Esperança adds 2 new board members

Esperança, a Phoenix-based nonprofit whose mission is to improve health and restore hope both locally and globally, has elected Silvia Alvarez and David Newstone to serve on its Board of Directors.

Alvarez is a seasoned communications professional with more than 20 years of experience that spans media relations, brand management, crisis communications, strategic messaging and positioning. She earned her Bachelor of Arts from Colgate University and a Master of Arts from Middlebury College. 

“Silvia brings to Esperança not only a deep understanding of communications and marketing, but a passion for the work that we are doing domestically and internationally,” said Jeri Royce, President & CEO of Esperança.  “As our organization continues to expand, we welcome the diversity of thought that community leaders like Silvia will bring to our organization.” 

Newstone is a Phoenix-based public interest attorney devoted to increasing access to justice for low-income and underserved Arizonans through public legal education, civil litigation, and legislative and administrative agency advocacy.  He will bring his passion and expertise in human rights law and policy to the board.

Banner Estrella welcomes physician to leadership team

Banner Estrella Medical Center announced the hiring of Eric Katz, M.D. as its new chief medical officer. With more than 19 years of experience as a physician leader, Dr. Katz will be responsible for overseeing a medical staff of 1,300, the day-to-day clinical business operations of the facility, patient safety and clinical quality. He will join Banner Estrella’s executive team on July 29.

“Dr. Katz will be an outstanding addition to the team at Banner Estrella,” said Dr. Raman Dhaliwal, division chief medical officer of Banner Health’s Arizona Region. “In addition to having strong physician leadership and mentoring skills, Dr. Katz is known for his patient-centered focus, dedication to continuous quality improvement and a collaborative work style.”

In addition to his new role as chief medical officer, Dr. Katz has held many leadership roles, most recently as chairman of the Emergency Medicine department at Maricopa Integrated Health Systems. He also served as executive chairman of Emergency Medicine at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix, and academic chairman of Emergency Medicine at Creighton University – Phoenix. He received his Master of Business Administration from the University of Arizona Eller College of Management, his Doctor of Medicine from Yeshiva University Albert Einstein College of Medicine and completed residencies in Emergency Medicine and Internal Medicine at Allegheny General Hospital.

HMA Public Relations promotes Annelise Krafft

HMA Public Relations, a full-service marketing communications agency, has promoted Annelise Krafft to account executive. Krafft has been with the agency since March of this year, serving as an account coordinator.  In her new role, she will be responsible for digital communications, social media management and media relations on behalf of the agency’s varied clients. In her new role, Krafft will also serve as the day-to-day contact for agency clients and will be involved in new business development.

Prior to joining HMA, Krafft developed her industry knowledge through an internship with the top advertising agency in Phoenix, OH Partners, working alongside the public relations team. In addition, Krafft worked with OH Partners’ subsidiary polling firm, OH Predictive Insights, mastering political PR in the months leading up to the 2018 midterm elections. Krafft also brings internship experience from Dignity Health, a healthcare corporation with hospitals throughout Arizona, California and Nevada. 

“We are thrilled to promote Annelise into this role,” says Abbie S. Fink, vice president/general manager. “She has proven to be a valuable asset to HMA’s clients, as well as a wonderful addition to our team. We are thrilled to continue to grow her career with HMA.”

VanTrust Real Estate hires Joel Wage

VanTrust Real Estate, a full-service real estate development company with a regional focus and national scope, hired Joel Wage as Vice President of Development Services at its Phoenix office. In this new role, he will be responsible for the successful delivery of VanTrust developments in the Western Region. 

Wage brings over 22 years of design and construction experience and will be a key contributor to the team. He has extensive experience on commercial construction projects, managing the design and construction process from conception through completion. Most recently as the Regional Director of Preconstruction for Ryan Companies, he is familiar with developing and leading teams through all phases of the process. 

“The addition of Joel to our team brings decades of experience which will have an immediate impact on our current developments,” said Keith Earnest, executive vice president of VanTrust. “He has a thorough understanding of our business and what it takes to successfully deliver projects.”

Wage received his BS in Civil Engineering from Purdue University and an MBA from Arizona State University. He is a graduate of the Arizona Builder’s Alliance Leadership Development Forum and a LEED Accredited Professional.

For more information on VanTrust projects, visit www.vantrustre.com.