SALC - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Director
- Principal
- Vice President
- Arizona Regional Manager for Arizona
- Director / Co - Chair of Public Policy / Vice President / Principal
- Vice President and Member of the Board of Directors for Psomas
Alejandro Angel is Vice President and member of the Board of Directors for Psomas, a Civil Engineering design firm with 600 employees headquartered in Los Angeles. Originally from Colombia, he came to Tucson for graduate school. He holds a PhD degree in traffic engineering from the University of Arizona and is a Registered Professional Engineer in Arizona, California and Utah.
Alejandro serves as Arizona Regional Manager for Arizona. Under his leadership, Psomas has completed the design of major infrastructure projects in the Tucson region including the Ina Road Interchange, the Tangerine Road Corridor, the Houghton Road Corridor, the Sabino Canyon Extension to Kolb Road, the Caterpillar Headquarters building, and multiple segments of The Loop. He has also completed projects in Colorado, Utah, California, Washington, the Middle East and South America. Other professional activities include being a current member and past Chairman of the Arizona Board of Technical Registration; and serving as president of the Arizona Section of the Institute of Transportation Engineers.
Alejandro is married and has one son and one daughter. The entire family loves traveling, watching movies and going on bike rides. Having obtained his PhD on a full scholarship from the UA, Alejandro believes in the duty to volunteer and give back to others. Volunteer activities he is passionate about include the University of Arizona Civil Engineering Alumni Industry Council, the Tucson Complete Streets task force, The Loop Advisory Committee, the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC), AYSO and the Cub Scouts.
Allen joins SALC most recently from the Tucson Airport Authority where he was Director of Airside Operations. While there, he was deeply involved in the $400 million Airport Safety Enhancement project - the airport's largest capital improvement project ever - reorganizing the airport layout and culminating in a second parallel commercial runway.
Prior to joining TAA, Allen gained valuable leadership experience during his 29-year Air Force career, including 19 years at Morris Air National Guard Base in Tucson. Allen commanded a variety of organizations at the base, culminating in the Operations Group, where he commanded 3 F-16 fighter squadrons. Allen has over 4800 flying hours, predominantly in the F-15 and F-16.
Allen is a 1991 graduate of the United States Air Force Academy and earned a Master's in US History from American Military University.
Job Titles:
- CEO of Tucson Values Teachers
Job Titles:
- Co - Chair of Innovation Economy / VP Autonomous Systems Mining Technology Solutions
- General Manager of the Komatsu Autonomous Haulage Systems Center of Excellence
Anthony Cook is currently the General Manager of the Komatsu Autonomous Haulage Systems Center of Excellence (AHS CoE) in Tucson Arizona and is responsible for Global AHS business covering sales and support for autonomous haulage products. He holds a Bachelor's in Mining Engineering from Ballarat University and an MBA in Technology Management from Deakin University.
He began his career with Modular Mining Systems, a Komatsu Technology Company, in April of 1998 as a Mining Engineer in Australia. He moved to Tucson Arizona in 2000 and worked in various positions leading up to Vice President of Business Development before focusing on the autonomous business in 2008.
Previous to Modular Mining, Anthony worked for BHP for 4 years in Western Australia iron ore operations and 4 years in Queensland coal operations. During this time, he held various engineering roles in planning, drill and blast, truck shovel operations, draglines, rail, and shipping.
Anthony has worked on autonomous haulage systems in the mining industry since their commercial inception in 2008. He has been involved in the development and global deployment of the current systems and continues to expand the business from within the AHS Center of excellence established in Tucson, Arizona in April 2019.
Ted is active in the Tucson community and a supporter of the University of Arizona, having served on the Board of Directors for the University of Arizona Foundation and National Alumni Association and as President of the Tucson Children's Museum. He has presented at continuing legal education seminars, including presentations involving commercial loan modifications and note purchase transactions.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Retention Development Director
- Vice President, IBM Enterprise Systems Storage
Danette is from San Diego, CA, where her passion for aviation began. Her Dad was a decorated Navy fighter pilot, stationed at NAS Miramar, and later became a commercial airline pilot. This upbringing fueled her interest to pursue an aviation-related career path. Her airport management career began in 1989 and has spanned 30 years, and is still going strong.
David is a founding shareholder and Executive Vice President at Beach Fleischman PLLC. He was previously employed with the international CPA firms of Coopers & Lybrand (now PricewaterhouseCoopers), Peat Marwick Mitchell (now KPMG) and Laventhol & Horwath. David's areas of specialty include tax planning and strategy, business consulting and retirement planning. His industry experience includes real estate, high tech and software, professional services, manufacturing and distribution, medical practices and professional athletes.
David has been a member of SALC for many years and is a strong believer in SALC's mission. He has been passionate about making Tucson and Arizona great places in which to live and work. David has a long history of service to the community, often taking a leadership role. In addition to his service with SALC as Co-Chair of the Membership Committee, David's current involvements include Centurions; Desert Angels, Executive Committee member; TMC HealthCare, Trustee; Tax 20 Group, a National Tax Director Association; Tucson Tax Study Group, Director; and a member of the VIP Breakfast Club.
