Check out 2019's 40 under 40 winners
The annual 40 Under 40 awards program is sponsored by the Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the Arizona Daily Star.
Here is a complete list of the winners.
Woman and Man of the Year
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Allison Duffy and Zack Yentzer were named Woman and Man of the Year. Read more about them below.
Crystal Adams
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Crystal Adams, University of Arizona Eller MBA
Crystal Adams is the Director of the Evening MBA Program in the Eller College of Management at the University of Arizona. Crystal, who started with Eller MBA in 2014, manages programs in Tucson and Phoenix, working with professional students to create a challenging but rewarding MBA experience. Crystal graduated with her MBA from the Eller College in 2014 and with her MEd in Human Relations from Northern Arizona University in 2016. In addition to her responsibilities with Eller Evening MBA, Crystal teaches Business Communications. Born and raised in Tucson, Crystal stays involved with the community, sitting on the Tucson Young Professionals Board, chairing the Speaker's Bureau for the League of Women Voters and serving as a member of the Emerging Leaders Council with the Tucson Chamber.
Albert Alan
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Albert Alan, University of Arizona College of Medicine
From homelessness at 15 to obtaining Physiology, Sociology, and Neuroscience degrees to attending medical school, Albert Alan is a voice for the marginalized. He has tutored thousands of students and was one of 25 in the country to receive The Neurosurgery Research & Education Foundation Fellowship. Albert has joined Borderlands Produce Rescue, a 24-year-old non-profit that rescues and distributes fresh produce. As President of his host site he has distributed over half-million pounds of fresh produce to local homeless shelters and low-income apartments located in food-deserts and started a scholarship to serve first-generation students. Albert strives to become one of 3,700 practicing board certified neurosurgeons serving 325 million people. From his nomination form: 'As we rise, we will take others with us by treating, educating and inspiring the next generation. The social stratifications of class, race, and gender will be eradicated in his practice as a future physician. 'Each one, teach one. Each one, reach one.''
Catherine Bartlett
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Catherine Bartlett, The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
As the Education Program Manager for the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, Catherine Bartlett is responsible for the development and implementation of ASDM's school, outreach, youth, camp and family programs. She's been a key educational lead on interpretive materials and exhibitry, specifically the educational programming of Packrat Playhouse: Hidden in the Midden. Catherine has been working to change people's negative perceptions of misunderstood creatures like packrats, invertebrates and reptiles by utilizing humorous interpretive techniques. She's an active committee member for the Invertebrates in Education and Conservation Conference and serves on the Leadership Team for Tucson Improv Movement, where she performs long-form improv. She's a 2018-2019 Public Voices Fellow with The OpEd Project and has been published in Scientific American, NBC News, The Hill and the Arizona Daily Star among others. She received her B.S. in Zoology from Northern Arizona University, M.S. in Entomology and M.Ed. in Teacher Education, both from the University of Arizona. As a native Tucsonan, Catherine has an engrained appreciation for the Sonoran Desert and, of course, sunscreen.
Sarah Bates
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Sarah Bates, Vail Unified School District
Sarah Bates is a homegrown Tucsonan. As a military kid, she learned grit, hard work and how to build a strong supportive community to find success.
Sarah began her teaching career in the Vail Unified School District before becoming the principal of the district's top performing elementary school. When she was asked to lead the district's lowest performing school, she jumped right in with both feet, fiercely dedicated to helping her staff and students. After one year there, Cottonwood Elementary jumped from the 499th ranked elementary school in the state to the 14th .
A wife, and mother of 2 boys, Sarah is a fiercely determined, get-your-hands-dirty, serve-as-if-yourlife-depends-on-it type of leader, mom and friend.
Sandra Bensley
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Sandra Bensley, Waterfall Economidis Law
Sandra Bensley is a shareholder with Waterfall Economidis Law and practices in the firm's Estate Planning Practice Group with a concentration of her practice being estate litigation. Sandra is a Tucson native and graduate of Sabino. Prior to joining the firm of Waterfall Economidis, she worked in criminal law both with the City of Glendale and with the Pima County Public Defender. Sandra is currently a member of the State Bar of Arizona Board of Governors and is a former chair of the State Bar's Council on Minorities and Women in the Law. A graduate of the State Bar of Arizona Bar Leadership Institute, Sandra is also a member of the Arizona Women Lawyers Association Steering Committee and the Community Foundation of Southern Arizona's Professional Advisory Committee.
