AZBusiness July/August 2019 by AZ Big Media

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CONTROLLER OF THE YEAR

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AUGUST 22, 2019 * 5:30 - 8:30PM

ARIZONA BILTMORE * 2400 E MISSOURI AVE, PHOENIX, AZ 85016

Please join us for an exciting evening to connect and celebrate!

Az Business and AZRE magazines are proud to honor Arizona’s 50 Most Influential Women for their impact on their organizations, the region’s business climate and in our communities! This year’s class of Most Influential Women will be honored at an awards banquet. Specialty award winners will also be unveiled in several areas of leadership. Tickets on sale at azbigmedia.com/awards-events Sponsorships available! Contact Josh.Schimmels@azBIGmedia.com to get involved. Title Sponsor

Premier Sponsors

Signature Sponsors ARCHSOL

CopperPoint Insurance Companies

Intel

National Bank of Arizona

SRP

AT&T

Cushman & Wakefield

ISM Raceway

Quarles & Brady

Steward Orthopedic

Burch & Cracchiolo

Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation

KFNX

Radix Law

Wallace Plese + Dreher

Cancer Treatment Centers of America, Phoenix

Fry’s Food

Littler

Sierra Tucson

Wells Fargo

Colliers

Greater Phoenix Economic Council

NAI Horizon

Skanska

Western Alliance Bancorporation

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Table of Contents 6

Trendsetters

CEO Series

Women in Business

Technology

Healthcare

Banking

Law

Accounting

Controller of the Year 38 46 Arizona Society of Human Resource Management

Most Influential Women in Arizona prove the state’s talent pool runs deep

50 Marketing Dining 52 54 Most Influential Women in Arizona 97

WESTMARC

46 On the cover: The Most Influential Women in Arizona Business were photographed by AZ Big Media’s Mike Mertes at Sneaky Big Studios in Scottsdale.

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I remember when Az Business magazine published its first “Most Influential Women in Arizona Business” list in 2012. During the selection process, the editorial board made the decision to never allow a woman to repeat on the list. They would only be allowed to earn the honor once. The decision was made because there was some concern among the selection committee members that the same women might make the list year after year if we didn’t institute that policy from the start. But with that decision came some fear that we might run out of deserving women as the years passed. That fear was unfounded. Big time. This year, there were more than 2,000 women business leaders under consideration. Not so surprisingly after reading their resumes, a case could be made for each of them that they earned a spot on the 2019 list. But it’s hard to deny the Class of 2019 is among the most innovative and groundbreaking ever showcased by the magazine. This year’s list includes the first African-American division leader in Kroger’s history, a leader who was named a “Woman Warrior” by the National Indian Gaming Association, NASCAR’s only female race track president, the first woman in U.S. history to command a fighter squadron in combat, and a woman leading the charge in the fight against pediatric brain cancer. Their stories are incredible. Their leadership is inspiring. Their innovations are game-changing. The Most Influential Women in Arizona Business for 2019, who are profiled inside the pages of this magazine, show that the talent pool among women leaders in Arizona runs deep. Enjoy their stories. And be sure to join us Aug. 22 at the Arizona Biltmore to honor this amazing group of women. More information is available at azbigmedia.com.

Michael Gossie Editor in chief michael.gossie@azbigmedia.com

SHOUT-OUTS VALLEY RESIDENT USES GIG INTERNET FOR VOLUNTEER WORK To mark the fulfillment of a promise to offer Gig speed Valleywide, Cox is honoring customers that use their high-speed internet for “good.” Cindy Message, a recovering cancer patient, fits that description. Cindy Message Message volunteers her time at PurpleAir, a grassroots company that provides indoor/ outdoor air quality measurement to help notify those who suffer from lung conditions and asthma when the air is hazardous. She uses Gigablast internet to be available for seamless video chatting with patients and staff, have multiple computers running simultaneously and complete daily business operations with ease.

CHANDLER COMPADRES RAISE $630K FOR CHARITIES The Chandler Compadres announced that the club has raised $630,000 in 2019 so far for local charities thanks to the group’s two most recent fundraisers. Local charities that benefit include Boys & Girls Clubs of the East Valley, ICAN Positive Programs for Youth, AzCend, FANS Across America, Arizona Brainfood and the Chandler CARE Center.

SUNDT BOOSTS 16 NONPROFITS The Sundt Foundation awarded a total of $29,000 in grants to 16 Tucson-area nonprofits during its second-quarter disbursements. “Our employee-owners contribute to the Sundt Foundation to give to the communities where they live and work,” said Randy Rusing, Sundt Foundation president. “We’re excited to support some great nonprofits for our second-quarter grant recipients in Southern Arizona.” The Sundt Foundation awards grants quarterly to area charities that support disadvantaged children and families.

TERRACON RAISES $10,279 FOR KIDS AT HOPE Engineering consulting firm Terracon presented a check for $10,279 to Kids at Hope, a Valley organization focused on youths 3-18 that “empowers child and youth serving institutions to transform their cultures through a cultural strategy that proves all kids can succeed, no exceptions.” Terracon raised the money through its annual golf tournament. This year it was held in March at the Legacy Golf Club in Phoenix and fielded 124 players. 4

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President and CEO: Michael Atkinson Publisher: Josh Schimmels Vice president of operations: Audrey Webb EDITORIAL Editor in chief: Michael Gossie Associate editors: Steve Burks | Alyssa Tufts Intern: Kaya Broady Contributing writers: Alison Bailin Batz | Alexis Krisay Erin Thorburn | Jennifer Ward | Steven G. Zylstra ART Design director: Bruce Andersen Art director: Mike Mertes Intern: Ane Pulu MARKETING/EVENTS Marketing & events manager: Keith Chandler Digital strategy manager: Gloria Del Grosso Marketing designer: Michael Bodnar OFFICE Special projects manager: Sara Fregapane Executive assistant: Briana Villa Database solutions manager: Amanda Bruno AZ BUSINESS MAGAZINE Senior account manager: David Harken Account managers: April Rice | Kim Bailey AZ BUSINESS ANGELS AZ BUSINESS LEADERS Director of sales: Sheri Brown HOME & DESIGN AZRE | ARIZONA COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE Director of sales: Ann McSherry EXPERIENCE ARIZONA | PLAY BALL Director of sales: Donna Roberts RANKING ARIZONA Director of sales: Sheri King Az Business magazine is published bi-monthly by AZ BIG Media, 3101 N. Central Ave. Suite 1070, Phoenix, Arizona 85012, (602) 277-6045. The publisher accepts no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts, photographs or artwork. Submissions will not be returned unless accompanied by a SASE. Single copy price $4.95. Bulk rates available. Copyright 2017 by AZ BIG Media. All rights reserved. No part of this publication can be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from AZ BIG Media.

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TRENDSETTERS

SCOUTING TALENT Here’s what women business leaders learned as Girl Scouts By ALISON BAILIN BATZ Girls face unique challenges, and they need support from the very beginning to build the resilience and confidence to overcome peer and media pressure. The Girl Scouts — 11,000 strong in the Arizona CactusPine Council plus tens of thousands of local alumnae — are in a unique position to change girls’ lives for the better. Each of these local leaders took something impactful from her days as a Girl Scout.

DEBORAH BATEMAN, chairman of the board of directors, National Bank of Arizona: “In

retrospect, I think the opportunity to commune with other ‘women’ — although we were actually girls — was my first opportunity to be blessed by the collective wisdom of a group of like-minded persons. Together, we set goals, reached higher to learn, stretched our comfort zones, and celebrated each other’s success. It was a safezone where we were allowed to fail, without fear or shame, and yet all wanted and supported each other’s success.”

DEBBIE JOHNSON, executive director, Arizona Office of Tourism: “Girl Scouts is really the first experience I had

TEM AN BA

TERI KELLY, senior vice president, Morgan Stanley: “As a Brownie, I always looked up to the older girls who

were leading programs for younger girls. As I became an older girl, my favorite activity was leading younger girls on hikes, through badge work, etc. The cookie sale itself gave me confidence in walking up to strangers to ask for their business.”

DEBO R A

in doing group work. It is interesting now to see how participating in that process and seeing the benefits of working as a group has impacted me. Using group collaboration is invaluable and I’m grateful for a positive start to that way of thinking.”

N TE

shaped my leadership journey, I immediately remember my days as a Girl Scout and what I learned. Be prepared – practice the skills you need to and be prepared for the unexpected. Be a life-long learner and embrace inquisitiveness. Be compassionate with others knowing that I don’t LY always know the whole story.” K EL

KIMBERLY YEE, Arizona State Senator: “Selling Girl Scout cookies door-

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K IM

J E R I R O YC E

DEB

BI E J O H

JERI ROYCE, president and CEO, Esperança: “As I reflect on experiences in my life that have

to-door in my neighborhood was the perfect training ground to prepare me for grassroots campaigning. Very few people are comfortable doing a ‘cold call’ knock on a neighbor’s door and being able to start up a conversation, but as a former Brownie and Girl Scout, we were trained to do that every year when we sold our boxes of YEE cookies. Today, I still go door-to-door in my neighborhood, Y RL but now I’m doing voter outreach and campaigning as a candidate for elected office.”

TRENDSETTERS

LYFT CELEBRATES DIVERSITY AND IMPROVES SAFETY According to transportation network Lyft, the company was founded to improve people’s lives with the world’s best transportation. Lyft is bringing that mission to life in Arizona with programs that serve the community, celebrate diversity and encourage civic responsibility. Lyft has partnered with the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office on rider discounts for New Year’s Eve, St. Patrick’s Day and Cinco de Mayo. A full 74 percent of riders report they are less likely to drive impaired due to the availability of Lyft. The company’s efforts to celebrate diversity have shined a spotlight on Black History Month, International Women’s Day and Phoenix’s Pride Parade and LGBTQ+ festivities. Lyft also launched “Get Out the Vote” campaigns to remove transportation barriers for people who wanted to vote. Most recently, Lyft announced a partnership with United Way and Bashas’/ Food City to improve access to healthier foods for Phoenix residents living in food deserts. With 46 percent of Lyft rides starting or ending in low-income communities – many of which are several miles away from the nearest grocery stores – the company now provides deeply discounted rides to and from Food City stores in food desert areas. 8

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How to make an Airbnb rental listing stand out Thinking about renting out your home on Airbnb? Before posting that listing, you may want to check out the recent survey on what guests want in an Airbnb. A survey of 2,000 people who have rented through the online platform analyzed why they opt for a private residence over a hotel, and what amenities capture their attention or lose their interest. Findings include: • More than half prefer an entire house without a host on premises • The three most important amenities: WiFi, kitchen, private bathroom • Deceiving listing photos and slow (or no) WiFi are the biggest reasons people dislike Airbnb • 70 percent of people prefer Airbnb over hotels because of cost

Cheers

to this female Arizona business leader

The nation’s best small business was built in Arizona and it’s led by a female CEO. The U.S. Small Business Administration awarded this year’s Small Business Person of the Year to Jennifer Herbert (CEO) and Jeff Herbert (CSO) of Superstition Meadery. Superstition Meadery increased its revenue by more than 160 percent between 2015 and 2017, expanded its staff from nine to 20 employees and extended its reach into international markets. Superstition Meadery, based in Prescott, has been producing unique meads and cider since 2012.

76% of lawyers will boost cybersecurity spending Amid escalating cybersecurity challenges, legal organizations are allocating more resources to boost defenses. Seventy-six percent of lawyers recently surveyed by Robert Half Legal said their law firm or company plans to spend more on cybersecurity-related tools and services during the next 12 months. On average, lawyers expect to increase budgets by 21 percent.

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TRENDSETTERS

Here are the businesses making

AN IMPACT

Fry’s Food Stores and University of Advancing Technology were named Businesses of the Year by the Greater Phoenix Chamber at the 32nd Annual IMPACT Awards. “This year’s IMPACT Award recipients illustrate the strong economic momentum in our city,” says Greater Phoenix Chamber President and CEO Todd Sanders. “They embody innovation, business acumen, and community giving.” LARGE BUSINESS CATEGORY (more than 250 employees) 2019 Arizona Advocate – Lyft 2019 Community Champion – CopperPoint Insurance Companies 2019 Economic Driver – Fry’s Food Stores 2019 Exceptional Innovator – Barrow Neurological Institute SMALL TO MEDIUM BUSINESS CATEGORY (250 employees or fewer) 2019 Arizona Advocate – Desert Botanical Garden 2019 Community Champion – Elontec 2019 Economic Driver – University of Advancing Technology 2019 Exceptional Innovator – Urbix Resources LLC

THE IMPORTANCE OF SMALL BUSINESSES IN ARIZONA A rizona has a total 571,495 small businesses operating in the state, making up over 99 PERCENT of Arizona businesses. F rom 2016 to 2017, the number of small businesses increased by 2 PERCENT IN ARIZONA. A rizona’s small businesses EMPLOY 1 MILLION EMPLOYEES, or 43.7 percent of Arizona’s private workforce. ore than 146,600 EMPLOYEES work for minority-owned small M businesses in Arizona. S mall businesses accounted for more than 43,000 NEW ARIZONA JOBS in 2016. Firms with less than 20 employees accounted for more than 25,000 of those new jobs.

How recent college grads view the job market MidAmerica Nazarene University recently surveyed 2,000 graduates from around the country to learn more about their collegiate experience, employment outlook and views on student loans. Here’s what they found:

62 PERCENT of graduates said the job market actively influenced the major they selected Only 45 PERCENT of graduates feel positively about the current job market If money wasn’t a factor, 55 PERCENT of graduates would have pursued a different major or career Only 37 PERCENT of graduates had a job lined up before graduation

Body-positive with a purpose Sarah Tripp, an Arizona-based social media influencer, created her blog Sassy Red Lipstick in 2013 and has since garnered hundreds of thousands of followers who resonate with her content and purpose of her blog. She hopes her platform can encourage women on their self-love journeys and continue to build a community of women who support each other. “My hope is people see and learn my platform is a safe place for women to feel worthy, they can feel good in their own skin and they’re beautiful no matter their shape or size. It has become a platform where I want all women to feel comfortable with who they are.”

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CEO SERIES

SWEE

SUCCESS

Carol May helps transform Gilbert-based Wisdom Natural Brands into a multi-million-dollar international brand

By MICHAEL GOSSIE

ow often do you go to a party and end up disrupting an industry and creating an empire? “My husband went to a gathering at a friend’s home,” recalls Carol May, chairman and CEO of Gilbert-based Wisdom Natural Brands. “There was a young man there who had just returned from a stint with the Peace Corps in Paraguay. He kept talking to my husband about some leaves he brought back from the rain forest and wanted my husband to try one. My husband worked in the healthcare industry. He wasn’t about to stick some plant in his mouth.” But May says the young man was persistent. “After about three hours of this young man talking to him, my husband finally took the dry leaf and put it on his tongue and it got sweeter and sweeter. It was an epiphany moment and he knew immediately that the leaf could be a game-changer.” As soon as May’s husband got home, he said, “I’ve got to go to Paraguay.” The rest, they say, is business history. The Mays founded Wisdom Natural Brands in 1982, operating the business out of their home and are credited with establishing stevia as a mainstream product. Today, Wisdom Natural Brands and its signature product — SweetLeaf — does business in more than 30 countries and throughout the United States. Az Business talked with May, who took over leadership of the company after her husband passed away in 2017, about her goal of making the world a sweeter place.

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GOING GLOBAL: “Victoria Beckham of the Spice Girls was introduced to our Sweetleaf Stevia products in Los Angeles and missed them when the family returned to London,” says Carol May, CEO of Wisdom Natural Brands. “She put out a query to her 20 million Facebook fans, telling them she fell in love with the product and wondered where she could buy it in London. Needless to say, we soon began selling in the UK.” (Photo by Michael Gossie, AZ Big Media)

Az Business: What do you love most about being CEO of your company? Carol May: I love having the opportunity to help people and that’s what our products do. We have the opportunity to support people in their healthy choices and give them alternatives. It’s very easy to be passionate about what I do. AB: Wisdom Natural Brands is a multimillion-dollar international brand today. But how hard was that initial decision to start the company? CM: At the time, life was goo. We were financially comfortable. But after my husband’s trip to Paraguay, I remember him telling me, “Carol, don’t write any checks. I have given all my money to these people to start this business.” We had five young children to take care of at the time, but he looked at me and said, “I know this is the right thing to do.” There were plenty of people who looked at us

askance, but he was right. It was the right thing to do. AB: Why did you decide to keep the company here in Arizona? CM: Arizona is home, but there’s also been great opportunity here. Arizona is a great location to establish and grow a business. We’ve been helped by many government agencies and associates, who have all been very responsive to the needs of a business. Plus, there’s something exciting about the people here. It’s the Wild West, but the Wild West in a way that . people band together and bond together to help each other succeed. AB: What gives you the most pride about the success of Wisdom Natural Brands? CM: My husband used to say it best when he would joke, “You know, it’s been quite a journey to go from quack to visionary pioneer in 25 years.”

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WOMEN IN BUSINESS CAMILE HILL: “Our hopes are to try to stay ahead of the curve, which is a pretty brisk run to do that, and to make it easier for our clients to do a very complex and time-consuming thing — which is to produce live events,” says the co-founder and president of Merestone. (Photo by Mike Mertes, AZ Big Media)

MONUMENTAL

SUCCESS Hill stays ahead of the competition to deliver memorable events with Merestone By ALYSSA TUFTS

amille Hill, Merestone’s co-founder and president, enjoys the challenges of producing live events. “You’re never doing anything the same minute-byminute,” she says. Merestone prides itself on bringing your wildest vision to life. From large and grand to small and intimate, Merestone can make it happen. The award-winning full-service production company established in Arizona produces entertaining and memorable events worldwide. Hill, who was one of Az Business magazine’s Most influential Women of 2014, founded the company in 1974 with her husband, Ted Hill, CEO of Merestone. Hill’s brother found the word

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“merestone” in an old Anglo-Saxon dictionary. “It means ‘the marking of a monument’ and we thought it was a terrific name,” Hill says. Before moving to Arizona, Hill’s husband was a photographer in California. With Hill’s background in scenic design, they combined their interests and skills to create Merestone. “The event marketing and branding market was kind of in its infancy back then,” Hill says. “We saw a need and started to supply it and it grew from there. I always tell people that starting the business was legitimate. It wasn’t a midlife crisis. We both had training for it.” Merestone has grown rapidly — the number of employees, services it offers, clientele and scale of events — which Hill says is because clients requested it to grow. “In the event and meeting business, when you have all these services together, it gives you a better product if the puzzle pieces fit smoothly, they all tie into one another to create the full picture,” she says. “We’re a company that has a lot of answers for a lot of needs under one roof.” Hill says the events industry has evolved over the past 40 years – things change and people need things faster than ever before. “Our creative services team spends a lot of time trying to determine what our clients are trying to accomplish,” she says. This fast-paced environment can be stressful and challenging, but Hill thrives on it. “The challenge is nonstop,” she says. “I like the scale of the problems. We have audio/visual, staging, large trucks, construction, videography and we have to be able to manage all of that and bring it together to work smoothly. I can’t think of another challenge that would challenge me as much as that.” Merestone’s competitive advantage is its cohesiveness of services, Hill says. The company also completes its work inhouse, which has tremendous value because it has more creative control and it’s more efficient than outsourcing, saving money and time, Hill says. Hill’s entire family works at Merestone. She says her three children will be taking the company to the next level in the future. “It’s going to be in knowledgeable, incredible hands,” she says. “They’ve grown up in this industry, so they have a love affair with it and it’s a perfect match. The three of them work together flawlessly, so this business is going to grow much faster than it has in the last 40 years.”