In 2003, David was appointed by former Governor Napolitano to serve on the Citizen's Finance Review Commission to review the State's tax structure. Other past affiliations include Arizona Sonora Desert Museum, Board of Trustees; Greater Tucson Economic Council (GTEC), past Treasurer; Metropolitan Tucson Convention and Visitors Bureau (now Visit Tucson), past Chairman & Treasurer; Pima County Real Estate Research Council, Chairman (2005 & 2006); Ronald McDonald House, board trustee; Southern Arizona Center Against Sexual Assault, President; Tucson Children's Museum, Treasurer; Tucson Horizons, Vice President; Tucson Jewish Community Foundation, professional advisory group; United Way Volunteer in the Workplace award recipient, Father of the Year Honoree (2011); Walkup for Mayor of Tucson Committee, Treasurer (1999); Walkup for Mayor of Tucson Committee, Treasurer (2003).
Job Titles:
- Co - Chair of Education / Emeritus Member / President
Donald was educated in the Tucson public school system and graduated from the U of A College of Law in 1955. Following his tour as an officer in the U.S. Army, he returned to Tucson in 1957 and formed the law firm of Merchant, Parkman, Miller and Pitt, known today as Haralson, Miller, Pitt, Feldman & McAnally. He retired from the practice of law in 1987. During and after Donald's law career, he has been actively engaged in the development field as a developer/owner of over 3,000,000 sq. ft. of office building, hotel, apartment, shopping center and subdivision properties throughout the U.S. and Canada. Among these properties is the Transamerica Title building in downtown Tucson; the former Hyatt Hotel at LAX, the Gulf and Western Building in NYC; several IBM and Allstate Insurance Company office buildings in five western states; the Social Security Administration Building in Albuquerque; Sunrise Village Center and Toys R Us Plaza in Tucson; and apartment complexes in New Mexico, Arizona, California and Texas. Donald was a principal shareholder in Texana, owner and manager of distribution facilities, condos, apartments, office buildings, land and shopping centers in Dallas, Texas. He and a partner were instrumental in merging Texana into Columbus Realty Trust which merged with Post Properties Real Estate Investment Trust (NYSE), one of this country's preeminent urban apartment developers and operators. He is involved in the development of Pima Canyon in Tucson, an office building in Vancouver, British Columbia, and a Resort Hotel/residential lots project in Seaside, California being developed around two existing 18-hole golf courses.
Another facet of Donald's career has been in the athletic and entertainment fields, including founding the Phoenix Suns and serving as president until 1986, owning KVOA TV, Tucson's NBC affiliate, and serving on the Board of Directors of Orion Pictures, formerly known as Filmways. He also is a principal owner of Old Tucson. Prior to becoming a member of the Arizona Board of Regents in 1987, he served as vice chairman of Tucson Unified School District's Committee to Desegregate Tucson Schools and as chairman of the Fenster School Board. While a member of the Arizona Board of Regents (1983 to 1994), he served as president for two terms, co-chaired the Commission for the Status of Women, served as chairman of the Finance Committee, was instrumental in formulating a strategic planning process for the growth and development of higher education in Arizona and was instrumental in the development of the Student Aid Fund Trust. As a former board member of the University of Arizona Hospital, he was instrumental in converting the hospital from a state operated facility to a non-profit corporation, thereby enabling the University's medical mission to continue profitably at a time many hospitals were facing severe financial crises. Donald's concern for the creation of new jobs in Arizona and his recognition of the research mission of the University of Arizona joined his visionary talent in developing new concepts to engineer the acquisition by the University of Arizona of 1,345 acres and two million square feet of buildings developed by IBM in Tucson. Through his leadership and ability to compile the necessary team to get the job done, the acquisition of IBM's property, at negligible cost to the U of A, was completed in 1994. He now serves as president of Campus Research Corporation, a non-profit company, which assists the U of A in developing and operating the U of A's Science and Technology Park and its Biosciences Park.
In 2000, ABOR's Commission on the Status of Women honored Donald with its Vision 2000 award. Previously he received the President's Medallion from the U of A, an honorary degree from NAU and a Distinguished Alumni Award from the U of A. The Tucson Citizen named him as one of Tucson's five most influential leaders. In September 2003, the International Economic Development Council presented its Citizen Leadership Award to Donald Pitt. The Award is presented annually to "a private citizen whose personal leadership and dedication to the betterment of its community through quality, sustainable, economic development has improved his community's quality of life."
Dr. Robert C. Robbins assumed his position as the 22nd president of the University of Arizona on June 1, 2017. Previously, he served as president and CEO of the Texas Medical Center (TMC) in Houston from 2012 to 2017. In this role, he significantly enhanced TMC's commitment to collaboration, introducing five cross-institutional research initiatives centered on innovation, genomics, regenerative medicine, health policy and clinical research.
