Moved, promoted or appointed in Tucson 2016
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Check out people in our community who have moved up in their fields. Announced from April to January, 2016.
- Arizona Daily Star
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Visit Tucson hires Bechtol
Visit Tucson has hired Vanessa Bechtol as director of community partnerships.
Bechtol, who will manage community relations, public outreach and education activities, most recently worked as executive director of the Santa Cruz Valley Heritage Alliance, where she led efforts to obtain congressional designation of Arizona’s Santa Cruz Valley as a National Heritage Area.
She was a major contributor to Tucson’s successful application for designation as the first United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) City of Gastronomy in the United States in 2015, Visit Tucson said in a news release.
- Arizona Daily Star
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Visit Tucson hires John
Visit Tucson has hired Jeffrey M. John as sports manager.
John is responsible for securing national- and regional-level sports events, including youth sports events, which require hotel rooms and make use of facilities throughout the metropolitan Tucson area.
His more than 20 years of experience includes work with the Ohio High School Athletic Association, the Big Ten, the National Collegiate Athletic Association and the U.S. Olympic Committee National Governing Bodies. He most recently was senior sales manager at the Greater Columbus (Ohio) Sports Commission.
- Arizona Daily Star
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Cairns is College of Medicine dean
Dr. Charles B. Cairns, a nationally recognized leader in emergency medicine and critical care research, has been named dean of the University of Arizona College of Medicine — Tucson, where he has served as interim dean since February 2015.
Cairns joined the UA Health Sciences in November 2014 as assistant vice president for clinical research and clinical trials, vice dean of the UA College of Medicine — Tucson, and professor in the UA Department of Emergency Medicine. His research interests include the host response to acute infections, illness and injury; trauma, cardiac and pulmonary resuscitation; and systems of emergency and critical care.
He has served as the principal investigator of the National Collaborative for Bio-Preparedness, funded by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. He is director of the U.S. Critical Illness and Injury Trials Group, funded by the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Prior to joining the UA, Cairns was professor and chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of North Carolina.
- Arizona Daily Star
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Westin La Paloma adds a director
The Westin La Paloma Resort & Spa has named industry veteran Toby Scott-Long as director of operations.
Scott-Long previously was director of rooms at The Westin Calgary in Canada. He has received The Westin Harbour Castle Toronto’s Leader of the Year award and a Leader of the Quarter honor at Le Royal Meridien King Edward Hotel Toronto.
- Arizona Daily Star
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Westin La Paloma adds a director
The Westin La Paloma Resort & Spa has named industry veteran Bob Ducy as director of engineering.
Ducy will be responsible for daily operations. He was director of engineering at The Fairmont Orchid Hawaii, The Fairmont Scottsdale Princess, Pointe Hilton Hotels & Resorts, and various Marriott Hotels & Resorts. He is credited with managing more than $40 million in property capital investment projects while increasing J.D. Power guest ratings through innovative maintenance practices, The Westin La Paloma said in a news release.
- Arizona Daily Star
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Westin La Paloma adds a director
The Westin La Paloma Resort & Spa has named industry veteran Tim Wright as director of security.
Wright spent 25 years at the Port of San Diego’s Harbor Police Department where he worked as a police officer, firefighter, diver rescue specialist and training manager. He graduated from the Center for Domestic Preparedness and completed homeland security training programs with the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard and intelligence training with the Department of Defense.
- Arizona Daily Star
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Fraser is named asst. director for Tucson Soccer Academy
The Tucson Soccer Academy announces that Lisa Fraser, a co-founder, has been named to fill the newly created position of assistant director of coaching.
Fraser will be responsible for overseeing developmental programs, mentoring coaches and assisting with other administrative duties.
Fraser, who started the women’s intercollegiate program at the University of Arizona in 1994, began her coaching career at Case Western Reserve University, before becoming the head women’s coach at Washington State University in 1989. In 2000, she collaborated with a handful of other local coaches to form the Tucson Soccer Academy. She currently coaches at TSA and oversees its August fundraising event.
- Arizona Daily Star
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Tainter to lead marketing, sales for Westin La Paloma
Westin La Paloma Resort & Spa has named Julie Tainter as director of sales and marketing.
With more than 30 years of experience, Tainter will work with the Starwood field marketing team alongside a national and local public relations firm to oversee creative design, marketing, social media and PR efforts. Additionally, Tainter will direct and supervise day-to-day sales operations encompassing groups, leisure, catering, convention services and business development.
Most recently, Tainter was director of sales and marketing for Westward Look Wyndham Grand Resort & Spa. Before that, she was corporate director of sales and marketing for River Hospitality Management LLC and American Property Management Corp.
- Arizona Daily Star
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Town of Sahuarita tabs Malott as human resources director
Michelle Malott has been named human resources director for the town of Sahuarita, selected from a pool of more than 60 applicants.
Previously, Malott was personnel director for the Yavapai-Prescott Indian tribe for 10 years, and has held positions in the private health sector, the Phoenix Police Department and the city of Peoria. She earned a master’s in human resources management, and is certified as a human resources professional by the Society for Human Resource Management and the HR Certification Institute.
- Arizona Daily Star
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Frank is new director of employers alliance
The Employers Health Alliance of Arizona named Susan Frank as executive director. The alliance is a nonprofit organization made up of public- and private-employer purchasers of health and health care.
Frank succeeds Emily Coyle, who moved out of state in Feburary.
Frank joins the alliance after serving as director of health and wellness for the Tucson Jewish Community Center since early 2014.
From 1993-2009, she owned and operated Fresh Design Inc., an industrial design and packaging firm that designed and developed products sold at major retailers including Target, Walmart, K-Mart, Lowe’s and Crate and Barrel.
She was also a professor at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena and instructor in the Distinguished Visitors Studio at the University of Arizona College of Architecture.
From 2009-2014, she owned O2 Modern Fitness.
Frank holds a bachelor of architecture degree from the University of Arizona.
- Arizona Daily Star
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Geneticist Hoyme joins Banner-Diamond
Dr. Gene Hoyme, clinical professor, joined the University of Arizona Department of Pediatrics and Banner-Diamond Children’s hospital in the Division of Genetics and Behavioral Pediatrics.
Hoyme also serves as senior adviser to the Center for Applied Genetics and Genomic Medicine at UA Health Sciences. As a pediatric geneticist, he will provide care for children with genetic disorders.
He previously served on the UA faculty from 1986-’97 and was its chief of the Division of Medical and Molecular Genetics. He went on to be professor and chief of the Division of Medical Genetics and associate chair of the Department of Pediatrics at Stanford University and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital in Palo Alto, California. Most recently, he was chairman of the Department of Pediatrics at the Sanford School of Medicine of the University of South Dakota and chief of Genetics and Genomic Medicine at Sanford Health in Sioux Falls, S.D.
Hoyme’s research focuses on the delineation of genetic syndromes and fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. He is board certified in pediatrics, clinical genetics and clinical cytogenetics.
- Arizona Daily Star
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Davis now a professor at UA Pharmacy College
Lisa Davis, Phar.D., was appointed professor at the University of Arizona College of Pharmacy in the Department of Pharmacy Practice and Science in January. Her practice responsibilities are in adult medical oncology and will include both inpatient and ambulatory patient care settings.
Her research will focus on Phase 1 clinical trials at the UA Cancer Center and the influence of genomics and other factors that contribute to variability in patient response to drug therapy.
Before coming to the UA, Davis was a faculty member at the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and conducted pharmacokinetic research with the Cancer Therapeutics Program at the University of Pennsylvania.
- Arizona Daily Star
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Brown to head AZ sales for Copeland Insurance
Cathy J. Brown joins the Copeland Insurance Group as regional director of sales and recruiting for Arizona, Colorado and Nevada.
The group has an active focus in the Medicare market. Brown, originally from New England, brings with her a sales and recruiting background of more than 25 years.
- Arizona Daily Star
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Schooley Mitchell office opened by Lutz
Brian Lutz launched a new business in the Tucson area, a local franchised office of telecommunications and merchant services consulting firm Schooley Mitchell.
Previously, Lutz worked as a certified franchise broker. He has a B.S. in business management.
- Arizona Daily Star
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Sierra Vista Truly Nolen will be run by Hunker
Truly Nolen Pest Control promoted Curtis Hunker to manager of its Sierra Vista service office.
Hunker joined the company in 2015 and was most recently assistant manager in Sierra Vista.
Previously, Hunker was an Olive Garden general manager for 14 years and worked in the restaurant industry 23 years.
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Heart & stroke group here to be led by Stuetze
The Southern Arizona Affiliate of the American Heart & American Stroke Association hired Betsy Stuetze as executive director.
Stuetze moved to Tucson in 2000 to work at the national headquarters of the Muscular Dystrophy Association in sponsor and program development, before joining Tucson Newspapers’ human resources and circulation departments.
She helps raise funds for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, and supports the field of nursing through the annual Alex Stuetze Pediatric Nursing Award.
Stuetze has a bachelor of science degree in psychology and philosophy from Northern Arizona University.
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Munger Chadwick adds a partner
Munger Chadwick PLC announced an addition: Michael J. Woodruff is a new Munger Chadwick partner. Woodruff, a graduate of the UCLA School of Law, is licensed to practice in California and Virginia and has been recognized by Martindale Hubbell with a Preeminent AV rating for 24 years. Woodruff specializes in nonprofit law, trusts and estates, and has taught classes for several colleges.
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Munger Chadwick adds a partner
Munger Chadwick PLC announced an addition: Retired Pima County Superior Court trial judge Ted B. Borek joined the firm as partner. After nearly 14 years on the bench, Borek now focuses on mediation and other alternative dispute resolution services. He has participated in alternative dispute resolution training with the Department of Justice, the American Bar Association, the State Bar of Arizona, the Pima County Bar Association and Our Town Family Services.
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Neuroscientist Brinton to lead UA brain center
Roberta Diaz Brinton was named inaugural director of the University of Arizona Center for Innovation in Brain Science at UA Health Sciences.
She is a leading neuroscientist in the field of Alzheimer’s, the aging female brain and regenerative therapeutics, UA officials said in a news release, adding: “The Center for Innovation in Brain Science will accelerate the advancement of evidence-based clinical care of brain disorders caused by disease, genetics or trauma.”
