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PUBLISHER Andrea Tyler Evans EDITOR Mike Saucier CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Tom Evans SOCIETY AND FASHION WRITER Tyler Butler CONTRIBUTING WRITER Jamie Killin CREATIVE DIRECTOR Cheyenne Brumlow ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Lynne Wellish CMP
On the Cover LOCATION Talking Stick Resort Arena PHOTOGRAPHY Caitlin O’Hara
BEAUTY PARTNER - MAKE-UP The Sparkle Bar BEAUTY PARTNER - HAIR STYLING Julia Mendez
GENERAL INFORMATION & PRESS RELEASES info@frontdoorsmedia.com 3104 E. Camelback Road #967 | Phoenix, AZ 85016 480-622-4522 | frontdoorsmedia.com MAY 2017
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TABLE OF CONTENTS {may 2017, volume 15, issue 5}
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EDITOR’S NOTE......................... 05 Mike the Sauce NEXT DOORS............................. 06 The Future of High School COVER STORY........................... 10 Jeri and Alan Williams KITCHEN DOORS....................... 18 Where We Ate This Month OFFICE DOORS.......................... 22 Christine Nowaczyk from Bank of Arizona GIVING IN STYLE....................... 26 Fashion in the Philanthropy Lane HEAR HERE................................ 30 News, Updates & Events GIVING BACK. . ........................... 34 ALS Association BOOKMARKED........................... 38 Who’s Reading What this Month A SECOND ACT.......................... 40 with Judy Pearson OPEN DOORS.. ........................... 42 Every Day is Mother’s Day
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EDITOR’S NOTE {on the job}
“So many books, so little time,” Frank Zappa once said. True and so it follows that we must curate wisely. To help with that, Frontdoors Media is launching Bookmarked, our version of a books page. This month, Bookmarked features responses from notable Valley residents and people passing through on tour to the straightforward question: What are you reading?
promoting childhood literacy. Solid efforts are being made to increase literacy. The winner of two nonprofit pitch contests – Read Better Be Better – is one shining example. Another is Southwest Human Development, which is expanding its literacy efforts with Read On Phoenix as a partner. Those kinds of efforts, from a books vantage point, will be prominent on these pages. The share of Americans who have read
In my brief tenure so far at Frontdoors Media I have been impressed and encouraged by nonprofits that are on the front lines of promoting childhood literacy. To this we will add in future editions other features, including, of course, reviews, profiles of local authors and new works, book events and signings, visiting and local author interviews and a children’s books section. Some of the content will be appear in the digital magazine and some on the FrontdoorsMedia.com website. A books page fits well with our mission to cover nonprofits and the act of giving. In my brief tenure so far at Frontdoors Media I have been impressed and encouraged by nonprofits that are on the front lines of Mike Saucier EDITOR
a book in the last 12 months (73%) has remained largely unchanged since 2012. That statistic, from a Pew Research Center survey, is heartening, especially when you take into account our dwindling attention spans. With our new Bookmarked section, we hope to do our part to stoke even more interest in books. Publishers, booksellers, book event planners and authors: let us know what you’re up to. Readers, you too. We’re reachable here: editor@frontdoorsmedia. com. Happy reading!
Mike Saucier
@mikethesauce CURRENTLY READING
The Goldfinch BY DONNA TARTT MAY 2017
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NEXT DOORS {ahead of the curve}
HIGH SCHOOL ISN’T WHAT HIGH SCHOOL USED TO BE. IN MANY WAYS, IT’S A LOT BETTER. Tom Evans | CONTRIBUTING EDITOR This month, thousands of young people across the state of Arizona will achieve a major life milestone by graduating from high school. But they may not get the same kind of education you or I received. The high school delivery model has changed a great deal since I was a teenager (back in the Paleozoic Era). It used to be you went to the nearest high school to your house, and received a nice, well-rounded education that prepared you for college, where you would then pick your career path. But a lot has happened in the past few decades since I roamed a high school hallway. Especially when you talk about serving young people who live in the inner city —
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such as the kids who attend schools in the Phoenix Union High School District. Stretching basically from Camelback Road south to South Mountain, PUHSD encompasses about 220 square miles and is home to 20 high schools serving almost 30,000 students at a time. Those students, often from economically disadvantaged areas, are more than 80 percent Hispanic and speak a total of 74 different languages. They’re also the future of Arizona, PUHSD Superintendent Chad Gestson will tell you. “Historically, the demographics of our district are a 10- to 20-year precursor to the
demographics of the City of Phoenix,” Gestson says. “And the demographics of the City of Phoenix are a 10- to 20-year precursor to the demographics of the state as a whole. So what we see in Phoenix Union today is what we will see across Arizona in the next 20, 30, 40 years.” It’s a population of students with unique characteristics from the get-go, and that doesn’t take into account the shifting way that young people think compared to the old days. “Kids today aren’t interested in showing up and taking seven periods, going from class to class,” Gestson said. “Kids today want to solve problems and work on projects and solve
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Photo Credit: Phoenix Union High School District Superintendent Chad Gestson (right and center) is leading a transformation in the way high school is taught.