Prior to his time in Houston, Dr. Robbins served as professor and chairman of the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Stanford University School of Medicine, founding director of the Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, president of the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation, president of the Western Thoracic Surgical Association, president of the American Heart Association Western States Affiliate, president of the Bay Area Society of Thoracic Surgeons, and chair of the American Heart Association Cardiovascular Surgery and Anesthesia Council, among other roles. In 2016 he served as president of the American Heart Association Southwest Affiliate.
An internationally recognized cardiac surgeon, Robbins has focused his clinical efforts on acquired cardiac diseases with a special expertise in the surgical treatment of congestive heart failure and cardiothoracic transplantation. His research work includes the investigation of stem cells for cardiac regeneration, cardiac transplant allograft vasculopathy, bioengineered blood vessels, and automated vascular anastomotic devices. Robbins is the author of more than 300 peer-reviewed articles and a former guest editor of the Circulation Surgical Supplement.
In addition to his role at the UA, Dr. Robbins serves on the boards of the Arizona Commerce Authority, Southern Arizona Leadership Council, Tucson Metro Chamber of Commerce, United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona, and the Greater Phoenix Economic Council. He is also a member of the Chairman's Circle of Sun Corridor, Inc., and a member of Greater Phoenix Leadership. While at TMC, Robbins served on the Houston branch of the Dallas Federal Reserve board, the board of directors of the Welch Foundation, and the American Heart Association Southwest Affiliate in 2016. He served on an independent blue ribbon committee to evaluate the Veterans Affairs health system, and the World Affairs Council of Greater Houston honored him as the 2016 International Citizen of the Year.
His educational background includes a B.S. in chemistry from Millsaps College, medical degree from the University of Mississippi, general surgical training at the University of Mississippi, cardiothoracic training at Stanford University, postdoctoral research at Columbia University and the National Institutes of Health, and congenital heart surgical fellowships at Emory University and Royal Children's Hospital.
Job Titles:
- Agent
- Director
- Principal
- West Coast Capital Partner
Edmund Marquez owns three Allstate Insurance Agencies in Tucson, Arizona. He is the largest captive insurance agency in Southern Arizona, and the second largest Hispanic-owned Allstate agency in the U.S. Edmund was born and raised in Tucson, attended Sabino High School (Hall of Fame inductee in 2013), and earned a Bachelors in Communications from the University of Arizona. He currently serves on eight Boards of Directors, including The Tucson Hispanic Chamber, the Metro YMCA, Pima Community College Foundation, Jewish Family Children Services and more. He is also a member of the Southern Arizona Leadership Council (SALC) and the Davis Monthan AFB 50. He was the Businessman of the Year in 2004, and awarded the Breath of Life Award in 2012. Edmund is an avid cyclist, and rides with the Jim Click Racing Team.
Job Titles:
- West Coast Capital Partner
- Board President for Tucson Young
- Director, TYP Board Designee / Human Resources and Organizational Development Manager
Emilia Eldridge is a fourth generation Tucsonan who grew up in the Sonoita and Patagonia communities in Santa Cruz County. She is currently the Human Resources and Organizational Development Manager for Parking & Transportation Services and the BookStores at the University of Arizona. Emilia has over 10 years of HR experience and prior to working in higher education, she started her human resources career in early childhood education. She is a graduate of Greater Tucson Leadership's Civic and Political Leadership Academy and currently serves on their board of directors.
Emilia is currently the Board President for Tucson Young Professionals (TYP), which is the largest membership organization in the state of Arizona. In TYP, she was the lead for the Nonprofit and Public Sector team and is currently managing the University of Arizona's TYP team consisting of 350+ members.
Emilia holds two degrees from the University of Arizona. As an undergraduate she majored in Business Economics at the Eller College of Management and obtained a master's degree in public administration.
In May of 2023, Emilia was awarded the Marlis J. Davis Leadership Award for her superior leadership by portraying a positive image in directing others and leading by example.
Garry established Brav & Foreman Construction Company, Inc. in 1973. BFL Construction Company, Inc. was formed in 1977 when Brav & Foreman formed a new company with NICO Construction Company (listed on the NYSE as LVI Group). He was responsible for the Tucson, Phoenix and Albuquerque operations. In 1984, the BFL stock owned by NICO was purchased by BFL.
Under his leadership, BFL expanded the business from tenant improvements to multi-million dollar commercial projects throughout Tucson and Southern Arizona.
Garry takes great pride in the company's reputation for superior work and the expertise and loyalty of his dedicated employees; many who have been with the company 20 to 30 years.
His community involvement has included positions with the American Cancer Society as Chairman of the Board, Co-Chair of their Capital Fund raising campaign for their Tucson headquarters, and for 20 years served as Chair and Co-Chair of the Development Committee for their annual major fund raising event.
Garry was Chair of the Mayor's Homeless Facilities Committee; The American Red Cross Facility Acquisition Committee; Chair of the United Way of Tucson and the Southern Arizona Construction and Mining Division; and Steering Committee Member for El Rio Community Health Center's 30th Anniversary Fund Drive. He is past Chairman for the Phoenix Chamber of Commerce Development Services Committee developing the mid-rise zoning ordinances for the Camelback Corridor in Phoenix.
