Citizen Staff Writer

TERESA TRUELSEN

ttruelsen@tucsoncitizen.com

The Tucson metropolitan area lost another 2,300 jobs in March, and the area’s unemployment rate spiked half a percentage point, to 7.1 percent.

That is still lower than the state’s overall rate, which is 7.8 percent after the loss of 7,600 nonfarm payroll jobs in March, according to a report released Thursday by the Arizona Department of Commerce.

Since March of last year, the Tucson area, which includes all of Pima County, has lost 18,600 jobs. The unemployment rate in Tucson in March 2008 was 4.3 percent.

In the latest round of cuts, most of the jobs lost – 1,800 – were in service industries, including trade, transportation and utilities and professional and business services.

Construction jobs again declined, with another 300 jobs lost.

There was slight growth in the clothing and general merchandise and the leisure and hospitality sectors, but statewide gains were less than expected for March, a tourism-heavy period.

Since December 2007, the beginning of the national recession, Arizona has lost 230,400 jobs, according to the report. Most of those jobs – 183,000 – have been lost since March 2008.

The March 2009 increase in the jobless rate is part of a pattern that puts Arizona on track to hit 8 percent in the next monthly report, said Dennis Doby, a Commerce Department researcher.

“You can’t say when this is going to turn,” Doby said.

An unemployment rate of 10 percent is possible by late 2009, he said. “You’re getting a percent every three months,” he said.

There has been more positive talk about the economy recently, but a renewed confidence among both consumers and businesses is key for a recovery to take hold, Doby said.

The state’s unemployment rate could keep rising once the economy appears to stabilize, Doby said.

That’s because workers now too discouraged to look for work would resume looking for jobs and be counted in the work force, he said. “Unemployment is going to be a lagging indicator,” he said.

The national unemployment rate also continues to rise. Last month, it stood at 8.5 percent.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Tucson loses 2,300 more jobs in March

Citizen Staff Writer

TEYA VITU and

TERESA TRUELSEN

news@tucsoncitizen.com

Three people were honored by the Tucson Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce on Monday as the Man, Woman and Founder of the Year.

Sarah Brown Smallhouse, president of the Thomas R. Brown Family Foundation, was named the chamber’s Woman of the Year. Attorney Larry Hecker was named Man of the Year, and developer Don Diamond got the Founder of the Year award.

Smallhouse, 50, is the daughter of the late Thomas R. Brown, founder of Burr-Brown Corp., which was sold to Texas Instruments for $7.6 billion in 2000.

The Thomas R. Brown Family Foundation has given a total of $14 million to UA for endowed professorial chairs and scholarships.

“We are trying to carry out the legacy of Tom Brown,” Smallhouse said. “He wanted to do something to benefit mankind. It’s about taking the best assets of the community and parlaying them into creating a competitive advantage for southern Arizona. We have to do that over and over again to be successful as a community.”

Smallhouse put up the first $500,000 to establish the Critical Path Institute, which works to streamline the development of crucial new medicines, then she recruited the community match as well as SRI International and UA to collaborate with the U.S. Food & Drug Administration and the pharmaceutical industry to get safer drugs to the market faster, said Ray Woosley, C-Path’s executive director.

The surprise award presentation at Hecker’s office was attended by Pima County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry, county supervisors Sharon Bronson and Ramón Valadez, Tucson City Councilwoman Nina Trasoff and former South Tucson Mayor and Pima County Supervisor Dan Eckstrom.

Hecker, 61, chairs the Pima County Bond Advisory Committee; was a central player in establishing Tucson Regional Economic Opportunities and the Downtown Tucson Partnership; and served as treasurer of the Regional Transportation Authority to promote the transportation plan that voters approved in 2006.

In the 1980s and 1990s, Hecker was chief of staff or one year for then-Gov. Bruce Babbitt and he was regional chairman of the effort to establish the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday in Arizona.

“He’s always there,” Trasoff said. “He’s always honest. He’s able to step back from an issue and bring a calm voice and focus that helped the community move forward.”

Chamber officials interrupted the Monday morning meeting of senior officers at Diamond Ventures to present the Founders Award for lifetime achievement to Diamond and take a few photos. Afterward, Diamond returned to the meeting.

Over the years, Diamond has owned, often with partner Donald Pitt, the Phoenix Suns (1968-87), KVOA-TV Channel 4 (1971-82) and Old Tucson Studios (1985-present).

He owns Diamond Ventures, a company that has built housing developments that include Pima Canyon Estates, The Canyons, Tucson Mountain Reserve, Presidio, Mesquite Ranch, River Crossing and Silverado Hills.

Diamond also built the offices for Nova Financial Center, Northwest Medical Center, Intuit’s call center and the Rio Nuevo Professional Plaza.

“I’m proud of the company the most, not me buying land,” Diamond said. “It’s the way we develop it. I honestly feel, and we’ve been told, we do the best projects in Tucson. Somewhere along the line, I thought, ‘If you give them quality, they’ll pay for it.’ ”

Diamond is known for his generosity to nonprofits in Tucson, such as a $15 million gift for the Diamond Children’s Medical Center at University Medical Center.

Citizen Staff Writer

TERESA TRUELSEN

ttruelsen@tucsoncitizen.com

Ventana Medical Systems Inc. Chief Operating Officer Hany Massarany will take over the Tucson operation when President and CEO Christopher Gleeson retires at the end of the year.

Massarany has been with Ventana since July 1999, when he was hired as the first director of Asia-Pacific operations. The Australian native said he has been in Tucson about seven years.

Gleeson’s retirement was announced Tuesday at a luncheon with Severin Schwan, CEO of Roche Holdings AG, Ventana’s parent company. The transition to Massarany from Gleeson, who has been CEO since May 1999, was planned and is not connected to Roche’s takeover of the company, Ventana spokeswoman Alana Bolton said.

“It is supported by Roche and they have every confidence in (Massarany),” Bolton said.

Schwan was making his fourth visit to Tucson since the Swiss company bought Ventana for $3.4 billion in January. Each time he has addressed the employees at Ventana.

“He’s definitely a motivator,” Bolton said. “They look forward to his visits.”

This visit was the first time Schwan made a public appearance. At the luncheon, hosted by Stone Canyon Club in Oro Valley, Schwan put forth Roche’s plans for Ventana to about 45 community and business leaders.

Gleeson, who introduced Schwan, said Roche is committed to significant investment in the community, with plans to make the Tucson area its global center of excellence for tissue diagnostics.

Despite the rough start to their relationship, Gleeson said, referring to Roche’s hostile bid, the company has been an “excellent corporate partner to our growing company.”

And Schwan echoed that message of growth as a part of Roche’s plans to improve medicine through personalized health care – targeting treatments through better detection, diagnosis, treatment and monitoring of diseases.

“Ventana is an important . . . pillar in this,” Schwan said. “Direct examination of tissue is very important information. In Tucson we have found the right partner.”

Schwan said Ventana has about 750 employees here, and it is expected to expand to about 1,000 by the end of next year.

Roche plans to invest in research and development and expand the high-tech labs at the Ventana facility, he said.

Schwan said Roche’s acquisition strategy is not to engulf a company, but to allow it to continue in its own culture and with its current staff. Allowing those separate cultures to flourish is what spurs creativity, he said.

Ventana’s culture was a big factor in Roche’s decision to acquire the company, Schwan said. The employees’ energy, dedication and passion were impressive.

“We have very dedicated, very qualified people around the world, but Tucson stands out,” Schwan said. “You have to trust the people you give the money to.”

Ventana was one of six or seven acquisitions Roche has made in the past 18 months. It is currently bidding to buy out California pharmaceutical firm Genentech.

Severin Schwan, CEO of Roche Holdings AG, met with community leaders Tuesday to discuss the parent company’s plans for Ventana Medical Systems. Schwan said Ventana’s people are what drew Roche to the Oro Valley-based biotech firm.

Citizen Staff Writer

TERESA TRUELSEN

ttrueslsen@tucsoncitizen.com

The Tucson metro area lost another 6,100 jobs in July over the previous month, raising the area’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate to 4.9 percent from 4.7 percent in June.

Arizona’s seasonally adjusted nonfarm unemployment rate for July also rose, three-tenths of a percent to 5.1 percent.

The rise follows national trends as the economy continued to slow. Nationally, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased to 5.7 percent in July from 5.5 percent in June.

The job losses were seasonally anticipated, according to the Arizona Department of Commerce report, with unemployment numbers typically higher in July when schools are out of session.

In the Tucson area, which includes all of Pima County, jobs were lost in all sectors except Natural Resources and Mining and Information, which remained steady.

The majority of jobs lost came in the Service-Providing industry, which dropped 5,200 jobs, the bulk of those in the trade, transportation and utilities category, which lost 900 jobs over the previous month.

Construction jobs continue to drop, with a loss of 500 from June to July. That brings the year over year loss to 3,300 since July of last year.

Statewide, nonfarm jobs in Arizona lost 37,500 jobs in July.

The goods-producing industries posted a loss – 3,000 jobs – for the 11th consecutive month, as did the construction industry, also losing 3,000 jobs.

Arizona has lost 128,000 nonfarm jobs since employment levels peaked in December 2006.

Citizen Staff Writer
Business Edge

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MAN AND WOMAN OF THE YEAR

JAVIER F. HERRERA
Javier F. Herrera has been dedicated to helping young people since he himself was a teen.

An anti-violence forum in Washington, D.C., at 17. Honors from TUSD, the governor, the FBI and the president for service to the community. At 23, he was the youngest state director for Arizona League of United Latin American Citizens. At 24, he was LULAC’s man of the year.

On the job, this 26-year-old has an uncanny knack for influencing hundreds of people on the practice of safe driving, says Richard Fimbres, director of the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety.

“Javier has been a key component is reducing the statistics (related to fatalities and accidents) among young people in Arizona, because he has made sure that parents and guardians are involved in educating them,” Fimbres says. He’s really grass roots about it as he’s a young adult himself, and it’s peers talking to peers, which teens listen to more than adults.”