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real-world issues today…we have to realize that the model of education is shifting — and must shift.” So Phoenix Union has shifted by giving the kids what they want — a chance for unique, specialized educational experiences that meet their individual interests. And that means the creation of different educational models for schools themselves. Now the district offers schools such as the Phoenix Coding Academy, the Phoenix Bioscience High School, Franklin Police & Fire High School and Metro Tech High School. “Much like at the university level, you can go to a small, specialized liberal arts college
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or you can go to a large school like Arizona State University,” Gestson said. “What we realized is, that’s the type of choice and decision and system we should build at the high school level, knowing that not all kids learn in the same way, at the same pace — and all kids don’t even need to learn the same information.” But it’s not just offering different programs, it’s flipping the traditional education model on its head. For example, Phoenix Bioscience High School has a problem-based curriculum, where students identify issues that they want to solve — homelessness, hunger, or other problems — and build
a curriculum around solving them, while picking up the knowledge they need for their future in the process. At Phoenix Coding Academy, students only code about 1-2 hours a day, but they spend the rest of their days studying models that support their learning — models such as music and how it’s structured and organized. The results are pretty remarkable. About 20 years ago, Phoenix Union had a graduation rate of about 55 percent. This year, for the first time, its graduation rate topped 80 percent — above the overall state average. The district’s dropout rate, long in double-digits, is
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down to 3.2 percent. These are numbers that Gestson says are “unheard of” in an urban, inner-city school district. Not only that, the students who are graduating are heading to college in droves. Bioscience High School had a 100 percent college enrollment rate last year, and even Franklin Police & Fire High School — which prepares students to go directly to a police or fire academy — saw about 90 percent of its students enroll in college last year. Gestson said it’s not that large high schools don’t work — they’re critical, actually, to the district’s success and are a great fit for many students. Phoenix Union has worked hard to improve the student experiences at the big schools as well. “This generation of students learns differently,” he said. “They want to problem solve and be collaborative, and we have to build a structure around them that feeds that.” Overall, Phoenix Union is enjoying its highest enrollment in 40 years, despite the competition from charters and private schools. And there’s more to come. Two 8 | FRONTDOORSMEDIA.COM
new schools are about to open — one focused on creating a curriculum for students with middle-of-the-road academic achievement, who often fall through the cracks, and the other being the Phoenix Union Gifted and Talented Academy. Another one, currently on the drawing board, would be Arizona’s first high school designed to be an educator’s academy to train the teachers of tomorrow – when they very well may come back to Phoenix Union and serve its students. “We believe our students have all the potential, if not more potential, than students who come from typical middleclass families in suburban Arizona and suburban America,” Gestson said. “What we don’t want is for the community to say ‘Look at that district having to serve those tough communities.’ We believe they’re beautiful kids with incredible potential.”
Tom Evans CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
@tevans927
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LIVE UNITED TOP 20 THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT!
The LIVE UNITED Top 20 is Valley of the Sun United Way’s highest recognition for companies that support our work through volunteerism, contributions and leadership. You and your employees have joined us in our mission of breaking the cycle of poverty in Maricopa County. Thank you to each of you for your support!
CONGRATULATIONS TO USAA
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT CORPORATE PARTNER OF THE YEAR Valley of the Sun United Way has recognized USAA as its Community Engagement Corporate Partner of the Year for fiscal year 2016-17. Thank you to USAA for making a difference in our community by supporting our efforts to break the cycle of poverty for Valley families and individuals!
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Photo credit: Caitlin O’Hara
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COVER STORY {by mike saucier}
It required a twist of fate to get to this point, a perfect alignment of career timing and success for both. Ahead of Mother’s Day, Frontdoors Media sat down with Jeri Williams and Alan Williams to talk about their relationship, what it means to give back to the community, their worries for each other and the shaping forces that propelled them. For Jeri, seeing her son on the biggest of basketball stages can be summed up in a word: blessing. “The reward is right now,” Jeri said. “I am able to see my oldest reach his pinnacle of success. How many parents get the MAY 2017
opportunity to do that, first of all? Second, I’m blessed to be in a place where I can go to home games and see him at his best doing what he was born to do. Wow, right?” To Alan, the most important thing about his mother being police chief is how hard she worked to get where she is and to dispel the doubts of naysayers. “It’s very inspirational for me to see that if you’re determined enough, you can do it,” he said. “And to prove all the people wrong no matter what people say you are, or that you can’t do the job because you’re this or that. To prove them all wrong — that’s what the coolest thing is about her being chief.” FRONTDOORSMEDIA.COM | 11
Pictured left to right: Alan, Jeri, Cody Sr. and Cody Jr.
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On Mother’s Day ALAN: We’ve done everything from breakfast in bed to, I think, we all went on a vacation one time. This Mother’s Day I can’t give away any secrets but it will be special for sure. She always has to remind me of when Mother’s Day is so I don’t forget. It’s a day to celebrate her and my grandmother who has passed away. The matriarchs in our family have been tremendous and influential.
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Jeri, the first woman and the second African-American to become Phoenix police chief, was sworn in last October after five years leading the police department in Oxnard, Calif. She came into that position as a 44-yearold outsider and emerged from Oxnard as “one of the most admired public servants in Ventura County,” Rev. Clyde W. Oden 12 | FRONTDOORSMEDIA.COM
Jr., of Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church, in an told the Ventura County Star as Jeri was leaving Oxnard to return to Phoenix. Jeri “meant so much to the community both in terms of how she carried herself and how she carried the department,” Oden told the paper. “She had credibility.” An ordained minister, Jeri has preached at the church. She was also lauded by the Oxnard mayor, Tim Flynn, during a farewell at a city council meeting there. “I don’t know how you did it, Flynn told Williams during the meeting, the Star wrote. “How can you be a good mother to your sons and be the kind of police chief that you are? It’s a testament that she is being selected as police chief in one of the largest cities in the United States.” Returning to Phoenix, Jeri, a Maryvale High School alumnus, was sworn in as
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Getting children involved in volunteering definitely helps them develop empathy, which will impact their lives for years to come.” chief by her husband, a former Phoenix city councilman, Judge Cody Williams of the South Mountain Justice Court. Before her time in Oxnard, Jeri spent two decades climbing the ladder in the Phoenix Police Department. She rode bicycle patrol when she was pregnant with her second son, Cody Jr. Jeri was promoted to assistant chief in 2009. Now, leading the department, she oversees nearly 4,000 employees and operates a $475 million budget. In a 2016 interview, Jeri told the New York Times she wears a bulletproof vest out of a promise she made to Alan when he was a child. He had watched an episode of “Cops” and, in tears, asked her if she was going to get hurt on the job. She still wears it to this day. The police chief fought back emotions in that interview after she learned that Alan developed a ritual before games in which he seeks out police officers working at the arena and shakes their hands to thank them. Beyond the dangers that go along with being the city’s top cop, Alan has other concerns.
