Giving Back
1. The Arizona Builders Alliance held a graduation ceremony on Dec. 4 in Scottsdale to commemorate the graduation of more than 100 construction professionals. The celebration lauded individuals who finished the Leadership Development Forum, Women in Leadership and Emerging Leaders Forum programs.
2. The Lokahi Group is accepting applications for its 2026 Lokahi Scholarship, which will award a $1K scholarship to a graduating Arizona high school senior from the Class of 2026. Eligible applicants must be Arizona residents, plan to attend a four-year college or community college in fall 2026 and have a minimum 3.0 unweighted GPA. Applications are due Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026.
3. Empire Cat employees donated nearly 4,000 pounds of food this holiday season to support local food banks and pantries across Ariz. and Nev., benefiting Friends in Service Helping in Elko, United Food Bank in Mesa, the Community Food Pantry in Reno/Sparks, the University of Arizona Food Pantry in Tucson and the Las Vegas Rescue Mission.
4. Brinkmann Constructors gave Southwest Cancer Foundation for Kids an $18K check for their Camp Sunrise and Sidekicks program, where children with pediatric cancer are able to attend a week of summer camp with a sibling or friend free of charge. Proceeds came from the Brinkmann Clay Shoot event held at the end of September.
5. LGE Design Build and Creation partnered on a toy drive that delivered truckloads of donated toys to LightHouse for Hope, a nonprofit supporting children and families facing pediatric cancer and blood disorders. The effort included contributions and volunteer support from employees and community members during the holiday season.
6. Achen-Gardner Construction employee-owners participated in the City of Litchfield Park’s Dec. 13 Christmas in the Park Hometown Parade. Employee-owners shared candy with the community and had a float with two snow machines.
Awards & Accolades
7. Mike Hoover, Executive Chairman of Sundt Construction, was named a 2026 ENR Legacy Award winner for ENR’s Southwest region. The annual award recognizes individuals with a lifetime legacy of service in design and construction and contributions to the profession and their communities.
8. The City of Chandler recognized Achen-Gardner Construction as part of its Top 100 Businesses list. Achen-Gardner Construction has been located in the city since its inception in 1989.
Company News
9. Stevens Leinweber Construction, Inc. has announced it will acquire Innovative Building Partners. As part of the acquisition, Innovative President Thomas Fyffe II will join SLC as Senior Project Manager, and Benjamin Fyffe, Innovative VP of Field Operations, will join SLC as Senior Superintendent. Both leaders previously served at Willmeng Construction as Project Executive and Superintendent, respectively.
10. The Wendy Walker Fine Properties team at The Agency is transitioning to Compass Inc. after The Agency was purchased by Frank DiMaggio. The Wendy Walker Fine Properties team consists of Walker, Kristin Oas and Rachel Swirtz.
Promotions
11. Audra Koester Thomas has been named Executive Director of the Maricopa Association of Governments, becoming the first woman to lead the organization. She succeeds Ed Zuercher, who returned to his previous role as Phoenix City Manager. Koester Thomas brings 10 years of experience at MAG, most recently serving as Assistant Executive Director and Chief of Staff. She previously worked as a land use and transportation consultant and with The Woodlands Township in Texas.
12. Jacob Gamboa has been promoted to Assistant Field Operations Manager at Achen-Gardner Construction.
13. Joe Pritscher has been promoted to Chief Administrative Officer at TEPCON Construction, Inc. In his new role, Pritscher oversees the company’s payroll, compliance, safety administration, human resources processes and internal systems.
14. Judy Doyle and Kira Peters have been appointed Deputy City Managers for the City of Scottsdale. Doyle most recently served as Senior Director of Enterprise Operations and has spent more than 20 years with the City, having joined Scottsdale in 2003 and advanced through multiple finance and operations leadership roles. Peters most recently served as Senior Director for Library & Human Services and Interim Senior Director for Scottsdale Water and brings 35 years of municipal leadership experience, including prior service as an assistant city manager in Bozeman, Mont., and more than three decades in leadership roles with the City of Scottsdale.
New Hires
15. Alexis Ryland has been hired by the Marshall Foundation as its new Executive Director. Ryland has managed the company’s commercial property portfolio over the past 18 months through her previous role as Property Manager with Cushman & Wakefield | PICOR. Ryland officially stepped into the position on Dec. 9.
16. Tiffannie Hobgood has joined Clear Title Agency of Arizona as VP of Operational Growth. The newly created role supports the company’s strategic expansion efforts across Arizona. Hobgood has more than 30 years of experience in the title and escrow industry and previously served in leadership roles with the Arizona State Escrow Association and the National Escrow Association.
17. Keri Scott has joined Newmark as Senior Managing Director in the firm’s Phoenix office. Scott has more than 20 years of industrial real estate experience and has completed more than 1,200 lease transactions across Greater Phoenix and national markets. She will focus on agency representation, occupier strategy, investment advisory and development consulting as part of Newmark’s Southwest industrial platform.
18. Kevin Burke has been selected as Senior Director of Economic Development & Tourism for the City of Scottsdale. Burke has more than 15 years of experience in economic development and municipal leadership and most recently served as Executive Management Advisor and Deputy Director of Economic Initiatives for the City of Tucson, where he led the City’s economic development strategic plan and oversaw initiatives across a $2.4B municipal organization. He will begin his new role Dec. 29.