Scottsdale Airpark News January 2023

Culinary Gangster

Joie Chitwood III steers Barrett-Jackson to new heights

Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show gallops into 68th year

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PUBLISHER

Steve T. Strickbine steve@scottsdaleairpark.com

VICE PRESIDENT Michael Hiatt mhiatt@timespublications.com

EXECUTIVE EDITOR Christina Fuoco-Karasinski christina@timespublications.com

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

David Minton

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Ken Abramczyk, Summer Aguirre, Alison Bailin, Joan Fudala, Weiss Kelly, Joe McHugh, Rachel Sacco

DESIGNER

Veronica Thurman vthurman@timespublications.com AD DESIGN Christy Byerly - cbyerly@timespublications.com

Times

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AIRPARK Buzz

WM

Phoenix Open

By Joe McHugh

Phoenix Suns stars Devin Booker and Chris Paul paved the road to the WP Phoenix Open during the annual Tee Off Luncheon at Chase Field in early December.

Booker, who was joined by his dog, Haven, and Paul interspersed their excitement about the tourney with jokes.

“I’d say it was one of those days that I check right when the schedule comes out,” Booker says. “It hasn’t always lined up for us to be here, but this year we are here the whole time. So, I’m excited about it. Most of the time we’ve been out of town.”

Paul chimes in, “Probably one of the coolest experiences at the Open was the year I played for Oklahoma City. It was on game day actually; I went to the Open. I went that morning and (golfer) Tony Finau and a lot of the guys were wearing Kobe jerseys right as they were playing.”

Teams like the Suns as well as the WM Phoenix Open put a focus on the Valley during the winter.

“It’s great to have literally the eyes of the world on our town that week,” WM Phoenix Open Tournament Chairman Pat

Longtime NBA star and Suns guard Chris Paul gears up to talk about his excitement and fond memories of the Phoenix Open.

Williams says.

“And then for us to showcase our event to larger groups is going to be great.”

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Arizona Diamondbacks president and CEO.

They discussed last year’s WM Phoenix Open and their expectations for February. From raising more than $10 million to providing one of the best fan experiences in professional golf, the two men were very excited to share the new happenings next month.

The WM Phoenix Open is part of a busy event season for the Valley, as the Super Bowl and its peripheral events and Barrett-Jackson fill the winter calendar, too. That will bring even more fans to the TPC Scottsdale.

“State Farm Stadium will have about 90,000 people on the Super Bowl Sunday,” Williams says. “I think it’s interesting that our tournament will have probably 90,000 people on Monday and Tuesday and Wednesday and then more as we get through the weekend.”

It was too early to reveal many details, but they teased a few facts.

The purse for the 2023 Phoenix Open is bloated from last year’s prize. In 2022, winner Scottie Scheffler took home $1.47 million out of $8.2 million. This year’s winner will net nearly double that amount, taking home $3.6 million out of a $20 million purse.

Williams says the next WM Phoenix Open will have some of the best players on the green. The pro-am is a can’t-miss event, as

many of the stars will shine.

“It’s great that in a year when the Super Bowl and the WM Phoenix Open are in the same city at the same time, that every celebrity under the Sun is reaching out to (Williams),” Fish said.

“But there are a couple guys who support this event and the pro-am every year, year in and year out — Larry Fitzgerald was one of them and Emmitt Smith is one. I think it’s neat that we’ll have a fantastic, growing field.”

In an interview moderated by D-backs President and CEO Derrick Hall, Suns stars Devin Booker, middle, and Chris Paul, left, share memories about the season, their careers and past experiences of the Phoenix Open. (WM Phoenix Open/Submitted)

MEET YourAirparkNeighbor

Phoenix Rising

Dillan Micus reignites his life, business through recovery

By Alison Bailin

In 2016, to the outside world, it looked like longtime Scottsdale business leader Dillan Micus had it all.

As the executive vice president of Equitable Advisors Southwest (formerly AXA Advisors Southwest), Micus led some of the brightest financial minds in the region.

“When I moved to Arizona in 2005 to take the position, I was just 29 years old, the then-youngest person in the company’s history to take on a role,” Micus says. “At the time, the regional team was struggling and among the lowest performers in the nation. Within a year, we were placing among the top 10, and by 2008 we earned the top spot in the country.”

Almost overnight, he was earning seven fi gures and fi nding solutions for clients despite the cataclysmic effects of the Great Recession. But a serious drinking problem almost ruined him.

Micus and his team continued to take the business into the stratosphere, growing from a few hundred million dollars under management to $3 billion under management. During his first 12 years in the position, Micus made community stewardship a priority as well, notably founding Weekend Jetaway, a charitable event put on by his team to collectively give back.

Over the annual event’s near-decade in Scottsdale, they raised nearly $1 million for the Boys & Girls Clubs, Elevate Phoenix, Pat Tillman Foundation, Folds of Honor and The Challenge Foundation. When not working, Micus also gave his time as a Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale board member and became a Thunderbird.

The jovial former college football star and one-time NFL recruit also spent significant time in the party scene, both

locally and around the world, especially after getting a divorce in 2013.

“At the time, I just thought I was having fun,” Micus says. “Looking back, I was covering up deep wounds from my childhood.”

Given his continued outward success, it was all too easy to write off what was clearly becoming a problem for many years.

“The leadership team and I focused on

Dillan Micus, second from left, and his 345 Wealth Management executive team, Brady Schneider, Pat Kearns and Ali Grefsheim. (345 Wealth Management/Submitted)

recruiting, retaining and supervising the best and brightest talent on the market as well as understanding every intricacy of the processes and products that impact financial freedom, including estate planning, asset management, business continuation, qualified plans, the tax code, market conditions, client behaviors and more, and we did it well,” Micus says. “Our success also

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hinged on developing specialists while becoming them ourselves. Things just kept working.”

For many years, Micus was such a functional alcoholic that even many of his close friends didn’t suspect a thing.

“In my own heart, however, I knew,” Micus says.

Micus’ journey to sobriety began quietly.

“Though I didn’t tell anyone, I entered a 60-day rehab in 2016,” Micus says. “Subconsciously, I knew it wouldn’t stick.”

By the holidays, Micus was on vacation in Europe and drinking again.

“At this point, I was about 50 pounds overweight and always sick, not to mention missing work or coming in hungover often,” Micus says. “Then things came to a head.”

On June 20, 2017, Micus took his last drink.

“I was at a planning meeting in

Colorado, which kicked off with me arriving seven hours late thanks to some hard partying in Vegas the night before,” Micus says.

“I remember staring at the ceiling in my room and feeling hopeless, barely able to get out of bed and dreading the thought of playing golf with my team because my wretched state would be obvious.”

Micus did make it to golf, but he could not even lift a club. Everything hurt. Everything was tired. Micus was sick and tired of it all.

“My mom lived in Colorado, so I made up a story about her being sick and needing to see her, instead calling her in tears and begging her to pick me up,” Micus says. “She came and got me, and I spilled my guts to my parents for the next several hours. The next day they got me back to Scottsdale to get real help.”

The first step was an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting.

“I remember pulling into the parking lot, almost leaving five times before walking in,” Micus says. “I felt like this was other people, not me. Boy was I wrong.”

Within 15 minutes in that first meeting, Micus knew he was in the right place.

“As everyone courageously shared their stories, I saw myself in them over and over,” Micus says.

The next step toward recovery came thanks to his best friend, Dodge Earnhardt.

“He took me to spend time at his family’s ranch, enveloping me with love and a support system,” Micus says. “The trip inspired me to open the ‘AA Big Book,’ which I tore through with a voracity I didn’t know I still had. Each of those things together set me on this path, preparing me for what I was always meant to do.”

