The Arizona Small Business Association (ASBA) added three new members to its board of directors for the upcoming year: Kerry Stratford, The Caliber Group, Kristi Gauthier, Clark Hill and Patrick Lopez, MPG Automotive.

Stratford is the President of Caliber Group, a strategic brand marketing, interactive and public relations firm based in Arizona with offices in both Tucson and Phoenix. Stratford has been directing and providing innovative marketing, design and brand strategy and interactive consultation for more than 20 years.

She is responsible for directing the firm’s creative department, process and teams necessary to build brand awareness, preference and loyalty. She also leads the firm’s interactive department keeping the firm’s clients at the forefront of the newest digital and interactive strategies. She has a talent for inspiring the agency team to deliver projects that are creative and effective.

Gauthier is a senior attorney in Clark Hill’s Phoenix office and concentrates her practice in Employee Benefits law. Gauthier is a frequent speaker on various employee benefits issues, including ERISA compliance, COBRA, Section 125 Cafeteria Plans, 403(b) Retirement Plans, IRS plan correction programs, and consumer driven welfare benefit plan design. In recent years, she has presented extensively on the topic of health care reform compliance and spends a significant amount of her time counseling employers with respect to the impact of health care reform on their businesses.

 Rick Murray, ASBA CEO, said, “We are eager to begin 2016 with the newest additions to our Board of Directors.  ASBA saw a lot of forward progression in 2015 with the help of our board and we look forward to continued success.”