TECHNOLOGY

MedTech and bioscience are

RISING IN THE VALLEY A

rizona’s technology community has become a driving force behind the economic success of our state. One of the technology sectors that’s playing a significant role in this growth is medical technology (MedTech). The growth of the MedTech entrepreneurial community and the innovation we’re seeing from our established healthcare leaders are greatly impacting our continued drive toward creating a premier technology hub here in Arizona. Arizona companies such as Ventana Medical Systems (diagnostics), Medtronic (medical technology), Benchmark (manufacturer provider), PADT (medical devices), WebPT (physical therapy software), IMNA Solutions (software), Mayo Clinic (hospitals), TGen (translational research), Arizona State University and The University of Arizona (research), and Flinn Foundation (philanthropy) are working to merge technology and health in creative ways. The collaboration of these companies, educational institutions and nonprofits is helping our state reach the goal of creating a globally competitive bioscience sector and making Arizona a national authority in select areas of the field by 2025. The major catalyst for reaching our goal came in 2002 when the Flinn Foundation created the Arizona Bioscience Roadmap, which laid out the primary strategies for turning the state into a national powerhouse for bioscience. Arizona began this journey toward becoming a premier, nationwide healthcare innovator as a low16

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Steven G. Zylstra Technology

tier MedTech community compared to the rest of the nation. Today, we have ascended to a top-tier city because of efforts by the Flinn Foundation and many other leaders in the health and technology sectors. One of the Roadmap’s overarching goals is to turn our state into an area that breeds bio talent. Two of the key strategies outlined underneath this goal are to greatly improve science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education; and to attract and retain top graduate students, doctoral and post-doctoral candidates, and physician-scientists. Carrying out these strategies has been a joint effort of the technology, bioscience and business sectors. Arizona’s academic institutions have invested significant resources into preparing a new generation for STEM careers and that trend is expected to continue. Through the Arizona Technology Council’s effort to spearhead STEM programs like the Arizona SciTech

Festival, academic institutions (starting in kindergarten) are increasingly addressing the need for a highly educated workforce. The Arizona Department of Education and programs such as the STEM Az Education Collaborative and the Arizona Center for Afterschool Excellence are also playing major roles in encouraging and nurturing children’s interest in STEM and getting them on the path to STEM careers. Another primary goal laid out by the Roadmap is the formation of an entrepreneurial hub in Arizona to ensure a successful future for the MedTech industry. The creation of incubators like BioInspire, Center for Entrepreneurial Innovation (CEI) and others have helped to produce healthfocused startups. In fact, Arizona has a strong portfolio of MedTech companies that have recently received funding, including NeoLight and EpiFinder. One of the most significant developments in the MedTech entrepreneurial space has been the work of the Greater Phoenix Economic Council (GPEC) and the Partnership for Economic Innovation (PEI) to create an entrepreneurial ecosystem for medical device startups. According to GPEC President and CEO Chris Camacho, GPEC and PEI embarked on an in-depth study into the technology sectors that had the highest propensity for growth in Arizona. They determined that because of the nationwide growth in the medical device industry and the resources and leadership that Arizona already holds in healthcare, the most economically advantageous

sectors to which resources should be devoted are MedTech and wearables. GPEC and PEI set a goal of developing a central location for MedTech and bioscience ventures to access resources to commercialize ideas. In late 2018, GPEC was able to secure a $750,000 grant to make this goal a reality. The grant to accelerate wearable and medical technology entrepreneurship in Greater Phoenix was awarded by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration in its 2018 Regional Innovation Strategies Program competition. In May 2019, GPEC, PEI, and partners CEI, ASU and StartupAZ Foundation will use the grant funds to launch the Wearables Institute, which will be housed in Park Central Mall. The goal of the Institute will be to help startups navigate the complex nature of the MedTech

industry by establishing a strong network within the innovation ecosystem and increasing access to resources, mentoring, funding and more. The Arizona Technology Council also has allocated resources to accelerate the MedTech industry in terms of promoting pro-growth legislation. The Council formed the MedTech Committee to bring leaders in the industry together to advance policy, innovation and investment in MedTech. This group helps to guide the Council’s Public Policy Committee in ensuring legislation aligns with the needs of the health and technology leaders. In late March, the Council held its annual MedTech Conference that brought together physicians, healthcare advocates and innovative companies to discuss the future of healthcare and medical technologies, including the need for more

funding for our startups. The speakers addressed the use of emerging technologies in doctors’ offices, such as virtual reality, apps and software solutions, and 3D printing. The gathering of these industry leaders reiterated the importance of the collaboration of healthcare and tech in building a great place to work, learn and receive the top medical care with the help of innovative technologies. When we align goals of technology and healthcare such as building an entrepreneurial ecosystem, recruiting and retaining talent, and collaborating with established companies and leaders, we realize they are both striving for the same thing: a better future for Arizona economically, socially and culturally. Steven G. Zylstra is president and CEO of the Arizona Technology Council. AB | July - August 2019 17

HEALTHCARE

SILVER LINING Here’s how technology and other tactics can curb healthcare costs for older workers By MICHAEL GOSSIE

on’t be surprised when you hear Grandma say, “Alexa, what can I take for this back pain?” “One in seven people have Alexa or Google Home and smartphone penetration in the 50-plus segment is now 83 percent,” says Heather Kane, CEO of employer and individual plans for UnitedHealthcare of Arizona and New Mexico. “These technologies can be used at home to support people’s health, wellness and medical needs in new and convenient ways.” They can also help lower healthcare costs, experts say. Health issues that come with aging can be expensive – for both the individual and their employer. To manage 18

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costs, older workers are increasingly taking notice of new technologies to manage their treatment. A 2018 study from the International Journal of Emergency Medicine found that older people are just as likely to turn to telehealth as younger people. As older workers embrace new technology, employers are looking for way to adjust benefits plans to account for older employees’ needs while managing costs. “Virtual technologies have had a major impact on cost control,” says Elie Goodman, vice president at MeMD. “Getting medical care for common illnesses and injuries from your phone or computer requires significantly fewer resources, and

therefore, costs less than an urgent care, emergency room or even a traditional doctor’s office. Moreover, the quality of care isn’t sacrificed. The same great doctors provide treatment, but they can do it in a manner that’s more affordable and convenient for everyone involved.” PLUGGING IN Employers can better control their healthcare costs by educating employees on the true costs of healthcare and how different delivery systems affect cost, according to Charlene Hogeland, presidentelect of the Greater Phoenix Association of Health Underwriters and senior account executive at Black Gould & Associates.

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HEALTHCARE

“Engagement is crucial, young or old,” says Will Spong, executive vice president for employee benefits at Lovitt & Touché, A Marsh & McLennan Insurance Agency. “Today more than ever, we are influenced by technology in every facet of our lives. At Lovitt & Touché, we believe it’s imperative to constantly remind and re-educate our customers’ employees to engage in technology, tools and resources afforded them through their benefits plans.” Individuals now have access to cost estimating tools for specific health conditions or treatments, allowing them to compare costs between different sites of care or providers within a specific geography, according to Kane. “Additionally, many healthcare plans now include a lower cost telemedicine option for basic care and, of course, the rise of walk-in clinics provides easier access to care at a lower cost,” she says. One offshoot of today’s technology laden society is that we’re becoming products of predictive analytics and artificial intelligence, according to Spong. “We see extreme value in helping employees navigate their personal healthcare journey with predictive analytics tools,” he says. To illustrate this change, Spong says Lovitt & Touché has partnered with two technology platforms that help employees discover the best treatment options via guidance from artificial intelligence. “In our internal analysis, we noticed that 20 percent of our telehealth visits came from members 50 years or older,” Goodman says. “For the most part, older employees are willing to adapt to new technologies to help them save time and money while reducing hassle. Employers need to assess whether their benefits plans utilize virtual technologies, or if they are better served with a standalone telehealth solution.” THE BOTTOM LINE Technology and its ability to offer greater access to care is great, but most business leaders want to know what they can do to help employees reduce healthcare spending while safeguarding the business’ bottom line. 20

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“Educating employees on the importance of remaining in-network is an important step in managing out-of-pocket costs, as well as helping to inform employees on how to access or get information on the appropriate place of service based on their care needs,” Kane says. “For example: Using urgent care rather than the emergency room for non-emergency issues.” Helping employees to prepare for the costs of healthcare in retirement, by investing in Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) or retirement reimbursement accounts where available, is also an important step to planning for the future, Kane says. “Additionally, offering employees the tools and education to manage their health through early identification of health conditions, smoking cessation, wellness programs, etc., are all useful tools in achieving lower long-term costs.” Experts say employers can and should encourage their employees to become more educated healthcare consumers. “While not easy, there are numerous tools and resources available in the marketplace to help employers and employees alike,” Spong says. “We are constantly implementing new resources to guide employees through this difficult subject and help them save money.” HEALTHY OUTLOOK When seeking healthcare, Hogeland says we all need to be good consumers. “We need to make educated decisions on options, outcomes and overall value or cost,” she says. “In doing so, consumers must understand their healthcare needs and use all resources available to them — cost estimator tools, telemedicine programs, and community resources.” Kane says employers can adjust benefits plans to account for older employees’ needs while managing costs by offering wellness plans that reward healthy behaviors such as achievement of healthy biometric markers, completion of a health risk assessment, and enrollment in and support through targeted disease management programs. They can further incentivize employees and their dependents by offering a plan with lower deductibles or

copays for achieving these wellness goals. “Employers typically have great intentions and make an effort to educate employees about their healthcare options upon hire, yet that initial onboarding education is commonly forgotten within a couple months,” Goodman says. “When employees are healthy, they aren’t overly concerned about their healthcare costs. The key is to offer ongoing, year-round education to keep lower-cost healthcare options top of mind when they are actually needed.” While Arizona’s healthcare industry is as innovative as they come, researchers still haven’t found that magic pill that will lower — or even stabilize — healthcare costs. “Younger or older, male or female, savers or spenders, every employee is different,” Spong says. “While I’d like to say that there is a silver bullet, there isn’t. We need to educate all of our employees on the vast amount of resources available in the marketplace today, and continue to do so until they understand that their healthcare decisions ultimately impact how much money an employer is taking out of the paycheck.”

Elie Goodman

Charlene Hogeland

Heather Kane

Will Spong

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BANKING

Saving yourself from

RETIREMENT ANXIETY Here’s how to get financial affairs in order to restore the shine for your golden years By MICHAEL GOSSIE

here is an old saying that goes, “Hope is not an investment strategy.” “We have been calling it a perfect storm,” says Sherry Hall, founder of Hallmark Financial. “Rising medical expenses, longer life expectancies, and historically low interest rates. The real complexity comes with the reality of looking forward to retiring, getting to finally do what you want to do, and then do the math.”

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Once those nearing the end of their working days do the math, the results are not pretty. An Insured Retirement Institute survey shows retirement anxiety is growing among Baby Boomers — those ages 55 to 75. The analysis determined little to no retirement savings has been forcing more Boomers to postpone retirement and many are underestimating the amount of annual retirement income needed while holding unrealistic expectations regarding the impact health and long-term care costs may have on their retirement budgets. “Most Baby Boomers are too old to accumulate any significant savings before retiring, so they are going to be forced to live out their lives on whatever retirement income they do have,” says Mike Sullivan, a personal finance consultant with Take Charge America. “This does not allow for emergencies such as healthcare and likely will leave them seeking public assistance. It is really not possible to have any real quality of life without savings.” According to Sullivan, there are

thousands of Baby Boomers in Arizona today hoping to qualify for Arizona Long Term Care System (ALTCS) benefits so that the government will pay for their care. Many will not succeed. There is often a two to three year wait, even for HUD subsidized housing, so there are very few options for today’s seniors who have not saved. “According to Pew Research, about 10,000 Boomers a day turn 65,” says Andrew Sampson, financial advisor at Wilde Wealth Management Group. “This is a key retirement age. About 45 percent of those have $0 saved for retirement. It is probably fair to note that this is a retirement crisis. It does not, however, mean they are out of options. With proper planning and a little sacrifice, retirement can often be salvaged.” SAVING YOUR GOLDEN YEARS So how do you know how much you’ll need to retire? “The truth is, if you know how much money you need to retire, you’re probably

in the majority,” says Sean Campbell, senior wealth advisor at Versant Capital Management. “Most people don’t know what they’ll need to live comfortably. The general rule is that you’ll need to replace 80 percent or more of your income for retirement. That means that if you’re making $100,000 during your most productive working years, you’ll need to have at least $80,000 a year after you retire.” Campbell says online retirement calculators can be useful in helping to determine how much you should have in the bank before you retire. But that won’t help predict unexpected expenses that get in the way of even the best-laid plans. “We all may have heard this growing up, or lately on the radio: pay off debt, spend less, save more,” Hall says. “The math works. However, life gets in the way. Consumer debt is an anchor weighing down a huge portion of those in their 40s and 50s, balancing a growing family, kids in camp and college, a car financed with monthly payments that will go on

AB | July - August 2019 23

BANKING longer than you own the car. So how can all of those demands of a modern family be balanced with the reality of having to replace work income with a portfolio’s cash flow years from now? And by diverting some of your salary into a 401(k) that you won’t get to spend today? Stressed yet? Anxiety is right.” So is there anything that can be done to reduce the risk of retirement anxiety? Here’s what you can do, broken down by age group.

Sean Campbell

Sherry Hall

Bud Heintz

Andrew Sampson

Chris Smith

Jim Stark

Mike Sullivan

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FOR THOSE IN THEIR 50S It’s never too late to begin with the basics, according to Jim Stark, president and managing partner of JRS Wealth Management Group. Stark says to follow a budget each month, live below your means, avoid debt, have an emergency reserve fund (six months of living expenses), maximize your retirement plan contributions, and plan on working longer (don’t retire too soon). “There are many reasons why people have difficulty saving and investing for the future,” Campbell says. “In your 50s, you really have to get serious about retirement planning. The best way to combat this issue is to build options into well-thoughtout plans. Determine what you want the next stage of your life to look like and then make plans to execute how to get there. In your 50s the IRS allows you to put more tax-advantaged funds in retirement accounts, such as your 401(k). A financial professional can help you though the process if you’re unsure what strategies make sense for you.”

FOR THOSE IN THEIR 20S OR 30S “It is never too early to begin saving for the future,” Smith says. “Investing regularly through every market cycle is a terrific way to build wealth. The sooner you start, the less you need to save for down the road and the more likely that you will have the funds needed for retirement income.” “Pay yourself first,” says Bud Heintz, a financial planner with Heintz Wealth Management. “Put at least 10 percent of your income away in retirement accounts. Start with a 401(k), then Roth IRA, then traditional IRA if eligible. Start your investing by buying many stocks to stay diversified. Using an index fund is a good way to start. They will provide the best returns over the long run, which should be your time horizon.”

BEST BETS While Sampson stresses the importance of planning your financial future, there are still many risks associated with retirement and investing. “Some of these risks include taxes, market volatility, inflation, interest rates, and healthcare,” he says. “There seems to be too many to count. The biggest risk is starting too late or to never start working toward your retirement goals at all. My best advice is to start planning as soon as possible and review your plan at least twice a year.” And its not a coincidence that Benjamin Franklin wrote, “in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” You notice, he didn’t FOR THOSE IN THEIR 40S mention anything about investments or “At age 40 there is still a chance to retirement accounts. salvage a good retirement. The goals are “We are all well aware of life’s the same, but every year is a chance to earn uncertainties, and we know that we can’t on savings so people starting at age 40 predict the future,” Campbell says. “So, have a huge advantage over those starting control what you can and prepare for what at 50. Maximize 401(k) contributions and you can’t. Start saving now. Max out your use time to let savings grow and help reach company’s 401(k) plan. Contribute to IRAs those goals. Unfortunately, this is also and health savings accounts. Don’t go in the age when many people face children’s for financial fads, but rather maintain education costs and other challenges that diversified portfolios that can withstand conflict with retirement goals.” a variety of market conditions. At any Saving in your 40s is a great time to be age it’s wise to seek help from a reputable working towards building your retirement financial professional to help you plan assets, according to Chris Smith, founder for today and into the future. That’s the of Chris Smith Investments. Discipline and best way to reduce anxiety and make sure consistency, coupled with a targeted plan is a that you are on the right track toward a wonderful way to get to where you need to be. comfortable retirement.”

SAVE THE DATE! SEPTEMBER 12, 2019

JW MARRIOTT CAMELBACK INN RESORT & SPA

Az Business magazine and BestCompaniesAZ proudly present the 10th Annual Arizona’s Most Admired Companies Awards. This awards program recognizes the impact and contributions Arizona employers bring to our great state. This is the most comprehensive and prestigious corporate award program in Arizona.

All “Most Admired Companies” will be celebrated and honored at the dinner and within the September/October issue of AZ Business magazine. Please join us for an evening of networking, connecting and celebrating the accomplishments of the Most Admired Companies Arizona has to offer.

Tickets on sale soon at azbigmedia.com/awards-events Sponsorships available! Contact Josh.Schimmels@azBIGmedia.com to get involved!

PREMIER SPONSORS:

AB | July - August 2019 25

LAW

DISCOVERY PHASE

10 ways technology and artificial intelligence are changing the legal profession By MICHAEL GOSSIE

he adoption of technology by law firms has always been more evolutionary than revolutionary, according to Todd Baxter, member at Dickinson Wright. “But artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to change that,” he says. AI is just coming into its own in terms of its use by lawyers and within the legal industry. Within the next few years, many legal experts say the business world will find itself on the cusp of a revolution in the practice of law led by the adoption of AI. Much like email changed the way we do business, AI could become an indispensable assistant to practically every lawyer. “However bold my prediction, it probably won’t be bold enough,” says Michael Rolland, an attorney at Engelman Berger. “AI promises — or threatens, depending on your point of view— to disrupt every facet of the legal industry, without exception.” Baxter says Dickinson Wright considers the impact of AI significant enough that the firm formed a committee of attorneys and technology professionals to investigate the best potential uses of AI, evaluate and implement new products and applications as they become available, and ensure that adaptation by users accompanies the adoption of new technologies.