Crystal Blaker
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Crystal Blaker, Ruff House Dog Training & Behavior
Crystal Blaker is a Tucson native. She has been passionate about animals since she was a child, first working at dog boarding, daycare and veterinary facilities in the Phoenix area. After moving back to Tucson, she earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Science from the University of Arizona. Since college she has been a youth leader at her church mentoring high school aged girls; an Animal Enrichment and Behavior Coordinator at the Humane Society of Southern Arizona; and a volunteer-apprentice zookeeper at Reid Park Zoo. Crystal is active in professional dog training organizations and sharpens her dog training skills through ongoing continuing-education, dog agility competition and dog therapy team work. She founded Ruff House Dog Training in 2011 and has taken it from part-time endeavor to full-time family business with her husband joining the team in 2014. A few of her many accomplishments include an Arizona Daily Star Reader's Choice Award 2016 thru 2019, a 2016 National Champion Title and a 2018 World Champion Title, both in dog agility competition. Crystal lives on the northwest side of Tucson with her husband Michael, daughter Lauren and their 4 dogs: Wrigley, Calvin, Larry and Bindi.
Esther Brilliant
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Esther Brilliant, Pima County Legal Defender's Office
Esther Brilliant is a Legal Defender for Pima County who represents indigent clients charged with felony offenses and has been doing so for seven years. She's currently the President of the Women's Law Association - Southern Arizona Chapter, and a Board Member for the YWCA of Southern Arizona. In 2017, she was awarded the 'Rising Star' award from the Arizona Public Defender Association. She graduated with a BA from American University in 2007 and a J.D. from University of Arizona in 2007. She has studied abroad in Israel and the Netherlands and worked in the field of human rights in Jerusalem, the Hague, San Francisco and Tucson. She's worked for the Israeli Ministry of Justice Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force, the International Criminal Tribunal for Yugoslavia, the Arizona Capital Representation Project and the California Appellate Project. In her spare time, she performs with Tucson Improv Movement, travels, and cuddles her two dogs.
Randi Burnett
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Randi Burnett, The McCarthy Law Firm
Randi works as an attorney with the McCarthy Law Firm. Randi's practice includes a broad range of family law matters including divorce, separation, same-sex issues, jurisdiction, custody, grandparent visitation, minor child guardianship, child support, spousal maintenance and paternity matters.
Randi has given multiple legal seminars regarding child custody issues and has also worked specifically on addressing the unique concerns involving autistic children in custody matters. She has been a judge pro tempore for the Superior Court since 2015 and has conducted numerous settlement conferences involving family law litigants. She also regularly serves as a court-appointed arbitrator in civil litigation cases. Randi is passionate about giving back to her Tucson community through the Step Up to Justice program and is especially proud of the Child & Family Resources' Champion for Children & Families Award she was given in 2015.
Jacob Carter
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Jacob Carter, Orange Paws
Jacob Carter is a Tucson native, proudly raised in the Old Pueblo, with fond childhood memories of Reid Park Zoo adventures and 'A' Mountain fireworks.
With a strong sense of pride in Tucson, Jacob strives to nurture this diverse community, volunteering for nonprofit organizations throughout Southern AZ. He has served Beads of Courage, Inc. as Director of Community Outreach and led the nature-therapy nonprofit TreeHouse Farm as the Executive Director.
Now, as co-owner of the pet supplement business, Orange Paws, Jacob combines his marketing experience with his passion-helping animals. As 'Top Dog' at Orange Paws, Jacob serves on committees for the Humane Society of Southern Arizona, fosters elderly animals and supports the work of Gabriel's Angels and other charitable pet organizations. His goal: 'Let's make Tucson the safest and happiest place for pets and their people.'
Justin Curran
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Justin Curran, Tucson Unified School District
Justin Curran is the School Counselor at Borman K-8 and the Head Women's Basketball Coach at Salpointe Catholic High School. He has helped his school RAMP, the highest recognition from the American School Counseling Association in 2011. He was selected as TUSD's Elementary Counselor of the Year in 2014 and in each of the last two years he has been a Top-3 Finalist for TUSD's School Counselor of the Year. Justin has helped return the Salpointe Women's Basketball Program into a top team in the state as they have won their Kino Region, qualified for state playoffs in backto-back seasons and advanced to the quarterfinals last season for the first time in over a decade. Justin is also a community advocate, serving as an active member of A Light Network, a local non-profit that fundraises and donates to initiatives for children and families who are in need.
Allison Duffy
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Allison Duffy, Silverado Technologies
Allison Duffy is President and Owner of Silverado Technologies, a leading IT consulting company in Southern Arizona. Silverado provides outsourced IT services for businesses, specializing in network infrastructure management and cyber security risk mitigation for medical, professional services and education industry clients, among others. Under Allison's leadership, Silverado has achieved rapid growth while maintaining high customer satisfaction ratings. In 2019, Silveradowas recognized as one of the best places to work by the Tucson Metro Chamber of Commerce. Allison received her Bachelor's degree from Loyola University Maryland and her MBA from Eller College of Management at the University of Arizona. She enjoys being involved in the Tucson community as a member of Angel Charity and Southern Arizona Leadership Council and the Board of Directors of the UnitedWay of Southern Arizona, Girl Scouts of Southern Arizona and the MAP Dashboard. Allison and her husband, Basel Skeif, spend down time hiking and traveling with their two children, Amelia and Duke.