Now five years sober, Micus recently left his longtime role at Equitable to launch 345 Wealth Management, a financial services firm focused on comprehensive planning as it relates to the accumulation, distribution and transfer of wealth. He leads the business with longtime colleague and dear friend Patrick Kearns.

MEET YourAirparkNeighbor

“Pat has been with Equitable since 2001, including as vice president of the Las Vegas location for 13 years,” Micus says. “He worked closely with me in that role before moving to Scottsdale to serve as senior vice president of Equitable Advisors Southwest in 2018, where we led successfully together and now find ourselves as business partners.”

In less than six months, the fi rm has already grown to 16 team members and will move into its permanent location in Scottsdale this month. Micus also has a thriving division within the fi rm called Asset Location Planning (ALP), a tax planning strategy designed to help clients reduce their tax liability risk when it matters most so that they can do more of what they love.

“The dedicated, unwavering work that we have done to facilitate financial transactions, create systems and processes, and advise clients is what has led us to start this firm,” Micus says. “Through starting our own business, we’re realizing a dream and now we will be able to help others realize theirs, too, starting with financial freedom on their own terms.”

In addition to 345 and ALP, Micus is

a life member of the Thunderbirds and working with fellow members on a new large-scale charity event in Scottsdale in December and will launch another business called FRESH in 2023.

FRESH — an acronym for Finances, Relationships, Education, Spirituality and Health — was developed by Micus in partnership with functional nutritionist and biometric expert Ashley Grimmel, who works with elite athletes including Olympians, UFC fighters, PGA players and NFL stars. The step-by-step program identifies obstacles in our lives and provides coaching to help overcome them, knowing that challenges in one area in our lives affect the others.

“It helps you maximize your potential, chase your passions and live a well-balanced life. Currently, FRESH is being piloted by a large university in the Southwest and a California-based music business,” Micus says. “Through each endeavor, my goal is to differentiate systems for financial growth but address personal and professional development in a way that has never been done before. It is the culmination of my own journey.”

Info: 345wealthmgmt.com 

MEET YourAirparkNeighbor

Ring! Ring!

By Alison Bailin

The phone was always ringing at Mike Allen’s childhood home in Milwaukee.

“My father ran The Boston Store, a family of department stores across Wisconsin akin to a Macy’s or Dillard’s here,” Allen says.

“Given the nature of his job, much of his role was to serve as an ambassador for our community. He took great pride in being the first call most businesses and charitable organizations would make if they needed help and support.”

The youngest of three boys, Allen often tagged along with his parents as they supported the causes who reached out.

“While I am sure they were just trying to keep me out of my older brothers’ hair, seeing both my parents take on these leadership roles helped shaped the man I wanted to become,” says Allen, adding that watching his father lead a business inspired him to work toward that goal as well.

A diligent student, once accepted into the University of Wisconsin – Whitewater, Allen was at a crossroads of what to study.

“I landed on accounting as it was explained to me as the language of business,” Allen says. “I figured if I wanted to work in business, I should know the language.”

Allen quickly found he had a knack

for accounting, surprising even himself. Given his aptitude, even before he graduated, Allen developed a plan to earn his CPA designation as soon as possible and then use it to make his way in the world, eventually as his own boss.

“By 1984, with my degree and the CPA designation in hand, I sought to spread my wings, relocating to Albuquerque as much for the adventure as possible accounting jobs,” Allen says. “My then-wife and I moved out there jobless and threw a

mattress in an apartment, eager to take on New Mexico, which more than lived up to its nickname as the Land of Enchantment.”

Over the next several years, Allen started his own accounting fi rm with a colleague and became a father for the first time. His phone also began ringing, much like his father’s.

“After the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act passed in 1988, the firm started getting calls from Tribal Nations, work that exploded in ways we could have never imagined,” Allen says. “Personally, I started getting calls about volunteer opportunities in the community, which was a very full-circle moment given my childhood.”

Allen went on to serve on the board of directors for Make-A-Wish Foundation –Albuquerque and as board chair for the New Futures School for parenting teens. He is also a graduate of the inaugural class of Leadership Albuquerque.

“This brings us to the mid-1990s, and a major turning point,” Allen says. “My son and his mother relocated to Scottsdale,” Allen says. “Unable to adjust to the idea of life without my son close by, and as my current wife and I discussed expanding our family, we decided it made the most sense for me my to leave the business I had started and for us to start a new life in

Mike Allen opened the Phoenix office of REDW in 2011. (REDW/Submitted)

Mike Allen sees the promise of the entire Valley, his adopted home for almost 30 years. (REDW/Submitted)

Mike Allen always answers the call to serve

Scottsdale near my son so he could build a strong relationship with his siblings as our new family grew.”

Looking back, Allen calls it the best decision of his life.

“We moved in May 1995, and my phone started ringing pretty quickly, something I was used to in Albuquerque but did not expect here,” Allen says.

The first call was from a longtime Tribal client seeking his expertise in leading management operations of a casino, to which Allen agreed to do if he could do so from his new homebase in Scottsdale. Among the next calls was from a colleague asking him if he liked football.

“When I replied yes, he invited me to a Fiesta Bowl Committee meeting,” Allen says. “The next thing I knew, I was literally sweeping up horse droppings along the Fiesta Bowl Parade route. For 10 years, I served as a Fiesta Bowl Committee member and eventually as chair of the board of directors in 2005.”

Along the way, Allen earned his MBA at Arizona State University, welcomed two more children and served with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metropolitan Phoenix as well.

“By 2011, I was ready for a new challenge, and there was that phone ringing again,” Allen says. “That particular call was from colleagues at REDW, asking me to help open their firm in Arizona.”

The award-winning, independent advisory and accounting business recruited Allen as the managing principal of its newly established firm in Phoenix in April 2011.

Among the biggest selling points?

“Certainly, the chance to help build a business in my adopted home state was special, and I was absolutely intrigued by their depth and breadth of work with Tribal Nations given my own decades of experience. But what really sold me was our shared love of a ringing phone,” Allen says. “REDW wants to be the call that clients, colleagues and even competitors make for anything and everything they need. With any question. With any idea. With any challenge.”

During the next decade-plus, Allen recruited, managed and empowered a dream team. Today, the 70-plus person office is thriving and has eyes toward further expansion. Earlier this summer, REDW was named among the Top 200 Largest Accounting Firms in the United States by INSIDE Public Accounting, a newsletter for the public accounting profession. REDW came in at 112, which is the firm’s highest ranking and its 13th consecutive year making the list.

“My focus today is still answering that phone when it rings but inspiring our team members at every level to want to do the same,” says Allen, who actively empowers every member of the firm to take an active role in the community, supporting those who are engaged through formal REDW support and his own mentorship when asked.

Allen is also still very focused on his close-knit family, especially his two grandkids, whom he and his wife regularly babysit, and still finds time to answer the call to community service himself. In 2019, Allen completed service as board chair of the Arizona Society of CPAs and was selected by the Arizona state treasurer to serve on its Task Force on Financial Literacy, and in 2020, Allen was elected to the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) Private Companies Practice Section (PCPS) Executive Committee. PCPS guides programs to help improve the quality of services and operating success of member firms nationwide. 

SURPRISE

Sprays for Strays

Nonprofit helps stray dogs through sunless tans

By Summer Aguirre

Veronique Munro aims to end dog homelessness one spray tan at a time.

Munro — the founder and CEO of the sunless tanning company Infinity Sun — combined her business and passion for dogs and created her charity organization, Sprays for Strays. Having recently relocated to Scottsdale from Los Angeles, the nonprofit fundraises through the sunless tanning industry to benefit dog rescue programs.