Brinton will join the UA from the University of Southern California, where she is the R. Pete Vanderveen Chair in therapeutic discovery and development and professor of pharmacology and pharmaceutical sciences at the School of Pharmacy; professor of neurology at the Keck School of Medicine; and professor of biomedical engineering at the Viterbi School of Engineering.
She has been principal investigator for major National Institutes of Health-funded program project and center grants focused on brain disorders. Brinton serves on the NIH Director’s Center for Scientific Review Advisory Council and the Board of Governors of the Alzheimer’s Drug Development Foundation.
She holds a doctorate in neuropharmacology and psychobiology from the University of Arizona.
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Johnson, Russo join Foothills’ Long Realty
Darla Johnson and Tom Russo have joined Long Realty’s Foothills office.
They have nearly 50 years of combined real estate experience, and extensive experience in construction development, design and remodeling, Long said in a news release.
Johnson was the 2015 recipient of the Tucson Association of Realtors Outstanding Service Award. She has also served on the TAR Board of Directors for four years.
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Truly Nolen promotes Nielsen to manager
Truly Nolen Pest Control has promoted Kaylieha Nielsen to manager of its Customer Care Center in Tucson. She will be responsible for training new employees and promoting overall call-center efficiency.
Nielsen joined the company in June 2013 and was most recently floor operations supervisor.
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Perez named Starr Pass executive chef/director
JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort & Spa has named Daniel Perez to the dual role of executive chef/food and beverage director.
Perez joined the resort in 2004 as chef de cuisine for the Signature Grill restaurant, and moved up over the years to banquet chef, executive sous chef and executive chef. In June 2015, Perez was named Iron Chef Tucson.
He graduated from the Scottsdale Culinary Art School in 2001 with an associate degree in culinary arts and was previously a sous chef and executive chef at Stuart Anderson’s Black Angus in Tucson.
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Smith joins UA’s Tech Launch Arizona
Eric Smith has joined the University of Arizona and Tech Launch Arizona as commercialization network manager.
He manages Tech Launch Arizona’s 1,400-member expert network, and develops strategies to commercialize UA-invented technologies.
Smith holds a bachelor of science in business administration degree in management and entrepreneurship from the UA Eller College of Management. He previously was business development manager for Aztera.
He is board president of the Tucson Manufacturing Group and a member of the Idea Funding Committee, Eller College Associates, the Tucson Metro Chamber’s Emerging Leaders Council, and an Arizona advisory member for the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition.
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Rusing Lopez & Lizardi names new partner
Patricia Victory Waterkotte is the newest partner at Rusing Lopez & Lizardi, PLLC.
She joined the firm in 2013, practicing in complex commercial litigation, education and financial services in Arizona and California.
She has been recognized as a “Rising Star” by Super Lawyers both in Southern California and the Southwest region for business litigation; as a “future star” in Benchmark Litigation’s annual guide; and as one of Tucson’s 40 Under 40 leaders.
A graduate of University High School, Waterkotte was among the first volunteer teen attorneys with Pima County Teen Court in 1995. She served as a congressional intern for Sen. John McCain, and earned her degree in management information systems, magna cum laude, from the University of Arizona. She graduated from the University of Notre Dame Law School in 2005.
Waterkotte is a member of Angel Charity for Children, Inc., and the Morris K. Udall Inn of Court and serves on the Southern District Board of Directors for Junior Achievement of Arizona.
- Arizona Daily Star
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Gomez joins UA Health Sciences
Dr. Jorge Jaramillo Gomez, a global health-care leader formerly with the National Cancer Institute, has joined the University of Arizona Health Sciences. He will serve as associate director of the Center for Elimination of Border Health Disparities and assistant director for cancer outreach at the UA Cancer Center.
He also will be an assistant professor in the Department of Community, Environment and Policy at the UA Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, Public Health Policy and Management Program.
“He will support the acceleration of translational research initiatives in special populations, including Hispanic and Native American communities, toward addressing the burdens of health disparities,” UA officials said in a news release.
Gomez received his MD from the Universidad de Guadalajara, followed by a PhD from the UA in immunology and pharmacology. He was with the National Cancer Institute more than 20 years, most recently as senior project leader for its Center for Global Health.
- Arizona Daily Star
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Restructured R&A CPAs names CEO
R&A CPAs has named Thomas Furrier as the first CEO in the company’s 73 years.
Furrier, a long-time shareholder and one of the company’s partners-in-charge of tax, has been with R&A since 1984.
The formalization of R&A’s corporate structure comes as the company plans further business development in Southern Arizona and the Southwest.
CEO is one of five new positions created by the shareholders of R&A: Tariq Khan, chief financial officer; Phillip Dalrymple, chief of staff; Rodolfo Paredes, chief of business development and Charlie Charvoz, chief of information systems.
- Arizona Daily Star
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Sawyer named St. Luke’s CEO
L’Don Sawyer has joined St. Luke’s Home as chief executive officer.
Sawyer, a social gerontologist with nearly 20 years of experience, expanded Tucson Medical Center’s senior services, and has been on the advisory board of the University of Arizona Geriatric Education Center and OASIS Life Long Learning Institute.
- Arizona Daily Star
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Prototron names Craig to SW area
Bro Craig has been named to handle the Southwest territory for Tucson-based Prototron Circuits.
In the industry for 27 years, Craig has held key sales positions in a number of companies in Oregon and Southern California, and he owned and managed his own firm for many years.
- Arizona Daily Star
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Simpsons join Long Realty
Kent and Emmary Simpson have joined Long Realty as a husband-and-wife team “with a special interest in the renewal and expansion of downtown Tucson.”
They have extensive marketing and social media experience, Long said in a news release.
- Arizona Daily Star
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Dailey named director of S. Arizona Red Cross
Julia Dailey is new executive director for the American Red Cross Southern Arizona Chapter.
She succeeds John Patton, who is now the regional chief operating officer for the American Red Cross Arizona-New Mexico-El Paso Region.
Dailey’s volunteer work with the Red Cross was prompted by a personal medical emergency. As a college student vacationing in Mexico, she developed a severe allergic reaction after being stung by a stingray. She was rushed to the Mexican Red Cross where she received free care.
The skills she learned during Red Cross CPR and first-aid classes helped her save a life a couple of years later. After volunteering on a disaster response team in Oregon, she decided to seek a career in the Red Cross and was hired as a disaster program manager.
Prior to her new post, she was Red Cross division disaster state relations director for Texas, Arizona and New Mexico; and worked in Honduras with the Peace Corps. She received her master’s degree in regional planning from Cornell University.
- Arizona Daily Star
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Technology Council signs up Sole de Hoop
The Arizona Technology Council hired Tracy Sole de Hoop as director of operations and events for its Southern Arizona office, which has expansion plans for Cochise, Santa Cruz and Yuma counties.
Sole de Hoop worked as a physical scientist for U.S. Geological Survey in Colorado, was the coordinator of Watershed Academy for Purdue University and cofounded a mathematics research consulting firm for the oil and gas industry. She is a board member of the El Rio Health Center Foundation, a member of the Rotary Club of Tucson and a sustaining member of the Junior League of Tucson.
She earned a bachelor’s in geology and anthropology from Southern Methodist University and a master’s in anthropology specializing in geographic information systems and remote sensing from Colorado State University.
- Arizona Daily Star
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Flower joins Commerce Bank board
Kenneth W. Flower joined Commerce Bank of Arizona Inc. as a member of its board of directors.
Flower is the president of Tucson-based Southwest Events & Rentals Inc.
- Arizona Daily Star
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Decker joins Commerce Bank board
Robert Decker joined Commerce Bank of Arizona Inc. as a member of its board of directors.
Decker is a certified public accountant and president of an accounting firm.
- Arizona Daily Star
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CPA Yeanoplos to serve on judicial review panel
Kevin Yeanoplos, of Brueggeman and Johnson Yeanoplos PC, was been appointed by the Arizona Supreme Court to serve as a public member of the Arizona Commission on Judicial Performance Review. Yeanoplos, a CPA, will serve a four-year term.
- Arizona Daily Star
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Gibbons joins Long
Long Realty announces a hiring: BJ Gibbons has joined the River/Campbell office as an associate broker. Gibbons, a licensed Realtor, is also an active attorney specializing in real estate. In her 15 years as an agent, Gibbons has consistently ranked in the top 5 percent of Tucson Realtors, Long said in a news release.
- Arizona Daily Star
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Gallick, Block join Long
Long Realty announces two hirings: Jodi Gallick and Sara Block joined the Tanque Verde office. Gallick, with 14 years of real estate experience, comes from a long line of family Realtors and brokers in Tucson. Working alongside Gallick is her mother, Block, a Tucson real estate veteran.
- Arizona Daily Star
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Wilson joins Long
Long Realty announces a hiring: Joan Wilson joined the Sierra Vista office. At her former brokerage in San Diego, she worked as a real estate agent, training director and mentor, and served on two San Diego Association of Realtors committees. She has a degree in psychology, ran her own marketing company in Seattle and has managed IT departments for other companies.
- Arizona Daily Star
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1st Choice Tax Services add UA grad Tinny
David Tinny joins 1st Choice Tax Services in its new office at 3950 N. Campbell Ave.
Tinny has 15 years of experience preparing individual and small-business taxes and is a tax instructor. He has been an enrolled agent for 10 years and successfully represented dozens of clients before the IRS, 1st Choice said in a news release. He graduated from the University of Arizona with a bachelor’s degree in accounting.
- Arizona Daily Star
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Kidney specialist Ojo joins UA Health Sciences
Dr. Akinlolu O. Ojo, a leader in research and clinical care of chronic kidney disease and kidney transplantation, has been named associate vice president for clinical research and global health initiatives at University of Arizona Health Sciences.
Ojo also will serve as professor of medicine in the UA College of Medicine-Tucson and as professor of health promotion sciences in the UA Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health.
He was the Florence E. Bingham research professor in nephrology at the University of Michigan, among other posts there.
He has a particular clinical interest in kidney disease in African Americans and blacks in developing nations.
- Arizona Daily Star
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Adkins to lead Miraval program development
Miraval Group has appointed Sue Adkins, a 17-year veteran of its flagship resort in the Tucson area, as vice president to lead program development companywide, “notably in support of the company’s initiative to add full-service Miraval resorts in key destination markets and Miraval Life in Balance Spas in submarkets.”
Adkins previously was director of programs and assistant program director at Miraval Tucson Resort & Spa, after previous roles for several other Tucson hotels.
