Sundt Foundation adds board members

The Sundt Foundation has selected two new officers and added two new members to its board of directors. Stefanie Teller replaces Randy Rusing as President, and Joe Riccillo will assume Teller’s role of Vice President. Rick Buchanan and Jesse De Haro have been added as members to the Foundation’s board.

Teller, vice president and director of corporate communications, has been a member of the Foundation since she began at Sundt. This past year she served as Foundation vice president under Rusing and will assume the role of president as Rusing retires.

“I’m proud to have been a member of the Sundt Foundation since its inception and to have served on the Board of Directors in various positions,” said Rusing. “To me, working with the Foundation is an important part of our culture; it’s about caring for others, our purpose, and giving back to the communities where we live and work. It’s the essence of being a Sundt employee-owner.”

Riccillo, who serves as project director out of Sundt’s El Paso office, moves into the Foundation vice president position.  He has been a part of the board for the past year and part of the Foundation since he started with Sundt over five years ago.

Buchanan, representing the Tucson giving area, is a pre-construction project manager in the Tucson office. De Haro, who is currently working in Arizona as a craft foreman for Sundt’s Transportation Group, will be representing the craft workforce.

The Sundt Foundation Board of Directors is composed of 12 employee-owners, four appointed by the company and eight elected by the membership. The board convenes quarterly to approve grants based on recommendations made by employee committees in each Sundt office.

Community service is one of Sundt’s core values. The company’s employee-owners are dedicated to ensuring the well-being of others, donating generously to charitable causes and volunteering thousands of hours each year to help various local organizations achieve their missions. For many employee-owners, the Sundt Foundation is the principal way by which they give back to the communities they call home.

Duet: Partners In Health & Aging welcomes Ann Wheat

The board of directors at Duet: Partners In Health & Aging is delighted to announce the appointment of Ann Wheat as the organization’s new executive director. Ann was selected for this role after serving as Duet’s interim executive director since March, following the departure of Elizabeth Banta, who retired from the organization after 23 years of dedicated service. 

“The Duet board of directors is thrilled to have Ann Wheat as our new executive director,” says Board President Patty Park. “The board has invested significant time in evaluating Duet internally and gaining clarity about the leadership Duet needs for its next phase. Ann clearly demonstrated her vision and aspiration as interim, and the board is fully confident in her ability to propel the organization forward as executive director.”

In the executive director position, Ann will be responsible for the overall direction and leadership of Duet and its four service areas: family caregiver services, volunteer services for homebound adults, services for grandparents raising grandchildren and kinship caregivers, and congregational health. 

“I feel like all of my professional and volunteer experience has prepared me well for this opportunity,” Ann Wheat says. “My personal life experience of living with and caring for aging family members has given me a passion and a sense of urgency for the important work Duet does.”

Esperança hires ASU Fall 2019 graduate

Esperança, a Phoenix-based nonprofit whose mission is to improve health and restore hope both locally and globally, announces Emiliano Espino as a Community Health Educator for the organization.                                                                                  

As a Community Health Educator, Espino will be providing health education and resources to the low-income Latino community around Maricopa County, developing education programs that are culturally appropriate, and building strong relationships with local health leaders, senior centers, and community groups. 

Espino’s position with Esperança comes after a year of service in AmeriCorps as a College Transition Specialist with the Be a Leader Foundation, a nonprofit organization that increases post-secondary education access and success. 

His prior experience includes working to support Tobacco Free Arizona through an internship with the Arizona Department of Health Services and developing the 2017 Annual Students Taking a New Direction (STAND) Conference.

Greater Phoenix Chamber announces new board members

Greater Phoenix Chamber announced new leaders of its board of directors that will lead the organization in its mission to promote regional prosperity and serve as a catalyst for economic vitality and strong communities in fiscal year 2020. 

Mike Hummel, General Manager & Chief Executive Officer of Salt River Project (SRP), will serve as 2019-2020 board chair, succeeding Sarah Strunk of Fennemore Craig. John Wolfe, Senior Vice President and Region Manager of Cox Communications, will serve as chair-elect. 

The 2019-2010 board of directors will continue to focus on growing the Greater Phoenix economy from within through the Chamber’s economic development efforts. The board also provides insights and guidance to the Chamber’s work in public policy, growing the regional talent pool and supporting local businesses in myriad ways. 

“The Greater Phoenix Chamber has evolved as the pace of change has quickened and our community has continued to grow,” said Mike Hummel, General Manager & Chief Executive Officer of SRP. “I look forward to working with the board and our members as we continue to include diverse perspectives to inform strategic economic growth.”    

The Chamber also welcomes the following seven business leaders to its board of directors:    

• Kevin Bass, General Manager/Vice President, Enterprise Holdings

• Anthony Bratti, Regional Vice President of Sales, Local IQ

• Ryan Curtis, Director/Partner, Fennemore Craig

• Stacy Derstine, Vice President Customer Service & Chief Customer Officer, Arizona Public Services (APS)

• Paul Komadina, Senior Managing Director, CBRE

• Annie Mooney, Vice President Public Affairs & Advocacy, Phoenix Children’s Hospital

• Scott  Schoaf, Sale Manager,  SIEMENS Corporation

“We are fortunate to have such strong, strategic business leaders serve on our board,” said Todd Sanders, President & CEO of the Chamber. “By convening so many dynamic and diverse leaders on our board, we will be able to make an impact in our community.”

In addition to the Chamber board appointees, the Greater Phoenix Chamber Foundation also announced Mike Bontrager, Senior Vice President of Adolfson & Peterson Construction as chairman of the Foundation board of directors. 

The Foundation also welcomes three new board members:

• Sarah Gordon, Managing Director – Lending Advisor, JPMorgan Private Bank

• Phillip Huhta, Managing Director – Client Service & Support, Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.

• Jay Kaprosy, Director, Veridus 

The newly appointed board leaders and members officially assumed their duties at the start of FY2020 on July 1, 2019.