“There are dog rescues all over the United States that are actually in the trenches,” Munro says. “They’re going into the pounds and shelters, and the one thing they’re lacking is funding to pull the dogs, to pay for vaccines, to pay for spays and neuters.

“Oftentimes, the dogs end up on the street or in these places because they have behavioral issues, like they bark a lot or maybe they had medical issues and their owners couldn’t pay, so they just end up dumping their dogs. It’s awful, so I thought, well, why not start Sprays for Strays?”

Munro’s journey began with her bearded collie, Snoopy, whom she adopted while working as a business and technology consultant for Fortune 500 companies in Belgium in the 1990s. Upon moving to Los Angeles in 2000, she researched different industries to invest

Strays

collie

her time in what would allow a lifestyle better suited for a dog owner.

She discovered sunless tanning, which had then recently emerged, and founded Infinity Sun in 2005. Snoopy served as her “co-pilot” as her company grew.

“I keep joking, I say ‘dog’ is ‘God’ backward for a reason,” she says. “I really think that we think we’re saving them, but they’re really saving us — I’m convinced of it.

“Snoopy was a reason for me to quit my very high-powered, highly lucrative consulting job to start up a business on my own, which basically made my life what it

is today and moved (a big part of) an entire industry,” Munro says. “So, I wanted to start a nonprofit as a way to honor Snoopy and what he brought me and the industry.”

Today, Infinity Sun is known for its airbrush tanning systems, sunless tanning solutions, luxury self-tanners and A-list celebrity clientele, which includes Giuliana Rancic, Kaley Cuoco, Jessica Alba and Britney Spears.

Munro launched her charity organization six years ago, calling it Snoopy’s Angels Two Dog Rescue after her dog, who died in 2011. She wanted to leverage her nationwide relationships with Infinity Sun customers, starting the organization as an opportunity for spray tan artists to be able to involve themselves in charitable giving.

“A lot of them are really into dog rescue, but they just don’t know how to get involved,” she says. “So, they can do fundraisers — it’s a membership-based organization where they can join us and we help promote their businesses while they help us raise money to give to the rescues, who go and pull the dogs that need financial help to help them save more dogs.”

Although Sprays for Strays is a small organization, Munro says it has assisted many rescues across the country retrieve dogs from pounds and shelters, fund their vaccines, and home them.

A notable part of Sprays for Strays

Sprays for

was inspired by Veronique Munro’s late bearded

Snoopy, who was the CEO’s partner while she grew her business into a sunless tanning industry trailblazer. (Gail Bowman Photography/Submitted)

is maintaining partnerships with ethical groups, so she is selective when choosing her rescue partners.

“We are about responsible rescue, and we really like to ensure that we do our part to raise the (standard),” Munro says. “There are a lot of nefarious people out there in the rescue world, so we really set out (to help) the rescues that are ethical in the way that they handle things from start to end.”

The funds that Sprays for Strays generates go directly toward paying for the dogs’ medical bills and other specific needs, not

PHILANTHROPY

just the rescue organizations as a whole.

To obtain more support and expand the nonprofit’s reach, Munro is prioritizing getting her new charity’s name out to the public.

She is organizing a local event and hopes to host fundraisers for Sprays for Strays, which she hasn’t done since the pandemic.

“Getting a stronger network in place is part of the support that we need, and then more partnerships with the pounds and rescues to make pulling dogs easier, because sometimes there’s a lot of red tape to go through,” Munro says.

Having established partnerships and a secure membership base will also help the charity host fundraisers to benefit rescues, as well as strengthen its foster network and provide safe places for dogs to convalesce.

“In many cases, a lot of them are traumatized,” Munro says. “They need love to heal them, and that might mean being with

a foster for a period of time to feel loved and to readjust.”

Munro encourages anyone who feels called to dog rescue and aligns with the Sprays for Strays mission and initiatives to get involved with the organization — whether they are in the beauty industry or not.

“If they’re a spray tan artist, I’d love for them to join Sprays for Strays,” she says. “If they are dog rescues, they can come to us, let us know they exist, and learn a little bit more about them and how we can partner together to help save more dogs here. I’d really love to end the homelessness of these dogs.” 

Sprays for Strays

7842 E. Gray Road, Suite 1, Scottsdale spraysforstrays.com

Individual membership plans for Sprays for Strays are $99 a year. The basic business plan is $125 annually, while the extended business plan costs $150. While all plans provide opportunities to volunteer and host special events, they offer different ranges of benefits and discounts on products and services.

AIRPARK Events

Let’s Ride

Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show gallops into 68th year

By Summer Aguirre

From chestnuts to bays and roans, hundreds of Arabian horses will be in the spotlight for the 68th annual Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show.

The largest Arabian horse show in the world, the prestigious event attracts the best of the best owners, trainers and breeders from around the globe vying to snatch the blue ribbon in a wide variety of competitions with top Arabians.

Hosted by the nonprofit Arabian Horse Association of Arizona (AHAA), the show will start at 8 a.m. each day running from Thursday, February 16, to Sunday, February 26, at WestWorld of Scottsdale.

“Scottsdale is the mecca for Arabian horses, and each year we’re thrilled to have unique, beautiful horses from around the world come here for this event,” says Taryl O’Shea, executive director of the AHAA.

“The Arabian horse community helped shape what Scottsdale is today and has had tremendous impact both economically, culturally and socially over the past six-plus decades. We’re grateful for the opportunity to welcome back the horse community, newcomers and enthusiasts this February.”

In 11 days, the 2023 show will feature more than 2,000 horses and over 1,000 riders, some as young as 5 years old, competing for more than $3 million in prize money.

The Arabian breed’s beauty, versatility and elegance will be showcased in several hundred classes each day, ranging from dressage, horsemanship and side saddle to English and Western pleasure. This is also the first year that the Scottsdale show will include ranch horse classes, which test the Arabians’ ability to perform ranch tasks and demonstrate their adaptability

for pleasure riding, working and agility.

Every discipline and age division will have normal classes pinned by place, in addition to larger classes having elimination rounds before the final championships.

Molly Schwanz, a 21-year-old competitor and Scottsdale resident, says

she believes that the finals nights on the weekends are the best time to experience the show. The first weekend mostly consists of youth competitions, while the last features many championship events.

“They have the Liberty (class), where they let the horses go and they let them …continues

Molly Schwanz, 21, is a rider from Scottsdale with over 10 years of experience. She will compete in the 68th annual Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show this year. (Evolve PR and Marketing/Submitted)

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AIRPARK Events

Continued from page 20

run around, and then they have the jumping — that’s something that we’re not really known for,” Schwanz says.

“But it’s really cool to watch them jump the arena, and then it’s all the really amazing, exciting classes for people to watch that really show off the Arabian breed.”

Adding to the experience of watching the top equines and riders in the Arabian world perform, eventgoers can explore a shopping expo adjacent to the main arena. There are expected to be over 300 artisans and entrepreneurs selling one-of-a-kind goods, products and services, including fine art, crafts, clothing and jewelry.

Returning this year is an immersive experience hosted by Phoenix-based organization HoofbeatZ USA, which offers event goers the opportunity to ride, interact with and learn about equines. The experience is included in the event ticket and introduces newcomers to the horse world.

Interacting with the horses on such a personal level is something that Schwanz says attendees don’t expect.

“I feel like every horse you meet impacts your life in some way that you have no idea about. They are such emotional, sensitive animals and they can really feel how you feel,” Schwanz says. “I just think that when these spectators come, they get to meet these horses and get to watch them perform, I feel like it’s such an incredible feeling that gets people excited.”

