AzBusiness magazine January/February 2016

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JANUARY // FEBRUARY 2016

MILLENNIALS MEET ARIZONA'S MOST INFLUENTIAL YOUNG BUSINESS LEADERS Arizona Corporate Counsel Awards

49

Industry Leaders of Arizona

73

Greater Phoenix Economic Council

97

Arizona Lodging & Tourism Association

113

Table Of Contents 6

Up Front

12

CEO series

14

Healthcare

18

Environment

22

Law

26

Millennials

32

Dining

34

Wealth Management

49

Arizona Corporate Counsel Awards

73

Industry Leaders of Arizona

97

Greater Phoenix Economic Council

113

Arizona Lodging & Tourism Association On the cover

t seems fitting that this issue of Az Business comes on the heels of Forbes Magazine naming Arizona the best state for future job growth. The Moody’s report projected a job growth rate of 3.1 percent through 2019.

Economic experts said Arizona has become a landing spot for expanding businesses because of its skilled workforce, available real estate and diversified economy.

A look inside this issue of Az Business reveals many of the reasons why Arizona has become such a hotbed for business growth and development.

Some of the most dynamic businesses in Arizona are featured as finalists for the 2016 Industry Leaders of Arizona (ILoA) Awards, which recognize the contributions and impact of Arizona based companies on both the economy of Arizona and in the communities they serve.

State and local officials have announced several recent expansions into the state, including Gainsight, Northern Trust Bank, Home Depot and Santander Consumer USA Holdings Inc. The Greater Phoenix Economic Council, featured in a special report, is responsible for attracting many companies to the state and helping them grow once they get here.

By 2020, experts say almost half of the workforce will be made up of Millennials. While Millennials get a bad rap from many, there is no doubt they are shaping Arizona’s business landscape and making it their own. Meet some of Arizona’s most influential Millennials inside this issue.

What a great way to begin 2016.

Jenny Moody (page 62), Chris Camacho (page 98), Dr. Brandy Ficek (page 28), Carson Holmquist (pages 28, 92 ) and Melissa Ho (page 29).

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

CONNECT » GUIDE » INSPIRE

JANUARY // FEBRUARY 2016

MILLENNIALS MEET ARIZONA'S MOST INFLUENTIAL YOUNG BUSINESS LEADERS Arizona Corporate Counsel Awards

2

49

Industry Leaders of Arizona

73

Greater Phoenix Economic ouncil

97

Arizona Lodging & Tourism Association

113

The cream always rises I

AB | January - February 2016

49

73

97

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Here’s to 10 years as your hometown bank.

Bank local. Bank Pinnacle.

Creating an exceptional experience!

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AB | January - February 2016

3

SHOUT-OUTS CFOs of the Year

T

he Arizona Chapter of Financial Executives International presented its 2015 CFO of the Year Awards. The four CFO of the Year Awards were presented to:

Katherine Mills

Larry W. Seay

Chris Palmer

Bryce Hancock

Katherine Mills, senior vice president and CFO of Donor Network of Arizona, earned the award for the nonprofit sector. Mills was charged with transitioning an unprofitable hospital-based department into an independent 501(c)(3) corporation and played a major role in creating and implementing a successful business model for the financially struggling organ and tissue bank..

Larry W. Seay, executive vice president and CFO for Meritage Homes, earned the award for the public companies category. Seay’s IT team is working on an an in-house document retention system which will be a repository for nearly all company documents.

Chris Palmer, CFO of Televerde, earned the award for the medium-size private companies category. Palmer’s financial management process enabled the company to expand gross margins from 65 percent to more than 70 percent.

Bryce Hancock, CFO of BeyondTrust, earned the award for the large-size private companies category. Hancock built a successful financial model for BeyondTrust and today, it is experiencing 41 percent profit margins.

Man and Woman of the Year

V

alley Leadership announced Michael Crow and Elva Coor as the organization’s 67th Man & Woman of the Year. The pair will be honored for their contributions and commitment to our community at the Annual Man & Woman of the Year awards luncheon on March 24th.

Fastest-growing tech firms

D

eloitte’s 2015 Technology Fast 500 ranking revealed that SiteLock was the fastest-growing technology company in Arizona. SiteLock’s sister company, Nextiva, was the secondfastest-growing technology company in Arizona.

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AB | January - February 2016

President and CEO: Michael Atkinson Publisher: Cheryl Green Vice president of operations: Audrey Webb EDITORIAL Editor in chief: Michael Gossie Associate editor: Erin Davis Interns: Laura Burnett | Lauren Holly Contributing writers: Alison Bailin Batz | Jason Axelrod | Meryl Fishler | Cheryl Hurd | Rebecca Winn | Steven G. Zylstra ART Art director: Mike Mertes Graphic designer: Anita Richey Video intern: Zakiya Moore DIGITAL MEDIA Account manager: Kerri Blumsack Web developer: Eric Shepperd Digital coordinator: Robin Sendele MARKETING/EVENTS Marketing & events manager: Heidi Maxwell Marketing coordinator: Lorin Parkhurst OFFICE Special projects manager: Sara Fregapane Executive assistant: Mayra Rivera Database solutions manager: Cindy Johnson AZ BUSINESS MAGAZINE Senior account manager: David Harken Account managers: Ann McSherry | Bailey Young AZRE | ARIZONA COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE Directors of sales: Jeff Craig AZ BUSINESS LEADERS Director of sales: Sheri Brown RANKING ARIZONA Director of sales: Sheri King EXPERIENCE ARIZONA | PLAY BALL Director of sales: Joe Freedman CREATIVE DESIGNER Director of sales: David Silver

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 2015 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.

UP FRONT Arizona is No. 1 in job growth Scott Wagner COO and CFO GoDaddy godaddy.com

Background: Wagner manages the company’s business operations as well as all financial reporting, budgeting and forecasting. Prior to Blake Irving’s appointment as CEO in January 2013, Wagner spent six months working on several strategic growth initiatives as GoDaddy’s interim CEO —including the company’s expansion into India.

Toughest challenge: “Managing my time efficiently and effectively across internal and external issues in the business, as well as across teams within the company while maintaining a healthy work/life balance. It’s a constant challenge and one I’m always striving to improve.”

Business advice: “Delight your customers in unexpected ways. Spend a disproportionate amount of time on issues that matter to customers and to your business.”

Childhood aspiration: “General manager of a sports team. It taught me the value of how insightful metrics can be used to build great teams and businesses.”

To read more about the best and brightest business leaders in Arizona, get a copy of the 2016 edition of Az Business Leaders at azbigmedia.com.

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AB | January - February 2016

A

rizona has emerged from the wreckage of the financial crisis of the late 2000s to have a projected job growth of 3.1 percent annually though 2019, which makes it the best in the U.S., according to forecasts from Moody’s Analytics.

“Baby Boomers retiring to Arizona is the main driver for Arizona’s employment growth,” Kyle Hillman, an economist at Moody’s focused on Arizona, told Forbes. This migration fuels jobs in healthcare and consumer services. Net migration into the state is projected to total 679,000 over the next five years. Only Nevada, which has the second-highest projected job growth rate at 2.9 percent a year, is expected to enjoy a faster migration rate.

TECH’S APPEAL A

new survey from Robert Half Technology found that 75 percent of professionals find the technology industry appealing. With an unemployment rate well below the national average, the technology industry has a growing need for talent. And the most attractive qualities to those surveyed?

• Salary potential and job opportunities (38 percent) • The ability to learn new things (24 percent) • The appeal of the workplace culture (13 percent)

BEST U.S. CITIES FOR RETIREMENT Chicago

Seattle

1.8%

1.9%

Denver

Charlotte

Los Angeles

Nashville

5.2%

2.4%

2.8%

San Diego

3.1%

2.1%

Phoenix

15.9%

Jacksonville Austin

2.1%

35.1%

Source:Havas PR Localism survey

602.808.0766

TCooksPhoenix.com

UP FRONT

Website helps learning pay off

By LAURA BURNETT

Jason Pistillo President and CEO University of Advancing Technology uat.edu

Background: Pistillo is a second-generation educator steeped in the values of creating unparalleled opportunities that harness real change and innovation. He has developed groundbreaking educational models, designed real-time curriculum information structures and launched best-of-class intake systems. Utilizing innovative curriculums, Pistillo has proven new learning theories while continuously developing young technology leaders.

Toughest challenge: “Getting our name out there as an elite institution that’s trying to overcome the need for additional technologists in industry. UAT is a STEM-based, private university and we’re working to overcome obstacles in the technology and private education industries by using the most innovative operational tactics across the university.”

Surprising fact: “My dad is my adventure buddy. We’ve been adventuring since I was 3. One of our first adventures ended with him coercing me down the edge of a dry waterfall. I’ve almost died on several occasions since then. I’ve been shot, fallen off a cliff and attacked by bear.”

To read more about the best and brightest business leaders in Arizona, get a copy of the 2016 edition of Az Business Leaders at azbigmedia.com.

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AB | January - February 2016

P

hoenix resident Keith Rezendes worked for every tutoring company he could find, but realized tutors weren’t getting a fair share of the money they were bringing into companies.

That’s when he came up with the idea for AvidBrain.

AvidBrain — whose slogan is “Teach something. Learn anything.” — provides a marketplace of qualified tutors that students can browse, based on subject, fee and proximity. With tutors from all 50 states and students from the Middle East and China looking for American tutoring, proximity isn’t the most important aspect. The website has a built-in video platform for remote tutoring sessions.

Essentially, AvidBrain is creating individual small businesses for tutors. Once joining, tutors have Keith Rezendes marketing and visibility that they wouldn’t otherwise have if they listed their jobs on any other job-listing website.

There’s also a safety aspect that doesn’t normally come with tutoring services: each applicant needs to complete — and pass — a background check.

AvidBrain also gives more money to tutors than it keeps. Many companies give the tutor 50 percent of the hourly rate, regardless of training or qualifications. AvidBrain tutors keep 70 percent of their hourly rate, a percent that increases as the tutor works more hours.

To learn more, visit avidbrain.com.

GIVING HEALTHCARE A LIFT

V

eyo, a Phoenix-based healthcare logistics start-up that offers rides to and from healthcare appointments, is planning to launch January 15 in Metropolitan Phoenix. Akin to app-driven rideshare companies, Veyo offers patients (and their insurers) nonemergency lifts to and from healthcare providers’ offices or hospital.

By offering higher per-mile rates than similar app-based transportation services and with a majority of trips falling between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m., Veyo also offers a great gig for Valley adults who are looking for parttime income.

Learn more at veyo.com.

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UP FRONT Taking advantage of Arizona’s R&D tax credit Yale F. Goldberg

By MERYL FISHLER

Partner Frazer Ryan Goldberg & Arnold LLP frgalaw.com

Background: Goldberg has a national reputation for successfully representing businesses and individuals in tax controversies in state and federal tax courts, trial courts and courts of appeal. He began his career as a trial attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice.

He is a Certified Specialist in Tax Law (Arizona Board of Legal Specialization) and was named 2015 Lawyer of the Year in tax law by Best Lawyers in America.

Rewards of position: “For most individuals or companies that contact us with a tax problem, it is their first experience in dealing with the tax authorities. They feel an enormous sense of urgency. We are often able to show them a path to a positive outcome and give them peace of mind.”

Leadership principle: “Leadership is influence. Our knowledge of tax laws and our deep roots in tax controversies help us influence tax authorities and the courts for the benefit of our clients.”

Surprising fact: “I juggle and I have run more than 60 marathons, many of them under three hours.”

To read more about the best and brightest business leaders in Arizona, get a copy of the 2016 edition of Az Business Leaders at azbigmedia.com.

10

AB | January - February 2016

A

rizona companies that create products that are more reliable, lighter, faster or less expensive, may qualify for a dollar-for-dollar reduction of their income tax liability. But, Arizona businesses need to start preparing early if they hope to take advantage of this opportunity.

Arizona’s research and development (R&D) tax credits are available to companies that bear the financial risk of developing new or improved products or processes, said Tom Sanger, partner at Moss Adams LLP. The R&D tax credit gives qualifying companies additional money to reinvest into the business, rather than pay out to the IRS or state. Arizona offers the most generous R&D tax credit in the nation. While most states have an R&D credit rate of 5 percent to 10 percent, Arizona’s is at 24 percent.

“Businesses are doing these activities regardless of the tax credit,” Sanger said, “but additional credit is a bonus to profits.”

Tom Sanger Arizona holds another notable distinction in terms of R&D credits: a refundable credit to qualifying small businesses, Sanger added. Refundable claims are limited to $5 million per year and funds are allocated on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Eligible businesses must first obtain pre-approval for the credit by submitting an application to the Arizona Commerce Authority prior to filing their tax return. It is critical to begin preparing early for the pre-approval process because last year’s funds were depleted by the end of January. The application period opens on January 1.

AB | January - February 2016

11

CEOs

WISE ACRES Verma has used vision and analysis to shape Arizona’s landscape By MICHAEL GOSSIE

K

uldip Verma’s product cannot be duplicated.

“We don’t make land anymore,” said the CEO of Vermaland. “Most of our resources — food, oil, minerals, wood — come from the land.

Everything comes out of land. As the population grows, there will be a lot of pressure on the land.”

When it comes to pressure, Verma is as cool as business leaders come. He has gone from being raised in a small Indian village that had no electricity for the first decade of his life, to becoming the largest landholder of 50-acre to 1,200-acre parcels in Metro Phoenix.

So how did he do it? Az Business sat down with Verma to learn his story.

Az Business: How did you get into the land business?

Kuldip Verma: In 1991, I wanted to get into land development in Hawaii, but it was a bad time to get into the market in Hawaii. At that time, Phoenix was already hit with the downturn and you could buy things here for 10 cents on the dollar and office buildings were 20 cents on the dollar. I looked at data and found that Phoenix was the fastest-growing city in the United States and had been growing since 1950. So I decided to come to Phoenix, got into one office project and then purchased land at the foot of the White Tank Mountains for $1,500 per acre. Everybody said, “No one is ever going to go there.” My wife said, “You’re just wasting your money.”

I told them that my dream was to see houses there one day. Four or five years later, a developer came and offered to do a joint venture and — at the peak — we were selling the one-acre lots for almost $300,000 per acre. So that was a huge, exponential rate of return.

AB: How did you have the foresight to see the value of that land?

KV: Even though we see a lot of land when we drive around, I noticed that the private, developable land in Arizona was only 17 percent. A lot of the land belongs to Indian reservations, federal agencies, the State Land Trust. The developable land is very limited. That was the key reason I knew land would be very valuable here. When you can get people to start moving there, that’s when the price really shoots up.

So you do your projections and if you can buy at a really low price and know that people will move there one day, that’s a good deal.

12

AB | January - February 2016

AB: How do you have the patience it takes to be a land investor?

KV: I try to purchase the land that is selling at a discount, whether it’s because somebody wants to sell, the bank needs to sell or some other reason. As for patience, let’s say you buy a piece of land at $5,000 an acre. You think after 10 years or 15 years the development will get there. The following year, it may not be $5,000 an acre, but it may be $7,000 or $8,000, so you still have an out.

It’s not like you have to hold that investment for 10 or 15 years, but the maximum appreciation comes when the population comes to the land.

AB: What is the best deal you’ve made?

KV: Sonoran Ridge Estates is one of the best deals that already produced the results we envisioned. We also bought a property called La Rosa Ranch that was the largest master-planned community southeast of Casa Grande. It’s very close to the proposed switching yard for Union-Pacific Railroad. I consider that to be the best purchase of my lifetime because the rate of return on that land is going to be humungous.

AB: How does it feel to see your vision come to fruition?

KV: It gives me so much joy to drive around and see homes where there was once nothing. That’s the best feeling you can have.

KULDIP VERMA: “Any structure may have a life of 50 years or 100 years, but not much more than that,” said the CEO of Vermaland. “That means the value of the structure is going to be zero in 50 years or 100 years. It’s really the land that creates the appreciation and the value.”

PHOTO BY MIKE MERTES, AZ BIG MEDIA

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HIGH-TECH OPTION: Abrazo Community Health Network neurosurgeons became the ďŹ rst in Arizona to use Nico BrainPath technology for minimally invasive deep brain tumor surgery.

CAN 2 BECOME 1?

Abrazo Community Health Network uses innovation and investment to improve its prognosis By MICHAEL GOSSIE

PHOTOS PROVIDED BY ABRAZO COMMUNITY HEALTH NETWORK

3D IMAGING: Before entering the operating room, surgeons use the Mazor Robotics Renaissance Guidance System to pre-plan the optimal surgery in a CT-based 3D simulation of the patient’s spine.

I

s it possible to be No. 2 and still end up the winner?

Leaders of Abrazo Community Health Network see that as a distinct possibility.