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“It used to be one lawyer, one secretary,” says Steven D. Pidgeon, co-managing partner of the Phoenix office for DLA Piper. “With the help of technology, it can now be four lawyers, one secretary. Technology is making the whole spectrum of legal work more efficient.” It might also make legal work more affordable. “It is anticipated that technology will reduce overall legal costs by streamlining the legal process,” says Benjamin Gottlieb, cofounder of MacQueen & Gottlieb. “This may result in more people seeking legal services as they will be able to accomplish more for less money, or may be able to afford legal services they otherwise could not afford.” But Rolland says the new AI technology may already be old news. “You want the newer news?” he asks. “I believe a burgeoning frontier is the application of AI to internal firm data to generate viable alternative fee billing arrangements on a broad scale. Legal publications have been predicting the death of the billablehour model for years … I think the coming years will see a new generation of billing programs that can automatically capture your time and intelligently categorize it with an exponentially improved level of granularity.” But don’t expect all law firms to jump on the tech bandwagon. “While the addition of AI-based technologies may impact large firm practices with respect to e-discovery and trial work, it is highly unlikely to have any impact on our business,” says Robert Reder, managing partner of Blythe Grace. “I suspect the same is true with respect to most small, medium, and even some large firms.” Reder says there are economic realities to running a law practice and it may be unrealistic to expect a small or medium-sized firm to absorb the high costs of implementing AI technology. “Adding costs of AI technology to representation would be pointless to our clients unless we could justify the costs, which we likely could not,” he says. AB | July - August 2019 27

LAW

Todd Baxter

Benjamin Gottlieb

Marc Lamber

Whether the legal profession embraces new technology or not, here are 10 ways technology and artificial intelligence are changing the practice of law. AUTOMATION “The increasing use of artificial intelligence has the potential to automate a great deal of the repetitive or form-driven tasks currently undertaken by attorneys and paraprofessionals,” says Wesley Ray, shareholder at Sacks Tierney. “Typical contracts, real estate transactions, or estate planning documents that currently require the devotion of several hours, may become capable of creation in an instant ... The dramatic increase in efficiency provided by artificial intelligence will allow firms to provide clients with the current volume of legal services much more quickly and at a lower cost.” CHANGES IN CLIENT SCREENING “Artificial intelligence may eliminate much of the administrative work involved in client screening and intake,” Ray says. “It is not hard to conceive of a chatbot, or another artificial intelligence interface, that asks prospective clients for their information and a summary of their need for legal services, and then performs a conflicts search, creates an electronic file, and prepares a draft engagement letter. The automation of the client intake process could limit attorney and staff involvement to only those files in which a conflict or other complication arises.” DIRECTING A CASE “Developments in AI already provide invaluable assistance in managing cases,” says Leon Silver, co-managing partner at Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani. “While we currently rely on technology to execute these functions as we direct, there is a time coming where the technology itself will aid in the direction of the matter. In a simple case, I can imagine software that can scan and read documents, including, for example, a promissory note and a payment ledger, determine that a note is in arrears and generate a notice of default, demand letter and a complaint with little input from counsel. At a more complex level, AI could set the path 28

AB | July - August 2019

Michael Mason

Steven D. Pidgeon

Wesley Ray

for discovery, identify legal issues and search for the authority without prompting.” HEALTHCARE LAW “As the implementation of electronic medical records increases, so will the opportunities to use AI to mine these records to improve processes and identify potential treatment errors or opportunities,” says Susan B. Trujillo, Quarles & Brady’s Health Law Practice Group chair. “Technology is also evolving at a rapid pace in terms of telemedicine and telepharmacy services. Companies are already creating pod-like structures that contain both a telemedicine and telepharmacy component, so a patient could ‘see’ a prescriber and obtain a prescription from the automatic dispensing system without leaving the pod. Statutes and regulations seldom keep up with the pace of technology, so healthcare lawyers will need to make sure the statutory and regulatory pathways exist to allow these businesses to develop.” IMPROVING SPEED “The big change to my practice will be in improving the speed and efficiency of legal services,” says Michael Mason, a shareholder at Greenberg Traurig. “Attorneys will continue to play an important role in ensuring the end product is appropriate for their clients’ needs. Clients will continue to value attorneys with proven judgment and experience, and machines will continue to displace the lower-skilled legal work. Just like with past adoptions of new technology, law firms investing in innovation will be at the forefront of this ongoing transition.” INCREASED EFFICIENCY “Attorneys often need to find that all important ‘needle in haystacks’ — sifting for a conclusive insight through thousands of pages, if not more, of text from related cases and from various legal and specialty treatises,” says Marc Lamber, director at Fennemore Craig. “AI helps to reduce this amount of crushing information into a more manageable amount, shrinking down the size of the various haystacks. AI currently represents increased efficiencies.”

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LAW

“Developments in AI already provide invaluable assistance in managing cases” — Leon Silver, co-managing partner at Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani

Robert Reder

Michael Rolland

Edward A. Salanga

“We have already noticed the use of AI in certain aspects of our practice, and have adapted by embracing it and learning from it,” says Wendi Sorensen, shareholder at Burch & Cracchiolo. “We will continue to learn from the efficiencies AI brings and work increasingly smarter, adapting leaner process commensurate with AI-driven technologies. With so much more work being subject to automation, we must increasingly focus as exclusively as possible on providing work that brings the deeper level of analysis that only seasoned counsel can provide.” LEGAL RESEARCH “Within the next 10 years, I see law firms overwhelmingly adopting AI technologies in connection with document review, basic contract drafting, and legal research,” says Edward A. Salanga, Quarles & Brady’s National Litigation & Dispute Resolution Practice Group chair. “As AI technologies become more prevalent, the challenge will be in training and developing associates since these are also tasks that for years have made up for a large part of the associates’ hours and experience. But we’ve already seen some of this work being shifted by clients to outside vendors (and offshore) and have adjusted.” MAKING FORMAL JUDGMENTS? “Over the next decade, I expect AI to be able to accurately respond to imperfect human instructions — for example: what does the Ninth Circuit say about the enforceability of class action waivers in arbitration agreements?” Mason says. “The biggest 30

AB | July - August 2019

Leon Silver

Wendi Sorensen

Susan B. Trujillo

impact to law practice, however, is likely to come from AI’s capability to adjudicate legal disputes by using these same skills. This could dramatically transform the civil litigation system in the United States.” STAFFING “If artificial intelligence becomes capable of creating relatively standardized documents across an array of practice areas, it will reduce, primarily, the need for paralegals and junior associates,” Ray says. But Gottlieb adds, “While there are certain aspects of technology that will eliminate or reduce the need for attorneys to work on their client files, technology will never fully eliminate the need for a client to hire a trial attorney to help resolve their dispute.” WILL AI BECOME REQUIRED? “It is conceivable that artificial intelligence may be forced upon law firms by their malpractice insurers,” Ray says. “AI could be used to ensure that required provisions are included in engagement letters, to flag citations to supersede statutes and cases in briefs and memoranda, and even to capture emails containing unflattering statements. Insurers, ever in search of ways to modify behavior to reduce risk, may offer reduced rates to firms who agree to pass documents and communications through an approved AI screen before being distributed outside the firm, or even require this type of screening system as a condition of their willingness to provide coverage.”

CONGRATULATIONS TO JAKE CURTIS on being named to lead B & C’s 30+ year Liquor Licensing & Compliance practice group.

Jake’s practice focuses on the following: • Liquor Licensing and Compliance • Dram Shop • Works with AZ Department of Liquor Licensing and Control • Administrative Hearing Representation 602.234.8760 | jcurtis@bcattorneys.com

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EAST VALLEY UPDATE ACCOUNTING

100FT.

2020

70FT.

VISION

50FT.

After tax reform cau s ed

40FT.

much pain at fil ing t ime,

30FT.

ex p e rt s offe r advic e on how

25FT

to re duc e t he st re s s

20FT.

h e ad i n g i nt o n e x t y e a r

By MICHAEL GOSSIE

n life, it’s said that two things are certain — death and taxes. But in business there’s usually only one certainty: taxes. But this year, there were two things that were certain: taxes and the surprises that came when business leaders filed their 2018 taxes. “The biggest misconception about tax reform is that it reduced tax,” says Christina C. Roderick, CPA, principal at REDW. “Yes, rates were reduced, but many itemized deductions were lost along with new provisions limiting ability to deduct losses. Our role as advisors is to help clients understand the impact to their business or individual tax return and provide suggestions on how to maximize the new tax laws to best meet their goals.”

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Before you rush out and overhaul your accounting practices, know that nothing lasts forever. “Although most C corporation tax law changes were made permanent under tax reform, the majority of the new tax law changes expire at the end of 2025,” says Christopher T. Coots, CPA, partner at Wallace, Plese + Dreher. “When considering a potential change in entity structure, evaluate the financial and operational aspects in addition to the tax impacts.” Tax obligations go hand-in-hand with running a business. From the federal government on down to city hall, you need to be aware of which taxes your business needs to pay, how much in taxes you owe, and when you need to file. Make a mistake and your tax bill grows. At the same time, if you plan ahead, take the right available deductions, and prepare your tax returns properly, you can save on the amount of taxes your business must pay. “One of the biggest mistakes business owners make is not planning for all aspects of their tax lifecycle,” says Jeremy Smith, CPA, partner at Henry+Horne. “Too many owners are focused on the short-term savings, whereas so many decisions focusing solely on the current year can have adverse effects on future years. Owners should always have a plan in place for their exit. The plan may not be finalized, but they should move forward with the potential exit in mind and realize how each current tax decision impacts the future exit event.” MISTAKES HAPPEN But that’s not the only mistake business leaders make when it comes to their taxes. “The most common areas that are not properly handled are state and local tax issues,” says David Humphreys, CPA, tax senior manager for BeachFleischman. “Small, medium, and sometimes even large businesses have a difficult time keeping up with all of the different state and local taxes. States and localities often impose sales taxes, use taxes, property taxes (including personal property taxes), and of course income taxes.” But even income taxes aren’t always as simple as they seem though, because some states have a franchise tax, or a gross receipts tax, or a gross margin tax. “The variation and complexity of state filings can be overwhelming to businesses,” Humphreys says. “Because of this, we commonly see a lack of compliance, or sometimes even a lack of awareness.” Another mistake experts are seeing is not seeking out assistance in regards to sales tax compliance. “Many companies are making sales tax nexus and product/ service taxability determinations internally without consulting a qualified professional,” says Letizia Brentano, CPA, partner at Moss Adams. “In light of Wayfair and the changing sales tax landscape, it is key that businesses appropriately assess their historical exposure and current/future collection responsibilities.” AB | July - August 2019 33

ACCOUNTING

Letizia Brentano

Christopher T. Coots

Mike Finnegan

Brentano says this is a hot topic in any due diligence process and is resulting in negative purchase price adjustments to sellers. “Since uncollected sales tax becomes the liability of the business,” she says, “it’s best not to cut corners in this area and seek out the assistance of a qualified sales tax professional to avoid any surprises down the road.” In addition to other mistakes, Roderick says she often sees businesses wait until after the year is closed and then wanting to plan for different results. That’s never going to work, she says. “At REDW, we work with our clients proactively throughout the year so business owners are making the right moves to minimize taxes before the year closes,” Roderick says. But that’s not the only timing issue to avoid when it comes to taxes. “The biggest mistake is not paying your taxes on time,” says Mike Finnegan, managing director at CBIZ & MHM. “Once you fall behind it is very difficult to catch up. If you know your taxes will be due at a future date, it is critical to set the money aside so you’re not scrambling to find the money come due date.” THINGS TO KNOW In addition to the tax reform surprises they learned about when they filed their 2018 taxes, there are still things business leaders might be interested in knowing. “The two most impactful changes are the reduction in C Corporation rates to 21 percent and the 199A (Qualified Business Income) deduction,” Roderick says. “The 199A deduction has been a challenge to implement as guidance was late, but, wow, did we see great results. There are many opportunities within 199A, so analysis is needed and we recommend businesses spend time understanding this provision.” Experts say a change that has been detrimental to many business owners is the change in the treatment of what used to be Qualified Improvement Property (commonly referred to as Leasehold Improvements). “This property used to be depreciable over 15 years and was eligible for bonus depreciation,” Humphreys says. “However, under current law, this type of property is now 39-year property and not eligible for bonus depreciation. This means that opening a new store location, or doing major renovations on an existing location will likely not generate nearly as much deduction as it did in the past.” 34

AB | July - August 2019

David Humphreys Christina C. Roderick

Jeremy Smith

Humphreys says there are several things that were deductible that are now non-deductible. “One of the big ones for businesses is entertainment expenses,” he says. “No entertainment expenses are deductible, even if it is spent for the purpose of entertaining clients or potential clients. This has caused many businesses to look a little more closely at how they categorize their expenses. Historically, companies would often group meals and entertainment expenses into one category. Now they really need to have their own separate account.” Also, for businesses that are impacted by GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles) reporting, Smith says there are significant changes to the revenue recognition standards. “These changes may have an additional impact to how you report items for tax purposes,” he says. Any change Smith sees as having a major impact is that a business defined as a small business (average gross receipts under $25 million) now has the ability to change their accounting method for certain items that were not available to them when the previous gross receipts test was only $5 million. “Automatic change provisions have been put in place for things such as ability to use the cash method of accounting, ability to elect out of the UNICAP provisions and alternatives to inventory accounting,” he says. “This can greatly reduce the burden of some of these newly defined small businesses.” And that’s not the only boost for businesses. “Besides the 20 percent Qualified Business Income Deduction, a big tax benefit is the ability to write off 100 percent of your capital equipment purchases through 2022,” Finnegan says. PLANNING AHEAD So what can business leaders start thinking about now that will help them eliminate some of the stress and surprises that come when they file taxes next year? Here’s what experts have to say: COOTS: “Tax reform created opportunities for companies with gross receipts less than $25 million to change their accounting method for tax purposes, i.e. accrual to cash. Consider implementing tax strategies before year end to defer income and accelerate deductions. Also, accelerate expensing for the purchase of qualified new or used property.”

AB | July - August 2019 35

ACCOUNTING FINNEGAN: “Many of the available deductions must be supported by adequate records (contributions, mileage, and business versus personal use) so record-keeping is critical. Keeping organized tax records throughout the year will make tax time much less stressful when you feel you are not missing out on any available deductions (especially if you owe money) … Budgeting cash flow needs throughout the year and into the future will assist in developing a flexible plan to make capital equipment purchases so you can manage your taxable income. This capital improvement plan allows for the purchasing of needed equipment at the most tax-efficient time.” HUMPHREYS: “The new tax law has a provision called the Qualified Business Income Deduction. One of the limiting factors of how much this deduction will benefit you is the amount of wages your business pays. If your business is a pass-thru or a sole proprietorship then you need to consider the amount of wages you are paying, including wages to yourself when applicable, in order to achieve the maximum deduction. We call this exercise QBI optimization. Paying yourself additional wages out of an S Corporation, for example, can sometimes result in significant tax savings.” RODERICK: “We encourage business owners to look at results as not what they are but what could they be. Tax accounting methods, elections, credit and incentives are areas that should be considered during the year so they can reduce the stresses of tax return filing. The more informed a business owner can be the better.”

SMITH: “Businesses can take advantage of the many new incentives within the new tax law such as 100 percent bonus depreciation, increased Section 179 expensing limits, newly defined small business accounting method changes and much more. These are all examples of items that can assist with the current year tax burden. Business owners should also realize that some of these incentives are simply time value savings and any deduction that can be accelerated into the current year simply means that they are front-loading that deduction. But, they can also look to other valuable moves with those tax savings such as incentivizing employees via establishing retirement plans, enhancing insurance coverages, implementing incentive plans, etc. These types of changes can provide a much more valuable benefit to their business by providing longevity of their employee base.” Whatever business leaders decide, the one sure-fire way to alleviate tax stress and surprises is proper planning. “Many of the best tax planning strategies require planning and structuring ahead of time,” Humphreys says. “I would recommend to consult with your tax advisor any time you are considering buying out another company, opening up a new store, entering a new state, starting up a new entity, or any other significant change. The key here is to consult with them before actually executing anything instead of coming to us afterwards. Most of the positive things we can do to reduce tax or benefit business owners can’t be done once a transaction has already been finalized. So get your advisors involved on the front end of changes and transactions, not just on the back end.”

6 WAYS TO AVOID A 2020 TAX TIME SURPRISE There are steps you can take now to avoid a 2020 tax time surprise, according to Marcy Maslov, an accounting professional for On the Money. 1 | With every receipt of cash you get, put a little money away to pay your taxes. A good rule of thumb: roughly 25 percent. If you can’t put that much away, put away something so you at least have a fund you can use to pay your tax bill.

4 | Talk to a CPA about tax planning and your business structure to see if it’s the best structure for your business. Tax laws and sales taxes are hot issues now! If you make more than $157,000, is it better for you to be an S Corp versus an LLC? If you are doing internet sales outside of Arizona, are you educated on other states’ sales taxes?

2 | Create a budget and review it on a quarterly basis. It doesn’t have to be elaborate. It should include what you‘re making versus what you’re spending on a high level. Be forward thinking. Do a mid-year check to see where you’re at. Base your budget on the previous year plus a percentage increase. As long as you track where you’re at in any given point of time relative to the total, you can judge where your year is going to be in advance.

5 | Be aware of tax laws changes on what’s deductible. Talk to your tax advisor about changes to such items as meal expenses and reimbursing your employees. You might need to change how you record items in your accounting system to ensure you are tracking them properly.

3 | Get a good bookkeeper who knows how to classify your receipts and expenses properly. Trying to do it on your own will end up costing you money at tax time.

6 | Remember that personal expenses are not deductible expenses. Your Men’s Health Magazine and your gym membership are not business expenses. Many small business owners treat their businesses like their personal piggy banks. Personal and business expenses must be separate! Be sure you have separate bank accounts and separate credit cards.

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AB | July - August 2019 37

CONTROLLER OF THE YEAR

MATTERS Meet the winners and finalists for the Arizona Chapter of FEI’s 2nd Annual Controller of the Year Awards

By MICHAEL GOSSIE

o supplement its very popular CFO of the Year Awards, the Arizona Chapter of Financial Executives International (FEI) presented the 2nd Annual Controller of the Year Awards.

Since 1931, FEI has been recognized globally as the leading organization for senior-level financial executives and the Controller of the Year Awards was once again one of the most prestigious financial executive events in Arizona thus far in 2019. Sponsors of the awards include BMO Harris Bank, Keyser, Lovitt & Touché, Moss Adams and VincentBenjamin. To learn more about the 2019 CFO of the Year Awards or to learn about next year’s Controller of the Year Awards, visit feiaz.org. Here are the winners and finalists for the 2nd Annual Controller of the Year Awards:

EVETTE BELTRAN

Corporate controller // RI International Beltran, MBA is a conscientious corporate controller at RI International. She joined the organization in 2011. Beltran is tasked with overseeing and managing the domestic and international financial operations for this nonprofit. She establishes and maintains financial policies, procedures, internal controls, financial records, and reporting. BUSINESS ADVICE: “Financial executives need to be flexible, adaptable, embrace change and be educated enough to know what to ask for knowing what is feasible. Financial executives need to strategically make decisions in a fast paced environment with high integrity while collaborating and delegating when possible.”

NICOLE BOWSER

Vice president, corporate controller // GlobalTranz Enterprises Bowser is a CPA with more than 20 years of accounting and finance experience in the industries of logistics, distribution, banking, and public accounting. She has had the opportunity to play an integral role in over 15 acquisitions during her career. BUSINESS ADVICE: “Tell the story. Finance professionals are inundated with numbers and today’s business environment requires us to make sense of vast amounts of data. Being able to identify risks, trends, opportunities, etc. and tell a story that is clear and concise will ultimately drive value to any organization.”

EVETTE BELTRAN

NICOLE BOWSER

QING CHEN

Controller // Chicanos Por La Causa Chen’s focus areas are real estate operations, including HUD, Low Income Tax Credit, conventional and commercial projects, real estate development, asset management, single-family home inventory acquisition and disposition, small business lending, New Market Tax Credit projects and construction. BUSINESS ADVICE: “In today’s competitive business environment, technological changes have transformed business into a more dynamic environment than ever. A business needs to accept that change is the new normal. Learning to constantly tailor the business to utilize the new technology to simplify the business operation are the keys to a successful business.”

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CONTROLLER OF THE YEAR

MALLORY GRIDLEY, CPA Director of finance and accounting Robertson Fuel Systems (a HEICO Company) MALLORY GRIDLEY

WINNER: Large Private Company Controller of the Year BRIAN MILLER

Vice president and corporate controller PetSmart Miller is a CPA with more than 30 years of experience, including 10 years in Big 5 public accounting. BUSINESS ADVICE: “If still in school, take as many classes as possible in ERP systems, Excel, public speaking and big data. Volunteer for stretch assignments, take career chances early in life, while it’s easier to recover from. Understand that you’ll likely need to make several lateral position moves before being promoted. Always focus on partnering with other areas when making improvements.”

Gridley began her career at RFS as controller in 2014. After several years with the company, she became the director of finance and accounting. During her tenure at RFS she has assisted with the transition from private to publicly held, an ERP implementation, and financial analysis on M&A’s, among other projects.