- Arizona Daily Star
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Kravec named associate
at Farhang& Medcoff
Laura M. Kravec has joined Farhang & Medcoff as an associate attorney practicing in corporate law, mergers and acquisitions, real estate, and trusts and estates. She received her bachelor of science in economics, cum laude, from Miami University and her juris doctor from University of Arizona, James E. Rogers College of Law.
- Arizona Daily Star
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Sundt names Kwapich senior project manager
Tucson-based Sundt Construction has named Jeremy Kwapich as senior project manager.
Kwapich, who has worked in the industry more than 15 years, immediately joins the team constructing the Banner-University Medical Center Tucson hospital, a joint venture with DPR Construction.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in construction management from Northern Arizona University.
- Arizona Daily Star
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Sundt promotes Hedlund
Tucson-based Sundt Construction promoted Eric Hedlund, a longtime executive of the company, has been named to lead its expansion in Texas, a state the company says accounts for 25 percent of its new work.
- Arizona Daily Star
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Sundt names Carlson corporate strategic business officer
In another promotion by Tucson-based Sundt Construction, John Carlson, who previously held the Texas post, takes the new role of corporate strategic business officer.
- Arizona Daily Star
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Pediatrician Moher joins Assurance Health
Dr. Jennifer Moher has joined Assurance Health & Wellness Center Child and Adolescent Services — Tucson.
Moher graduated magna cum laude from the University of Arizona with a degree in molecular and cellular biology and received her medical degree from the UA. She worked as a pediatrician for University Medical Center and was an assistant professor in the pediatrics department.
- Arizona Daily Star
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Assurance Health appoints Puente executive VP
Nick Puente joins Assurance HealthCare as executive vice president.
Puente “co-founded the fastest growing company of its size in Tucson prior to coming on board with Assurance,” Assurance said. He was named a top 35 entrepreneur under 35 in Arizona. He was admitted to the University of Arizona at age 17 and got his bachelor’s at 19.
- Arizona Daily Star
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PFCU names director of home loans
Pima Federal Credit Union has named Adam Stewart director of home loan originations.
Stewart was director of regional mortgage sales at First Tech Federal Credit Union.
He received his bachelor’s in economics from Bellarmine University, is active in the Tucson Association of Realtors and on the Hearth Foundation board.
- Arizona Daily Star
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Ohlson to spearhead Capital Connect business division
Walter H. Ohlson has moved from Denver to Tucson to spearhead the commercial business division of Capital Connect, Inc..
Ohlson, who holds a University of Arizona B.A. in classics, has 20 years of management, sales and services experience.
- Arizona Daily Star
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The Planning Center team joined by Figueroa
Yvonne Figueroa has joined The Planning Center as an administrative assistant.
She has overseen scheduling, accounts receivable and customer service at the University of Arizona Cancer Center, Children’s Orthopedic Specialists and Pinal County Health Department facilities.
- Arizona Daily Star
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Metro Title Agency hires Relich as escrow officer
Metro Title Agency of Arizona has hired Vicki L. Relich as senior commercial escrow officer. She specializes in land transactions, apartment complex closings and retail and industrial closings. She is also active in CCIM.
- Arizona Daily Star
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Dudani joins UA pediatrics, Diamond
The University of Arizona pediatrics department and Banner’s Diamond Children’s Medical Center welcome: Dr. Rajesh Dudani, assistant professor, neonatology. A pediatric neonatologist, he will care for infants in the neonatal intensive care unit at Diamond.
- Arizona Daily Star
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Johanson joins UA pediatrics, Diamond
The University of Arizona pediatrics department and Banner’s Diamond Children’s Medical Center welcome: Dr. Timothy David Johanson, clinical associate professor, general pediatrics. A general pediatrician, he will provide care at Arizona Elks Pediatric Clinic at Banner.
- Arizona Daily Star
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Nicholls joins UA pediatrics, Diamond
The University of Arizona pediatrics department and Banner’s Diamond Children’s Medical Center welcome: Dr. Lauren Nicholls, assistant professor, hematology, oncology and bone marrow transplant. A pediatric hematologist/oncologist, she will care for children with cancer and blood disorders at Diamond.
- Arizona Daily Star
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Marketing developer added by Leader Law
Betsy Leader has joined the Leader Law Firm to develop its marketing plans. Leader is a University of Arizona graduate. She worked at radio station KIIM-FM for 16 years and also at Autotrader.com as a digital sales consultant.
- Arizona Daily Star
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Farhang & Medcoff promote Parsons to partner
Farhang & Medcoff announces the promotion of Elizabeth A. Parsons to partner.
She chairs the firm’s corporate and transactional practice, advising clients in areas including joint venture and private equity transactions, strategic corporate restructuring, corporate governance and international transactions involving cross-border commercial issues, with a particular focus on Mexico.
Parsons represents the firm in its membership with Global Advantage Partners and serves as an ambassador with the Arizona Technology Council. She also serves on the governing boards of Sonoran Science Academy at three campuses.
She received her bachelor of arts from James Madison University in economics and political science and her juris doctor, magna cum laude, from Georgetown University Law Center. Parsons began her legal career with the Wall Street firm of Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy and is licensed in New York, Washington, D.C., and Arizona.
- Arizona Daily Star
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PFCU names Dutcher vice president of tech
Pima Federal Credit Union has named Robert Dutcher as vice president of technology.
Dutcher joins PFCU from the Pima County Attorney’s Office, where he was assistant director of information technology.
He received his bachelor of business administration in management information systems from the University of Arizona, holds a graduate certificate in enterprise information security from UA and is a certified information systems security professional.
- Arizona Daily Star
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Sabino Recovery adds Chaboya-Balboa to clinical team
Sabino Recovery has announced an addition to its clinical team: Rose Chaboya-Balboa, M.Ed., a group therapist, brings more than two decades of experience as a therapist and life coach. She has worked as a social-services professional and a staff therapist at mental health and substance abuse facilities around the country.
- Arizona Daily Star
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Sabino Recovery adds Canterna Douglass to clinical team
Sabino Recovery has announced an addition to its clinical team: Liz Canterna Douglass, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist with more than 25 years of experience in the fields of healthcare and addictions. She was director of the inpatient and outpatient alcoholism treatment programs at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Burbank, California, in addition to working in management at UCLA Medical Center. More recently, she worked as staff psychologist during her 14 years at Sierra Tucson and was interim director of the psychology department.
- Arizona Daily Star
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Sabino Recovery adds Hansen to clinical team
Sabino Recovery has announced an addition to its clinical team: Holly Hansen, M.S., is a nationally certified counselor and equine therapist. Her work includes equine-assisted psychotherapy and individual, family and group behavioral therapy, serving residents with trauma and other underlying issues.
- Arizona Daily Star
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Sabino Recovery adds Richer to clinical team
Sabino Recovery has announced an addition to its clinical team: Kristina Richer, MC, joins as a group therapist. Her work has primarily been focused on trauma and the behavioral health issues that often accompany trauma. She has worked at Sonora Behavioral Health Hospital, Jewish Family & Children’s Services, Sierra Tucson, Cottonwood de Tucson and The Life Healing Center.
- Arizona Daily Star
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Sabino Recovery adds Yaer to clinical team
Sabino Recovery has announced an addition to its clinical team: Meira Yaer, R.N., M.A., is a certified brain injury specialist, family therapist and registered nurse. She worked at Sierra Tucson as a family therapist and family program coordinator and co-founded the family program for Desert Star Addiction and Recovery Center in Tucson.
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Pedersen leads preservation group
Ann-Eve Pedersen has been named executive director of the Southwestern Foundation for Education and Historical Preservation, succeeding Dianne Bret Harte, who retired this month after 19 years in the post.
Pedersen is an education advocate and former journalist. She has been city editor at the Arizona Daily Star, managing editor for news and business at the Tucson Citizen, and president of the Arizona Education Network. She holds a B.A. from Brown University.
The Southwestern Foundation, now in its 25th year, was established with an endowment from the estate of Jane Harrison Ivancovich, a Tucson community leader and philanthropist. The foundation has distributed more than $7 million in grants to promote the restoration and preservation of historic treasures in the Southwest, to fund scholarship and research in related fields and to further the education of schoolchildren and college students.
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McCoy is new HBL tax supervisor
HBL CPAs P.C. has promoted Patricia “Trish” McCoy to tax supervisor.
McCoy has been with the firm since 2013 and specializes in both individual and business taxation. She has recently taken over responsibility for the firm’s tax notice response and resolution.
She holds a bachelor of science in business administration/accounting and a master of accounting degree from the University of Arizona. She was an adjunct lecturer for the University of Arizona’s Eller College of Management during 2015.
Submit items about local hirings and promotions to business@tucson.com; please use Moving Up in the email subject line and include photos in jpeg format.
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InnovaDx marketing adds Bolkcom
Gerry Bolkcom has joined Innovative Diagnostics (InnovaDx) as marketing manager.
InnovaDx is a new service in Tucson providing mobile diagnostic testing for modified barium swallow studies.
Formerly director of sales at The Forum at Tucson, Bolkcom also held positions in advertising sales and marketing at the Arizona Daily Star and oversaw sales and marketing at The Explorer Newspaper for 15 years.
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Larson joins The Planning Center
David Larson has joined The Planning Center as a project manager.
Larson has a background in project management, operations, finance and sales and extensive experience in land acquisition, entitlement planning, land development and construction.
He has collaborated with local, state and federal government agencies, nonprofits and for-profit organizations on many projects.
He has a bachelor of science degree in construction management from Brigham Young University and a master of business administration degree from Arizona State University.
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Overton advances at Vantage West
Vantage West Credit Union has named Tim Overton as vice president of business lending and services.
Overton brings more than two decades of experience as a commercial relationship manager for Chase, Wells Fargo, Northern Trust and National Bank of Arizona.
He is a member of the Oro Valley Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, Financial Executives and Affiliates of Tucson, 4 Tucson and the Tucson Airport Authority.
Overton, who earned his bachelor’s degree at the University of California-Riverside, replaces Jim Hanson, who recently retired from Vantage West.
- Arizona Daily Star
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Infectious disease specialist Connick to lead UA division
Dr. Elizabeth Connick, a prominent researcher into human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), has been named chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson. She will join the UA faculty in April, coming from the University of Colorado — Denver.
Connick has been involved in clinical trials and laboratory-based translational research studies of HIV-1 infection for more than 20 years. Recently, she has focused on strategies to develop a cure for HIV infection.