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“My worry for her is what the job brings,” he said. “It’s a great thing, it’s community service but at the end of the day it’s a lot of pressure and it’s a lot of responsibilities, and it’s a lot of outside influences that always want something.” He went on: “So it’s just making sure she’s not taken advantage of and making sure that she’s happy. Being happy is a huge thing and if she’s not happy she shouldn’t be doing it. But overall, as long as she understands that this is her calling and that’s what God put her on this earth to do, and she’s happy with it, then that’s what I like.” Jeri has a different set of worries for her son. She wonders what will happen when playing basketball is no longer fun for him. “What happens on the day that’s it’s over? I worry about what that next step for him is going to be,” she said. “He’s extremely charming, extremely articulate. It has to be something in the public eye, I don’t know what that is, is it being mayor, being a congressman? Heck, is it being head coach of a basketball team? I don’t know what it is but I’m concerned about that day when this part of it is over.”
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Alan, 24, just finished up a season with the Phoenix Suns where he drew attention from opponents and teammates for his scoring and rebounding efficiency. Despite an impressive college career at University of California, Santa Barbara, where he became the school’s all-time leader in rebounds and second all-time leading scorer, Alan did not get drafted in the 2015 NBA draft.
dream has come true.”
In 2016, the center/power forward turned a 10-day contract with the Suns into a fulltime job and became a vocal leader, a fan favorite — with an all-time nickname, “Big Sauce” — and one of the league’s most productive bench players in the process.
As an eight-year-old, Alan showed flashes of being aware of and helping people in need. His father relayed a story to the sports blog Bleacher Report in which he said Alan, at Toys R Us one day, took the initiative to serve as an on-thespot translator between a cashier and a Spanish-speaking customer.
He even won the 2016-17 Majerle Hustle Award, which is given at the end of each season to the Suns player who most personified the hustle and determination that former Suns star Dan Majerle displayed as a player. “Words cannot describe from a parental standpoint just how amazing proud I think this human being is,” Jeri said. “I say to him all the time: God picked me to be his mom.” Alan has achieved the rare dream of hoops-loving boys: getting the chance to play on the home court for the team you cheered as a young fan.
He added that he hopes he inspires kids in arena seats all over the world so “that they one day can be that guy on the court.” Off the court, he leaves a trail of anecdotes that demonstrate his lifelong habit of thinking of others.
Alan, who, along with his younger brother Cody Jr. (a student at UC Santa Barbara) is fluent in Spanish, walked over to where the attempted, dual language exchange was being made, and just started translating. When it was over, his dad told Bleacher Report, he just walked away. Another time when he was a boy, Alan showed his generous side at a Suns game with his father and brother.
“It’s super humbling and it’s very special to be able to it,” he said. “To walk through the same hallways as so many great Suns players have walked through, to be in the same locker room.
“His dad was a city councilman as long as Alan could remember so they’ve always been in a fishbowl,” Jeri said. “So I can remember there was a time when I had to work and big Cody had both the boys and brought them to a Suns game. They used to sit in the suites and there used to be so much food leftover sometimes in some of them.”
“And to experience it all has been truly special for me because I’ve watched those games, sat in those seats and I’ve seen it and I’ve dreamed of it and now my
As they are walking out, she said, Alan told his father that they should have taken the leftover food to the needy people near the arena.
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fast break 2
the jokester son JERI: He’s got a great sense of humor and comedic timing. For example, yesterday — he used to do this to me all the time in college — he called in the middle of the day while I was in the middle of a meeting. Whenever I see Alan or Cody pop up I’ll break what I’m doing and answer the phone. So I answer the phone, ‘Hello, Alan.’ He said, ‘I gotta talk to you about something, you got a minute?’ He sounds very serious. So I get out of the meeting, walk back to my office, and he’s like, ‘I need you to sit down, you have a seat?’ So then I say, ‘Yes, I’m sitting down.’ He says, ‘You wanna go to dinner tonight? Hahahaha!’ And he is rolling because to him it’s so funny; to me I’m thinking he’s injured, something bad happened. I mean I hadn’t gotten a call from law enforcement so I knew he wasn’t in jail anyplace. He does things like that to me, which just shows me he’s still my Alan. So I can see him on the big screen, I can see him playing, Mr. Double Double, but he’s still my Alan, my little Alan. ALAN: I like to loosen her up a little bit — her job is really serious. I think a lot of time she can just be real serious so I just try to loosen her up, to keep her on her toes. We just enjoy each other and we got each other’s back.
Photo credit: Barry Gossage, Phoenix Suns
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“Things like that just show how much heart the kid has and I guess we had something to do with that, I don’t know,” Jeri said. “But he was 7 or so when that happened and so events like that and being exposed to so much as little guys from the City Council side, from mom and dad being involved in the community, constantly giving back —
we were with my dad,” he said. “We got to see the impact of what community service can do in the community, how giving back is so important and how much people truly appreciate it.” Alan said those experiences shaped he and his brother into who they are today.
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A Gifted Rebounder, Shooter… and Cook FRONTDOORS: What’s the most surprising thing you to change your cooking habits.’ So I would about Alan that the public doesn’t know? grill masses of chicken and make green beans and lower carb rice and quinoa and some other JERI: Alan likes to cook and he’s actually a very things. Then he would drive down, pick up the decent cook. He’s tried his hand a couple of food and take a week’s worth of food back with times in making dinners, nothing elaborate — him. grilled chicken and some time of carb or quinoa, rice and spinach or something and he actually ALAN: I love being in the kitchen. She’s been has a good palate. addicted to the Food Channel, and she kind of experiments with different kinds of things. I love When I was in Oxnard, I didn’t have a grill in my to cook. If I have the energy to shop for the food yard and this was when Alan went from being that I want, I like to prepare it and see how it heavy Alan to being lean Alan. Alan’s coach comes out. So I think that’s one of my unique actually had a discussion with me to say, ‘I need skills that not too many people know.
Saturday paint-a-house events and back-toschool backpack drives. The boys have been involved in those things all the time. And I think those are some of the building blocks that made him the man that he is today.” Alan agreed that exposure to events and community engagement left a clear impression on him.
