Giving Back
1. Fulton Homes is partnering with multiple entities in the midst of two water safety awareness campaigns for the summer of 2021. One of the campaigns, Fulton Homes’ Fence Patrol, partners with KMLE 107.9 and Ironman Pool Fence, awarding $1,500 in pool fence gift certificates to deserving Valley families throughout the summer.
Awards & Accolades
2. Matthew Krause has been named 2021 Chairperson for the NAIOP Arizona’s Developing Leaders’ Steering Committee. Krause is the Marketing Director and Financial Manager of Krause – Architecture & Interiors. He has been a member of NAIOP and DL for more than 7 years, serving on numerous committees and in several volunteer positions.
3. Kathryn Boris, formerly with the City of Phoenix, was recently awarded Rose Parks Diversity Leadership Award by WTS Metropolitan Phoenix Chapter. While at the City, she started an employee resource group for LGBTQ employees.
4. The WTS Metropolitan Phoenix Chapter was named a Silver Chapter in the WTS Chapter Circle of Excellence. This award is based on the chapter’s involvement, membership, and communications.
5. TDIndustries, Inc. (TD) announced that Chief Financial Officer Evelyn Miller received the 2021 Executive of the Year Award from the Construction Financial Management Association (CFMA).
6. PK Associates Consulting Structural Engineers congratulates Project Manager Harsh Pagare for recently passing his Professional Engineer exam. Harsh has an M.S. in Structural Engineering from Arizona State University and has been with PKA for four years.
7. AZ Big Media issued The Most Influential Women in Commercial Real Estate for 2021. They are:
- Adrienne Bryant, owner, Bryant Commercial Real Estate
- Mary Fedewa, president and CEO, S|T|O|R|E Capital
- Patti Gentry, senior vice president, JLL
- Jessica Grant, partner, executive vice president, and CFO, Corbins Electric
- Yung Koprowski, owner, Y2K Engineering
- Nicole Maas, vice president of marketing and communications, Kitchell
- Michele Pino, commercial and site selection specialist, Land Advisors Organization
- Angie Schmidt, CEO, SDB Contracting
- Keri Scott, vice president, Colliers
- Tiffany Sharp, principal, Sharp Construction
- LuAnn Thoma-Holec, principal and founder, Thoma-Holec Design
- Kathey Wagner, CEO, EPS Group
Boards & Commissions
8. At their June 25th monthly event featuring a panel discussion, the Pinal Partnership Board of Directors announced Rina Rien will be their next Executive Director succeeding Melissa Johnson in that position. Rien is joining the Partnership’s President, Anthony Smith, in marketing the county and its communities, and growing the organization.
9. Arizona Self-Storage Association (AZSA) recently announced its 2021-2022 elected board members. Newly elected board members include David Grapsas, United Structural Design, LLC; and Lee Starrett, Kiwi II Construction. Elected incumbent board members include James Appleton, MiniCo Insurance Agency; Poppy Behrens, MiniCo Publishing, Conference Chair; Richard Marmor, Legal/Legislative Chair; and Carol Mixon Krendl, SkilCheck Services, Education Chair.
10. The membership of the Arizona Association for Economic Development (AAED) has elected five members to serve on the Executive Committee of its board of directors. The committee includes President Lori Collins, President-elect Wendy Bridges, Vice President Skip Becker, Secretary and Treasurer Karla Moran and Immediate Past President Mignonne Hollis. Together, the members of the new Executive Committee bring more than 100 years of experience in economic development.
11. Arizona Thrives announced it has formed the Arizona Thrives Alliance Leadership Council with 17 business, government and industry leaders to provide a shared leadership platform and a collaborative strategic approach to transition the state’s economy from carbon-based fuels to clean energy. They are:
- Willa Altman-Kaough, Policy Advisor, Office of the Mayor, City of Phoenix
- Erik Bakken, Vice President, System Operations and Energy Resources, Tucson Electric Power
- Kelly Barr, Assoc. General Manager & Chief Strategy, Corporate Services & Sustainability Executive, Salt River Project
- Greg Bernosky, Director, Strategy Integration and Implementation, Arizona Public Service
- Christine Bracamonte Wiggs, Staff Vice President, Community & Health Advancement
- Diane Brown, Executive Director, Arizona PIRG Education Fund
- Gary Dirks, Senior Director, Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory and LightWorks®, Arizona State University
- Alexander Dunn, Vice President, Operations, Hensley Beverage Company
- Max Gonzales, Executive Vice President, Strategy & Relationship Management, Chicanos Por La Causa
- Heidi Kimball, Senior Vice President, Sunbelt Holdings
- Kathleen Lee, Senior Vice President, Regional Initiatives, Greater Phoenix Economic Council
- Stephanie Healy, Director of Public Affairs, Southwest Region, Cox Enterprises
- Michael Peel, Statewide Sustainability Director, Local First Arizona
- Timothy Rooney, Chief Executive Officer, Bard Valley Date Growers Association & Datepac, LLC.