Fimbres adds that Herrera, an administrative services officer and the 2008 40 Under 40 Man of the Year, loves his work and is always willing to help build bridges to get the mission done, especially since the Teen Safe Driving Act went into effect July 1.

He is just as dedicated to the fight against substance abuse.

Paul Appleby, program coordinator for STARToday at COPE Community Services, has worked with Herrara as part of the Meth Free Alliance. Appleby describes him as one of the most brilliant young people he knows. His insight into how to organize, structure and then present information of such a heavy nature and have it well received is “incredible.”

“Javier communicates at all levels – from the top of the tree to the roots,” Appleby says. “When he co-chaired the Meth Free Alliance, it was heavy with law enforcement, but people listened to Javier because he saw what everyone’s needs were. He wasn’t big-headed about it. He made the information practical yet humorous.

“If I wasn’t me, I’d like to be Javier!” Appleby says.

Fimbres and Appleby don’t just sing Herrera’s professional praises. While they see him as fully competent in that arena, they are also struck by how he helps people at the drop of a hat.

Abe Marques, an aide to Ward 5 City Council Member Steve Leal and a LULAC member, got to know Herrera when he an intern in Leal’s office and through his tenure as president of LULAC.

“Beyond loving him because he’s super neat, I respect him,” Marques says. “He has his own perspective on how to get from A to B. I guess that’s what you call leadership.”
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MARIAN LALONDE
‘Who I am makes a difference.”

That message graces a ribbon that was given to Marian LaLonde by a college professor who told her we make an impact in the lives of others, often without knowing it.

That message stuck with LaLonde, 29, the 2008 40 Under 40 Woman of the Year. LaLonde went from a homeless, troubled youth on the streets of Tucson to become an advocate for other youths, as well as a rising star and associate attorney at DeConcini, McDonald, Yetwin and Lacy, PC. She started there as a law school intern one summer.

“Most of us had parents and other relatives to deal with life situations when we were children,” says John Lacy, a partner at the firm. “Marian has had to do all of that herself, which I believe has helped her develop the qualities of diplomacy, tenacity and patience, which have been a tremendous help to working with our clients and in bringing disparate groups together.”

LaLonde, who mainly deals in natural resources law, recently mitigated the interests among a mining client, residents on various tracts of Navajo land and the tribal government so that everyone walked away feeling good about it. She did it, Lacy says, by being respectful of all parties.

To achieve all that she has, says nominator Rudy Carillo, vice president of Sales and Marketing for Meritage Homes, is impressive.

“She was taken from her biological parents and entered Youth on Their Own in high school,” Carillo says. “Now she’s the first female president and the first alumni on the YOTO board and stands as an inspiration to kids who have experienced the same and can see that you can still succeed. She’s got a full heart and clear mind.”

Mary Gruensfelder-Cox, executive director of YOTO, a nonprofit organization, concurs. She sees LaLonde as not only a success story, but also someone she feels privileged to work alongside.

Even though Gruensfelder-Cox jokes about LaLonde being all about horses – memorabilia and photos fill her office – and a “night” person, requiring lots of caffeinated cola to get her to meetings before 10 a.m., she says it’s a cool thing that LaLonde is the YOTO board president because she’s been there, done that.

“She holds the bar high for everyone and is compassionate when we make policy decisions because she has that sensitivity and a real visceral sense of what it means to work with these kids,” she says.

How does LaLonde keep her daily perspective? With that simple reminder – pulling out the blue ribbon that says she makes a difference and passing that message along to others.
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COEY ARVIZU
Partner, Heinfeld, Meech & Co. PC

Age: 38

Community involvement: Treasurer, board of directors, Bag It!; encouraged firm involvement with Habitat for Humanity, Southern Arizona Community Food Bank, Tucson AIDS Walk, CAT Walk for Cancer Research, Race for the Cure and the Sara Courtney Memorial Walk for Juvenile Diabetes; executive committee member, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants’ Governmental Audit Quality Center; committee member, Government Finance Officers Association.

Most embarrassing thing on your iPod or in your CD collection: The soundtrack from “Legally Blonde.”

Favorite movie: “Jerry McGuire.” Great movie when you need an attitude or perspective “adjustment.”

Unique thing no one knows about you: I want to be a college football referee someday.

A word from the nominator: “Corey has the attributes that one automatically thinks of when describing a leader: honesty, integrity, vision, passion and responsibility. But Corey has other unique qualities that make him a terrific leader. Rather than solely focusing on creating his own success, Corey turns his attention outwardly to help others achieve success. He has a ‘let me help you’ attitude, which motivates others. His commitment sets an example for others.” – Nancy Meech, partner, Heinfeld, Meech & Co. PC
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BRIAN BABCOCK-LUMISH, 30
Captain, U.S. Army, 304 Military Intelligence Battalion, Ft. Huachuca

Age: 30

Community involvement: Secretary of the board, Renaissance House; volunteer, Habitat for Humanity, Fort Huachuca Child & Youth Services, Ramsey Canyon Preserve and Friends of the Sierra Vista Public Library; recipient, Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal; coach, Truman/Marshall scholarship applicants; 2006 Pat’s run Marathon, Tempe

Most unique thing no one knows about you: I went by the pseudonym “Swedish Chef” for my six-month through-hike of the Appalachian Trail, and I can open a bottle of wine with nothing but a shoelace.

One person – living or dead – you would take to lunch: President Harry Truman

Professional accomplishment that makes you most proud: Serving as Gen. David Petraeus’ daily intelligence briefer.

A word from a nominator: “Brian will continue to do a great job and perform at the highest levels for the Army, our nation and our community into the future. In my line of work, I have seen many good people. However, Brian has distinguished himself as a leader among leaders. I have no doubt that Brian will return to our community and continue his leadership role.” – Richard Besselman, vice president, Southwest Operations – Engineering & Professional Services Inc.
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MAGDALENA BARAJAS
Intergovernmental relations program liaison, city of Tucson

Age: 24

Community involvement: Board member, Sunnyside Unified School District Governing Board; co-chair, Pima County Governing Board Superintendent Collaborative; board member, Arizona Latino Leadership Institute; board member, Child and Family Resources; member, Metropolitan Education Commission of Pima County; volunteer, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tucson.

First dollar earned: Tucson Youth Development, Sunnyside Neighborhood Association – cleaned yards for senior and disabled neighbors.

Guilty pleasure: Ice cream, all day, every day

Attributes that make a good leader: Heart, defined direction/focus, discipline and a sense of humor

A word from the nominator: “Since her appointment in 2007 to the Sunnyside Unified School District Governing Board, Malena Barajas has worked with the district in the development of several strategic priorities including Project Graduation. As the youngest governing board member in Sunnyside history, Malena brings her legislative and community relations experience, as well as her recent experience as a student in the Sunnyside Unified School District, as strong contributions to the school districts’ reform initiatives.” – Eva Carillo Dong, department head, Title I coordinator, Pima Accommodation District
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DAVID BEA
Executive vice chancellor for administration, Pima Community College

Age: 38

Community involvement: Board member, Wellness Council of Arizona; assisted with the organization of PCC’s participation in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure-Tucson; secretary, Arizona Community College Business Officials; Council member, National Association of College and University Business Officers; recipient, NACUBO Rising Star Award, 2004; participant, 2008 Lost Dutchman Marathon.

Profession you would like to try other than your own: Writing

Book on your bedside table: I’m reading a couple right now: Fast Food Nation and A Walk in the Woods.

Why Tucson? I’m originally from the San Francisco area, but I went to New York for college, and spent a number of years in southern California. I came to Tucson for the professional opportunity, but the size of the city, the beautiful mountains and the fantastic weather were also huge draws.

A word from the nominator: “His work facilitates operation of one of the largest educational institutions in southern Arizona. Recognizing the college’s role as a public institution, Dr. Bea, working with the chancellor, has made the college’s finances open and transparent for both taxpayers and students He has also clarified business processes and procedures to reduce costs while ensuring fairness and equity in all college transactions.” – Roy Flores, chancellor, Pima Community College
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LINDABETH BINKLEY, TUCSON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

About the oboe: After all, it is the constant source of inspiration, frustration, joy and satisfaction in my life! (That is, until I can’t seem to make a reed that works for the darn thing!)
Principal oboe, Tucson Symphony Orchestra/

Artistic director, St. Andrew’s Bach Society

Age: 37

Community involvement: Creator, Tucson Symphony Orchestra Wind Quartet Music in the Schools Program 2007-08; author/narrator, “The Fabulous Flying Robertam,” Tucson Symphony Orchestra Saturday Morning “Just for Kids” concert series; volunteer, Academy Village; sponsor, “Get to Know the Oboe!” Workshops.

Profession you would like to try other than your own: Likely interior design, as I enjoy playing with colors, texture and shapes (not to mention having a passion for IKEA, which my friends affectionately refer to as Lindabeth’s Mothership)

One person – living or dead – you would take to lunch: Yo Yo Ma. An unbelievable musician and cultural advocate that I’d love to chat with.

One word that best describes you: Creative

A word from the nominator: “In her role as Music Coordinator, Dr. Binkley serves as a consultant to a half-dozen other Tucson musicians, using her enviable organizational skills to take care of all the things that distract them from giving a good performance. The arts in general and music specifically are very competitive. Dr. Binkley is a proven success story and she can now use her success as a platform to guide other musicians and artists to success. The value of the arts to the community of Tucson culturally and economically has been established.” – Steven Moeckel, symphony concertmaster, Tucson Symphony Orchestra; 2006 40 Under 40
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AMANDA K. BORDUIN
Ranch manager/horse trainer, Rancho Soñado LLC

Age: 26

Community involvement: Judge/mentor,

4-H; volunteer presenter, Continental School Ranch Day, Continental; past volunteer, Future Farmers of America; volunteer presenter, “Black Stallion” demonstration, Mitchell Elementary School, Nogales; event organizer, Grayson Jockey Equine Foundation benefit.

Most embarrassing thing on your iPod or in your CD collection: Probably my newest CD, the Bee Gees greatest hits album.

