CIVANA welcomes industry veteran Maggie Lang as CEO

CIVANA announced the appointment of Maggie Lang as Chief Executive Officer. Lang is an industry veteran with twenty-five years of leadership experience, most recently holding senior positions at United Airlines and Kimpton Hotels.  Lang brings a trusted vision to CIVANA, which is set to complete a roughly $50-million-dollar repositioning with the opening of the spa at CIVANA later this month.  Lang joins wellness industry veteran Larry Lamy (CFO/COO) at CIVANA’s corporate leadership team.

Lang is a seasoned executive with a career focused on growth, brand strategy, and the guest experience. At United, Lang held multiple leadership roles, specifically in ancillary revenue, loyalty, and brand. During her tenure at Kimpton, Lang led marketing, loyalty, and guest experience, earning Kimpton multiple awards. She was the creator of Kimpton Karma Rewards, an innovative industry-first loyalty program. Additionally, she served as the executive champion for Kimpton Women, a mentor program for emergent female leaders.

In an industry where women represent only 5% of chief executives, Lang brings a unique perspective to CIVANA and a commitment to providing a space where all are welcome to thrive.

“Always leave people better than when you found them. That’s my life motto – for myself, my employees, and the guests that we welcome every day at CIVANA,” notes Lang.

CIVANA adds wellness director and resident physician

In anticipation of the opening of its 22,000 square-foot spa on December 20, 2018 – which will complete the 40 million dollar renovation of CIVANA Carefree – the Phoenix area’s only sustainable wellness resort continues to build its next generation wellness team with the additions of Sharon Otaguro as Wellness Director and Dr. Fabio Almeida M.D. as Physician in Residence.

Heading up the wellness division is Sharon Otaguro, a seasoned spa veteran most recently with the Grand Wailea Resort, a Waldorf Astoria resort famous for being the first modern day experiential spa. From Hawaii to Jamaica to Fiji, Ms. Otaguro’s passion for the healing arts has taken her across the globe and afforded her the opportunity to help shape CIVANA’s next-generation wellness programs. She will be an integral part of the ongoing development and execution of the bespoke programming offered at CIVANA’S spa and the resort.

Dr. Fabio Almeida M.D. is an Integrative Oncologist and Functional Medical physician who will conduct guest lectures and consults in addition to operating The Center for Integrative Healing and Wellness, an independent practice on the CIVANA campus. Board Certified in Molecular Imaging, Nuclear Cardiology, and Obesity Medicine, his illustrious 25-year career began at the University of California, San Francisco.  A life-long healthcare innovator, Dr. Almeida has published in several journals and also directs the Phoenix Molecular Imaging Facility which provides unique oncologic imaging and treatment solutions. He is a fellow of the Integrative Medicine Program at the University of Arizona – lead by Dr. Andrew Weil – where he also studied herbal medicine, nutrition, fitness, acupuncture, and stress management. 

“I am thrilled to be able to offer a holistic personalized approach to healthcare in collaboration with CIVANA’s lifestyle model of offering healthier cuisine, comprehensive movement and enrichment classes, fitness diagnostics, and therapeutic spa services.” says Dr. Almeida.

Act One names chair and vice chair

Act One, Arizona’s leading charitable organization dedicated to providing access to the arts through student-focused programming and educator resources, announced today that they’ve appointed Kate Baker and Mary Holman as Chair and Vice Chair of their Board of Directors. Baker and Holman will oversee all of the board’s sub-committees, as well as develop the strategic direction of the organization moving forward.

Baker and Holman will guide the board in development efforts and organizational awareness, working in close collaboration with Geri Wright, Act One President and CEO, as well as oversee the board’s committees dedicated to Outreach, Governance, Program and Finance. In their new roles, Baker and Holman will oversee the organization’s 14 board members and community leaders, making sure that all remain dedicated and passionate about Act One’s mission, while championing the organization within their personal networks and communities.

“We are honored to have Mary and Kate stepping into these leadership positions, their track records in community service and advocacy are nothing short of commendable,” said Geri Wright, Act One President and CEO. “They embody and exemplify our commitment towards providing arts education and experiences for every child. Their experience in both the business and philanthropic communities will be a great asset to our organization.”

Holman and Baker are assuming leadership positions at a crucial period of growth for the organization, which was established in 2011 by lifetime philanthropists, Russ and Mac Perlich. This school year Act One’s Field Trip Program, which facilitates arts experiences on behalf of educators with more than 60 local arts organizations, recently experienced record-breaking demand. To date, the organization has received more than 63,000 requests from teachers and educator for students to participate in field trips, representing a 70% YOY growth for the program.

Julie Funk hired to lead UA’s proposed College of Veterinary Medicine

Veterinarian and national leader in online education Julie Funk is joining the University of Arizona as dean of the proposed College of Veterinary Medicine, effective March 18, 2019. She currently is consulting for the UA on its proposed veterinary medicine program.

“Julie’s background in private practice, teaching and administration positions her well to lead the University of Arizona as we take the next step toward opening Arizona’s first public veterinary school,” said UA Interim Provost Jeff Goldberg. “Julie will join us from a similar tier one research university where she has consistently demonstrated the ability to bring together diverse groups – from students and faculty to researchers and funding agencies – to achieve wide-ranging goals. She has elevated herself as an emerging leader in the field of veterinary medical education.”

The UA’s proposed College of Veterinary Medicine is designed to have a competency-based, year-round curriculum that will graduate students in three years, allowing them to enter the workforce a year earlier than traditional programs. Students are expected to get a wide range of clinical experiences with a variety of species in diverse settings including the university, private practice, industry, and the biomedical research and public health arenas.

As founding dean, Funk will be responsible for working with the American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education to earn full accreditation for the UA College of Veterinary Medicine. The AVMA will conduct a site visit to the UA in May 2019. If provisional accreditation is granted, the UA will have the only public veterinary school in Arizona, which is facing a shortage of veterinarians in several areas.

“I am honored and excited to serve as the founding dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Arizona,” Funk said. “Arizona has been in need of a public veterinary medicine program for some time now and this program will have a positive impact on both animal and public health throughout the state. With the new strategic plan in place, the university is well-positioned to be an innovative leader in veterinary medical education.”