During her career she has received research funding totaling nearly $14.2 million as principal investigator, $43.5 million as co-investigator and $121.5 million in other roles.
Connick graduated from Harvard Medical School, then completed an internship and internal medicine residency at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center in New York and an infectious disease fellowship at the University of Colorado.
She is currently medical director at the UC Boulder Clinical and Translational Research Center at UC Denver, among other roles there.
- Arizona Daily Star
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SVP Tucson welcomes Garcia as executive director
Social Venture Projects Tucson, also known as SVP, announces Ciara Garcia as its executive director.
Garcia has more than 10 years’ experience in nonprofit leadership. Prior to joining SVP, she served as chief of operations at Tu Nidito Children and Family Services, where she led the development and community impact teams.
She is a graduate of the Generation Next Nonprofit Leadership Academy and Greater Tucson Leadership and was a 2013 Tucson 40 Under 40 honoree.
- Arizona Daily Star
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TAA hires Bootes to oversee economic development
George W. Bootes III has joined the Tucson Airport Authority as chief economic development officer, overseeing infrastructure planning for TAA’s vacant land and promoting airport development.
Bootes held early roles with the Office of Economic Planning and Development and its successor agency, the Arizona Department of Commerce.
Prior to moving back to Arizona for his new position, Bootes started an economic development program at an electric utility company in Albuquerque.
He also was community development officer for a city in New Mexico; and was a founder and initial president of a real estate and land development firm.
A certified economic developer and a certified economic development finance professional, he is a member of the International Economic Development Council. Bootes earned his undergraduate and graduate degrees from The College at Brockport, State University of New York.
- Arizona Daily Star
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Maxwell now major general in AZ Air National Guard
Edward P. “Ted” Maxwell was promoted on Jan. 10 to the rank of major general in his role as the air component commander of the Arizona Air National Guard. He also serves as the assistant adjutant general – air.
As a part-time Guardsman, Maxwell’s full-time position is vice president of the Southern Arizona Leadership Council (SALC) in Tucson.
He is a graduate of the United States Air Force Academy and is in his 32nd year of military service, including 15 years active duty and 17 years in the National Guard, predominantly serving as an F-16 instructor pilot.
- Arizona Daily Star
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Wood joins Tucson Association of Realtors
Janet Wood has joined Tucson Association of Realtors as communications director.
She previously worked for IMPACT of Southern Arizona as marketing manager and World Care as marketing development manager.
From 1991 to 2009 Wood was employed by Tucson Newspapers, Inc., including 16 years as manager of its newspapers in education program.
She has served on nonprofit Boards including Tucson Residence Foundation, Juvenile Diabetes of Southern Arizona, and Foundation for Animals in Risk.
Wood holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education from the University of Arizona with additional graduate work at the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School of Communications.
- Arizona Daily Star
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Haberle joins Rusing Lopez & Lizardi
Rusing Lopez & Lizardi, PLLC, has added an attorney: Brendan R. Haberle.
Haberle is a commercial and contract attorney with experience advising start-up, technology and emerging growth companies on commercial contracts and transactions such as intellectual property licensing and private equity financing. He also is a patent attorney registered to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Haberle holds a bachelor’s in physics from Harvey Mudd College. He previously worked as a researcher at Los Alamos National Laboratory and as a technical analyst on national security and defense issues.
He earned his juris doctor from the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law, graduating magna cum laude and Order of the Coif.
- Arizona Daily Star
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Letzkus joins Rusing Lopez & Lizardi
Rusing Lopez & Lizardi, PLLC, has added an attorney: Sarah S. Letzkus.
Letzkus’ practice is focused on commercial and employment litigation with an emphasis on defense. She has represented plaintiffs and defendants in civil litigation involving banks, businesses of various sizes, and executives.
She previously worked at a Phoenix law firm.
Letzkus earned a bachelor’s in political science, summa cum laude, from the University of Arizona, and graduated magna cum laude and Order of the Coif from the Sandra Day O’Connor School of Law at Arizona State University.
- Arizona Daily Star
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Ambrosio joins Rusing Lopez & Lizardi
Rusing Lopez & Lizardi, PLLC, has added an attorney: Chris Ambrosio.
Ambrosio has worked extensively in the private-lending, residential real estate and title industries and has legal experience in tax, bankruptcy, corporate and transactional areas.
He holds a bachelor of science in business finance and earned his juris doctor from the UA James E. Rogers College of Law, where he received the CALI Excellence for the Future Award in Real Estate Finance.
On the side, Ambrosio teaches high-performance driving techniques through the National Auto Sport Association and competes in regional sports car racing series.
- Arizona Daily Star
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Gronewold takes on new Ben’s Bells post
The Ben’s Bells Project hired Laura Gronewold for the new position of director of education.
Gronewold comes to the project from the University of Arizona, where she taught writing, gender and women’s studies, and honors civic engagement, and worked with Honors College students on co-curricular civic engagement outside the classroom.
Her background includes earning a Ph.D. in literature from the UA and an M.A. in literature from the University of Montana. From 2013-2015 she served as co-chair of the UA Commission on the Status of Women. She has worked on various community projects, including serving as program manager for the Loft Cinema’s Human Rights Watch Film Festival and as a scholar for the “Coming in Hot” Civil Discourse Tour.
More than 320 schools are participating in Ben’s Bells Project’s kindness education programs, reaching more than 180,000 students.
- Arizona Daily Star
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CPA firm adds Ferry as senior tax manager
The CPA firm of Flowers, Rieger & Associates PLLC hired Valerie Ferry as a senior tax manager.
Ferry brings more than 28 years of professional CPA firm experience, including nine years’ experience as a senior tax manager at a 50-person firm working with large groups of tiered partnerships, high-net-worth individuals, multi-state business entities, and flow-through entities. She also assists companies in evaluating and improving internal controls.
Ferry is a member of the American Institute and Arizona Society of CPAs and the Tucson Metro Chamber Business Building Alliance. She is a past treasurer of the Accounting & Financial Women’s Alliance.
- Arizona Daily Star
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Lawson is appointed CARF account manager
Shanna R. Lawson was named account manager at CARF International.
Lawson has been a CARF resource specialist helping organizations prepare for accreditation since 2008. Before joining CARF, Lawson worked in the behavioral health and child and youth services fields with experience in quality improvement management, accreditation readiness, and direct service provision.
She earned a master’s degree in public administration from Upper Iowa University.
- Arizona Daily Star
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Strongpoint promotes Sullivan to PR director
Strongpoint Marketing promoted Evan S.K. Sullivan to director of public relations.
Sullivan joined Strongpoint as an account manager in 2012 and was promoted to senior account manager in 2014.
She specializes in integrating traditional mediums, technology and social media to reach internal and external audiences. She holds the accreditation in public relations designation from the Public Relations Society of America and Universal Accreditation Board.
Before joining Strongpoint, Sullivan worked as marketing communications specialist at SOLON Corp. She is a board member of the Women’s Foundation of Southern Arizona, The Women’s Studies Advisory Council for the University of Arizona’s Department of Gender & Women’s Studies and the Tucson Chapter of Public Relations Society of America, serving as the chapter’s external relations chair.
- Arizona Daily Star
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Lewis Roca’s Patton named equity partner
Mark Patton was named an equity partner in the law firm Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie LLP.
A transactional attorney, Patton represents clients in business formations, restructurings, mergers and acquisitions, private placements and joint ventures, many of which involve real estate.
He is a certified public accountant and former tax consultant, based in the law firm’s Tucson office.
- Arizona Daily Star
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DeConcini McDonald elects Stamps as shareholder
Attorney Sesaly O. Stamps has been elected to join the shareholders of DeConcini McDonald Yetwin & Lacy, P.C.
Stamps joined the office in 2007. Her practice emphasizes litigation, employment law and education law. She also provides training to employers and schools on issues such as sexual harassment, discrimination in the workplace, and online bullying. She is a member of the Arizona Council of School Attorneys and a volunteer for Southern Arizona Legal Aid.
She previously worked as a judicial clerk for Judge Joseph W. Howard at the Arizona Court of Appeals, Division Two.
Stamps graduated magna cum laude from the James E. Rogers College of Law at the University of Arizona, and was inducted into the Order of the Coif. She was a recipient of the Top 50 Pro Bono Attorneys in Arizona award from the Arizona Foundation for Legal Services and Education.
- Arizona Daily Star
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Rothschild is firm's third generation shareholder
Isaac Rothschild has been named a shareholder in Mesch Clark Rothschild.
A native of Tucson, he is the third generation of his family to be a shareholder in the firm: His grandfather Lowell Rothschild was a founding member and his father, Jonathan Rothschild, was a shareholder prior to becoming the city’s mayor.
A graduate of the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of law, Isaac Rothschild had been an associate with the firm for six years, concentrating his practice in commercial bankruptcy and business reorganization.
He previously clerked for Chief Judge Raner Collins at Arizona District Court.
Isaac Rothschild serves as president of the Federal Bar Association for Southern Arizona and volunteers with Will for Heroes. He received the 2015 pro bono award of the Arizona Bar Bankruptcy Section. He is a founder of the Tucson Jazz Festival and Tucson Young Tax Professionals.
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Rusing Lopez & Lizardi adds attorney
Attorney Sivan R. Korn has joined the Tucson law firm of Rusing Lopez & Lizardi, PLLC.
Korn, a commercial litigator, has practiced in New York, Israel and Tucson.
She holds law degrees from universities in Israel and the United States (Fordham Law School), graduating first in class in both. She began her legal career in Israel in 1999 at the Israel Ministry of Justice, and continued at the New York office of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, LLP. She has been a litigator in Tucson since 2005 when she joined Lewis Roca Rothgerber, LLP.
Korn has published extensively and serves as a judge pro tempore on the civil bench of the Pima County Superior Court.
- Arizona Daily Star
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Rusing Lopez & Lizardi adds attorney
Attorney Sarah E. Epperson has joined the Tucson law firm of Rusing Lopez & Lizardi, PLLC.
Epperson joins Rusing Lopez & Lizardi as an associate attorney in civil and commercial litigation.
She graduated from the University of Arizona summa cum laude with a degree in political science, and went on to earn her law degree from the UA College of Law in 2013.
