Rebecca Fuentes promoted to director of operations

Rebecca Fuentes, SPHR, a 17-year veteran of Cushman & Wakefield | PICOR, was named Director of Operations. Most recently serving as Director of Human Resources, Rebecca’s growth, value, and contributions were recognized by the employee-owned Tucson company’s shareholders.

During her tenure at C&W | PICOR, Rebecca’s role has expanded from office management, to professional human resources oversight and broad operational leadership, while earning the SPHR certification from HRCI. Says chief executive officer Barbi Reuter, “Rebecca has become a valued member of the leadership team. She lives our values and works to promote the wellbeing and productivity of our full team of 50.”

Rebecca served as 2018 President for the Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM) of Greater Tucson, is an active volunteer in the PICOR Charitable Foundation, and leads numerous efforts connecting C&W | PICOR team members to the community. Her favorite annual endeavor is coordination of the hosted Christmas party for residents of The Centers for Habilitation.

Terracon promotes Jennifer Tran

Terracon, an engineering consulting firm, is pleased to announce that Jennifer Tran, P.E., has been promoted to Senior Associate.

Terracon’s senior associate’s program recognizes and rewards employees who demonstrate consistently high performance and have strong potential for continued professional growth and career advancement.

Tran has been with Terracon for 14 years. Tran will continue her position of Senior Project Manager. Tran manages national accounts, clients and projects both locally and nationwide. She has served as office lead for the Terracon Avondale office since 2018. She also trains and mentors colleagues and reviews their work.

HMA Public Relations promotes Autumn Jarrett

HMA Public Relations, a Phoenix-based full-service marketing communications agency, has promoted Autumn Jarrett to account executive. Jarrett joined the firm as an account coordinator in  June 2019, following her graduation from the Cronkite School at Arizona State University. In her new role, she will be responsible for digital communications, social media management and media relations on behalf of the agency’s varied clients. She will also serve as the day-to-day contact for agency clients and will be involved in new business development. 

Prior to joining HMA, Jarrett gained industry experience through an internship with Arizona Public Service (APS) in the corporate communications department. Jarrett also completed a professional program through the Cronkite PR Lab, where she worked on a project for ASU’s Interplanetary Initiative. 

“We are excited to promote Autumn as she enters into her second year at HMA,” says Abbie S. Fink, vice president/general manager. “She has proven to be a valuable asset to our team, and we thrilled to see her continue to grow in her career with HMA.” 

Jarrett graduated cum laude from Cronkite in 2015, earning her Bachelor of Arts in Journalism with an emphasis in public relations and a certificate in marketing and sales from the W.P. Carey School of Business.

Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie attorneys recognized

Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie announced that partners Rob Charles and Melanie Pate have been named two of the Top 50 Pro Bono Attorneys in 2020 by The Arizona Bar Foundation. The Arizona Bar Foundation’s annual Pro Bono Awards recognize the commitment to public service by Arizona attorneys and law firms. Award winners were selected based on nominations from their peers and colleagues and will be honored during the Foundation’s annual Awards Luncheon at the State Bar’s annual convention in Tucson on December 2, 2020.

Charles is a partner and leader in the firm’s Bankruptcy and Creditors’ Rights team, practicing throughout Arizona and Nevada. He represents clients in business bankruptcy cases, commercial lawsuits and business transactions. He works with secured and unsecured creditors, as well as debtors, through complex Chapter 11 bankruptcy issues encompassing all aspects of debtor/creditor relationships, workouts and litigation. Charles also advises clients in the Uniform Commercial Code matters, with expertise in negotiable instruments, banking law and secured transactions. He actively represents plaintiffs and defendants in civil and commercial litigation in the state and federal courts.

As a Fellow of the American College of Bankruptcy and an Adjunct Professor teaching bankruptcy reorganization at the University of Arizona College of Law, Charles is continually recognized by the industry for the highest standards of leadership and experience in bankruptcy law and his commitment to the community. He has received numerous accolades for his pro bono services that include providing legal advice on bankruptcy matters as well as serving as a member of the advisory board of Volunteer Lawyers Program, a division of Southern Arizona Legal Aid Inc. 

Pate is an employment litigator and civil rights attorney. She regularly represents public and private clients before state and federal judicial and administrative authorities. She handles highly confidential and complex matters and has had great success in achieving the full dismissal of claims against employers, housing providers, and places of public accommodation. Additionally, she provides preventative counseling and training on risk management and litigation avoidance to businesses of all sizes, in a variety of industries. Pate also provides pro bono employment law advice to a number of non-profit organizations. During the past year, she helped two Cuban refugees gain asylum in the United States through her work with the Florence Immigrant and Refugee Rights Project.

Gust Rosenfeld adds insurance and litigation attorney

Gust Rosenfeld, P.L.C., announced that Heidi F. Purtzer has joined the firm’s Insurance and Litigation groups.

Heidi’s practice includes a broad range of insurance defense, civil litigation, real estate, and complex commercial litigation matters. Heidi is involved in all aspects of litigation, including trial practice, mediations, and depositions, and she brings a practical perspective to planning and executing these dispute resolution and litigation strategies.

Heidi received her J.D. from the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University, where she was a Pedrick Scholar and served as the Senior Article Editor for the Sports and Entertainment Law Journal. She earned a Master’s in Sports Management and Leadership from Northeastern University, and B.A. in Social Science from Michigan State University. While at Michigan State, she was a four-year varsity athlete on the softball team.