Antonya Williams promoted to Executive Vice President at McCarthy
McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. announced Antonya Williams was promoted to executive vice president and was also appointed to serve on the firm’s Executive Leadership Team (ELT). As executive vice president, Williams will continue to lead the Southwest region’s marketing and business development teams in Arizona, Nevada, Colorado and New Mexico as well as national markets including water and renewable energy. In addition, as a new member of the firm’s ELT, she serves as a steward of the company’s culture, guiding the firm’s national business strategy, including market sector team growth and development.
Williams earned her promotion and national leadership board appointment following the continued success of the collaborative regional business development and marketing model she implemented in McCarthy’s Southwest region. The model is rooted in her “all-in team approach” that embodies her leadership philosophy by emphasizing collaboration across all business units and departments throughout the lifecycle of a project. Williams is passionate about ensuring an exceptional client experience, achieving operational excellence, and supporting team innovations and accomplishments. Additionally, Williams co-leads the firm’s national business development leadership team, helping to increase engagement and elevate strategy across the company. Her influence and leadership across the company helped position her for an appointment to the firm’s national ELT.
Over the years, Williams has become known for leading by example. Not only is she actively engaged in various industry organizations, she also invests her time and energy into helping others achieve their goals by mentoring members of her team, others in the industry, and young people in the community. She is currently serving as a vice chair for ACE Mentorship in Arizona where she has been instrumental in developing and expanding the program to serve youth interested in careers in architecture, construction and engineering by offering supportive and educational programs in partnership with school districts around the state. Williams has also impacted the lives of young people by volunteering as a mentor through Big Brothers Big Sisters and New Pathways for Youth as well as acting as a strategic partner on New Pathways for Youth’s Advisory Council. Her leadership and mentoring have earned her recognition, including being named one of Engineering News Record’s National Top 20 under 40 in 2017, one of AZ Business and AZRE magazines’ Most Influential Women in Arizona in 2018 and most recently being named to Construction Dive’s 2021 Top Female Leaders in Construction.
McCarthy pre-construction team promotes Brett Foster
With exponential growth poised for the Southwest construction market, McCarthy Building Companies announced that Brett Foster has been promoted to preconstruction director.
In this new role, Foster will add value during preconstruction to maximize the project team’s vision while also managing cost. These efforts will allow McCarthy to continue growing as a business and become more integrated in alternative project delivery.
Foster has served as a member of McCarthy’s preconstruction team for the last seven years.
“Brett’s all-in commitment to his work, focus on client experience, and partnership with internal and external teams has helped our McCarthy team elevate the bar within preconstruction,” said Matt Lyons, senior vice president of preconstruction.
Foster’s experience has spanned across all areas of McCarthy, including some of the largest self-perform concrete projects including Vegas-based Allegiant Stadium (Raiders) and Circa Hotel as well as the Kansas-based Tomahawk Wastewater Treatment Plant. He has also led preconstruction on a variety of projects within Arizona commercial and education markets, allowing him to build deep relationships with the local design and trade partner community.
Libertas Real Estate announces commercial division
Libertas Real Estate has made a reputable name for itself in the residential real estate market throughout the greater Phoenix area, particularly in the West Valley, since its inception. And with the new addition of its commercial real estate division, PMD Realty Group at Libertas, the company is set to do the same within the area’s commercial market — and it is well positioned to do so.
PMD Realty brings to the valley more than 24 years of combined experience in the regions of greater south Florida, Washington state and Arizona. At the helm of this division are Principal and Chairman Paul Davis, Brooke Askew-Rossi and David McDermott. Together and with their staff of experienced professionals, they are poised to dominate the west valley market, specializing in retail leasing, retail sales, commercial sales, commercial property management and commercial development.
“With the recent and anticipated growth of the West Valley, now is the time to create further opportunity for expansion and really carve out a market segment that is really just being tapped into,” says Davis, whose passion for real estate began with residential and has grown to include the commercial industry. “We’re thrilled to expand into this sector with such a solid source of experience that will ultimately shape the commercial market and its surrounding neighborhoods in the coming years.”