“Clearly, Banner Health has the highest market share in Arizona,” says Michele Finney, market CEO for Abrazo, “so Abrazo wants to be No. 2.”

A year after Banner’s $1 billion-plus merger with the University of Arizona Health Network created Arizona’s largest health system, Abrazo William Ellert Michele Finney Kathleen Rondeau has countered by investing more than $100 million in infrastructure and innovation and “A lot of what you’re seeing with the repositioning rebranded itself to create a growing reputation as an of Abrazo and investments in the market is to sustain edgy alternative to Banner that offers one-stop shops for the trajectory that will allow Abrazo to be successful in holistic healthcare and speciality healthcare. accomplishing that objective,” Finney says.

“We will settle for No. 2 in market share,” says William Ellert, market chief medical officer for Abrazo, “but we strive to be No. 1 in quality and service.”

To achieve its vision, innovation and investment Finney says Tenet Healthcare acquired Abrazo in have been priorities for Abrazo.

2013 because the company’s analysis showed there “When you have aspirations for a large market was an opportunity to become one of the Top 2 share, you have to stay current with technology and work with high-end physicians who can support players in the market.

Enter the future

AB | January - February 2016

15

PROVIDED BY ABRAZO COMMUNITY HEALTH NETWORK

FUTURE OF MEDICINE: Dr. Miles Howard at Abrazo Arrowhead Hospital was one of the first surgeons in Arizona to use the da Vinci Robotic Surgery technology.

innovative service lines,” Finney says.

In the last year, Abrazo has spent more than $100 million making that happen.

“We pretty much upgraded or replaced every financial and clinical system in our six hospitals,” Finney says. “Having an appropriate IT infrastructure allows you to move toward population health. More robustly, it allows you to integrate your system with other systems so you can have seamless transmission of data for improved patient care.”

Abrazo also made $50 million in capital investments for cutting-edge technology that allows it to offer innovative procedures and treatments that are unavailable elsewhere.

Those innovative moves include: • Abrazo is a partner in the new Cobalt Rehabilitation Hospital in Surprise, which is the first hospital in Arizona to provide a new robotic body-weight support system to allow paralyzed patients to walk.

• Abrazo’s Arrowhead Campus became the first and only hospital in Arizona to use the new Mazor Robotics Renaissance Guidance System for minimally invasive orthopedic spine surgery. Renaissance guides the surgeon’s tools and implants during both open and minimally invasive surgery, which may provide greater accuracy when compared with freehand conventional spine surgery.

• Abrazo became the first healthcare organization 16

AB | January - February 2016

in Arizona to use NICO BrainPath, state-of-the art technology that offers patients a less-invasive surgical option and for previously inoperable brain conditions. This sophisticated tool enables neurosurgeons to navigate between the natural folds and neural structures in the brain without cutting or damaging anything else in its path. The result: An incision about the size of a dime, decreased surgical risks and faster recovery.

• Arrowhead is the first hospital in Arizona to use the MAKOplasty robotic surgical system for total hip replacement and the first in the West Valley to offer partial knee replacement robotic surgery. In addition, Arrowhead surgeons use the da Vinci surgical robotic system for a range of surgeries.

Focus on excellence

Abrazo Health rebranded itself as Abrazo Community Health Network in May 2014 to reflect its network of six acute-care hospitals, emergency centers, urgent care centers, primary practices and specialty practices.

“When we changed our name, we also changed the names of the hospitals to incorporate ‘campus’ into them,” says Kathleen Rondeau, Abrazo’s market chief business development officer. “Consumers know they have everything they need on a campus. Campus reflects a

holistic way people can take care of themselves and their families.

It’s a friendlier term, but it also reflects the transformative way we deliver healthcare.”

Ellert says Abrazo officials listened to members of the community, who told them they wanted family-centered hospitals where they could feel at home while getting healthcare.

“The other thing they want is access to specialty care and to high-end specialty care when they need it,” Ellert says. “That became a focus for us. We are primarily community-based hospitals, but in each of our facilities, we looked at one area in which we could excel.”

To provide that high-end care, Ellert says Abrazo Arizona Heart Hospital and Abrazo Arrowhead Campus have become leading providers of cardiac care, Abrazo Central Campus has emerged as a leader in neuroscience, Abrazo West Campus is home to a Level 1 Trauma Center, Arrowhead and Central have been recognized for excellence in stroke care and Abrazo Maryvale Campus is emerging as a leader in behavioral health.

Back to the future

PROVIDED BY ABRAZO COMMUNITY HEALTH NETWORK

CUTTING EDGE: Kathy Brady shows Spencer Dunn how the computer controls the ZeroG robotic bodyweight support system at Cobalt Rehabilitation Hospital of Surprise.

Moving forward, Ellert says expanding primary care is going to be the key to Abrazo’s future.

“That is the gateway into healthcare,” Ellert says. “As we evolved, we talked a lot about the word ‘embrace’ and embracing the future of healthcare. Through healthcare reform, everyone has recognized the importance of having a solid primary care base.”

To facilitate that, Ellert says Abrazo will continue to partner with community physicians so consumers can still see their primary care doctor, but also have access to Abrazo’s network of hospitals, highend specialists, urgent cares,

ambulatory surgery sites and network health plan.

“A lot of our focus is on treating people as a whole person and educating them so they can proactively avoid adverse events,” Finney says, “but then managing those adverse events well when they do occur.”

Ellert expects Abrazo to continue to expand its ambulatory footprint with most healthcare being done outside of a hospital setting at urgent care centers and surgery centers, which can be more cost effective and often offers higher quality of care.

“As physicians, our focus used to be the patient in front of us,” Ellert says. “If you didn’t show up in my office, I didn’t feel all that responsible for you. We are moving away from that to say, ‘We are going to be responsible for a population.’ So whether or not you show up to my office, I am still going to assume responsibility for the health of my community. Therefore, being able to connect with our communities through our systems will be crucial to our success in the future.”

Also crucial will be the process of healthcare delivery.

“We need to learn new ways to communicate with each other and with our patients,” Ellert says. “Being able to connect with your doctor through your smartphone or text is a much more convenient way to access healthcare than taking time out of your day, making an appointment, sitting in a doctor’s office, seeing the doctor and then leaving and forgetting half the things she or he told you. We want to embrace the future and create better, more efficient ways to serve an entire population. We are really focused on what we can do to make that happen.”

AB | January - February 2016

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FINITE RESOURCE Conservation and proper management could ease water concerns for Arizona By CHERYL HURD

“Arizona has 9 million acre feet (of water) in storage, the equivalent of enough water for 18 million households.

We’ve planned ahead, but there will always be work to be done on water.

But we’ve laid the groundwork and we have a bright future” G ov. Dou g Duce y

18

AB | January - February 2016

A

rizonans face perpetual drought with an understanding that being good water stewards is essential to life in the desert.

The current water shortage crippling California reinforces the importance of Arizona’s continuing conservation and management of this finite resource.

Clarkdale Mayor Doug Von Gausig is the executive director of the Verde River Institute and has been involved with a variety of water-focused organizations and committees including Yavapai County Water Advisory Committee, the Northern Arizona Municipal Water Users Association and the Verde River Basin Partnership, developing an expertise in resource issues and conservation.

“I think Arizona is heading to the same place California is now,” Von Gausig says, “however, we have many

years of buffer to prevent us from having an emergency situation.”

Diane Brossart, president and CEO of Arizona Forward, says the drought has been devastating to California, but water providers and planners in Arizona have worked hard to avoid the same fate. “By working together, Arizonans can continue to ensure the availability of reliable water supplies for public health, economic opportunity and quality-of-life.

“Thanks to the visionary planning of our forefathers and the sound water management strategies implemented by today’s water leaders, we don’t have a water shortage. However, water supplies are limited. We are in an extended drought and water is a finite resource. We narrowly averted a shortage on the Colorado River because of heavy rains in June and July.”

According to a report released in

“For decades, Arizona has implemented proactive water conservation, storage and augmentation measures. This makes us better suited to provide a dependable and sustainable water supply.”

S her yl A . Sweeney, shareholder, Ryley Carlock & A pplewhite

Sheryl A. Sweeney

August by the Bureau of Reclamation, the Department of Interior will not declare a shortage on the Colorado River in 2016, and credits record-setting rain and conservation efforts for stalling the shortage.

Even if a shortage was not officially declared, Diane Brossart Von Gausig says, “Arizona is always in a state of water shortage. We’re in a desert. Arizona has always done a pretty good job of recognizing that.”

He explains that ongoing water management efforts, including curtailing ground water use for 35 years and utilizing dams on the Doug Von Gausig Colorado, Salt and Verde rivers has allowed the state to bank water to forestall emergency situations.

But more must be done, he says.

“We are not sustainable. In my lexicon, sustainable means that we can continue doing what we are doing now and not have to worry about it and that is not the case. We are going to have to reduce our consumption. We are going to have to allocate water in a different way than it is currently being allocated.”

Agriculturally speaking Currently, about two-thirds of all the water used in Arizona is used in agriculture. Within cities and towns, about two-thirds of the water is used for lawns, trees and landscaping. These are areas that, through increased efficiency, can help alleviate water overuse, according to Von Gausig. He suggests growing crops and using agricultural techniques that are more efficient, and converting landscape to native vegetation.

“Thirty five to 40 percent of water would be saved by taking those steps.”

An example of a more efficient agricultural technique is laser-leveling fields so flood irrigation is more evenly dispersed, thus using less water.

Converting from flood irrigation to drip irrigation would save even more water. Growing crops that are high in value but low in water use would also have a positive impact.

Cities and towns Cities and towns have been working toward more efficient water management. Increased ground water storage in cities and incentivized rates in rural communities are impacting the water supply.

“Arizonans are pulling together to build resilience and implement water management strategies to ensure dependable water supplies.

We’ve stored nearly 3.4 million acre-feet of Colorado River water underground to form municipal, industrial and Indian water supplies and protect Arizona against the impacts of shortage,” Brossart says.

AB | January - February 2016

19

In Clarkdale, a tiered water rate structure has been put into place to encourage residents to use less. The more water used, the higher the rate per gallon. On average, the amount of water used per person has dropped from 148 gallons per day to 65 gallons per day.

Business solutions While businesses are important to healthy economic development, they require significant amounts of water and energy, which utilizes water for its production.

“You can have healthy economic development if you have those businesses that come to Arizona contribute to the solution,” Von Gausig says, suggesting that the state draws businesses that are low water consumers and responsible water stewards.

He also suggests asking businesses or developers to contribute to water conservation projects that conserve as much water as their business would use. “It’s a technique that works really well,” he says.

Culture of change No one living in the desert is immune to a dwindling water supply.

“We need to conserve water as a way of life, not just in times of drought,” Brossart says. “We live in a unique desert environment and must use water wisely. We also need to explore new sources and creative ways of managing our existing supply.”

Von Gausig agrees. “Drawing in people and businesses are important to building the economy,” he says, but at the same time something needs to be done to conserve water. “You can’t have your water and drink it too.”

“The bottom line is, what we consider today as a shortage will seem like the norm in the future and I think we can accommodate it,” Von Gausig says. “I think we can adapt to it and still have a healthy economy. That’s the main message. It’s not a message of doom and gloom. It’s just that we have to adjust.”

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ARIZONA’S WATER MANAGEMENT According to the Arizona Department of Water Resources, Arizona is a global leader in water resource management.

Check out these facts: • Arizona’s Groundwater Management Act requires developers to demonstrate a 100-year assured water supply in active management areas. This provision means new residential and commercial developments cannot be built without water to serve them. No other state has such requirements.

• Arizona has banked an unprecedented 9 million acre-feet of emergency reserve water underground.

That’s enough to serve 18 million households.

• Arizona uses less water today than the state did in 1957 despite a six-fold increase in population.

• More than 95 percent of treated wastewater generated within Central Arizona is recycled for us by municipalities and in agriculture, groundwater recharge, power generation, industrial projects, golf course irrigation and more.

WHAT DOES

$100 MILLION

IN CHARITABLE GIVING FEEL LIKE?

ONE VICTORY AT A TIME. TIME AFTER TIME. SUPPORTING THE VALLEY OF THE SUN THROUGH SPORTS is just one of the many missions of The Thunderbirds, hosts of the Waste Management Phoenix Open presented by The Ak-Chin Indian Community.

Like Special Olympics Arizona. The First Tee of Phoenix. Miracle League of Arizona. And countless others. While the historic milestone of $100 million in charitable giving over 80 years is now a reality, the true impact is expressed one story at a time. The Thunderbirds would like to thank all of our fans and sponsors for your continued support of the Waste Management Phoenix Open. For more Arizona success stories, visit www.thunderbirdscharities.org.

Roxanne, Special Olympics Arizona Athlete Dan Mahoney, Thunderbird

February 1–7, 2016 | TPC Scottsdale | wmphoenixopen.com AB | January - February 2016

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PROTECTION

OR PRIVACY?

Technology experts worry that cybersecurity legislation could undermine users’ personal information

By MERYL FISHLER

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institutions have an evolving responsibility “thatFinancial extends beyond protecting our own infrastructure; we must now serve as educators to teach our customers, especially businesses, how to identify and avoid digital threats. The best way we can strengthen our cyber defenses is to arm our consumers with up-todate knowledge of potential schemes.

Pat Rourke

Pat Rourke, Phoenix market president, Bankers Trust

T

he internet has made us more connected than at any time in history. But with that connection comes an increased need to secure cyberspace to protect our way of life, experts insist. Cyber attackers and criminals exploit vulnerabilities to steal information and money, and the number of cyber attacks against United States companies continues to grow in frequency and severity.

Recent cyber attacks include Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, United Airlines and American Airlines. Cyber attacks and hacks cost the average American company $15.4 million per year, double the global average, Michael Kelly according to an October 2015 report by Hewlett Packard and the Ponemon Institute.

According to the Department of Homeland Security, cyberspace is difficult to secure due to a number of factors: • The ability of malicious actors to operate from anywhere • The linkages between cyberspace and physical systems • The difficulty of reducing Chuck Matthews vulnerabilities and consequences in complex cyber networks In an age where computer hacks are common and the need for privacy is greater than ever, we have found a debate. How do we balance keeping people and businesses secure while protecting their privacy?

Russell Smoldon

PROPOSED LEGISLATION To combat cybercrime, the U.S. Senate passed legislation aimed at strengthening the country’s cyber

defenses by protecting companies that share cyber threat data with the government. The Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act of 2015 (CISA) would expand liability protections to companies that choose to voluntarily share cyber threat data with the government.

Additionally, under consideration in Congress are House-originated bills that include the Protecting Cyber Networks Act and the National CyberSecurity Protection Advancement Act of 2015. Both modify past legislation.

The CISA calls for the director of National Intelligence, the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Defense and the Department of Justice to develop and communicate procedures for creating information sharing on cybersecurity threats, said Chuck Matthews the chairman and CEO of WGM Associates, a local provider of consulting, managed IT services, managed security services and application development.

ADVOCATES The Senate bill is designed for companies to share cybersecurity threat data with the Department of Homeland Security, who could then pass it on to other agencies like the FBI and NSA, who would use the information to defend the target company and others facing similar attacks.

Advocates claim that sharing threat information can facilitate a more effective protection of information systems. Often, private-sector companies express unwillingness to share information due to concerns about legal liability. “The proposed legislation would give businesses legal certainty that they have safe harbor against frivolous lawsuits when voluntarily sharing,” Matthews said.

OPPONENTS “The problem is that no one trusts anybody,” said Russell Smoldon, CEO of B3 Strategies, a government policy and public relations firm. Some feel like it gives the government too much power and strips away people’s privacy, Smoldon said.

Opponents say the legislation does not do enough and could allow the government to snoop even more. They AB | January - February 2016

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express concerns about the adverse impacts to privacy and civil liberties and potential for misuse of shared information by the government, experts said.

“In theory, information sharing is good,” said Michael Kelly, chair of Jennings Strouss’ intellectual property practice group. “However, consumers are rightfully skeptical of the federal government having an expanding role.”

Privacy advocates and civil liberties groups believe CISA allows companies to monitor users and share their information with the government without a warrant, as well as providing opportunities to circumvent laws that protect users’ privacy.

Another criticism is that government agencies and the private sector already collect too much information about the American public. What the Senate bill allows is for companies to turn over information that contains personal data like telephone logs, emails, shopping history, medical history and GPS information, Kelly said.

So how could the bill impact the average person? “In a very stealth manner,” Kelly said.

“Everyday people will have their information turned over to the government without a subpoena and without a notice to the consumer from the company,” Kelly added.

Rather than just facts — like what health plan someone a person is insured by — the information turned over to the government could go into a lot more detail, Kelly clarified.

“Additionally, many private organizations default to secrecy and confidentiality rather than sharing information,” Matthews said, especially when a company’s legal counsel is involved.