Garry is a graduate of the University of Arizona with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Regional Director
- Vice President
- Director / Co - Chair of Infrastructure / Vice President & Regional Director
Ian McDowell has served in a variety of roles in both preconstruction and operations during his 18-year career with Sundt. Currently he is the Vice President & Regional Director in Tucson, AZ. In addition to his corporate duties Ian has also worked extensively in the construction industry, serving in leadership roles for the Arizona Builders' Alliance (ABA), American Subcontractors Association (ASA), and the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC). Ian has also been active in supporting education by teaching both graduate and undergraduate level classes at Arizona State University and the University of Texas at El Paso.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Vice President of Human Resources
Jennifer Brummund is vice president of Human Resources for Raytheon Missiles & Defense, a business of Raytheon
Technologies. She is responsible for recruitment, retention and professional development for a 30,000-employee business that specializes in air and missile defense systems, precision weapons, radars, command and control systems and advanced defense technologies.
Prior to being named to this position, Jennifer served on the Collins HR leadership team as vice president, HR for Power & Controls. She was also executive director of HR for RMD Operations and Global Supply Chain Management. She held various roles of increasing responsibility during her six years with RMD, including supporting Engineering, Operations and organizational effectiveness as an HR business partner.
Before her Raytheon Technologies tenure, Jennifer was director of Organizational Development and Learning at Honeywell Aerospace, where she was responsible for organizational effectiveness, strategic planning and talent development for the Engineering and Technical
Support function. She also held positions of leadership in human resources, organizational effectiveness and talent development at Bell Helicopter, American Airlines and Union Pacific Railroad, respectively.
Jennifer has a master's degree in industrial/organizational psychology from the University of Nebraska, Omaha, and a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Nebraska, Kearney.
Job Titles:
- Director
- President
- West Coast Capital Partner
As Head of the Pathology Customer Area, Roche Diagnostic Solutions, Jill German is responsible for delivering solutions to our Pathology Laboratory Customers and leading the DIA Oncology Disease Area. In 2018, Jill and her family moved to Tucson, Arizona from Rotkreuz, Switzerland, where she served for two years as Lifecycle Leader, Molecular Systems for Roche Molecular Diagnostics. Jill has more than 20 years of commercial and operational leadership experience, beginning her career with Roche Applied Science. During a decade away from Roche, she held leadership positions in sales and marketing with Monsanto Corporation and Sigma-Aldrich, located in St. Louis, Missouri. Upon returning to Roche in 2004, Jill held various leadership roles in Diabetes Care, Centralized Diagnostics and Molecular Diagnostics. In addition to delivering results, Jill is distinguished for her focus on leadership and people development. Her passion for Diversity & Inclusion have been represented by her co-sponsorship of D&I on the RMS LT, leadership participation the Roche Women's Leadership Initiative and the Roche OPEN/VIVID Network. Jill grew up on a farm in central Indiana, earning a bachelor's degree from Purdue University and completing leadership coursework at Northwestern University.
Job Titles:
- Consultant
- Director of Education Policy
John J. Pedicone is an educational consultant, having served as the Superintendent of Tucson Unified School District until his retirement on June 30, 2013. Prior to this appointment, he was a Distinguished Senior Faculty Fellow in the Educational Leadership Program in the College of Education at the University of Arizona, and the Vice-president of the Southern Arizona Leadership Council.
Dr. Pedicone retired from Flowing Wells School District, where he served as an administrator for 22 years. His administrative leadership in the district included serving as junior high school assistant principal, high school principal (during which time the high school was selected as the #1 school in the State of Arizona A+ program and received the U.S. Department of Education Blue Ribbon School award), assistant superintendent and superintendent.
John Lai - CEO, President
Job Titles:
- CEO
- Director
- President
- West Coast Capital Partner
- President and CEO of Mister Car Wash
John Lai is President and CEO of Mister Car Wash, the nation's largest car wash company with over 250 stores in 21 states employing 8,000 people. John joined the company in 2002 and played a key role in crafting the company's employee first culture and relentless focus on continuously improving the customer experience. John coordinated the move of the company headquarters to downtown Tucson and most recently announced the expansion of their new campus near 6th avenue and 6th street. Prior to being named CEO, John served as COO and was responsible for operations, human resources, and marketing. Prior to that he was Vice President of Market Development.
Prior to joining Mister Car Wash, John was VP of Sales for Financenter a provider of web based applications to the financial services industry, President of Blue Coral Systems a specialty chemical provider to the car wash industry, Direct Account Manager for Nestle USA in the consumer-packaged goods division, District Manager for Carnation in the grocery products division and General Assembler for IBM in the general products division.
John's the Chairman of the Board for Mister Car Wash and served on the boards of the International Car Wash Association and the Western Car Wash Association. John's a member of the Southern Arizona Leadership Council, Desert Angels, and Friends of Arizona Lacrosse.
John earned a Bachelor of Science from the University of Arizona in 1987.