The AHAA will also celebrate the second National Arabian Horse Day on February 19, complete with special events and activities at the show.

Proceeds from the 2023 Scottsdale show will benefit several charities, including the Arabian Horse Promotional Fund, Arabian Horsemen’s Distress Fund, Friends of Vail Foundation, Healing Hearts Animal Rescue and Refuge, Horses Help TRC, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), March of Dimes, Scottsdale Community College, Scottsdale Rotary and Youth for Troops.

The Arabian horse show has been held at WestWorld of Scottsdale since 1989. Since then, it has expanded from 50 horses to over a few thousand.

The Scottsdale show was the first horse

show that Schwanz competed in over 10 years ago, and she looks forward to it every year.

“It’s just something that you have to go and be there (at the show) to experience. You see it and it’s like, ‘Wow, this is so incredible that all the hard work that these trainers and these riders put in throughout the year gets shown off here,’” Schwanz says. “It really is just an amazing show, an amazing stay, an amazing city. WestWorld is such a beautiful venue to be at for this horse show, and it’s just a great area. Overall, so many people come for it, it’s just incredible.” 

Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show

WHERE: WestWorld of Scottsdale, 16601 N. Pima Road, Scottsdale

WHEN: Beginning at 8 a.m. each day from Thursday, February 16, to Sunday, February 26

COST: $15 for general admission; $10 for seniors; children ages 10 and under are free; military personnel and their families are free February 21

INFO: scottsdaleshow.com

DRIVER’S In the SEAT

Joie Chitwood III ready to help steer Barrett-Jackson to new heights

By Summer Aguirre

oie Chitwood III began his career executing daring stunts with cars, and now, as Barrett-Jackson’s new chief operating officer, he finds himself in the collector car world.

In October, the longtime motorsports and live event industries executive extended his resume with his acceptance of the position of Barrett-Jackson’s chief operating officer. His role works along side chairman and CEO Craig Jackson in leading the collector car auction company’s daily operations, and he looks forward to contributing to its success accelerating into the new year.

“I’ve had such great opportunity in what I call the car world, and I’ve represented and been part of some fantastic brands — India napolis Motor Speedway, Daytona International Speedway — and so now to be a part of the Barrett-Jackson family, I couldn’t ask for anything more,” Chitwood says.

“It’s about working for these iconic brands that were built by a family and turned into something that is truly extraordinary. So, for me, it was exciting to join another entity that has such a …continues on page 26

Joie Chitwood III, at age 5, in his Corvette go-kart, the first car he drove in the “Joie Chitwood Thrill Show.”

great brand, such a great standing and at the end of the day is the world’s greatest collector car auction company.

“I’m excited and, really, it fits well with the places that I’ve been, and I can’t wait to be here longer than a month and do even more for the company.”

Chitwood’s first big undertaking in the new year is Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale, the company’s largest and longest auction, from Saturday, January 21, to Sunday, January 29. The COO says he can’t wait for the event.

“It is a phenomenon. It is truly something set apart from any other auction event out there. And for us, it’s that motorsports lifestyle event. We’ve had so many elements — whether it’s family day, the future collector car show, Barrett-Jackson Cup,” he says. “We’ve been able to take I think the unique part of our business but add a segment for every person, whether it’s younger enthusiasts, more seasoned collectors, or anybody in the middle who just wants to see and be seen and show up at really one of the coolest events in the world.”

Chitwood hopes to continue to drive the success BarrettJackson has seen over recent years, including 2022, which was a record year in Barrett-Jackson’s history. He says that January 2022’s sales exceeded $203 million, with $8.8 million raised for charity.

His team’s focus is continuing to set the show apart from others to reach new goals by ensuring that they provide excellent content, cars and entertainment for bidders, consignors and attendees in the Valley and across all of Barrett-Jackson’s annual events.

“I think those are great goals for us to continue to drive, whether it’s auctioning more cars or creating more value,” he

Joie Chitwood III, 3, on his father's shoulders next to his grandfather, Joie Chitwood Sr., in front of the famous space rocket jump.

Joie Chitwood III is the new chief operating officer of Barrett-Jackson.

says. “We’re creating more unique content with our partners at Endeavor and IMG offering our guests something they haven’t seen.”

With the Super Bowl in Glendale and the WM Phoenix Open golf tournament just weeks after the Scottsdale Auction, event season in Arizona begins with BarrettJackson, and Chitwood sees their timing early in the year as a chance to set the tone for the rest of 2023.

“We’re going to put on a great event, and I think everybody in Scottsdale is going to be very impressed,” he adds.

Chitwood relocated to Scottsdale to join the Barrett-Jackson team following his position as vice president of corporate development and tournament director for the Arnold Palmer Group in Orlando, Florida. He was responsible for growing the

various Arnold Palmer Group businesses, in addition to the Arnold & Winnie Palmer Foundation’s golf events, including its flagship event, the Arnold Palmer Invitational and the Arnold Palmer Open.

Prior to that, he was International Speedway Corporation’s (ISC) executive vice president and chief operating officer, in which he was accountable for the leadership, management and oversight of the operations of the 12 ISC motorsports facilities and development department. He joined ISC in 2009 as vice president of business operations before holding the position as president of ISC’s flagship motorsports facility, Daytona International Speedway from 2010 to 2016.

Chitwood was also the president and chief operating officer of Indianapolis Motor Speedway, overseeing day-to-day

operations for the venue, which included its inn and golf course. He began his time on the speedway’s staff in 2002 as senior vice president, business affairs.

His work has earned him accolades such as the SportsBusiness Journal 40 under 40 in 2009 and Indianapolis Business Journal 40 under 40 in 2007.

Chitwood’s experience in motorsports and the live entertainment world began at a young age. His grandfather was Joie Chitwood Sr., a racecar driver who was known for his daredevilry in the family’s traveling automobile stunt show, “Joie Chitwood Thrill Show.”

Since he was 5, Chitwood grew up going on countrywide tours with his family for several performances a week from June to October. His career included performing as a stuntman, a specialist in precision driving and even holding a truck driver’s license to drive a car carrier.

He worked in his family’s entertainment business for 20 years before embarking to the University of Florida to obtain a degree in business administration and finance, followed by studying at Cambridge University in England and earning his MBA from the University of South Florida.

Chitwood credits his experiences during his time at the “Joie Chitwood Thrill Show” and school as the roots of his success in the motorsports and live event industries.

“I think my grandfather would have been extremely proud when I left the family stunt show, and I went out there and found a great opportunity to achieve success. I got the lead on iconic sports brands,” he says.

“So I think I was successful because of how he trained me and got me ready for it, and as much as it was challenging to leave the family business, it was all those experiences and that training that he gave me that I was able to take to different sports properties and really have an impact on what they did and their successes.

“I just feel like this is what I was made to do, work in these types of events and be associated with family businesses but, more importantly, represent iconic brands and continue the legacy that has been created.”

Barrett-Jackson, The World’s Greatest Collector Car Auction

WHEN: Times vary, Saturday, January 21, to Sunday, January 29

WHERE: WestWorld, 16601 N. Pima Road, Scottsdale

COST: Tickets start at $25; discounts for seniors, military, students, first responders, children

INFO: barrett-jackson.com

Evil Knievel, Frank Gifford and Joie Chitwood III, at age 8.

This 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing sold for $1.87 million.

Customers’ ‘Only

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

Lodi Garage Doors & More handcrafts, sells and installs aff ordable-yet-solid quality products, and cemented its place in the market when Dave Sciotto acquired the company’s assets in 1985.

But it goes beyond workmanship. The key is trust; it’s mantra is “Only satisfied customers.”