Moreover, a majority of these information sharing initiatives are crafted for larger businesses, Matthews added, while small and medium business have little time and resources to devote to sharing initiatives or to act on intelligence they are given.

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BALANCING SECURITY AND PRIVACY “Cyber criminals are notoriously insensitive to legislation,” Kelly said.

Experts believe this type of legislation could work in theory.

Information sharing and providing immunity for companies who are cooperating is a positive step, Kelly said, because the government regulatory arm is heavy and companies are reluctant to fully disclose.

But what is more important: your identity being protected or the privacy of your identity being protected?

It is the sweeping nature of the personalized information that some believe upset the balance between keeping people and businesses secure with protecting privacy.

Many agree the proposed legislation does not provide enough regard to consumer privacy.

Before passing the CISA, Senators voted on amendments that sought to reform the bill’s privacy protections.

One of the amendments, from Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, required companies to remove personal data from those cyber threat indicators before sharing them, unless that personal information is necessary to describe or identify the threat.

The amendment was rejected. But stripping the individualized nature of the data and keeping it anonymous is what some believe would have kept this legislation balanced in terms of security and privacy.

ALTERNATIVES? This year alone, there have been breaches at the Office of Personnel Management, IRS and the White House. Incentivizing the private sector to lead the way instead of focusing on dealing explicitly with cyber adversaries could be a better approach to cybersecurity, Matthews said.

“Government organizations have not been the models for effective cybersecurity,” Matthews added, “and asking them to lead the way for the private sector will likely fall on skeptical ears.”

ENHANCING

CYBER

EDUCATION

E

mbry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Prescott and BeyondTrust, a Phoenix-based cybersecurity company dedicated to eliminating data breaches from insider privilege abuse and external hacking attacks, joined forces to enhance the education and training of future cybersecurity professionals.

BeyondTrust will provide EmbryRiddle’s College of Security and Intelligence (CSI) with hundreds of hours of videos, covering a wide range of cybersecurity issues such as firewalls, malware and best practices for securing assets. The videos are designed to train professionals for the CISSP (Certified Information Systems Security Professional) credential.

Recognizing Embry-Riddle as one of the first universities to offer a cybersecurity degree, BeyondTrust hopes to provide internships, thought leadership research and potential employment to EmbryRiddle students.

MILLENNIALS

Influential

Millennials

Meet the Millennials who are changing Arizona’s business landscape and learn why working with their generation is your business’ greatest opportunity

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“Our players learn better with two phones and music going and with an iPad on the side.

That’s new.”

T

he ability to work well with Millennials, defined by the Pew Research Center as those born between 1980 and 2000, has quickly become an indispensable part of the business landscape. Millennials already comprise one third of the U.S. workforce, and are projected to hit 50 percent as early as 2020.

The forces that shaped Millennials are powerful ones: the exponential proliferation of technology and the common availability of instant, worldwide communication. The first generation to grow up with personal computers, Millennials are innately tech savvy and quick visual learners. Because they came of age alongside the Internet, they collaborate well, even over great distance.

Steven G. Zylstra Millennials are often deeply Technology self-reflective. Growing up as environmentalism hit its stride, their ecoconsciousness is immensely important to them, and their concern about global impact informs where they work, live and shop. Businesses that adapt to this new reality will flourish in the years to come.

Because Millennials care about work-life balance, their priorities can clash with those of existing corporate cultures, particularly at larger, hierarchical organizations. A study by UNC’s Kenan-Flagler Business School found that one in three Millennials would prioritize social media freedom, device flexibility, and work mobility over salary when accepting a job offer. This difference of priorities has driven the impression in some circles that Millennials are entitled.

But the truth is that culture clashes are inevitable at moments of generational sea change. Rather than being unfairly burdened with the chore of teaching hundreds of new hires how to conform to an existing

system, the business world has been given an incredible opportunity to evolve and capitalize on the strengths of a new generational cohort.

Consider the St. Louis Rams. Professional football is already a young man’s game, and the Rams are the youngest team in the NFL: their average player age is 24.1-years-old. While speaking to the Wall Street Journal, Rams coach Joe Fisher addressed the challenge of reaching a new generation, “Our players learn better with two phones and music going and with an iPad on the side. That’s new.”

As a response, the Rams changed how they coached. Two hour marathon meetings were replaced with a series of focused 30-minute sessions punctuated with breaks. And because Millennials prefer to know why a recommended action is best, drill-sergeant style screaming was phased out in favor of explaining the concepts behind strategies.

After each lesson, the team hurries to the field to implement new skills in the real world.

While the reforms were designed to increase communication with a new generation, the old guard has seen benefits, too. Everyone benefits from focused meetings, and having to distill lessons down to quick, actionable points has made instruction stronger.

Having to explain “why” to a younger generation has helped root out outdated practices. 5:30 a.m. wakeup times didn’t survive scrutiny. Why wake everyone up early only to lose time fighting for the attention of drowsy players?

In 2015, Millennials surpassed Baby Boomers as the largest living American generation. As a large age cohort with an innate embrace of technology, their impact on society will unquestionably be the largest our country has ever seen. The companies that learn to capitalize on the strengths of this nimble, thoughtful generation will quickly accomplish incredible things.

Steven G. Zylstra is president and CEO of the Arizona Technology Council.

AB | January - February 2016

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MILLENNIALS BRIAN COLLING

Owner and CEO | Colling Media Age: 34 Colling is an Arizona-raised graduate of ASU. In 2009, he started Colling Media, a technology-infused, resultsdriven advertising agency. Colling Media has been nationally recognized by Inc. 5000, as one of the fastest-growing private companies. Colling is one of the Top 35 Entrepreneurs Under 35 of 2015 recognized by the Arizona Republic.

Value of youth: “Growing up as a Millennial, it was clear that my generation was like no other. We were to become the teachers of technology

ALISON CHRISTIAN

Shareholder | Christian Dichter & Sluga, P.C. Age: 34 Christian is an AV-rated shareholder at Christian Dichter & Sluga, a majority women-owned law firm in Phoenix. In 2012, she co-founded the Ladder Down program for women lawyers that is being modeled across the country.

Value of youth: “Millenials are not afraid to challenge the status quo, and they are often motivated by a desire to find a bigger purpose in their work. The legal profession is steeped in traditions, some of which have made it difficult for women lawyers to succeed.

I found purpose in my career by helping change the course for women lawyers. The Ladder Down program gives women the tools they need to succeed and is improving Arizona’s legal community, while also providing a platform for other states across the country to do the same.”

Impact of Millennials: “Millenials will force businesses to answer a simple question: why? They are not satisfied with being told to do something because it is the way it has always been done. Nor are they as willing as previous generations to sacrifice their own happiness for financial gain. Businesses wanting to attract and retain talented employees will need to adapt. I expect the concept of physical office space to change dramatically, along with corporate cultures and salary structures. I am also hopeful that the millennial mindset will encourage businesses to think globally and see beyond existing geographic or linguistic barriers.”

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as it drove everything we did. This led me to create a technology-infused advertising company driven by results.

Impact of Millennials: “A decade from now. Millennials — with the help of other generations — will have completely changed the business landscape. Every business model will have some level of e-commerce with a predictable cost per acquisition. Media consumption will have endless engagement and we’ll finally have our ‘Back to The Future’ hover boards and they’ll be eco-friendly.”

CARSON HOLMQUIST CEO | Stream Logistics Age: 30

BRANDY FICEK, MD

Medical director, quality of life and palliative medicine | Cancer Treatment Centers of America at Western Regional Medical Center Age: 34 Dr. Ficek provides leadership for the development and delivery of services to improve quality of life for families throughout all stages of cancer treatment. Dr. Ficek serves as chair of the Ethics Committee, national lead for CTCA’s Parenting Through Cancer program, and has presented internationally on helping families facing cancer.

Value of youth: “As a young professional, being open to others’ advice and experience has allowed me to transform my passion and ideas for helping others from abstract concepts into sustainable programs.”

Impact of Millennials: “With continued technological advances, I think the biggest change will be the interconnectedness of the business community, even across disparate industries, to make positive changes for the

community as a whole.”

In May 2012, at the age of 26, Holmquist co-created and launched Stream Logistics, a third-party logistics brokerage, and currently spearheads the entire operations division. He developed Stream Logistics from a start-up business which utilized a kitchen as its initial office into a company that has surpassed $15 million in annual revenue and built an incredible reputation as a boutique-style logistics company and national carrier provider.

Value of youth: “As a Millennial leader and entrepreneur, I wanted to contribute to Arizona’s economy and the small business community with Stream Logistics. The American economy is built on innovation and small businesses and I wanted to be a contributing element of the growth and prosperity.”

Impact of Millennials: “Millennials will shape the way of business with innovative, tech-savvy ideas to make a workplace more efficient.

After experiencing an intense recession which was driven by price-motivated purchasing habits, Millennials will also be credited with the return of American quality and customer experience.”

COURTNEY KLEIN

JAMES GOODNOW

Partner | Fennemore Craig Age: 34 Goodnow is a Harvard Law School graduate who handles catastrophic injury and wrongful death matters. The American Bar Association Journal named him one of “America’s Techiest Lawyers,” and Apple selected him as the first lawyer to be featured in one of its global ad campaigns. The father of two performs countless hours of pro-bono work and is active in the community, having recently founded The Kidney Challenge.

Value of youth: “My age naturally translated into an interest in technology. Interjecting my tech passion into a profession that can trace its origins back thousands of years has been a challenge and an opportunity.”

Impact of Millennials: “I’m hopeful that Arizona’s growing creative and tech industries can push our economy to new heights.

The clichés say that my generation is less hungry than others. I disagree. I believe my generation is just as driven—just in less conventional ways.”

MELISSA HO

Shareholder | Polsinelli Age: 35 Ho practices law in the areas of government investigations and white collar criminal defense. She serves on the board of the Arizona Justice Project and has held leadership positions in a number of organizations including the State Bar of Arizona and the Arizona Asian American Bar Association.

Value of youth: “As a Millennial, I bring energy, authenticity and selfexpression to the table. These qualities have opened doors for me and helped me make a positive difference in Arizona’s business community quickly.”

Impact of Millennials: “Millennials are innovative. We have built businesses out of the ruins of the recession. Ten years from now, we will see creativity and business success evolve in ways no one can imagine.”

NICOLE JOHNSON

Sales executive | Lovitt & Touché Age: 33 Johnson is a sales executive with Lovitt & Touché, one of the nation’s largest insurance brokerages. She specializes in property and casualty insurance and is trusted by many of Arizona’s top companies in the $30 million to $500 million range to ensure

Co-founder | Seed Spot Age: 32 Klein is the co-founder and CEO of Seed Spot. Klein’s work has been profiled by Forbes, USA Today and Huffington Post. Klein has been named as one of the “25 Most Dynamic Women in Business,” one of the nation’s “Top 30 Civic Leaders Under the Age of 30,” and one of “20 Women to Change Arizona by 2020.” Klein is a graduate of Arizona State University, an Ironman finisher and new mom.

Value of youth: “Hand’s down: mentors. I have been incredibly fortunate to learn from some of the best leaders in Arizona over the years. I am constantly asking for advice from people who are much smarter than me.”

Impact of Millennials: “More color. The lack of diversity in leadership positions in Arizona is appalling and I think the Millennial generation is the one to change it. More local. No one travels to a city to check out the Applebees — our generation wants a vibrant local business community. #buylocal.”

profitability and mitigate risk.

Value of youth: “I was raised to be competitive and instilled with the belief that I can do anything. When I set a goal, I do everything possible to achieve it.”

Impact of Millennials: “We’re evolving the workplace. A salary won’t be the sole reason for keeping a job.

Companies with similar core values that honor a work/life balance will thrive.”

AB | January - February 2016

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MILLENNIALS JASON MITCHELL

MUKIL MOHAN

Co-founder | INanoBio Age: 35 Mohan is the co-founder and COO of INanoBio, which is developing a $100 genome sequencer and cancer diagnostics for personalized medicine. He has a master’s begree in electrical engineering and an MBA from ASU. He is a foodie, who likes to experience different cultures through their cuisines.

Value of youth: “Millennial pragmatic idealism and a high degree of confidence in our team and technology have enabled us to strive to build a business with the potential to disrupt current healthcare costs and democratize personalized medicine.”

Impact of Millennials: “The current boom in high-tech startups driven by Millennials will diversify the economy of the state beyond its traditional growth drivers into a very eclectic and vibrant economy.”

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NICK OBIE

Vice president | AXA Advisors Southwest Age: 32 A former professional golfer and collegiate golfer at University of Redlands, where he was a three-time conference player of the year and threetime All-American, Obie is vice president of AXA Advisors Southwest. An active volunteer through AXA and former board member of GET Phoenix, his team was recently honored with the 2015 Governor’s Volunteer Service Award.

Value of youth: “I was taught from an early age the value of people and relationships. In the financial services industry, it’s all about people and relationships.

I have always enjoyed helping people and building relationships, and that has had a very positive effect on my business.”

Impact of Millennials: “With our technological ingenuity, I believe Millennials will continue to change the way that business is done. With the right guidance and partnership from today’s leaders, we will change the way that people connect, share ideas, implement strategies and constantly create new efficiencies in the world.”

Founder and president | The Jason Mitchell Realty Group at Realty Executives Age: 34 Mitchell is a residential real state icon in greater Phoenix and the founder of The Jason Mitchell Realty Group at Realty Executives. Mitchell is recognized as the No. 1 producing agent under 40 in the state of Arizona. He is also the co-founder of Desert Bridge Capital, a real estate investment firm.

Value of youth: “As part of the Millennial generation, I witnessed layoffs and home forecloses during the massive recession. I wanted to make an impact in Arizona’s economy and business community by creating jobs and opening doors for opportunities.”

Impact of Millennials: “Millennials’ renewed focus on growth and development will transpire in the workplace, where they can find their purpose and be passionate about what they do.”

DINING

Italian artist Marcellino Ristorante serves excellent food, service, ambience

By MICHAEL GOSSIE

G

PROVIDED PHOTOS

CHEF MARCELLINO VERZINO: The leader of Marcellino Ristorante was born, raised and trained in Italy. He enjoys educating his guests in the fine art of Italian cuisine.

rowing up in an Italian family in which every Sunday was tomato sauce and dotted with melted mozzarella. You can filled with one robust Italian dish after another, it was also order this dish with a creamy gorgonzola sauce. Either hard to find food for that compared. way, you’re going to have tears in you eyes as these bursts of Visits to Italian restaurants always ended with the same magnificent morsels hit your tongue. Gnocchi is tough to make observation: “It wasn’t as good as Grandma’s.” perfectly every time. Marcellino’s gnocchi goes beyond perfection But along came Marcellino Ristorante in Scottsdale. and hits supreme.

The key to perfect Italian food will always be having the ability Paccatelli al Ragu di Salsiccia ($23.95): This short, toothsome to combine great ingredients with the patience needed to wait pasta is served with a hearty ragu of tomato, sausage and fresh for perfection and a chef who can masterfully pull it all together. herbs. This dish will leave mouth-watering memories that will Chef Marcellino Verzino has created a menu packed with dishes last long after you forget your first love. that are beyond delicious.

If you get a chance to visit on a day when one of Marcellino’s Chef Marcellino has put together an establishment that is pasta specials is tortelloni stuffed with truffled filet mignon, classic Italian: Wood accents and brick walls give Marcellino don’t miss it. Those who have had the fortune of consuming the Ristorante a comfortable and classy atmosphere, and the wooddish agree that it’s so out of this world that it forever ruins them fired oven that peeks out of the kitchen makes it feel like home. for other pasta dishes.

And as you watch Chef Marcellino greet his guests like each is Simply put, Chef Marcellino has created a dining experience a friend visiting from his home country, it just reinforced the that features wonderful atmosphere, spectacular service and, familial feeling that Marcellino Ristorante exudes. most importantly, incomparable food. Adding to the ambience The best way to experience Marcellino’s mastery of Italian on a recent visit was an incredible jazz band that added to the cuisine is to experience one of his personalized Chef’s Tasting atmosphere while still allowing comfortable conversation at the Dinners in which he flexes his culinary muscles and showcases table. This all adds up to the perfect dining experience. his culinary creativity.

As Grandma would agree: “Buona cena. È fantastico.”

If you cannot make a Tasting Dinner happen, don’t miss Marcellino’s homemade pastas. It doesn’t matter how much love Grandma poured into her pastas, it’s going to be tough for her Marcellino Ristorante to match Marcellino on the deliciousness scale.

