com AZ LICENSED AGENTS 1,187 PRINCIPAL Dale Milton, owner HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Sharon Milton, owner; Heather Binder, managing broker REALTY EXECUTIVES LLC 7600 N. 16th St., Suite 100, Phoenix, 85020 // 602-957-0444 // realtyexecutivesphoenix.com AZ LICENSED AGENTS 1,000 PRINCIPAL Jeff Hawke, owner HIGHESTRANKING WOMAN Mary Frances Coleman, vice president, operations RUSS LYON SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY 17207 N. Perimeter Drive, Suite 120, Scottsdale, 85255 // 480-502-3500 // russlyon. com AZ LICENSED AGENTS 951 PRINCIPAL D. Deems Dickinson, president and designated broker HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Connie Swenson, vice president, Relocation Service KELLER WILLIAMS SONORAN LIVING 15905 S. 46th St., Phoenix, 85048 // 602-369-1085 // leadingluxuryexperts.com AZ LICENSED AGENTS 186 PRINCIPAL Barry Kramer, designated broker and owner HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Bonny Holland, real estate agent RE/MAX FINE PROPERTIES 21000 N. Pima Road, Suite 100, Scottsdale, 85255 // 480-7929500 // fineprop.com AZ LICENSED AGENTS 147 PRINCIPAL Delbert Rounds, owner/agent HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Laurie Cairns, commissions manager CAMBRIDGE PROPERTIES 14602 N. Tatum Blvd., Phoenix, 85032 // 602-493-5100 // cambridgepropertiesaz.com AZ LICENSED AGENTS 75 PRINCIPAL Keith Mishkin, broker and owner HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN No designee

WHO’S WHO IN BUSINESS // 2016

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REAL ESTATE

COMMERCIAL SERVICES, RANKED BY NUMBER OF LICENSED AGENTS

Top 10 CBRE 2415 E. Camelback Road, Phoenix, 85016 // 602-735-5555 // cbre.com/phoenix AZ LICENSED AGENTS 138 PRINCIPAL Craig Henig, senior managing director, southwest region HIGHESTRANKING WOMAN SusanLaGanke, senior managing director, southwest region, project management CUSHMAN & WAKEFIELD 2355 E. Camelback Road, Suite 300, Phoenix, 85016 // 602-954-9000 // cushmanwakefield.com AZ LICENSED AGENTS 110 PRINCIPAL Bryon Carney, market leader HIGHEST-RANKING WOMEN Afton Trail, senior managing director, asset services; Christie Veldhuizen, vice president, operations COLLIERS INTERNATIONAL 2390 E. Camelback Road, Suite 100, Phoenix, 85016 // 602-222-5000 // colliers.com/greaterphoenix AZ LICENSED AGENTS 86 PRINCIPAL Bob Mulhern, managing director HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Bev Jensen, operations manager

BLAZING NEWTRAILS

BARBI REUTER CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER

BY JOYCE HADLEY COPELAND

96

When Barbi Reuter’s high school choir director’s wife offered her a summer job typing leases, she had no idea it would lead to a 20-year career in property management. Things just fell into place.

While in college, Reuter worked for Mike Hammond at the industrial brokerage firm he launched in 1985.

After she decided to work full time, Hammond put her through real estate school.

“I interned with the brokers and then we fell into our first opportunity to manage a property,” Reuter says.

Today she is chief operating officer and principal of Cushman & Wakefield | PICOR, Tucson’s leading independently owned, full-service commercial real estate company, and among the industry’s few women executives.

“My first challenge was establishing credibility as a very young woman in the business,” Reuter says.

She credits one of C&W | PICOR’s first female brokers—one of only two in the Tucson market when the company launched—for mentoring her into leadership.

“She showed me that a woman could succeed in this industry,” she says. “And that an entrepreneurial environment was a place I belonged.”

Reuter founded the firm’s property management division and established it as a market share leader for office, medical, industrial and retail space in Tucson and Sonora, Mexico.

“We started as a boutique company,” she explains. “We were challenged

competing against national firms. Our ability to connect with Cushman & Wakefield eight years ago has allowed us to have the best of both worlds. We get to be locally autonomous market experts and connect to the larger brand and resources for our clients.”

CEO Hammond continues to be a mentor and role model when it comes to delivering on excellence, leadership and community.

“Community or industry service helped develop my leadership skills and my understanding that giving back is not just the right thing to do,” Reuter says. “It’s good for business.”

She has served on the board of the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) and is a national board member for CREW Network (Formerly Commercial Real Estate Women), where she is a trailblazer for women in the industry.

“We’ve just launched a certificate in leadership program with CREW Network with a class of 60 women around the country,” she says. “And we’ve worked hard as a board to match them to executive mentors.”

In her off-duty hours, Reuter likes to ski with her husband and continues to enjoy chorale singing.

“I would have never predicted that I would have decades with one firm,” she says. “It’s been a challenge, something new every year. From ownership at a young age, to support of the community to new client relationships, and innovating and rethinking the way we deliver service, it’s never been stale.”

NAI HORIZON 2944 N. 44th St., Suite 200, Phoenix, 85018 // 602-955-4000 // naihorizon. com AZ LICENSED AGENTS 52 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Terry MartinDenning, CEO JLL 3131 E. Camelback Road, Suite 400, Phoenix, 85016 // 602-282-6265 // jll.com/phoenix AZ LICENSED AGENTS 40 PRINCIPAL Dennis Desmon, senior managing director; Pat Williams, senior managing director HIGHEST-RANKING WOMEN Vicki Robinson, vice president; Christine Cuningham, general manager CUSHMAN & WAKEFIELD | PICOR 1100 N. Wilmot, Suite 200, Tucson, 85712 // 520-748-7100 // picor.com AZ LICENSED AGENTS 31 PRINCIPAL Michael Hammond, president and CEO; Barbi Reuter, chief operating officer HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Barbi Reuter, chief operating officer DE RITO PARTNERS 3200 E. Camelback Road, Phoenix, 85018 // 480-834-8500 // derito.com AZ LICENSED AGENTS 26 PRINCIPAL Marty De Rito, CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Cheri Buchholz, chief financial officer ARCADIA MANAGEMENT GROUP INC. P.O. Box 10, Scottsdale, 85252 // 602-955-4700 // arcadiamgmt.com AZ LICENSED AGENTS 15 PRINCIPAL Gary Shaw, president HIGHESTRANKING WOMAN Melissa Boyle, director of property management R.O.I. PROPERTIES 2001 E. Campbell, Suite 202, Phoenix, 85016 // 602-319-1326 // roiproperties. com AZ LICENSED AGENTS 15 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Beth Jo Zeitzer, president and designated broker LINCOLN PROPERTY CO. 3131 E. Camelback Road, Suite 318, Phoenix, 85016 // 602-912-8888 // lpcphx.com AZ LICENSED AGENTS 14 PRINCIPAL David Krumwiede, executive vice president HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Alisa Timm, director of management services

WHO’S WHO IN BUSINESS // 2016

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