The Phoenix-based company specializes in the sales, installation, garage door service and repair and garage door opener repair.

“We have a wide range of sectional doors that — together with custom wood, commercial roll-up and overhead steel door products — gives us a unique and complete offering for customers in the

Lodi

Garage

Doors stays true

its motto

24/7

Arizona market,” says Kristin Strecker, sales and marketing manager.

“Unlike other garage door companies, Lodi Garage Doors & More provides a combination of extraordinary convenience, low prices and comprehensive selection.”

Lodi Garage Doors & More provides

In December 2022, Lodi Garage Doors & More partnered with Windsor America.

“Through its 35-plus year history, Lodi Garage Doors & More has evolved into an industry- and community-leading orga-

emergency service for broken springs and off-track doors in addition to in-office consulting, striving to provide seamless service. It services all of Arizona.

to

nization with deep roots in the state of Arizona,” Strecker says.

“Anchored by its values and commitment to customer satisfaction, Lodi Garage Doors & More is highly regarded as a first-class operation. This commitment to excellence and responsibility to its stakeholders are a natural fit with Windsor America and its mission to deliver quality garage doors through an innovative customer experience.”

It is still an autonomously run entity and will retain its current branding, leadership and operating structures. Dave Sciotto has since retired and his cousin, Sam Sciotto, now leads the company.

“While there will be no meaningful change for customers, employees and vendors, Windsor America allows us to continue on the path of serving our stakeholders at a superior level,” Sam says.

Lodi Garage Doors & More puts the emphasis on “and more.” Crews install epoxy flooring, and a craftsman creates “beautiful, beautiful doors,” she says.

The company’s reputation and longevity reflect its success. A true family-owned and -operated business, Lodi Garage Doors & More is embedded into the community as well.

“We do a lot with the Boys & Girls Clubs,” she says. “Dave is very involved in that. As a company we increased employee awareness of best practices when it comes to ethical practice with our customers, which demonstrates the importance of “giving back” to our community’s youth, providing involvement to groups such as the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.”

Personally, we just got involved in Teen Lifeline, an Arizona-based suicide prevention nonprofit and 24/7 crisis peer hotline for teens.”

Strecker explains she was shocked at the prevalence of teen suicide, so she encouraged co-workers to get involved.

In conjunction with our community involvement, “Our priority at Lodi Garage Doors and More is to offer our customers a reliable, fast and convenient service. Our goal is to be more than just the experts in garage door services, but also the one-stop shop for all your garage door needs.” 

All Worlds Best of

By Ken Abramczyk

Breece Private Wealth Management Group, led by Justin W. Breece, has partnered with TSG Wealth Management to create what he feels will be “the best of all worlds.”

After nearly two decades as a wealth adviser — that including achieving many key accreditations such as a family wealth adviser, alternative investment director and executive director — Breece and his team decided they wanted to explore the independent channel to enhance customer experience. Breece has been perennially recognized by Forbes Magazine as a best-instate wealth adviser in Arizona from 2018-22.

As Breece stated, “Through independence we can commit to being a true fiduciary to our clients, devote 100% of our focus to our clients’ lives and deliver advice in an unincumbered and modern manner. Further, among the many lessons coming out of a pandemic is that we need the ability to be flexible with our practice management to attract and retain the highest level of professional talent. Making decisions at the local level for the benefit of our clients and our practice is critical and can only be achieved by leaving large top-down organizations.”

While diligently investigating his options over a year, Breece learned about TSG Wealth Management, a dynamic and robust firm managing around $7 billion as of December 2022 with 11 offices and highly accomplished advisers, including Mark Schulten, a Barron’s Top 100 Private Wealth Teams from 2021-22, that were seeking the right team to enter the Scottsdale/Phoenix market.

“From the initial call with CEO Brian Borst, it felt like the perfect fit. We feel we are in complete synchronicity in all the key areas of business and life. TSG understands the importance of delivering world-class wealth management solutions, resources and a differentiated client experience that very often transcends the professional relationship.”

Breece, now a managing director at Breece Private Wealth Management, will work closely with Mark Correa, who is also a managing director in their newly opened office in Kierland Quarter.

The Forbes Best-in-State Wealth Advisors rating algorithm is based on the previous year’s industry experience, interviews, compliance records, assets under management, revenue and other criteria by SHOOK Research LLC, which does not receive compensation from the advisers or their

firms in exchange for placement on a rating. Investment performance is not a criterion. Self-completed survey was used for rating. This rating is not related to the quality of the investment advice and based solely on the disclosed criteria.

The Barron’s Top 100 Private Wealth Teams ratings are based on the previous year’s assets under management, revenue generated for the advisers’ firms, and the quality of the advisers’ practices. Investment performance isn’t an explicit factor because clients have varied goals and risk tolerances. Self-completed questionnaire was used for rating. This rating is not related to the quality of the investment advice and based solely on the disclosed criteria.

“Ironically, going independent with TSG has deepened and enhanced my resources that I deliver to my trusted clients. There is a

Airpark wealth management firm partners with TSG

Justin W. Breece leads Breece Private Wealth Management Group.

Mark Correa is a managing director in the newly opened Kierland Quarter office.

real culture of partnership among the entire team, including having dedicated portfolio managers, custom lending experts and investment planning professionals. Further, though we aren’t employees, we are able to tap into the vast resources offered through Wells Fargo Advisors, including their 1.2 trillion balance sheet for client safety and their tax planning, philanthropy, lending, business banking and investment banking.”

Breece brings his own skill set to TSG, including being a corporate securities attorney, investment banker, wealth adviser and portfolio management director, with over 20 years of experience in financial services. “Especially for my private business owners, they often appreciate that I can understand them in a entirely deeper level given my legal, investment banking, entrepreneurial and financial advisory background.”

Another virtue of TSG that Breece finds attractive is its commitment to younger professionals and its life evolution. Breece says he is passionate about educating young advisers. The industry is very top heavy with older advisers; accordingly, Breece, similar to TSG, is devoted to developing younger talent that learns how to properly care for clients.

“I was very fortunate to have been trained by some special individuals with a meticulous program designed for modern, comprehensive, planning-based advisers. As such, I was able to give back and improve the quality of advice being delivered.”

Correa will be working with Breece’s team daily to foster a team of dedicated client service specialists and helping develop the TSG brand in Scottsdale, Correa has over 25 years of experience, most recently with Wells Fargo Advisors in San Luis Obispo, California. Correa and Breece also share an extensive background in working with professional athletes and entertainers.

Helping clients

Breece takes a consultative approach to clients, similar to the way in which he did as a successful business attorney. This incorporates developing a deep understanding about all aspects of the client’s life that goes well beyond numbers. A critical part, according to Breece, of this job, is to help them manage their emotions in life and investing.

“Continuous learning and an in depth understanding of client needs gives me a road map about how I want to go about investing,” Breece says. “It gives me that much more clairvoyance. Once we have a targeted, customized rate of return goal with the client that’s agreed upon, then it’s up to me to figure out what are the right tools I can use that gives us the best opportunity of success

while taking the lowest amount of risk.

“Once you get that customized rate of return goal that the client completely understands, that has a powerful impact because it should turn down some of that emotion.”

Correa focuses on working directly with clients to determine their unique goals. “We focus on taking the stress away from the clients and transferring it to us,” Correa says. “We want to ensure our clients can achieve their goals in all aspects of life. We want to foster lifelong relationships with our exceptional customer service abilities.” Correa focuses on blue chip stocks with dividend growth and strong balance sheets, taking customer needs and interests into consideration when developing an investment mix.

