FSL adds five new board members

FSL announced Andrew Cropper, Ken Lee, Jade Leung, Larry O’Connor and Bob Zimmerman have joined the nonprofits board of directors.

“We’re pleased to have each of them on our board,” said Tom Egan, chief executive officer and president of FSL. “They each bring a unique skill set and expertise to FSL. They will be instrumental in our growth and vision.”

Andrew Cropper, vice president at FirstBank is a Phoenix native and Gonzaga University graduate.  He began his career with FirstBank in 2015 and currently oversees the daily operations management, underwriting, loan origination and business development. He is extremely involved in the community as a member of the Glendale Chamber of Commerce Ambassador Committee, an advisory committee member for Benevilla, and volunteer for St. Vincent de Paul, Catholic Charities and Valley Partnership. He also recently graduated from Scottsdale Leadership.

Ken Lee is senior director of legal services at SRP, where he supports one of the largest publicly owned power and water utilities in the nation through a wide range of casework, initiatives, negotiations and other needs. He’s active in the community including a previous board member for Junior Achievement of Arizona and past chair of the City of Phoenix’s Youth and Education Commission. He graduated from Drake University Law School and also holds a Master of Health Services Administration and Bachelor of Science in Management/Human Resources from Arizona State University.

Jade Leung is the Chief Financial Officer and corporate secretary of CaliberCos Inc, a leading U.S. asset management sponsor with approximately $500 million in real estate assets under management.  As CFO, Jade oversees accounting and controllership, financial planning and analysis, tax, financial reporting and treasury functions at Caliber.  He earned his accounting degree from Ryerson University and Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from the University of British Columbia. He holds an active CPA license in the states of Arizona and Maine.

Larry O’Connor is ALTCS Administrator at Banner Health and is responsible for all ALTCS functions. With over 25 years of industry experience, he has a deep understanding of the industry, market competitive landscape and external forces impacting the operational, financial, and quality measures which define a success within a health plan.  As a FSL board member, he will bring high quality services to both internal and external stakeholders.

Bob Zimmerman, managing senior vice president at Heffernan Insurance Brokers.  He has a vast experience working with both publicly and privately held companies. He has over 30 years of experience in the commercial insurance industry.  He graduated from Santa Clara University.

Adrienne Kautzman joins CBRE

CBRE announced that Adrienne Kautzman has joined CBRE Capital Markets’ Debt & Structured Finance as a Senior Vice President, based in Phoenix. Ms. Kautzman will specialize in the placement of debt and equity for hospitality properties throughout the U.S.

Ms. Kautzman joins CBRE from Berkadia, where she most recently was Managing Director for the Berkadia Hotels & Hospitality Group, responsible for providing financing solutions to commercial real estate developers and owners throughout the U.S. Previously, she was Managing Director at GE Franchise Finance Hotel Lending Group, originating senior debt on individual assets and portfolios of nationally franchised select-service and extended-stay hotels, with loans ranging in size from $5 million to $160 million.

Over the past five years, Ms. Kautzman has closed more than $600 million in transactions.

“Adrienne is an accomplished finance professional with nearly 20 years of experience in the hospitality sector,” said Jeff Majewski, Executive Managing Director, Capital Markets. “Her broad knowledge and expertise in lending and underwriting will bring great value to CBRE’s clients given the ever-changing and evolving hotel segment due to the effects from the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Ms. Kautzman received her bachelor’s degree in business administration with a focus on finance and human resources from Gonzaga University.

Jones, Skelton & Hochuli welcomes Elizabeth B. N. Garcia

Jones, Skelton & Hochuli is pleased to welcome associate attorney Elizabeth B. N. Garcia to its Appellate Group, as she focuses her practice in federal and state appellate matters.

Liz joins the firm after gaining experience at a multistate firm, where she handled class action defense and other complex litigation. In addition to her class action experience, she has handled breach of contract and other sophisticated commercial litigation for clients across industries. Liz previously worked for the Arizona Attorney General’s Office as an Assistant Attorney General for Criminal Appeals and was named the 2017 Emerging Star for the Solicitor General’s Office. Liz honed her appellate writing and research skills through a judicial clerkship for the Honorable Maurice Portley at the Arizona Court of Appeals.

During law school, Liz worked as a law clerk for a Phoenix litigation firm that handles consumer and employment class-action lawsuits. She was named a Willard H. Pedrick Scholar and volunteered as a Rule 38(d) Certified Limited Practice Student at the ASU Immigration Law & Policy Clinic.

Liz earned her legal degree from Arizona State University’s Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, where she was honored with an Outstanding Performance in Oral Advocacy Award and a Snell & Wilmer Scholarship. Liz worked as a legal researcher for Icon Professional Services during her first year of law school.