SUE MCGINLEY

PATTI FOGARTY

BUSINESS ADVICE: “Success in today’s world, in any industry, is all about adapting to change. Technology and people are constantly evolving. As finance professionals, we have to make efforts to not fall behind.”

SUE MCGINLEY Senior director and corporate controller

// Best Western Hotels & Resorts

McGinley joined Best Western Hotels and Resorts in September, 2015. She is responsible for accomplishing departmental objectives by leading and managing the company’s most complex economic, financial and compliance projects. McGinley’s primary responsibilities include ensuring accuracy of accounting data and compliance with applicable regulations and managing all independent audits of the Company’s financial records. BUSINESS ADVICE: “Never stop learning. Surround yourself with intelligent people as success doesn’t happen without collaboration. Be fair, tenacious, and trustworthy. Know your competition. Go above and beyond expectations. Don’t let failure preclude you from trying again. Have fun.”

PATTI FOGARTY Controller

// Homeowners Financial Group USA

Fogarty began her career in homebuilding and was introduced to mortgage lending, where she has specialized in Investor and mortgage accounting for 15 years. As controller for HFG, her responsibilities include financial reporting, managing accounts payable and overseeing a team of accounting professionals. BUSINESS ADVICE: “It’s important to become familiar with all aspects of your company’s workflow and processes. As you learn, you’re able to make an impact and contribute to the overall growth of the company. Always listen and take care of your team. They will, in turn, take care of you.”

WINNER: Small Company Controller of the Year PAUL EVANS, CPA, CGMA

Senior vice president of finance and corporate controller // IMH Financial Corp.

Evans has been providing professional accounting and finance services to both for‐profit and nonprofit businesses for more than 16 years. He has been successful in servicing various industries, including franchising, restaurants and hospitality, manufacturing, wholesale, distribution, and construction in private and public domestic and international environments. Evans has strong experience in successfully collaborating with external service providers, internal controls, improvement through technology innovation, management and design of accounting systems and staff development, KPIs, internal and external financial reporting, and GAAP.

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CONTROLLER OF THE YEAR

IQBAL SAGANI, CPA, CA

DAVID RASMUSSEN

Sagani has been the controller at CaliberCos since November 2016. Sagani holds the CPA designation in the U.S. and Canada.

Rasmussen oversees the accounting function, including monthly financials and customer billing. Rasmussen has experienced both the technology and construction industries, and he has improved critical processes such as customer onboarding, receivables collection, and the monthly close. Rasmussen is most proud of developing accounting staff during his career.

Controller CaliberCos Inc.

WINNER: Medium Company Controller of the Year DANIEL ORLANDO

Chief technology officer and controller JDM Partners Born and raised in Phoenix by his grandmother, she instilled in Orlando a strong work ethic, appreciation and a sense of hope that a better life can be achieved the same way others have with equal or more opportunities. BUSINESS ADVICE: “Study the behavioral styles from other professionals to understand how to communicate and learn how to motivate other team members. Also, reading the room and taking the temperature is crucial to know the timing of when to speak and the content you present.”

BUSINESS ADVICE: “The advice I would give to succeed in today’s business environment is perseverance. If you have a dream – live and breathe it until it becomes your reality. As Rumi once said, ‘You are not a drop in the ocean. You are the entire ocean in a drop,’ so embrace your successes, shortcomings, and your uniqueness will shine to the world.”

Corporate controller CellTrust Corporation

BUSINESS ADVICE: “Two pieces of advice – keep learning and be truthful. Be open to new ideas, technologies, and challenges because nothing stays the same. Be honest with others, and especially yourself.”

SEAN REEDER, CPA Corporate controller ON Semiconductor

Reeder has more than 20 years of public (five years) and private industry (15 years) accounting experience. He is a Certified Public Accountant, licensed in Arizona and earned masters and bachelor’s degrees in accountancy. As corporate controller at ON Semiconductor, he oversees external financial reporting in accordance with USGAAP, leads the adoption of new accounting standards, manage annuals audit and quarterly review processes with the external auditors, approves corporate accounting policies, and reviews technical accounting conclusions.

IQBAL SAGANI

DAVID RASMUSSEN

SEAN REEDER

WINNER: Public Company Controller of the Year ALISON SASSER, CPA Vice president and corporate controller Meritage Homes Corporation

Sasser started in public accounting in the Phoenix office of Arthur Andersen. She has spent more than 15 years working in the homebuilding industry and has gained a reputation as a valuable collaborator within the accounting teams of the homebuilding sector. BUSINESS ADVICE: “Always be the one to go above and beyond and volunteer for the special projects. Have confidence in yourself, but recognize your skill sets and when you need to ask for help. Hard work and a willingness to learn will take you the furthest in your career.”

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CONTROLLER OF THE YEAR

RYAN SHORT Controller Priority Ambulance

BRANDON SIZEMORE

Short joined Priority in 2015 and oversees all accounting and financial reporting functions including acquisition integration. Prior to joining Priority, he was director of financial reporting for Healthcare Trust of America, Inc. from 2012-2015. Prior to that, Short worked for Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide.

RYAN SHORT

KATRINA STORJOHANN

BRANDON SIZEMORE Corporate controller InfoArmor

Due in part to Sizemore’s tireless work and direct contributions, InfoArmor was able to close a $525 million merger with Allstate Corporation and allowed Summit Partners to realize its four-time target in approximately two and one-half years from the date of its initial investment. Sizemore became a trusted business advisor to the operations teams on financial and contractual matters and constructed the company’s three-year business planning model. He also worked tirelessly with Goldman Sachs on due diligence requests in a highly competitive sale of the company.

WINNER: Sponsor’s Award SCOTT STONE Division chief financial officer Ciox Health

Stone earned the Sponsor’s Award when he was vice president and controller at OnTrac. Stone is a value-oriented and high-impact senior financial executive, CPA and EMBA specializing in growing businesses in the high tech and service sectors. He is equally qualified in both the start-up and secondary growth phases of the new business life cycle. Stone has deep expertise in increasing shareholder value via financial modeling, product pricing analysis and streamlining operations’ processes. Stone is active in multiple professional associations and community-based philanthropic endeavors.

BUSINESS ADVICE: “Look for opportunities to create efficient systems through automation. Seek ways to transform tedious, manual processes to fully automated reporting and business process systems. Be a champion for efficiency and timely data reporting in order to support key decision-making for executives and the board.

KATRINA STORJOHANN Corporate controller Capital Lumber Company

Storjohann leads the accounting team in accounting, treasury, reporting, budgeting and insurance management services. BUSINESS ADVICE: “Some may think it simple, but I wholeheartedly believe success is an attitude. Choose to adopt a success driven attitude and continually challenge yourself and those around you. A success-driven attitude includes using both your victories AND failures as opportunities to grow and learn. I believe it’s also vital to be a mentor, not a manager. Leading and helping those around you can be your most powerful tool.”

WINNER: Nonprofit Company Controller of the Year TAMMY WILSON Controller Crossroads, Inc.

Wilson started working for Crossroads in 2007 as the assistant controller, while studying part time at ASU. In 2011, she was promoted to controller while continuing her education. In 2015, she graduated from ASU with a bachelor’s of science in accountancy. BUSINESS ADVICE: “The piece of advice I would give is to surround yourself with a great team and truly work together as a team. Make decisions as a team and let your team help you become better. Without my team I wouldn’t be where I am today.”

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ARIZONA SOCIETY FOR HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

HOT TOPICS

Arizona Society for Human Resource Management State Conference will help keep HR professionals ahead on the trends

By MICHAEL GOSSIE It’s hard to overstate the value of a good conference. But if you’re a human resources professional or a business leader, there’s one coming up in Arizona that is relevant, innovative and will help you weather the choppy HR waters that might lie ahead. The #MeToo movement has changed the way human resources departments operate. It has had a significant impact on U.S. workplaces, with 42 percent of companies reporting that they have seen an increase in the number of human resources complaints around sexual harassment and/or inappropriate behavior from bosses or co-workers since the movement began. Findings come from the 2019 Emerging Workforce Study commissioned by Spherion, which also found that 47 percent of companies have seen an increase in the number of complaints from employees about equal pay 46

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ARIZONA SOCIETY FOR HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT Arizona SHRM 2019 State Conference WHEN: Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2019 through Friday, Aug. 30, 2019

and/or career advancement opportunities in the past two years. Human resources professionals will be able to learn how to cope with this new normal — as well as other HR issues and trends — at the Arizona Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) State Conference, which takes place Aug. 27-30 at the Renaissance Phoenix Glendale Hotel & Spa. Az Business talked with April Miller, director of the Arizona SHRM State Conference, to learn what HR professionals can expect to learn at the conference. Az Business: Does this year’s conference have a theme? April Miller: Our theme for the 2019 Arizona SHRM State Conference is “HR Week: Styling Modern HR.” We chose this theme as a nod to fashion week to incorporate how there are many fashions and seasons in the HR community that spans throughout all different industries. AB: What is the goal of the conference? AM: The goal of the conference is to provide HR professionals a new way of aligning HR practices with business leaders’ strategies. HR professionals and business leaders will have the opportunity to learn and grow their strategic partnership to drive the business forward and execute results. Arizona SHRM continues to provide fantastic keynote speakers, great educational sessions, networking opportunities, and exposure to the newest HR products. AB: Who will benefit most from attending the conference? AM: Our conference will specifically benefit HR professionals at all levels with different educational options. In addition, 48

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WHAT: The Arizona SHRM Annual State Conference is the largest human resource-focused conference in the state of Arizona. The conference provides HR professionals a new way of aligning HR practices with business leaders’ strategies. Arizona SHRM continues to provide engaging keynote speakers, great educational sessions, networking opportunities, and exposure to the newest HR products. WHERE: Renaissance Phoenix Glendale Hotel & Spa, 9495 W. Coyotes Blvd., Glendale, Arizona QUESTIONS: Email Monika Masciangelo, SHRM-CP, PHR, Arizona SHRM event manager at conferences@azshrm.org INFORMATION: azshrm.org

law update made up of leading Arizona employment attorneys. In addition, we have two special keynotes — Mindy Scheier with Runway of Dreams Foundation, and Brandice Daniel with Harlem’s Fashion Row. They will take us on a journey of how the fashion world impacts HR. AB: How did you decide on which keynotes to feature this year? AM: We wanted to stay true to our goal and our theme this year. So it was important to us that we highlight key issues in HR with our #MeToo panel, keep our attendees updated with our employment law update panel, while also tying in our fashion theme of how two strong leaders have positively disrupted the fashion industry for the better while impacting HR in the ways that we recruit, lead, train and see our human capital and consumers of our products and services.

AB: After people leave the conference, what do you hope they take back to their jobs as the results of attending the conference? AM: Beyond our keynote presentations, we have so many educational sessions from Monika April Miller executive/leadership topics to HR basics. In Masciangelo addition, we have an exhibit hall full of our educational sessions would also benefit event partners that offer products and services to help businesses not only function those in management and small business on a daily basis, but to streamline processes owners who are not yet large enough to so that companies can focus on meeting the hire an HR professional, but need to keep up with employment laws and products to needs of their customers while planning for the future. Our hope is that attendees take help manage their human capital. these resources back to their jobs and share them with their teams to improve current AB: What are some of the highlights or processes and impact future business for keynotes coming up at the conference? the better — all while strengthening their AM: Some of the highlights this year relationships within the Arizona business are fantastic keynote panels that will community through all of the networking touch on the #MeToo movement from different perspectives and an employment activities during the conference.

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MARKETING

TRADITIONAL OR DIGITAL MEDIA — which should you use for your business?

edia is a sure fire way to magnify marketing messages. For decades, reaching large numbers of people was expensive because the outlets for sharing marketing messages were limited to TV, radio, and print. In today’s more digitally focused world, email, social media, SEO, PPC, and other digital tactics have dramatically increased opportunities for getting messages delivered directly to the desired target audiences at a more manageable cost. So how do you choose the right media for Alexis Krisay your next marketing campaign? Let’s dig in... Marketing First of all, this is not an either/or situation. The best type/s of media for your business will always depend on your ideal target audience/s, your budget, and the specific products/services you’re promoting. Remember, most people don’t consume single sources of media, so reach can be broadened by taking a cross platform approach. Today, the most robust marketing campaigns are a crosschannel mix of traditional and digital platforms. The key to success? Measurable results. That’s become far easier (and more complex) to achieve. Digital marketing includes a variety of tools like blogging, mobile media and messaging, social media, video hosting channels, email marketing, and SEO. Digital analytics provide a wealth of information about audiences and engagement, allowing for real-time management of marketing by embracing account-based marketing strategies. This means personalizing the messaging and content of your marketing messages based on the attributes and needs of the demographic you’re targeting, and the platform you’re using to engage them. Customers 50

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targeted in this manner are more likely to engage with content customized for them because it’s more relevant. Account-based marketing strategies also tend to provide a much higher ROI. That’s not to say that some traditional forms of media aren’t necessary in your marketing mix. Newspapers and magazines still have credibility, so readership and demographics are key to choosing the right print vehicles. Most traditional TV and radio channels also have digital presences. Negotiate media buys with a cross-platform mix to expand your overall reach. Traditional forms of media like television, radio, print and outof-home can also be supported and enhanced by adapting and sharing them into your chosen digital platforms. Let’s not forget streaming. The increasing number of niche-focused channels and platforms allow for some really strategic audience targeting by savvy marketers. It’s a lot to take in. As a marketing professional and agency co-owner, I rely on the innovative thinking and knowledge of our team. It takes a lot of talented people to create a solid strategic plan and successful tactics for clients, whether they’re marketing B2B, B2C or both. The lesson? You might have a working knowledge of traditional and digital media, but keeping up with rapid changes, knowing how to identify trends in data and what to do with it is critical. That’s why I always recommend researching, deciding what you want to achieve and your KPIs, and then consulting an agency for expert help. Alexis Krisay is the owner of Serendipit Consulting.

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DINING

PUBLIC WORKS

Pubblico Italian Eatery is that perfect neighborhood joint for Central Phoenix By MICHAEL GOSSIE

idden behind the former Crown Imports building on 7th Street in Phoenix is a little slice of heaven. Growing up in New York, every neighborhood had its favorite Italian restaurant where friends would gather to revel in two- or three-hour dinners, laugh at a lifetime of shared memories, and share a bottle or six of wine. Pubblico Italian Eatery is that neighborhood Italian joint for the Central Corridor. That is very fitting since the English translation of “pubblico” is public. Pubblico — with its great patio, hip yet intimate look and feel, fun atmosphere, and the best seven-day-a-week happy hour in Central Phoenix — is a perfect gathering space for dinner with friends, business associates, or date night. Pubblico is a family owned and operated restaurant led by Chef Danny Garcia, who goes to great lengths to make sure only the freshest and highest-quality ingredients are used to create the deliciousness served on Pubblico’s palate-pleasing plates. Highlighting Pubblico’s menu are handcrafted pastas and wood-fired pizzas, but you can start your meal with incredible small bites such as shrimp scampi ($14), a

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variety of bruschetta ($9), antipasto board ($18), or the amazing mozzarella carrozza ($9) — ciabatta bread stuffed with fresh mozzarella, breaded, deep fried and served with marinara sauce. You’ll want to make a meal of the mozzarella carrozza, but don’t because you’ll want to leave room for Pubblico’s amazing salads and main dishes. Some favorites: A lot of restaurants do a Caprese salad — vine ripe tomatoes, mozzarella, extra virgin olive oil and fresh basil — but Garcia sprinkles some magic onto Pubblico’s Caprese ($10) that makes it stand out from the crowd. The strawberry salad ($8) — mixed greens, fresh strawberries, gorgonzola cheese, caramelized walnuts, and wildberry vinaigrette — tastes so fresh, vibrant and healthy that it will take away any guilt you might have over ordering that second plate of mozzarella carrozza. Rigatoni, clam linguini, lobster ravioli in a mouth-watering lobster-brandy sauce, and lasagna are just a few of the luscious pasta dishes, but it’s the old standby of spaghetti with meatballs ($17) in which Pubblico raises the bar from exceptional to perfection. The house-made spaghetti tossed with beef and pork meatballs, tomato sauce and fresh basil is the best

DELICIOUS DISH: Cioppino features house-made linguini tossed with a whole lobster, jumbo shrimp, jumbo scallops, mussels, manila clams, calamari and a tomato and white wine butter sauce. (Provided photo) plate of pasta you will find in Phoenix. For chicken lovers, you cannot go wrong with the chicken parmesan ($18) — which stacks up with the chicken parmesan created by even the most loving Italian grandmother — or the chicken marsala ($22), which is topped with a mushroom and red wine marsala sauce that will delight even the most discerning foodie. And while most gluten-free foodies have to bypass Italian restaurants, Pubblico sets itself apart from the competition by offering gluten-free options — including pasta and pizzas — that are so delicious, it won’t feel like a sacrifice. Pubblico’s amazing happy hour is daily from 4 p.m.-6 p.m. It is located in the back of the Crown building on the corner of 7th Street and Palo Verde and there is plenty of parking, which is rare for 7th Street’s burgeoning culinary scene. And while it’s easy to miss if you’re driving down 7th Street, this is one neighborhood Italian joint you definitely don’t want to miss.

PUBBLICO ITALIAN EATERY

LOCATION: 5813 N. 7th St., Phoenix, AZ 85014 PHONE: 602-601-5651 ONLINE: pubblicoitalianeatery.com

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THE MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN IN ARIZONA BUSINESS // 2019

2019 Courage, innovation and excellence in leadership help females overcome challenges to become power players

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THE MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN IN ARIZONA BUSINESS // 2019

Equal pay for

Equal work

Arizona has one of the slimmest pay gaps in the nation, but there is still work to be done

the way that our national or as long as I can workforce has evolved and remember, I have the opportunities available for never questioned men and women have created whether women and men should have equal rights systemic discrimination. This systemic discrimination in the workplace. My mom has created the gender pay worked outside of the gap. The Equal Pay Act, home during my entire passed in 1963, requires childhood. Born in 1981, I am one of the oldest that employers pay men and women equally for equivalent members of the Millennial Jennifer Ward Arizona workforce generation and I was not work. Despite this law, studies consistently report that unique among my peers women on average make 85 percent of in being raised with two parents who both men’s pay. The pay gap is even more stark worked outside of the home. In my world, for women of color, with African-American both women and men had the choice to work outside the home in any position women making on average 60 percent of the pay of White men and Hispanic women for which they were qualified. Perhaps my upbringing sheltered me a bit from reality, making on average 53 percent of the pay of White men. but I didn’t realize until I was an adult that Those individuals who doubt the my perspective has not historically been existence of the gender pay gap often use the norm and that there are still people in anecdotal evidence of their own experience the workplace who don’t feel that women have an equivalent place. In addition, to prove it. It’s not uncommon to hear a AB | July - August 2019 55

THE MOST INFLUENTIAL IN ARIZONA BUSINESS 2019 The Equal PayWOMEN Act, passed in 1963, requires //that

employers pay men and women equally for equivalent work.