“We had to dress up, listen and be patient and try to take in as much as you can from everybody around you,” he said. “You don’t even realize it when you’re a little kid because you think it’s this boring thing. When you grow up you find yourself using those things you learned along the way.”
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KITCHEN DOORS {where we ate this month}
MARKET STREET KITCHEN DC Ranch DC Ranch Marketplace is home to this modern pub. Their lunch, dinner and weekend brunch menus are filled with modern twists on American pub fare. There is a great list of shareables, including deviled eggs with Tabasco, drunken mussels (cooked in Kiltlifter Ale) and brussels sprouts cooked with bacon, garlic and horseradish. The MSK burger is loaded with smoked onions, roasted poblano, cheese and bacon - yum! And there’s something for everyone – vegan gnocchi with smoked squash, lobster rolls with house-made aioli and a Saltine-crusted fish and chips. The brunch menu offers 10 different eggs benedict, or “bennys”. The restaurant hosts monthly fun and tasty pairing dinners and the April version with Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits was a blast. Stop by after your next hike or golf outing in the North Scottsdale area! - Andrea Tyler Evans
PEDAL HAUS Tempe Mill Avenue After a couple hours walking around the Tempe Festival for the Arts, I was on the lookout for a place to sit, have a beer and a snack… and to use the restroom. That’s when the impressive beer silo of Pedal Haus seemed to call to me. The brewpub’s vibe was felt immediately. It’s arranged like a bunch of little parties. Folding chairs private rooms, tables under the silo. Well-placed TVs. Plus there’s beer. I went with the Kolsch, which Pedal Haus says, correctly, is a “very refreshing beer” that “uses both lager and ale fermentation traditions to keep true to this style originating in Cologne, Germany.” It was perfect for someone weary from walking, thirsting for a light brew. To go with it, I ordered a Bavarian Pretzel. I don’t typically reach for bready products but temptation won (and it was the one thing I knew my daughter would share with me). The hot pretzel with the Kolsch beer cheese, stone ground mustard and barley malt maple butter options was the perfect mid-afternoon snack. I will venture back soon to this Mill St. communal gem. - Mike Saucier
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Photo Credit: Joanie Simon
Photo Credit: Mike Saucier
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ARIZONA RESTAURANT WEEK SPRINGS INTO A DECADE OF DINING As Arizona Restaurant Week approaches its tenth anniversary, Valley “foodies” have a lot to look forward to. Arizona Restaurant Week’s 2017 spring events begin on May 19 and continue through May 28, and boast some of the Valley’s favorite dining destinations, such as Vincent on Camelback and Little Cleo’s Seafood Legend, as participants. As Arizona’s dining scene has grown, so has its restaurant week, with more options than ever before, said Arizona Restaurant Association President & CEO Steve Chucri. “I used to joke that in Arizona you have two food options,” said Chucri. “Mexican food, or a different kind of Mexican food. Today, you have lots of options and all these different cuisines.” This year, Chucri anticipates 160 restaurants participating in the restaurant week festivities, several of which will be debuting never-before-tasted menu items. “Now restaurants create specific dishes for MAY 2017
Arizona Restaurant Week, which is really heartwarming and exciting,” he said. So what can you do to make the most of this 10-day eating extravaganza? According to Chucri: make a reservation, visit the Arizona Restaurant Week website and make it a family affair. The website is as information-packed as ever, with menus, food allergy designations and much more. Plus, it’s the number one source for the latest information, with restaurants and dishes being added every day – even throughout restaurant week. Arizona Restaurant Week isn’t just for the adults either. Chucri encourages families to incorporate the events into their quality time. “Sometimes it’s tough to have family time around the dinner table with two parents working and kids having sports and different activities,” he said. “But there’s no better way to have family time than through Arizona Restaurant Week.” - Jamie Killin
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GINO’S EAST T H E D E E P D I S H D E B AT E Volumes have been written about deep dish vs. thin crust. You can almost see them being debated like in the old Miller Lite “Great taste! Less filling!” ads from the 1970s and ’80s. So three thin-crust fans walked into the impressive new Gino’s East on Indian School Road near 36th Street to see what was behind all the deep-dish adoration of this Chicago-based pizzeria. The 4,400-square-foot restaurant opened April 24 and is the company’s 18th outlet. We started with Jumbo Chicken Wings. That was a mistake. Not because they were bad (just the opposite, they were very tasty). Stomachs only have so much room and the robust wings took up some valuable real estate. Had beers been flowing (we stuck to water) this would have been a real issue with deep dish on the way. When it came
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(it takes 45 minutes to bake), we were still reasonably hungry. During the wait, the surroundings and vibe are pleasant – Gino’s gives off a fun, vibrant energy. Our half Chicago Fire, half Eat Your Veggies deep dish arrived. The pizza, we all agreed, was very good. The problem is as we were eating it we were thinking about why we enjoyed thin crust so much more – it’s easier to eat (no utensils needed), it’s lighter (you can drink beer or wine with it) and overall comes together better for the palate (ours anyway). That’s a long way of saying, it’s not you, Gino’s, it’s us. It’s a great spot. Next time we’ll try its thin crust. - Cheyenne Brumlow, Jamie Killin & Mike Saucier
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OFFICE DOORS {leadership}
CHRISTINE NOWACZYK BANKING ON A LEADERSHIP LEGACY Jamie Killin | CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Christine Nowaczyk is an undeniable mover and shaker in Arizona’s business and nonprofit community – she’s the Senior Vice President and Corporate Banking Executive for Bank of Arizona, President Emeritus of the Association of Corporate Growth-Arizona Chapter and chairwoman of the Board of Directors for Educare Arizona, an early childhood education program that focuses on families struggling with poverty. She’s earned ACG’s highest honor, the Meritorious Service Award, was named one of Arizona Business’ Most Influential Women in Arizona and Phoenix Business Journal has honored her as an Outstanding Women in Business.
children and education, began over 25 years ago in her home state Michigan. She spent nearly two decades with JP Morgan Chase, including a move to Arizona in 1999. Then, she was offered the opportunity to help start a new venture – Bank of Arizona. “I’d never built anything and it was an opportunity to be entrepreneurial and build a franchise,” she said. “We’re added one person and one account at a time. It’s something I’m fiercely proud of.” While some of her volunteer efforts began as a way for her to represent the bank in the community, she quickly became an individual force in the nonprofit community, especially in the education sphere.
