On the move at Gilbert, Devereux, Meritas, CAGRD

Gilbert Leadership celebrates graduation of Class XXVI

Gilbert Leadership celebrated the graduation of Class XXVI on Friday, June 8^th at a formal ceremony recognizing 24 students in this year’s class, all of whom have contributed to the community through leadership.

Gilbert Leadership, a program of the Gilbert Chamber Foundation, serves to raise up local leadership by promoting and inspiring action on issues that impact the Town of Gilbert. The program influences the community by building leadership capacity, increasing knowledge and awareness of community concerns, and nurturing future leaders. Over the past nine months, class participants have worked together to discover the infrastructure of Gilbert, including an inside look at our town’s history, fine arts, local government, education, social services, healthcare, and more.

“Gilbert Leadership was a great experience,” said program graduate Traci Frederickson, of Fountain of Life Christian Fellowship. “Learning what it takes to make our town so great and meeting amazing people who are invested in a lifestyle of personal growth and giving back to their community was priceless. Gilbert Leadership gave me insight and tools to which I would have never experienced.”

Gilbert Leadership brings together individuals with diverse backgrounds and experiences to develop their leadership potential. Participants experience personal growth and gain a unique perspective as they take an inside look at the workings of their community.

The following individuals were recognized as graduates of Gilbert Leadership Class XXVI:

David Baldwin, Via Circuits Inc.

Blake Bentley, Ready Logistics

Irma Bressler, CertaPro Painters

Mike Burkhart, Gilbert Fire Department

Judy Cato, Arizona State University/Victory AME Church

Kristen Drew, Town of Gilbert

Kellen Escoto, HD South/Gilbert Historical Museum

Traci Frederickson, Fountain of Life

Robert Gardner, Banner Health

Erik Gray, Leading Edge Academy

Vicki Kettner, Town of Gilbert

Randy Mahlerwein, Higley Unified School District

Caryn Mannheimer, Orbital ATK

Justin Martz, Wells Fargo

Bryanna McHenry, Salt River Project

Brendan O’Connor, Salt River Project

Cris Parisot, Town of Gilbert

Shannon Powell, TotSpot Preschool

Jonathan V Reece, Geneva Financial LLC

Brian Sexton, Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport Authority

Vincent Thomas, Mercy Gilbert Medical Center

Mike Thomason, Higley Unified School District

James Walker, Higley Unified School District

Nicole Washington, Mercy Gilbert Medical Center

Devereux adds Chantay Banikarim to leadership

Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health Arizona, a nonprofit behavioral health provider, announced today that Chantay Banikarim, MD, MPH, will join the organization’s medical team, effective July 1, 2018.

Dr. Banikarim, one of only five pediatricians in the state certified with a sub-specialty in Adolescent Medicine will lead the organization’s new Devereux Adolescent Health & Wellness Clinic, which is slated to open in mid-July in Mesa, Ariz. The specialty outpatient clinic will be located at 1837 South Mesa Drive and provide whole-person care – integrating both physical and behavioral healthcare – for teens and young adults in one location.

“I am thrilled to join Devereux Arizona in this new and innovative venture,” said Dr. Banikarim. “It has been my dream to have a clinic devoted to adolescent health and wellness. Devereux is the leader in the field of behavioral health, and with this expansion of their already comprehensive services, it was a natural fit. The transition from childhood to adulthood brings physical, hormonal and emotional changes. I look forward to partnering with my Devereux Arizona team members to provide an integrated, whole-person healthcare approach to address adolescents’ unique healthcare needs.”

Dr. Banikarim has been practicing medicine for the past 24 years, specializing in adolescent health, eating disorders and adolescent gynecology.

Jill Wiley named chair of Meritas Global Legal Alliance

Meritas, a global alliance of independent business law firms, announced today that it has named Jill Wiley as Chair of the Board. Wiley, who took office at the recent Meritas Annual Meeting, will succeed outgoing Chair Dennis Unkovic, a partner at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based law firm Meyer, Unkovic & Scott.

Wiley is managing partner of Tuscon-Ariz. law firm Waterfall, Economidis, Caldwell, Hanshaw & Villamana P.C., a Meritas member since 1993, where she chairs the firm’s trust and estate practice group.  Wiley will serve a two-year term as chair of the 21-person Meritas Board of Directors. Previously, Wiley served in Meritas leadership on the executive committee, as the finance committee chair, and as a board member.

“Jill brings significant experience to the role of chair, as a business leader, law firm manager and long engaged Meritas member. Her business acumen is deep, as is her understanding of our model and team. All of these attributes are imperative to the role, especially during a time of transformational change in the legal industry,” said Tanna Moore, president and CEO of Meritas.

Seasoned water professional will lead CAGRD

Laura Grignano, former senior policy analyst in Central Arizona Project’s (CAP’s) Resource, Planning & Analysis group, has assumed the role of Central Arizona Groundwater Replenishment District (CAGRD) manager. Grignano, who has been with CAP since 2013, replaces Dennis Rule who retired effective June 7, 2018. 

Grignano oversees CAGRD, which was created by the Arizona legislature in 1993 to be operated by CAP throughout its three-county service area – Maricopa, Pima and Pinal. CAGRD’s purpose is to provide a mechanism for landowners and water providers to demonstrate an assured water supply under the Assured Water Supply Rules, which became effective in 1995.

“This is an exciting opportunity to work on a challenging topic,” says Grignano. “Those of us who work on Arizona’s water issues share a common objective – reliable water supplies for the future. We have a long history of working through tough issues to come up with solutions and I look forward to continuing to take part in that dialogue.”

Grignano joined CAP in 2013. She began her career in the Arizona water community in 1998, working for the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR). After serving 13 years with ADWR, Grignano joined Arizona Public Service (APS) in 2011 where she worked as a water resource planner and program manager. In her previous CAP role, she collaborated with key stakeholders including the Arizona Water Banking Authority (AWBA) on policy development and implementation for CAP’s recovery program, determining how stored water will be recovered in the future.