Job Titles:
- Director of Infrastructure Policy
John Moffatt is a native of Tucson and a graduate of Catalina High School and The University of Arizona. His academic and research accomplishments include:
B.S. - Business Administration-minors in Economics and Systems Engineering
M.B.A.
M.S. - Computer Science
Ph.D. - Education Administration and Computer Science
Technical and doctoral preparation courses at UCLA and cooperative technical projects on metacompilers and database structure with the Stanford Research Institute and IBM.
With 60 years in the Information Technology industry and over 45 years as President of international software development and IT consulting firms; John has experience working with a wide range of industries including all levels of government, healthcare, education, logistics/distribution, manufacturing, defense, communications, and retail.
Dr. Moffatt's most recent role as Director of Pima County's economic development efforts included attracting new jobs to the region, the development of Sonoran Corridor concept, the 500-acre Aerospace Research Campus and surrounding utility, rail, water, data, and road infrastructure to repurpose land south of Raytheon as well as development and implementation of the County's Opportunity Zone and Economic Development Plan.
Judy Wood has owned Contact One Call Center Inc. since 1981. Her son Jeff Wood and daughter Jennifer Hoffman joined her in the business in the nineties. Contact One provides in- bound and out- bound customer service support, live chat and e-mail response for a wide range of organizations, including the Arizona Office of Tourism, P. F. Chang's China Bistro, Drive Time, UPH, U. S. Geological Surveys, medical practices, law offices, and service businesses. Contact One provides service throughout the United States in both English and Spanish.
Judy is active in the community and currently serves on the board of directors for the Beacon Group, the Tucson Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, and the Arizona Commerce Authority. In addition she was appointed by both Governor Napolitano and Governor Brewer to the Governor's Council on Small Business, which she now chairs. She belongs to a variety of other clubs and organizations in Tucson and has served on the board of directors and as President of the Association of Teleservices International.
Judy and her husband Cliff are both third generation Arizonians from pioneer ranching families. In her free time she enjoys, hiking, horseback riding, gardening, cooking, entertaining, traveling, and spending time with her four grandsons.
Job Titles:
- West Coast Capital Partner
- Cox Communications
- Director / Vice President & Market Leader
Joining Cox in 2008, Lisa Lovallo is responsible for all the Southern Arizona business, public affairs and community relations functions in both Pima and Cochise Counties.
Prior to Cox, Lovallo was a District Manager at Procter & Gamble in the Los Angeles market. Lovallo left P&G to start her own business, North American Enterprises, where she spent 14 years building and growing a successful international import and export company.
After the sale of North American Enterprises, Lovallo began teaching as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Arizona's Eller College of Management and served as the Director of Student Advancement and Development. During her tenure at the U of A, Lovallo also ran for the Arizona State Legislature.
Lovallo serves on numerous community boards including Sun Corridor, the Southern Arizona Leadership Council, the Tucson Airport Authority, The University of Arizona College of Science, Tucson Medical Center and the Reid Park Zoo. In 2017, Lovallo was named a board member of Unisource Energy, a subsidiary of Fortis Inc. and the parent company of Tucson Electric Power.
Lovallo was been named "Woman of the Year" by the Tucson Metro Chamber of Commerce, "A Woman of Influence" by Inside Tucson Business, a "Woman on the Move" by the YWCA and was given the "Spirit of Philanthropy" award by the Association of Fundraising Professionals. Lovallo has also received the Ray Davies Lifetime Achievement Award from the Tucson Unified School District Foundation and the "Phyllis Ehlinger Women of Excellence Award" from the American Advertising Federation Tucson.
Lovallo grew up in Tucson and is a graduate of the University of Arizona. At the U of A she earned a bachelor's degree in English, was the Student Body Vice President and played on Arizona's Women's basketball team. Lovallo received her MBA in 2017, from the University of Arizona Eller College of Management and graduated with academic honors (Gamma Beta Sigma). Lovallo is an avid golfer and loves to travel.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Managing Director
- Chairman of the Arizona Biosciences Board
- Director / Co - Chair of Innovation Economy / Managing Director
- Industry Executive
- Managing Director of BlueStone Venture Partners
- Member of the Board of Directors of Safeguard Scientifics
Mara Aspinall is a biotech industry executive and healthcare pioneer.
Aspinall is Managing Director of BlueStone Venture Partners. Aspinall is the former President and CEO of Ventana Medical Systems division of Roche, worldwide leader in development and commercialization of tissue-based cancer diagnostics. With her great team worldwide, Ventana increased market share and growth globally and established itself as the world's leading oncology companion diagnostics developer and manufacturer.
Mara previously spent 12 years as President of Genzyme Genetics and Genzyme Pharmaceuticals. The hallmark of her tenure at Genzyme was setting the industry standard for quality while growing the company at an unprecedented rate. The Genetics business was sold to LabCorp for $1 billion.
Aspinall is a member of the Board of Directors of Safeguard Scientifics (NYSE: SFE), Abcam plc (AIM: ABC), Castle Biosciences and Blue Cross Blue Shield Arizona.