Her banking career, and her passion for
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Photo credit: Jamie Killin
She served as chairwoman of the Board of Directors for Children’s Action Alliance, a council member of the Governor’s P-20 Council of Arizona and a member of the President’s Community Advisory Council for Paradise Valley Community College. Even when she found herself completely outside her professional role as a banker in organizations like the Governor’s P-20 Council of Arizona, she found that her insight, and unique perspective, brought value to the conversation. Her distinctive background and focus on children’s education allowed her to
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influence the community, take on leadership roles and provoke long-term change. “I feel like I’ve finally made an impact and I’m known as an ambassador for these causes,” she said. “When I started to realize I was spread too thin I narrowed my focus down, and that’s what I encourage folks to do.” She continues to encourage others who are looking to become involved in the community to find a cause that truly matters to them, stay involved and take on leadership roles.
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OFFICE DOORS {leadership} “Pick a community mentor, explore many opportunities and find where you and your skills add value,” she said. Christine has built her legacy on partnering with organizations, like Educare and Children’s Action Alliance, that focus on long-term change. She is continuing her philanthropic efforts by serving as a leader
“I think of it as wearing many hats and I allocate time to each,” she said. “You have to get it all done, and I do that by building great teams and delegating.” Despite all of her accomplishments, Christine continues to look forward to the future, and to where she can dedicate her time to other causes. One cause she
Pick a community mentor, explore many opportunities and find where you and your skills add value. both in the nonprofit organizations she lends her time to and at Bank of Arizona, where she serves on several internal committees that focus on talent mobility, employee engagement and employee resource groups. “I’ve had a lot of people mentor me along the way, and now it’s fun to help others,” she said. “I want to be a leader that is of service to my team, and inspires my team to do and learn more.”
doesn’t talk much about is her experience volunteering with veterans in Ft. Pierce, Florida, which she is looking forward to continuing, and becoming more involved in. “I do it because the teamwork and camaraderie is so inspiring,” she said. “I’d like to see myself volunteer more in that community. They are exceptional, quiet leaders.”
It’s this leadership, and mentorship, that has allowed her to balance her community roles, career, hobbies (such as golfing and reading “trashy beach novels”) and her family, which consists of her husband of 23 years and two daughters.
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GIVING IN STYLE {fashion in the philanthropy lane}
The Philanthropic Power of ‘Project Runway’ Tyler Butler | SOCIETY AND FASHION WRITER “Project Runway” is known for showcasing emerging designers and for pushing them to their limits to accomplish amazing things. The show is infamous for its unconventional materials challenges and star-powered producers, judges and guests. What the public might not be aware of is the deep philanthropic roots that permeate throughout the show, its contestants, the challenges and its fans. One such fan brought the show to center stage at the Women Against Multiple Sclerosis (WAMS) luncheon and stitched people together to provide awareness for a worthy cause. Valley fashionista, professional model and relentless cause crusader Camerone Parker brought the fashion factory, otherwise known as “Project Runway,” to Phoenix as she served as the keynote speaker at the 2017 WAMS event. Camerone spoke eloquently of her struggle with multiple sclerosis, and how she coped with the difficult disease while still in the prime of her professional modeling career. Camerone has become synonymous in Arizona as a style aficionado and as an engaged, authentic volunteer and charity supporter. This all 26 | FRONTDOORSMEDIA.COM
culminated into a fantastic opportunity to share her brave story while bringing her love and expertise of fashion through her “Project Runway” collection to the Valley of the Sun. Peach Carr, a “Project Runway” season eight alum, was on hand to support her good friend and fellow charity crusader Camerone. She also introduced Phoenix to her giving spirit by donating a one-of-akind handbag for the MS Luncheon raffle. The item was naturally highly sought after by event guests, but more importantly shared her own core values of giving back. Peach has chosen to support St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, The American Cancer Society and The Puppy Mill Project, in addition to MS. She serves her charities of choice by donating handbags that are designated each year specifically to aid fundraising efforts. Peach’s efforts as a public speaker bring big crowds and big results to those causes that she supports. “If you leave this world without reaching out to help a total stranger, it is a life unfinished,” says Peach. Peach is just one example of how the fashion and the power of “Project Runway” has translated into big results for causes MAY 2017
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Photo credit: Gene Almendinger
throughout the world. Other contestants, who Camerone has supported, have also moved forward after the show to use their newfound fame to help others. Kini Zamora aided Goodwill Hawaii and produced the fashion show on the opening night of the nonprofit’s event, Goodwill Goes GLAM! Korto Momolu shared her genius with the Cinderella Project by lending her designs for their fashion show. Michelle Lesniak traded needle and thread for gloves and a boxing arena for the event, called Honey Badgers and Cobras, which benefited Milwaukie’s Northwest Housing Alternatives, a nonprofit organization, providing safe and affordable homes to more than 2,500 Oregonians. And Tieler James Garsaud of “Project Runway Junior” is a huge advocate on anti-bullying and has lobbied hard for reform. The show’s famous resident mentor Tim Gunn has pledged support to several causes he believes in as well. Tim is a massive supporter of PETA and narrated a MAY 2017
video about rabbit fur farming in China. He called the treatment of animals used for fur as “egregiously irresponsible.” And Tim goes one step further in his philanthropic fervor in sharing his own deeply personal story about his suicide attempt when he was a teenager in a video for The Trevor Project. This organization is a leading national institution concentrated on crisis and suicide prevention efforts among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth. Gunn has been vocal about his own homosexuality, writing in his book “Gunn’s Golden Rules” that he came to terms with it in his 20s. Not to be overlooked is Heidi Klum, the Emmy-award winning host and executive FRONTDOORSMEDIA.COM | 27
