Jorden Spitz named editor of the Star
Jill Jorden Spitz has been named editor of the Arizona Daily Star.
She joined the Star in 1998 as a reporter and also has served as business editor, assistant managing editor and most recently as a senior editor.
Jorden Spitz has focused on watchdog and investigative reporting; projects she directed and edited for the Star have won 15 Lee Enterprisesâ Presidentâs Awards or other national honors.
She is active in state and national journalism organizations including Associated Press Media Editors and is past president and a longtime board member of both the Society of American Business Editors and Writers and the Arizona Press Club.
A native Tucsonan, Jorden Spitz, 50, graduated from Canyon del Oro High School and the University of Arizona, where she earned bachelorâs degrees in journalism and economics.
She began her career as a reporter for the Reno Gazette-Journal and then moved to the Orlando Sentinel.
Jorden Spitz is active in many Tucson groups, including Women at the Top, and serves on the board of the Tucson Chinese Cultural Center and the school board of the Tucson Chinese School. She also volunteers for Nourish, a Tucson nonprofit.
Mazza to head ACC
Safety Division
The Arizona Corporation Commission has hired John Mazza as Safety Division director, where he will manage the railroad safety and pipeline safety sections.
A chief master sergeant, Mazza recently retired from a 29-year career in the Air Force, where his most recent post was command chief for the 56th Fighter Wing at Luke Air Force Base. He received medals for his service including the Bronze Star.
He has a master of business administration degree from Trident University International.
Ammons named COO of Job Aire Group
Tucson-based Job Aire Group has promoted Nicholas Ammons to chief operating officer.
He joined the company in 2013 as manager of business development, and âhas been a key contributor to Job Aireâs increased capability and market expansion,â the company said in a news release.
He has a bachelorâs degree in business, and is a decorated combat veteran.
Hirings, promotions at San Miguel High
San Miguel High School announces hirings and promotions:
âĸ Dave Mason is now president. He taught at Catalina Foothills High School before joining the Cristo Rey Network and opening a Cristo Rey high school in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Mason is a graduate of Woodring Education College at Western Washington University, and holds a masterâs in history from Englandâs Durham University.
âĸ Thom Melendez has joined San Miguel as vice president of advancement. He was development director at CODAC Health, Recovery and Wellness and University of Arizona Health Sciences. Melendez holds a bachelorâs of science in elementary education from the UA and a masterâs in educational leadership from Northern Arizona University.
âĸ Armando Valenzuela III has been named principal and instructional leader. He was principal at Yuma Catholic High School and an educator and administrator in the Sunnyside Unified School District. He holds a B.A. in secondary English education from the UA and a masterâs in educational leadership from NAU.
âĸ Natalie Morando has been named vice president of the corporate internship program. She has been with San Miguel since 2012, in admissions, then in the corporate internship department as a coordinator and most recently as interim director. Morando graduated from Desert View High and the UA, with a B.A in sociology.
Meyer to direct programs at SARSEF
The Southern Arizona Research, Science and Engineering Foundation named Brooke A. Meyer director of programs. Meyer was most recently SARSEFâs director of STEM Outreach. She previously was a prevention specialist and teacher in the Sunnyside Unified School District.
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