Where: 7114 E. Stetson Dr., Scottsdale Some can’t miss pasta dishes: Phone: 480-990-9505 Gnocchi Sorrentina ($24.95): These light Website: marcellinoristorante.com. potato pasta dumplings are served in hearty

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AB | January - February 2016

COMING NEXT ISSUE • Top minority business leaders • Top 100 lawyers in Arizona • Healthcare Leadership Awards • Hospitality/Sales & Marketing Association International

CONNECT » GUIDE » INSPIRE

JANUARY // FEBRUARY 2016

MILLENNIA LS Arizona Corporate Counsel Awards

49

Industry Leaders of Arizona

73

Greater Phoenix Economic ouncil

97

LEADERS

Arizona Lodging & Tourism Association

113

2016

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MEET ARIZONA'S MOST INFLUENTIAL YOUNG BUSINESS

APRIL 7, 2016 | 6:00 – 8:00pm THE CAMBY/AUTOGRAPH COLLECTION HOTEL (Formerly Ritz Carlton)

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We’ll honor the individuals and organizations that have made strides in helping Arizonans receive better healthcare.

For information on sponsorships: events@azBIGmedia.com or call 602-277-6045 AB | January - February 2016

33

Wealth Management

HELP WANTED Training, culture count in attracting new generation of professionals to financial services

By ALISON BAILIN BATZ

R

oughly 10,000 Baby Boomers will turn 65 today, and about 10,000 more will cross that threshold every day for the next two decades.

“This means the amount of money that will move from the accumulation phase to the distribution and eventual transfer phases will be like nothing we’ve ever seen before,” said Dillan Micus, executive vice president of AXA Advisors Southwest.

Just how historic are these numbers?

The Center on Wealth and Philanthropy at Boston College estimates that nearly $60 trillion in U.S. wealth will change hands over the next 55 years. And that excludes the nearly $20 trillion in charitable contributions by generous Americans.

This equates to the largest wealth transfer in American history.

Couple all of this with the volatile market in recent years, and the need for professional advisors - and general new talent at all levels of financial service – has never been greater.

But, according to Forbes.com, with the majority of advisors age 55plus, many are entering their retirement years as quickly as their clients.

It is clear that the financial services industry is in need of new, young talent. But how can they successful attract and retain them in this postrecessionary Brave New World?

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AB | January - February 2016

Short-term loss equals long-term win “Traditionally in financial services, firms look for qualified, established advisors and recruit accordingly – generally those with a book of business and network,” says Micus. “These individuals required little or no training, and certainly start making money for the firm immediately, whereas it is often seen as ‘taking a loss’ to focus on new and recent graduates. But this can’t be the norm any longer – and it isn’t with us.”

According to Micus, a sampling of programs AXA Advisors has put into place specifically to invest in young talent over the long term includes: • An integrated training strategy that combines instructorled programs, eLearning courses, licensing, certification and field training; • Face-to-face personal coaching available to new team members by a local, experienced vice president; • A “Career Path Tracks” program, which is housed electronically so that advisors can take the initiative to grow professionally on their own time.

Echoing AXA Advisor’s sentiment is Miller Russell Associates, whose largest effort to train young talent is through its internship program.

“The firm views internships as a mentoring opportunity and we expose young talent to an array of information and resources they wouldn’t have access to through their college coursework,” said Mark Feldman, CEO and managing partner of Miller Russell Associates. “Our training tools take the form of technology, software, workflows and hands on experience.”

In addition, when Miller Russell Associates hire a new recruit, the firm encourages them to ask questions and take advantage of the expertise and knowledge of the people they are now working alongside.

“In addition to a variety of year-round, in-house educational offerings, Miller Russell Associates provides all full time employees with numerous opportunities to continue their professional education, development and attainment of additional certifications,” said Feldman. “We’ve also embraced the cultural shift by encouraging employees to work half-days on Fridays to further equalize their work/life balance, critical in keeping burnout at bay.”

Authenticity of culture equals authenticity of team Mike Brown, Arizona regional president of Washington Federal, who like their colleagues on the advisement side of financial services are working to attract young talent back into banking, believes authentic culture – creating one, providing one at all levels, and being willing to evolve it over time – is critical to both bringing in youth while still retaining senior talent.

According to Brown, their key to success, which includes growing from 13 to 35 branches in Arizona over the past few years, rests in listening to members at every level of the company. For Washington Federal, what they heard was crystal clear – think local; act local; support local.

“As a result, in 2014, I became the first-ever Arizona regional president in Washington Federal’s history – significant in that we now have the ability to empower our team at the hyperlocal level rather than from a corporate office out of state. Our mantra has always been ‘invested here,’ but now we have the ability to make major decisions to help both our team and their customers from right here in the Valley – and a lot of this came culture change from listening to what our team wanted. Now when our

Mike Brown

Mark Feldman

Dillan Micus

team says ‘invested here,’ they mean it!”

In addition, any business looking to attract youth must also think beyond the promise of a paycheck and profit-sharing program.

“Being ‘people-focused’ counts more than ever before,” says Micus. “Either you invest in building a business where people are heard and acknowledged, or you don’t. There is no halfway.”

And, according to Micus, developing company culture that cuts through the clutter and makes an impact on both Generation Y and Millennial talent without alienating seasoned partners takes time – and research.

“What we have in place today is the result of nearly a decade of work,” says Micus. “What we found was our team wanted stories to tell; they wanted to laugh; they wanted experiences to share beyond a weekly staff luncheon or half day.”

Today, it is commonplace for AXA Advisor’s local branch – among the company’s top five youngest offices in the country – to race Ferraris on a Friday, trek up to Colorado for a long ski weekend or even take a company cruise. This past summer, in fact, the entire team vacationed in San Diego together.

Give back equals get back “It can’t be all Cardinals games and cruises, 24/7, though,” warns Micus. “Corporate social responsivity can mean just as much and bond team members just as effectively as fun and games.”

That is why nearly five years ago, Micus and his team brainstormed on a companywide giving campaign wherein new advisors, staff and seasoned veterans could work together toward a common charitable goal.

“The result was the Weekend Jetaway Culinary Casino Classic, benefiting Elevate Phoenix. Now in its fourth year, the event is set for October 23 and features music, culinary creations from leading Valley chefs including The Capital Grill Scottsdale, Talavera at the Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale Troon North and many more as well as casino games set in a private jet hangar,” says Micus. “During the event, which our office programs from start to finish annually, guests take part in a casino-style dice game for the chance to win an all-inclusive vacation on a private jet.”

Like AXA Advisors, who have raised more than $100,000 for area nonprofits through Weekend Jetaway, Washington Federal is investing in giving locally more than ever before.

“The Rally Point Apartment project is a perfect example,” said Brown. “We were able to invest $2.9 million in this Tucson program, which is taking the historic Old Pueblo Club and reimagining it into permanent supportive housing for local veterans. This complex is something impactful and important to every member of our team in Southern Arizona – it matters so much to them, and we want them to know they matter so much to us.”

AB | January - February 2016

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Wealth Management

Christina Burroughs Managing partner Miller Russell Associates miller-russell.com

B

urroughs leads the private client practice at Miller Russell Associates. Delivering excellence with passion, the team serves families’ best interests through sophisticated wealth planning. In 2012, she and her partners created a new sustainable business model involving employee ownership to align the objectives of clients and the long term opportunity for the employees of the firm. This model is a breakthrough.

Burroughs resides in Phoenix with her husband and their two Ethiopianborn children.

Trend to watch: “Investors are concerned about a lower return environment. Historically, equities have given investors roughly 10 percent and fixed income 5 percent. We think those numbers will be much lower in the future with equities generating perhaps 7 percent and fixed income 2 percent. So the returns on a 50 percent stock/50 percent bond portfolio will likely be low.

We address this by finding different assets that generate meaningful return and reduce the overall risk in portfolios.”

Advice for 2016: “Seek out advice from a firm you trust deeply because they are highly invested in your long-term outcome. Ask hard questions about what might get in the way of serving your interests exclusively. Ask equally hard questions about the foundation on which their investment philosophy and implementation rests. Understand how they steward the business to serve you for a long time to come.”

Investing in Arizona: “Having already invested in my top pick, Miller Russell Associates, I would focus on a group investing back in Arizona. Arizona Community Foundation works to improve Arizona through grants to nonprofits, scholarships to students and leadership around key issues. ACF provides impact loans to community projects and innovation prizes for solutions to challenges.”

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Wealth Management

Clay Janson

Founder and owner Phocus Financial Strategies Group phocusfinancial.com

J

anson is a Certified Financial Planner professional, Retirement Planning Specialist and founder of Phocus Financial Strategies Group.

Janson’s high energy and collaborative team approach to financial planning allows each and every client to experience a team of highly focused professionals in financial, investment, insurance and estate planning strategies, all under one roof. He earned his bachelor of science degree from Northern Arizona University and the title of Retirement Planning Specialist from AXA Advisors Southwest, based on his receipt of a certificate in retirement planning from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Trend to watch: “Our industry is continuously embracing technology in new ways to help investors. ‘Robo advisors,’ technology-based investment solutions designed by computer programs or algorithms are becoming a big trend. But simply turning your investments over to a data center computer alone may fall short for our more affluent clients and business owners to truly solve their biggest goals to maximize the sale of their family business or for a successful retirement income distribution plan.”

Advice for 2016: “With our economy still growing out of one of the biggest recessions many generations have ever seen, it is a great time to reach out to your financial team and revisit your short term and long term goals and strategies through a fresh “lens” before the next recession hits. By taking the time to truly reflect on how you felt and reacted in the last downturn, you can make key adjustments to your plan.”

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Ti mei sPr eci ous Acr ossaspect r um f r om di agnost i cst omedi cal devi cesandf r om t her api est opat i entcar e, Ar i zona’ sl i f esci encei ndust r yi smaki ngLI FEbet t er andwor ki ngever ydayt ogi veeachofusmor e t i meandabet t erqual i t yofl i f e.

AZBi oi scommi t t edt omaki ngAr i zonaat opt i erbi osci ecnest at eand supppor t i ngourr esear cher s,ent r epr eneur s,andheal t hcar epar t ner s al ongt her oadf r om di scover yt odevel opmentt odel i ver y .

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Advocay+ Educat i on+ Resour ces+ Connect i ons Lear nmor eatAZbi o. or g

Wealth Management

Philip Kim

Senior vice president AXA Advisors Southwest axaadvisorssouthwest.com

K

im is senior vice president of AXA Advisors Southwest as well as director of the firm’s Retirement Benefits Group in both Arizona and New Mexico. In addition to an Ivy League degree from Cornell University, Kim holds FINRA registrations for the Series 7, Series 66, and Series 24, as well as a license for Life, Accident, and Health insurance in multiple states. In 2014, Kim was recognized by the University of Arizona’s Eller College of Management as an inductee into Beta Gamma Sigma, a national honorary society for high-achieving students and business members.

Trend to watch: “There is a recent surge in media coverage surrounding the idea of using robo-advisors or portfolio allocations that are driven by algorithms. Take a moment to consider what this really means. If you have a heart palpitation, would you resort to using online searches and generic brand tonics to ease your pain? Or, would you seek a live human being to review your symptoms, ask probing questions and recommend an educated and personalized course of action?

Financial strategies, done the right way, are about long-term, consistent, human interaction that cannot be replaced by a revolving door of computer programs.”

Advice for 2016: “Some professionals suggest that their role is to help clients eliminate emotion from their financial transactions, and to use a more pragmatic approach based on facts and economic trends. I disagree.

I think that emotions should always be a part of financial strategies. However, our role, as financial professionals, is to help guide clients through their emotional roller coaster in a way to help bring them safely to their desired goals.”

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ARRIVING

Wealth Management

Jeff Kravetz

Regional investment director, The Private Client Reserve U.S. Bank reserve.usbank.com

K

ravetz oversees portfolio management activities for the West region of The Reserve. Before joining U.S. Bank, Kravetz was an investment advisor for JP Morgan Private Bank, where he managed $600 million in trust and brokerage assets for private clients and institutions. Kravetz earned his master’s in international management from the Thunderbird School of Global Management and holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation.

A former board member and past president of the Phoenix CFA Society, Kravetz currently chairs the investment committee for the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Phoenix.

Trend to watch: “Higher interest rates. Interest rates will be going up modestly here in the U.S. with the Fed raising rates slowly as the economy improves. Higher rates will not derail the economy as rates have been at rock bottom for several years. The Fed is raising rates for a good reason. The U.S. economy is on a slow and steady recovery with positive economic fundamentals led by strong housing, employment and consumer sentiment.”

Advice for 2016: “Stay focused on the long term. With greater market volatility, there is a temptation to react to short-term movements in markets.

Develop a long-term investment strategy that makes sense for you and stick to it. Don’t let the day-to-day noise in financial markets get you off course from your investment goals.”

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MARCH 2016

Wealth Management

Sean McCarthy Regional chief investment officer

Wells Fargo Private Bank wellsfargo.com/the-private-bank

M

cCarthy leads a team of investment professionals who deliver comprehensive, custom, diversified portfolio management. Sean serves as the investment thought leader in the region providing insight and interpretation of the economy and financial markets.

McCarthy has more than 23 years of experience in financial services. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration in finance from the University of Notre Dame, is a CFA charter holder and member of the CFA Society of Phoenix.

Trend to watch: “It’s important to watch the upward trend of interest rates. Headline risks regarding geopolitics and/or election issues will come and go in 2016. Higher U.S. interest rates should prove persistent as the Federal Reserve begins to remove the accommodation of zero interest rate policy. Savers will earn more while borrowers will pay more. The pace of rate increases should be slow and deliberate as the Fed wants to avoid disrupting the stability its monetary policy has achieved.”

Advice for 2016: “Rising rate environments can bring lower prices for bond and stock investments initially. However, examining the Barclays U.S. Aggregate bond index and S&P 500 stock index after the rate hikes from the Fed in February 1994 and July 2004, one finds positive returns for these measures 12 months later. The returns were even greater in year two. While past performance is no guarantee of future results, patience was rewarded in prior similar circumstances.”

Arizona investment: “Th That company would be found among Arizona exporters from sectors that can participate in the late-cycle expansion of the U.S. economy and will additionally benefit if the TransPacific Partnership is approved by Congress in early 2016. Some industries in this opportunity set include electronics, transportation, and machinery.”

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LUKE AFB 75TH ANNIVERSARY

COMMEMORATIVE SECTION

PRESENTED BY

Call to Participate 602.277.6045

Wealth Management

Jason Miller Head of wealth planning, central, northern and sunbelt states BMO Private Bank bmo.com/privatebanking

M

iller is responsible for strategic development and delivery of customized financial planning services to high net worth individuals and families. He joined BMO in 2010 and has more than 10 years of experience in financial services.

Miller earned his B.S. in finance, cum laude, from the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University and his MBA with an emphasis in finance from the Marriott School of Management at Brigham Young University. He is a Certified Financial Planner professional, chairman of the Financial Planning Association of Greater Phoenix and serves on the board of directors of the Arizona Council on Economic Education. He is also a member of the East Valley Estate Planning Council and the Arizona Management Society.

Trend to watch: “People People are increasingly becoming aware of the value of the financial planning process and its important role in achieving financial goals. The future of the wealth management industry is advice-based, and professionals who can provide the highest level of customized guidance will be best positioned moving forward.”

Advice for 2016: “The best advice I can give is that each individual and family is unique and that it’s imperative to develop a customized plan with experienced professionals to ensure the highest likelihood of success. Many times, people put the proverbial cart before the horse by determining what to invest in before truly identifying their short and long-term goals.

This approach can inadvertently undermine success. Advance planning takes time, thought and work, but will be well worth the effort.”

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STEP ON ME PHOTOGRAPHY

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From a business conference or corporate holiday party to team building we promise to make your next meeting the most spectacular yet!

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AB | January - February 2016 LOVE LIFE PHOTOGRAPHY

211 PHOTOGRAPHY

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STEP ON ME PHOTOGRAPHY

Wealth Management

Andrew Rafal

President and founder Bayntree Wealth Advisors bayntree.com

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afal is president and owner of Bayntree Wealth Advisors, located in Scottsdale with satellite offices in Avondale, Peoria, Oro Valley and Tucson. Rafal sees himself as a personal CFO for his clients, building customized financial plans and investment strategies to help client’s realize their retirement goals. He is a member of National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA) and Ed Slott’s Master Elite IRA Advisor Group.

Rafal, an investment advisor representative of Bayntree Wealth Advisors, is life and health insurance licensed in Arizona.

Trend to watch: “The rapid advancement of new technologies, such as Robo-Advisors, will continue to reshape the wealth management industry.

Advisory firms that can incorporate these new technologies with good oldfashioned human advice will separate themselves from the competition.

Firms that do not evolve will risk becoming obsolete. The future of this industry is the ‘bionic advisor.’”

Advice for 2016: “Individuals need to take ownership of their financial future. The earlier someone begins planning for their retirement, the better. There is great value in working with an advisory firm that can help you build a financial roadmap and, most importantly, hold you accountable to stay on track. When the markets become volatile, do not let your emotions to take charge. Focus on the long term and build a plan that is based on your goals.”