One word that best describes you: Self-disciplined

Professional accomplishment that makes you most proud: I am a new face in the Arabian horse training world. My proudest moment came last year at the Arabian National Horse Show, when an internationally accomplished and respected horse trainer … asked me to ride one of his junior horses in his public demonstration. That was the biggest compliment of all. No ribbon or trophy could equal that feeling.

A word from nominators: “She gives generously of herself to everyone who comes to her for advice or lessons. She goes out beyond her own circle to children who would never have the experience of seeing livestock or a working ranch. If someone has limited financial resources, she finds a way to help them achieve their dreams.” – Dick and Nan Walden, owners, Rancho Soñado
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STEPHANIE BOREALE
Director of professional relations, Radiology Ltd.

Age: 29

Community Involvement: Committee member, American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women Luncheon; president, Tucson American Marketing Association; supporter, Literacy Volunteers of Tucson; committee member, American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer event; board member, UA Eller College of Management Marketing Department Board of Visitors; former volunteer, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

Most unique thing no one knows about you: I’m afraid of fish. I think they are tasty, but don’t like to be in lakes, rivers or oceans with them.

Profession you would like to try other than your own: Travel show host – how fun would it be to get paid to travel?

One person – living or dead – you would take to lunch: My maternal grandfather, who died before I was born.

A word from the nominator: “She feels strongly about social responsibility and is involved because she recognizes the benefits of personal commitment. As the person responsible for directing Radiology Ltd. on decisions to support the community through nonprofits, her mission is to increase the company’s giving. Since she started, Radiology Ltd. has doubled the number of nonprofits it helps today.” – Sheila Storm, communications director, Pima Association of Governments
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JAMES BUTLER
wner, CEO, HJ3 Composite Technologies LLC

Age: 34

Community involvement: Mentor, UA McGuire Center for Entrepreneurship; trainer/assistant youth soccer coach, Foothills Boys U10 & Randolph Girls U10; volunteer, Leukemia Society of America; volunteer, Habitat for Humanity; volunteer, Ronald McDonald House; volunteer, United Housing Project; volunteer, Giving Tree.

Most embarrassing thing on your iPod or in your CD collection: Best of ’70s Disco Music

Favorite movie: “The Rookie.”

Why Tucson? I am from St. Louis and I originally chose Tucson to attend the Entrepreneurship Program at University of Arizona as an MBA candidate and to live in the same city as my wife-to-be. My wife is enamored by Tucson and I, too, have come to love the city. We stay here because of family, friends and the support of the local community.

A word from the nominator: “In 2008, James was inducted into the Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame at the McGuire Center for Entrepreneurship, an amazing accomplishment at any age, but a special success for someone so young. The concept for HJ3, the company he co-founded, was initiated while Jim was still in graduate school. HJ3′s vision is to use carbon fiber technology as structural reinforcement for buildings, structures, mines, making a safer living and work environment for thousands.” – Jan Howard, communications director, Strongpoint Public Relations
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MONTSERRAT F. CABALLERO

Su Voz Vale – Your Voice Counts – program director,

Southern Arizona Center Against Sexual Assault

Age: 34

Community Involvement: Chair, Las Adelitas; member, Dia-V Committee; member, Cesar Chavez Holiday Coalition; 2008 winner, National Sexual Violence Resource Center Visionary Voice Award; member, Liberty Partnership Council; former board member, Arizona Sexual Assault network; former commissioner, Pima County/Tucson Women’s Commission; former chair, 2003-04 International Women’s Day Planning Committee.

On your iPod, or what CD you’re listening to: Lucybell, a Chilean rock band

One word that best describes you: My husband would say I am fearless

One person – living or dead – you would take to lunch: I’d probably start with Albert Einstein

A word from the nominator: Watching Montserrat deliver a presentation on sexual violence awareness encapsulates the essence of what makes her so special to our community. In a one-hour presentation Montserrat will capture the audience so completely and every person will leave the room knowing that this issue is far too prevalent and that they can be an ally for change.” – Audrey Ching, former director of Community Prevention Education and Outreach, Southern Arizona Center Against Sexual Assault
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BEVERLY DAVIES
Executive director, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, Southern Arizona

Age: 31

Community involvement: Directions team leader, Mosaic United Methodist Church; volunteer, PRIME School for Music; former race chair, Race for the Cure Tucson; former Province president and national financial adviser, current volunteer community service coordinator, Zeta Tau Alpha fraternity for women; finalist, Volunteer Center of Southern Arizona Bruce Blake award.

First dollar earned: Traveling as a leadership consultant for my fraternity after graduation. We lived out of a suitcase and had to rely on the chapters we visited for a place to stay, clean sheets/towels and our meals. It was a true lesson in learning to be flexible and how to work in many different kinds of environments with many different kinds of people.

Guilty pleasure: Wheel Donuts – chocolate frosted – with a fresh cup of Dunkin’ Donuts coffee

One place you dream about traveling to: A secluded beach resort in Mexico

A word from a nominator: “Some people thrive in leadership positions, they’re just naturally gifted at leading – like Beverly. One could look to the future with wild imagination and realize that this woman has limitless leadership potential, but they would overlook the tremendous achievements and contributions she has already made.” – Barbara Peck, director of Public Relations, LP&G Inc.
Executive director, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, Southern Arizona
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SARAH FROST
Business development and strategy manager, University Physicians Hospital

Age: 29

Community involvement: Member, Town of Oro Valley Budget and Bond Committee; member, Greater Tucson Leadership.

Professional accomplishment that makes you most proud: Working for University Physicians Healthcare has provided me with many professional accomplishments. If I had to choose one … it is to have been associated with and involved in the development of our graduate medical education program in collaboration with The University of Arizona. Many staff and physicians worked extremely hard for 2-3 years and our first class of residents started in July 2008.

Most unique thing no one knows about you: This is tough – I am a pretty open person and there are not many things I hide from others. I was a cake decorator in high school and into college – does that count?

Why Tucson? I have lived in Tucson for almost 18 years, but my family is all originally from Connecticut. My husband and I have chosen to continue to live here in Tucson, as we love the climate, the community, the lifestyle and have been blessed with great careers.

A word from the nominator: “Sarah is very passionate about bringing services to southern Arizona that are not available. A prime example is the work she did on being the first to bring robotically assisted surgery (the daVinci Robot) to southern Arizona. This technology has saved patients weeks in the recovery process from procedures such as prostatectomy. She will also be involved in implementing future telemedicine initiatives.” – Stacey Auch, account manager, LP&G Inc.
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MICHELLE GERMANO
News director, KOLD-TV Channel 13

Age: 39

Community involvement: Board member, Junior League of Tucson; community board member, American Heart Association; award winner, Carole Kneeland Fellowship; director, Raycom New Directors Advisory Board; creator, “Charities with Chuck” KOLD-TV program; Humane Society of Southern Arizona telethon; recipient of two 2007 Edward R. Murrow awards.

Profession you would like to try other than your own: I have three filing cabinets full of stationery … and choose to buy that over clothes. I would love to open up my own stationery store!

Most embarrassing thing on your iPod or in your CD collection: The Carpenters greatest hits.

Favorite meal: “I am from an Italian family grounded in Italian traditions. My mom actually manufactures a pasta sauce. So anything by my mom is terrific!”

A word from the nominators: “Michelle is a natural born leader. She adeptly juggles her professional and personal sides of life, but always has time for those in need that touch her heart. It’s easy to make a list of Michelle’s community involvements but what is most obvious about Michelle to those who know her is her natural ability to inspire others to reach their dreams. Michelle is an inspiration to all of us. – Norma Gentry, owner, Proventures, and Chuck George, chief meteorologist, KOLD
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KIRSTEN CLOUTIER GRABO
Executive director, Southern Arizona Community Diaper Bank

Age: 36

Community involvement: Founding member, Southern Arizona Community Diaper Bank; organizer and coach, Tucson Twirlers; twirling coach, Rincon/University High School; co-executive director, Miss Tucson Valley Scholarship Pageant; volunteer, Alzheimer’s Association.

Attributes that make a good leader: Integrity. Good listener. Someone who understands an individual’s strengths and weaknesses and can maximize the strengths.

Professional accomplishment that makes you most proud: I was actually part of the original team that started the Diaper Bank almost 15 years ago. Every week is rewarding when the diapers leave the warehouse.

Where are you from and why Tucson? Duluth, Minn…. and that is a silly question. But I really don’t enjoy shoveling snow.

A word from the nominator: “Kirsten has a passion for helping others. She relates what she has experienced in her life as a young mother with the experiences other mothers share. This empathy translates into a desire to make the Diaper Bank stronger, both financially and as a provider of services.” – Michael Serres, Diaper Bank board member
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VALERIE GREENHILL
Vice president, e-Luminate Group

Age: 39

Community involvement: Member, Arizona Women’s Political Caucus; board member, Tucson Children’s Museum; former president, Panorama Estates Neighborhood Association; project manager, The Route 21 Project of the Partnership for 21st Century Skills; former communications director, Mayor Robert Walkup mayoral election/re-election campaigns.

Guilty pleasure: Reading InStyle while eating a Carvel Flying Saucer

First dollar earned: Picking up pecans at my grandmother’s farm in Mannsville, Okla. – she had a pecan grove – and selling them at the feed store for 25 cents a pound.

Most unique thing no one knows about you: I played rugby in college

A word from a nominator: “Valerie is caring, passionate and above all smart. She will continue to be involved in her community in ways that will make a significant difference to the future of Tucson. She is always ready to a new challenge and is willing to take a leadership role in issues of great community import. She has the energy, vision, focus and commitment to make the Tucson community a better place.” – Steve Lynn, vice president, Tucson Electric Power Co.
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JILL HARLOW
Director – National Resource Group, General Growth Properties

Age: 36

Community involvement: Board member, UA Terry Lundgren Center for Retailing; co-chair, American Heart Association 2008 Heart Walk; former board member, Big Brothers Big Sisters Association; Junior League of Tucson; advisory board member, Tucson Mexico Trade Association; member, Metropolitan Tucson Convention & Visitors Bureau; former board member, Arizona Office of Tourism “Shop and Play Arizona” 2005-06; 2003 winner, Bienvenidos a Tucson Award.