Meredith Ford
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Meredith Ford, Casa de la Luz
Meredith Ford develops strong connections and relationships, using creativity and communication skills to passionately support and advance community causes. An advocate for health and well-being she currently leads communications efforts for Casa de la Luz, the leading provider of end-of-life care. She spent more than 10 years as a member of the Canyon Ranch public relations department. Meredith is president-elect of the Southern Arizona chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) and a recent winner of a PRSA IMPACT Award of Excellence. Examples of her varied community involvement include 'Going Over the Edge' for Girl Scouts and annually participating in SACASA's 'Dine Out for Safety.' A native Tucsonan and University of Arizona alum, she is also a graduate of the 2018 Greater Tucson Leadership program. Meredith loves theme parties, doing Crossfit with her husband Tyler and snowboarding with their two wonderful children, Hannah and Garrett.
Stephanie Gillmore
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Stephanie Gillmore, Wells Fargo Bank
As District Manager for North Tucson in Arizona Southern, Stephanie Gillmore is responsible for 10 banking stores, managing 150 team members, $1.3 billion in deposits for a total of $3.3 billion in household relationships. She began her career with Wells Fargo Bank in 2005 as a personal banker and since that time has served as business specialist, acquisition program manager and branch manager. She has been honored with numerous accolades including the prestigious manager excellence and leadership and learning awards. She earned a bachelor's degree in family studies and human development from the University of Arizona in 2004.
Stephanie has been a board member for Junior Achievement of Southern Arizona for the last 7 years and is also currently secretary of the board. She gives countless hours back to the community through Habitat for Humanity, The Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona and other local nonprofits. She is a native Tucsonan along with her husband Ricky, who is a firefighter for the Avra Valley Fire District. They have been blessed with a daughter, Brooklynn, who is 11.
Jessica Graves
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Jessica Graves, Law Office of Jessica C. Graves, PLLC
Jessica is a double Wildcat, having graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and then with her Juris Doctorate three years later. Jessica and her two siblings are all adopted, which spurred her passion for child welfare and led her to practice adoption law. Jessica has volunteered with Pima County Teen Court, Lawyers for Literacy and the Pima County Bar Association. She is also a Mentor for Earn to Learn's Leadership Summit Mentoring Program, is a member of the Junior League of Tucson and a graduate of the 2019 Greater Tucson Leadership Class. She serves as a Board Member for More Than a Bed, a foster, kinship and adoptive resource center, and Congenital Heart Defect Families of Tucson. In her spare time, Jessica enjoys teaching barre classes, hiking and camping with her husband, Ryan, and photography.
Aditi Gupta
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Aditi Gupta, Morgan Stanley
Aditi Gupta is a Family Wealth Advisor & Vice President at Morgan Stanley. She also holds the Certified Financial Planner™ & Retirement Income Certified Planner designations. As an investment professional and volunteer, Aditi understands the challenging demand placed on today's successful business and community leaders and is committed to serving individuals and their families to help them enhance their wealth's potential.
Aditi started her career in the financial services industry in San Francisco, where she received a Master's of Science in Financial Analysis. She is an active member of her community. She has been a member of the Junior League of Tucson and has served as President of the Board of the India Society of Southern Arizona. She currently serves as President of the Board of Tu Nidito and is dedicated to the mission of creating a community of acceptance, support and understanding regarding children in grief.
Aditi and her husband have 2 children, a 7-year-old boy and a 4-year-old girl, and love living in the Tucson community.
Brianna Henderson
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Brianna Henderson, Harmony Hospice
Brianna Henderson holds a bachelor's degree in Psychology from the University of New Hampshire and a master's degree from Arizona State University. She is a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW). Brianna had a vision of creating a community based agency that provides outstanding medical and compassionate hospice care - while also focusing on building community bonds. She opened Harmony Hospice in 2016.
Brianna is a member of Optimist International's local chapter, a passionate advocate for people living with Alzheimer's and Dementia, a member of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) and a board member of the National Placement and Referral Alliance (NPRA).
She has built strong collaborations with youth volunteers, including the student-led DreamCatchers from University High. She developed Pima County's first End of Life Doula Certification program, created free monthly educational trainings on aging and healthcare open to the community. She actively supports LGBTQ healthcare awareness and We Honor Veterans Program.