Arizona investments: “Arizona’s healthcare sector will continue to show strength as the aging Baby Boomers migrate out west. Investing in companies that are part of this growth industry can be a smart long-term play.”

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Presents:

2016 EXCELLENCE IN CORPORATE COUNSEL ACC Awards honor Arizona’s most accomplished in-house attorneys.

Effective corporate counsel has never been more important than it is in today’s new and ever-evolving economy.

Az Business magazine is recognizing the important and vital role that in-house counsel plays in the success of a business with the Arizona Corporate Counsel Awards (ACC Awards). Candidates in several categories will be recognized for extraordinary legal skill and achievement across a full range of in-house responsibility, exemplary leadership and for contributions to Arizona’s communities. The 25 finalists and winners will be honored Thursday January 14, 2016 during a ceremony and dinner at The Camby/Autograph Collection Hotel (formerly the Ritz-Carlton).

Over the next several pages, you can meet the finalists, in alphabetical order:

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2016 FINALISTS 56th Fighter Wing JAG (Judge Advocate General) Luke Air Force Base | luke.af.mil

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he 56th Fighter Wing JAG provides a wide variety of legal service to the more than 5,500 Airmen who serve at Luke Air Force Base in the West Valley. The top legal advisor is Lt. Col. Joel England, a graduate of the Air Force Academy in 1995 and the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law in 2002. He

oversees a legal office of 12 attorneys, 10 paralegals and three civilians. The team provides legal advice to the Wing’s commander, Brig. Gen. Scott Pieus, and his staff, as well as the base population. They also assist military retirees and their dependents who have served in any of the five branches of the armed services.

Karim Adatia Associate general counsel Insight Enterprises | insight.com

A

datia is the company’s principal legal advisor on worldwide supply-chain transactions and intellectual property matters. He leads a legal team that supports client and partner relationships, helps execute Insight’s primary business strategies, implements risk-mitigating processes/ control and the delivery of IT solutions

globally. Before joining Insight, Adatia gained extensive international privatepractice experience as a lawyer with top-tier law firms in the U.S., Canada and Malaysia, with a practice focusing on corporate, mergers and acquisitions, securities and intellectual property law matters. He has been admitted to practice law in the U.S. and Canada.

Mary Alexander Executive vice president and general counsel DMB Associates, Inc. | dmbinc.com

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lexander is executive vice president and general counsel for Scottsdale-based DMB, where she serves on the company’s executive leadership team. In addition to becoming a Fellow in the American College of Real Estate Lawyers, she currently serves on the board of directors for the Association of Corporate

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Counsel, Arizona chapter, and the Arizona Chamber of Commerce Legal, Regulatory and Financial Services Committee. She is on the board of directors for Valley of the Sun United Way and chairs its Community Impact Committee, and is on the board of trustees for the Sonoran Institute.

Local Connections Global Influence

With experience encompassing corporate, finance, real estate, intellectual property, employment, litigation, restructuring and environmental matters, our lawyers have the skills and in-depth industry knowledge to provide the full range of legal counsel needed to implement your business strategy in Phoenix, across the country and around the world.

D. Lewis Clark Jr. Phoenix Office Managing Partner +1 602 528 4065 lew.clark@squirepb.com

44 Offices in 21 Countries squirepattonboggs.com

2016 FINALISTS Daniel K. Christensen Global group counsel for IT, privacy and security Intel Corporation | intel.com

C

hristensen serves as global group counsel for IT, privacy and security at Intel, focusing on privacy, security, transactions, IP and mergers and acquisitions. Intel sent Christensen overseas for three years to lead an international legal team, and he recently returned from a South African project. Christensen

helped Intel establish an Arizona pro bono debt clinic and serves on the Access To Justice board. Prior to Intel, Christensen was chief privacy officer and assistant general counsel for a consortium of private equity groups.

He has an MBA (Oxford), a J.D. (Utah), double bachelor’s (BYU), and is IAPP CIPM, CIPT and CIPP/US certified.

Veda Collmer In house counsel and compliance officer WebPT | webpt.com

C

ollmer is the in house counsel and compliance officer at WebPT, a leading provider in Web-based electronic documentation for the rehabilitation therapist. Her responsibilities include the design and implementation of compliance programs, contract negotiations and advising her client of legal risks and issues. Collmer received her

Mark Davis Senior intellectual property counsel Microchip Technology Inc. | microchip.com

D

avis is senior intellectual property counsel at Microchip in Chandler. At Microchip, Davis manages all aspects of the company’s worldwide intellectual property portfolio and oversees Microchip’s multinational IP litigation matters.

Prior to working at Microchip, Davis served as senior litigation

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counsel for BlackBerry in Washington, D.C., and patent counsel for Samsung Electronics in South Korea. Davis began his legal career at the Washington, D.C.-based IP firm Sughrue Mion.

B.S. from Utica College of Syracuse University and her J.D. from City University of New York School of Law. In 2012, Collmer was awarded a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Public Health Law Fellowship. She is a member of the New York State Bar Association and the Arizona Association of Health Care Lawyers.

2016 FINALISTS

Michael Donovan

Jennifer Eichholz

Intellectual property counsel Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) | tgen.org

Investment counsel Arizona Public Safety Personnel Retirement System | psprs.com

D

D

onovan, who received his PhD in immunology and parasitology from Notre Dame, plays a large role in ensuring that TGen’s intellectual property strategies will propel the organization as a major player in the field. Donovan is a registered patent attorney who specializes in intellectual property, genomics and biotechnology. His responsibilities at TGen include collaborating with internal scientific faculty to receive, develop and assess invention disclosure documents; interfacing with internal and external business-development personnel to make determinations regarding intellectualproperty strategies; preparing provisional, non-provisional, and PCT patent applications; responding to domestic and international office actions; and managing TGen’s intellectual property docket.

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ue to its declining funding ratios, the PSPRS has been subjected to public criticism, but when a position opened up to serve as PSPRS investment counsel, Eichholz took on the challenge and worked tirelessly to streamline the system’s deal procedures and reduce documentation costs, all of which contributed to PSPRS now achieving top riskadjusted investment returns during her tenure.

Eichholz is credited with making PSPRS a better investor. An honors graduate from Columbia Law School, Eichholz was a partner at Quarles & Brady before giving up her lucrative private practice to become the first in-house investment counsel of PSPRS.

With more than 425 members, the Arizona Chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel promotes the common professional and business interests of Arizona’s in-house counsel and supports them through education, networking opportunities, advocacy initiatives and information.

As part of an organization with more than 34,000 members employed by over 10,000 organizations in more than 85 countries, the Arizona Chapter connects the Chapter’s members to the resources of the ACC worldwide.

The Arizona Chapter’s members use their experience every day to help their companies, their clients succeed by contributing their legal skills and business leadership.

To learn more about the Arizona Chapter of the Association of CorporateCounsel please visit acc.com/chapters/ariz

To join ACC please visit acc.com/membership

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2016 FINALISTS GoDaddy legal department GoDaddy | godaddy.com

L

ed by Executive Vice President and General Counsel Nima Kelly, GoDaddy’s legal department is comprised of 12 attorneys, two global policy experts, and nine paralegal/ support staff. In 2015, the legal team orchestrated a highly successful initial public offering, successfully defended a landmark cybersquatting case, developed an industry-leading

online filter to assist brand holders against trademark infringement and played a prominent role in formulating the future of Internet governance.

The team also worked fearlessly and joined forces in making GoDaddy an even greater place to work, all while helping the company achieve its goal of shifting the global economy toward small businesses.

Jennifer Holsman Tetreault Division general counsel Rural/Metro Corporation

H

olsman Tetreault serves as division general counsel for Rural/Metro.

She is responsible for all company legal work in the West Division, including Arizona, Washington, Oregon, California, Colorado, Iowa and Nebraska. In this capacity, she handles contract drafting and negotiation, litigation, compliance, risk management and regulatory matters for the company.

She also serves as the company’s corporate legal liaison to multiple divisions and manages all litigation, employment and labor matters for the company on a national basis. While at Rural/Metro, she successfully guided the company through a financial restructuring and a merger with Envision Healthcare Holdings.

HonorHealth legal department HonorHealth | honorhealth.com

S

enior Vice President and General Counsel Alan Kelly has championed the concept of a well run, efficient, thoroughly modern legal department at HonorHealth.

Under Kelly’s leadership, the HonorHealth corporate compliance program grew and flourished. Kelly and his team have also been responsible for upgrading the SLHN

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Risk Management Department into an entity that can effectively manage the risk complexities of a $2 billion company. Kelly is personally responsible for creating the HonorHealth Captive, which is well suited to manage HonorHealth’s malpractice claims. Kelly oversees the use of all external counsel and actively promotes initiative in all people who work for him.

CONGRATULATIONS to the arizona corporate counsel of the year award winners The State Bar of Arizona and the In-House Counsel Committee are proud to be the Presenting Partner of the ACC Awards Program.

Maria Spelleri, General Counsel, on being named a finalist for an Arizona Corporate Counsel Award.

We honor your accomplishments and are very proud of you. With appreciation from your colleagues at Chicanos Por La Causa, Inc.

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Because differences matter.

TM

Congratulations to all finalists for the 2016 Arizona Corporate Counsel Awards.

速

ONE ARIZONA CENTER | 400 EAST VAN BUREN STREET | SUITE 1900 | PHOENIX, AZ 85004 DENVER | LAS VEGAS | LOS ANGELES | LOS CABOS | ORANGE COUNTY | PHOENIX | RENO | SALT LAKE CITY | TUCSON

2016 FINALISTS Stacey Kelly Corporate counsel Empire Southwest, LLC | empire-cat.com

K

elly has served as Empire’s corporate counsel for eight years. She thrives in managing the diverse legal issues associated with a 65-year-old heavy equipment dealer.

In addition to managing day-to-day legal matters for the company, Kelly has overseen the legal aspects of high-dollar equipment transactions, negotiated international sales and

service agreements, drafted largescale solar installation agreements and implemented a variety of risk management initiatives. By simplifying contracts and streamlining processes, Kelly strives to ensure Empire’s legal issues are covered, so her internal clients can focus on meeting the equipment and product support needs of Empire’s clients.

Kenneth Lee Senior director of resource transactions Salt River Project | srpnet.com

L

ee directs several groups within resource transactions, including fuels, power contracts and energy initiatives, and supply and trading.

His role as a director is to oversee and negotiate critical transactions affecting SRP’s resource portfolio. In addition, Lee provides legal services to clients at SRP, including issues with respect to SRP’s acquisition of the

Nona Lee Senior vice president and general counsel Arizona Diamondbacks | arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com

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ee recently completed her 16th season with the Arizona Diamondbacks and sixth as senior vice president and general counsel. Lee has served in the role of general counsel since 2005, overseeing all legal issues for the organization. Previously, she served as vice president and associate general counsel for the Phoenix Suns,

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D-backs, Phoenix Mercury, Arizona Rattlers, Chase Field, US Airways Center and the Dodge Theater. A dedicated member of the community, Lee has served on numerous local and national boards and has been named one of the Most Influential Women in Arizona

by Az Business magazine.

the City of Los Angeles Department of Water and Power’s interest in the Navajo Generating Station. During Lee’s career as an attorney at SRP, he has negotiated asset acquisition agreements, long-term renewable power purchase agreements, swap derivative agreements and credit support documents.

Residential > Commercial > Mixed-use > Redevelopment

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2016 FINALISTS

Greg Linaman II

Jenny Moody

COO and general counsel Arizona Commerce Authority azcommerce.com

Vice president and international counsel Kahala Brands| kahalamgmt.com

I

M

n addition to Linaman’s position as COO and general counsel, he is also the ACA’s ethics officer and staffs the ethics and compensation committees of the ACA’s board of directors. He regularly leads ACA special project teams, including teams assembled to attract major employers. In his time at ACA, Linaman helped drive the ACA to exceed its annual job-creation goals by more than 20 percent in fiscal years 2013-2015 and has led teams that work with companies representing a capital investment of more than $1 billion. Linaman has also served on the founding board of directors for Phoenix Collegiate Academy.

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oody started with Kahala more than five years ago as a legal intern during her first summer of law school. From there, she earned a more permanent position with the company’s legal team, where she worked throughout law school. After passing the bar, Moody joined Kahala’s in-house legal team as a full-time attorney.

Within one year, she was promoted to her current position, where she handles the legal aspects of the company’s international business in the 26 foreign countries in which it operates, assists with negotiating international expansion deals and manages an IP portfolio of nearly 1,000 trademarks and 100 domains.

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Congratulates the Finalists for the 2016 Arizona Corporate Counsel Awards A National Litigation & Business Transactions Firm Effective Litigation Solutions Sound Business Advice

Fastest Growing Law Firm in 2015 AmLaw 200

Top 100 Best Law Firms for Minority & Female Attorneys Law360.com, 2015

100% 2016 Corporate Equality Index, Rating American Workplaces on LGBT Equality

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www.gordonrees.com 64

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RECOGNITION OF EXCELLENCE

We Applaud You PERKINS COIE congratulates the nominees and finalists for the 2016 Corporate Counsel Excellence award.

We commend your outstanding professional achievements and contributions to the legal profession.

PerkinsCoie.com

Perkins Coie LLP Attorney Advertising

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2016 FINALISTS Chris Miner Senior vice president and general counsel Mobile Mini, Inc. | mobilemini.com

M

iner is responsible for all Mobile Mini’s legal strategy, compliance, litigation and regulatory matters. In the past 18 months, Miner has distinguished himself as general counsel by leading and managing more than $500 million in acquisitions of new assets and strategic purchases. Additionally, he has led the legal department to

develop and roll out external affairs and government relations programs across North America and the United Kingdom. Lastly, in his role as corporate secretary under board leadership, he executed a successful amendment of the company’s certificate of incorporation to declassify the board, eliminating the staggered election of board members.

Maria Morales Spelleri General counsel and executive vice president Chicanos Por La Causa Inc. | cplc.org

S

pelleri joined Chicanos Por La Causa, Inc. in 2011 and serves as CPLC’s general counsel and executive vice president, overseeing all legal, compliance, internal audit, human resources, risk management and insurance matters. Spelleri has completely re-organized the oversight of the many complex programs run

by Chicanos Por La Causa and its

affiliates. The careful management of compliance issues has facilitated more effective community services by the organization. Previously, Spelleri was a partner at Lewis & Roca for more than 13 years, counseling nonprofit organizations, public agencies, small manufacturers and affordable housing developers on their projects.

John Murphy General counsel and secretary Nextiva | nextiva.com

A

s the first in-house counsel for Nextiva, Murphy built a legal department from the ground up. He created policies and procedures that address litigation management, intellectual property, contracts, contract review, employees, data privacy and regulatory compliance. He created contracts and contract processes for Nextiva’s new channel partner 66

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program. Finally, Murphy manages and responds to the increasing legal needs of Nextiva, which was named the fastest-growing technology company in Arizona by Deloitte in 2014. Prior to Nextiva, Murphy was associate general counsel for JDA Software, a publiclytraded, international supply-chain management software company.

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2016 FINALISTS Jay Pricher Corporate counsel Best Western | bestwestern.com

P

richer provides counsel, leadership and guidance on all issues related to Best Western’s international operations, intellectual property matters and commercial litigation. Pricher has spearheaded the management of an extensive IP portfolio for Best Western, which has more than 4,000 hotels in 100 countries and

owns more than 1,900 trademark filings and 1,800 domain names.

Pricher also handles prosecution and defense of Best Western’s portfolio, as well as dealing with the constant threat of litigation by patent trolls. Pricher is active in ACC and Teach for America and has also been a panelist for the ABA.

Bhavi Shah Executive vice president, general counsel and assistant secretary Blood Systems | bloodsystems.org

S

hah provides leadership for Scottsdale-based Blood Systems, one of the nation’s oldest and largest independent nonprofit community blood service organizations. She provides legal counsel to executives and governing boards on mergers and acquisitions, governance, strategic planning, operations, human resources, compliance and

risk management. Shah is legal counsel and assistant secretary to Blood Systems’ joint venture, Creative Testing Solutions, which tests a significant portion of the U.S. blood supply. She also provides legal counsel to Blood Systems’ other divisions, affiliates and subsidiaries. She received her JD from the University of Kansas School of Law.

Laura Toncheff Senior legal counsel CVS Health | cvshealth.com

T

oncheff has always made it a point to truly understand her client’s business and has become not only a valuable legal adviser, but a valuable business partner as well.

During her 14-year tenure at Clear Channel, she not only held increasing levels of seniority and responsibility within the legal department, but she also became a vice president and

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executive vice president with roles that expanded beyond the legal group and into business leadership and strategy. Toncheff has been involved with Teach for America for 16 years and truly believes that a passionate and skilled teacher can make an indelible positive impact on a young person’s life.