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producer of the show who is putting her supermodel status to good charitable use. With an eye for both high fashion and women’s health issues, she also demonstrates a talent for combining the two. Heidi has made a habit of donating the dresses she has worn to assorted celebrity functions to charity. One of her garments went to the 27 Dresses auction benefitting the Lavender Trust breast cancer charity. Another gown went to the Red Dress Program, which she also modeled at a fundraiser for the charity whose mission is to raise awareness about heart disease in women. It’s no wonder that the talent behind the hit show so often go on to sow community seeds for good since the DNA of the show itself has many roots in giving. There have been many episodes that have featured causes and even focused the challenges around raising funds for worthy charities. In the fifth cycle of Project Runway All Stars N:Philanthropy, a fashion line that is dedicated to donating its proceeds to pediatric cancer research, was showcased. In the episode the designers created fashion forward summer looks that were sophisticated with a bad-ass edge for the N:Phil girl. The challenge winner, Emily Payne, had her look reproduced and sold on their website where all of the profits went to cancer research. On “Project Runway Junior” Peytie was able to support Lets Girls Learn and the Peace Corps with her winning backpack design. This collaboration helped adolescent girls around the world go to school and stay in school. Peytie said she was inspired by the goal of helping girls go to school Tyler Butler
SOCIETY AND FASHION WRITER
worldwide and her design was sold at Lands’ End to raise funds. And the star of “Modern Family,” Jesse Tyler Ferguson, introduced his foundation, Tie the Knot, via the show. Contestants were challenged to use the bowtie as a point of departure for their looks and were tasked with including at least one bowtie in their design. The proceeds raised from the winning garment supported marriage equality and this garment is also one that Camerone shared at the MS Luncheon. Camerone’s display of her Project Runway collection was much more than a simple fashion exhibition. It was a demonstration of her involvement with the “Project Runway” series, which in itself has a rich legacy of giving back. Camerone’s “Project Runway” looks are doing more than providing interesting and beautiful garments to look at, they are also advocating for a more stylish, equal world and a better society through the stories they tell.
@tylerjbutler 28 | FRONTDOORSMEDIA.COM
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Hair by Julia Mendez
Corrective Cutting • Event Styling • Color Specialist Personal Appointments Available
602-312-5245
MAY 2017
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HEAR HERE {news, updates and events} The best stories we saw this month about those who give generously and work for a better future.
SOJOURNER CENTER MARKS 40 YEARS OF WORKING TO CREATE A WORLD FREE FROM DOMESTIC VIOLENCE Sojourner Center, the Phoenix-based nonprofit organization that is one of the largest and longest-running domestic violence centers in the United States, is ringing in its 40th anniversary this year and celebrating its impact on the community. The organization has helped thousands of women, men, children and pets impacted
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by domestic violence discover hope and find the path to futures free from violence. What started as a 16-bed domestic violence shelter has grown to serve more than 27,000 people over the past four decades — and its impact stretches beyond the individuals in its care. READ MORE ONLINE
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Geena Davis, Boosting Breakfast in Classroom, Is in a Fundraising League of Her Own
Photo credit: Elena and Jim Thornton
The message Geena Davis delivered to the packed house – with humor, self-deprecation and cold, hard facts – is still reverberating days after she exited the packed room and flew out of Sky Harbor. Valley of the Sun United Way Women’s Leadership Council hosted the 2nd Annual We Are United Luncheon on Friday at The Phoenician Resort in Scottsdale, with Davis as the huge draw. READ MORE ONLINE
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MOTHER’S DAY SHOPPING {your guide to the best local treasures for mom} Mother’s Day is here, and you’re probably wondering what gift could possibly be worthy of the most important woman in your life – fortunately, we have you covered with some praiseworthy local spots and gift recommendations to make the process as easy as possible.
Alixandra Collections Alixandra Collections is great for fun, comfortable clothing that’s perfect for warm Arizona summers and beach vacations – but for mother’s day we love the idea of the custom boutique nameplates. These décor pieces are about a foot and a half tall and can be customized to spell out a full name, just an initial or a traditional monogram. We think they make for meaningful decorations that are guaranteed to be conversation starters for years to come. shopalix.com
Bunky Boutique Bunky Boutique has it all – from women and men’s clothing to kids accessories. Also, if you’re looking for a great mother’s day gift in a pinch (and are feeling a bit spontaneous) you can opt for the Mother’s Day Bunky Box, which is customized through a questionnaire and is filled with a card and an assortment of clothing, accessories, paper goods, skincare and more. bunkyboutique.com
For the People For unique, funky furniture, accessories and gifts, For the People is the way to go. We like these minimalist concrete candles that come in a variety of colors like indigo, white, gold and mint and an 32 | FRONTDOORSMEDIA.COM
even better selection of distinctive scents like driftwood and indigo, tobacco and patchouli, amber and smoke and sea salt and sage. forthepeoplestore.com
Frances Vintage Frances just celebrated ten years in business and we can’t say we’re surprised – the boutique curates items from several of the Valley’s best local artists, making it a hands down, local favorite. From cards to apparel, they have everything you could need to put together a great Mother’s Day gift. We especially love the “Mom” necklaces by The Shine Project, which are made by Phoenix students. Even better is all proceeds from The Shine Project’s jewelry go directly to scholarships. francesvintage.com
The Paper Place The Paper Place is largely known for its stationary – but its selection of gifts and cards is impressive as well. Plus, it’s a family business, passed on from mother to daughters – making it an incredibly appropriate place to shop for Mother’s Day. Plus, we can’t imagine there’s a Mom that wouldn’t want this customizable wood Lazy Susan that you can engrave with Mom’s name, an important date, or both. thepaperplaceaz.com
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GIVING BACK {charity spotlight}
The ALS Association Arizona Jamie Killin | CONTRIBUTING WRITER
The CAUSE Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord, leading to paralysis and ultimately, death. Unfortunately, there is no cure to date. “Historically, we’ve tried several different drugs to treat patients, and over 20 years we’ve had failure after failure,” said Dr. Bowser, director of the ALS Research Center at the Barrow Neurological Institute and co-chair of this year’s Bite Nite. Fortunately, new research is creating options for treatment. In the last five years, researchers have put together sup-populations of those with ALS, and treatment options that work for their specific variant of the disease. “ALS is a very heterogeneous disease,” Bowser said. “It’s not surprising that there’s not a medication that can cure everyone.”