Johanna Hernandez
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Johanna Hernandez, City of Tucson
Johanna Hernandez has over 10 years of experience working in local and federal government to create and support programs that combine user-centered design with making data driven decisions. As the Administrator for the Office of Innovation for the City of Tucson, Johanna is driving organizational and cultural transformation by changing the way the City thinks about how it serves the community, with a focus on collaboration with the customer, value creation and creating deep and wide impact. Through intentional blending of Lean Innovation practices and process improvement methods, Johanna ensures that the City not only provides the most effective and efficient programs and services, but that they are the right programs and services for the customer.
Anna Heyer
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Anna Heyer, Flowing Wells School District
Anna Heyer is the Science Specialist for the Flowing Wells Unified School District. Prior to moving into professional development, Anna taught AP biology and biotechnology at Flowing Wells High School where she was recognized as teacher of the year. Along with managing Pre-K through 12th grade science curriculum and teacher development, she coordinates the District mentor program for all new teachers. She has built community partnerships with Tohono Chul, The Desert Museum, The STEMAZing Project, Gray Hawk Nature Center and various University of Arizona labs. Anna also serves as the facilitator for the Southern Arizona Science Education Leaders Association, a group that works to catalyze science leaders in the community. She sees her career purpose as engaging Arizona educators and community members in the pursuit of excellence in STEM programming and instruction.
In her free time, Anna enjoys exploring the Sonoran Desert with her husband, Rob, and their two sons, Henry and Harrison.
Amanda Iverson
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Amanda Iverson, Pinnacle Plan Design, LLC
Amanda Iverson is a Partner and the Chief Operating Officer of Pinnacle Plan Design, LLC, a third-party administrator firm specializing in retirement plan consulting. Amanda speaks nationally on topics related to firm management and has published several articles in leading industry publications. Amanda is a CPA, MBA, and holds two human resource designations (PHR and SHRM-CP). She is a Board member of Greater Tucson Leadership (GTL), previously served as GTL's Treasurer and volunteers her time as a member of the Society of Human Resources of Greater Tucson (SHRM-GT) Programs Committee. She serves as an elected atlarge member of the Leadership Council Board of The American Society of Pension Professionals and Actuaries (ASPPA). ASPPA is the premier national organization for retirement plan professionals and has more than 7,000 members nationwide. Amanda is married to her high school sweetheart, Dr. Robert Iverson. The Iverson's became the owners of Fashion Eye Center in March 2019. They have two children, Emma and Evan.
Travis Jones
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Travis Jones, BeachFleischman PC
Travis Jones is an Accounting and Assurance Senior Manager at BeachFleischman PC, where he serves as a valued mentor and colleague. A certified public accountant and certified fraud examiner, Travis partners with organizations to conduct financial statement audits across Arizona, Texas and Florida. In the community, Travis is seen donating his time and talents as Treasurer for the NOVA Home Loans Arizona Bowl, as Treasurer for Downtown Community School, as former Treasurer for the Arizona Association for the Education of Young Children and as a former member at large for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southern Arizona. A proud husband and father of two, he is known by his children as being 'an awesome dad.' His role as a father led him to becoming Arizona's Parent Advocate with Child Care Aware® of America, where he and his wife, Amber, meet annually with legislators at the United States Capitol advocating for policies that support working families.
Sean Keller
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Sean Keller, Ray theon Missile Systems
A Tucson native, Sean earned his Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Optical Sciences and Engineering from the James C. Wyatt College of Optical Sciences at the University of Arizona. He has worked as a Systems Engineer at Raytheon Missile Systems for the last 11 years. Sean's work at Raytheon includes program management, new business capture and independent research and development for various applications. Raytheon has recognized Sean for his outstanding leadership, innovation and dedication with Up and Coming Awards in 2013 and 2014, and Engineering's Technical Honors Award in 2017. He holds 16 United States Patents, 20 Raytheon Trade Secrets, and 8 technical publications. At home, he enjoys spending time with his wife and three children. Sean volunteers at his church, with the Boy Scouts and at his children's school. He also serves as a committee member at the American Physical Society and coaches little league baseball.
Timothy Kinney
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Timothy Kinney, Timothy Kinney, PLLC
Tim Kinney is an attorney and founder of a successful Tucson law firm specializing in land use and real estate law. He represents local businesses, developers and property owners throughout Arizona and focuses on bringing adverse parties together to solve complicated issues.
When not practicing law, Tim is a community leader and serves on the board of directors of Literacy Connects, as secretary of the board and chair of the Governance Committee. He serves as chair of the Southern Arizona committee of the Urban Land Institute and serves on ULI's statewide Advisory Board and Management Committee. Tim also volunteers with Lawyers for Literacy, improving the reading skills of elementary students.
