The Tempe Chamber of Commerce has named Denise Hart as the 2016 Business Woman of the Year. She was honored at the 21st Annual Women in Business Conference on May 25 at the Doubletree by Hilton in Tempe.

“I was deeply honored to be nominated for Tempe Business Woman of the Year among so many admirable business women in the great city of Tempe,” Hart said. “Receiving the award today is the proudest moment of my career. It is always rewarding to be recognized for your achievements and work that you do.”

  • Denise Hart is the Vice President of Marketing for Vestar, overseeing commercial real estate properties across the country including Tempe Marketplace.
  • She is the first female executive hired at Vestar, where she mentors and promotes professional female staff members within the company, helping them to succeed in the corporate world.
  • She is a Certified Marketing Director and Certified Retail Property Executive with the International Council of Shopping Centers and received the organization’s Design and Development Award.
  • She is a graduate of Tempe Leadership Class XXXI and has served on the Tempe Tourism Office’s Board of Directors in various roles since 2003.

“The Business Woman of the Year award recognizes the valuable contributions that Denise has made to the business community and to the Tempe Chamber of Commerce. We are proud to recognize her achievements and the leadership she continues to show in our community,” said Mary Ann Miller, President and CEO of the Tempe Chamber.

The two other finalists were Tracy Bullock, President of Bullock Training & Development and Dawn Hocking, Director of Development at TCH.