Despite this law, studies consistently report that women on average make 85 percent of men’s pay.

statement like “men and women in the same job are treated exactly the same at my company. We can’t be unique in that.” There is some evidence to support that when you control for similar positions, educational requirements, skill requirements and other qualifications men and women are paid similarly. The statistics come out closer to women earning 97 percent of men in that case. This is likely more true for certain jobs than others. Examining the issue from a more global perspective, however, reveals where the 85 percent statistic comes into play. The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that in 2015 the top three most common occupations for full-time female workers were “elementary and middle school teachers,” “registered nurses,” and “secretaries and administrative assistants.” The top three most common occupations for full-time male workers were “driver/sales workers and truck drivers,” “managers, all other” and “first-line supervisors of retail sales workers.” The average weekly earnings for men across the Top 10 occupations most frequently held by men is $882. The average weekly earnings for women across their top ten occupations is $780, or 88 percent of men. Women are more likely to be employed in occupations that pay lower wages, and even in those lower-wage positions, they are likely to be paid less than men. For example, the median pay for female elementary and middle school teachers is $957 and the median pay for male elementary and middle school teachers is $1,077. Again, women in this position across the country are paid 88 percent of what men are paid. Another telling statistic is that one of the Top 25 occupations for men reported 56

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by the Bureau of Labor Statistics is “chief executives.” This does not appear in the top 25 for women. BLS reports for chief executives, men hold 72.1 percent of positions and women hold 27.9 percent of positions. One of the key learnings for company leaders is that culture and company policies start at the top. When a woman is leading a company, it may be more likely that she recognizes the necessity of balancing the scales between men and women in the workplace, particularly in the area of pay. Even so, companies cannot assume that placing a woman in the top leadership role will fix all gender disparities. It still requires effort and intention. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) enforces the Equal Pay Act. If an employee feels that she has been paid unfairly in comparison to her male coworkers, she can file a charge with the EEOC. Some companies may feel protected from equal pay claims because of the mistaken assumption that an employee would need to pay an attorney in order to bring a claim. In fact, this is a free process managed by this government agency and a claimant does not need to hire an attorney to engage in the process. If a company receives a claim of pay disparity, it will need to show a justification other than gender in order to avoid liability. It is difficult for a company to solve any pay disparity issues it may have without taking a hard look at its salary practices to see if any issues actually exist. If a company suspects there is a problem or receives an employee complaint, it can undertake an analysis of its employee salaries. Such an analysis will seek to compare equal pay for equal work and look for statistical disparities in pay. When any

such disparity is found, it will require one of two solutions: (1) identify documented business justifications for the disparity (such as a seniority, merit, or incentive system; pre-hire qualifications such as education, experience, training, and ability; participation in a training program; or market factors) or (2) increase the pay of the individual with the lower pay. Focusing on the status of this issue locally, Arizona has one of the slimmest pay gaps in the nation, but there is still quite a bit of work to be done. As we celebrate the Most Influential Women in Arizona in this issue of Az Business magazine, one step we can take is to ensure that women have access to the appropriate training and education to enable them to take high-wage jobs. Another is to ensure that traditionally female-dominated professions, such as teaching, are paid fair wages. The recent #redfored movement has championed this cause. Finally, as more Millennials like myself begin to accept leadership roles, the perspective on women’s role in the workplace should shift, both naturally and with intentional effort, to recognizing their equality. Jennifer Ward is the Arizona president of the Employers Council. An ASU undergraduate who eventually went on to earn her law degree at the University of Southern California, Ward’s legal background and her employment law expertise have helped serve countless Valley businesses, empowering employers with the necessary tools and resources to effectively manage, develop, and support employees to the highest degree. Ward joined Employers Council in 2014 as a staff attorney and was promoted to the position of Arizona president in January 2017.

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MYTHS

about women in business that need to be debunked

MYTH 1

There are not enough qualified women to hold top business leadership positions

MYTH DEBUNKED Business-educated women hold more than 50% of all professional-level jobs in the U.S.

50%

$1.7 TRILLION

MYTH 2 Family responsibilites prevent women from landing top-level executive roles.

MYTH DEBUNKED In the U.S. alone, 70% of mothers with children ages 18 or younger are employed.

MYTH 3 Women are catching up and being promoted at the same rate as men.

70%

Women don't pursue entrepreneurship or open very many businesses.

18%

39%

MYTH DEBUNKED 39% of America's business owners are women.

MYTH 5 Female-owned businesses have an equally challenging time acquiring financing as maleowned companies.

MYTH DEBUNKED Women receive more loan denials than men and account for only 3.5% of federal lending contracts.

Generated from women-owned businesses

9 MILLION

People are employed by women-owned businesses

MYTH DEBUNKED Entry-level women are 18% less likely to be promoted than their male counterparts.

MYTH 4

The Economic Reality of Women in Business

3.5%

11.6 MILLION Women-owned businesses in the U.S.

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THE MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN IN ARIZONA BUSINESS // 2019

Alison Abramson

Vice president and commercial banking relationship manager BBVA Abramson has spent her entire career with BBVA, starting as a part-time teller in college and working her way up to her current position. SOURCE OF PRIDE: “I’m fortunate that my career allows me

to directly assist companies realize success as they fund new ventures, expand their businesses, or navigate through difficult financial situations. I find it rewarding knowing I have a hand in helping our local Arizona entrepreneurs and businesses grow and achieve their goals.” STRENGTH: “My determination and drive to succeed has played an integral role in my career.”

Sara Begley

Executive vice president, general counsel and chief compliance officer CopperPoint Insurance Companies Begley joined CopperPoint in November 2008 and became its general counsel in 2012. She was presented with the Ronald McDonald House 2018 Heart of the House Award. SOURCE OF PRIDE: “I am most proud of contributing to CopperPoint’s

transformation and growth from Arizona’s State Compensation Fund to a regional commercial insurance company operating in six southwestern states. This has been a multi-year team effort and I’m extremely fortunate to have been a part of this strategic effort.” STRENGTH: “Integrity has helped me succeed in business and also helps me sleep at night.”

Bridget Binsbacher

Director of operations Arizona Cactus League Baseball Association Businesswoman, volunteer and vice mayor of Peoria, Binsbacher has been a tireless community advocate. The first employee of the Cactus League, her dedication to service is unparalleled. SOURCE OF PRIDE: “Serving is an honor. Being

elected and trusted to serve the citizens of Peoria is truly the highest professional honor for me. Leading the Cactus League Baseball Association is another exciting and impactful accomplishment that serves our great state of Arizona.” STRENGTH: “Truthfulness can hurt, but it can also heal and inspire.

I learned long ago that we are as successful as the relationships and collaborations we foster.”

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THE MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN IN ARIZONA BUSINESS // 2019

Jodi Bohr

Shareholder and chair of the Professional Women’s Group Gallagher & Kennedy

Bernadine Burnette President Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation

Bohr practices employment and labor law, with an emphasis on litigation, class actions, and HR matters.

In addition to her role as president of the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation, Burnette was also elected president of the Inter Tribal Council of Arizona.

SOURCE OF PRIDE: “I believe a healthy

SOURCE OF PRIDE: “Leveraging 24

workplace is key to long-term success. I’m very proud to consistently assist my clients in a way that allows them to fulfill their legal obligations as an employer, but in also taking the extra step of improving morale and creating a healthy workplace.” STRENGTH: “I’m very persistent. Few

things have come easily to me … Being able to get back up and learn from my mistakes and the mistakes of others has helped me get to where I am today.”

years of public service, I’m currently spearheading the completion of a new casino that will benefit my Nation and the Phoenix gaming community when it opens in 2020.” STRENGTH: “My unwavering love for the Yavapai people and commitment to their future have motivated me to continually seek and accomplish projects that will help my nation prosper.”

Eboni Chaffee, PhD Director of Customer Experience and Revenue Operations Intel Corporation

SOURCE OF PRIDE: “I am most proud of

having established a cross-matrix, global team comprised of diverse and inclusive perspectives who ensure that Intel’s Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) customers enjoy immense success and an unparalleled user experience.” STRENGTH: “I tend to think that having a positive mindset is a strength that has served me well in my journey. Having a positive perspective as I engage key stakeholders and customers fosters healthy collaboration. This has enabled a robust approach to how I work with teams and data to drive brand loyalty and customer success.”

Leah Brown, MD Steward Orthopedic & Sports Medicine Center Dr. Brown specializes in sports medicine and treatment of the knee, shoulder and elbow. Dr. Brown attended the University of Georgia, where she was a two-time NCAA national champion in gymnastics. SOURCE OF PRIDE: “The first is helping to establish an all-female military trauma team while deployed in Afghanistan to treat injured Afghani women. This was a vital humanitarian component to our mission in winning the hearts and minds of the local oppressed population. The second is starting my own business, Urgently Ortho. Our mission is to provide easy access, immediate orthopedic care, after standard business hours.”

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Bridget Cooney

Senior vice president, retail banking group manager National Bank of Arizona Cooney oversees 58 branches and more than 400 employees across Arizona. Her branch footprint goes as far east as Round Valley, west as Fort Mohave, north as Page, and as far south as Bisbee. STRENGTH: “My commitment and focus has helped me succeed. Most importantly, focusing on helping my employees be successful. If they win, I win. I believe as a manager, it is important to be open and honest when giving feedback to help employees. It is also significant to be open to receiving honest feedback and to adapt and evolve as a manager and leader in the business world.”

Marisa Felker

Franchise finance division leader Washington Federal Feller has more than 25 years experience in the banking industry and extensive experience in franchise finance, having worked at GE Capital and CitiCapital. SOURCE OF PRIDE: “Having been selected by Washington

Federal to launch their franchise finance specialty lending group is the career accomplishment that I am most proud of. It’s as if all of my prior experience in franchise was preparing me for this exact role.” STRENGTH: “Tenacity, self-confidence and a desire to always

keep learning are the principal traits that have helped me succeed over the course of my career.”

Monica Garnes President // Fry’s Food Stores Garnes has held a variety of leadership positions within the Kroger organization during her 24-year career. Previously, she served as corporate vice president of produce and floral merchandising. SOURCE OF PRIDE:

“Being the president of Fry’s is an accomplishment that makes me most proud. It provides me the platform and opportunity to be a role model. I have been able to inspire others to follow their professional career path and discover avenues which they might not have thought possible.” STRENGTH:

“Empathy is a trait I exhibit every day. As a leader, I feel it is important to understand and meet others where they are on their journey.”

Julie DiCicco

Senior director // Freedom Financial Network DiCicco leads the negotiations department at Freedom Debt Relief. She previously held leadership positions with Discover Card and Target Financial Services. SOURCE OF PRIDE: “A few years ago, I took a position in an industry completely out of my comfort zone. It was a steep learning curve, but within six months, I developed the top performing team in a field full of veteran leaders in this industry.” STRENGTH: “I ask a lot of questions and seek to understand why things are the way

they are and when something doesn’t make sense to me, I challenge it.”

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Julie Giese President | ISM Raceway SOURCE OF PRIDE: “The opportunity to lead the amazing team at ISM Raceway is truly an honor, and being the only current female president of a race track makes me extremely proud.” STRENGTH: “Hard work. I’m not afraid to put in the long

hours and extra time to do it the right way to ultimately achieve my goals.” BEST CHILDHOOD MEMORY: “Growing up on a dairy farm in

Wisconsin, I loved showing our animals at the county fair. My nephew is now showing his animals at the fair, giving me an excuse to visit each summer.”

Caryn Gose Economic development project manager | SRP Gose has worked for SRP for 30 years. Her experience is vast, ranging from economic development, strategic planning, forecasting and productivity consulting. SOURCE OF PRIDE: “My involvement on the executive board

of East Valley Partnership (EVP) is my most gratifying accomplishment. I am honored to serve on this board with so many influential business leaders. They work hard to grow a vibrant community. I’m also honored to work for SRP. SRP affords me the opportunity to serve my customers and community through participation on many business and non-profit boards like EVP.”

Trish Gulbranson Founder and CEO | Derma Health Skin & Laser Since 2004, Gulbranson has led Derma Health to serve more than 50,000 patients and be ranked among the top 1 percent med-spas nationwide. She’s the chair of the ASU Alumni Association and member of the Trustees of ASU. SOURCE OF PRIDE: “Starting my own business. I was gainfully employed as a software executive, so it meant leaving the security of a high-paying career in the software industry to follow my passion.” STRENGTH: “Perseverance. No matter what the obstacles are, my philosophy is to always find a way. I don’t give up.”

Martha Gulati, MD Physician executive director Banner – University Medicine Heart Institute

Dr. Gulati was awarded the 2019 Bernadine Healy Leadership in Women’s CV Disease Award by the American College of Cardiology in honor of her contributions to the cardiovascular profession. SOURCE OF PRIDE: “My first critical research project on women — defining

the level of fitness for a woman at every age. It had never been described before and the assumption was that the male norms held for women. We showed it did not and ended up getting this published in the New England Journal of Medicine. And it is now the standard used for women in every stress lab.”

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Sharon Hwang

COO Greater Phoenix Economic Council Hwang manages the daily operations at GPEC. She oversees the infrastructure of personnel, systems, and processes, focusing on the organization’s finance, compliance, governance, administrative, and strategic priorities. She graduated from Yale University (BA, Political Science) and Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (MA, International Economics and International Relations). STRENGTH: “A respectable emotional quotient. From closing retail stores in rural towns to seeking $80 million commitments from institutional investors, I have had unique opportunities to work with people who run the gamut of the socioeconomic spectrum. Earning their trust and respect was critical for me to get anything done.”

Jessica Jarvi

Senior vice president, deputy general counsel Western Alliance Bancorporation Jarvi oversees Western Alliance Bancorporation’s legal department and joined the company’s senior operating committee in 2018. STRENGTH: “A sense of humor has gotten me through a lot of difficult days. Our team works very hard, so being able to recharge is very important. Finding something to laugh about with people I work with is the best part of my job.” BEST CHILDHOOD MEMORY: “I remember

discovering my mom’s law firm had a free soda fountain in the break room and deciding that had to be the coolest place in the world to work.”

Tonya MacBeth Shareholder Burch & Cracchiolo

MacBeth is a family law attorney whose practice focuses on divorce, adoption, child support, child custody and paternity. Prior to law school, MacBeth was an advocate for Arizona’s seriously mentally ill population. She is a fervent mental health advocate and serves as chair for CHEEERS, a nonprofit, peer-run recovery program focused on individuals and families affected by behavioral health conditions. STRENGTH: “Being able to identify the true

goal of a project and maintain focus. At every turn, there can be a chorus of naysayers and well-meaning participants whose attention is drawn to less-important issues. Keeping focused allows me to step past distractions and reach success.”

Martha McSally United States Senator

McSally is a United States Air Force combat veteran and politician serving as the junior United States Senator for Arizona. A Republican, she previously served as the U.S. Representative for Arizona’s 2nd congressional district. SOURCE OF PRIDE: “Commanding men and women in combat is the highest honor of

my life. It was a privilege to be the first woman in U.S. history to command a fighter squadron in combat, flying A-10s in Afghanistan. I am so proud of my team who saved so many American lives.” STRENGTH: “Perseverance means never losing sight of your objectives and never

giving up on your dreams.”

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THE MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN IN ARIZONA BUSINESS // 2019

Bobbi Magdaleno

Jennifer Mannino

Toni Morales Broberg

Based at ASU’s West campus, Magdaleno is responsible for initiatives and activities that create and strengthen relationships connecting the university to the community.

Mannino oversees intelligence-gathering involving complex investigations and due diligence of high-risk business relationships subject to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and anti-money laundering regulations.

Broberg is president of AT&T Arizona and leads external and legislative affairs statewide. Her career has spanned local and national government affairs positions, including serving in the White House as deputy associate director for communities at the Council on Environmental Quality.

Executive director, government and community engagement Arizona State University

SOURCE OF PRIDE: “I am most proud of my

33 years at Arizona State University, first helping to build programs and processes on a new university campus – an opportunity that does not come around in academia too often, and now working to advance ASU in the West Valley.” STRENGTH: “I’m dependable. I always

do what I say I will do and with integrity. And I am a believer in under promising and over delivering.”

Corporate intelligence practice leader Grant Thornton

SOURCE OF PRIDE: “I was an entrepreneur by my early 30s. The experience shaped who I am today because it taught me the importance of resilience, agility and authenticity as a leader.” BEST CHILDHOOD MEMORY: “I was 12

years old when I found out I was going to be a big sister. Life took on a new meaning. My sister and I have shared a special bond since the moment I learned of her.”

President AT&T Arizona

SOURCE OF PRIDE: “Two come to mind. At

the White House, I worked on an executive order on environmental justice that ensures fair treatment regarding environmental health of disadvantaged communities. And recently, AT&T launched the Believe Phoenix initiative to help address hunger and food insecurity in the Valley. Seeing the positive impact of these efforts has been incredible.”

Sara B. Nance Partner // Wallace Plese + Dreher

Nance develops tax and business strategies for privately-held Arizona companies. Specializing in international tax, she offers comprehensive tax planning, including U.S. income tax consulting for U.S. expatriates. SOURCE OF PRIDE: “I worked for a Big Four firm as a tax manager and decided to take

time away from public accounting. In 2008, I overcame the challenge of returning to public accounting, took a staff position with my current firm, progressed quickly to manager, and became a partner in 2016.” STRENGTH: “I am approachable, love to talk to people, and take time to get to know

my clients.”

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THE MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN IN ARIZONA BUSINESS // 2019

Christina Oh CEO Abrazo West Campus

Oh leads a team of 1,100 employees and more than 800 physicians who provide healthcare to the West Valley. She has a strong background in strategic planning and building an engaged workforce. She serves on WESTMARC’s board of directors. STRENGTH: “I have an ability to relate to others, sense

what they may be feeling and communicate with them in a meaningful way.” BEST CHILDHOOD MEMORY: “The time I spent studying and

performing classical ballet, jazz and modern dance. It gave me an appreciation for the arts, taught me how to work hard and showed me how to maintain composure under pressure.”

Jessica Pacheco

Vice president, state and local affairs APS

Angela Olea

Pacheco is responsible for state and local public affairs strategy at APS. She is the president of the board of directors of the Arizona-Mexico Commission and as chair of the Arizona Chamber of Commerce Foundation.

A registered nurse, Olea founded Assisted Living Locators, the nation’s first senior placement service.

SOURCE OF PRIDE: “The ability to build

Founder and CEO Assisted Living Locators

SOURCE OF PRIDE: “I have great pride in founding the first

senior placement franchise in the U.S. creating a whole new industry without any business model to emulate. I built my company into a national presence with 110 franchisees in 34 states and the District of Columbia.” STRENGTH: “The most important trait that has helped in my

success is my tenacity. I continue to move forward despite the obstacles, creating solutions while always focusing on the goal.”

and lead an effective team and working with our state’s elected representatives, to have positive impact on the development of policy that creates an environment for prosperity for all of our citizens.” STRENGTH: “Bar none, resilience. In my experience success comes from not giving up, ever, even when you really want to.”

Amy Patel Tax partner // Deloitte

Patel’s practice includes multinational businesses, both public and private. She serves clients in a variety of industries, including manufacturing, technology, cryptocurrency, and alternative energy. SOURCE OF PRIDE: “The opportunity to lead Deloitte’s West Region Tax Inclusion efforts. Our vision is to foster a culture of inclusion where all of our people feel like they belong, and are provided opportunities to grow personally and professionally. I am proud of our efforts to lead and effect change in this area.” STRENGTH: “Resilience. Throughout my career, when faced with adversity or setbacks, big or small, I have persevered and found a way through them.”

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Bravo Calline!

IBM Tucson is proud to celebrate our friend and colleague, for being recognized by Az Business Magazine as one of the Most Influential Women in Arizona for 2019!

CALLINE SANCHEZ Vice President, IBM World Wide Systems Lab Services & Technical Universities Tucson, AZ SLE

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Kristy Peters Shareholder | Littler Mendelson Peters represents and advises her clients on matters involving employees and employment law issues. SOURCE OF PRIDE: “I obtained a complete dismissal of a lawsuit with nine separate claims filed in federal court and upheld by the Ninth Circuit. Although I’ve achieved a number of complete dismissals throughout my career, this one was particularly satisfying because it lasted over six years with a difficult opposing counsel.” BEST CHILDHOOD MEMORY: “Each summer, we took a few weeks and visited

different areas, including one trip where we swam in all five Great Lakes. I’ve been able to visit 45 states, mostly through family vacations.”