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2016 FINALISTS Rob Tuttle Vice president, chief intellectual property counsel ON Semiconductor | onsemi.com

T

uttle combines expertise in semiconductor design with IP law. He has pursued and won patent infringement lawsuits, led due diligence in mergers and acquisitions, generated revenue from patent sales, successfully defended lawsuits from non-practicing entities and investigated trade secret and infringement claims. Tuttle has

also become a strategic manager of a global patent portfolio of thousands of patents and a trusted resource for management on issues related to intellectual property. Tuttle has a solid reputation in the industry, attracts high quality players to his team and now has a team of 15 legal professionals.

Helena Varnavas Associate corporate counsel Limelight Networks | limelight.com

V

arnavas specializes in complex commercial transactions. She works closely with internal clients on a wide range of business and legal matters, providing strategic advice and negotiating contracts for customers worldwide. Varnavas particularly enjoys sharing relevant legislative and regulatory developments, drafting

template language and strategizing solutions with her legal department colleagues. She is a member of the ASU President’s Club and ACC. Varnavas, a Moeur Award recipient for highest academic standing, graduated with a B.S. from Arizona State University (2007) and a JD from the University of Illinois College of Law (2010).

Douglas Wilson Executive vice president and assistant general counsel Discount Tire | discounttire.com

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ilson was the president of his family business until he went back to school and earned a degree in law. After graduating, he was recruited by Fennemore Craig in Phoenix. After a few years at the firm, he took advantage of his experience running a business and accepted

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an offer to work for Discount and America’s Tire in 1991. His role has grown and evolved over the years.

His current position is executive vice president and risk business segment leader. His background in business has aided in understanding corporate initiatives through a business and legal perspective.

Congratulations!

Karim Adatia, Associate General Counsel, on being named a finalist for an Arizona Corporate Counsel Award.

With appreciation from your colleagues at Insight Enterprises, Inc.

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2016 FINALISTS

ACA_AZBusMagAd12.1.15.indd 1

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11/18/15 4:42 PM

2016

Businesses in five key sectors recognized for leadership and innovation Each year, Az Business magazine is proud to present the Industry Leaders of Arizona (ILoA) Awards, which recognize the contributions and impact of Arizona based companies on both the economy of Arizona and in the communities they serve.

For 2016, companies were selected from these five key industries: Healthcare Hospitality Logistics/distribution Retail Staffing companies The 27 finalists for this year’s ILoA Awards are profiled on the following pages. Winners will be recognized at the awards dinner that will be held Thursday, February 11 at the Chateau Luxe in Phoenix.

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FINALISTS

Alliance Beverage Distributers Leadership: Shawn Thurman, CEO; Joe Malina, CFO Website: alliance-beverage.com What it does: Alliance is a leading alcoholic beverage

distributor in the state of Arizona.

How it leads: Alliance’s people, training and brands make it the

American Auctions

warehouse operation into a global, multi-million-dollar Leadership: Deb enterprise that generates Weidenhamer, CEO revenue of $140 million Website: americanauctionco.com annually. The company What it does: Multinational has grown organically and auction firm selling business Weidenhamer’s strong overstock, assets and real entrepreneurial spirit estate for corporations, has created an additional government and the private distribution and buying sector around the world. channel for businesses and How it leads: Weidenhamer consumers. American Auctions founded American Auctions recently introduced iPai, the in 1995 and quickly grew the first wholly foreign-owned auction house from a local auction house in China.

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leading distributor in Arizona. Alliance’s top priority is recruiting and training its workforce and promoting from within, which has given the company an exceptional retention rate. Alliance employs more than 600 people, who generate revenue of $450 million annually, up from $200 million in 1998. Alliance credits its success to supplier partners who have been signed through acquisitions or mergers.

Classic Hotels & Resorts

& Resorts is an affiliate of Grossman Company Properties, one of the premier commercial Leadership: Richard Behr, and residential developers in COO; Larry Coltharp, CFO the Western United States.

Website: classichotels.com During the past 50 years, What it does: Has developed, GCP has built, developed and owned and managed luxury managed more than 14 million hotels and resort properties square feet of high-quality throughout the Western United properties, including the States, including the Arizona Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa, Biltmore Resort & Spa and Biltmore Fashion Park and the Arizona Grand Resort & Spa. Phoenix Spectrum Mall.

How it leads: Classic Hotels

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FINALISTS

Concentric Healthcare Staffing Leadership: Chris Bollinger, CEO; Kyle Silk, COO; Andy

Jacobs, CFO

Website: concentrichealthcare.com What it does: Healthcare recruitment staffing agency.

How it leads: Launched in 2003, Concentric has nearly

Corporate Job Bank

How it leads: Corporate Job Bank is the largest locally owned Leadership: Paul Boca, staffing organization in Arizona. president and CEO; Joe It has earned membership in DiGiovanni, executive vice Ranking Arizona’s Hall of Fame president and CFO for being the state’s top-ranked Website: corporatejobbank.com staffing company for 10 years.

Corporate Job Bank provides What it does: Corporate Job Bank is the largest independently temporary staffing from light industrial to administrative, owned staffing agency in and also provides executive Arizona and has two divisions recruiting and professional — temporary staffing and placement for senior-level talent professional placement for senior in finance, mortgage, human level talent. resources and healthcare.

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quadrupled in size and is set to continue its phenomenal growth, fueled largely by the company’s nursing division. Concentric has earned a spot on the Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Companies List. The healthcare staffing team only hires multi-disciplined recruiters and staffers who cross-train to fill in for each other during our busiest times. This allows Concentric’s clients to seamlessly interact with all Concentric team members.

DriveTime Automotive Leadership: Ray Fidel, CEO;

Kurt Wood, CFO

Website: drivetime.com What it does: Largest used

car dealer and financing company helping people with credit issues find and finance vehicles in the United States.

How it leads: Over the past 14 years, DriveTime distanced itself from the status quo by

changing its company culture to separate itself from its competition. DriveTime’s eighth-generation proprietary credit scoring model allows it to offer financing to individuals that are turned down elsewhere. DriveTime isn’t just a used car dealer. It is a bank and a 131 dealership-strong network. In the past three years, DriveTime has spun off three new companies that now operate under their own merit.

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FINALISTS

Freeport Logistics Leadership: John C. Bauermeister, CEO; William Olson, CFO Website: freeport-logistics.com What it does: Family-owned and operated warehousing,

transportation and distribution company.

How it leads: Freeport Logistics has been in Phoenix since

GlobalTranz Enterprises Leadership: Andrew Leto,

CEO; Renee Krug, CFO Website: globaltranz.com What it does: Phoenix-based logistics company specializing in high technology freight management services.

How it leads: GlobalTranz is a technology based, software and logistics company, that has created a one-stop-shop providing innovative solutions 78

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to more than 18,000 shippers.

GlobalTranz specializes in LTL, FTL, supply chain logistics and warehousing. Customers nationwide engage in state-ofthe-art technology, CarrierRate. com, which optimizes the flow and storage of merchandise as the goods move within, and throughout, the customers’ supply chain. GlobalTranz was named one of Inc. Magazine’s 5000 fastest-growing companies list.

1971 and currently occupies roughly 500,000 square feet of modern secure space in Metro Phoenix. Roughly 30 percent of Freeport’s employees have been with the company for more than 10 years, and many for more than 20 years. Freeport’s inventory management system is a real-time, Web-based system that is easily accessible to its customers via the Internet with a user name and password.

Govig & Associates Leadership: Todd Govig,

president and CEO

Website: govig.com What it does: Specializes

in both executive search and consulting with expertise in healthcare, biopharmaceuticals, construction, tax, accounting/ finance, and operations How it leads: In the 50year history of Management Recruiters International, only

two franchises of the more than 500 franchises in the network have exceeded $10 million in revenue. Govig & Associates is one of those two franchises. Govig’s methods help companies develop their own internal talent as they plan for growth and succession as well as creating a brand on the college campus to allow for continuous flow of the best and brightest new talent.

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FINALISTS

Hospice of Arizona

years of providing quality, compassionate end of life services in Maricopa County.

How it leads: As part of a nationwide network of hospice providers, Hospice of Arizona has the resources and expertise to remain sustainable in an ever-changing healthcare environment.

Hospice of Arizona is accredited by the Community Health Accreditation Program (CHAP). Families served by Hospice of Arizona rate their experience as “excellent” in the majority of all cases based on a third-party survey administrator.

Hotel Valley Ho

IntuitiveHRO

Leadership: Scott Mahosky, CEO; Don Borchert, CFO Website: americanhospice.com/arizona What it does: Local hospice organization with more than 20

Southwestern wedding of Natalie Wood and Robert Leadership: Scott Lyon, CEO; Wagner in 1957 and Frankie Pete Corpstein, CFO Avalon, Humphrey Bogart, Website: hotelvalleyho.com Bing Crosby, Tony Curtis, Bette What it does: Trendy Davis, Cary Grant, Janet Leigh, vintage hotel dating to the Marilyn Monroe, Roy Rogers, 1950s featuring mid-century- Ted Williams and Zsa Zsa Gabor style rooms and suites with have been guests as well. The upscale furnishings. “hip” meter rises even more How it leads: Located in thanks to ZuZu Lounge, the hip the heart of Scottsdale’s Arts OH Pool Bar + Cabanas and the District, the Hotel Valley VH Spa for Vitality + Health.

Ho was the backdrop for the

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Leadership: Mary Ward, CEO Website: intuitivehro.com What it does: Offers

customizable short- and long-term staffing solutions based on the company’s individual needs.

How it leads: IntuitiveHRO has been named an Inc. 5000 (No. 1,070) Fastest Growing Company in America 2015 and is a Certified Woman Owned

Business. The company has grown from a home-based business with one employee to having more than 750 employees and 12 offices across the country in just five short years. This growth is a result of taking the time to get to know each client and understanding their company’s vision and staffing goals.

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FINALISTS

Jewish Children & Family Services Leadership: Michael R. Zent, Ph.D., CEO; Javier R. Favela, CFO Website: jfcsaz.org What it does: Provides behavioral healthcare, family welfare,

domestic violence, and older adult services to children, adults and families in Maricopa County.

The Joint Leadership: John Richards, CEO; Frank Joyce, CFO Website: thejoint.com What it does: Franchisor of chiropractic clinics.

How it leads: The Joint’s direct pay model is blazing the trail for others, including doctors in primary care and telemedicine. The Joint’s patients have access to doctors for a monthly fee.

The model is gaining traction 82

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because consumers are better off paying for some routine healthcare services via a cash only, private pay model, instead of insurance premiums. For example, patients at The Joint save between $28 and $53 per visit by not using insurance because the average insurance policy requires a $50 to $75 co-pay, significantly more than the per-visit equivalent of The Joint’s membership model.

How it leads: JFCS touches the lives of more than 37,000

individuals each year; 97 percent of whom live at or below the federal poverty level. Responding to an ever-changing healthcare environment, JFCS has lead the fight against child abuse, is a major provider of behavioral health services, and a leader in adopting new health information technology and promoting integrated health services.

Mach 1 Global Services, Inc. Leadership: Jamie Fletcher,

CEO; Debbie Wilcox, CFO

Website: mach1global.com What it does: Offers services

in air and ocean freight, ground transportation, warehousing, consulting and U.S. Customs brokerage.

How it leads: Mach 1’s most recent industry recognized innovation is its Linehaul

network, which was in development for more than five years and is a major contributing factor to Mach 1’s growth. By keeping a majority of its clients’ freight within its Mach 1 network, Mach 1 is delivering industry best key performance indicators while growing the Linehaul network substantially. The Mach 1 Linehaul allows the company to contain 75 percent of its ground service product.

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FINALISTS

Mediant Health Resources Leadership: Mike Primorac, founder and president Website: medianthealthcare.com What it does: Solely focused on the healthcare IT industry with

a goal to continue as the pioneer of healthcare IT staffing.

How it leads: With today’s financial pressures and project

OnTrac

up delivery without the cost of express shipping. As the thirdLeadership: Rob Humphrey, largest overnight company in the CEO; Rob Humphrey, CFO United States, OnTrac continues Website: ontrac.com to innovate and provide shipping What it does: Provides overnight solutions. In 2014, OnTrac delivery at ground rates to more launched DirectPost and became than 60 million consumers. the first regional carrier to offer How it leads: Celebrating its a USPS package consolidation 25th year in business in 2016, service. Through DirectPost, OnTrac has grown to become a OnTrac is able to service 92 top choice for e-commerce and percent of its market areas with companies looking to speed DDU injection from DirectPost.

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budgets on the line, Mediant’s clients count on its services to hit the ground running. As a leader in the staffing industry, Mediant manages co-employment challenges and can give clients peace of mind in their utilization of a contingent workforce. Mediant prides itself on repeat business and the fact that its clients come back time and time again for its services.

Phoenix Children’s Hospital

specialists, PCH provides the most comprehensive and complex pediatric care in Arizona with access to more Leadership: Robert Meyer, than 70 subspecialties. For the president and CEO; Craig fifth consecutive year, PCH was McKnight, executive vice Arizona’s only hospital named president, finance and CFO Website: phoenixchildrens.com a U.S. News & World Report’s Best Children’s Hospital. PCH’s What it does: Offers a six Centers of Excellence have comprehensive network of grown in size and expertise to pediatric care that extends place them on par with some across the state.

How it leads: With a medical of the most prestigious of their kind in the U.S. staff of more than 1,000

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FINALISTS

Pita Jungle Restaurants Leadership: Bassel Osmani, CEO; Jacki Eldredge, CFO Website: pitajungle.com What it does: Offers healthful and natural cuisine crafted

within the principles of the Mediterranean diet using fresh ingredients prepared daily from scratch.

How it leads: Pita Jungle’s leaders say the ability to

PRO EM Party and Event Rentals

the former Arizona Tents and Events, Gorilla Companies, Distinctive Tents in Denver and Party Concepts in Tucson.

Leadership: Amir Glogau, Its team has produced more CEO; Michael Kasen, CFO than 25,000 events and Website: proem.org What it does: Creates a unique maintains Arizona’s largest tent and structure inventory. event experience through an PRO EM achieved a 99 percent offering of state-of-the-art rental equipment, staffing and diversion rate at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, experienced consultants.

How it leads: PRO EM is the the largest attended golf combined talent and assets of tournament in the world.

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transmit a vision and communicate with a group in a fashion that makes the group embrace the vision, create and produce beyond themselves is the hinge that actuates Pita Jungle’s entire operation. This notion of transmission establishes a positive social environment that is on brand and creates a culture that will engulf any person present in its stream, on both sides of the counter, workers and clients.

Southwest Diagnostic Imaging Leadership: Christian

Dewald, president

Website: sdil.net What it does: Provides cost-

efficient diagnostic imaging while improving patient care.

How it leads: SDI provides the highest level of patient care through subspecialty radiologists. SDI’s ability to provide the most advanced

imaging services is not only made possible through the use of leading-edge technology but also through relationships with leaders in the healthcare industry, such as Banner Health, HonorHealth and Iasis Healthcare. In addition, SDI’s peer review activities fully support diagnostic quality assessment and improvement, which has a positive effect on patient care, improves quality of care and patient outcomes.

A hospitality management company based on providing superior service to our guests and long-lasting relationships with our associates and owners.

It is our honor to be named as a finalist for the Industry Leaders of Arizona Awards.

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Working hard for a healthier future Aetna is proud to support the Industry Leaders of Arizona Awards.

Aetna is the brand name used for products and services provided by one or more of the Aetna group of subsidiary companies, including Aetna Life Insurance Company and its affiliates (Aetna). Š2015 Aetna Inc. 2014011

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FINALISTS

Southwest Human Development Leadership: Ginger Ward, CEO; Bill McClung, CFO Website: swhd.org What it does: Arizona’s largest nonprofit dedicated to early

childhood development.

How it leads: Southwest Human Development was founded in 1981 with a $150,000 budget serving just 175 children and

Stream Logistics Leadership: Carson

Holmquist, CEO and co-founder; Chad Patton, president and cofounder Website: streamlogistics.com What it does: Boutique transportation brokerage firm that specializes in freight management services complemented by highly individualized and consistent customer service.

How it leads: With a strong 92

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belief in quality over quantity, Stream Logistics has quickly become the standard for logistics providers. Stream Logistics’ boutique style approach derives from Patton’s passion to give each client the utmost attention and superior communication throughout the entire shipment lifecycle.

This niche in the industry is what has made the company stand out to clients and among competitors.

families. Today, Southwest Human Development serves 135,000 children and their families with a $62 million budget and more than 850 staff. The agency operates more than 40 programs and services in five core areas: child development and mental health, Easter Seals disabilities services, early literacy and Head Start, child welfare, and professional development and training for early childhood professionals.