On your iPod, or CD you’re listening to: The new Lenny Kravitz and REM CDs, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and Dan Zanes House Party

You dream of traveling to: Australia and go to the Great Barrier Reef

Professional accomplishment that makes you most proud: Winning a MAXI award for marketing excellence recognized by the The International Council of Shopping Centers

A word from the nominator: “With her new role with GGP, Jill could work anywhere in the United States but chose to stay in Tucson. Jill’s dedication and commitment to her family, to her work and to her community are reflection of her values and ethics. She and her husband Brian see Tucson as a great place to raise their young daughter, Elizabeth, and soon-to-be sister in August.” – Jan Howard, communications director, Strongpoint Public Relations
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AMY HARTMANN-GORDON
Director of finance, Giffords for Congress

Age: 26

Community involvement: Board member, Tucson Children’s Museum; Tucson Symphony; Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum; former president, Students for Responsible Businesses, UA Eller Graduate School of Management

Favorite period in history to learn about: WWII. There are so many stories and lessons to be learned from that era that are so relevant today and are being forgotten.

One person – living or dead – you would take to lunch: Cele Peterson, so she can tell me stories about downtown Tucson and how the Tucson Children’s Museum was first started, and how she didn’t think women’s pants would ever be successful.

Book on your bedside table: I admit it, I go out and buy all these interesting intellectual books that I pick up and put down over many months. There is a pile that includes Lazy B the memoir of Sandra Day O’Connor and a biography of Ben Franklin. The last book I actually finished was Harry Potter.

A word from the nominator: “Amy is one of those special people who will make our community a richer and more beautiful place. Amy knows her dream – a southern Arizona where community and environment are integrated, where creativity is encouraged and where businesses and residents flourish.”- Sandy Napombejra, executive director, Tucson Children’s Museum
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JAVIER F. HERRERA
AGE: 26
Administrative services officer, Governor’s Office of Highway Safety

• Community involvement: League of United Latin American Citizens, national board; Meth Free Alliance; Knights of Columbus; Amistades; LULAC Man of the Year, 2005; recipient, 2007, LULAC Silver Award for advocacy and commitment to the community; recipient, 1999, FBI “Outstanding Community Service Award”; Voices Against Violence Youth Forum
• Book on your bedside table : The Worm In My Tomato: The Repatriation of A Mexican American Family in 1932 by Santos C. Vega
• Guilty pleasure: I like to watch TLC’s “What Not To Wear”
• Why Tucson?: I’m from Tucson. Born and raised. I would never leave this city, I absolutely love it. I love the unique cultures that make Tucson home, the history of the area, the beautiful desert scenery and of course the monsoon season.. . . Of all of the places I’ve traveled . . . I’ve never found an area with characteristics so distinct.
• A word from the nominator: “One of the greatest challenges has been trying to bring the law enforcement community to work with the grass roots community because of the “lack of trust” that exists within the Latino and African-American communities. Mr. Herrera has been able to bridge that gap. Mr. Herrera has also been very successful in creating a voice for young adults and has been a leader in providing voter registration and outreach so that young adults have a stronger voice in the political process.” – Richard Fimbres, director, Governor’s Office of Highway Safety
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JULIO C. HERRERA
AGE: 26
Youth mentoring program coordinator, Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson

• Community involvement: Youth Development Specialist – SMART Moves program, METH Smart, Junior Explorer, Job Ready, Parks in Focus, Ultimate Journey.
• Favorite movie… I have a lot of interest in different types of movies but my two favorite would be “The Count of Monte Cristo” and “The Thomas Crown Affair.”
• You dream about traveling to: Greece, Italy, Spain or Brazil and the Amazon
• Favorite period in history to learn about: I would say ancient history because there is a lot of different mythology involved with it and I liked how they were passionate in their stories and philosophies more than what we are now.
• A word from the nominator: “Julio has made a big difference to kids on the South Side . . . through his personal commitment.. . . Most importantly, he was always there when they needed a mentor. As a male role model close to their age, who grew up in their neighborhood, the boys flocked around him and looked up to him as a surrogate big brother or father. Julio has always showed them that it is possible to grow up in Tucson as part of a large Hispanic family, and to make decisions to stay in school, get a good job, and to succeed.” – Rosemary Badian, Raytheon community volunteer
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JEFFREY H. JACOBSON
Attorney, The Law Office of Jeffrey H. Jacobson PLLC

Age: 38

Community involvement: Member, United Way Young Leaders Society; committee member, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation annual gala; former president, State Bar of Arizona Young Lawyers Division; co-creator/coordinator, Wills for Heroes Foundation; recipient, Southern Arizona Legal Aid’s Hurricane Katrina Lifesaver Award; former member, U.S. Attorney General’s anti-hate crimes task force, Tucson.

Profession you would like to try other than your own: Helicopter pilot

Book on your bedside table: The advanced reading copy of my brother Alan Jacobson’s new thriller, The Seventh Victim.

Favorite meal: A piping hot slice of Mariella’s Pizza (in Manhattan) with an ice-cold Diet Coke.

A word from the nominator: “Jeff’s definition of success has little to do with winning or losing, but rather giving every ounce of passion in his heart. I have met many people who generously share wonderful thoughts about their experiences working with Jeff and how he inspires people. Jeff, my husband, inspires me to be a better person, to give back to my community and to always ‘do the right
thing.’ ” – Rachel Jacobson, pharmacist
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CLAUDIA JASSO-STEVENS
Community development director, COPE Community Services Inc.

Age: 33

Community involvement: Member, UA Sarver Heart Center Women’s Education Committee; board member, Amistades Inc.; volunteer, League of Mexican American Women; conference chair, Arizona Women’s Conference; 2007 judge, Boys & Girls Club of Tucson Youth of the Year competition; Pima County Tucson’s Women’s Commission 30th Anniversary planning committee; Planned Parenthood of Southern Arizona’s 70th Anniversary Celebration planning committee.

First dollar earned: Thinking I’d take my first stab at entrepreneurship, I filled a pillowcase with pecans and decided to sell them door-to-door in my neighborhood when I was 6 years old. What I did not realize was that every house in the neighborhood already had pecan trees in the yard. I must have made a compelling case because they bought pecans from me anyway.

Favorite movie: “Crimes of the Heart” with Sissy Spacek, Jessica Lange and Diane Keaton.

One word that best describes you: Determined

A note from the nominator: “As a young girl and throughout her teenage years, Claudia volunteered for organizations dedicated to raising community awareness in the areas of culture and diversity. Through these experiences, she learned the value of family and community coming together for a common cause. These values have become the driving force behind her dedication to community involvement.” – Jennifer Eckstrom, mayor, South Tucson; 2005 40 Under 40
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TIMOTHY JOHNSON
Community development director, COPE Community Services Inc.

Age: 33

Community involvement: Member, UA Sarver Heart Center Women’s Education Committee; board member, Amistades Inc.; volunteer, League of Mexican American Women; conference chair, Arizona Women’s Conference; 2007 judge, Boys & Girls Club of Tucson Youth of the Year competition; Pima County Tucson’s Women’s Commission 30th Anniversary planning committee; Planned Parenthood of Southern Arizona’s 70th Anniversary Celebration planning committee.

First dollar earned: Thinking I’d take my first stab at entrepreneurship, I filled a pillowcase with pecans and decided to sell them door-to-door in my neighborhood when I was 6 years old. What I did not realize was that every house in the neighborhood already had pecan trees in the yard. I must have made a compelling case because they bought pecans from me anyway.

Favorite movie: “Crimes of the Heart” with Sissy Spacek, Jessica Lange and Diane Keaton.

One word that best describes you: Determined

A note from the nominator: “As a young girl and throughout her teenage years, Claudia volunteered for organizations dedicated to raising community awareness in the areas of culture and diversity. Through these experiences, she learned the value of family and community coming together for a common cause. These values have become the driving force behind her dedication to community involvement.” – Jennifer Eckstrom, mayor, South Tucson; 2005 40 Under 40
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MARK JOHNSTON
Director, Asian Pacific American Student Affairs, University of Arizona

Age: 26

Community involvement: Established “Introduction to Asian Pacific American Studies” colloquium, UA; coordinator, 17 events at UA, April 2008, for Asian American Heritage Month; program developer, “The Color of Queer” film series, UA.

Profession you would like to try other than your own: I’ve always been interested in the health profession. I feel like I have a true passion for helping people and would love to try being a doctor or nurse … if only I could rid myself of my fear of seeing blood!

Most unique thing no one knows about you: I used to dream of being an Olympic rower and I was actually coached by three different Olympic rowers before I started college and felt like I was being groomed to follow in their paths. But then college changed my life and I found a new path of wanting to give back to my community by increasing access to and equity in higher education.

One word that best describes you: Innovative

A word from the nominator: “Marc is passionate about and deeply committed to social change. He cares so deeply about the issues facing contemporary students. But Marc does not stop there. He also works to understand and highlight the ways LGBTQ issues and race issues intersect with other forms of oppression. He works hard to build connections among the social justice and progressive change communities on and off campus.” – Cathy Busha, director, Office of LGBTQ Affairs, University of Arizona
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KELLI KING-BEDNAR
Director, Asian Pacific American Student Affairs, University of Arizona

Age: 26

Community involvement: Established “Introduction to Asian Pacific American Studies” colloquium, UA; coordinator, 17 events at UA, April 2008, for Asian American Heritage Month; program developer, “The Color of Queer” film series, UA.

Profession you would like to try other than your own: I’ve always been interested in the health profession. I feel like I have a true passion for helping people and would love to try being a doctor or nurse … if only I could rid myself of my fear of seeing blood!

Most unique thing no one knows about you: I used to dream of being an Olympic rower and I was actually coached by three different Olympic rowers before I started college and felt like I was being groomed to follow in their paths. But then college changed my life and I found a new path of wanting to give back to my community by increasing access to and equity in higher education.

