Giving Back
1. Mike and Cindy Watts, owners of Sunstate Equipment Co., made a $30M donation to Arizona State University’s mission to increase access to higher education and partner with the community. ASU announced the renaming of its public service college to the Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions. The Watts’ gift will fund scholarships and professorships, support student programs and launch a unique initiative to revitalize the community where the Watts grew up, called the “Maryvale Revitalization Project and One Square Mile Initiative.”
2. Kitchell recently celebrated the spirit of its founder, Sam Kitchell, through a variety of community service projects. 255 of its employees from jobsites, offices, and project teams volunteered during the inaugural Founder’s Day, which took place from Sept. 5-16. Volunteers donated a total of 1,012 hours, and The Kitchell Foundation contributed $25/hr/volunteer to qualifying nonprofits, which resulted in $17,500.
3. Forrest Anderson Plumbing and Air Conditioning Inc. will honor men and women who served in our military by providing one local veteran with a new air conditioning unit. Forrest Anderson just launched its 2018 Military Hero AC Giveaway to share veterans’ stories and award one winner a free Carrier heating and cooling system with complete installation. To nominate a deserving veteran, community members are encouraged to submit a 200-word essay and fill out a short application at https://forrestanderson.net.
4. CVL recently took part in two efforts to make the community a better place. First, the CVL Service Committee participated in the Arizona Diamondbacks Race Against Cancer. CVL families completed a one-mile family fun walk, while other CVL employees completed a 5K. Second, CVL’s Landscape team also provide design services for the George Washington Carver Museum in Phoenix.
Awards & Accolades
5. Former U.S. Secretary of Transportation, Administrator of the Federal Highway Administration, and Director of the Arizona Department of Transportation Mary Peters is the 2019 recipient of the Frank Turner Medal for Lifetime Achievement in Transportation from the Transportation Research Board. She is currently principal of Mary Peters Consulting Group, LLC. The award will be presented during the Annual Meeting’s Chair’s Luncheon in January.
6. CVL announced Fred Fleet, PE, Senior Project Manager, honored with American Society of Civil Engineers Lifetime Membership Status. The award is earned by a person who has made a lifetime commitment to ASCE and the civil engineering profession by remaining a member for the full length of their professional career.
Boards & Commissions
7. The Yuma Planning and Zoning Commission has welcomed new member Vinod Mohindra, a Yuma resident for almost 40 years.
8. The NAIWC Phoenix Chapter #98 recently installed its 2018-19 officers and directors. Installing Officer: Myrna Smith; President: Karen Ellis; President Elect: Lisa LaVoie; Vice President: Tami McCarthy; Recording Secretary: Lee Morgan; Treasurer: Kathy Kingsland; Immediate Past President: Melanie Healey; Directors: Tina Biebl, Rishona Harris, Branigan Royer, Candace Shelton, Stephanie Vadovich.
Company News
9. Greg Hancock began his first Phoenix home-building company in 1978, selling new homes for $35,500. Now celebrating 40 years in the homebuilding business, the company has a new name, Hancock Builders. After constructing more than 25,000 single-family homes across 150 communities throughout the Valley, Hancock Builders is one of the state’s premier builders of multifamily rental communities, with 4,000 units planned.
10. Sigma Contracting, Inc., which has constructed more than 800 turnkey projects across the Southwest, is celebrating 35 years this fall of building relationships and giving back to the community.
11. InEight has acquired BASIS, a company that develops an artificial intelligence planning tool. The software will allow InEight customers to improve the project planning process by taking the guesswork out of building a plan and using machine learning to create more realistic and achievable project schedules. BASIS Founder and CEO Dr. Daniel Patterson will join the InEight executive leadership team as chief design officer.
12. The national law firm of Quarles & Brady LLP has announced that Michael Aldana has been appointed as the firm’s managing partner. Daniel Radler, who previously served in that position, is retiring from Quarles & Brady.
13. PeopleReady skilled trades staffing agency, formerly known as CLP Resources, has expanded it’s business and opened an office in Tucson.
Promotions
14. Candelaria Design Associates recently announced two promotions. Evelyn Jung has been promoted to Principal – CFO, and Meredith Thompson has been promoted to Principal.
15. Amanda Saye has been promoted to VP of Franchise Operations for GreenTree Hospitality Group Inc.
New Hires
16. Glendale City Manager Kevin Phelps, has selected Chris Anaradian as the city’s new assistant city manager. Anaradian will serve alongside Glendale’s other assistant city manager, Tom Duensing.
17. NAI Horizon announced the addition of Lori Kahn. Kahn will assist CRE clients to find office space optimally suited to their needs and will focus primarily on the Scottsdale and Paradise Valley submarkets.
18. Thad Switzenberg has joined SVN Desert Commercial Advisors retail and land development team.