Laura Sixkiller

Calline Sanchez

Tucson site leader IBM Worldwide System Lab Services Since joining IBM full-time in 2001, Sanchez has held three executive leadership positions. She is currently vice president, IBM Worldwide Systems Lab Services, leading a worldwide team of technology consultants to deliver systems and solutions to end users. She also serves as Tucson site leader and New Mexico state leader. STRENGTH: “Being thick skinned in this business has its

benefits. As a young executive, I was asked to present to industry leaders who were taken aback — and that’s saying it lightly — by my gender and age. I ignored and persevered, eventually earning their respect, and have continued business relations with them to this day.”

Partner | DLA Piper Sixkiller is a trial attorney whose diverse practice focuses on the litigation of complex commercial, securities, M&A, regulatory and corporate matters in federal and state courts as well as administrative and arbitral forums. SOURCE OF PRIDE: “Using creativity to find resolutions that work for my client. One litigation matter I handled ended in such an amicable way that my client and the opposing party went on to start a new business relationship. In another matter, a business sale dispute, the offer of a horse is what it took to get the other side to settle.”

Corey Saba Basha

Senior vice president // Wells Fargo Commercial Banking Basha manages a commercial portfolio of middle market and corporate companies and leads the region’s Innovation Technology and Life Sciences initiative. She established a Wells Fargo-sponsored Women’s Networking Luncheon to empower and promote female leaders. SOURCE OF PRIDE: “Creating a women’s networking event where everyone feels comfortable sharing life lessons and learning from one another. The key has been to ask questions of the panelists and guests that highlight both their strengths and perceived weaknesses. When we support one another, we go further during our most difficult endeavors and our biggest accomplishments.”

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THE MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN IN ARIZONA BUSINESS // 2019

Marnee Spierer, MD

Chief of radiation oncology and chief of staff Cancer Treatment Centers of America Phoenix SOURCE OF PRIDE: “Earning my MBA while working as a full-

time radiation oncologist/chief of staff. My family and friends were extraordinarily supportive as I spent the majority of my non-working hours studying and doing homework. I graduated with the highest honors, proving to myself that although I had no business background, I could do this.” STRENGTH: “I value relationships above all else. Treasuring

human capital, being kind to each other, helping one another – it is all about relationships. The power of true connections is incredible.”

Michelle Swann Partner Radix Law

Swann’s employment law practice encompasses civil rights matters, wage and hour compliance, contract disputes, unfair competition, trade secrets and constitutional torts. SOURCE OF PRIDE: “I have several notable accomplishments

in my legal career, but what I am most proud of are the efforts that I have made with the State Bar of Arizona to advance professionalism in the legal community.” STRENGTH: “My role as an advocate involves more than

achieving the right outcome; it involves reaching the outcome efficiently and cost-effectively, minimizing the frustration and confusion of a legal dispute, and recognizing my clients’ unique needs and seeing things from their perspective.”

Jaime Vinck CEO // Sierra Tucson

Leading groundbreaking programs in behavioral health and recovery support, Vinck is only the second woman CEO in Sierra Tucson’s 35year history, and is a mentor to women in leadership positions within the industry. SOURCE OF PRIDE: “Being appointed the CEO of Sierra Tucson is my most

significant professional accomplishment.” STRENGTH: “Grit, which is often defined as the combined traits of passion and perseverance. This grit has helped me to dig deep in times of considerable stress and find courage as a leader that I didn’t know I had. This comes from the passion that is also compassion for those around me.”

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Regina Van Buren, MD

Medical director Sonora Quest Laboratories Dr. Van Buren is a board-certified pathologist. She is active in the healthcare community and has been instrumental in the laboratory industry for more than 10 years. STRENGTH: “I am a compassionate

person by nature. This paired with my strong leadership skills that I learned through incredible mentors along the way have been instrumental in my success in the medical business. I remain focused and intuitive regarding the needs of my clients and the laboratory, ultimately fulfilling my goal of providing high quality and compassionate care to patients and their families in the community.”

CONGRATULATIONS Sara B. Nance, CPA Tax Partner

Shaping and building strong Arizona business and community relationships. Practical guidance and advice sustain and grow Arizona businesses. The right people and resources are keys to building the best strategies. Our accounting, tax, assurance, and business services create strategies for all business stages and help companies grow.

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THE MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN IN ARIZONA BUSINESS // 2019

Michele N. Washington Associate Snell & Wilmer

Washington is an intellectual property attorney at Snell & Wilmer. With a science background in molecular biology, Washington practices in the areas of patent prosecution and trademarks. SOURCE OF PRIDE: “The first time I received an issued patent from

the United States Patent and Trademark office was a very proud moment for me. Blending my science background with my legal practice to participate in achieving success for my client was very rewarding.” STRENGTH: “I’m very diligent. I put the necessary time, energy, and focus into overcoming obstacles for clients, and propelling them toward their goals. “

Cynthia Wetmore, MD, PhD

Director of the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders Phoenix Children’s Hospital Dr. Wetmore is the division chief of hematology and oncology. She is also professor of child health at University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix and provides care for children battling brain tumors. SOURCE OF PRIDE: “Bringing together the expertise of ASU Biodesign Institute and Phoenix Children’s Hospital to conduct a ‘first in human’ trial of a novel customized peptide vaccine for children with deadly brain tumors. This study is led by PCH, supported by Gateway for Cancer Research and is their first study funded in Arizona.”

Cathleen Yu Partner Quarles & Brady

Yu chairs the Phoenix Business Law Group and firm-wide Investor Services Team of Quarles & Brady, where she advises global companies and institutional investors. SOURCE OF PRIDE: “The

experience of growing from a law student into a partner at a leading law firm has been very fulfilling, now both advising clients who put their trust in me, and serving in various leadership roles where I can make my voice heard and bring people together.” STRENGTH: “When I was growing up, I spent a lot of time observing people. That has helped me understand where people are coming from and how to best help them.”

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MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN 2012 - 2018 Here is a list of the innovators and game-changers who have been honored in past years as Az Business magazine’s Most Influential Women. Az Business only allows women to make the list once. All names and companies are accurate to the year of each woman’s selection.

Class of 2012 Rhonda Anderson, Cardon Children’s Medical Center Maria Baier,Sonoran Institute Barbara M. Barrett, Triple Creek Ranch Deborah Bateman, National Bank of Arizona Betsey Bayless, Maricopa Integrated Health System Lorraine Bergman, Caliente Construction, Inc. Terri Bishop, Apollo Group, Inc. Kathy Bollinger, Banner Health Rebecca Lynne Burnham, Greenberg Traurig Pamela Conboy, Wells Fargo Arizona Carla Consoli, Lewis and Roca Lisa L. Daniels, KPMG Sandra Day O’Connor, retired Supreme Court justice Julia Dollarhide, Biltmore Bank of Arizona Shelly Esque, Intel Rhonda Forsyth, John C. Lincoln Health Network Pam Gaber, Gabriel’s Angels Stephanie Gorman, Cigna Medical Group Sharon Harper, Plaza Companies Sherry Henry, Arizona Office of Tourism Linda Hunt, Dignity Health Arizona Debbie Johnson, Arizona Lodging & Tourism Association Lisa K. Johnson, Corporate Interior Systems Judy Jolley Mohraz, PhD, Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust Michelle King Robson, EmpowHer.com Margaret Bushman LaBianca, Polsinelli Shughart Kimber Lanning, Local First Arizona Barbara Lockwood, Arizona Public Service Christine Mackay, City of Chandler Mary Martuscelli, JPMorgan Chase Christy McClendon, The Wellness Community Kimberly J. McWaters, Universal Technical Institute, Inc. Sue Navran, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona Darlene Newsom, UMOM New Day Center Dr. Kathy Player, Grand Canyon University 86

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Kathleen Quirk, Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Denise D. Resnik, DRA Strategic Communications Marcia Rowley, International Cruise & Excursions, Inc. Rachel Sacco, Scottsdale Convention & Visitors Bureau Stella Shanovich, Grant Thornton Ann Siner, Eco-Chic Consignments Eileen Joy Spitalny, Fairytale Brownies Debra Z. Sydenham, Urban Land Institute, Arizona District Council Karrin Taylor, DMB Associates Deb Weidenhamer, Auction Systems Auctioneers & Appraisers Tammy Weinbaum, American Express Nancy L. White, Steptoe & Johnson Candace Hunter Wiest, West Valley National Bank Kari Yatkowski, Corporate Citizen Diana Yazzie Devine, Native American Connections

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Class of 2014 Nazneen Aziz, PhD, Phoenix Children’s Hospital Trish Bear, I-ology Dr. Amy Beiter, Carondelet St. Mary’s Hospital and Carondelet Heart & Vascular Institute Janet G. Betts, Sherman & Howard Kristin Bloomquist, Cramer-Krasselt Kathye W. Brown, Brown Evans Distributing Delia Carlyle, Ak-Chin Indian Community Luci Chen, Arizona Center for Cancer Care Mary Collum, National Bank of Arizona Kathy Coover, Isagenix International Janna Day, Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck Karen Dickinson, Polsinelli Michele Finney, Abrazo Health Susan Frank, Desert Schools Federal Credit Union Leah Freed, Ogletree Deakins Deborah Griffin, Gila River Casinos Mary Ann Guerra, BioAccel Deb Gullett, Gallagher & Kennedy Diane Haller, Quarles & Brady Maria Harper-Marinick, Maricopa Community Colleges Catherine Hayes, hayes architecture/interiors inc. Camille Hill, Merestone Chevy Humphrey, Arizona Science Center Heidi Jannenga, WebPT Kara Kalkbrenner, City of Phoenix Lynne King Smith, TicketForce Joan Koerber Walker, Arizona Bioindustry Association Karen Kravitz, Commotion Promotions Deb Krmpotic, Banner Estrella Medical Center Maria Lacal, Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station, APS Jessica Langbaum, PhD, Banner Alzheimer’s Institute Georgia Lord, Mayor, City of Goodyear Sherry Lund, Celebration Stem Cell Centre Teresa Mandelin, Southwestern Business Financing Corporation Shirley Mays, Arizona Summit Law School Ann Meyers-Drysdale, Phoenix Mercury and Phoenix Suns Marcia L. Mintz, John C. Lincoln Health Foundation Martha C. Patrick, Burch & Cracchiolo Stephanie J. Quincy, Steptoe & Johnson Barb Rechterman, GoDaddy Marian Rhodes, Arizona Diamondbacks Joyce Santis, Sonora Quest Laboratories Gena Sluga, Christian Dichter & Sluga Beth Soberg, UnitedHealthcare of Arizona Scarlett Spring, VisionGate Patrice Strong-Register, JatroBiofuels Sarah A. Strunk, Fennemore Craig Marie Sullivan, Arizona Women’s Education & Employment Nancy K. Sweitzer, MD, UA’s Sarver Heart Center Dana Vela, Sunrise Schools and Tots Unlimited Alicia Wadas, The Lavidge Company Ginger Ward, Southwest Human Development

Class of 2013

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Karen Abraham, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona Mara Aspinal, Ventana Medical Systems Jan Brewer, governor, State of Arizona Diane Brossart, Arizona Forward Theresa Chacopulos, Wells Fargo Advisors Debbie Cotton, Phoenix Convention Center Diane Costantino, PricewaterhouseCoopers Tamika Curry Smith, The TCS Group. Michelle De Blasi, Greenberg Traurig Sara R. Dial, Discovery Triangle Development Corporation Judith Dworkin, Sacks Tierney Diane Enos, Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community Christine Espinoza, Platform Scottsdale Nicole France Stanton, Quarles & Brady Kathleen Goeppinger, PhD, Midwestern University Kathy Hancock, Fennemore Craig Beth Harmon-Vaughan, Gensler Lynne Herndon, BBVA Compass Bank Sheryl Hildebrand, Deloitte Amy Hillman, W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University Wendy Jameson, Colnatec Jodi Jerich, Arizona Corporation Commission Jeri Jones, UnitedHealthcare Sharon Lechter, Pay Your Family First Michelle Lind, Arizona Association of Realtors Jennifer Linder, MD, PCA Skin Lori Linder, MomDoc Robin Milne, Phoenix Suns Charities Zandra O’Keefe, CBIZ Sheryl Palmer, Taylor Morrison Homes Jay Parry, Arizona Super Bowl Host Committee Michelle J. Perkins, Owens & Perkins Judy Rich, TCM Healthcare Sen. Michele Reagan, Arizona State Senate Laura Robertson, Banner Baywood Medical Center and Banner Heart Hospital Kristen Rosati, Polsinselli Jordan Rose, Rose Law Group Adrienne Scheck, PhD, Barrow Neurological Institute Lori Singleton, SRP Valerie Spicer, Arizona Indian Gaming Association Patricia Tate, Talking Stick Resort and Casino Arizona Brenda Thomson, eArizona Humanities Council Sandra Watson, Arizona Commerce Authority Ann Weaver Hart, University of Arizona Vickie Wessel, Spirit Electronics Patty White, St. Joseph’s Hospital Rebecca White Berch, chief justice, Arizona Supreme Court Donna Witherwax, Grant Thornton Judith Wolfe, MD, Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center Beth Jo Zeitzer, R.O.I. Properties

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Erica McGinnis, AIG Advisor Group Tammy McLeod, vAPS Rose Megian, Health Net of Arizona Dion Messer, Limelight Networks MaryAnn Miller, Avnet Ioanna Morfessis, IO.Inc. Harriet Mountcastle-Walsh, Honeywell Annette G. Musa, Comerica Bank Christine Nowaczyk, Bank of Arizona Deborah Pearson, Arizona State Credit Union Susan Pepin, Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust Suzanne Pfister, St. Luke’s Health Initiatives Christina Roderick, REDW Patricia Rourke, Bankers Trust Lisa Sanchez, The CORE Institute Adelaida V. Severson, Bushtex Rep. Kyrsten Sinema, D-AZ 9th District Sherri Slayton, Alliance Bank of Arizona Wendi A. Sorensen, Burch & Cracchiolo Molly Stockley, Cancer Treatment Centers of America Cathy Valenzuela, Arizona Business Bank Kimberly Van Amburg, Casino Del Sol Resort Cheryl Vogt, Marsh Cynthia Walter, BAGNALL Lori L. Winkelman, Quarles & Brady

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Amy Abdo, Fennemore Craig Jennifer Anderson, Wells Fargo Karen Anderson, ASU’s Biodesign Institute Lauren Bailey, Upward Projects Glynis Bryan, Insight Enterprises Rita Cheng, NAU Judith S. Gordon, University of Arizona Department of Family and Community Medicine Alisa Gray, Tiffany & Bosco Sue Hasenstein, BMO Harris Bank Melissa Ho, Polsinelli Bo Hughes, Pinnacle Bank Veronique James,The James Agency Isabelle Jazo, LaneTerralever Carolyn J. Johnsen, Dickinson Wright Eileen Klein, Arizona Board of Regents Rosey Koberlein, Long Companies Becky Kuhn, Banner Health Betsy Kuzas, Phoenix Children’s Hospital Michelle Lawrie, City of Goodyear Nona Lee, Arizona Diamondbacks Hope Leibsohn, Sherman & Howard Stacey L. Lihn, Gallagher & Kennedy Tina Machado, CodeRed-I Carol May, Wisdom Natural Brands DBA SweetLeaf Sara McCoy, SRP

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Class of 2016 Clare H. Abel, Burch & Cracchiolo. Kimberly Anderson-Matich, Anderson Security Agency Sharon Bondurant, Tech Finders Susan Brichler Trujillo, Quarles & Brady Margery Brown, GPEC Christina Burroughs, MRA Associates Kami Cothrun, Pieceful Solutions Jaime R. Daddona, Squire Patton Boggs Roopali Desai, Coppersmith Brockelman Ruth Engle, Troon Golf Roxann Gallagher, Sacks Tierney Kate Gallego, City of Phoenix Karen S. Gaylord, Jennings, Haug & Cunningham Sandy Gibson, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona Dr. Parul Goel, Barrow Neurosurgical Associates Sharon Grambow, Sun Health Senior Living Molly Greene, SRP Nicholle Harris, Gust Rosenfeld Sintra Hoffman, WESTMARC Dr. Janice Johnston, Redirect Health Nima Kelly, GoDaddy Jalina Kerr, Charles Schwab & Co. Linda Little, iHeartMEDIA Dr. Melanie D. Logue, Grand Canyon University Kate Maynard Hickman, Alliance Bank of Arizona Heidi McNeil Staudenmaier, Snell & Wilmer Dawn Nagle, Metro Phoenix Export Alliance Pam Nenaber, Banner Pharmaceutical Operations Mary Orlando, USAA Deborah Ostreicher, City of Phoenix Melanie Pate, Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie Cathy Reece, Fennemore Craig Cynthia A. Ricketts, Sacks, Ricketts & Case Mirja Riester, RIESTER

ConneCt » Guide » inspire

JuLY // auGust 2016

2016

MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN PAGE 33

Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry

Healhcare Report

Visit Glendale

WESTMARC

Dawn Rogers, 2017 Phoenix NCAA Basketball Final Four Dr. Cecilia Rosales, University of Arizona College of Public Health Kim Sabow, Arizona Lodging and Tourism Association Jasgit Sachdev, HonorHealth April Salomon, Musical Instrument Museum Jody Sarchett, Lovitt & Touche Trish Stark, First Western Trust Lisa Urias, Urias Communications Alexi Venneri, Digital Air Strike Deanna Wise, Dignity Health

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CONNECT » GUIDE » INSPIRE

JULY // AUGUST 2018

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Community; Kelly Barr, SRP; Ann Becker, APS; Maja Berlin-Del Vigna, Honeywell Aerospace; Noreen Bishop, Chase Business Banking; Jenn Daniels, Town of Gilbert; Paris Davis, Washington Federal; Kimberly A. Demarchi, Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie; Allison DeVane, Teaspressa; Amber Gilroy, CTCA; Denise Gredler, BestCompaniesAZ; Nancy Ham, WebPT; Michele Halyard, MD, Mayo Medical School, Arizona; Sandra Hudson, TrustBank; Mystie Johnson Foote, MD, Banner Medical Group; Jennifer Kaplan, Evolve PV and Marketing; Laura Lawless Robertson, Squire Patton Boggs; Shawn Linam, Qwaltec; Shari Lott, SpearmintLOVE; Fran Mallace, Cox Media; Dawn Meidinger, Fennemore Craig; Marcia Mintz, Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Phoenix; Desirae Outcalt, Biltmore Bank; Renee Parsons, Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation; Melissa Proctor, Polsinelli; Sissie Roberts Shank, Chas Roberts A/C & Plumbing; Jane Russell-Winiecki, Yavapai-Apache Nation; Catherine Scrivano, CASCO Financial Group; Lawdan Shojaee, Axosoft; Sheryl A. Sweeney, Ryley Carlock & Applewhite; Sally A. Taylor, KeatsConnelly; Amy Van Dyken-Rouen, Amy’s Army; Katee Van Horn, GoDaddy; Ashley Villaverde Halvorson, Jones, Skelton & Hochuli; Jacque Westling, Quarles & Brady; and Jeri Williams, City of Phoenix.