One word that best describes you: Innovative

A word from the nominator: “Marc is passionate about and deeply committed to social change. He cares so deeply about the issues facing contemporary students. But Marc does not stop there. He also works to understand and highlight the ways LGBTQ issues and race issues intersect with other forms of oppression. He works hard to build connections among the social justice and progressive change communities on and off campus.” – Cathy Busha, director, Office of LGBTQ Affairs, University of Arizona
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HOWARD KONG
Associate, CB Richard Ellis

Age: 32

Community involvement: Board member, Junior Achievement of Southern Arizona; board member, Odaiko Sonora; volunteer, Holaway Elementary School Love of Reading Week; volunteer, CBRE Cares Birthday Cakes for Homeless Children; volunteer overseer, UA Program in Regional Development internship program; former member, UA Eller School of Management advisory board.

Favorite movie: “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy.” It kills me every time I see it.

Favorite meal: Anything my mom makes, especially Korean food. She’s like a walking restaurant.

Professional accomplishment that makes you most proud: I was selected to attend the 2002 International Achievement Summit inIreland. The event … brings together great thinkers and achievers of our age with top graduate scholars in the world – Rhodes, Fulbright, Marshall, Truman Scholars. I had the great pleasure to meet some incredible people – President Bill Clinton, Henry Kissinger, Bono, James Earl Jones … Mike Wallace. That experience was quite surreal, truly a highlight in my life.

A word from the nominator: “There are many successful people who aren’t necessarily leaders. One of the key components of being a leader is having an ability to develop other leaders around you. Through his involvement, both professionally and in the community, Kong creates opportunities for others around him to grow and prosper.” – Katherine Haug, communications manager, CB Richard Ellis
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MARION C. LALONDE
Associate, DeConcini, McDonald, Yetwin and Lacy PC

Age: 29

Community involvement: Board president, Youth On Their Own; vice president, Old Adobe Arabian Horse Association; volunteer, Devereux Arizona; volunteer, Ameripsych; founding board member, Youth Educational Security Inc.; University of Arizona Child Advocacy Clinic; helped draft and lobby for the Emancipation of Minors Law

Favorite movie: “Star Wars” series

Attributes that make a good leader: Persistence, resiliency, conviction and the ability to listen and learn from mistakes.

Most unique thing no one knows about you: I’m half-Korean

A word from the nominator: “When Marian was a young teenager, she had already faced more challenges, both personally and medically, than most of us will face in a lifetime. She was severely injured by a family member, taken from her home by CPS and placed in care. She underwent brain surgery as a result of her injuries and had to relearn basic life and personal skills on her own. Before she enrolled in Youth On Their Own, she was well on her way to a troubled life. With support from YOTO, she turned her life around, graduated from high school, and went on to college and law school.” – Rudy Carillo, vice president, sales and marketing, Meritage Homes
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PATRICK J. LOPEZ
Attorney, Mesch, Clark & Rothschild, PC

Age: 39

Community involvement: Co-founder/mentor, Pride Tennis; volunteer, Primavera Foundation Multifamily Housing advisory committee; recipient, American Jurisprudence Award; recipient, Corpus Juris Secundum award.

Most embarrassing thing on your iPod or in your CD collection: My wife’s country music

Favorite meal: Tie between patty meat tacos with home-made refried beans and Anita Street tortillas, and steak with Brazilian black beans and rice with farofa.

Most unique thing that no one knows about you: I love to cook and hope to someday open a Mexican restaurant in northern Michigan (where my family retreats for the summer) where the people have no clue what good Mexican food is. I’ll throw in a Sunday Brazilian feijoada for a change of pace.

A word from the nominator: “People don’t last long in a courtroom let alone get through law school without strong leadership qualities. This is someone who has tried cases in front of some of the highest courts in the state and country, including the Arizona Superior Court, the United States Federal District Court and the American Arbitration Association. However, P.J. takes great efforts to be a problem solver first by studying the facts and issues surrounding each case in order to arrive at the best solution for both clients. This type of integrity is a rare, but essential quality needed in leadership.” – Barbara Peck, director of Public Relations, LP&G Inc.
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SARAH MEADOWS
Attorney, Snell & Wilmer LLP

Age: 33

Community involvement: Pro bono attorney, Habitat for Humanity; board member, The Brewster Center; chair-elect, Women’s Foundation of Southern Arizona Board of Trustees; volunteer, Humane Society of Southern Arizona, Hermitage Cat Shelter.

Profession you would like to try other than your own: Artisanal cheese-making. My husband and I are planning to take a short course in small-scale cheese-making this fall.

Book on your bedside table: Misfortune by Wesley Stace. I don’t read a lot of contemporary fiction, but I’m trying to get into this novel.

Most unique thing no one knows about you: I’m a high school dropout. I left high school to attend a college that did not require a high school diploma or GED, but I like the drama of saying I’m a dropout.

A word from the nominator: “In the very short time Sarah has been an attorney, she has already been tapped to join her firm’s prestigious real estate department. … Given the importance of land development, real estate and growth to the Tucson economy, this places her squarely astride some of the most important issues facing the community in years to come. Her intelligence, integrity, legal acumen and ability to build consensus will be assets to her clients and to the community as a whole as we grapple with growth, sustainability and livability.” – Laura Penny, executive director, Women’s Foundation of Southern Arizona
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GAVIN MILCZAREK-DESAI
Patent attorney, Quarles & Brady LLP

Age: 39

Community involvement: Member, Arizona Technology Council; member BioIndustry Organization of Southern Arizona trade group; volunteer, Wills for Heroes Program; volunteer, Southern Arizona Legal Aid Program; recipient, Sigma Xi grant, UA; presenter for Aerospace, Manufacturing and Information Technology and the Arizona BioIndusry Association.

Book on your bedside table:Mad magazine

Guilty pleasure: Backpacking when I should be working

One word that best describes you:Optimistic

A word from the nominator:”As part of his commitment to help train the next generation of science, engineering and law graduates – specifically in intellectual property areas – he teaches a “Law for Engineers” class as an adjunct lecturer at the University of Arizona. He is proud of the fact that many of his students have continued to seek his mentoring and advice long after their classes have ended.” – Susan G. Boswell, Tucson office managing partner, Quarles & Brady LLP
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DIRK NELSON
Owner/Fitness Trainer – Warrior Fitness; creator, RAGorBRAG.com

Age: 30

Community involvement: Volunteer Big Brothers Big Sisters; former volunteer freshman/JV basketball coach, Mountain View High School; member, Sertoma

Book on your bedside table: The 48 Laws of Power.

You dream about traveling to: Australia

Professional accomplishment that makes you most proud: Owning and operating a successful business for 6 1/2 years and starting RAGorBRAG.com

A word from the nominator: “Dirk possesses all that it takes to be a future leader. He is a very caring person who has one of the most positive attitudes that I have ever come across. He treats others with kindness and respect. Dirk puts his values of balance, stability and integrity out into the Tucson community where it has had a tremendous effect. He is filled with enthusiasm, creativity and intelligence. Dirk is always coming up with new ideas on how he can give back and better our community. I have never seen him take the easy way out on any project whether it be large or small. He is a person who is always willing to go the extra mile in order to make a difference in another person’s life or within the community.” – Anonymous
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MEGAN PELLMAN
Intergovernmental relations liaison, city of Tucson

Age: 31

Community involvement: Founding member, Tucson Young Professionals; chairwoman, First Fridays networking event for young professionals at the Tucson Museum of Art; committee member, Community Baby Shower; organizer, 2004 6th round U.S.-Andean trade negotiations.

Favorite movie: My current favorite is “Pirates of the Caribbean” but I must recognize my love of “The Thin Man” series.

Place you dream about traveling to: Tuscany

Why Tucson? I am from Walnut Creek, Calif., and I chose to come to Tucson to attend the University of Arizona. I have stayed for the friends.

A word from the nominator: “Her career … has resulted in increased efficiency and communication in our local and state governments. She has been a key player in bringing much needed funds into Tucson and the region. She has organized several conferences and events that not only provide education but also economic vitality. She has also served the community by providing resources to single mothers through her involvement with the Community Baby Shower.” – Joe Snell, president & CEO, TREO Inc.
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STEPHEN T. PORTELL
Partner, Quarles & Brady LLP

Age: 39

Community involvement: Board member, UA Presents; volunteer mentor to UA law students; chairman, Lawyers for Literacy; former president/current member Pima County Bar Association Young Lawyers Division; board member, Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson; volunteer, Wills for Heroes; member, Arizona Supreme Court Judicial Performance Review Commission; Special Magistrate, Tucson City Court.

Most embarrassing thing on your iPod or in your CD collection: Air Supply’s “Lost in Love.” I have absolutely no defense here

Favorite meal: Steak, bourbon and key lime pie

Professional accomplishment that makes you most proud: Being part of a trial that resulted in the exoneration of an innocent young man who was at risk of losing his freedom and his young family. The man is not “young”anymore. He leads an exemplary life, has raised two wonderful children, runs a successful business, enjoys a loving marriage and remains one of my true friends.

A word from the nominator: “Steve is intelligent, ambitious and compassionate – a truly unique package. … Steve had never lived in Arizona before 1997 so when he moved here he had to assimilate into a community where he knew very few people. Steve tackled this challenge like all others in his life – he got to work and overcame the challenge. … Steve was raised with Midwestern ideals – work hard and treat others fairly. He lives these ideals every day.” – Susan Boswell, Tucson office managing partner, Quarles & Brady LLP
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TANISHA N. PRIC-JOHNSON
Director of admissions, University of Arizona College of Medicine

Age: 37

Community involvement: President, graduate chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc.; service to Ronald McDonald House, Dunbar School Project and Primavera Homeless Women’s Shelter; vice president, University of Arizona Black Alumni;

2007-08 YWCA Woman on the Move

First dollar earned: I earned my first dollar at the old Dairy Queen on Speedway and Silverbell. I earned $2.50 an hour and I thought I was rich! A special thanks to Bruce Hungate for hiring me!

Favorite period in history to learn about: I’d have to say the late 1800s, specifically when Ida B. Wells launched her campaign for civil rights.

Most unique thing no one knows about you: I am a die-hard Prince fan! I have CDs, concert T-shirts and his movies. I celebrate his birthday every year (June 7). My husband is a good guy for putting up with me!