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According to the ALS Association, as many as 20,000 Americans have the disease at any given time; however, the disease has historically been known as Lou Gehrig’s disease after the well-known baseball player. ALS was thrust into the national spotlight during the summer of 2014 when the viral “ice bucket challenge” took hold of the Internet. Executive Director of the ALS Association Arizona, Taryn Norley, was able to experience the phenomenon firsthand. She recalls the phones ringing off the hook with challenge participants calling the association asking for permission to come down to the office to do the ice challenge bucket there or with members of the staff. “It was amazing and just being a part of it was so cool,” she said. “The donations really helped us sustain the organization.”
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Bite Night
Photo Credit:ALS Association Arizona
PHOENIX BITE NIGHT Saturday, June 3, 2017 6:00PM – 10:00PM The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa TUCSON BITE NIGHT Saturday August 26, 2017 6:00PM – 10:00PM The Westin La Paloma Resort & Spa
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The STORY ALS Association Arizona Chapter was founded in 1991 to serve those living with ALS, their families and caregivers. The association currently serves approximately 450 patients across the state by providing equipment, transportation to medical care, access to their three medical centers, emotional support for the entire family and more. ALS is also an expensive disease, often costing upwards of $200,000 a year, including the loss of wages. The ALS Association is able to help mitigate those costs through several of their programs. “Through our equipment loan programs we sometimes have $60,000 to $70,000 in equipment in someone’s home at one time,” Norley said. In addition to providing support and resources for those affected by ALS, the association funds research and awareness efforts. “The local ALS chapter does a great job of supporting patients and their families, but also of funding research locally,” said Bowser. The ALS Association has funded more than $99 million in research and clinical management projects since 1985 and is closer to finding a cure than ever. “I think we’re getting close on some treatment options,” said Norley. “Now we have to consider what we’re going to do and how we’ll continue to support our patients when this treatment comes.” Photos from last year's Bite Nite event courtesy of ALS Association of Arizona
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I think we’re getting close on some treatment options,” said Norley. “Now we have to consider what we’re going to do and how we’ll continue to support our patients when this treatment comes.” THE EVENT The ALS Association Arizona chapter is heading into its ninth annual Bite Nite fundraising event. Now, the association hosts two events a year, Bite Nite Phoenix and Bite Nite Tucson. Since the events began, they’ve raised over a million dollars.
“I’m looking forward to another stellar event as always, and seeing some of the patients come out with their families and enjoy themselves,” said Bowser, who attended for several years before becoming co-chair of the event.
Bite Nite Phoenix will take place Saturday, June 3 at the Westin Kierland Resort & Spa and Bite Nite Tucson will take place Saturday, August 26 at the Westin La Paloma Resort & Spa. Attendees will enjoy bites from several top restaurants, such as North and Bourbon Steak, cocktails, live entertainment, a silent auction, live auction, speeches by ALS patients and more.
Each year at the event features speeches by ALS patients who reflect on their experience on the disease, and speak to the resources provided by the ALS Association. “The event is such a good mix of message and fun,” said Norley. “What I love most is getting to see patients interact with each other.”
For More Information visit webaz.alsa.org
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BOOKMARKED {what are you reading} Where Frontdoors Media asks high-profile Valley visitors and residents what books they have been reading.
Henry Rollins musician, radio host, writer, speaker
The Speed of Sound: Breaking the Barriers Between Music and Technology BY THOMAS DOLBY It’s a great story and he’s an excellent writer. Dolby wrote and asked if I would read it and write a thing for the back cover. I didn’t know what to expect but was interested. It was an excellent story.
Soledad O’Brien journalist, documentary filmmaker, speaker
Checklist Manifesto
BY ATUL GAWANDE
I read that and I loved it. He was focused specifically on medicine and how creating checklists has gone a really long way in helping people execute at a high level. He talked about his experiences as a doctor doing this checklist on a patient. Someone [during surgery] asked the doctor they had liters of and he said, “I never need it in this operation.” 38 | FRONTDOORSMEDIA.COM
But he nicked the patient in the operation and needed to do a blood transfusion. So his whole thing is why checklists actually help organizations. Everyone has to have a running checklist that at some point intersects with somebody else’s checklist. It’s so basic. I love checklists and so it was really good for me.
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Tom Hatten ceo and founder of mountainside fitness
Tools of Titans
BY TIM FERRISS
I really enjoyed this book and its mini-excerpts about known entrepreneurs and their stories of how they became successful. Not necessarily a how-to book “but how they did it and what drove them.” It was interesting to read how different their success triggers were, yet through that you could see the commonality in all of them. To me that is very inspiring.
Geena Davis Academy Award winner, keynote speaker at Valley of the Sun United Way ‘We Are United’ luncheon in Phoenix on April 28
Bossypants
BY TINA FEY
I didn’t get to it until just now. I love it, love it, love it. It’s really funny. I just love her sense of humor.
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A SECOND ACT {stories of perseverance}
EX-INMATE STRIVES TO MAKE IT EASIER TO COME HOME FROM JAIL
ON A MISSION TO ‘OPEN PEOPLE’S MINDS ABOUT PRISONERS’
Judy Pearson | CONTRIBUTING WRITER In the wake of a life challenge, many people use the treasures they find among their wreckage to help others who might face the same challenge. This is just one of the wonderful organizations around the Valley that has done just that, along with shining a light on the beauty of the human spir-it.
yet this 10 year-old organization had only found jobs for a total of 140 ex-convicts. I was appalled at that drop in the bucket and knew I could do better.