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Catherine Alonzo, Javelina Monica Antone, Gila River Indian Community Kelly Barr, SRP Ann Becker, APS Maja Berlin-Del Vigna, Honeywell International Inc. Noreen Bishop, J.P. Morgan Private Bank Lorry Bottrill, Mercy Care Plan Jenn Daniels, mayor, Town of Gilbert Jennifer Davis Lunt, Davis Enterprises Paris Davis, Washington Federal Kimberly Demarchi, Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie Allison DeVane, Teaspressa Amber Gilroy, Cancer Treatment Centers of America Denise Gredler, BestCompaniesAZ Nancy Ham, WebPT Michele Y. Halyard, MD, Mayo Clinic School of Medicine, Arizona Campus Sandra Hudson, TrustBank Arizona Colleen Jennings-Roggensack, ASU Gammage Julie Johnson, Avison Young Lisa Johnson, Corporate Interior Systems Mystie Johnson Foote, MD, Banner Medical Group Jennifer Kaplan, Evolve Public Relations and Marketing Donna Kennedy, City of Tempe Mindy Korth, Colliers International Christina Kwasnica, MD, Barrow Neurological Institute Laura Lawless Robertson, Squire Patton Boggs Ericka LeMaster, Alliance Bank of Arizona Donna Lemons-Roush, MT Builders Shawn Linam, Qwaltec Tina Litteral, AIA Arizona Shari Lott, SpearmintLOVE Alisa Lyons, Sloan Lyons Public Affairs Jodi Malenfant, W&W Structural, Inc. Fran Mallace, Cox Media Dawn Meidinger, Fennemore Craig Marcia Mintz, Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Phoenix Mary Nollenberger, SVN Desert Commercial Advisors Kathi O’Connor, Swaine Asphalt Corporation Laura Ortiz, Evergreen Development Desirae Outcalt, Biltmore Bank Renee Parsons, Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation Melissa Proctor, Polsinelli Sissie Roberts Shank, Chas Roberts A/C & Plumbing Shawn Rush, Corgan Jane Russell-Winiecki, Yavapai-Apache Nation Deanna Salazar, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona Catherine Scrivano, CASCO Financial Group Lawdan Shojaee, Axosoft Ashley Snyder, Cresa Sheryl A. Sweeney, Ryley Carlock & Applewhite Sally A. Taylor, KeatsConnelly Amy Van Dyken-Rouen, Olympic gold medalist and founder of Amy’s Army Katee Van Horn, GoDaddy Ashley Villaverde Halvorson, Jones, Skelton & Hochuli Jacque Westling, Quarles & Brady Jeri Williams, chief of police, City of Phoenix Tiffany Winne, Savills Studley

Amy Altshuler Cathy Carlat Jennifer Carusetta Peggy Chase

THE HEART OF HEALTHCARE

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WESTMARC

Stephanie Fierro Wendy Forsythe Kris Gaw Audrey Monell Jill Chasson Nicole M. Goodwin Nina Mullins Victoria Coley Marianne Guenther Lisa Ordóñez Amy Cotton Peterson Cammie Hancock Beckert Michelle Olson Lisa Dahl Mary Holman Jenny Poon Lisa Davey Misty Hyman Jessica L. Post Helen R. Davis Suzanne Ingold Kim Post Jane Dobbs Norma Izzo Lisa Reilly Payton Kristina Draper Michelle Just Liz Shabaker Lisa Duran Pam Kehaly Kim Shepard Coral Evans Drena Kusari Karen C. McConnell

Holly Shill, MD Diana Thomas Christine Wilkinson Robyn Young

Class of 2018 Amy Altshuler, Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie Cathy Carlat, mayor, City of Peoria Jennifer Carusetta, Health System Alliance of Arizona Peggy Chase, Terros Health Jill Chasson, Coppersmith Brockelman Victoria Coley, Humana Amy Cotton Peterson, Quarles & Brady Jennifer Cranston, Gallagher & Kennedy Megan Creecy-Herman, Liberty Property Trust Lisa Dahl, Dahl Restaurant Group Lisa Davey, Washington Federal Kimberly Davids, The Weitz Company Helen R. Davis, The Cavanagh Law Firm Jane Dobbs, Canyon State Credit Union Kristina Draper, Wells Fargo Lisa Duran, Dickinson Wright, Coral Evans, mayor, City of Flagstaff Stephanie Fierro, Jaburg Wilk Sara Fleury, Kitchell Wendy Forsythe, HomeSmart International Kris Gaw, Maricopa Integrated Health System Nicole M. Goodwin, Greenberg Traurig Marianne Guenther, BIG YAM, The Parsons Agency Cammie Hancock Beckert, Camelot Homes Dawn Hart, Gensler Pamela Higdon, Northern Trust Mary Holman, National Bank of Arizona Amanda Houghton, Healthcare Trust of America Misty Hyman, Olympic gold medalist and president of Mistyfly Susanne E. Ingold, Burch & Cracchiolo Norma Izzo, Jennings, Strouss & Salmon Michelle Just, Beatitudes Campus Beth Katz, Katz Design Group Pam Kehaly, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona Cherie Koester, Earthworks Environmental Drena Kusari, Lyft Laurel Lewis, NAI Horizon Alana Mann, The Statesman Group Karen C. McConnell, Ballard Spahr Stephanie Mitrovic, SmithGroupJJR Audrey Monell, Forrest Anderson Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning Nina Mullins, SRP Lisa Ordóñez, Eller College of Management Michelle Olson, Fingerpaint Jenny Poon, CO+HOOTS Co-working Jessica L. Post, Fennemore Craig Kim Post, HonorHealth Lisa Reilly Payton, Frazer Ryan Goldberg & Arnold Barbara U. Rodriguez-Pashkowski, Gust Rosenfeld Darin Sender, Sender Associates Liz Shabaker, Versant Capital Management Holly Shill, MD, Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center at Barrow Neurological Institute Kim Shepard, Cigna Arizona Cindy Thomas, Sun State Builders Diana Thomas, The World Egg Bank Christine Wilkinson, Arizona State University Antonya Williams, McCarthy Building Companies Robyn Young, Western Alliance Bancorporation Marilyn Zenko, Terracon

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THE MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN IN ARIZONA BUSINESS // 2019

TEACHING YOUNG GIRLS

By EMILY RICARDSON

L Nina Johnston 92

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Trenn Moore

eadership is an important skill that anyone looking to enter the modern-day workforce needs, but oftentimes programs that teach the skills needed to be a strong leader are centered around boys. According to the United Nations Foundation Girl Up, 80 to 90 percent of youth program participants are boys and less than two cents of every development dollar goes to programs specifically for girls, particularly those ages 10-14. “There are more than 1.2 billion young people between the ages of 10 and 19 in the world today. Half of these are girls, making them the largest youth generation in history,” Girl Up writes. “Research shows that investing in girls’ health, education and empowerment leads to better educated, safer, healthier and economically powerful girls. However, most

HOW TO LEAD adolescent girls face challenges that make it difficult to achieve their potential.” In Arizona, the ATHENA Valley of the Sun program is working to give high school girls the tools needed to be a leader through the Young Athena (YA) Leadership Program. “I think exposing young women at the high school level to leadership development, opportunities to network, just the early engagement and interaction is phenomenal,” Young Athena Leadership Program Director Trenn Moore said. “There are just so many moments and opportunities for them to use what they’re learning here that I didn’t even realize before my daughter got involved. It’s just taught her leadership and life skills that I think we can all use and quite frankly the earlier the better.” Focused around attributes of leadership that are intuitive to women including — Live Authentically; Learn Constantly; Build Relationships; Foster Collaboration; Advocate Fiercely; Act Courageously; Give Back and Celebrate —the program gives girls in grades 9 through 12 the opportunity to find mentors and build confidence. “Right now, we’re working on the number one issues girls said in a survey they wanted to work on and that was confidence,” said Nina Johnston, founder of the YA Leadership Program chapter at Westwood High School in Mesa. “So, what we’ve done is we’ve learned about mentoring, the number one strategy for confidence is to have a mentor.” On top of mentoring and helping young girls learn confidence, knowing how to build meaningful mentorships throughout your life can have significant personal and professional benefits. According to a Sun Microsystems report, both mentors and mentees were approximately 20 percent more likely to get a raise than people who did not participate in the mentoring programs. (25 percent of mentees and 28 percent of mentors received a raise.) The report also found that mentees are promoted five times more often and mentors are six times more likely to be promoted. “I truly believe in the power of mentoring,” State Farm Insurance Architecture Manager Jennifer Beck said during a YA Leadership Program workshop. “Without those great people, I would not be where I am today.” Mentorship programs provide mentees access to someone with greater expertise, and help them to avoid mistakes while challenging them to reach their full potential. According to Moore, the next step for the YA Leadership Program is to expand it to more communities and/or schools as well as set up partnerships with local businesses. “My goal is to get some other companies on board and involved to partner with us, both for the benefit of the students to just have exposure to folks in careers but also for the businesses to engage with the students and even have some career path and

HOW ARIZONA RANKS FOR WOMEN’S RIGHTS Women’s rights are a scorching hot button issue in America and a new study by Security.org found Arizona ranked No. 27 as the best state for women’s rights. The state rankings and scores were determined by calculating a total of 12 sets of metrics. • Overall: Arizona women had the No. 27 highest overall score of 47.2%; D.C. had the highest overall score of 65.7%; Louisiana had the lowest overall score of 38.6%; and the national average score was 47.3%. • Economic freedom: The three metrics calculated in this category were — employment, earnings and business ownership. Arizona had the No. 12 highest score of 79.5 percent in this category. D.C. women had the highest score of 84.70 percent and Utah had the lowest score of 67.2 percent. • Education: The three metrics calculated in this category were high school, college and graduate degrees. Arizona had the No. 37 highest score of 41.9 percent in this category. D.C. women had the highest education score of 59.60 percent and West Virginia had the lowest score of 38.6 percent. • Health and reproductive freedom: The three metrics calculated in this category were — mortality rates, lifespans and abortion rights. Arizona women had the No. 31 highest score of 48.6 percent in this category. New Jersey had the highest score of 67.2 percent and South Dakota had the lowest score of 28.5 percent. • Political participation: The three metrics calculated in this category were — voter turnout, females in Congress and state-level female representation. Arizona women had the No. 15 highest score of 37 percent in this category. D.C. women had the highest score of 76.5 percent and Arkansas had the lowest score of 20.5 percent.

early affinity for [teens] to come work for [their] company,” Moore said. “It’s just a really strong community and business partnership that the program is letting us build.” Emily Richardson is a multimedia journalist for Chamber Business News.

LEARN MORE For more information about the Young Athena Leadership Program and how to apply, visit athenaaz.com. AB | July - August 2019 93

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2019

Redefining a region

WESTMARC

WEST VALLEY BOASTS

FRESH NEW Region’s professional services gain momentum in attracting new business, Class A office space and tech startups By ERIN THORBURN

ovies such as “My Fair Lady,” “Grease,” “Can’t Buy Me Love,” and “Clueless,” all share the common theme of misunderstood perceptions. In some cases, central characters were perhaps unfairly branded. In other instances, protagonists were presented with a catalyst to ultimately help them become who they were always meant to be. In any case, the viewer gets to witness a dramatic transformation. A similar plot has been unfolding in West Valley. Long perceived as a manufacturing distribution hub, the West Valley has transformed into a progressive, competitive, and lucrative hotspot of burgeoning innovation, ready-made professional talent and quality of life perfectly suited for those seeking a smalltown feel with the amenities of a big city. “Our primary challenge in the West Valley for several years has been an outdated perception issue about our demographics and quality of life,” says Jeanine Jerkovic, economic development director for the City of Surprise. “This is beginning to change the more that people continue to move to the West Valley and experience the youth and vibrancy for themselves.” TEAM APPROACH The change in perception of the West Valley is also shifting thanks to the aggressive work of WESTMARC, in collaboration with West Valley public and private partnerships, combined with city-

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led synchronicity. These local forces have taken the challenges of a much overdue makeover head on. CBRE, for example, recently partnered with WESTMARC to create a joint-marketing piece to help eliminate antiquated ideas surrounding the West Valley. The result — concrete statistics that reveal the current economic opportunities, household earning potential and labor supply advantages. For example, one of the tired branding misconceptions about the West Valley has been a lack of professional services labor. Now, with proof that 35 percent of Metro Phoenix’s healthcare workers, 32 percent of finance and insurance workers, and 35,000 computer science and IT programming laborers reside in the West Valley, dated perceptions are diminishing. To help the West Valley progress further in her modern makeover, there’s still more work to be done. “We need to focus on attracting office space construction,” says Sintra Hoffman, WESTMARC’s president and CEO. “We need to have existing Class A office space to step up our game in attracting users in the areas where we already have the workforce to support them.” According to Hoffman, research demonstrates that the West Valley needs more build to suite Class A product. “Companies want existing office space, so from an economic development standpoint, we need to mitigate the risk for developers in order to make the investment in office space.”

LOOK

FLITE Goodyear: A 27-by-33 mural of a Corsair engine pays homage to the history of the FLITE Goodyear. In addition to being the location where Goodyear blimps were manufactured at one time, the Corsair is one of the planes that was worked on at FLITE Goodyear. (Mike Mertes, AZ Big Media)

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WESTMARC IN THE WORKS Projects such as the recently slated Goodyear Civic Square located north of McDowell Road and west of Harkins Theater near 150th Drive are a step in the right direction. With plans to include several features — including a city hall, library, two-acre park and gathering place, and an upscale Class A office complex — the Goodyear Civic Square is exactly what the West Valley needs to attract more users. “This is an important milestone for the city’s future growth,” said Lori Gary, Goodyear’s economic development director. “Class A office space is lacking in the West Valley, limiting our ability to vie for these desirable office projects. Goodyear will now be able to compete to attract high-end office users, which will bring even more high-quality jobs to the area.” In addition to shovel-ready office space, the West Valley needs startup investors to level-up, according to Ron Babich, CEO and founder of EasyVoice Voice Platform and chairperson of the West Valley Innovation Alliance. “We see interest from several tech startups interested in establishing roots in the West Valley,” Bacich says, “but we really need an incubator program to attract investors.” That’s where entities like the West Valley Innovation Alliance (WVIA) and AZ TechCelerator (City of Surprise) have stepped in. Together, with support from local higher education entities, they advocate for more opportunities for growing West Valley professional talent,

Ron Babich

Lori Gary

and fewer reasons for them to have to commute to East Valley jobs. As Babich humorously, but accurately puts it, “The West Valley may have 99 problems, but tech resources ain’t one. We have the talent and 40 percent of the workforce,” he says, “but we need to continue to build more faith in the system for investors.” REMARKABLE RESOURCES Part of eliciting faith is revealing additional resources above and beyond a solid available workforce. “The AZ TechCelerator launched 10 years ago as a creative reuse of the City of Surprise former City Hall facility,” says Jerkovic. “It was a different time economically in Arizona then, and the team in Surprise knew we had to energize our own local economy by helping startup companies and ensure a long-term economic future.” From there, Jerkovic and her City of Surprise cohorts pivoted their economic development strategy from a primary focus on attracting larger corporate investments to a more balanced one, focused on building a strong local entrepreneurship and small business ecosystem. The key, Babich says, “is more awareness of the tech the West Valley already has.” Babich provides examples which include: • EasyVoice: Makers of voice software for hands-free time sheets in all industries and medical patient management in healthcare. • InstantHandz: Software that helps

Sintra Hoffman

Jeanine Jerkovic

neighbors connect jobs to assist other neighbors. • LeadFuze: Software that helps businesses find new leads. • RTA Fleet Management: Fleet management software. • Promineo Tech: World-class education and student experience through quality programs, service focused interactions and working to make skills in technology available, accessible, and affordable to everyone. • Savant WMS: Warehouse management software. • Bravo Pay: Cashless tipping app for mobile devices. “The West Valley is essentially a nearly-untapped workforce mega-center for the region, anchored by several growing universities such as Ottawa and Grand Canyon Universities as well as vocational, CTE programs at West-MEC, Estrella Mountain Community College, Rio Salado and Dysart Unified School District,” Jerkovic says. “With several major data centers coming online in the West Valley, tech businesses can also be reassured that their data storage, fiber and telecom needs will be met.” In fact, AZ TechCelerator is currently helping global companies launch and is the only innovation hub in Arizona to receive the International Business Incubation Association “Soft Landing” designation, which is only one of 31 worldwide. It’s not simply West Valley startups, that need nurturing. “We have to take tech seriously. One of the things that I learned as part of growing a region infrastructure, is that technology is an essential requirement,” Babich explains. As more office space, tech startups, FinTech, healthcare and additional professional services migrate West, they’ll be happy to know they have reached the West Valley in the prime of her makeover — fresh-faced and ready to take on new adventures.

WEST VALLEY’S KEY INDUSTRIES HEALTHCARE

1,412 businesses, 46,300 employees

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WAREHOUSE AND DISTRIBUTION 910 businesses, 42,140 employees

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MANUFACTURING 646 businesses, 31,320 employees

FINANCE

559 businesses, 22,070 employees

AEROSPACE

83 businesses, 5,230 employees

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

71 businesses, 3,360 employees

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WESTMARC

Mother of

REINVENTION

West Valley redefines itself as a catalyst for innovation, economic growth, and a better quality of life

By ERIN THORBURN

ong, long ago in a region many Phoenicians perceived as far, far away, the West Valley was considered … well, perhaps in need of some polish. But it didn’t take a rebellion to change this perception. It took revitalization, rebranding and relaying a more accurate, updated story. Today, the West Valley story involves new locates such as Microsoft, AKOS, and Vantage data centers, innovative healthcare

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options, new restaurants, vibrant entertainment districts and more. ONE-OFF STORIES FROM THE WEST Smart movie franchises do more than capitalize on one story. They offer viewers one-offs, spin-offs, and mini-stories to illustrate a more complex narrative while also attracting interest. Storytellers like WESTMARC, CBRE and MAG are helping to re-shape perspectives on economic

growth, talented workforce, rising household incomes and quality of life in the West Valley. There are also plenty of one-off stories to share, like those of Farmers Insurance, which selected a West Valley location close to the North Peoria commute shed. “A variety of factors convinced us that the West Valley, which is near our new facility, is a vibrant, growing area that could accommodate the housing,

QUALITY OF LIFE: “Park West Shopping

Center is an incredible lifestyle shopping center that offers friends and families amazing retail, dining, and entertainment options,” says Peoria Mayor Cathy Carlat. New tenants at the red-hot entertainment desination in Peoria include Cold Beers & Cheeseburgers, Hash Kitchen, The Sicilian Butcher, The Sicilian Baker Cannoli Bar & Market, Jalapeno Inferno, Pita Jungle, FOREVER 21, Koi Poke, Orange Theory Fitness and Creamistry. (Provided rendering)

Cathy Carlat

shopping, educational and recreational needs of our people, not just for today, but also as we grow and evolve,” says Deborah West, director of Farmers Direct Services, “The West Valley is a strong and growing community with economic vitality, entertainment opportunities and a diverse workforce, making it an attractive area.” There are many common themes in why companies like Farmers Insurance, Vantage Data, Stream Data Center, Microsoft, REI, Amazon and other nationally-recognized companies have established — or are establishing — locations in and near the West Valley. FIRST, THERE IS THE TALENT: 35 percent of Metro Phoenix’s healthcare talent, 32 percent of finance and insurance labor, and 33 percent of manufacturing workers already reside in the West Valley are ready

and happy to eliminate their commutes to other areas of the Valley. SECOND, THERE IS THE BUYING POWER: The average household income in the West Valley currently hovers around $68,225, with many areas scattered throughout the region where the average household income exceeds $80,000. THIRD, THERE IS THE QUALITY OF LIFE: Westgate Entertainment District, State Farm Stadium, Gila River Arena, five Major League Baseball spring training facilities, award-winning golf course, Topgolf, Desert Diamond West Valley Casino, numerous local parks and hiking trails, and much more create a vibrant quality of life in the West Valley. FOURTH, THERE ARE THE EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES: A-rated K-12 and postsecondary schools, ASU West, Grand

