Free Arts for Abused Children adds board members

Free Arts for Abused Children of Arizona is pleased to announce Andrew Yocopis and Maggie Blackwell have joined the nonprofit’s board of directors. 

Andrew Yocopis, an attorney at Greenberg Traurig, LLP, focuses his practice on a wide-range of real estate matters. He represents clients in the acquisition, development, financing, leasing, and disposition of various commercial properties, including multifamily and mixed-use developments, office buildings, shopping centers, industrial sites, and hotels.  He’s a former board member at Berkeley Law Foundation, associated with ULI and Valley Partnership and a volunteer with United Way, CASS and Ballet Arizona. 

He says, “I am personally interested in Free Arts’ Mission to transform children’s trauma to resilience through the arts. There are very few organizations that combine arts and education in the impactful way that Free Arts delivers its services. I feel very connected to Free Arts’ mission and the communities it serves.”

Maggie Blackwell is director at Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG), where she’s responsible for Core Banking Transformation.  She’s a former board member at Tumbleweed Center for Youth Development, a volunteer at Big Brothers Big Sisters of America and St. Mary’s Food Bank.  

Maggie noted, “I like the combination of helping at risk youth with a focus on the arts. I know it can be very beneficial in healing. I personally enjoying painting, going to art galleries and supporting up and coming artists. I look forward to serving on the board and helping them to continue to grow.”

SVN’s Mike Gallegos named ‘2019 Contributor of the Year’

SVN Desert Commercial is a full service comprehensive commercial real estate brokerage in Phoenix, AZ.  Every month in 2019, SVN has been nationally ranked in the TOP 10 offices within the SVN International Corp. network.  With over 200+ offices around the country and the addition of the international SVN franchises, there is one commercial real estate managing director that continues to increase the level of his sales training expertise through top level commercial real estate certifications.

Just last week, Managing Director Mike Gallegos was named The Massimo Group’s ‘2019 Contributor of the Year.’  Gallegos was recognized as an individual who has made a substantial contribution to the organization through developing new curriculum and expanding the client experience to new levels.  Gallegos has also been serving as a sales training manager to several SVN offices across the country.  He has worked with SVN in Phoenix since 2016 and has spent endless hours to get certified in several areas of commercial real estate that brings value to advisors who are continually increasing the level of performance from month to month.  “I think what we do here at SVN Desert Commercial Advisors goes way above and beyond what most brokerage firms do in preparing Advisors for success,” said Gallegos.

The training transcends the usual basics, using skills development tracks built on personalized up-front assessments and deliberate practice to hone the critical building blocks of economics, financial analysis, sales, and the encyclopedic knowledge of the local market. .  Gallegos stated, “We intentionally seek out progressive, fresh training materials to augment the program, master the content through the certification process, and then adjust and implement so we can enable the Advisors to transform the client experience.” 

Jaburg Wilk expands insurance law practice

The law firm of Jaburg Wilk announced that Echo A. Reynolds joined the firm as a partner in their bad faith litigation, insurance coverage, and commercial litigation groups.  Before joining Jaburg Wilk, Echo represented clients at another Arizona law firm in insurance coverage, insurance defense, bad faith litigation, and business law matters.

“Echo is an excellent addition to our firm and our insurance law group,” said Insurance Law Practice Group Leader Nate Meyer.  “Her bad faith and insurance defense litigation experience coupled with her business law knowledge adds another dimension of expertise for our insurance clients.” 

Echo received her J.D. from Arizona State University, Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law and her undergraduate degree, magna cum laude, from Arizona State University.  She is admitted to practice in Arizona and is a Judge Pro Tempore for the Maricopa County Superior Court. 

Sundt promotes Jeff Williamson

Jeff Williamson has been promoted to President of the Transportation Group for Sundt Construction, Inc.

Williamson brings over 30 years of experience in the construction industry to his new position. He began his career in the construction industry as a field engineer in 1986 and has worked in both the field and the office at all levels of the business. Prior to joining Sundt, Williamson served for 15 years as a regional vice president for a large civil contractor in the Southwest, where he helped grow annual volume from $28 million to $242 million. Upon joining Sundt in 2011, he assumed the role of senior vice president and heavy civil division group manager. Under Williamson’s leadership, the group has performed more than $2 billion worth of work across Arizona, Texas, New Mexico and Utah and expanded into the Intermountain Region by opening an office in Salt Lake City. 

“With Jeff’s leadership, the Transportation Group has made important contributions to our company’s success and strategic direction,” said G. Michael Hoover, Sundt’s President, CEO and Chairman of the Board.

Williamson holds a master’s degree in civil and structural engineering and bachelor’s in civil engineering, both from the University of Arizona. He is a member of the American Public Works Association, The Road Information Program (TRIP) and a former Chairman of the Arizona chapter of the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC). 

New division chief rounds out top talent at Phoenix Children’s Heart Center

In a move that cements Phoenix Children’s position among the nation’s top pediatric heart programs, the Heart Center has named John P. Breinholt, III, MD, as Division Chief of Pediatric Cardiology. Dr. Breinholt rounds out a team of top-tier talent at the Heart Center, ranked No. 14 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report and one of just 10 programs in North America to earn the Society of Thoracic Surgeons’ highest distinction.

Dr. Breinholt comes to Phoenix Children’s from the University of Texas-Houston and Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston, part of the Texas Medical Center, where he served as Professor and Chief of Pediatric Cardiology and co-director of the Children’s Heart Center.

“It’s difficult to contain our excitement about Dr. Breinholt’s arrival,” said Wayne J. Franklin, MD, FACC, Co-Director of the Heart Center and Director of Adult Congenital Heart Disease at Phoenix Children’s. “There is no exaggeration in saying our Heart Center has some of the very best physicians and offers the most comprehensive heart care available.”

An interventional cardiologist by training, Dr. Breinholt offers special expertise in heart catheterization to provide less invasive treatment of congenital heart defects. Throughout his 20-year career, he has treated thousands of children with a wide range of heart conditions.  He focuses on providing less invasive therapies to some of the most vulnerable patients, which include premature babies weighing less than two pounds. These procedures can help prolong, and even avoid, major surgery for children with heart defects.

Phoenix Children’s adds top surgeon

One of the country’s foremost pediatric cardiothoracic surgeons has joined the top-ranked pediatric heart program at Phoenix Children’s. Roosevelt Bryant III, MD, now serves as surgical director of the Cardiac Transplantation and Mechanical Assist Device Program at Phoenix Children’s Heart Center, ranked 14 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report’s Best Children’s Hospitals and one of just 10 congenital cardiothoracic surgery programs in North America to earn the Society of Thoracic Surgeons’ highest-achievable three-star rating.

“Dr. Bryant is a remarkable surgeon and already an asset to our team,” said Daniel Velez, MD, co-director of the Heart Center and division chief of cardiothoracic surgery at Phoenix Children’s. “Not many surgeons have his mix of experience and talent treating the difficult congenital heart conditions that we see at the Heart Center. His addition brings incredible value for our families, and our entire staff, to have access to such talent right here in Arizona.”

At Phoenix Children’s, Dr. Bryant is responsible for overseeing cardiac transplant surgeries for pediatric patients of all ages, as well as implementation of mechanical assist devices for patients who have hearts that are not functioning properly. In his most recent position as a heart transplant surgeon at Cincinnati Children’s, he transplanted more than 60 infants, children, teenagers and adults with complex heart conditions.

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