Trax Technologies Leadership: Scott Nelson,

CEO; Steven Westberg, CFO

Website: traxtech.com What it does: Helps companies

drastically improve the quality and accuracy of their underlying supply chain data at its source.

How it leads: Trax is a leader in unearthing and extracting the vast amounts of untapped value trapped deep inside

global logistics data. Trax finds and fixes complex underlying data issues. Trax creates clarity that helps stop previously unrecognized expense and revenue leaks from negatively affecting bottom line earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization.

Trax’s client roster includes six of the Top 10 life science companies and two of the Top 5 tech companies.

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FINALISTS

Upward Projects

Joyride Taco House locations, plus Windsor, Churn and Federal Pizza.

How it leads: At Upward Projects, the first key is finding the

right location, such as a historically relevant or architecturally unique building begging for a rehab, and located in an underserved neighborhood that’s craving a casual, locallyfocused restaurant. Upward, which has shown a three-year growth rate of 199 percent, is also dedicated to creating a company-wide culture where employee needs are first, so they can then take great care of their customers.

Vincent Benjamin

Wist Office Products

Leadership: Lauren Bailey, co-CEO; Craig DeMarco, co-CEO Website: upwardprojects.com What it does: Restaurants include multiple Postino WineCafe and

local service provider with offices across the West Coast Leadership: Ben Howard, and Rocky Mountain region.

CEO; Vince Dorazio, CFO While VB has the ability to Website: vincentbenjamin.com recruit talent throughout the What it does: Provides U.S., the concentration of its finance, accounting and IT candidate pool aligns with the workforce solutions on a physical location of its offices. project consulting, direct-hire This allows for in-person and interim staffing basis. interviews of candidates prior How it leads: Unlike many to representation and creates a national competitors, Vincent valuable referral network within Benjamin is structured as a the local area.

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Leadership: Ian Wist, owner and general manager; Peter Drozdowicz, CFO Website: wist.com What it does: Wist has delivered office supplies to Arizona businesses since 1955 and offers a range of more than 50,000 products — from furniture to janitorial supplies.

How it leads: Wist Office Products has been recognized

by its peers as a leader in the office supplies industry. Wist experienced growth throughout the recession; something big box competition cannot claim. Wist looks to continue expansion and success into the future due to a combination of long-tenured staff and a leadership team focused on implementing progressive practices. This is what drives Wist’s higher class of service.

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GREATER PHOENIX ECONOMIC COUNCIL

GREATER PHOENIX ECONOMIC COUNCIL

man mission The

leading the

Research suggests Millennials are increasingly driven and motivated by a sense of purpose. GPEC CEO Chris Camacho is a Millennial whose mission is clear: to turn Phoenix into a technology-driven economic juggernaut.

By MICHAEL GOSSIE

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GREATER PHOENIX ECONOMIC COUNCIL

C

hris Camacho might be the most influential Millennial in Arizona. But who better to guide Arizona’s economy into a technology-driven world than a Millennial?

The 35-year-old president and CEO of the Greater Phoenix Economic Council (GPEC) packs an economic punch. During Camacho’s tenure with the economic development association, GPEC has attracted more that 170 companies, created 26,688 jobs and generated $2.2 billion in capital investment. Some of the more notable projects include Apple, Silicon Valley Bank, Zenefits, GoDaddy, Yelp, Gainsight, Amazon, Garmin, General Motors and countless others.

Camacho, who took over the top job at GPEC in January 2015, has particular expertise in emerging technology, tax policy and international economic development.

Az Business met with Camacho to talk about GPEC’s triumphs, challenges and outlook.

Az Business: It’s been a year since you moved into your current role at GPEC. How did coming from within the GPEC system help the transition?

Chris Camacho: There’s no question that I had a tremendous amount of institutional knowledge and market knowledge that put me in a position to be successful. Knowing how the market is positioned certainly allowed a smooth transition and allowed us to execute our business plan rather quickly.

AB: Has anything surprised you?

CC: The public side and private side coming together is a unique apparatus to promote economic viability and sustainability. What excites me is the ambition for the market is very prevalent among both the public and private sides of GPEC. The willingness to push the envelope around what matters, to produce students who meet the competitiveness demands of market conditions and approach policy in a way that allows us to create high-wage jobs is the ambition that exists within our market.

AB: What strengths do you bring to your leadership role at GPEC? CC: My strengths are my ability to lead, my ability to work in collaboration with other peer organizations, operating a business plan and executing a business plan that drives measurable results.

We are going to be very focused on execution and we will do so in a way that will elevate the national reputation of the organization, 102

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while at the same time getting in front of more companies and getting more companies to select this market.

AB: You’re a Millennial. How has your youth helped in the job?

CC: This job requires a lot. It requires tenacity and grit to drive an economic strategy. Combining that with the experience I have — I was president and CEO of the Greater Yuma Economic Development Corporation before moving here — gives me a unique vantage point. I understand the next-generation workforce, the needs of communities to attract people, how to retain talent and what the future creators of jobs will be looking for in terms of the balanced live-work-play aspect. I also have the understanding of taxation, finance and core business assessments that companies make. I think having a blend between the two is something that has been very conducive to the needs of this position.

AB: GPEC has had a lot of recent success attracting and growing tech companies. Did growing up in the tech generation help you with that effort?

CC: I already have to ask my 8-year-old to educate me on how to use my iPhone. With that said, there is a tremendous amount of change occurring in how businesses are performing work today.

This new class of workers that are entering the workforce today not only have ambition, but a level of creativity that is probably unmatched because of their exposure to technology. We are going to see continued evolution of new technology impacting the business environment. If you think about Uber (which has offices in downtown Phoenix), it wasn’t even a concept a few years ago.

Now, anyone going out on a weekend will likely use Uber. We’re going to see more and more of this kind of social change along with the needs of Millennials. This will create opportunities for technologies to collide and new companies to be born.

AB: What impact do you think Millennials with have on Arizona’s economy in the long run?

CC: This is one of the largest workforces we’ve ever had coming into the system and the balance on the back end is a Baby Boomer generation that is retiring. They’ve grown up in very different geopolitical and world factions. Today, the Millennials have an incredibly creative spirit and a pretty strong work ethic, but their view of work is very different. I think the employers

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GREATER PHOENIX ECONOMIC COUNCIL and markets that will succeed and successfully integrate those talented Millennials are those that really understand the requirements of moving people across markets in terms of urban transit, how to create the jobs that will allow them to stay in the market, along with attractive residential options that promote walkability and outdoor activities. Those are the things that Millennials are looking for in today’s competitive environment.

AB: What are Arizona’s strengths in helping GPEC attract new businesses or in helping existing businesses grow?

CC: Today, by far, it’s our current talent base, whether it’s engineers coming out of engineering schools or it’s the 30-year run of advanced business services employees that have fueled everything from customer service centers to technology centers to IT centers. The labor force is very strong in relation to other markets in the Western United States. At the same time, we’ve coupled that with a very strong operating environment that has a very strong pro-business message. We have low taxes and limited regulation. From a speed to market perspective, we are one of the fastest markets to align and get your business up and operational. To complement that, we have this very organically grown entrepreneurial ecosystem that’s evolved largely in the last 10 years. That’s really allowing a lot of localized job growth to occur in the Phoenix small business sector, which allow the service sector to thrive as well.

AB: How do you think the governor’s plan to put more money into K-12 education will impact GPEC’s economic development efforts?

CC: Putting the $3.5 billion into education through the state Land Reform Plan to the voters is something GPEC supports.

We think this is a big leap forward. There are additional reforms required and additional funding required for our market to continue to maintain its competitive edge in terms of producing K-20 talent. But I do feel this is an important continued step to produce the right type of talent to meet industry needs.

AB: What kind of impact does Arizona’s education system have

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on GPEC’s ability to attract new businesses to the region?

CC: It has an impact on two fronts. First, companies analyze a number of market conditions — notably transportation thoroughfares, infrastructure capabilities, real estate product, operating environment and taxation. Education has elevated itself as one of the primary factors that companies analyze. It’s not just how many workers you have in your environment to work in industries that are our target interest, but what does the future pipeline entail? This measurement is critical for companies analyzing the market. The analytical due diligence is the first piece and the second piece is the brand position and how are we as a market and as a state producing students to meet industry demands? I think the governor’s step to put more money into classrooms and more money into the system is a big first step toward strengthening that brand position.

AB: Are there specific industries or sectors that GPEC is targeting for growth?

CC: The technology sector is by far the most attractive industry at this point, largely because of the growth in California, New York City, Chicago and other markets. We are a great place to access the California market and operate from and export technologies from. Second — and largely tied to technology — is software. As we continue to seed our university systems with software development talent and software analysts, we are going to continue to feed the job demand with those employees. Third is financial services. Whether it’s the major banks or analyst houses, financial companies are trying to determine the best places to cost optimize. That simply means, “Where can I go and operate and attract the right kind of talent, find a suitable real estate option that meets my occupancy needs and do so in a place that’s very competitive from a cost perspective?” We are very well situated to attract those financial services companies. The fourth is is healthcare, which is largely driven by population growth. We are going to see a tremendous amount of healthcare job growth, well over two times the national average for healthcare job growth. That will probably be the leading industry overall in the Arizona market.

AB: What are you doing to capitalize on that explosion in healthcare?

CC: At GPEC, we have a Healthcare Leadership Council that’s led by the leaders in the industry. We work closely with them to not only market and brand the healthcare industry as it relates to biomedical research and producing new medical technology and service companies, but understanding the industry’s needs for future labor and ensuring that we have an aligned community college system that meets the demands of future jobs. We are working with a number of these companies — Banner Health, Dignity Health and others — to appraise what their next five- to 10-year job demands will be and how we can ensure that the educational systems are aligned with educating those who will fill those future jobs.

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GREATER PHOENIX ECONOMIC COUNCIL

“In the last three years, we’ve driven more than 100 new companies to the market” AB: Is GPEC seeing results now from its California initiative?

CC: Coming on the heels of Prop 30, which took the personal income tax in California to the highest level it’s ever been, we had more than 50 companies express an interest in the market.

A number of them had visited the market and assessed the market.

Going forward, you’re going to see a lot of these California tech companies — as they look to go to scale — look to Phoenix to evaluate for expansion. They will keep the nerve center of the company in California, but once they hit some level of critical mass, they will look to a market like Phoenix to absorb the scale job growth. That tagline, “scale job growth,” is something we’ve captured because we think — whether you’re in healthcare, medical research, financial services, software, technology — this is the market to go to scale. That message is resonating with a lot of the CEOs with whom we are talking.

AB: Is that why we’re attracting so many many companies like GainSight, Zenefits, Uber and Weebly?

CC: What’s happening is a lot of these companies we work with in Silicon Valley are backed by venture capital. They get an infusion of capital and they have revenue targets that require them to get to some level of scale quickly. Once they have that injection of capital, these venture capitalists are asking for a return on their investment or a return on the cost of capital. As a byproduct of that methodology, these companies need to go to scale quickly and we are right there with the right labor force, the right turnkey options in terms of local permitting and the right business operating environment. So we spend a lot of 106

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time in California because there is a great message to be sent to that marketplace that says, “Let us be your partner.” In the last few years, we’ve had more than 25 California-based companies expand into the marketplace and we’re going to see that continue even more explosively than we have in the last decade.

AB: What do you consider GPEC’s major success stories over the last year?

CC: From a leadership standpoint, we’re hitting our metrics. We’re hitting what our business plan has asked us to do, which is drive new business activity to the market. In the last three years, we’ve driven more than 100 new companies to the market. Over the last few years, the level of capital investment and job creation has has outpaced any other three-year stint in GPEC’s history. Looking forward, we have to continue to do more. In addition to building a strong job base, GPEC is looking inward to examine how we continue to expand the local base of jobs. We have further strategies that we hope will elevate our entrepreneurial ecosystem and help it flourish. We are also looking at ways to connect workforce development with the community college system so we have a workforce that is prepared for future jobs and create a continuous pipeline of people. GPEC will recruit about 20 percent of the jobs that come to the market, but 80 percent are grown from the local base. If 80 percent are grown from the local base, we want to ensure that those jobs are also adding to personal income. The jobs that GPEC brings are $60,000-plus and we want to ensure that the 80 percent of jobs that are homegrown are being driven by higherwage job focuses as well.

GPEC’s 2015-2016 Board of Directors: A true public-private partnership, the Greater Phoenix Economic Council (GPEC) is the regional economic development organization for Greater Phoenix. Working with 23 member communities, Maricopa County and more than 170 private investors, GPEC’s mission is to attract quality businesses to the region. Here are the Arizona business leaders that make up GPEC’s 2015-2016

Board of Directors: Chairman: Don Smith, president and CEO, CopperPoint Mutual Vice chairman: Chris Zaharis, executive vice president, Empire Southwest Secretary: Tammy McLeod, vice president of energy resource management, APS Treasurer: R. Neil Irwin, partner, Bryan Cave, LLP

Executive committee members: • James H. Lundy, immediate past chair, CEO, Alliance Bank of Arizona • Chris Camacho, president and CEO, GPEC • Ed Aaronson, vice president, Cox Communications • Jennifer Anderson, senior vice president and regional manager, Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. • Jason Bagley, government affairs manager, Intel Corp.

• Steve Betts, president, Chanen Development Corp • Timothy Bidwill, vice president, Vermilion IDG • Ron Butler, managing partner, Ernst & Young LLP • Brian Campbell, managing partner, Campbell Law Group • Michael Crow, president, Arizona State University • Kathleen H. Goeppinger, president and CEO, Midwestern University • John Graham, president and CEO, Sunbelt Holdings • Derrick Hall, president and CEO, Arizona Diamondbacks • Sharon Harper, president and CEO, The Plaza Companies • Ann Weaver Hart, president, University of Arizona • Paul Luna, president and CEO, Helios Education Foundation • Richard Marchant, executive vice president, Global Ops., Crescent Crown Dist.

• Matt McGuire, president and CEO, Cancer Treatment Centers of America, Western Regional Center • Brian Mueller, president and CEO, Grand Canyon University • Curtis Reed Jr., market manager, JPMorgan Chase • David Rousseau, president, Salt River Project • Timothy Slottow, president, University of Phoenix • Karrin K. Taylor, executive vice president, DMB Associates, Inc. • Andy Warren, president, Maracay Homes • John Zidich, publisher, president and CEO, The Arizona Republic • Ed Zuercher, city manager, City of Phoenix

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GREATER PHOENIX ECONOMIC COUNCIL

WINNING

TICKET

Mega events have monster impact on economy and tourism industry, but could state cash in even more?

By MICHAEL GOSSIE

A

rizona won at the Super Bowl last year.

No, the Cardinals didn’t hoist the Lombardi Trophy. That honor went the the guys who were accused of deflating footballs. But the real winner was the state of Arizona, which got a $720 million economic boost from hosting the game.

“You undertake these kinds of efforts because (you want to show) what’s great about Arizona to the world,” says David Rousseau, president of Salt River Project and chairman of the Arizona Super Bowl Host Committee. “We hope to harvest additional returns on that investment (and exposure) over the coming years.”

Along with bragging rights that come with hosting the mostwatched sporting event of the year comes opportunities, including the opportunity to showcase the state to visitors who will come back and fill Arizona’s hotels, restaurants and attractions.

“Super Bowl XLIX not only brought 100,000 visitors to the state, but it was also the highest rated television event in history with 108

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viewers from 180 countries and more than 114 million U.S. viewers, who all witnessed the hospitality and leadership that Arizona has to offer,” says Kim Sabow, president and CEO of the Arizona Lodging & Tourism Association. “That type of positive and vast exposure is invaluable. And the good news is more opportunities of this nature are on the horizon for Arizona.”

On the heels of hosting a Super Bowl that had the largest economic impact of any Super Bowl for which publicly released figures are available, Arizona will host this month’s College Football Playoff National Championship Game and Phoenix will be the center of the sports universe again in 2017 when it hosts the NCAA Final Four.

“If past BCS games and Super Bowls are an example – and I think they are – we’ll see our hotel rooms full, we’ll see our restaurants busy, we’ll see our golf courses and other amenities being taken advantage of,” says Brad Wright, co-chairman of the Arizona Organizing Committee for the 2016 College Football Playoff National Championship Game.

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GREATER PHOENIX ECONOMIC COUNCIL

Chris Camacho

Kim Sabow

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“There’s the direct and the indirect activity that these events generate that’s really helpful.”

Some of that indirect activity comes long after the game’s final whistle. Chris Camacho, president and CEO of the Greater Phoenix Economic Council, says GPEC hosted dozens of David Rousseau CEOs for the Super Bowl, hoping those business leaders saw the virtues of doing business in Arizona while they were here to enjoy the game.

Again this month for the College Football Playoff National Championship Game, GPEC will take advantage of the moment to attract more Tom Sadler businesses to the state.