Tim interned in the U.S. Senate while in law school and is a former member of the Tucson Metro Chamber's Emerging Leaders Council. He received both his bachelor's and law degrees from the University of Arizona.
Katherine Leary
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Katherine Leary, Aetna Health Care
Katie Leary is a project manager for Aetna Health Care, overseeing client implementations for the company's workers compensation division. The Pittsburgh, PA, native lists domestic and international travel as her chief passion, having visited almost 20 countries and 30 states. She plans to start a travel blog this year. Katie has made many connections in the community through volunteer work and has organized a number of fundraisers and social events for friends and groups in which she participates.
Katie's heroes are her late father and grandmother, who is still very independent at 94. She continues to nurture her growth as a leader through leadership training and her work on certification as a Project Management Professional. She lives in Marana with her American bulldog mix, Purty.
Amalia Luxardo
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Amalia Luxardo joined the Women's Foundation of Southern Arizona in 2019 as the new Chief Executive Officer. As WFSA's CEO, Amalia provides strategic leadership in community engagement, mobilizing key stakeholders in advocacy and public policy and securing financial resources to increase the sustainability and growth of the organization.
The daughter of immigrant parents, Amalia's academic and professional careers have been dedicated to social, economic, racial, and gender issues. Early in her career, she served the broader Hispanic/Latino community in Washington, D.C., advancing access to justice for minorities.
She worked with higher education institutions, private firms, local nonprofits and the U.S. Department of State as a researcher and policy advisor on immigrant rights and issues surrounding the socio-economic impact of immigrants in the community. Amalia was previously recognized as a Next Gen leader by Hispanics in Philanthropy and strives to create new and equitable philanthropy for people of color.
David Mandel
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David Mandel, Marana Unified School District
David Mandel is Principal of Marana High School, a comprehensive 9-12 high school that serves more than 2,200 students from nearly 500 square miles of northwest Pima County. During his time as principal, the number of students taking and passing AP tests has increased, the number of students taking college entrance exams has increased and for the past two years, each graduating class has earned $8 Million in scholarships and grants.
David was raised in Tucson and attended Brandies University for a BA in Political Science. After student teaching and then teaching at Pueblo High School, he served as an administrator in TUSD and Flowing Wells before becoming a Principal in MUSD. David earned his Ph.D. from The University of Arizona in 2015.
Alexei Marquez
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Alexei Marquez, University of Arizona
Alexei M. Marquez is the Coordinator of Financial Wellness at the Thrive center at the University of Arizona, where she works directly with students from marginalized and underrepresented communities. She is a native Tucsonan and a proud graduate of Tucson High Magnet School. She obtained her Bachelor's Degree in Secondary Education (English) and her Master's in Language, Reading and Culture from the University of Arizona. Currently, she is a 3rd year Ph.D. student in the Educational Leadership and Policy program at the College of Education, focusing on scholarly identities of Chicana/Latina students in Higher Education. She currently serves on the Southern Arizona Volunteer Management Association (SAVMA) executive board and as Vice President of the UA Hispanic Alumni. She is a member of Sigma Lambda Gamma National Sorority Inc. and a former MAS/Raza studies student. She and her husband, Leonel, have three children, Dominic (12 years), Raquel (5 years) and Maya Elena (1 year).
Robert Medler
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Robert Medler, Tucson Metro Chamber
Robert Medler is Vice President of the Tucson Metro Chamber and leads the organization's public policy efforts, including all federal and state liaison operations. In this capacity, he also administers the Tucson Metro Chamber Political Action Committee.
Robert serves as Chair of the U.S. Chamber's Board of Regents for the Institute for Organization Management, the Board of Trustees for the Institute for Organization Management, member of the Government Relations Council of the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives, as well as the first non-executive level member of the Arizona Chamber Executives Board of Directors. He also the Executive Director of the Southern Arizona Chamber of Commerce Association.
Prior to joining TMCC, Robert was a legislative intern with former United States Senator Jon Kyl of Arizona. He is past-president and treasurer of the 162nd Air Guardians and treasurer of the Southern Arizona Defense Alliance. Robert earned a M.A. in Organizational Leadership from Gonzaga University and is a graduate of the University of Arizona, with a dual B.A. in political science and communications. He and his family reside in Marana.
Brent Nelson
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Brent Nelson, Rimon, P.C. Law Offices
Brent Nelson is a partner at the law firm Rimon, P.C. He assists U.S. and international individuals, families and financial institutions in tax, estate planning and family business matters. In addition, he frequently speaks, blogs, and writes on estate and tax developments and has been the co-editor of the Arizona Estate Planning and Probate Handbook for Thomson Reuters since 2012. He is also active in volunteer work, serving as Chair of the State Bar of Arizona Probate and Trust Executive Committee, a Director on the board of Southern Arizona Estate Planning Council, a Director of the Southern Arizona Soccer Coalition, Inc. (a nonprofit that runs the Tucson Adult Soccer League), a Director of the Steven M. Gootter Foundation, a Director of Young Tax Professionals, and an Advisory Committee Member of the Arizona Community Foundation of Yuma. He received his undergraduate degree from Northern Arizona University, his law degree from Texas Tech University School of Law and a master's in law (in tax) from Georgetown University Law Center, all with honors.