Investments depend on the client. Of course, stocks and bonds play a key role in the investment mix, but Breece also works on tax efficiency for his clients. For the right clients, alternative private investments are offered. He doesn’t invest in products he doesn’t understand.

Breece works with business owners, who may receive an offer from business equity fund or someone within their own industry to purchase their company. Breece helps with liquidity equity planning. “Many times, that number on paper is quite exciting, and the inclination or knee-jerk reaction is to accept it. That tends to be where I am drawn in. What we will do is unpack the business valuation but answer the question of what that will mean for their personal life. What does it mean in the context of ‘Let’s walk through it, if you do accept this, and sell the business for this price.’”

Breece creates a detailed analysis and evaluation to help sharpen the client’s mind and create clarity for the business owner to make a better, more elevated decision.

What is next in 2023

“Predictions are difficult to make, especially in our industry. Those who

say that they know with certainty what will happen are misleading,” Breece says. “The true key is to have a plan that can adjust and adapt to our rapidly changing world whether that be financially or otherwise. Through working with our clients, that is what Mark, myself and the TSG team excel at.” Interestingly, through his years of experience Breece has developed one thing that he believes remains steady.

“I do have strong views, but there is only so much we can control. However, there is one relative constant in the world and that is human behavior,” Breece says. “Markets will always move, cycles will always occur, and humanity will continue to further prosper. Human and societal psychology have held true through many difficult times. We have always came out stronger than before and adapted to any circumstance that has been delt to us.” It is these thoughts that help Breece remain driven and focused. “If I can make a difference and leave my mark, whether that be for an individual or for society, that is what motivates me.” It is not solely Breece who is driven by this goal either. When asked about his team at Breece Private Wealth Management, Breece states, “We are working to develop a wonderful and knowledgeable team here at Breece Private Wealth Management. Regardless of what the world brings us we will be ready to perform to our highest capabilities. We are here for our clients and we are here to make a positive impact.”

Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network is not a legal or tax adviser.

Advertisement

Investment products and services are offered through Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network LLC (WFAFN), Member SIPC. TSG Wealth Management is a separate entity from WFAFN.

CAR-1222-02339

FOOD & WINE

GANGSTER’S PARADISE

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

fter opening restaurants in Chicago, Richard Raschillo moved to the Valley to relax. Instead, the industry called him back.

“I got anxiety from not working and it was either go to Lexapro or open another restaurant,” Raschillo says with a laugh about the antidepressant.

Raschillo signed a lease at 14891 N. Northsight Boulevard, Suite 135, Scottsdale, and that allowed him to relax.

“I slept like a baby that night,” he says. “Before then, I was pacing outside at night. My brain was circling too much.”

The result is Culinary Gangster, a brickand-mortar version of his popular food truck in Chicago. The name comes from his Italian heritage.

“I own a fine dining, James Beard restaurant in Chicago,” he says. “I’ve had other concepts my whole life. Five years ago, my chefs and I were goofing around. I bought a truck and turned it into a food truck.

“It became an enormous success.”

Raschillo bought the concept here, but to a 1,600-square-foot brick-and-mortar space between At Home and Kohl’s off the Loop 101. With the hopes to open three more, the eatery serves healthy fare like burgers, sandwiches, quinoa bowls, wraps, salads and breakfast — a blend of items from each of his restaurants in Chicago.

He calls the Southwest wrap ($13) one of his signature dishes, complete with grilled barbecue chicken breast, iceberg lettuce, black beans, sweet corn, tomatoes, scallions, Monterey Jack cheese, tortilla strips and topped with Gangster ranch dressing.

On the not-so-healthy side, he says, fan favorites are the spicy Gangster burger and street gyros. The Kronos street gyros ($13) come with tomatoes, red onions and tzatziki sauce.

For the same price, guests can get the spicy Gangster burger featuring a prime beef patty, jalapeños, pickles, fried onions, aged white cheddar, sweet chili sauce and habanero sauce all on a brioche bun.

Healthy dishes are important to Raschillo. He is a former trainer who saw his clients getting results from working out, but they didn’t know how to eat right.

“I went to culinary school to learn that,” he says. “I’ve had 25 concepts over the last 25 years. People flip houses; that’s what I used to do with restaurant. I’d develop a concept, build it, staff it and sell it.

“This concept is close to me because it’s a mix of everything. I’ve made all the mistake possible. I’m not shocked anymore. Twenty-five years later, I finally have the right tools.” 

Richard Raschillo just couldn’t give up F&B

Culinary Gangster

14891 N. Northsight Boulevard, Suite 135, Scottsdale 480-572-1857, culinarygangsteraz.com Instagram: @culinarygangsteraz 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday to Saturday

Culinary Gangster is a brick-and-mortar version of Richard Raschillo's popular food truck in Chicago.

(Dennis Murphy/Contributor)

TOURISM Talk

By Rachel Sacco Experience Scottsdale

Super Bowl LVII is coming to the Valley of the Sun on February 12, and while we at Experience Scottsdale are excited for the big game, we are especially looking forward to all the worldclass events happening in Scottsdale before and after kickoff.

Experience Scottsdale and the city of Scottsdale will promote January through March as Scottsdale Super Season, three months full of tourism-driving special events from Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auction to Cactus League Spring Training and everything in between.

The Super Season Experience Scottsdale is revving up for the big game An Eagle Dancer performs at the Arizona Indian Festival at Scottsdale's Civic Center Park. (Christine Johnson Photography/city of Scottsdale/Submitted)

Our organization has been preparing for Super Bowl LVII since 2019, when we, along with other destination marketing organizations around the Valley, supported the bid for the game. Since then, we’ve worked with the city of Scottsdale, the Arizona Super Bowl Host Committee, our local hotels and resorts, and many other community partners to ensure Scottsdale captures some of the spotlight, corporate groups and events.

Experience Scottsdale’s Super Season campaign launched this month, with paid social and search engine advertising targeting cities across the United States.

Our promotions direct potential visitors to a dedicated microsite, scottsdalesuperseason.com, to learn all about the exciting events and activities. Much of the information also is included in a printed brochure available at the Scottsdale Tourist Information Center at Scottsdale Fashion Square and kiosks throughout Old Town Scottsdale.

Though the game will be played in Glendale, millions of eyes from afar will be on Scottsdale as Historic Old Town plays host to ESPN’s live broadcast. ESPN and the city will host a tailgate Wednesday, February 8, to Sunday, February 12, activating the area so that all those viewers witness Scottsdale’s energy and vibrancy. Plus, Experience Scottsdale will work with local and national journalists to share Scottsdale’s story with even more viewers and readers across the country.

During and leading up to the Super Bowl and WM Phoenix Open weekend, fans will be flying into Scottsdale Airport and filling up our hotels and resorts. The last time the two events coincided in Arizona in 2015, Scottsdale area hotels and resorts had 97.5% occupancy, the second highest occupancy rate in our industry’s history.

The game is a key economic development driver as well, as among those visitors are C-level executives who may one day consider Scottsdale for future vacations, meetings and corporate headquarters. Super Bowl LVII will give Scottsdale — and every community in our state — another opportunity to shine an even brighter light on our city’s incredible assets and amenities.

Yet beyond the Super Bowl, with events like Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show, Celebration of Fine Art, Arizona Indian Festival, Western Week and more, January through March is always Scottsdale’s super season. After a challenging three years, our entire hospitality community is ready for this moment. Resorts, restaurants, golf courses, shops and attractions are prepared to put our best foot forward to ensure our industry and community’s success — this super season and beyond.