“We are teaming up with the Arizona Commerce Authority and the governor’s office to host a CEO program, which is intended to bring 25 to 50 CEOs to the market, some that are already in the pipeline and considering the market and others Jon Schmieder whom we want to educate on opportunities in the market,” Camacho says. “What you see from these big events are opportunities to get people to visit the market who otherwise might not consider the market.”

Camacho says the College Football Playoff National Championship Game with further reinforce Arizona’s ability to host mega events, bring people to the market and expose people the the opportunities that are available in Arizona. Camacho says Arizona’s ability to spin mega events into economic development opportunities is similar to the way Texas used mega events to drive its economic development efforts.

The biggest difference between the two states: Texas has a mega events fund. The Texas legislature passed a funding mechanism in 2003 called the Texas Major Events Trust Funds. As of April 2013, Texas taxpayers had contributed $277 million to lure these big events. The fund has allowed Texas to land events ranging from Super Bowls to Final Fours to the Academy of Country Music Awards.

In contrast, Arizona has to scramble to find funding

AB | January - February 2016

every time it bids on an event.

“We’re playing with a bow and arrow and everybody else is playing with a howitzer,” says Jon Schmieder, founder and CEO of the Phoenix-based Huddle Up Group, which consults with sports commissions across the country.

Rousseau worries the current system of assembling a different committee each time a new event comes to town could hinder future attempts to secure and produce mega events.

“That (system), at some point, is going to start to be this frayed, fragmented effort,” he says. “I think there’s some value in just continuing to improve upon and refine that effort and you can only do that if you have that one platform model as opposed to startup efforts every time a new bid opportunity comes by.”

So without a sports commission or mega event fund in place, how will Arizona be able to maintain its hot streak when it comes to landing mega events?

“Mega event funding would be immeasurably helpful in attracting additional future events,” Sabow says. “It would provide our state leaders with a significant additional tool in the tool box.

Beyond the immediate fiscal impact from the visitors and the event itself, Arizona’s economic development efforts would be enhanced into the future significantly. These events bring leading CEOs from around the country to town and provide the opportunity for us to showcase all the best that Arizona has to offer. The positive worldwide media coverage doesn’t hurt either.”

Texas has adjusted and amended its model over the years, but the concept has remained the same. If an event hosted in the state can prove a certain level of revenue was generated during its run, the state will reimburse the host committee for a percentage of its operating budget on par with the money earned.

“We just can’t year in and year out count on the support from the private sector,” says Tom Sadler, president and CEO of the Arizona 2016 College Football Championship Organizing Committee. “I think it’s possible to do it for a few years in the short run, but year after year would be very difficult, and that’s why we need the state’s help.”

As an economic catalyst, Camacho says he’d like to see Arizona host more mega events because of the success GPEC has derived from events like the Super Bowl, which helped convince Apple to look at Mesa and make its most significant investment outside of Cupertino, Calif.

“You cannot capture the marketing exposure that mega event give the state in any other way,” Camacho says. “Mega events not only drive economic impact, they drive investment. They also allow us to bring in CEOs who otherwise might not be exposed to the market and allow us to further reinforce Arizona’s ‘open for business’ message.”

Cronkite News writers Jason Axelrod and Rebecca Winn contributed to this report.

AB | January - February 2016

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ARIZONA LODGING & TOURISM ASSOCIATION

Woman of the New AzLTA leader plans to use her international background to boost Arizona tourism 116

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ARIZONA LODGING & TOURISM ASSOCIATION

By MICHAEL GOSSIE

K

im Sabow hopes to bring a global perspective to Arizona’s tourism industry.

In November, the Arizona Lodging and Tourism Association and the Valley Hotel and Resort Association named Sabow as its new president and CEO, succeeding Debbie Johnson, who is now leading the Arizona Office of Tourism.

Sabow left her position as executive director of the Arizona-Mexico Commission to take on the leadership role in the tourism industry.

“I plan to bring my international experience to this new challenge,” Sabow says. “Having that global view will help us take Arizona’s tourism industry — which is already a huge economic engine — to the next level.”

Before Gov. Doug Ducey appointed Sabow to her role with the Arizona-Mexico Commission, she served in the gubernatorial administrations of both Jan Brewer and Fife Symington. She also worked as assistant vice president of state relations for the University of Arizona until leaving for a spot in Ducey’s administration.

Az Business met with Sabow to talk about the impact of tourism on the state and how her background could boost the industry.

Az Business: What attracted you to the position at AzLTA? Kim Sabow: As a third-generation Arizona native with a deep passion for our great state, the opportunity to serve as president and CEO of the state’s leading public policy advocacy entity for one of the state’s largest industries presented an opportunity too great to ignore. Arizona tourism is the state’s second largest industries employing more than 200,000 residents and generating $2.9 billion annually in state, local and federal tax revenues. It also takes top honors as the state’s largest export industry.

AB: How does AzLTA fit into the mix with Arizona’s other tourism groups and associations?

KS: The AzLTA works in close collaboration with a multitude of stakeholders throughout the state including the Arizona Office of Tourism, the numerous convention and visitors bureaus and related industry partners in an effort to increase awareness of tourism and the significant impact the industry has on Arizona’s economy. Through advocacy and education, the AzLTA promotes the interests of our members, the industry and residents who rely on our properties, attractions

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and destinations for jobs and tax revenues critical to Arizona’s economic vitality.

AB: You have a history of helping advance Arizona’s business development efforts. How will that experience help you in your role at AzLTA? KS: I certainly did not enter the tourism world through the standard avenues ... I began my professional career in state government as deputy press secretary for Gov. Fife Symington and later as an international trade specialist with what was then the Arizona Department of Commerce. I often recount a story that took place during that time while I was representing Arizona at an information technology trade show in Italy . It was there where I was so incredibly struck by the power and reach of the Arizona brand, particularly through tourism. While I was supposed to be focused on promoting Arizona’s attractive business climate as well as exports from numerous IT companies that call Arizona home, I ended up spending the vast majority of my time answering questions about the Grand Canyon, about our world class resorts, spas, golf courses and about the multitude of additional tourism destinations and attractions for which Arizona is world renown. These were corporate IT professionals representing global operations for their companies. What better way to get their attention and consideration for business than through tourism? It’s Arizona’s doorway to economic development.

I plan to bring my international experience to this new challenge

ARIZONA LODGING & TOURISM ASSOCIATION AB: What kind of role does tourism play in attracting new businesses to Arizona?

KS: Arizona is blessed with unique natural assets, beauty, culture and climate that cannot be manufactured. Oftentimes, it is to experience this magic that CEO’s and executives from around the world choose Arizona as a destination. More than 39 million domestic and international overnight visitors experienced Arizona as a travel destination last year ... again, what better way to expose them to the dynamic and innovative industry base as well as positive business climate that Arizona also enjoys.

AB: How do you think Arizona’s economic development and tourism groups should work together to achieve mutually beneficial results?

KS: In my mind, the missions of Arizona’s economic development and tourism groups are very closely intertwined. Working in harmony is critical in order to showcase the Arizona brand effectively and holistically. As a former CEO, Governor Ducey realizes the importance of brand and how that brand resonates around the world. As such, he has prioritized revitalizing Arizona’s brand which will, no doubt, pay dividends for the state.

AB: What is the health of Arizona’s tourism industry heading into 2016?

KS: The health of Arizona’s tourism industry is as strong as it has been in years. We are coming off the high of the positive Super Bowl impacts and looking forward to the great promises of the College Football Championship game followed by the Final Four in

2017. As an industry, we are extremely optimistic.

AB: Arizona tourism industry has had to overcome a few hiccups – SB 1070, questions about tolerance, etc. How does the tourism industry overcome those misperceptions about the state?

KS: Arizona has a rich history as home to a diverse population, and we welcome visitors from around the globe on a daily basis. Phoenix/Scottsdale is among the Top 25 markets in the country for hosting group meetings. The groups that have selected our destination over the past several years have experienced robust and often record-breaking attendance. Arizona has always remained a wonderful and welcoming destination that offers visitors endless opportunities to experience our rich culture, storied history and stunning geography ... that is the positive Arizona brand image that is resonating.

AB: What are your goals as the new leader of AzLTA? KS: To continue to grow the value proposition for our membership, thus increasing membership and ultimately the strength and reach of the industry. By increasing value through new, unique and innovative opportunities, our membership base and the benefits that base enjoys will grow. I would love to see 100 percent industry engagement in our association ... what a powerful, positive and undeniable message to our state policy makers from the state’s second largest industry.

ATHLETIC PAST: Kim Sabow, president and CEO of the Arizona Lodging and Tourism Association and the Valley Hotel and Resort Association, earned the 2015 C.A.T.S. Silver Anniversary Award.

The award is given to former University of Arizona studentathletes who have made a significant impact within their community, to the university and within their chosen profession. Sabow was a tennis player at UA. PHOTO BY ANITA RICHEY, AZ BIG MEDIA

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ARIZONA LODGING & TOURISM ASSOCIATION

The state’s can’t miss experiences or places to stay for visitors and residents

WHAT A TRIP: The Grand Canyon Railway has enchanted millions of people from around the world since 1901.

PROVIDED PHOTO

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T

By MICHAEL GOSSIE

he Arizona Lodging & Tourism Association (AzLTA) is an industry organization that represents almost 500 members including hotel, resorts, attractions, destination marketing organizations, bed-and-breakfasts and other industry partners.

While the AzLTA acts as the voice of Arizona’s lodging and tourism industry, it also represents some of the state’s must-visit properties and attractions. So whether you’re a visitor or already a resident, here are 40 unique Arizona experiences that are worth the trip.

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ARIZONA LODGING & TOURISM ASSOCIATION Amara Resort & Spa: Intimate boutique resort that offers 100 spacious guest rooms and suites with views of Sedona’s surrounding red rocks, Oak Creek and lush foliage. amararesort.com Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa: Known as “The Jewel of the Desert,” the Biltmore is a living masterpiece that showcases the influence of architect Frank Lloyd Wright. arizonabiltmore.com Bearizona Wildlife Park: Wildlife park offering a drive-thru experience starring wolves, bears, bison, mountain goats and more. bearizona.com Casino Del Sol Resort: The casino offers perks that

Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North: Elegant quarters feature southwestern decor, desert or mountain views, balconies or patios and gas fireplaces. fourseasons. com/scottsdale Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West: Tours are offered of Frank Lloyd Wright’s winter home, now a campus for an architecture school. franklloydwright.org

Grand Canyon National Park Lodges - Bright Angel Lodge: This 1935 hotel complex is situated at the top of

the Bright Angel trailhead. grandcanyonlodges.com Grand Canyon Railway: Passenger railroad which operates between Williams, Arizona, and Grand Canyon National Park’s South Rim. thetrain.com Hacienda del Sol Guest Ranch Resort: This high-end circa-1929

resort is set in the Catalina foothills and features an upscale restaurant with a 900-label wine cellar. haciendadelsol.com Hassayampa Inn: Set in downtown Prescott, this restored 1927 hotel features a hand-painted lobby ceiling and vintage elevator. hassayampainn.com Heard Museum: The museum’s mission is to educate the public about the heritage and the living culture and art of Native peoples, with an emphasis on the Southwest. heard.org

Hilton Sedona Resort at Bell Rock:

Nestled among Sedona’s dramatic red rock formations, this chic resort hotel features an upscale spa and a championship golf course.

PROVIDED PHOTO hilton.com/sedona ROOM WITH A VIEW: Amara Resort & Spa is just steps from Sedona’s uptown Hotel Valley Ho: Built in 1956, Hotel shopping and cultural hub, but the resort is nestled on the banks of Oak Valley Ho has classically cool roots Creek, which makes it feel worlds away. and still stands strong today as a must-stay destination in Downtown Scottsdale. hotelvalleyho.com Jerome Grand Hotel: Ghostlyfavorites.com says, include an outdoor pool, a spa, a golf course and an “Due to the high level of activity in the hotel, it outdoor concert venue, plus three meeting rooms and is a quite popular destination for amateur ghost a ballroom. casinodelsolresort.com Desert Botanical Garden: Founded by the Arizona hunters.” jeromegrandhotel.net Lake Havasu: With its reputation as a party Cactus and Native Flora Society in 1937, the garden community, Lake Havasu has twice been featured during has more than 21,000 plants, including 139 which are MTV’s Spring Break coverage. golakehavasu.com rare or endangered. dbg.org Desert Dove Bed and Breakfast: Peaceful place to stay L’Auberge de Sedona: The resort features 61 newly with a romantic private entrance next to the Saguaro renovated luxury cottages and 26 lodge-styled National Park, which offers outstanding birding and guestrooms with panoramic views of Sedona’s hiking. desertdovebb.com spectacular Red Rocks. lauberge.com Enchantment Resort: Sophisticated rooms with Loews Ventana Canyon Resort: This chic, adobe-style Southwestern decor featuring outdoor decks with views hotel and its golf courses are also 6 miles from Fort Lowell, of Sedona’s red-rock mountains. enchantmentresort.com a historic cavalry post. loewshotels.com/ventana Fairmont Scottsdale Princess: This upscale resort London Bridge Resort: The London Bridge was bought is 1.3 miles from the TPC Scottsdale golf club, home for $2.5 million from the City of London, disassembled, to the PGA Waste Management Phoenix Open. shipped to Lake Havasu City and reassembled. londonbridgeresort.com scottsdaleprincess.com 124

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PROVIDED PHOTO PERFECT BACKDROP: The surrounding Sonoran Desert served as the inspiration for the design of the Boulders Resort & Spa. Maricopa Manor Bed & Breakfast Inn: Like a privileged guest in a private residence, guests enjoy a personalized experience at this hacienda-style bedand-breakfast. maricopamanor.com Matterhorn Inn: Situated in the heart of Sedona’s famous uptown district, this one-of-a-kind hotel in Sedona offers affordable accommodations and amazing views. matterhorninn.com Miraval Resort & Spa: The property has been consistently ranked as one of the world’s top destination spas by Travel + Leisure, SpaFinder and Condé Nast Traveler. miravalresorts.com Musical Instrument Museum: MIM has been recognized by TripAdvisor as one of the Top 20 museums in the U.S. and is rated the No. 1 attraction in Phoenix by TripAdvisor. mim.org

Phoenix Art Museum: The Southwest United States’ largest art museum for visual art, it hosts festivals, live performances, independent art films and educational programs. phxart.org Phoenix International Raceway: The motorsport track opened in 1964 and currently hosts two NASCAR race weekends annually. phoenixraceway.com Pink Jeep Tours: Scenic, off-road and high adventure fun in the spectacular red rock country of Sedona. pinkjeeptourssedona.com Rancho de los Caballeros: Established in 1948, Rancho de los Caballeros is a family-owned guest ranch resort in the High Sonoran Desert in Wickenburg. ranchodeloscaballeros.com Rawhide at Wild Horse Pass: Arizona’s largest western-themed attraction where guests can AB | January - February 2016

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PROVIDED PHOTO WHERE THE STARS STAY: Bette Davis, Roy Rogers, Bing Crosby, Frankie Avalon, Humphrey Bogart, Betty Grable, Janet Leigh, Marilyn Monroe, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Ingrid Bergman, Cary Grant and Tony Curtis were known to have stayed at the Hotel Valley Ho. experience a taste of life in the Old West. rawhide.com Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain: Named by Forbes Travel Guide as the only resort in Arizona to receive a ‘Forbes 5-Star Hotel’ rating. ritzcarlton.com/dovemountain Royal Palms Resort and Spa: Ranked one of Travel+Leisure’s “World’s Best Hotels,” the historic resort and spa is a AAA 4-Diamond destination. royalpalmshotel.com Talking Stick Resort: The architectural design mirrors the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community through the use of native stones, plants and earth-tone colors. talkingstickresort.com Tanque Verde Ranch: The dude ranch was named a “Top Ten Family Resort” by the Travel Channel and a “Top Five Ranch” by Condé Nast Traveler. tanqueverderanch.com The Boulders Resort & Spa: With two championship golf courses, unique accommodations and an expansive spa, 126

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Boulders is recognized as one of the top resorts in the world. theboulders.com The Hermosa Inn: Built in the 1930s, this luxury boutique hotel’s restaurant serves regional comfort fare using ingredients grown on site. hermosainn.com The Phoenician: From sun-soaked, outdoor activities, to exclusive accommodations, this AAA Five-Diamond resort reaches beyond expectation to deliver the exceptional. thephoenician.com Tubac Golf Resort & Spa: Set against a mountain backdrop, this storied Spanish colonial golf resort occupies a 500-acre ranch first settled in 1789. tubacgolfresort.com Twin Arrows Navajo Casino Resort: Features more than 1,000 slot machines, table games, poker, live Keno, 200 resort rooms, indoor pool and six dining options. twinarrows.com

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