JLL names new head of Phoenix office

The Phoenix office of JLL has named Pat Williams as Senior Managing Director and new head of the Phoenix JLL office, overseeing a team of 46 local commercial real estate brokers specializing in tenant and investor representation across a broad range of product types.

Williams previously served as the head of the JLL Phoenix tenant representation team and co-leader of the Phoenix office alongside Senior Managing Director Dennis Desmond. With the transition, Desmond will move to an expanded role within the JLL Capital Markets group.

Williams joined the local JLL office in 2000, serving as a tenant representation expert and one of six founding team members within what – at the time – was the Staubach Company, the nation’s leading tenant representation firm. In 2008, the Staubach Company was purchased by JLL. In 2011, Williams was promoted to Managing Director and named head of the JLL Phoenix tenant representation team.

Since that time, Williams and Desmond have grown JLL’s Phoenix office to reflect the company’s comprehensive commercial real estate platform, which in Phoenix now includes tenant and landlord (agency) office, industrial, retail, healthcare and data center representation; commercial real estate investments (capital markets); multifamily investments; property and facility management; development services; and related services within the real estate leasing, investment and management process.

 Stephen Johnson appointed GM of The Scott

Stephen Johnson has been named general manager of The Scott, a 204-room property in the heart of Old Town Scottsdale, owned and operated by Classic Hotels & Resorts. The Mission style hotel, formerly known as Firesky, is currently in the midst of a $15 million renovation. Phase one debuted in fall 2017 with all new public spaces and a signature restaurant, bar and lounge concept celebrating 1930s Havana, The Canal Club.

Johnson brings a wealth of hospitality knowledge to his new position at The Scott, spanning luxury hotel and resort openings, leadership roles in food and beverage departments and experience with spa properties. In the Greater Phoenix market, Johnson previously served as general manager of Royal Palms Resort & Spa. Most recently, he served as general manager of Gateway Canyons Resort & Spa in Colo., and has also worked with a variety of other iconic destination resorts, including Sea Island in Ga. and Ventana Inn & Spa in Big Sur, Calif., where he spent eight years.

“Building off the hotel’s brand-new look and feel, we’re thrilled to welcome Stephen and tap into his leadership to elevate The Scott as we continue to enrich the guest experience through service, amenities and offerings,” said John Grossman, president of Classic Hotels & Resorts. “Stephen’s proven track record in successful destination resort openings throughout the Western United States and beyond demonstrates his keen industry expertise and solid reputation.”

Southwest Behavioral & Health Services promotes Dominic Miller

Dominic Miller has been promoted to vice president outpatient services for Southwest Behavioral & Health Services (SB&H). In his new role, Miller will be responsible for providing administrative and clinical oversight to outpatient clinics in Maricopa and Gila counties, partnering with stakeholders and community partners and developing and implementing programs to sustain and grow outpatient services. In addition, Miller will also serve SB&H as a clinician working with adults on Federal Probation and adults admitted to SB&H’s Crisis Recovery Unit.

“Dominic has been with SB&H for a year serving as a clinical manager. I speak on everyone’s behalf at SB&H when I say that he is an integral part of our team. This promotion is well-deserved and we know he will continue to help people within our community to discover their strengths and reach their true potential,” said Steven Sheets, SB&H senior vice president, Maricopa County.

Miller earned his bachelor’s degree in social work and two masters’ degrees in social work and public administration from Arizona State University.

Frontdoors Media selects new editor

Frontdoors Media, a digital media company that publishes Frontdoors Magazine and provides extensive online coverage of the Valley’s philanthropy and lifestyle, has selected industry veteran Karen Werner as its new Editor.

Werner is an accomplished writer with experience in a number of different platforms, and frequently serves as an adjunct professor of editing and magazine writing at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University. She is the founder and principal of KWink Media, a consulting firm that helps create publications and manage communications for a number of prominent for-profit and nonprofit organizations. 

Werner previously worked as Executive Editor of Arizona Foothills Magazine, and has produced publications for the Musical Instrument Museum, the Arizona Office of Tourism, and the City of Glendale. She also created and served as Editor in Chief of Wavelength, a magazine for Phoenix-area NPR affiliates KJZZ and KBAQ.

Tomi Farr joins Silverman Law Offices

Tomi L. Farr has joined the Silverman Law Office as an associate attorney with a focus on estate planning.

Farr, of Ahwatukee, most recently had been attorney for Zorro Outdoor Media, LLC, a family-owned billboard company.  Previously, she had been an associate attorney with the Dana Law Firm and had managed her own single practitioner law firm, first specializing in bankruptcy and then in estate planning.

“My passion is working with people and making them comfortable with the estate planning process,” she said.  “It is such an unknown area for most people, yet is something we all need to plan for.  It’s not an easy process, so ensuring that people understand their choices and how a well-designed plan can put them at ease is vitally important.”

Farr holds a Juris Doctor degree from the California Western School of Law and a Bachelor of Science degree in zoology from Arizona State University.