In addition to running commercial enterprises, Aspinall is passionate about educating the healthcare community on the importance of diagnostics, genomics and personalized medicine. To that end, Aspinall co-founded the International School of Biomedical Diagnostics at Arizona State University, the first school dedicated entirely to Diagnostics as an independent discipline. The School awarded their first Master degrees in 2014 and will graduate 75 students this year.
Within Arizona, Aspinall is the Chair of the Arizona Biosciences Board, a CEO group focused on increasing capital in the state for innovation based technology companies. She is also a Board member of Sun Corridor and the Southern Arizona Leadership Council.
Aspinall is a frequent national speaker on healthcare related issues. She was named Arizona Biosciences Leader of the Year in 2016 and one of "100 Most Inspiring People in Life Sciences" by PharmaVOICE magazine.
Mara started her business career at the strategic consulting firm Bain & Company. She holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BA in International Relations from Tufts University.
Mel Cohen's law practice focuses on commercial litigation and transactions with emphasis on construction, surety, real estate and business disputes. Starting in 1974 as a Pima County Deputy County Attorney he gained substantial experience in numerous construction projects including Ina Road Wastewater facility, Kino Hospital, golf courses as well as representing Pima County Planning and Zoning, Building Code, Elections, School Superintendent and the County Merit System. After leaving the County and travelling for a year, he returned to open a private practice with Howard Watt, developing a practice representing general contractors, owners, subcontractors, sureties, design professionals and developers. Joining Mesch, Clark & Rothschild, P.C. in 1989 he has continued litigation, arbitration and mediation of large commercial disputes, including lending and other commercial agreements, real estate acquisition, leases and manufacturing agreements, mergers and acquisitions, as well as construction of auditoriums, mining facilities, multi-family projects, telescopes, water and sewer projects, large private residences, highway and pipeline construction.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Founder
- West Coast Capital Partner
Michael Hammond has been in commercial real estate since 1978 and is President, Founder and Managing Shareholder of Cushman & Wakefield | PICOR, Southern Arizona's leading independent commercial real estate brokerage and management firm. He has been a national trainer for the Society of Industrial and Office Realtors for 20 years, teaching sales and marketing skills to incoming real estate professionals early in their careers.
In 2002, with his background in industrial real estate and interest in regional economic development, he began focusing on the border region and, more specifically, the State of Sonora, Mexico. PICOR subsequently incorporated in Mexico and is successfully expanding their services into Southern Arizona and Sonora, Mexico.
Job Titles:
- CEO
- Director
- President
- Director / Co - Chair of Healthcare / President & CEO
- President and Chief Executive Officer for Tucson Medical Center
Mimi Coomler serves as president and chief executive officer for Tucson Medical Center. With a background in nursing, including a master's degree in health administration, Coomler can interpret lab results and balance sheets. She has served in a variety of different health care roles primarily in Southern Arizona and enjoys a personal alignment with Tucson Medical Center's values of compassion, dedication, integrity and community.
Her passion for health care was reignited after her 4-year-old son was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes.
"I learned how incredibly important a comprehensive and connected health care system is to the health of a family," Coomler says. "Working to create safe, timely and effective care that is accessible by our community is an incredible professional opportunity, and often quite a challenge, especially during this time of the COVID pandemic."
Outside her family and her work at TMC, Coomler commits time to the community by serving on the boards of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, the Southern Arizona Leadership Council, and Intermountain Centers. She also can be found enjoying the Southern Arizona climate playing tennis, hitting the golf links and hiking the Southern Arizona trails.
Job Titles:
- CEO
- Member of the Board
- Member of the Board of Directors
- President
- Secretary
- President of Bourn Companies
Mr. Bourn is the President of Bourn Companies, LLC. Bourn Companies is a commercial real estate investment, development and services company based in Tucson, Arizona. Since its origination in 1990, Bourn Companies and its predecessors have completed over 4,000,000 square feet of acquisitions and developments, specializing in corporate office buildings, retail shopping centers and unique multi-family residential and hospitality properties.
Mr. Bourn is a member of the Board of the Southern Arizona Leadership Council (SALC), and is also a member of International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC), the Urban Land Institute (ULI), Tucson Regional Economic Opportunities (TREO), and The University of Arizona Cancer Center.
Mr. Bourn holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Nebraska.
Job Titles:
- West Coast Capital Partner
- Chief Executive Officer for El Rio Community Health Center
- Director / Co - Chair of Healthcare / Emeritus Member
- Director Emeritus Member / CEO ( Ret. )
Nancy Johnson is the Chief Executive Officer for El Rio Community Health Center, one of the largest federally qualified health centers in the country. She is a registered nurse as well as holding masters degrees in both nursing from the University of Illinois and marketing and business from the University of Arizona Eller College. Her doctoral research was on provider perspectives in caring for the uninsured population, leading to her completion of her PhD in Health Services.