Pat Feeney

Sintra Hoffman

Canyon University, Ottawa University, Midwestern University, Glendale Community College, Estrella Community College and West-MEC are training a skilled workforce for jobs that may not even exist yet. And, while these four pillars represent key areas of conveying the modern West Valley story, there is yet more to the plot. The West Valley consistently seeks to revitalize and expand its offerings in entertainment, retail, and recreation. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SPINOFF “Park West is an incredible lifestyle shopping center that offers friends and families amazing retail, dining, and entertainment options,” says Peoria Mayor Cathy Carlat. “Commercial Investment Real Estate (CIRE) Equity’s recent $4 AB | July - August 2019 105

WESTMARC million investment in upgrades and new amenities at Park West, and the incredible new tenants that have already opened their doors, demonstrate the success of our healthy and prosperous local economies, and I’m thrilled to see Park West continue to flourish as a premier Peoria shopping and entertainment destination.” “The West Valley, along the Loop 101, has really come into its own as an entertainment attraction,” adds Sintra Hoffman, WESTMARC president and CEO. “This is where our West Valley residents go to have fun.” The addition of the now open, Desert Diamond Casino in Glendale’s Westgate Entertainment District boasts a full-scale casino featuring a 75,000 square-foot gaming floor with the addition of new restaurants and retail. There’s also notable activity taking place with PV303, as more occupants solidify space, creating a conglomerate of e-commerce, clothing manufacturing, food and beverage, cold storage, thirdparty logistics (3PL), transportation, aerospace and data center industries. “Activity continues to be strong, and we believe the diversity in companies at PV303 adds to the viability of the industrial market in the West Valley,” says Pat Feeney, SIOR, senior vice president of CBRE. “PV303 has attracted a dynamic mix of corporate users — many of which are household names like UPS, REI, Boeing and Ball Corporation, to name a few.” “A number of these companies have planted their flags in the ground and purchased the buildings they occupy,” Feeney adds, “which I think says a lot about their confidence in the area and their ability to attract and retain local labor. It also helps to attract other businesses to the area that want to be neighbors with nationally and globally recognized tenants.” A CONTINUING AND CAPTIVATING FRANCHISE While revitalization and improvement of existing space continue to be a major aspect of the West Valley story, new offerings continue to be a catalyst for growth as well. Entertainment and recreation additions such as the Goodyear Civic Square at 106

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INDUSTRIAL HOT SPOT: “We believe the diversity in companies at PV303 adds to the viability of the industrial market in the West Valley,” says Pat Feeney, senior vice president of CBRE. “PV303 has attracted a dynamic mix of corporate users — many of which are household names like UPS (pictured), REI, Boeing and Ball Corporation, to name a few.” (Provided photo) Estrella Falls, slated for completion by summer of 2020, is a prime example. The new community gathering spot will serve as a center for festivals, concerts and parades, as well as inviting future development of new restaurants, retail and entertainment. “The West Valley Pipeline (Workforce Development Implementation Strategy) affirmed what West Valley leaders have long known — our region is home to highly educated and skilled professionals

looking for quality employment and head of household jobs close to home,” Carlat says. “Couple this with a warm, stable climate, access to amazing amenities, diverse housing options, and quality education, and it shows our region has a lot to offer. As we continue efforts to attract new businesses and targeted industries, we remain focused on communicating the very best of who we are, to ensure prospective employers recognize what we already know—the West Valley is the place to be.”

DATA CENTER HOT SPOT It’s been a good year for Goodyear. The city has landed three major data center projects already in 2019. Here’s a look at the plans: • V antage Data Centers acquired 50 acres of land in Goodyear to build a hyperscale data center campus, featuring 1 million square feet of data centers and 160 megawatts of capacity. •C ompass Datacenters acquired more than 200 acres of land in Goodyear, where it has capacity to build up to 350 megawatts of data center capacity. • S tream Data Centers acquired land for a major data center campus in Goodyear and marks Stream’s entry into the Phoenix market. Stream has bought 157 acres of land, which includes an existing structure that will be converted into a 418,000 square foot data center with up to 50 megawatts of power.

Stream Data Centers

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WESTMARC

SCHOOL TIES West Valley is a class act when it comes to educational opportunities for residents By ERIN THORBURN

he West Valley has no shortage of educational opportunities. In fact, it’s because of the close-knit educational collaboration among K-12 and secondary schools, community colleges and trade schools, and extending to abundant higher education options that have helped make the West Valley an economic success story. And, these educational entities continue to yield impressive and abundant talent for varying industries. “ASU has partnered with the community colleges to create pathways to ensure seamless transitions for students,” says Bobbi Magdaleno, executive director of government and community engagement for Arizona State University West Campus. “We have 30 percent growth in freshmen year-overyear in our largest college on campus, the New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences.” In the professional services realm, ASU West offers strong degree programs in forensic science and forensic psychology, with a solid combination of mat,h along with the psychology and behavioral analysis pieces. “Our cybersecurity degrees/certificate contribute to a workforce that has a strong career outlook with high projected growth,” Magdaleno says. Maricopa Community Colleges are collectively helping to grow the West Valley’s existing 35 percent of Metro Phoenix’s healthcare workers by offering 40 healthcare programs, in addition to several other professional services degree paths. Midwestern University, Grand Canyon University, Estrella Community College and a newer educational resident — Ottawa University Arizona (OUAZ) — are among other collegiate options for West Valley residents. In fact, OUAZ began the 2018-2019 academic year with a 42 percent increase in enrollment over the prior year, with a total enrollment of 618. “We are thrilled with the response to our unique higher educational offerings at our new campus in Surprise,” said Dr. Kevin Eichner, chancellor of Ottawa University. “Our approach

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to the development of the whole person is being extremely well received, and we are excited about the impact of our programs such as our FlexTerm calendar, Spirit life opportunities, Personal Growth Days and extensive and rigorous academic curriculum.” “The West Valley has tremendous postsecondary opportunities,” says WESTMARC president and CEO Sintra Hoffman. “We are definitely moving the needle. We have more private and public school choices than ever before. In the Surprise area, we have Ottawa University, Huntington University in Peoria, Franklin Pierce and Columbia in Goodyear. As far as upping educational options, ASU, Grand Canyon and our West Valley community colleges are absolutely knocking it out of the park.”

Kevin Eichner

Bobbi Magdaleno

WEST VALLEY

educational institutions

PUBLIC ASU West Campus NAU at Glendale NAU at Estrella Mountain NAU at North Valley

COMMUNITY COLLEGES Estrella Mountain Community College Estrella Mountain Community College-Buckeye Educational Center Glendale Community College Phoenix College Rio Salado Community College

CAREER AND TECHNICAL PROGRAMS Arizona Automotive Institute Universal Technical Institute West-MEC campuses • Central Campus • Northeast Campus

• Southwest Campus • Northwest Campus • Diesel Campus • Start@WEST-MEC

PRIVATE Arizona College Carrington College Columbia College DeVry University

Embry Riddle Franklin Pierce University Grand Canyon University Huntington University

Midwestern University Ottawa University University of Phoenix Webster University

WEST VALLEY

RECORD YEAR: Grand Canyon University's platinum year was also the biggest and best in its 70-year history, as the university conferred a record 25,232 degrees for its Grand Canyon University: 20,500 traditional-aged and Glendale Community College: 17,942 working adult students. Estrella Mountain Community College: 9,976 (Provided photo)

student enrollment (Fall 2018) Arizona State University, West: 4,445 West Valley Rio Salado College: 2,752 Ottawa University 1,434

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TRAINING Luke AFB not only prepares the world’s best fighter pilots, it’s building the workforce of the future By ERIN THORBURN

esidents of the West Valley, often hear “the sounds of freedom” emanating from above. The audible and visible signs of F-35 training missions represent just part of the ongoing legacy of Luke Air Force Base. In addition to being home to F-35s, Luke AFB also houses F-16s, 4,300 active military personnel, 1,300 reserves, and 1,300 civilians. Together, the moving parts of Luke AFB contribute a game-changing $2.4 billion in annual economic impact to the local community — the economic impact equivalent of hosting five Super Bowls a year. “For over 70 years, Luke has trained the world’s greatest fighter pilots and combat-ready airmen,” says Brigadier General Todd Canterbury. “As we build to hosting 144 of the world’s most advanced

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fighters, the F-35, Luke will continue this legacy for years to come. We look forward to continuing to grow with the West Valley.” While many are aware of the tremendous economic impact of Luke AFB, perhaps less highlighted, is the gaining traction of Luke AFB’s talented transitioning military. While Luke has — and continues to — pump dollars into the West Valley, it's also part of a valuable, skilled workforce pipeline. “More than 500 military members transition from Luke Air Force Base annually,” explains Steve Yamamori, president and CEO of the Reveille Foundation. “And, depending on opportunities for employment, roughly 50 percent would consider staying in the West Valley.”

REGION TAKES OFF: An F-35 Lightning II takes off from Luke Air Force Base, (Photo by: U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Pedro Mota)

GROUND TALENTED TRANSITIONERS Part of why talented transitioning military remain in the West Valley is attributed to government, municipal, and public support. “I remember going out to Luke Air Force Base as a young boy,” says Glendale Mayor Jerry P. Weiers. I was mesmerized by the aircraft and the entire operation, and I am extremely proud that it has grown into the world’s largest Air Force base right here in Glendale. For decades, Luke Air Force Base has trained our country’s greatest fighter pilots and has also welcomed foreign partners like Norway, Italy, Taiwan, Singapore, Australia, and others.” In fact, Luke AFB currently trains 75 percent of the world’s F-35 pilots. This means the West Valley is in a unique position to showcase itself to a broad audience. During their training, international military pilots plant temporary roots all over the West Valley, settling in communities like Estrella Mountain Ranch, Vistancia, and Verrado, among others. “The ability to train with our allied partners from around the

world helps build closer relationships with potential coalition partners in future conflicts around the world,” says James “Rusty” Mitchell, Luke Air Force Base’s director of its Community Initiatives Team. “Having partner families in our community exposes them to the unbelievable support that surrounds the men and women at Luke AFB. It also helps our families become more familiar with the Partner Nation’s customs and courtesies that would otherwise not be possible.” And, while basing training for the F-35 — the nation’s newest and most advanced weapon system — at Luke, it ensures the continued economic contributions of Luke AFB for the next 50 years. That also means the prospect of a critical mass of talented Luke AFB military members transitioning into the West Valley Workforce remains positive. ADDED INCENTIVE? Despite the optimistic expectations that 50 percent of the talent will remain in the West Valley after aging out of service at AB | July - August 2019 111

WESTMARC

Luke AFB, many West Valley economic developers, along with city, community, and government leaders continue to ask: “Can we do more?” What can be done moving forward to entice Luke AFB transitioning military to remain in the West Valley? “We did a survey for our airmen and the four prominent things that came up were job opportunities, education, cost of living, and relationships,” says Colonel Robert A. Sylvester, commander of the 56th Mission Support Group at Luke Air Force Base. “Transitioning out of the military can be a difficult process,” Yamamori says. “Individuals are coming from an environment that directs them where to go and what to do for their entire careers and suddenly, they are expected to be self-starters and know how to navigate the community.” “We have many opportunities to let our airmen know what’s available locally,” Sylvester adds. “They include Luke Air Force Base Airman & Family Readiness Center Employment Hub Facebook page, with over 600 followers, averaging six job

posts a week; several job fairs with 72 employers and five public agencies; a job bank with 800 members; and twice-monthly employer panels with transitional assistance.” Of the ad hoc hiring opportunities available, Sylvester points to Chewey, Lyft, Border Patrol, USAA, Kingman PD, Discover, Boeing, SHRM, Lockheed and Amazon that have become amazing employers to former military members. Additional resources include the Reveille Foundation, which helps to increase both awareness and opportunity. “Reveille’s vision is to create better, faster pathways to success for all underserved populations, no matter where they begin their journey,” Yamamori says. “Our goal is to take the wonderful work that is being done at the West Valley Military and Veteran Success Center and bring these resources throughout Maricopa County.” SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT In addition to programs and foundations that bridge the gap between military service and the civilian workforce, continued community and government support, combined with incentives,

“For over 70 years, Luke has trained the world’s greatest fighter pilots and combat-ready airmen,” says Brigadier General Todd Canterbury. “As we build to hosting 144 of the world’s most advanced fighters, the F-35, Luke will continue this legacy for years to come. We look forward to continuing to grow with West Valley.”

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WESTMARC

Todd Canterbury

James “Rusty” Mitchell

Robert A. Sylvester

offer additional reasons to keep exciting military personnel in the West Valley. “The West Valley and the state are very welcoming to military personnel, both still serving as well as those that are ready to transition from the military life to the civilian workforce,” Mitchell says. “Led by Gov. Doug Ducey, the elected officials of Arizona have made it very clear that the state welcomes military personnel and their families to remain as residents. The Legislature has pursued tax incentives to further attract military personnel and make it easier to call Arizona home.” While the talent emerging from Luke is largely comprised of trained pilots and maintainers primed for work in airlines and engineering positions — such as those available at Lockheed

Jerry P. Weiers

Steve Yamamori

Martin — the potential to fill in additional employment needs is plentiful. For their part, West Valley economic developers and partnerships — such as those cultivated in WESTMARC — are aggressively continuing to tempt employers who could benefit from the talent pool at Luke AFB and persuade them to plant roots in Maricopa County. “Everyday acknowledgment of the sacrifices made by the military personnel stationed in Arizona is very impactful,” Mitchell says. “Every airman in today’s Air Force joined knowing that that they were going to be placed ‘in harm’s way,’ and yet they raised their hand to serve. A pat on the back and a simple thank you goes a long way.”

KEY EMPLOYERS IN THE WEST VALLEY

LUKE AIR FORCE BASE

7,840

BANNER HEALTH

7,090 AMAZON

5,880 AMERICAN EXPRESS

3,890

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GRAND CANYON UNIVERSITY

2,800

PINNACLE WEST CAPITAL CORP.

2,510

ABRAZO COMMUNITY HEALTH NETWORK

2,070

PETSMART

2,000

SWIFT TRANSPORTATION

JBS PACKERLAND TOLLESON

HUMANA

1,390

1,540

1,340

MARSHALLS

EMPEREON MARKETING

1,480

HONORHEALTH

1,400

1,340

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WESTMARC

STRENGTHS AND West Valley packs pipeline of ready-made finance and insurance workforce talent

By ERIN THORBURN

oney bees typically travel 1.3 miles to collect the necessary resources to bring back to the bee hive. For the last few decades, the majority of West Valley finance and insurance workers have had to commute significantly farther than the average honey bee. Commuting to other areas of the Valley has historically been accepted as a byproduct of living in the West Valley. With 34 percent of professional finance and insurance workers in Maricopa County specifically residing in the West Valley, however, is shattering this dated perception. With a hive of talent ready to fly, it’s the perfect time for financial and insurance institutions to build a colony and invest in the West.

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WESTMARC’s “West Valley Pipeline” regional workforce development strategy continues to demonstrate a region that contains a skilled and talented workforce—with finance and insurance as one of the leading sectors. “We just partnered on a joint marketing piece with CBRE that goes into detail about our workforce, demonstrating a robust talent base in finance and insurance,” explains Sintra Hoffman, WESTMARC president. The collaborative marketing efforts of CBRE and WESTMARC have revealed invaluable data for financial and insurance companies ready to relocate or expand. “CBRE tracked 23 companies that publicly announced a new

OPPORTUNITIES

COMPANIES EXPANDING IN THE WEST VALLEY Farmers Insurance, Phoenix 750 415 Andersen Corporation, Goodyear 300 Conair, Glendale Southwest Products Corporation, Surprise 265 XPO Logistics, Goodyear 150 136 Alaska USA Federal Credit Union, Glendale Amazon, Goodyear 130 125 Tyr Tactical, Peoria 100 Carvana, Tolleson KPS Global, Goodyear 85 Bravada Yachts, Tolleson 57 HonorHealth, Peoria 57

NEW JOBS 2,570

Sources: CBRE Research, Greater Phoenix Economic Council, Arizona Commerce Authority

Ron Castro

Teresa Leyba Ruiz

Jessica Morin AB | July - August 2019 117

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“We are in the midst of enormous change that will affect our current and future workforce.” — Teresa Leyba Ruiz

or expanding location since 2018 in the West Valley,” says Jessica Morin, CBRE Pacific Southwest Division’s senior research analyst, “that equals upwards of 4,000 new jobs. Most of these identified users are clustered in West Phoenix, Goodyear, Surprise and Tolleson.” So where does this leave the West Valley? In a prime position. Here’s why, according to Morin: “Competition for labor has significantly increased, and finance and insurance companies may increasingly look to locate away from their competition, especially closer to the labor in the West Valley,” she says. In addition to the competitive 34 percent ready-made talent residing in the West Valley, finance and insurance graduates from Grand Canyon University, ASU West Campus and the Maricopa Community College system have the potential to increase this substantial workforce even more. “The West Valley is fortunate to have two community colleges, a major public university as well as two major private universities,” says Teresa Leyba Ruiz, Glendale Community College’s president. “It’s the responsibility of the educational institutions to ensure a talented workforce, that is flexible and adaptable, and is ready to contribute to the economic success of corporations and the community.” And, while educational partnerships continue to feed the finance and insurance employee supply chain, the antiquated perceptions of the West Valley are changing. “The West Valley has a somewhat unique hurdle in public perception,” Morin says. “People put the West Valley in a box, assuming it’s solely a distribution and healthcare market. While these uses have a significant footprint, the labor in the West Valley support professional and business service users, such as finance and insurance.” In addition to having the aid of education, community and business partnerships, technological advancements have fueled favor to the West Valley as a viable hotspot for finance and insurance economic development opportunities. “We are in the midst of enormous change that will affect our current and future workforce,” Ruiz says. “The change has a lot to do with the rapidly changing technological power of computers and advancing systems that will impact financial and insurance institutions, specifically.” “From my perspective as the vice president of BNC bank, if you have a smartphone you can be a customer of our bank. We don’t have to be in close geographic proximity to serve customers across the valley,” says Ron Castro, BNC National Bank’s vice president. “If a bank in Glendale can operate that way, other banks can too—those downtown and in the East Valley—can relocate or expand here.” 118

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With a firm foundation of finance and insurance talent available and waiting for a daily honey-bee commute, rather than I-10 east trek, what needs to happen to attract more employers to create a colony? “The West Valley needs a pioneer that understands the strengths and opportunities of the West Valley region, and who is willing to establish a campus,” Morin says. “Once that occurs, I believe others will follow in their lead and the West Valley will establish itself as a finance and insurance hub.” “We have quality of life, affordable housing, a beautiful and functional infrastructure of new highways,” Castro adds. “The only thing holding us back is the investment in office space and building to bring more opportunities to the West Valley.”

COMPANIES THAT ARE NEW TO THE WEST VALLEY Chewy, Goodyear SK Food Group, Tolleson UPS, Goodyear AKOS Medical Campus, Avondale Huhtamaki North America, Goodyear IRIS USA, Surprise Aldi, Goodyear Ball Corporation, Goodyear Trimaco, Surprise The Vitamin Shoppe, Avondale Cardinal IG, Buckeye Ring, Glendale SeaCa Packaging, Surprise IAC Industries, Goodyear

700 550 500 400 300 200 132 130 110 110 100 100 65 55

NEW JOBS 3,452

Sources: CBRE Research, Greater Phoenix Economic Council, Arizona Commerce Authority

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