Though our city will welcome millions of visitors over these next

few months, I hope you also will take advantage of these world-class events happening in your own backyard. Visit scottsdalesuperseason. com to stay up-to-date on events happening throughout our community this winter and spring. 

please use for FEB - APRIL 15979 N. 76th Street, Suite B Scottsdale, AZ 85260 Please Visit Our Website or Showroom located in the Scottsdale Airpark Owners John & Sandy Sierra 480-609-0742

Grayhawkawards.com

REMEMBER When

Car deals keep the Valley driving over the decades Steering Scottsdale

By Joan Fudala

While much of the nation worries about snowy/ icy driving conditions in January, Scottsdale just smiles.

During this month, we welcome the tens of thousands who attend our renowned classic car auctions and shows, held under sunny skies and in dry conditions conducive to collector cars. But one can’t talk about classic cars without talking about classic, historic car dealers — the ones who have literally been the driving force behind our love affair with motor vehicles throughout Scottsdale history.

Consider these memorable motor merchants:

• Motor vehicles appeared in the United States in the 1890s and in the Phoenix area circa 1900. By 1905 there was a motorized “stage” (bus) between Phoenix and Scottsdale over routes of unpaved horse trails. Car racing was a popular attraction at the Arizona Territorial Fair; famed car racer Barney Oldfield was a big draw, and whetted Arizonans’ appetite to have a car of their own.

• Phoenix hosted a car show in 1912. A well-publicized road race took place between San Diego and Phoenix; the winning time was 19.5 hours. Arizona Highways began publishing in the 1920s to promote the use of the state’s developing highway system. Each of these events

boosted car dealer sales.

• Scottsdale businessmen E.O. Brown, Charles Miller, William Kimsey and Wilford Hayden were among the first local car owners in the 1910s. Their Model Ts served as transportation as well as engines for running farming/ranching equipment.

Peterson’s Scottsdale Motors opened in 1935 on Scottsdale Road and operated for decades, selling and servicing new and used Dodge and Plymouth cars. (Scottsdale Historical Society/Submitted)

Gray Madison operated a Ford dealership on the southwest corner of Scottsdale and Camelback roads from the mid-1950s until moving to McDowell Road in 1964. (Scottsdale Historical Society/Submitted)

REMEMBER When

Today, cars drive along Scottsdale streets named in their honor.

• Walter Smith opened Scottsdale’s fi rst car dealership circa 1918. Roy and Glenn Peterson followed by opening their Scottsdale Motors dealership and repair center in 1935 on Scottsdale Road.

• World War II brought tire and gas rationing to cities and rural areas throughout the United States, and Detroit retooled to manufacture military vehicles. No new cars were produced during the war years. Scottsdale car repair shops flourished, recycling parts and cars as best they could. E.G. “Scotty” Scott turned his blacksmith shop into a vehicle repair facility. After the war, while the car industry worked to resume making cars for consumers, rebuilding and extending the life of existing/pre-1941 cars were vital to meet the demand of driving- and travel-hungry Americans. Arizona State College took over the former pilot training base Thunderbird Field No. 2 (on land now occupied by Scottsdale Airport and the Seventh-day Adventist’s Thunderbird Academy) and operated a voc-tech school for returning veterans. Among the courses off ered were car repair, air conditioning and upholstery.

• Catering to increased demand for new and used cars, car dealerships opened in Old Town Scottsdale. Scottsdale’s fi rst post-war bank, the Bank of Douglas, also recognized the desire to buy cars and

offered loans to potential purchasers. Most dealerships combined the owner’s name with the brand of car they sold. Familiar names included: John Woudenberg Pontiac, Gray Madison’s Paradise Motors (in a 1959 ad, claimed to be Scottsdale’s only franchised new car dealer), Money Jeep and Olds, Peterson’s Scottsdale Motors (Dodge and Plymouth), Spur Auto Sales (used cars), Valley Motors, Car Corral (town’s only used car dealer in the early 1950s), Loose Auto Agency, Slim Kemp’s (used car) Sales and Service, and others.

• By the 1960s Scottsdale had grown as a

Schumacher European Mercedes dealership on Hayden at Butherus in 1985, becoming the first car dealer in the Scottsdale Airpark.

city to 75 square miles with a population of only 44,000. Nearly every household had at least one car. Car dealers recognized a desirable consumer base in Scottsdale and saw very little regulation as to where they could locate. Within days of becoming Scottsdale’s fi rst planning director in 1963, the late George Fretz was embroiled in his fi rst zoning controversy. A prominent auto dealer wanted to locate on Scottsdale Road just south of Chaparral, which would have set the stage for “strip commercial” north along Scottsdale Road. Through his advocacy and tenacity, Fretz and the city council devised new “resort-residential” zoning, which created Scottsdale Road as the signature thoroughfare that it is today.

• From 1918 through the 1960s there were car dealerships in Downtown Scottsdale — Gray Madison’s Paradise Motors on the southwest corner of Scottsdale and Camelback roads perhaps being the last (until recent years when Scottsdale Fashion Square and its immediate vicinity began hosting dealerships). Madison and others relocated to McDowell Road, where there was more land for their inventory and where people were coming to shop at the new (1969) Los Arcos Mall.

• After several decades of operating on McDowell, car dealers and the city branded the area as “Motor Mile.” Among the once familiar names: Arizona English Motors, Nowak Used Cars, Scottsdale Imported Cars, Max of Switzerland, Bud Beck Pontiac-Kia, Bud Brooks Cadillac, Madison’s Chevrolet, Ray Korte Chevrolet, Jack Ross Lincoln Mercury, Kachina Cadillac, Scott Toyota, Chapman Autoplex, Linda Brock Auto, Pitre BuickHyundai, Pitre Chrysler Plymouth-Jeep-

Werner Schumacher opened

(Joan Fudala/Contributor)

Ray Korte moved his car dealership from Phoenix to McDowell Road in the 1970, taking over Madison’s spot. His daughter Virginia found many ways to promote the dealership, like sponsoring a float in Parada del Sol as well as serving the community in civic leadership roles. (Joan Fudala/Submitted)

REMEMBER When

Eagle, Pitre Isuzu, Powell Volvo-Mazda, Scottsdale Acura, Scottsdale Honda, Scottsdale Hummer, Scottsdale Porsche Audi-Jaguar, Scottsdale Lexus, Scottsdale Mitsubishi, Sun Nissan, Bill Heard Chevrolet and more. Interestingly, Russ Jackson, co-founder of the Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auction, located his car wash among the car dealers on McDowell Road in the 1960s.

• While the McDowell Corridor still hosts a few car dealerships, many car sales operations have gravitated north, following commercial and population growth and

the Loop 101.

• Werner Schumacher (Mercedes dealership-1985 on North Hayden Road) and Lou Grubb (Ford-1988 on Frank Lloyd Wright) were the pioneer car dealers in the Scottsdale Airpark in the 1980s; many followed. Familiar names included Van Chevrolet-GEO, Lund Cadillac, Earnhardt Hyundai, Cavallino Classics, Ed Moses Doge North Scottsdale, Gephart Classic Cars, Legend Cadillac, Lotus Cars of Scottsdale, Madison Motors, Pinnace Nissan, Right Toyota, Saturn of Scottsdale, Sun Pontiac and others.

• When the airpark reached build-out and dealerships had no more room to expand, many moved north of the Scottsdale Airpark to former Arabian horse property on the west (Phoenix) side of Scottsdale Road as well as on the east side of Scottsdale Road (in Scottsdale). Familiar names: Penske (17 different car models/brands and the Penske Racing Museum), Bell Lexus, Bentley, North Scottsdale Mercedes (formerly Schumacher) and more.

