Giving Back
1. PK Associates and McCarthy Building Companies took part in this year’s American Heart Association Heart Walk. The team landed the #2 spot among participating companies. Together with 15 other teams, participants raised more than $109K.
Awards & Accolades
2. The Arizona Association for Economic Development presented its annual Economic Development Distinguished by Excellence Awards during its annual Spring Conference in Tucson last week. Overall, nine EDDE Awards were presented to:
- Economic Developer of the Year Award – Large Community: Micah Miranda, City of Chandler;
- Economic Developer of the Year Award – Small Community: Una Wirkebau, City of Winslow;
- Economic Development Large Organization of the Year Award: City of Mesa;
- Economic Development Medium Organization of the Year Award: City of Avondale;
- Emerging Leader of the Year: Chad Schleicher, City of Tempe;
- Member of the Year: Kristen Stephenson, CEcD, Greater Phoenix Economic Council;
- New Member of the Year: Ryan Jones, Yavapai College Regional Economic Development Center;
- Workforce Practitioner of the Year: Jennifer Mellor, Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce.
The William Lampkin Award for Long-Term Excellence in Economic Development was awarded to Bill Jabjiniak, Economic Developer Director, City of Mesa
3. PK Associates’ Project Manager Eric Dresser recently passed his Professional Engineer exam, in addition to passing the Architect Registration Examination.
Company News
4. Lennar Corporation has announced it will offer a new, more affordable line of homes starting in the low $300K range. Premier Homes will feature standardized plans ranging in size from 1,250SF-1,400SF.
Promotions
5. Jesse Gutierrez has been promoted to serve as the new Director of the Maricopa County Department of Transportation as well as the official Maricopa County Engineer, having been officially appointed at the April 26 Board of Supervisors meeting.
6. Bob Binder has been named Southwest Region Leader at DLR Group, where he will focus on expanding the company’s business profile.
7. SWABACK Architects + Planners, pllc has promoted Samar Kattan to Design Planner. The company has also promoted Troy Hansen and Michael Fimbres to Associate.
8. W.E. O’Neil Construction has promoted Heather Wheelock to serve as Accounting Manager, Giovanni Sanchez to Estimator 2, and Miguel Mancinas to Assistant Project Manager.
9. PK Associates announced Dylan Seib has been promoted to Associate.
New Hires
10. The City of Peoria has filled three Deputy City Manager positions. Current Peoria CFO Kevin Burke, former Arizona Department of Child Services Director Mike Faust and current City of Mesa Chief Innovation and Information Officer Travis Cutright will all begin their duties this month.
11. The Town of Queen Creek has hired former Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport Authority Business and Economic Development Director Shea Joachim to serve as Assistant Town Manager starting June 5.
12. Former Peoria Deputy City Manager Kathryn Gregory has been hired as Prescott City Manager. Her duties will commence May 8.
13. PK Associates announced Rudy Flores has returned to the company in the role of Special Structural Inspector.
Retirements
14. City of Glendale Economic Development Director Brian Friedman will retire from the position in August. He has served the City in various roles since 2000 and has been his current position full-time since 2008. City officials say Friedman has helped to facilitate billions of dollars in economic development during his tenure.
15. Kathey Wagner, CEO of EPS Group, Inc., has announced she will retire from the company. She will continue running operations until a successor is named, probably in the summer or fall.