Alma Peralta
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Alma Peralta, International Leadership and Business Consulting
Alma is an International Leadership and Business Development Consultant working with the private and public sector to promote international trade between Arizona and Mexico. Previously, Alma worked for the Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce as Director of Operations and as Director of International Relations. She has been facilitating the Hispanic Leadership Institute in Tucson since 2016 to offer Hispanic emerging leaders the opportunity to engage Arizona's business and policy authorities in a continuing dialogue about leadership and our communities.
Alma holds an MBA and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics with minors in Business Administration and Portuguese. She is a graduate of the Greater Tucson Leadership Class of 2016 and the Hispanic Leadership Institute Class of 2014.
She has been involved in boards and organizations supporting education, international leadership, human trafficking victims and refugees. Alma is proud to volunteer as a Wish Granter with Make-A-Wish Foundation of Southern Arizona since 2015.
Elizabeth 'Liz' Pocock
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Elizabeth 'Liz' Pocock, Startup Tucson
Liz is the CEO of Startup Tucson and the TENWEST Impact Festival and has more than seven years of experience in economic development, community building and non-profit organizational management. As CEO, Liz has helped lead Startup in serving over 500 entrepreneurs a year and grown TENWEST to over 12,000 attendees in 2019.
Licensed in Arizona, Liz received her J.D. from UA and is a trained mediator. Prior to joining Startup, Liz was the Supervising Research Attorney and Development Director for the National Law Center, where she implemented international legal commercial reform and training projects for the State Department, USAID and the World Bank.
Outside of Startup, Liz is a member of the Downtown Tucson Partnership Board, a Google Women Techmaker and a member of the SBDC Advisory Group. She was the President of the Board for Tucson Young Professionals from 2017-2018 and is still an active member.
Allison Pratt
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Allison Pratt, Long Realty Company
Allison Pratt is a Boy Scout Wood Badge Trainer, Wife, Mother, Friend, Realtor, Landlord, PTA President, Site Council Member and Vail School District Governing Board President.
Allison finds tremendous success both in her professional work at Long Realty and volunteer work in the Vail School District. She experiences strong success as a Realtor, but her satisfaction comes from helping others successfully accomplish one of life's most important decisions: home ownership.
One of Allison's most impactful roles is that of Board President for the 14,000 students and 1,900 staff in the Vail School District. The Board, particularly its president, sets the tone for the district. A healthy school district has a significant effect on the function and identity of the entire community.
But, Allison claims that her most critical roles are those of wife to her husband Devin and mother to her four fine sons. She is their biggest support system.
Lorraine Rivera
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Lorraine Rivera, Arizona Public Media
Lorraine Rivera is an award-winning broadcast journalist who has brought news and information to Arizona viewers for the last 15 years. She hosts and co-produces Arizona 360, a statewide public affairs program at Arizona Public Media, the PBS/NPR affiliate in Tucson. Rivera has also served as an adjunct lecturer in the University of Arizona School of Journalism.
Lorraine is a native Southern Arizonan, born and raised in Douglas. She is a two-time graduate of the University of Arizona holding a bachelor of arts in Journalism and a masters in Educational Leadership.
Sherard Robbins
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Sherard Robbins, Visceral Change, LLC
Sherard Robbins serves as the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Visceral Change, an organizational development consultancy based in Tucson. In his role, Sherard helps organizations and institutions across the country find new and creative ways to center their professional framework around diversity and inclusion. His work is grounded in the Core Five Components to Social Justice™, a model he developed to help people better understand the broader concepts of the DEI. He gained international recognition with Visceral Change's most recent partnership with the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands.
A doctoral and law student, Sherard studies organizational behavior with a focus on how behaviors are influenced by governance design. He is also an avid comic fan having presented at TED, San Diego's Comic Con International, and Tucson's Comic Con. He credits the support of his wife, Dr. Stephanie Troutman Robbins, with his ability to find success as a professional.