A word from the nominator: “Tanisha N. Price-Johnson has an ability to get people involved in looking at problems and then attempting to solve them, the ability to know when a group needs direction or a new direction and the ability to care and interact with those that she is providing leadership to and for. She is not only a leader, but also a learner as evidenced by her lifelong learning.” – Adrian Price, in-home behavioral specialist
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LISA REAMS
Assistant director, Our Family Services

Age: 38

Community involvement: Mediation specialist, OUR TOWN; ambassador, Rotary International Foundation’s 2005 Group Study Exchange Program; assisted in merger of OUR TOWN and Family Counseling Agency in 2005

Profession you would like to try other than your own: I’ve always been fascinated with architecture and real estate

You dream about traveling to: Kauai

Why Tucson? I now just say I’m from Tucson since I reached the 20-year mark. I lived previously in Pennsylvania, Indiana and Oregon. I moved here to attend UA, and I have lived and loved Tucson ever since.

A word from the nominator: “It is said that good leaders are honored and praised, while poor leaders are hated and feared. The best leaders, however, walk beside those they lead, and are not visible as the people in charge. When the work of a great leader is done, those who follow that person say “We did this ourselves!” Lisa is this type of leader. Her influence, inspiration, and vision are so deeply imbedded in the results her people achieve that they are integral elements of those people, and all they accomplish.” – Rome Hamner, grants and contracts manager, Our Family Services; 2006 40 Under 40
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STEPHANIE SILMAN
Assistant principal, Sahuarita High School

Age: 30

Community involvement: Volunteer organizer/district liaison mini-relay preliminary race to American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life, Sahuarita; member, Optimist Club of Green Valley-Sahuarita; volunteer, Country Fair White Elephant secondhand store; former cheerleading coach, Catalina Foothills High School; member, Arizona School Administrators Association; member, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development; member, National Association of Secondary School Principals.

First dollar earned: I earned my first paycheck working at a car wash at age 16 vacuuming the interior of cars

On your iPod, or CD you’re listening to: Right now I am listening to Bon Jovi

Professional accomplishment that makes you most proud: Becoming a high school administrator and being able to impact the teaching and learning that takes place in the school on a daily basis.

A word from the nominator: “Stephanie has molded the minds of hundreds, if not thousands, of young adults over the last 8 years as a teacher, coach and administrator.Ê… Stephanie has taught our young adults what it is to be a leader and has shown them that teamwork and kindness are important in everyday life.” – Chris Silman, account manager, Aztec Energy
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KERI LAZARUS SILVYN
Partner, Lewis and Roca LLP

Age: 36

Community involvement: President, board of directors, University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law Association; vice president/secretary, board of directors, Jewish Community Foundation; co-chair, 30/40 Something Task Force; board member and grants award committee, Tucson Medical Center Foundation; volunteer, Teens Speak Out; volunteer Big Brothers, Big Sisters

One person – living or dead – you would take to lunch: My biological paternal grandmother, who died before I was born. Everyone tells me I look like her and share her core values – working hard and keeping family first.

Attributes that make a good leader: Good listener, organized, consensus builder, desire to leave this community a better place for my kids.

Professional accomplishment that makes you most proud: Being recognized as one of the Best Lawyers in America in 2007 at the age of 35.

A word from the nominator: “After becoming a mother, Keri pioneered her law firm’s first flexible work schedule program that allowed her to spend time with her children while progressing in her career. She has also actively coordinated programs within the firm to aid mothers who are re-entering the full-time work schedule. She was recently elected into the partnership at Lewis and Roca. She serves as a role model, mentor, professional, and community leader.” – Jolinda Nestor, account executive, HMA Public Relations

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MARICELA SOLIS DE KESTER
President/CEO, Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

Age: 35

Community involvement: Board chair, Greater Tucson Leadership; involved in planning for Southern Arizona Health Information Exchange; managed collaborative efforts between Pima County Health Department and Carondelet Health Network for TotShots Program; recipient, Emerging Leadership Program, Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association.

Favorite movie: “Steel Magnolias”

Favorite period in history to learn about: Cold war, spy stuff is cool.

Attributes that make a good leader: The ability to bring people together

A word from the nominator: “She motivates others and is an effective leader because she has a passion for community and service to others. Her commitment to excellence and integrity is beyond reproach. Her professional accomplishments are balanced with strong family-centered values. She is married to … Daniel, an Air Force reservist (who just returned from Iraq) and has one lovely little boy, Phoenix.” – Bill Pike, director of policy and community affairs, Carondelet Health Network
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EDGAR SOTO
Executive director of athletics/head baseball coach, Pima Community College

Age: 38

Community involvement: Director, Tucson Triple Crown Baseball Tournament; Aztec youth baseball camps; USA Baseball Junior National coach

Profession you would like to try other than your own: Marine Corps drill instructor

One person – living or dead – you would take to lunch: My Dad

Attributes that make a good leader: Unselfishness, compassion

Why Tucson? I am from Tucson and I have lived in other cities but Tucson is the best place to live.

A word from the nominator: “He is the local kid who became a success. When he speaks to kids in Tucson and implores them to dream big, he is able to point to himself as an example that if you work hard, get your education, and are passionate about something, then you can achieve whatever you want. I believe this impact on our community is immeasurable.” – Kevin Carney, principal, Desert Sky Middle School, Vail School District; 2006 40 Under 40
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DAN TUTTLE
Summer fellow, The Osborne Association, New York City

Age: 23

Community involvement: Flinn, Truman scholarship coach; UA Honors College Outstanding Commitment to Social Responsibility award; World Care; UA Office of Arid Lands Studies fire prevention analysis

Profession you would like to try other than your own: Anybody who doesn’t say astronaut is lying.

Attributes that make a good leader: Silence except when under duress. Silence ensures you listen, and listening ensures you a following. Swap into leader mode only when circumstances require it.

Professional accomplishment that makes you most proud: Changing national HIV/AIDS testing policy in Solomon Islands.

A word from the nominator: “This Flinn, Boren and Truman Scholar is no stranger to accolades or superlatives. However, he most certainly does not rest on laurels or wear ego on his sleeve. Whether working in villages in Arusha or Munda, studying in Chengdu, participating in a prestigious international exchange for Truman Scholars in the Emirates, or volunteering in Tucson, K.C. or D.C., Dan continually challenges himself, tackles new tasks and learns both from and with new organizations, languages and communities.” – Terry Babcock-Lumish, president, Islay Consulting; 2006 40 Under 40
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MARK P. VITALE
Director of academic affairs, University of Phoenix

Age: 34

Community involvement: Southern Arizona Attractions Alliance; member, Metropolitan Tucson Convention & Visitors Bureau; organizer, University of Phoenix food drive for Community Food Bank-Southern Arizona; recipient 2006 University of Phoenix Distinguished Faculty Award; recipient, 2003, Tucson Advertising Federation, Addy Award.

One person – living or dead – you would take to lunch: Walt Disney

Most unique thing no one knows about you: I have played the piano for over 20 years

Why Tucson? I am from Arizona, but have lived in other states. Tucson offers a mix of culture, weather and professional opportunities that I have not enjoyed elsewhere

A word from the nominator: “Most importantly, perhaps, is Mark’s sense of humor and his ability to laugh at himself. In doing so, he often inspires others to laugh and it is common for those he associates with to maintain a jovial and upbeat perspective throughout the working day. Through all of this, Mark uses humor to help others accept and embrace ideas that may be different from their own.” – Lucy G. Vitale, owner, Line by Line Content Management
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JENNIFER WADDELL
Director of academic affairs, University of Phoenix

Age: 34

Community involvement: Southern Arizona Attractions Alliance; member, Metropolitan Tucson Convention & Visitors Bureau; organizer, University of Phoenix food drive for Community Food Bank-Southern Arizona; recipient 2006 University of Phoenix Distinguished Faculty Award; recipient, 2003, Tucson Advertising Federation, Addy Award.

One person – living or dead – you would take to lunch: Walt Disney

Most unique thing no one knows about you: I have played the piano for over 20 years

Why Tucson? I am from Arizona, but have lived in other states. Tucson offers a mix of culture, weather and professional opportunities that I have not enjoyed elsewhere

A word from the nominator: “Most importantly, perhaps, is Mark’s sense of humor and his ability to laugh at himself. In doing so, he often inspires others to laugh and it is common for those he associates with to maintain a jovial and upbeat perspective throughout the working day. Through all of this, Mark uses humor to help others accept and embrace ideas that may be different from their own.” – Lucy G. Vitale, owner, Line by Line Content Management
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MENTOR OF THE YEAR

RAENA JANES
“We laugh a lot.”
That’s how 2008 40 Under 40 Mentor of the Year winner Raena Janes and her nominator, Jackie Trujillo-Watins, sum up their relationship.
And …
“We fight all the time,” says Trujillo-Watins. “But we absolutely complement each other; we have a balance.”
And the relationship is well beyond that of boss and employee or mentor and protégé. The two are truly friends. Janes, founder and superintendent of La Paloma Academy charter school, even sang at Trujillo-Watins wedding – on La Paloma’s campus.
The two met when Trujillo-Watins, looking to enroll her children, walked into a day care center run by Janes.
“Jackie was in a rough place. She had just moved from North Carolina and left her husband,” Janes says. “I gave her a job at the preschool so she could be close to her kids.”
Janes says that she soon realized she wanted Trujillo-Watins to be a part of her ambitious plan to create a new charter school.
“I could see the potential in her, but she couldn’t see the potential in herself,” says Janes, a 2006 Tucson Business Edge 40 Under 40 award winner.
Trujillo-Watins helped Janes write the charter for La Paloma Academy, now southern Arizona’s largest charter school with more than 1,100 students enrolled in 2005.
Janes then paid for Trujillo-Watins to attended numerous educational seminars and conferences, and when the central campus was completed in 2006, Janes named her principal.
The next year Trujillo-Watins was recognized as a Tucson Business Edge 40 Under 40 winner.
“Jackie is tremendous. She’s done 90 percent of the work. I will pay for her to go to anything school-related, and I’m paying for her to finish her doctorate,” Janes says.
Trujillo-Watins says Janes, 35, has wisdom beyond her years, and that is what makes her such an outstanding mentor.
“Every stumbling block I’ve ever come across in my life, (Janes) gets me back on track.”

