PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
{ MEDIA }
MIKE ATKINSON
SANDRA KOTZAMBASIS
President and CEO AZ Big Media azbigmedia.com
News Director KPNX, 12 News 12news.com
Atkinson started AZ Big Media in 1985 and now publishes eight magazines – Az Business, AZRE (Arizona Commercial Real Estate), Ranking Arizona, Az Business Leaders, Creative Designer, Experience Az, PTK (People & Projects to Know) and Cactus League’s Play Ball. AZ Big Media also host 10 business events and delivers six weekly digital newsletters. Toughest challenge: “Integrating our media products into one digital platform at azbigmedia.com.” Business advice: “Don’t second guess yourself. Stay focused on your goals and keep your life in balance.” Childhood aspirations: “Travel the world and/or play for the New York Jets, Knicks or Yankees.” Surprising fact: “I create outdoor art from repurposed architectural materials. You can see my work at aztotemart.com.”
Kotzambasis is the news director for KPNX, 12 News. She has enjoyed an immensely successful career in broadcast news — spanning 25 years — during which she has held many senior-level management positions. She is a graduate of the University of Arizona. Toughest challenge: “What I have learned over these many years, is that reaching my goals sooner, rather than later, is not always the best path. Enjoy the path you’ve set for yourself, savor the wins and learn from the losses. I see every instance of change as a learning experience and hope to use those lessons in future challenges.” Childhood aspirations: “I knew at the age of 11 that I wanted to be a journalist. For my 12th birthday, I asked for a TV for my bedroom so I could watch the 10 p.m. newscast each night before bed.”
MI-AI PARRISH
BILL PHALEN
In September, Parrish was named president and publisher of The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com after serving as a publisher in Kansas City, Mo., and Boise, Idaho, where she gained a reputation for transforming and diversifying business operations and encouraging quality journalism. At the Kansas City Star, Parrish found success in growing the traditional media company’s connections with a changing community that wanted news on its smartphones, fresh experiences at festivals and events, and quality journalism in all its products. Parrish served as a deputy managing editor and in other roles in The Republic newsroom from 1999 to 2001. Professional strengths: “I’m bullish on what we do because it’s so important. It’s vital to the community. It’s vital in a democracy.”
Cities West Publishing, which Phalen founded in 1997, publishes Phoenix magazine and Phoenix Home and Garden. Before starting Cities West, he founded and co-founded three broadcasting companies that acquired 24 radio stations throughout the United States. Phalen earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Southern Mississippi in 1965. He later earned a master’s degree in organizational behavior from Norwich University in Vermont. He served for six years in the U.S. Army and National Guard. He is past president of the Tucson Broadcasters Association and was a member of the advisory board of the ABC Radio Network and the Walter Cronkite Endowment Board of the Trustees at ASU. All told, Phalen has served on five corporate boards.
President and publisher Arizona Republic azcentral.com
STEVE STRICKBINE President Times Media Group timespublications.com
Steve is a former CPA who grew up in the Valley and attended ASU. He is the founder of Times Media Group, which he started as a single community publication in the north Scottsdale area and has grown into a leading print and digital media company serving the Valley and Tucson.
60 ABL | Nominate at azBIGmedia.com
CEO Cities West Publishing phoenixmag.com
Business advice: “Embrace the changes taking place in our industry. As the Chinese proverb says, ‘A crisis is often opportunity riding the dangerous wind.’ There are more opportunities today in the media industry than ever before, as new technology has laid waste to long-standing traditional paradigms.” Surprising fact: “I was a killer poker player when I was in high school and college. My friends and I would stay up all night long playing poker and even had a host of games we had invented on our own.”