Frontdoors: What was the inspiration behind creating this organization, your 2nd Act?
My second “aha” came with an invitation to sit in first lady’s box at President Obama’s last State of the Union address. While in Washington, I met with Attorney General Loretta Lynch and President Obama’s senior advisor Valerie Jarrett. They told me that the current reentry programs worked in silos, so programs weren’t as successful as they could be.
Sue Ellen Allen: In February 2002, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Five months later, I began a seven-year prison sentence for securities fraud.
I believe in education, so I created REINVENTING ReEntry to actively promote education to both the community and to former inmates on challenges reentry poses.
After I was released in 2009, I had two “aha” moments. The first was at a prison reentry conference in Florida. I was introduced to a reentry organization for newly released inmates. There are 100,000 people in Florida prisons, with another 150,000 on probation,
Frontdoors: What good deeds do you do? In other words, what is your mission?
Meet Sue Ellen Allen of Phoenix, founder and CEO of REINVENTING ReEntry.
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Sue Ellen Allen: Ex-cons find an unwelcoming society when they leave prison. In fact, 60% will go back to prison
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within three years. That’s a huge failure rate. Imagine if 60% of all patients died!
Frontdoors: Where do you see your organization a year from now?
REINVENTING ReEntry’s mission is to educate and reshape our society’s perception of former in-mates so they may reintegrate and be given a fair chance for employment, housing, education and entrepreneurial opportunities.
Sue Ellen Allen: I want to raise more awareness of newly released inmates’ challenges. I’d like to see the box asking if you’ve ever been convicted of a felony removed from job and housing applications. If they can’t get homes, jobs or bank accounts, they’re far more inclined to return to crime. I want to open people’s minds about prisoners.
Our goal is to shift the culture of America. In addition to speaking around the country, we conduct reentry simulations. Volunteers play “service providers” (bankers, potential employers, etc.) and “newly-released prisoners.” In the simulation, the “prisoners” move from one “service provider” to another, experiencing all the negative feedback that exists in the real world. These reentry simulations raise awareness of how impossible it is for ex-inmates. We’ve even had judges and prosecutors participate. They failed in the simulation and were actually ”reincarcerated” as a result.
Frontdoors: Tell me about some inspiring experiences you’ve had. Sue Ellen Allen: March 1 was the national Day of Empathy. We put on our program at a Surprise charter school. The community volunteers, school staff members, and students who participated were astounded. Some of the kids with family members in prison told me afterwards, “Wow, I had no idea what my dad went through.” Now that’s how you begin a cultural shift! This interview may have been condensed for brevity.
Judy Pearson is an award-winning writer and public speaker. Her cancer journey led her to found A2ndAct.org, and organization that supports and celebrates women survivors of all cancers as they use their gifts of life and experience to give back to the greater good. She’s working on her fourth book, appropriately titled, The 2nd Act. Read more about her work at JudithLPearson.com. MAY 2017
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OPEN DOORS {publisher’s page}
EVERY DAY IS MOTHER’S DAY I am lucky, fortunate and blessed beyond measure. I not only have an amazing mom, I am a mom to two beautiful children and I am part of the most incredible mom network here in the Valley.
My mom Gwenn, now known as Gigi by her grandchildren, is the most determined, focused and thoughtful person I know. She worked tirelessly to make sure that my sisters and I all received college degrees after being raised in a family that was not given the path to do so. She gives hours upon hours of her retirement time to her church and community every day. She has an amazing mom-group of her own that showed me how to trust, love and lean on each other as fellow moms since I was a little girl and thankfully they are all still there for each other some 40 years later. Mom – I love you and yes, I am crying happy, thankful tears as I write this.
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My favorite thing to do as a mom is to take our kids, ages 11 and 6, on adventures. It’s quality time spent, it’s an opportunity to learn (often together and from each other!) and gather up those sweet moments of wonder. And while we are blessed to travel beyond Arizona most summers, a lot of those adventures are right here in our own backyard. The Children’s Museum of Phoenix, the Arizona Science Center, the Arizona Museum of Natural History, the McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park and the Phoenix Zoo have become a few of our favorites as well as many Suns, D-backs, Coyotes and ASU sporting events. Our home is filled with memories form these adventures, including waaaay too many stuffed animals, and they remind us all to go back and do it again so we can make more memories together. Tom – thank you for loving me and sharing every day with me as I do my best to be a good mom to our two treasures. MAY 2017
Andrea's mother Gwenn with Andrea's daughter Ellie
My mom network consists of a core group of women from the North Central Parenting Group (NCPGAZ.org), my two best friends from high school and several sorority sisters and fellow ASU alumni. Thank goodness for Facebook, which allows me to keep up with all of our busy lives and precious moments. If you know someone that lives in the Phoenix area that is having a baby or just had a baby, I strongly recommend NCPG. Their bi-monthly classes, with an expert for each child’s age and development stages, are beyond helpful and being able to share with other new mothers is priceless. These women and I have discussed everything from picky eating to fighting cancer.
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Ladies – you know who you are and I love you all more than you’ll ever know. Thank you for being there today, tomorrow and always. Happy Mother’s Day everyone… and that includes all of the aunties, neighborhood grandmas, and fur-baby moms too! I hope you all get a moment to smile and celebrate YOU this month.
Andrea Tyler Evans PUBLISHER
@AndreaTEvans
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BE A PART OF
the new frontdoors Frontdoors Media is bringing you the best coverage of the Valley’s events, philanthropy, culture and much, much more. We’re working to take the great Frontdoors Media platform and make it even better for readers and advertisers. We hope you enjoy the May 2017 issue of our online magazine. The issue is sure to get some notice — and we’ll be sharing it with our 35,000 e-mail subscribers and extensive social media networks to make sure. You can be a part of the new Frontdoors Magazine by advertising in our June 1 issue! Our advertising packages start at just $600 for the magazine, and we can tailor some great digital solutions for your marketing needs that include our weekly e-blasts, web site and social media platforms. Click this ad to view our rate card, or for more information, contact:
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