-Luke Davis

Citizen Staff Writer

TERESA TRUELSEN
ttruelsen@tucsoncitizen.com

Tucson International Airport is dead last in customer satisfaction, according to a survey by J.D. Power and Associates out Tuesday.
TIA authorities were, in a word, baffled.
“This is contrary to everything we’ve heard from our customers,” said Bonnie Allin, president and CEO of Tucson Airport Authority. “They’re not shy about telling us if they’re unhappy.”
Last year TIA finished 11th in the J.D. Power rankings of 20 small airports, which include those serving fewer than 10 million passengers a year. TIA has about 4.4 million passengers a year.
The survey of passengers at small airports was done between April 2007 and May 2008. It covered six factors: airport accessibility, baggage claim, check-in/baggage check process, terminal facilities, security check, and food and retail services.
On a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the best, TIA received a 2 in all categories.
In the numerical ratings, TIA finished with a 655, two points below Albuquerque International Sunport. The top small airport in the rankings was Dallas Love Field at 715 and a 5 in all categories.
Study Director Jim Gaz said of the 21,165 people surveyed by phone, 214 respondents gave evaluations specifically for TIA. Respondents are interviewed by phone using 150 questions.
Allin said there were parts of the airport under construction during the survey period, including the concourses, some restrooms and restaurants. But she said that does not explain the survey as a whole.
“There were some challenges, and I would expect that to be reflected in some of the ratings,” Allin said. “But 2s straight across is very odd to us.”
Gaz said the number of people reporting delays out of TIA increased to 25 percent in 2008 from 16 percent the previous year. Regardless of the cause of the delay, Gaz said one bad experience can have a ripple effect on a passenger’s perception of the airport.
“It creates a negative halo around the entire experience,” Gaz said.
Paula Winn, director of information for TIA, said despite the disbelief over the results, TAA takes the feedback seriously. She said the next step is to look at the results and see where things can be improved.
Areas where TIA showed improvement over the previous year include the cost of food and retail products and professionalism, Gaz said.
J.D. Power also surveyed large and medium airports. Survey results at all levels show that satisfaction has decreased for the first time since 2002, with overall satisfaction at 675, down from 689 in 2007. Delays and security check points are particular points of contention for passengers.
Gaz said of the 60 airports covered in the survey 48 had declining scores.

Citizen Staff Writer

TERESA TRUELSEN

ttruelsen@tucsoncitizen.com

Local Realtors are upbeat about the prospects for 2008, despite a more than 31 percent drop in existing home sales over the first two months of 2007.

The silver lining in the decrease: Sales rose in February compared with January.

Kimberly Clifton, president of the Tucson Association of Realtors Multiple Listing Service, said it is unfair to continue to compare with a year ago.

“We need to look at where we are now,” Clifton said. “We’re going to continue to compare to last month for the rest of this year.”

The 710 units sold last month represented a 19 percent increase over January, which is a historically slower month, Clifton said. The number of homes on the market remained steady at about 9,100.

The number of days a home is on the market before it sells has steadily increased over the past 2 1/2 years. At its lowest point, homes were selling on average in less than a month – just 25 days in the summer of 2005. Now, home sellers are waiting nearly four times longer for a buyer.

Clifton said she doesn’t see that changing.

“I do think it’s going to take a longer amount of time to sell your home,” she said.

Offering a presentable home at a fair price is the best way to make a sale. That means checking on recent sales of comparable homes and not relying on values from a year ago or more, Clifton said.

The median price of homes sold dropped more than $10,000, nearly 9 percent, from a year ago. The median is the point at which half the homes sold for more and half for less.

Clifton partly pegged the drop to a jump in “short” sales – sales of homes for less than the amount due on a mortgage.

And in this buyer’s market, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has one more benefit for potential homeowners. The limits for FHA loans inr Pima County has increased to $316,250 from $239,850, with 3 percent down.

Citizen Staff Writer

TERESA TRUELSEN

ttruelsen@tucsoncitizen.com

The economic stimulus rebate is being discussed in Congress and scam artists already are using it as a way to get into people’s financial records.

If someone calls and offers you a rebate from the government, it’s a scam, said William Brunson of the Internal Revenue Service in Phoenix.

The IRS is warning of several ongoing scams that use the agency’s name as a lure.

Scammers are using e-mail and phone calls to try to trick people into revealing financial information, Social Security numbers and other personal information that is then used to access accounts or fraudulently apply for loans and credit cards.

One of the most prevalent scams entices people with a rebate. A caller identifies himself as an IRS employee and tells the target he is eligible for a sizable rebate for filing his taxes early and needs the bank account information for the direct deposit of the rebate.

In another scam, the caller claims to be calling because the IRS sent a check to the individual being called. Because the check has not been cashed, the IRS wants to verify the individual’s bank account number.

Brunson said the key to recognizing a scam is to know that the IRS will never make an unsolicited phone call. The only e-mails the agency sends to individuals are those confirming electronic filings, he said.

Other scams are variations of a refund-related e-mail, which falsely claims to come from the IRS and tells the recipient he is eligible for a tax refund for a specific amount if he fills out a linked form with personal information.

Another scam gets attention with an e-mail notifying the recipient his tax return will be audited. And in yet another e-mail scam, a bogus e-mail instructs the recipient to download information on tax law changes by clicking on links. The link could download software onto the recipient’s computer that allows remote access or look for passwords and other information.

Anyone wishing to access the IRS Web site should initiate contact by typing the IRS.gov address into their Internet address window, rather than clicking on a link in an e-mail or opening an attachment.

THINK YOU’VE BEEN SCAMMED?

If you have received a questionable telephone call or e-mail, notify the IRS by e-mail at phishing@irs.gov.

Citizen Staff Writer

TERESA TRUELSEN

ttruelsen@tucsoncitizen.com

The economic stimulus package announced Thursday may be short-sighted, but some Tucson business leaders agreed that it is the right move.

Those who have been around a while had another message: We’ll get through this.

Men and women from different industries joined U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., for a round-table discussion of the package at the Tucson Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce. Congressional leaders and the White House hammered out a deal hours before the discussion began.

The stimulus package, which Giffords noted must still get an OK from the Senate, includes tax rebates for individuals and families up to $1,200, business tax write-offs and help for the housing industry.

Giffords said she wanted to get an idea of how the package, which Congress hopes to fast-track to a vote in February, would help in Tucson and around the state.

“I do think a stimulus is needed, but it ought to be temporary,” Paul Portney, an economist and dean of the University of Arizona Eller College of Management, said. “This is about right.”

The majority of the $150 billion package is tied to tax rebates, Giffords said.

And while a check for $300 might not improve one person’s financial well-being, when all of the money is pumped into local businesses, it will have an impact on the economy, she said.

Perhaps more important, the idea that something is being done to forestall a recession may make people feel better, which in turn may make them more likely to spend more, she said.

Some at the round-table said the stimulus package sends the wrong message.

“I’m not a great fan of crisis management, and this being an election year, everyone is trying to top themselves,” said Chris Monson, president of Rocking K Development Corp.

“We’ve been trying for a long time to promote savings,” he said. “Now we’re telling people who haven’t managed their money well, ‘Here’s some more to spend.’ I’m very concerned about a quick fix. The systemic issues are much more serious.”

Bonnie Allin, president and CEO of the Tucson Airport Authority, said bills languishing in Congress are keeping airports and other entities from getting funding for expansion. Other business incentives and longer-term investment, especially in industries with great promise in Arizona, such as renewable energy, were seen as necessities for economic improvement, but things that need to be tackled separately.

Lawmakers can’t start adding earmarks to a stimulus bill, Portney said. That just stalls the process.

“Eventually the stimulus package comes into force long after the crisis is over,” he said.

No one can say for sure how far into a downturn the United States is, but the business cycle will continue and the economy will grow again, round-table participants said.

“This one seems a little different,” said Valerie Rauluk, CEO of Venture Catalyst Inc., a consulting company. “Maybe this is the one where we shift from being greedy and start to build an economy that focuses on community and getting needs met, focusing on the future.”

Elements of the stimulus package

Congressional leaders have a tentative deal for a bipartisan economic stimulus package that could move swiftly through Congress.

WHAT’S IN

• Tax rebates: Checks of at least $300 for almost everyone earning a paycheck, including low-income earners who make too little to pay income taxes, so long as they earned at least $3,000 in 2007. Families with children would receive an additional $300 per child, while those paying income taxes could receive higher rebates. The full rebate would be limited to individuals earning $75,000 or less and couples with incomes of $150,000 or less, but a partial rebate would go to individuals earning up to $87,000 and couples earning up to $174,000. The caps are higher for people with children.

• Business tax write-offs: Spur business investments with bonus depreciation and more generous expensing rules.

• Housing rescue: Allow more subprime mortgage holders to refinance into federally insured loans by raising the limit on Federal Housing Administration loans from $362,790 to as high as $729,750 in expensive areas. Increase the availability of mortgages by providing a one-year boost to the cap on loans Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac can buy, from $417,000 up to $729,750 in high-cost markets.

WHAT’S OUT

• Permanent tax cuts: Republicans conceded that their top priority would have to be left out.

• Unemployment insurance: Democrats wanted to extend benefits past 26 weeks.

• Food stamps: A boost for benefits.

• Medicaid: Democrats gave up on including Medicaid payments to states.

• Low-income heating subsidies: Democrats are surrendering the fight to include them.

• Infrastructure spending: Spending on transportation or repair projects already under way is off the table.

• Republicans’ proposal to allow businesses suffering losses now to reclaim taxes previously paid, appeared likely to be dropped because of its high cost.

The Associated Press

Round-table participants

Fourteen business leaders sat down with Rep. Gabrielle Giffords to discuss the economic stimulus package.

• Paul Portney, dean, University of Arizona Eller College of Management

• Michael Hanley, president, Bank of Tucson

• Xavier Manrique, Wells Fargo Bank

• George Favela, director of community affairs, Qwest

• Maricela Solis de Kester, president and CEO of the Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

• Valerie Rauluk, CEO, Venture Catalyst Inc.