John Saavedra
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John Saavedra, Peoples Mortgage Company
John Saavedra is a mortgage loan originator with Peoples Mortgage Company. He is a current member of the company's President's Club. John has been serving Arizona's mortgage needs since 2007, taking great pride in building long-term, trusted relationships with his customers. His straightforward guidance and exceptional service has made the Saavedra Team a success. John serves on the board of directors for Junior Achievement of Southern Arizona with a focus on the 'JA You're Hired' program empowering young people to own their economic success. He has been a volunteer recreational soccer coach for FC Tucson youth soccer club since 2016. A Nogales, Arizona, native, and Catalina Foothills H.S graduate, he has spent his life in Southern Arizona. John is married to the love of his life, Alejandra, and together they are raising three amazing boys: Jack Alexander, Jacob Grey and Jonathan Hunter.
Katy Scoblink
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Katy Scoblink, Old Pueblo Community Services
Katy Scoblink, CTP, MSc, LISAC serves as Chief Clinical Officer for Old Pueblo Community Services. Katy has 16 years' experience working in the field of addiction in Criminal Justice as well as in both private and state agency settings. Katy received her BSc in Psychology and Counseling from The University of Surrey, London, and received her MSc in Addiction Psychology and Counseling from London South Bank University/ PROMIS Treatment Recovery Center. In year 2 of her MSc she received the 'PROMIS' award for outstanding performance and application in her studies. In March 2016 Katy became a Certified Trauma Practitioner and in July 2016 a Certified trainer in Trauma and Structured Sensory Interventions. Katy is an Associate instructor for ASU, providing Clinical Supervision training. She provides Clinical Supervision to individuals, leadership trainings within OPCS and additional trainings in the community. She serves on the board for St. Francis Men's shelter and serves as a sub-deacon at her local church.
Marissa Sites
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Marissa Sites, Karp & Weiss, P.C.
Marissa L. Sites is a native of Tucson. She is a graduate of the University of Arizona, as well as the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law at Arizona State University. After graduating from law school, Marissa returned to Tucson and worked as a Judicial Law Clerk to Hon. Terry L. Chandler at the Pima County Juvenile and Superior Courts. As an Associate Attorney at Karp & Weiss, PC, Marissa primarily practices in the areas of family law and juvenile law. Marissa is an active member of several professional associations and volunteers for various charitable organizations. She also serves as Co-Chair of the Pima County Bar Foundation's Lawyers for Literacy Program and sits on the Steering Committee for the Board of the Southern Arizona Chapter of the Arizona Women Lawyers Association. Marissa has been recognized for her contributions to literacy, children and service in our community.
Russell Toomey
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Russell Toomey, University of Arizona
Russ is an Associate Professor of Family Studies and Human Development at the UA. His research identifies ways to help Latinx and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer/questioning youth thrive in oppressive contexts. He has dedicated his career and personal life to improving the health outcomes of marginalized youth in the Tucson community and beyond. In 2016, he was awarded the prestigious Young Investigator Award from the Society for Research on Adolescence, and in 2018 he received the University of Arizona Distinguished Scholar Award. He has received numerous research grants for his work from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation. The favorite part of his job, however, is mentoring the next generation of scholars and practitioners. He co-facilitates Camp Born This Way, a Tucson-based camp for transgender youth and their parents and is a proud papa of two young children.
Mary Venezia
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Mary Venezia, University of Arizona
A first-generation college student, Mary earned her undergraduate degree from NAU and a master's degree in higher education from UArizona. Mary is truly passionate about access to higher education in Arizona. As Chief of Staff for Enrollment Management, Mary lends order to the chaos of the division by spearheading new programs and projects, maintaining key relationships, identifying strategic initiatives and preparing communications.
Prior to a career in Enrollment, Mary worked in housing, outreach programming and academic advising. She has earned recognition from Arizona Women in Higher Education as the 2019 Emerging Leader and the University of Arizona Staff Excellence Award. Mary serves on the College Board's Western Regional Council and is an Alumna of the College Board's Enrollment Leadership Academy. She is a Flinn-Brown Fellow and a member of the Tucson Chamber of Commerce's Emerging Leaders Council. She is also an international volunteer for Gamma Phi Beta Sorority.
Heath S. Vescovi-Chiordi
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Heath S. Vescovi-Chiordi, Town of Marana
Heath Vescovi-Chiordi is Assistant to the Town Manager in the Manager's Office for the Town of Marana. Heath graduated from the University of Arizona with a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science and Spanish as well as a Master's Degree in Public Administration with an emphasis on local government. Heath is a Precinct Committeeman for the City of Tucson in Precinct 62 in Legislative District 3. Heath received the New Member of the Year Award in 2016 and the Member of the Year Award in 2019 from the Arizona Association for Economic Development. He is heavily involved in citizen and youth engagement at the Town of Marana, managing the Marana Citizens' Forum. Heath also designed and implemented a class at the University of Arizona School of Government and Public Policy, focusing on teaching the essentials of economic development and local government administration to Masters of Public Administration students. He is on the boards of the United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona and the AZ Town Hall Association. The Scottsdale native currently lives in Tucson.
