Brody is new head of sales
and marketing at La Paloma
The Westin La Paloma Resort & Spa appointed Matt Brody as director of sales and marketing.
He has more than 17 years of experience in hospitality sales and marketing.
As a member of the resort’s executive committee, Brody will be responsible for the formulation of all sales, marketing and public-relations activities for the 487-room resort and country club.
Most recently, Brody was with Marriott International as the director of sales and marketing at the J.W. Marriott Starr Pass Resort & Spa; the 1,100-room Renaissance Grand; and he spent almost a decade with the Walt Disney Co. in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., among other positions.
Brody was on the Meeting Professionals International board of directors from 2010 to 2013 and has chaired several of its key committees. He is a member of Visit Tucson’s Marketing Co-Op board, as well as a member of the Tucson International Airport Authority lift task force.
Speedie-LMT fusion puts Tweet, Karaba in new posts
Speedie & Associates Inc. is joining forces in Tucson with LMT Engineering.
LMT specialized in geotechnical engineering, primarily in the Southern Arizona market. LMT was headed by Lyle Tweet, who now joins Speedie as regional geotechnical manager.
Tweet will focus on developing new client relationships, primarily in the Southern Arizona market.
Before forming LMT about 10 years ago, Tweet worked for geotechnical firms within the state, culminating with his position as the Tucson branch manager for Terracon.
Justin Manchester will continue as overall Tucson branch manager.
Another LMT associate, Ken Karaba, will be a geotechnical project manager for Speedie’s Tucson office.
Karaba joined LMT in 2008 as its principal geologist. Before that, he was Tucson branch manager for GRC Consultants. He has 35 years of experience in geotechnical engineering and environmental consulting in the western U.S.
Expert in federal benefits joins Tocco Financial
Jennifer Akins, a certified financial planner, joined Tocco Financial Services.
She has been a registered securities professional since 2007.
Akins recently achieved designation as a chartered federal employee benefits consultant, giving her “a thorough understanding of a multitude of benefits available to federal government workers, including their Thrift Savings Plan, Voluntary Contribution Program, pension, life insurance and Social Security benefits,” Tocco said in a news release.
Survey team leader Gomez is new associate at Psomas
Psomas announced the appointment of Ernie Gomez as associate.
As Tucson survey team leader, Gomez has 35 years of survey experience in Arizona. He is responsible for overseeing and directing all aspects of surveying projects. His expertise includes R/W surveys, legal descriptions, utility surveys, subdivision plats, ALTA-boundary surveys, design and topographic surveys, and construction surveys.
Heurlin Sherlock adds
Piccioli to its practice
Heurlin Sherlock added a new attorney to its Tucson office.
Thomas C. Piccioli focuses his practice on family law. He has an extensive background in complex business and financial transactions and handles high-asset divorce cases.
Piccioli is a 1988 graduate of the James E. Rogers College of Law at the University of Arizona.
Liberty & Bibbens picks up
Booker to handle family law
Edward W. Booker joined the law firm of Liberty & Bibbens PC and will be practicing in domestic relations.
Booker was admitted to practice law in Arizona in 2004. He is a 2003 graduate of Creighton University School of Law and spent one year at the James E. Rogers College of Law at the University of Arizona as a visiting student.
Booker will handle a wide range of family-law matters including prenuptial agreements, paternity, asset division, parenting time, alimony and child-support matters.
He previously had his own law practice, focusing primarily on estate planning.
LaPeter and Kantor hired
by Long Realty in Oro Valley
Al LaPeter and Sandy Kantor joined Long Realty’s Oro Valley Office.
They moved to Tucson at the end of 2013 from Sun Valley, Idaho.
LaPeter has been selling homes since the late 1960s, owned his own brokerage, was involved in property development, has built many custom homes, and has managed and owned commercial real estate.
Kantor has been a licensed agent since 2000 and holds her law degree from the University of Texas. In addition to being a Realtor, she has been an investor in commercial real estate.
LaPeter holds CRS, CRB and GRI designations.
Reid, Price bring experience
to Mountain Vista Fire Dist.
The Mountain Vista Fire District hired two new administrative battalion chiefs:
Battalion Chief Darin Reid worked in Afghanistan for several years as a tactical paramedic.
He spent 27 years serving as a firefighter/EMT, paramedic, flight paramedic, fire captain, battalion chief, assistant fire chief and deputy fire chief/medical services administrator. He has also been extensively involved in incident management.
Reid has been awarded the designation of Chief Fire Officer and Chief Medical Officer by the Commission on Professional Credentialing and is a graduate of the National Fire Academy’s Executive Fire Officer Program, receiving its Outstanding Research Award in 2011.
Reid will oversee fire prevention and public education, 911 communications, IT services and district procurement. He has also been designated as the accreditation manager for Mountain Vista Fire District.
Battalion Chief Michael Price has nearly 25 years of experience, beginning his career with Rural/Metro Fire Department in 1989. He also worked as a firefighter/EMT with Northwest Fire District and Green Valley Fire District.
In 1995 he became a nationally certified paramedic after graduating from the Tucson Medical Center Paramedic program.
Price attended Pima Community College and holds an A.A.S. degree in fire science.
He will oversee the operations division of the fire district to include training as well as the fleet and facilities programs.
Geriatrics specialist Beren joining Assurance Hospice
Assurance Hospice, a division of Sinfonia HealthCare Corp., named Dr. Robert L. Beren as associate medical director.
Beren went to the University of Arizona as an undergrad and the UA Medical School. He completed his family-practice residency in Denver and Fort Collins, Colo. He returned to the Tucson area in 1989.
His practice focus has been geriatrics for the last 15 years, including three years of hospice medical director experience.