While in law school, she interned with the Arizona Attorney General’s Civil Rights Division, served as senior research editor of the Arizona Law Review, acted as project manager for the American Law Institute’s revision to the Concise Restatement of Torts, volunteered with the Volunteer Lawyers Program, served as an Ares Fellow in Civil Procedure, and was a member of the Arizona Law Women’s Association and Business Law Society.
Epperson spent two years as a judicial law clerk for Judge Virginia C. Kelly in Division II of the Arizona Court of Appeals.
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Click the photo below to check out the complete "Moving Up 2015" collection.
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Click the photo below to check out the complete "Moving Up 2014" collection.
- Arizona Daily Star
Visit Tucson hires Bechtol
Visit Tucson has hired Vanessa Bechtol as director of community partnerships.
Bechtol, who will manage community relations, public outreach and education activities, most recently worked as executive director of the Santa Cruz Valley Heritage Alliance, where she led efforts to obtain congressional designation of Arizona’s Santa Cruz Valley as a National Heritage Area.
She was a major contributor to Tucson’s successful application for designation as the first United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) City of Gastronomy in the United States in 2015, Visit Tucson said in a news release.
- Arizona Daily Star
Visit Tucson hires John
Visit Tucson has hired Jeffrey M. John as sports manager.
John is responsible for securing national- and regional-level sports events, including youth sports events, which require hotel rooms and make use of facilities throughout the metropolitan Tucson area.
His more than 20 years of experience includes work with the Ohio High School Athletic Association, the Big Ten, the National Collegiate Athletic Association and the U.S. Olympic Committee National Governing Bodies. He most recently was senior sales manager at the Greater Columbus (Ohio) Sports Commission.
- Arizona Daily Star
Cairns is College of Medicine dean
Dr. Charles B. Cairns, a nationally recognized leader in emergency medicine and critical care research, has been named dean of the University of Arizona College of Medicine — Tucson, where he has served as interim dean since February 2015.
Cairns joined the UA Health Sciences in November 2014 as assistant vice president for clinical research and clinical trials, vice dean of the UA College of Medicine — Tucson, and professor in the UA Department of Emergency Medicine. His research interests include the host response to acute infections, illness and injury; trauma, cardiac and pulmonary resuscitation; and systems of emergency and critical care.
He has served as the principal investigator of the National Collaborative for Bio-Preparedness, funded by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. He is director of the U.S. Critical Illness and Injury Trials Group, funded by the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Prior to joining the UA, Cairns was professor and chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of North Carolina.
- Arizona Daily Star
Westin La Paloma adds a director
The Westin La Paloma Resort & Spa has named industry veteran Toby Scott-Long as director of operations.
Scott-Long previously was director of rooms at The Westin Calgary in Canada. He has received The Westin Harbour Castle Toronto’s Leader of the Year award and a Leader of the Quarter honor at Le Royal Meridien King Edward Hotel Toronto.
- Arizona Daily Star
Westin La Paloma adds a director
The Westin La Paloma Resort & Spa has named industry veteran Bob Ducy as director of engineering.
Ducy will be responsible for daily operations. He was director of engineering at The Fairmont Orchid Hawaii, The Fairmont Scottsdale Princess, Pointe Hilton Hotels & Resorts, and various Marriott Hotels & Resorts. He is credited with managing more than $40 million in property capital investment projects while increasing J.D. Power guest ratings through innovative maintenance practices, The Westin La Paloma said in a news release.
- Arizona Daily Star
Westin La Paloma adds a director
The Westin La Paloma Resort & Spa has named industry veteran Tim Wright as director of security.
Wright spent 25 years at the Port of San Diego’s Harbor Police Department where he worked as a police officer, firefighter, diver rescue specialist and training manager. He graduated from the Center for Domestic Preparedness and completed homeland security training programs with the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard and intelligence training with the Department of Defense.
- Arizona Daily Star
Fraser is named asst. director for Tucson Soccer Academy
The Tucson Soccer Academy announces that Lisa Fraser, a co-founder, has been named to fill the newly created position of assistant director of coaching.
Fraser will be responsible for overseeing developmental programs, mentoring coaches and assisting with other administrative duties.
Fraser, who started the women’s intercollegiate program at the University of Arizona in 1994, began her coaching career at Case Western Reserve University, before becoming the head women’s coach at Washington State University in 1989. In 2000, she collaborated with a handful of other local coaches to form the Tucson Soccer Academy. She currently coaches at TSA and oversees its August fundraising event.
- Arizona Daily Star
Tainter to lead marketing, sales for Westin La Paloma
Westin La Paloma Resort & Spa has named Julie Tainter as director of sales and marketing.
With more than 30 years of experience, Tainter will work with the Starwood field marketing team alongside a national and local public relations firm to oversee creative design, marketing, social media and PR efforts. Additionally, Tainter will direct and supervise day-to-day sales operations encompassing groups, leisure, catering, convention services and business development.
Most recently, Tainter was director of sales and marketing for Westward Look Wyndham Grand Resort & Spa. Before that, she was corporate director of sales and marketing for River Hospitality Management LLC and American Property Management Corp.
- Arizona Daily Star
Town of Sahuarita tabs Malott as human resources director
Michelle Malott has been named human resources director for the town of Sahuarita, selected from a pool of more than 60 applicants.
Previously, Malott was personnel director for the Yavapai-Prescott Indian tribe for 10 years, and has held positions in the private health sector, the Phoenix Police Department and the city of Peoria. She earned a master’s in human resources management, and is certified as a human resources professional by the Society for Human Resource Management and the HR Certification Institute.
- Arizona Daily Star
Frank is new director of employers alliance
The Employers Health Alliance of Arizona named Susan Frank as executive director. The alliance is a nonprofit organization made up of public- and private-employer purchasers of health and health care.
Frank succeeds Emily Coyle, who moved out of state in Feburary.
Frank joins the alliance after serving as director of health and wellness for the Tucson Jewish Community Center since early 2014.
From 1993-2009, she owned and operated Fresh Design Inc., an industrial design and packaging firm that designed and developed products sold at major retailers including Target, Walmart, K-Mart, Lowe’s and Crate and Barrel.
She was also a professor at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena and instructor in the Distinguished Visitors Studio at the University of Arizona College of Architecture.
From 2009-2014, she owned O2 Modern Fitness.
Frank holds a bachelor of architecture degree from the University of Arizona.
- Arizona Daily Star
Geneticist Hoyme joins Banner-Diamond
Dr. Gene Hoyme, clinical professor, joined the University of Arizona Department of Pediatrics and Banner-Diamond Children’s hospital in the Division of Genetics and Behavioral Pediatrics.
Hoyme also serves as senior adviser to the Center for Applied Genetics and Genomic Medicine at UA Health Sciences. As a pediatric geneticist, he will provide care for children with genetic disorders.
He previously served on the UA faculty from 1986-’97 and was its chief of the Division of Medical and Molecular Genetics. He went on to be professor and chief of the Division of Medical Genetics and associate chair of the Department of Pediatrics at Stanford University and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital in Palo Alto, California. Most recently, he was chairman of the Department of Pediatrics at the Sanford School of Medicine of the University of South Dakota and chief of Genetics and Genomic Medicine at Sanford Health in Sioux Falls, S.D.
Hoyme’s research focuses on the delineation of genetic syndromes and fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. He is board certified in pediatrics, clinical genetics and clinical cytogenetics.
- Arizona Daily Star
Davis now a professor at UA Pharmacy College
Lisa Davis, Phar.D., was appointed professor at the University of Arizona College of Pharmacy in the Department of Pharmacy Practice and Science in January. Her practice responsibilities are in adult medical oncology and will include both inpatient and ambulatory patient care settings.
Her research will focus on Phase 1 clinical trials at the UA Cancer Center and the influence of genomics and other factors that contribute to variability in patient response to drug therapy.
Before coming to the UA, Davis was a faculty member at the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and conducted pharmacokinetic research with the Cancer Therapeutics Program at the University of Pennsylvania.
- Arizona Daily Star
Brown to head AZ sales for Copeland Insurance
Cathy J. Brown joins the Copeland Insurance Group as regional director of sales and recruiting for Arizona, Colorado and Nevada.
The group has an active focus in the Medicare market. Brown, originally from New England, brings with her a sales and recruiting background of more than 25 years.
- Arizona Daily Star
Schooley Mitchell office opened by Lutz
Brian Lutz launched a new business in the Tucson area, a local franchised office of telecommunications and merchant services consulting firm Schooley Mitchell.
Previously, Lutz worked as a certified franchise broker. He has a B.S. in business management.
- Arizona Daily Star
Sierra Vista Truly Nolen will be run by Hunker
Truly Nolen Pest Control promoted Curtis Hunker to manager of its Sierra Vista service office.
Hunker joined the company in 2015 and was most recently assistant manager in Sierra Vista.
Previously, Hunker was an Olive Garden general manager for 14 years and worked in the restaurant industry 23 years.
Heart & stroke group here to be led by Stuetze
The Southern Arizona Affiliate of the American Heart & American Stroke Association hired Betsy Stuetze as executive director.
Stuetze moved to Tucson in 2000 to work at the national headquarters of the Muscular Dystrophy Association in sponsor and program development, before joining Tucson Newspapers’ human resources and circulation departments.
She helps raise funds for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, and supports the field of nursing through the annual Alex Stuetze Pediatric Nursing Award.
Stuetze has a bachelor of science degree in psychology and philosophy from Northern Arizona University.
Munger Chadwick adds a partner
Munger Chadwick PLC announced an addition: Michael J. Woodruff is a new Munger Chadwick partner. Woodruff, a graduate of the UCLA School of Law, is licensed to practice in California and Virginia and has been recognized by Martindale Hubbell with a Preeminent AV rating for 24 years. Woodruff specializes in nonprofit law, trusts and estates, and has taught classes for several colleges.
Munger Chadwick adds a partner
Munger Chadwick PLC announced an addition: Retired Pima County Superior Court trial judge Ted B. Borek joined the firm as partner. After nearly 14 years on the bench, Borek now focuses on mediation and other alternative dispute resolution services. He has participated in alternative dispute resolution training with the Department of Justice, the American Bar Association, the State Bar of Arizona, the Pima County Bar Association and Our Town Family Services.
Neuroscientist Brinton to lead UA brain center
Roberta Diaz Brinton was named inaugural director of the University of Arizona Center for Innovation in Brain Science at UA Health Sciences.