Zach Yentzer
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Zach Yentzer, Tucson Young Professionals
Zach Yentzer has served the community at the intersection of neighborhood, business, and community development. He is the Executive Director of Tucson Young Professionals, an organization that works to retain, promote and attract Young Professionals. He serves on the Downtown Neighborhoods and Residents Council and on the Downtown Tucson Partnership Board, representing Menlo Park as the Neighborhood Association President. He co-chairs the Urban Housing Accessibility Taskforce for DTP and serves on the Tucson Metro Chamber's Talent Taskforce. He is the host of a daily radio show on 1030 The Voice, 'The Creative City Show,' focused on the people, ideas and issues shaping Tucson's future.
Man of the Year: Zack Yentzer, Tucson Young Professionals
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Zach Yentzer is going places. Just ask his nominator, who wrote, 'Smart, articulate and gifted with major league people skills, Zach is a young man who is headed for the top.'
Meanwhile, the 2019 40 Under 40 Man of the Year is doing great things in Tucson. He is Executive Director of Tucson Young Professionals. He also serves on the Downtown Neighborhoods and Residents Council and on the Downtown Tucson Partnership Board, representing Menlo Park as the Neighborhood Association President. His focus: housing affordability/accessibility and planning and development issues for a strong community.
But that's not all. He co-chairs the Partnership's Urban Housing Accessibility Taskforce. He also sits on the Tucson Metro Chamber's Talent Taskforce, focused on retaining and attracting a talented and skilled workforce in Tucson. In September, the Zach-led Young Professionals teamed with the Talent Taskforce to execute a Career Crawl, connecting juniors and seniors at the University of Arizona with local employers.
In what passes for his spare time, Zach hosts 'The Creative City Show' on 1030 The Voice, a daily radio talk show that shares the stories and strategies of the people and ideas shaping Tucson's future. With Zach at the mike, this is not shout-and-shove talk radio. Writes his nominator, 'I love his 'can-do' spirit and positive attitude that is always respectful of those he is interviewing on his popular radio show.'
Zach Yentzer is going places, all right. But in the here and now he's making Tucson an even better place to live and do business.
Woman of the Year: Allison Duffy, Silverado Technologies
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In a 2019 40 Under 40 class packed with over-achievers, Allison Duffy might rank as…well…an over-over-achiever. As her nominator notes, 'Allison has already accomplished what most business owners envision doing by the time they are in their 60's.'
Allison, who earned her MBA from UA's Eller College of Management, is President and Owner of Silverado Technologies, a leading IT consulting company. In the first two years of her leadership, Silverado's business revenue and number of employees doubled.
But growing the business hasn't been the only focus of her leadership. Through a variety of meaningful staff programs-including training, professional development, a policy offering employees eight hours of paid time annually to volunteer for a non-profit and a company campaign in which a staff-chosen non-profit receives an employee-and- company donation each quarter-she has built a thriving work environment that earned the company a place as a finalist for the 2019 Copper Cactus Awards Best Place to Work.
You'll find a list of Allison's volunteer accomplishments in her profile elsewhere in this section, but there's more: She is also a member of the University of Arizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health Community Advisory Board, Commercial Real Estate Women Committee Chair, YMCA campaign volunteer and Ronald McDonald House volunteer.
In something of an understatement, her nominator concluded, 'Allison Duffy is a model of strong leadership for community and employees.' An over-over-over-achiever, perhaps?
Mentor of the Year: Dr. Martin Weinand, Professor of Neurosurgery
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Dr. Martin E. Weinand gave his nominator far more than advice in helping him along his career path in neurosurgery.
'This man is the reason why I am going to become a neurosurgeon,' wrote 40 Under 40 honoree Albert Alan. 'He invited me into his home and opened his heart. He bought me all my suits and gave me his late wife's car so I can go to medical school.' The young surgeon notes that he is wearing one of those suits in the photo that accompanies his profile elsewhere in this section-and drove to that photo session in the car his mentor gave him.
Dr. Weinand is professor in the Division of Neurosurgery in the University of Arizona Department of Surgery and director of the Neurosurgery Residency Program, whose graduates have gone on to save many lives. Pediatric neurosurgery is among his specialties and neurosurgical translational research (temporal lobe epilepsy and spinal cord stimulation) among his many interests.
Many people owe a debt of gratitude to the good doctor, whose passion for the most profound aspects of medicine is spread through the work of the students he has helped train. It's doubtful any of them could express that more vividly than Albert Alan. 'He fed me, clothed me, mentored me and became the father I never had,' his nominator/ mentee wrote.
'I wish I could pay him back.'
His part in making Dr. Weinand our 2019 Mentor of the Year goes a long way toward that end.