• In 2017, the Scottsdale Auto Showroom opened on Indian School east of Pima Road on Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community Land and hosts a variety of car brands.

• Several car designers/manufacturer owners have called Scottsdale home and have unveiled new models here. Malcolm Bricklin moved his headquarters to Scottsdale in the 1970s, shortly after debuting his innovative gull-wing sports car. Three of the sports cars were leased to the Scottsdale Police Department for $1 a year but were returned to the company in less than a year when Bricklin suffered financial difficulties, making spare parts hard to come by. Today, anything “Bricklin” is a collectible. Car makers Tucker, Duesenberg and Shelburg all lived here at one time.

• The Barrett-Jackson Classic Car Auction began in 1967 as nonselling car show, Fiesta de los Autos Elegantes. Held at Scottsdale Stadium, it benefited the Scottsdale library and local charities. In 1971 Barrett-Jackson moved to the Safari Resort on Scottsdale Road and began auctioning classic vehicles. As the event grew, it moved to Phoenix Muni Stadium, where it was held annually from 1977 to 1988. Scottsdale Mayor Herb

Lou Grubb, far left, and his son, Dan, third from left, opened Lou Grubb Ford in the Scottsdale Airpark in 1988 and Scottsdale Saturn, shown here in 1997.

(Scottsdale Area Chamber of Commerce/Submitted)

When land became scarce in the Scottsdale Airpark for large new and used car dealership lots, many moved to Scottsdale Road near the Loop 101. (Joan Fudala/Submitted)

REMEMBER When

Drinkwater lured the Barrett-Jackson Classic Car Auction back to Scottsdale where the auction and show has been held at WestWorld since 1989.

• Other classic car auctions in the Scottsdale area have included Kruse, Gooding, Russo and Steele, RM Sotheby’s and Bonham’s. Combined with Barrett-Jackson their economic impact locally is huge.

• Options in the 2020s for buying a vehicle: Carvana car vending machines, online-only car sales with delivery to your door, waiting lists for electric vehicles. Arizona has also been a proving ground for self-driving vehicles.

• Car dealers have been community leaders, too. John Woudenberg was mayor (1964); Glenn Peterson (1953), John Woudenberg (1962-64) and Virginia Korte (2013-21) served on the Scottsdale City Council; C.M. Bud Brooks chaired the Scottsdale Memorial Hospital Board of Trustees; Bud Brooks and Virginia Korte served as Scottsdale Chamber of Commerce board chairs; Max Haechler has been chair of Scottsdale Sister CitiesInterlaken Committee for years and has served as consul of Switzerland for Arizona. Linda Brock served on several local boards and commissions. Gray

No matter whether your car craving is for a classic, a cheap commuter, a chic convertible or a child-friendly SUV, there’s a car dealer in Scottsdale waiting to serve you. 

Madison was a founder of Paradise Valley Country Club and a promoter of Scottsdale-area golf events. Lou Grubb was also a major promoter of golf and a philanthropist.

Begun as a classic car show in 1967, expanded as a classic car auction in 1971, the BarrettJackson — known as The World’s Greatest Collector Car Auction — is held every January at WestWorld in Scottsdale. (Joan Fudala/Submitted)

JANUARY 2023 Business Horoscopes

By Weiss Kelly, PMAFA

ARIES 3/21-4/20

Happy New Year — with the emphasis on “new.” This year’s planetary landscape is dominated by women and rapid discoveries in high technology. January’s planetary pattern gets off to a slow start January 1 to January 13. This gives you a chance to finish up any pending obligations or just let them go. Underline January 6 for its full moon. 2023 can be your best year yet. Don’t rely on everything you year from January 1 to January 19.

Personal power days: January 26 and January 27

TAURUS 4/21-5/20

January’s accent is on the U.S. economy and the effect it has on your life. The first half of the month plans are apt to be altered. Negotiations and personal plans get off to a rocky start January 1 to January 18, then things take a turn for the better by midmonth. It’s a seller’s market. The first new year new moon highlights communications.

Personal power days: January 1, January 2, January 28 and January 29

GEMINI 5/21-6/20

The winter of 2022 has been difficult. January introduces a new era. Your ability to sell yourself can be put to practical use this month. New opportunities arise at the end of January and well into the month ahead. Expect a lot of mental chatter between January 12 and January 31. Financially, it will not be a great time. A desire to make a professional move should be withheld for now.

Personal power days: January 3, January 4, January 5, January 30 and January 31

CANCER 6/21-7/20

Early January will be filled with confusion and crisis in the political world so plan accordingly. After the full moon, things will speed up. Circle January 16. The first new moon on January 21 brings scientific and technology breakthroughs. Relationships take on a new significance. You won’t have financial stability until March.

Personal power days: January 6 and January 7

LEO 7/21-8/22

2023 brings signs of a brighter future, as Jupiter (a more positive energy) entered Aries. Take advantage of any opportunities that come your way. This month is lighthearted, despite the world crises. Get ready for a landmark year as we enter the true age of Aquarius. Pay attention to who you want to meet, where you go, what you learn and how you present yourself.

Personal power days: January 8, January 9 and January 10

VIRGO 8/23-9/22

The first 20 days of January will be slow. It’ll give you the chance to review, rethink or get rid of toxic people. Major changes are coming in the workplace. The new moon introduces alternative circumstances or new options. Make a fresh start; midmonth is favorable. Once Mars moves on by January 13, the unpredictable happens. You’re a workaholic. Take time for yourself.

Personal power days: January 11 and January 12

LIBRA 9/23-10/22

The first five months of this new year will determine if your relationships are successful or a failure. Do the right thing this month. Planetary turbulence leaves you seeking a purpose to your life. Businesses that relate to artistic/creative services are rapidly developing. The full moon on January 6 is the time to clear the decks. Full moons are hidden for a day or two. 2023 is an eclipse year for you.

Personal power days: January 13, January 14 and January 15

SCORPIO 10/23-11/22

Even though there’s Neptunian fog and double talk, you can move forward in 2023. The first half of 2023 keeps you busy, particularly in early spring. It’s best to clear the decks of any pending work-related projects or reduce your debts. Expect to compromise with yourself and your partner(s) as you approach the end of January or the beginning of February.

Personal power days: January 16 and January 17

SAGITTARIUS 11/23-12/20

Circle the week of the eclipse on January 10 as most progressive. Improve communication. You will be working hard the first two weeks of the month, like the other fire signs, Aries and Leo. 2023 provides a position streak, encouraging you to learn something new.

Personal power days: January 18 and January 19

CAPRICORN 12/21-1/20

Don’t give up, Capricorn, you’re almost there. You’ll see an ending on January 8 or January 9. Move on. Your professional/ work circumstances pick up when Mars goes direct on January 13. Keep a close eye on world events January 19 to January 31. For the next two to three years, you will build a more stable income. The first new moon of the year, on January 21, formally introduces our new era. A new collaboration will allow you to take a new direction or cop a new attitude.

Personal power days: January 20 and January 21

AQUARIUS 1/21-2/19

Anything can and will happen this month. You can push a personal project this month with little interference. Send out those resumes, make those calls and take those courses. Expect this month and last half of 2023 to be explosive. Reunite with friends and associates. Reinvent yourself. No other sign can relate to change and the unexpected.

Personal power days: January 22 and January 23

PISCES 2/20-3/20

Expect to be busy with new goals and new advancements in your field of work the first half of 2023. January will be unpredictable. You may be still dealing with unresolved issues from the end of 2022. They’ll need to be resolved by January 9. Return to spirituality and humanitarian concerns in the year ahead.

Personal power days: January 24 and January 25

Of-Counsel

Davis Miles McGuire Gardner

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