She is a leading neuroscientist in the field of Alzheimer’s, the aging female brain and regenerative therapeutics, UA officials said in a news release, adding: “The Center for Innovation in Brain Science will accelerate the advancement of evidence-based clinical care of brain disorders caused by disease, genetics or trauma.”
Brinton will join the UA from the University of Southern California, where she is the R. Pete Vanderveen Chair in therapeutic discovery and development and professor of pharmacology and pharmaceutical sciences at the School of Pharmacy; professor of neurology at the Keck School of Medicine; and professor of biomedical engineering at the Viterbi School of Engineering.
She has been principal investigator for major National Institutes of Health-funded program project and center grants focused on brain disorders. Brinton serves on the NIH Director’s Center for Scientific Review Advisory Council and the Board of Governors of the Alzheimer’s Drug Development Foundation.
She holds a doctorate in neuropharmacology and psychobiology from the University of Arizona.
Johnson, Russo join Foothills’ Long Realty
Darla Johnson and Tom Russo have joined Long Realty’s Foothills office.
They have nearly 50 years of combined real estate experience, and extensive experience in construction development, design and remodeling, Long said in a news release.
Johnson was the 2015 recipient of the Tucson Association of Realtors Outstanding Service Award. She has also served on the TAR Board of Directors for four years.
Truly Nolen promotes Nielsen to manager
Truly Nolen Pest Control has promoted Kaylieha Nielsen to manager of its Customer Care Center in Tucson. She will be responsible for training new employees and promoting overall call-center efficiency.
Nielsen joined the company in June 2013 and was most recently floor operations supervisor.
Perez named Starr Pass executive chef/director
JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort & Spa has named Daniel Perez to the dual role of executive chef/food and beverage director.
Perez joined the resort in 2004 as chef de cuisine for the Signature Grill restaurant, and moved up over the years to banquet chef, executive sous chef and executive chef. In June 2015, Perez was named Iron Chef Tucson.
He graduated from the Scottsdale Culinary Art School in 2001 with an associate degree in culinary arts and was previously a sous chef and executive chef at Stuart Anderson’s Black Angus in Tucson.
Smith joins UA’s Tech Launch Arizona
Eric Smith has joined the University of Arizona and Tech Launch Arizona as commercialization network manager.
He manages Tech Launch Arizona’s 1,400-member expert network, and develops strategies to commercialize UA-invented technologies.
Smith holds a bachelor of science in business administration degree in management and entrepreneurship from the UA Eller College of Management. He previously was business development manager for Aztera.
He is board president of the Tucson Manufacturing Group and a member of the Idea Funding Committee, Eller College Associates, the Tucson Metro Chamber’s Emerging Leaders Council, and an Arizona advisory member for the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition.
Rusing Lopez & Lizardi names new partner
Patricia Victory Waterkotte is the newest partner at Rusing Lopez & Lizardi, PLLC.
She joined the firm in 2013, practicing in complex commercial litigation, education and financial services in Arizona and California.
She has been recognized as a “Rising Star” by Super Lawyers both in Southern California and the Southwest region for business litigation; as a “future star” in Benchmark Litigation’s annual guide; and as one of Tucson’s 40 Under 40 leaders.
A graduate of University High School, Waterkotte was among the first volunteer teen attorneys with Pima County Teen Court in 1995. She served as a congressional intern for Sen. John McCain, and earned her degree in management information systems, magna cum laude, from the University of Arizona. She graduated from the University of Notre Dame Law School in 2005.
Waterkotte is a member of Angel Charity for Children, Inc., and the Morris K. Udall Inn of Court and serves on the Southern District Board of Directors for Junior Achievement of Arizona.
- Arizona Daily Star
Gomez joins UA Health Sciences
Dr. Jorge Jaramillo Gomez, a global health-care leader formerly with the National Cancer Institute, has joined the University of Arizona Health Sciences. He will serve as associate director of the Center for Elimination of Border Health Disparities and assistant director for cancer outreach at the UA Cancer Center.
He also will be an assistant professor in the Department of Community, Environment and Policy at the UA Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, Public Health Policy and Management Program.
“He will support the acceleration of translational research initiatives in special populations, including Hispanic and Native American communities, toward addressing the burdens of health disparities,” UA officials said in a news release.
Gomez received his MD from the Universidad de Guadalajara, followed by a PhD from the UA in immunology and pharmacology. He was with the National Cancer Institute more than 20 years, most recently as senior project leader for its Center for Global Health.
- Arizona Daily Star
Restructured R&A CPAs names CEO
R&A CPAs has named Thomas Furrier as the first CEO in the company’s 73 years.
Furrier, a long-time shareholder and one of the company’s partners-in-charge of tax, has been with R&A since 1984.
The formalization of R&A’s corporate structure comes as the company plans further business development in Southern Arizona and the Southwest.
CEO is one of five new positions created by the shareholders of R&A: Tariq Khan, chief financial officer; Phillip Dalrymple, chief of staff; Rodolfo Paredes, chief of business development and Charlie Charvoz, chief of information systems.
- Arizona Daily Star
Sawyer named St. Luke’s CEO
L’Don Sawyer has joined St. Luke’s Home as chief executive officer.
Sawyer, a social gerontologist with nearly 20 years of experience, expanded Tucson Medical Center’s senior services, and has been on the advisory board of the University of Arizona Geriatric Education Center and OASIS Life Long Learning Institute.
- Arizona Daily Star
Prototron names Craig to SW area
Bro Craig has been named to handle the Southwest territory for Tucson-based Prototron Circuits.
In the industry for 27 years, Craig has held key sales positions in a number of companies in Oregon and Southern California, and he owned and managed his own firm for many years.
- Arizona Daily Star
Simpsons join Long Realty
Kent and Emmary Simpson have joined Long Realty as a husband-and-wife team “with a special interest in the renewal and expansion of downtown Tucson.”
They have extensive marketing and social media experience, Long said in a news release.
- Arizona Daily Star
Dailey named director of S. Arizona Red Cross
Julia Dailey is new executive director for the American Red Cross Southern Arizona Chapter.
She succeeds John Patton, who is now the regional chief operating officer for the American Red Cross Arizona-New Mexico-El Paso Region.
Dailey’s volunteer work with the Red Cross was prompted by a personal medical emergency. As a college student vacationing in Mexico, she developed a severe allergic reaction after being stung by a stingray. She was rushed to the Mexican Red Cross where she received free care.
The skills she learned during Red Cross CPR and first-aid classes helped her save a life a couple of years later. After volunteering on a disaster response team in Oregon, she decided to seek a career in the Red Cross and was hired as a disaster program manager.
Prior to her new post, she was Red Cross division disaster state relations director for Texas, Arizona and New Mexico; and worked in Honduras with the Peace Corps. She received her master’s degree in regional planning from Cornell University.
- Arizona Daily Star
Technology Council signs up Sole de Hoop
The Arizona Technology Council hired Tracy Sole de Hoop as director of operations and events for its Southern Arizona office, which has expansion plans for Cochise, Santa Cruz and Yuma counties.
Sole de Hoop worked as a physical scientist for U.S. Geological Survey in Colorado, was the coordinator of Watershed Academy for Purdue University and cofounded a mathematics research consulting firm for the oil and gas industry. She is a board member of the El Rio Health Center Foundation, a member of the Rotary Club of Tucson and a sustaining member of the Junior League of Tucson.
She earned a bachelor’s in geology and anthropology from Southern Methodist University and a master’s in anthropology specializing in geographic information systems and remote sensing from Colorado State University.
- Arizona Daily Star
CPA Yeanoplos to serve on judicial review panel
Kevin Yeanoplos, of Brueggeman and Johnson Yeanoplos PC, was been appointed by the Arizona Supreme Court to serve as a public member of the Arizona Commission on Judicial Performance Review. Yeanoplos, a CPA, will serve a four-year term.
- Arizona Daily Star
Gibbons joins Long
Long Realty announces a hiring: BJ Gibbons has joined the River/Campbell office as an associate broker. Gibbons, a licensed Realtor, is also an active attorney specializing in real estate. In her 15 years as an agent, Gibbons has consistently ranked in the top 5 percent of Tucson Realtors, Long said in a news release.
- Arizona Daily Star
Gallick, Block join Long
Long Realty announces two hirings: Jodi Gallick and Sara Block joined the Tanque Verde office. Gallick, with 14 years of real estate experience, comes from a long line of family Realtors and brokers in Tucson. Working alongside Gallick is her mother, Block, a Tucson real estate veteran.
- Arizona Daily Star
Wilson joins Long
Long Realty announces a hiring: Joan Wilson joined the Sierra Vista office. At her former brokerage in San Diego, she worked as a real estate agent, training director and mentor, and served on two San Diego Association of Realtors committees. She has a degree in psychology, ran her own marketing company in Seattle and has managed IT departments for other companies.
- Arizona Daily Star
1st Choice Tax Services add UA grad Tinny
David Tinny joins 1st Choice Tax Services in its new office at 3950 N. Campbell Ave.
Tinny has 15 years of experience preparing individual and small-business taxes and is a tax instructor. He has been an enrolled agent for 10 years and successfully represented dozens of clients before the IRS, 1st Choice said in a news release. He graduated from the University of Arizona with a bachelor’s degree in accounting.
- Arizona Daily Star
Kidney specialist Ojo joins UA Health Sciences
Dr. Akinlolu O. Ojo, a leader in research and clinical care of chronic kidney disease and kidney transplantation, has been named associate vice president for clinical research and global health initiatives at University of Arizona Health Sciences.
Ojo also will serve as professor of medicine in the UA College of Medicine-Tucson and as professor of health promotion sciences in the UA Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health.
He was the Florence E. Bingham research professor in nephrology at the University of Michigan, among other posts there.
He has a particular clinical interest in kidney disease in African Americans and blacks in developing nations.
- Arizona Daily Star
Adkins to lead Miraval program development
Miraval Group has appointed Sue Adkins, a 17-year veteran of its flagship resort in the Tucson area, as vice president to lead program development companywide, “notably in support of the company’s initiative to add full-service Miraval resorts in key destination markets and Miraval Life in Balance Spas in submarkets.”
Adkins previously was director of programs and assistant program director at Miraval Tucson Resort & Spa, after previous roles for several other Tucson hotels.
- Arizona Daily Star
Kravec named associate
at Farhang& Medcoff
Laura M. Kravec has joined Farhang & Medcoff as an associate attorney practicing in corporate law, mergers and acquisitions, real estate, and trusts and estates. She received her bachelor of science in economics, cum laude, from Miami University and her juris doctor from University of Arizona, James E. Rogers College of Law.