Nancy has held positions as a clinician, a faculty member in both nursing and business, as well as an administrator. She spent over 15 years with Tucson Medical Center, building community health and wellness programs, acquiring and managing medical practices for the TMC system, and expanding community networks. Today, in addition to her role as El Rio's CEO, she continues to serve as an adjunct clinical professor for the University of Arizona College of Medicine. She has authored a textbook with her husband, entitled "The Care of the Uninsured in America" available through Springer Publishing and most recently, an article in Nursing Administration Quarterly on Healthcare for the Homeless. Dr. Johnson is a recipient of the University of Arizona's Cecil B. Hart Humanitarian Award.
Job Titles:
- Senior Director, Governance & Policy
Nicole P. Barraza is originally from Nogales, Sonora and is a graduate of Salpointe Catholic High School. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Wellesley College, and her Master's and Ph.D. from Stanford University in Sociolinguistics and Modern Peninsular Literature.
Prior to joining SALC, Barraza was a Spanish instructor at Pima Community College and in the Critical Languages Program at the University of Arizona. She was in the inaugural class of the Civic & Political Leadership Academy, a program of the Rothschild Fund for Civic Innovation. She was a 2020 Flinn-Brown Fellow and subsequently selected by the Arizona Center for Civic Leadership at the Flinn Foundation to join the Fellows Council. She serves on the St. Cyril School Advisory Board and on the Board of Tucson Young Professionals. In May 2022 she was appointed by Governor Ducey to the Pima County Commission on Trial Court Appointments.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Director / Managing Partner, 4 - D Properties, LLP
Pat is a retired Colonel from the Arizona Air National Guard, where he served in a variety of senior positions. He also served as an F-16 & F-22 Pilot in the Virginia Air National Guard with two combat tours. Pat has served on numerous executive boards and currently serves on the Carondelet Hospitals Governing Board and is an active member of the Desert Angels Investment Group (Tucson).
Job Titles:
- Membership & Administrative Coordinator
Prior to joining SALC, Paula was the Communications & Membership Coordinator of the Arizona Hydrological Society.
Before moving to Arizona in 2019, Paula was the Communications Manager for the Berks County Bar Association in Reading, Pennsylvania. She belonged to the Communications Section of the National Association of Bar Executives where she kept current in communication, marketing, and social media trends.
Paula graduated from Kutztown University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, concentrating in Communication Design. She has worked as a graphic designer, art director, and production supervisor at the National Association of Colleges and Employers (Bethlehem, PA) and Foster Wheeler Corporation (Clinton, NJ).
Job Titles:
- Director
- Principal
- President of Swaim Associates, LTD
Phil Swaim serves as president of Swaim Associates, LTD, a 20 person architectural firm.
A Tucson native, Phil grew up with his father, Bob, also an architect who started the firm in 1969, and mother, Donna, a teacher at the UA for 50 years. Phil went away to attend the University of Oregon, and after graduation lived in Denver, Colorado. After being involved in Denver's booming downtown, he returned to Tucson to join his father at Swaim Associates in 1985 and became president of the firm in 1992.
Phil feels his membership in SALC is a natural fit, as for 50 years Swaim Associates has been involved in a wide range of projects to help create our community including:
Education, from early childhood through high school, and universities across the country to help inspire learning. Swaim also completed a K-12 school in Jamaica.
Health care, from clinics to hospitals with a focus on wellness.
Sports, from Kino soccer and Roadrunners hockey to U of A softball and football.
Commercial, from World View, TEP and Caterpillar to Vector Launch, creating a vibrant economy.
Downtown, from Unisource and the Tucson Convention Center to the AC Hotel, developing a thriving urban environment.
Swaim Associates has received many awards over the years, and they are very proud of the five Architect of the Year Awards from the American Institute of Architects and the Cornerstone Foundation, and over 15 Metropolitan Pima Alliance Common Ground Awards, demonstrating recognition from their peers and the strength of their collaboration with the community.
Rob Draper - Chairman, President
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Member of the Board of Directors
- President
- President of O'Rielly Chevrolet, Inc
Rob Draper is President of O'Rielly Chevrolet, Inc., one of the nation's largest Chevrolet dealerships and locally owned and operated since 1924. He is also the President of Rincon Etal Investments, Inc., which engages primarily in real estate development and investment and local venture investing.
Prior to moving to Tucson in 2002, Rob was a partner in the law firm of Winston & Strawn in Washington, D.C., where he practiced for twelve years in the areas of energy and international project finance. As an energy lawyer, he represented many of the U.S. utility companies that operate nuclear power plants with respect to licensing, regulatory compliance, contractual, and business advisory matters. As a project finance lawyer, he represented project developers and agencies such as the U.S. Export-Import Bank and Overseas Private Investment Corporation in their financing and development of power plants and other energy and infrastructure projects, mostly overseas.
Rob is a member of the Southern Arizona Leadership Council, Tucson Airport Authority, Tucson Conquistadores, and Tucson New Car Dealers Association. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Arizona Automobile Dealers Association and is a past member of the Boards of Directors of the Tucson Airport Authority, Catalina Council BSA, and Imagine Greater Tucson.
Rob grew up in Austin and Beaumont, Texas. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with majors in physics and political science from Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts, and a law degree from Southern Methodist University School of Law, Dallas, Texas. He is a member of the State Bar of Texas, the State Bar of Arizona, and the District of Columbia Bar.