- Brian Sherman, Chief Innovation Officer, Arizona Commerce Authority
- Parikhit Sinha, Senior Scientist, Sustainability Research, First Solar, Inc.
- Ellen Zuckerman, Utility Program Co-Director, Southwest Energy Efficiency Project
Company News
12. Jason Boyer, the architect behind the artHAUS condo development in midtown Phoenix, is now adding construction service to his firm, called Boyer Vertical. The company will design, build and develop communities throughout Arizona. He changed the name from artHAUS Projects.
13. WTS Metropolitan Phoenix Chapter’s Programs Director Haley Estelle recently launched her new business, Mind Your Mute, which provides virtual meeting production and hosting services. Mind Your Mute helps organizations take the guess work out of the technical aspects of setting up meetings and events and provides production and moderation services, so leaders can focus on content, not virtual meeting setup.
14. Hines recently unveiled a new strategy to elevate its commitments to environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues with a particular focus on the climate by accelerating its efforts to lead the industry in decarbonization of the built environment. To lead the firm’s strategies, Hines has appointed senior managing director Peter Epping as global head of ESG. In addition to Epping, the firm established a dedicated new global ESG team to lead its focus on furthering ESG commitments across Hines’ investments, properties, communities and stakeholders.
Promotions
15. John Nagel was promoted to Senior Vice President for Silver Fern Companies and Vice President for Otago Development. Nagel joined Silver Fern Companies and Otago Development eight years ago. In his new role, he is responsible for overseeing the growth of the team to ensure top performance, while achieving desired results and finding efficient and effective solutions that create value for the organization as well as their clientele.
16. Amy Weidman has been promoted to Vice President, Forward Planning for both Silver Fern Companies and Otago Development. Weidman joined Silver Fern Companies and Otago Development three years ago. In this role, she will continue to manage the due diligence, entitlement, and utility coordination processes for their clients.
17. Justin Burch was promoted to finance controller for Walton. In Burch’s new role, his responsibilities include managing financial planning and analysis, contributing to Walton’s financial strategy, and providing direct support to the chief financial officer. Burch joined Walton as a member of the new finance team formed for the Scottsdale office in March 2020 as accounting manager.
18. The City of Glendale named Tabitha Perry as its new Interim Planning Administrator. Perry brings 20 years of experience with the city to her new role, most recently as the executive officer for Special Projects. As Interim Planning Administrator, she will organize and direct the activities and staff of the Planning Division.
New Hires
19. Matt Keister has been named senior vice president, business development on Walton’s global leadership team located in Scottsdale. Keister’s primary responsibilities include the expansion and implementation of new initiatives throughout the Walton Group of Companies. He originally joined Walton in 2004 where he established the company’s first U.S. office in Phoenix. He left Walton in 2017 to pursue other opportunities and rejoined the organization in May 2021.
20. David Peter has been named vice president, special projects in Walton’s Scottsdale office, overseeing various large and complex land and development assets across the Walton portfolio. Peter served in key leadership roles as president of two Division of the Republic Family of Companies and as chief operating officer of Geosam Capital U.S.
21. RVi Planning + Landscape Architecture announced that Jamie Van Ravensway joined their Tempe office as Project Director and Morgan Kollman joined as Designer.
22. Sundt Construction, Inc., has hired Marissa Anderson as a college recruiting specialist. Anderson will travel across the United States to more than 25 universities and colleges to recruit prospective interns and full-time employees in her new role. Anderson will also assist Sundt’s Concrete division with its participation at the annual Associated Schools of Construction (ASC) student competition in Reno, Nevada.
23. Tom Ellsworth, who has 22 years of professional planning experience, has been hired as Maricopa County’s Planning and Development Director. His first day on the job was June 28th. Ellsworth takes over for Jen Pokorski, who was promoted to assistant county manager after three years at the helm of the department.
Transition
24. Dibble announced the retirement of Chief Operations Officer Steve Rex, PE, after 36 years of service. Rex began his career with Dibble as a project engineer, promoted to project manager, then practice leader for water/wastewater then Principal/COO in 2004. He designed many miles of pipelines throughout his career in the state of Arizona, including award winning projects such as City of Phoenix Val Vista Water Transmission Main.