- Arizona Daily Star
Sundt names Kwapich senior project manager
Tucson-based Sundt Construction has named Jeremy Kwapich as senior project manager.
Kwapich, who has worked in the industry more than 15 years, immediately joins the team constructing the Banner-University Medical Center Tucson hospital, a joint venture with DPR Construction.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in construction management from Northern Arizona University.
- Arizona Daily Star
Sundt promotes Hedlund
Tucson-based Sundt Construction promoted Eric Hedlund, a longtime executive of the company, has been named to lead its expansion in Texas, a state the company says accounts for 25 percent of its new work.
- Arizona Daily Star
Sundt names Carlson corporate strategic business officer
In another promotion by Tucson-based Sundt Construction, John Carlson, who previously held the Texas post, takes the new role of corporate strategic business officer.
- Arizona Daily Star
Pediatrician Moher joins Assurance Health
Dr. Jennifer Moher has joined Assurance Health & Wellness Center Child and Adolescent Services — Tucson.
Moher graduated magna cum laude from the University of Arizona with a degree in molecular and cellular biology and received her medical degree from the UA. She worked as a pediatrician for University Medical Center and was an assistant professor in the pediatrics department.
- Arizona Daily Star
Assurance Health appoints Puente executive VP
Nick Puente joins Assurance HealthCare as executive vice president.
Puente “co-founded the fastest growing company of its size in Tucson prior to coming on board with Assurance,” Assurance said. He was named a top 35 entrepreneur under 35 in Arizona. He was admitted to the University of Arizona at age 17 and got his bachelor’s at 19.
- Arizona Daily Star
PFCU names director of home loans
Pima Federal Credit Union has named Adam Stewart director of home loan originations.
Stewart was director of regional mortgage sales at First Tech Federal Credit Union.
He received his bachelor’s in economics from Bellarmine University, is active in the Tucson Association of Realtors and on the Hearth Foundation board.
- Arizona Daily Star
Ohlson to spearhead Capital Connect business division
Walter H. Ohlson has moved from Denver to Tucson to spearhead the commercial business division of Capital Connect, Inc..
Ohlson, who holds a University of Arizona B.A. in classics, has 20 years of management, sales and services experience.
- Arizona Daily Star
The Planning Center team joined by Figueroa
Yvonne Figueroa has joined The Planning Center as an administrative assistant.
She has overseen scheduling, accounts receivable and customer service at the University of Arizona Cancer Center, Children’s Orthopedic Specialists and Pinal County Health Department facilities.
- Arizona Daily Star
Metro Title Agency hires Relich as escrow officer
Metro Title Agency of Arizona has hired Vicki L. Relich as senior commercial escrow officer. She specializes in land transactions, apartment complex closings and retail and industrial closings. She is also active in CCIM.
- Arizona Daily Star
Dudani joins UA pediatrics, Diamond
The University of Arizona pediatrics department and Banner’s Diamond Children’s Medical Center welcome: Dr. Rajesh Dudani, assistant professor, neonatology. A pediatric neonatologist, he will care for infants in the neonatal intensive care unit at Diamond.
- Arizona Daily Star
Johanson joins UA pediatrics, Diamond
The University of Arizona pediatrics department and Banner’s Diamond Children’s Medical Center welcome: Dr. Timothy David Johanson, clinical associate professor, general pediatrics. A general pediatrician, he will provide care at Arizona Elks Pediatric Clinic at Banner.
- Arizona Daily Star
Nicholls joins UA pediatrics, Diamond
The University of Arizona pediatrics department and Banner’s Diamond Children’s Medical Center welcome: Dr. Lauren Nicholls, assistant professor, hematology, oncology and bone marrow transplant. A pediatric hematologist/oncologist, she will care for children with cancer and blood disorders at Diamond.
- Arizona Daily Star
Marketing developer added by Leader Law
Betsy Leader has joined the Leader Law Firm to develop its marketing plans. Leader is a University of Arizona graduate. She worked at radio station KIIM-FM for 16 years and also at Autotrader.com as a digital sales consultant.
- Arizona Daily Star
Farhang & Medcoff promote Parsons to partner
Farhang & Medcoff announces the promotion of Elizabeth A. Parsons to partner.
She chairs the firm’s corporate and transactional practice, advising clients in areas including joint venture and private equity transactions, strategic corporate restructuring, corporate governance and international transactions involving cross-border commercial issues, with a particular focus on Mexico.
Parsons represents the firm in its membership with Global Advantage Partners and serves as an ambassador with the Arizona Technology Council. She also serves on the governing boards of Sonoran Science Academy at three campuses.
She received her bachelor of arts from James Madison University in economics and political science and her juris doctor, magna cum laude, from Georgetown University Law Center. Parsons began her legal career with the Wall Street firm of Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy and is licensed in New York, Washington, D.C., and Arizona.
- Arizona Daily Star
PFCU names Dutcher vice president of tech
Pima Federal Credit Union has named Robert Dutcher as vice president of technology.
Dutcher joins PFCU from the Pima County Attorney’s Office, where he was assistant director of information technology.
He received his bachelor of business administration in management information systems from the University of Arizona, holds a graduate certificate in enterprise information security from UA and is a certified information systems security professional.
- Arizona Daily Star
Sabino Recovery adds Chaboya-Balboa to clinical team
Sabino Recovery has announced an addition to its clinical team: Rose Chaboya-Balboa, M.Ed., a group therapist, brings more than two decades of experience as a therapist and life coach. She has worked as a social-services professional and a staff therapist at mental health and substance abuse facilities around the country.
- Arizona Daily Star
Sabino Recovery adds Canterna Douglass to clinical team
Sabino Recovery has announced an addition to its clinical team: Liz Canterna Douglass, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist with more than 25 years of experience in the fields of healthcare and addictions. She was director of the inpatient and outpatient alcoholism treatment programs at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Burbank, California, in addition to working in management at UCLA Medical Center. More recently, she worked as staff psychologist during her 14 years at Sierra Tucson and was interim director of the psychology department.
- Arizona Daily Star
Sabino Recovery adds Hansen to clinical team
Sabino Recovery has announced an addition to its clinical team: Holly Hansen, M.S., is a nationally certified counselor and equine therapist. Her work includes equine-assisted psychotherapy and individual, family and group behavioral therapy, serving residents with trauma and other underlying issues.
- Arizona Daily Star
Sabino Recovery adds Richer to clinical team
Sabino Recovery has announced an addition to its clinical team: Kristina Richer, MC, joins as a group therapist. Her work has primarily been focused on trauma and the behavioral health issues that often accompany trauma. She has worked at Sonora Behavioral Health Hospital, Jewish Family & Children’s Services, Sierra Tucson, Cottonwood de Tucson and The Life Healing Center.
- Arizona Daily Star
Sabino Recovery adds Yaer to clinical team
Sabino Recovery has announced an addition to its clinical team: Meira Yaer, R.N., M.A., is a certified brain injury specialist, family therapist and registered nurse. She worked at Sierra Tucson as a family therapist and family program coordinator and co-founded the family program for Desert Star Addiction and Recovery Center in Tucson.
Pedersen leads preservation group
Ann-Eve Pedersen has been named executive director of the Southwestern Foundation for Education and Historical Preservation, succeeding Dianne Bret Harte, who retired this month after 19 years in the post.
Pedersen is an education advocate and former journalist. She has been city editor at the Arizona Daily Star, managing editor for news and business at the Tucson Citizen, and president of the Arizona Education Network. She holds a B.A. from Brown University.
The Southwestern Foundation, now in its 25th year, was established with an endowment from the estate of Jane Harrison Ivancovich, a Tucson community leader and philanthropist. The foundation has distributed more than $7 million in grants to promote the restoration and preservation of historic treasures in the Southwest, to fund scholarship and research in related fields and to further the education of schoolchildren and college students.
McCoy is new HBL tax supervisor
HBL CPAs P.C. has promoted Patricia “Trish” McCoy to tax supervisor.
McCoy has been with the firm since 2013 and specializes in both individual and business taxation. She has recently taken over responsibility for the firm’s tax notice response and resolution.
She holds a bachelor of science in business administration/accounting and a master of accounting degree from the University of Arizona. She was an adjunct lecturer for the University of Arizona’s Eller College of Management during 2015.
Submit items about local hirings and promotions to business@tucson.com; please use Moving Up in the email subject line and include photos in jpeg format.
InnovaDx marketing adds Bolkcom
Gerry Bolkcom has joined Innovative Diagnostics (InnovaDx) as marketing manager.
InnovaDx is a new service in Tucson providing mobile diagnostic testing for modified barium swallow studies.
Formerly director of sales at The Forum at Tucson, Bolkcom also held positions in advertising sales and marketing at the Arizona Daily Star and oversaw sales and marketing at The Explorer Newspaper for 15 years.
Larson joins The Planning Center
David Larson has joined The Planning Center as a project manager.
Larson has a background in project management, operations, finance and sales and extensive experience in land acquisition, entitlement planning, land development and construction.
He has collaborated with local, state and federal government agencies, nonprofits and for-profit organizations on many projects.
He has a bachelor of science degree in construction management from Brigham Young University and a master of business administration degree from Arizona State University.
Overton advances at Vantage West
Vantage West Credit Union has named Tim Overton as vice president of business lending and services.
Overton brings more than two decades of experience as a commercial relationship manager for Chase, Wells Fargo, Northern Trust and National Bank of Arizona.
He is a member of the Oro Valley Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, Financial Executives and Affiliates of Tucson, 4 Tucson and the Tucson Airport Authority.
Overton, who earned his bachelor’s degree at the University of California-Riverside, replaces Jim Hanson, who recently retired from Vantage West.
- Arizona Daily Star
Infectious disease specialist Connick to lead UA division
Dr. Elizabeth Connick, a prominent researcher into human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), has been named chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson. She will join the UA faculty in April, coming from the University of Colorado — Denver.
Connick has been involved in clinical trials and laboratory-based translational research studies of HIV-1 infection for more than 20 years. Recently, she has focused on strategies to develop a cure for HIV infection.
During her career she has received research funding totaling nearly $14.2 million as principal investigator, $43.5 million as co-investigator and $121.5 million in other roles.
Connick graduated from Harvard Medical School, then completed an internship and internal medicine residency at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center in New York and an infectious disease fellowship at the University of Colorado.