• Anne Mehochko, vice president of public policy, Tucson Association of Realtors

• James Tsighis, associate broker, Realty Executives

• Dave Naugle, administrator, corporate public affairs, Southwest Gas Corp.

• Robert Ramirez, president and CEO, Vantage West Credit Union

• Bonnie Allin, president and CEO, Tucson Airport Authority

• Chris Monson, president of Rocking K and owner of the Aberdeen Group

• Jim Mize, Pima County One Stop

• Paul Parisi, vice president, Tucson Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce

Who benefits from the rebate plan

How Americans in different financial situations would fare under the rebate plan proposed by House leaders and the White House.

• An individual with $2,500 in earned income in 2007: Disqualified because income fell below the $3,000 threshold. No rebate.

• A married couple with no children, with adjusted gross income of $100,000 in 2007: Would qualify for the full $1,200 for couples. A $1,200 rebate.

• A worker with one child, who earned $9,000 and owed no taxes in 2007: Would qualify for the $300 rebate available to individuals who pay no taxes but earned at least $3,000, plus an additional $300 for the child. A $600 rebate.

• A couple with income of $145,000 in 2007, with three children: Would qualify for the full $1,200 for couples, plus $300 for each child. A $2,100 rebate.

• A couple with income of $160,000 in 2007 with two children: Would qualify for a partial rebate, reduced by 5 percent for every $1,000 in income above the $150,000 threshold. An $1,800 rebate – $1,200 for the couple plus $300 per child – would go down by 50 percent for this family. A $900 rebate.

• A couple with income of $200,000 and four children: Disqualified because their income exceeded $174,000, the phase-out limit. No rebate.

• An individual with adjusted gross income of $23,000 and no dependents would get a rebate of $600.

• A couple with adjusted gross income of $160,000 and two children would get a rebate of $1,300.

• A couple with adjusted gross income of $184,000 and two children would get a $100 rebate.

The Associated Press

Citizen Staff Writer

TERESA TRUELSEN

ttruelsen@tucsoncitizen.com

Ventana Medical Systems’ decision to finally accept an offer from drug company Roche Holding AG was based on the money, the Tucson company’s CEO said Tuesday.

“It was purely driven by what we thought was the value of the company,” said Ventana president and CEO Christopher Gleeson.

Roche will pay $3.1 billion for Ventana in a sweetened deal that finally won over the U.S.-based maker of drug testing instruments.

The deal fell into place after Roche raised its offer by about 19 percent per share to $89.50 from $75 per share, the Swiss pharmaceuticals company said Tuesday. Roche has been trying to take over Ventana since June and extended its offer five times before clinching the deal.

Based on the amount of Ventana’s shares outstanding as of Sept. 30, the deal is valued at $3.1 billion. The two companies valued the deal at $3.4 billion.

Ventana’s board of directors, which had previously rejected Roche’s advances, will recommend that shareholders accept the offer, according to a joint statement by the two companies.

Ventana is the most successful company spun off from the University of Arizona research. Founded by Dr. Tom Grogan more than 20 years ago, Ventana had nearly $64 million in sales during the first quarter of 2007 and $238.2 million in 2006.

The company makes and develops automated medical laboratory equipment that speeds cancer diagnoses.

Ventana’s diagnostic capabilities could help Roche develop new and better targeted drugs. But the merger also aids Ventana, which will maintain its Tucson headquarters at 1910 Innovation Park Drive.

“Immediately after the merger is completed, there will be a significant investment in our research and development and discovery, which will lead to more jobs in Tucson,” Gleeson said.

The merger will also give Ventana a wider global reach.

“They will leverage their international presence to help us reach markets, such as China, where we don’t have a presence,” he said.

The merger won’t prevent Ventana from working with other drug companies, he said. In fact, he said, the company received several congratulatory e-mails from other drug companies after the merger was announced.

Gleeson said the merger should be completed in about three months.

Roche shares closed up 0.9 percent at 195.50 Swiss francs ($177.93; 122.76 euros), after dropping 4.3 percent earlier during a turbulent day on the Zurich exchange.

Meanwhile, shares of Ventana closed up $3.75, or nearly 4.4 percent, to $89.08 in Nasdaq trading Tuesday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Citizen Staff Writer

Tucson Business Edge Editor Teresa Truelsen (a mother of two), on the recent spate of toy recalls:
‘How many more “innocuous” toys around our house are ticking time bombs? Should we do an inventory? Even the stuffed animals are getting recalled now (and there are a lot of those, too).’

Citizen Staff Writer
RealFAST LOCAL NEWS

The now-empty former Macy’s store at Tucson Mall will be demolished
to make way for new retail and restaurants, mall owner General Growth
Properties announced Monday.

The 135,000-square-foot space has been vacant since last year.

Demolition is scheduled to begin Oct. 29.

Razing the old building will allow for radically different spaces
required by today’s retailers and restaurants, management said.

General Growth said it was not ready to make any announcements on new tenants.

TERESA TRUELSEN

ttruelse@tucsoncitizen.com

Citizen Staff Writer

TERESA TRUELSEN

ttruelsen@tucsoncitizen.com

After years of speculation, rumors, stops and starts, Tucson is finally getting its Ritz.

Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain is under construction in the foothills of the Tortolita Mountains. With a 250-room resort, golf club and residences, the project encompasses 850 acres in Marana.

Developer David Mehl, president of Cottonwood Properties Inc., said he began talking to Ritz-Carlton in 2003, after a planned Ritz resort in Oro Valley fell through.

“We thought the Ritz-Carlton quality and the power of their brand was going to be a perfect fit for what we have planned for the area,” Mehl said.

Cottonwood is developing the half-billion-dollar project with Greenbriar Southwest Corp. and the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co. The Ritz-Carlton development sits at the base of the Tortolita Mountains, abutting Tortolita Mountain Park to the north.

The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain resort, set to open in fall 2009, will be a four-story building made of adobe block, stucco, clay tile and native stone. Two ballrooms, 9,000 square feet and 4,000 square feet, offer special event space, and a spa, pool, hiking trails and three restaurants round out the offerings.

“It really just puts us in that stratosphere of the luxury resort destination,” said Jonathan Walker, president and CEO of the Metropolitan Tucson Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Walker said he does not see the resort as competition with other area luxury resorts, and its distance from Tucson is not a drawback for tourism.

“The type of guest that would frequent a hotel like that usually does things on-property,” Walker said, adding that they would also be the types of guests interested in the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum and other Tucson attractions.

“Everybody will benefit from this. It will bring in another level of traveler,” Walker said.

For Marana, the resort is a boon. Town Manager Michael A. Reuwsaat said the scope of the project has changed since the town did its initial study, so he doesn’t have estimates of its financial impact. However, he said, the resort will spur further economic development.

The convention facility should spawn more hotels, motels and restaurants,” Reuwsaat said. “We already have a number of hotels with interest in some of the interchanges we’re working on.”

Vivian Deuschl, vice president of public relations for the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co., said the hotelier has been looking for a second Arizona location since the 1980s, when it opened its Phoenix property.

Deuschl said the Dove Mountain project is the biggest Ritz-Carlton has ever worked on. She did not have an estimate on the number of jobs it will create.

But she is convinced of its success.

“I know that this is exactly what today’s affluent person wants,” Deuschl said.

The residential part of the project will eventually include about 320 homes, aimed at buyers of retirement property or second homes.

“We think the residences will be a tremendous attraction,” Deuschl said. “They are very attractive because they get a chance to own a beautiful home, but have it serviced by the Ritz- Carlton.”

Deuschl said homeowners will be able to take advantage of the hotel’s room service, know their homes are secure when they are away, and even call ahead before a return to have the home stocked with groceries.

Mehl said the state of the current housing market does not concern him.

“The Ritz-Carlton community is a 10-year development, so we think if the first two years are slow, it’s OK,” Mehl said.

The Dove Mountain development has about 30 percent open space, and Mehl said it’s possible that ratio will be higher within the resort area. He also said the two golf courses will be watered with treated effluent.

“Dove Mountain has dealt with numerous environmental challenges” from the beginning, Mehl said.

THE RITZ-CARLTON PROJECT

The Ritz-Carlton community will sit on 850 acres within the 6,200-acre Dove Mountain development in Marana.

It is bordered on the north by Tortolita Mountain Park and Tortolita Preserve on the south. Its components are:

The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain resort

• 250 rooms

• 24 casitas

• Two ballrooms

• 17,000-square-foot spa and fitness center

• Three restaurants

• Scheduled to open late 2009

The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Dove Mountain

• Two Jack Nicklaus-designed courses

• 50,000-square-foot clubhouse

• 27 holes set to open early 2009; additional nine holes to open in 2010

• Home of 2009 Accenture Match Play Championship

The Residences at the Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain

• 300 homes

• 20 custom home sites

• Phase 1 includes 91 single family homes and 13 estate sites; sales office will open in November

Citizen Staff Writer

Tucson Business Edge Editor Teresa Truelsen, on one way to get children to

read: “If you are having trouble persuading your youngsters to read, don’t be

afraid to reach into the depths of gross-out humor, that bastion of school-age

boys that is equally loved by girls. Not only will they read, but they will giggle

like you’ve never heard them before. • On the easier end of the scale is the

ubiquitous Captain Underpants series, about two boys who turn their

principal into a superhero, of sorts. The books even come with

flip-action technology!”

• For more blogs, go to www.tucsoncitizen.com/blogs

Citizen Staff Writer
FROM OUR BLOGS

Well, I failed in my attempt to get birthday gifts without the “Made in China” tag on the back.

Apparently, we can’t even print books here in the U.S. anymore. And when your 8-year-old tells you the unicorn book with the little figurines is “Perfect!” what do you tell her? “No, honey, that book, being produced in China, is a potential ticking time bomb because many toys made there have recently been found to contain levels of lead that could be deadly to children.”

She already has picked up on the “nothing made in China” from me, and if she gets more ammo, she’ll get obsessive, at least until she realized 90 percent of her room would be empty.

So we cross our fingers and hope the gift is not recalled, or dangerous.

TERESA TRUELSEN

More blogs: www.tucsoncitizen.com