Rob is married to Amy O'Rielly Draper, and they have three adult children. He enjoys travel, golf, sailing, skiing, and spending time with his family.
Job Titles:
- West Coast Capital Partner
Job Titles:
- Director
- President
- Director / Co - Chair of Governance / President
- President of the Brown Foundations
Sarah Smallhouse is President of the Brown Foundations in Tucson. Their focus areas are STEM education, Economics education, Workforce Development and Civic Leadership. Significant grant recipients include the University of Arizona, Pima Community College, Community Foundation for Southern Arizona, Literacy Connects, the YWCA of Southern Arizona, and the Arizona Center for Civic Leadership in partnership with the Flinn Foundation. University of Arizona grants include support for student scholarships, research, and community outreach programs such as professional development for K-12 teachers in math and economics, K-12 enrichment programs such as the Cooper Center and the School Garden Program, and community forums on the political economy.
Sarah is a Tucson native and received her undergraduate degree from the University of Washington in Economics, her MBA from the University of Arizona, and an MPA from the Harvard Kennedy School. She has served on the boards of several departments at the UA and the College of Science, TREO, C-Path, and the Southern Arizona Buffelgrass Coordination Center. She is a current member of the SALC board and co-chairs the governance committee. She is a past chair of the University of Arizona Foundation Board and co-chaired the Arizona Now capital campaign. She and her husband, David, have two children, Tom and Laura.
Job Titles:
- Co - Founder
- Director
- Principal
- Senior Officer at Glendale Federal Bank
As a senior officer at Glendale Federal Bank, Scott oversaw loan workouts and divestiture of bank-owned real estate from 1989-1993. Prior to that, he handled corporate and real estate lending for Security Pacific Bank from 1986-1988 and was a Research Fellow at Yale University.
With a B.S. in Finance and Real Estate from the University of Arizona and an MBA from Anderson School of Business at the University of California, he is also a board member of the Los Angeles South Bay Economic Development Partnership, Torrance Cultural Arts Foundation and Salvation Army Torrance.
Originally from Northern California, Shelley Watson was raised in Tucson and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Arizona State University. She began her career at the American Heart Association where she held positions including Executive Director of the Southern Arizona Region, and VP for Research & Community Programs for the Arizona Affiliate.
Prior to joining SALC in 2017, Watson was COO of a national fundraising consulting firm where she managed a team of consultants and directed capital campaigns that raised more than $750 million for nonprofits across the country. Shelley serves on the boards of several organizations including Education Forward Arizona, Tucson Values Teachers, is board president of Sister Jose Women's Center, and is a past board president of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southern Arizona.
Susan Gray - CEO, President, VP
Job Titles:
- CEO
- Member of the Board of Directors
- President
- Vice President
After beginning her career as a student intern at TEP in 1994, Susan was hired as an Energy Management System Engineer in 1997 and advanced through several engineering roles.
She was promoted to Director of Design & Construction Services in 2011, and rose to Vice President of Energy Delivery in 2015. She was promoted to Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer in 2019 and began serving as President & CEO in 2020.
Susan has a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering and a master's of business administration from the University of Arizona.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Partner
- West Coast Capital Partner
Job Titles:
- CEO
- President
- President & CEO / MAJOR GENERAL ( RET. )
Ted Maxwell joined the Southern Arizona Leadership Council (SALC) in April 2013. He assumed the role of President and Chief Executive Officer in July 2018. The 150+ CEOs, business and community leaders of SALC are actively involved in creating a vibrant future for the Tucson region and state of Arizona by engaging the critical issues of education, infrastructure, healthcare, governance as well as economic growth and innovation.
Ted's extensive leadership and command experience from nearly 34 years of military service have served him well in his role at SALC. Ted retired as a Major General in 2018. His final military position was as the Commander of the Arizona Air National Guard. In that role he oversaw and was responsible for over 2700 Airmen and the operations of units flying the F-16, the KC-135 and the MQ-9 aircraft supporting the Air Force at home and abroad. He has over 4300 flying hours predominantly in the F-16.
In May 2021, Governor Ducey appointed Maxwell to the Arizona State Transportation Board for a six-year term, representing Pima County. Additionally Ted serves on the Boards of the U.S. Air Force Museum Foundation, Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl, Common Sense Institute, and UA Applied Research Corporation.
Ted was a 1984 graduate of the United States Air Force Academy and earned his Master's in Business Administration from the University of Arizona in 2014.
Job Titles:
- Director of Development Tucson Values Teachers
Terresa is originally from Pennsylvania, she has lived in Tucson for fifteen years and considers this her home. She began her career as a music teacher in public school and started working in non-profit development following the completion of her master's degree from the University of Arizona. Terresa previously worked as Director of Development for the Tucson Symphony Orchestra before returning to teach music in the Tucson Unified School District. When the opportunity became available to work for Tucson Values Teachers, an organization that included her love of non-profit work and teaching, she couldn't resist. Terresa enjoys her position as Director of Development for TVT and enlightening others to the amazing work that teachers do for our community.