She is currently medical director at the UC Boulder Clinical and Translational Research Center at UC Denver, among other roles there.
- Arizona Daily Star
SVP Tucson welcomes Garcia as executive director
Social Venture Projects Tucson, also known as SVP, announces Ciara Garcia as its executive director.
Garcia has more than 10 years’ experience in nonprofit leadership. Prior to joining SVP, she served as chief of operations at Tu Nidito Children and Family Services, where she led the development and community impact teams.
She is a graduate of the Generation Next Nonprofit Leadership Academy and Greater Tucson Leadership and was a 2013 Tucson 40 Under 40 honoree.
- Arizona Daily Star
TAA hires Bootes to oversee economic development
George W. Bootes III has joined the Tucson Airport Authority as chief economic development officer, overseeing infrastructure planning for TAA’s vacant land and promoting airport development.
Bootes held early roles with the Office of Economic Planning and Development and its successor agency, the Arizona Department of Commerce.
Prior to moving back to Arizona for his new position, Bootes started an economic development program at an electric utility company in Albuquerque.
He also was community development officer for a city in New Mexico; and was a founder and initial president of a real estate and land development firm.
A certified economic developer and a certified economic development finance professional, he is a member of the International Economic Development Council. Bootes earned his undergraduate and graduate degrees from The College at Brockport, State University of New York.
- Arizona Daily Star
Maxwell now major general in AZ Air National Guard
Edward P. “Ted” Maxwell was promoted on Jan. 10 to the rank of major general in his role as the air component commander of the Arizona Air National Guard. He also serves as the assistant adjutant general – air.
As a part-time Guardsman, Maxwell’s full-time position is vice president of the Southern Arizona Leadership Council (SALC) in Tucson.
He is a graduate of the United States Air Force Academy and is in his 32nd year of military service, including 15 years active duty and 17 years in the National Guard, predominantly serving as an F-16 instructor pilot.
- Arizona Daily Star
Wood joins Tucson Association of Realtors
Janet Wood has joined Tucson Association of Realtors as communications director.
She previously worked for IMPACT of Southern Arizona as marketing manager and World Care as marketing development manager.
From 1991 to 2009 Wood was employed by Tucson Newspapers, Inc., including 16 years as manager of its newspapers in education program.
She has served on nonprofit Boards including Tucson Residence Foundation, Juvenile Diabetes of Southern Arizona, and Foundation for Animals in Risk.
Wood holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education from the University of Arizona with additional graduate work at the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School of Communications.
- Arizona Daily Star
Haberle joins Rusing Lopez & Lizardi
Rusing Lopez & Lizardi, PLLC, has added an attorney: Brendan R. Haberle.
Haberle is a commercial and contract attorney with experience advising start-up, technology and emerging growth companies on commercial contracts and transactions such as intellectual property licensing and private equity financing. He also is a patent attorney registered to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Haberle holds a bachelor’s in physics from Harvey Mudd College. He previously worked as a researcher at Los Alamos National Laboratory and as a technical analyst on national security and defense issues.
He earned his juris doctor from the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law, graduating magna cum laude and Order of the Coif.
- Arizona Daily Star
Letzkus joins Rusing Lopez & Lizardi
Rusing Lopez & Lizardi, PLLC, has added an attorney: Sarah S. Letzkus.
Letzkus’ practice is focused on commercial and employment litigation with an emphasis on defense. She has represented plaintiffs and defendants in civil litigation involving banks, businesses of various sizes, and executives.
She previously worked at a Phoenix law firm.
Letzkus earned a bachelor’s in political science, summa cum laude, from the University of Arizona, and graduated magna cum laude and Order of the Coif from the Sandra Day O’Connor School of Law at Arizona State University.
- Arizona Daily Star
Ambrosio joins Rusing Lopez & Lizardi
Rusing Lopez & Lizardi, PLLC, has added an attorney: Chris Ambrosio.
Ambrosio has worked extensively in the private-lending, residential real estate and title industries and has legal experience in tax, bankruptcy, corporate and transactional areas.
He holds a bachelor of science in business finance and earned his juris doctor from the UA James E. Rogers College of Law, where he received the CALI Excellence for the Future Award in Real Estate Finance.
On the side, Ambrosio teaches high-performance driving techniques through the National Auto Sport Association and competes in regional sports car racing series.
- Arizona Daily Star
Gronewold takes on new Ben’s Bells post
The Ben’s Bells Project hired Laura Gronewold for the new position of director of education.
Gronewold comes to the project from the University of Arizona, where she taught writing, gender and women’s studies, and honors civic engagement, and worked with Honors College students on co-curricular civic engagement outside the classroom.
Her background includes earning a Ph.D. in literature from the UA and an M.A. in literature from the University of Montana. From 2013-2015 she served as co-chair of the UA Commission on the Status of Women. She has worked on various community projects, including serving as program manager for the Loft Cinema’s Human Rights Watch Film Festival and as a scholar for the “Coming in Hot” Civil Discourse Tour.
More than 320 schools are participating in Ben’s Bells Project’s kindness education programs, reaching more than 180,000 students.
- Arizona Daily Star
CPA firm adds Ferry as senior tax manager
The CPA firm of Flowers, Rieger & Associates PLLC hired Valerie Ferry as a senior tax manager.
Ferry brings more than 28 years of professional CPA firm experience, including nine years’ experience as a senior tax manager at a 50-person firm working with large groups of tiered partnerships, high-net-worth individuals, multi-state business entities, and flow-through entities. She also assists companies in evaluating and improving internal controls.
Ferry is a member of the American Institute and Arizona Society of CPAs and the Tucson Metro Chamber Business Building Alliance. She is a past treasurer of the Accounting & Financial Women’s Alliance.
- Arizona Daily Star
Lawson is appointed CARF account manager
Shanna R. Lawson was named account manager at CARF International.
Lawson has been a CARF resource specialist helping organizations prepare for accreditation since 2008. Before joining CARF, Lawson worked in the behavioral health and child and youth services fields with experience in quality improvement management, accreditation readiness, and direct service provision.
She earned a master’s degree in public administration from Upper Iowa University.
- Arizona Daily Star
Strongpoint promotes Sullivan to PR director
Strongpoint Marketing promoted Evan S.K. Sullivan to director of public relations.
Sullivan joined Strongpoint as an account manager in 2012 and was promoted to senior account manager in 2014.
She specializes in integrating traditional mediums, technology and social media to reach internal and external audiences. She holds the accreditation in public relations designation from the Public Relations Society of America and Universal Accreditation Board.
Before joining Strongpoint, Sullivan worked as marketing communications specialist at SOLON Corp. She is a board member of the Women’s Foundation of Southern Arizona, The Women’s Studies Advisory Council for the University of Arizona’s Department of Gender & Women’s Studies and the Tucson Chapter of Public Relations Society of America, serving as the chapter’s external relations chair.
- Arizona Daily Star
Lewis Roca’s Patton named equity partner
Mark Patton was named an equity partner in the law firm Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie LLP.
A transactional attorney, Patton represents clients in business formations, restructurings, mergers and acquisitions, private placements and joint ventures, many of which involve real estate.
He is a certified public accountant and former tax consultant, based in the law firm’s Tucson office.
- Arizona Daily Star
DeConcini McDonald elects Stamps as shareholder
Attorney Sesaly O. Stamps has been elected to join the shareholders of DeConcini McDonald Yetwin & Lacy, P.C.
Stamps joined the office in 2007. Her practice emphasizes litigation, employment law and education law. She also provides training to employers and schools on issues such as sexual harassment, discrimination in the workplace, and online bullying. She is a member of the Arizona Council of School Attorneys and a volunteer for Southern Arizona Legal Aid.
She previously worked as a judicial clerk for Judge Joseph W. Howard at the Arizona Court of Appeals, Division Two.
Stamps graduated magna cum laude from the James E. Rogers College of Law at the University of Arizona, and was inducted into the Order of the Coif. She was a recipient of the Top 50 Pro Bono Attorneys in Arizona award from the Arizona Foundation for Legal Services and Education.
- Arizona Daily Star
Rothschild is firm's third generation shareholder
Isaac Rothschild has been named a shareholder in Mesch Clark Rothschild.
A native of Tucson, he is the third generation of his family to be a shareholder in the firm: His grandfather Lowell Rothschild was a founding member and his father, Jonathan Rothschild, was a shareholder prior to becoming the city’s mayor.
A graduate of the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of law, Isaac Rothschild had been an associate with the firm for six years, concentrating his practice in commercial bankruptcy and business reorganization.
He previously clerked for Chief Judge Raner Collins at Arizona District Court.
Isaac Rothschild serves as president of the Federal Bar Association for Southern Arizona and volunteers with Will for Heroes. He received the 2015 pro bono award of the Arizona Bar Bankruptcy Section. He is a founder of the Tucson Jazz Festival and Tucson Young Tax Professionals.
Rusing Lopez & Lizardi adds attorney
Attorney Sivan R. Korn has joined the Tucson law firm of Rusing Lopez & Lizardi, PLLC.
Korn, a commercial litigator, has practiced in New York, Israel and Tucson.
She holds law degrees from universities in Israel and the United States (Fordham Law School), graduating first in class in both. She began her legal career in Israel in 1999 at the Israel Ministry of Justice, and continued at the New York office of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, LLP. She has been a litigator in Tucson since 2005 when she joined Lewis Roca Rothgerber, LLP.
Korn has published extensively and serves as a judge pro tempore on the civil bench of the Pima County Superior Court.
- Arizona Daily Star
Rusing Lopez & Lizardi adds attorney
Attorney Sarah E. Epperson has joined the Tucson law firm of Rusing Lopez & Lizardi, PLLC.
Epperson joins Rusing Lopez & Lizardi as an associate attorney in civil and commercial litigation.
She graduated from the University of Arizona summa cum laude with a degree in political science, and went on to earn her law degree from the UA College of Law in 2013.
While in law school, she interned with the Arizona Attorney General’s Civil Rights Division, served as senior research editor of the Arizona Law Review, acted as project manager for the American Law Institute’s revision to the Concise Restatement of Torts, volunteered with the Volunteer Lawyers Program, served as an Ares Fellow in Civil Procedure, and was a member of the Arizona Law Women’s Association and Business Law Society.
Epperson spent two years as a judicial law clerk for Judge Virginia C. Kelly in Division II of the Arizona Court of Appeals.
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