Much like the Libertas residential division, PMD Realty Group at Libertas prides itself on its unique business approach that sets itself apart from others in the industry. To the firm, it’s not about “the how,” it’s about “the why.” And this simple focus shift itself creates unparalleled success for its clients and business partners.
PMD Realty Group at Libertas intends to celebrate its launch with an official grand opening, with more details on that to come. For more, visit www.pmdrealtygroup.com.
Jones, Skelton & Hochuli adds Corey Galbraith and J. William VanDehei
Jones, Skelton & Hochuli, PLC welcomed two associate attorneys, growing our firm to 97 (confirm this number is right) attorneys. Corey Galbraith joins our Transportation, Auto, Products, and General Liability Trial Group and J. William VanDehei joins our Appellate Group.
Corey Galbraith focuses his practice on product liability, commercial litigation, trucking, employment litigation, insurance bad faith, and catastrophic personal injury cases. Before joining JSH, he worked at one of Arizona’s largest full-service law firms where a large portion of his practice was representing plaintiffs in catastrophic personal injury cases.
While attending law school at ASU, Corey gained legal experience as a summer associate at two Valley law firms. In 2018, he was named “Staff Writer of the Year” by the Arizona State Law Journal. Corey was a Willard H. Pedrick Scholar, CALI Award recipient, and Leo & Annette Beus Top Scholar, a full-tuition scholarship. In addition, he served as an Executive Board Member of the Disability Law Project and participant in the Civil Litigation Clinic.
After earning his undergraduate degree in Business Administration from University of Arizona, Corey worked at Vanguard. While at University of Arizona, he was honored with the Academic Year Distinction all four years and on the Dean’s List with Distinction for seven semesters. Corey also served on the Executive Board of the Eller Leadership and Integrity Training for Excellence (ELITE), a year-long intensive program for Pre-Business first-year students.
J. William VanDehei represents clients in federal and state appellate matters. Before joining JSH, William gained extensive legal experience as a senior law clerk for the Honorable David B. Gass at Arizona Court of Appeals.
William graduated from Louisiana State University’s Paul M. Herbert Law Center, where he earned the Dean’s Scholar Award and CALI Award in his ethics class. He competed in and won the 2019 Dean’s Cup and 2017 Tullis Moot Court competitions, earned Best Brief in the 69th Annual National Moot Court, was named Top 10 Oralist in the in the 2019 Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition, and was inducted into the Order of the Barristers in 2019. During law school, William worked as a summer associate at The Kullman Firm, an extern for the Honorable John W. deGravelles at the U.S. District Court in Baton Rouge, a student attorney at the LSU Immigration Law Clinic, and an extern at the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
William earned his undergraduate degree in Psychology from the University of Utah and was a member of the Psi Chi International Honor Society and Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity.
JSH Partner Chelsey Golightly elected to executive council
Jones, Skelton & Hochuli, PLC announced that Chelsey Golightly has been elected to serve on the Executive Council of the Association of Defense Trial Attorneys (ADTA). She joins two other newly-elected attorneys as the Executive Council Class of 2024 and will serve a three-year term. Chelsey previously served as Chair of ADTA’s Committee on Diversity and Inclusion.
As a partner at JSH, Chelsey practices in the areas of general civil litigation and insurance defense. She defends clients in complex litigation cases involving wrongful death, catastrophic personal injury, premises liability, products liability, and social host liability. In addition, she represents clients in cases involving assault, battery, sexual abuse, and self-defense. As a result, she has developed a concentration dealing with the complex interplay between criminal investigations and the civil lawsuits that often follow.
Active in the legal community, Chelsey is a member of the Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel (FDCC), Arizona Women Lawyers Association (AWLA), Arizona Association of Defense Counsel (AADC), National LGBT Bar Association, and USLAW Network’s Women’s Connection. She donates her time to the Volunteer Lawyers Program for Community Legal Services and serves on the Fiesta Bowl Committee. Within the firm, Chelsey is a hiring partner, and leads the summer associate and mentorship programs.
JSH is proud to have two attorneys elected as members of ADTA. Chelsey’s colleague and JSH partner Donald Myles has been a member of ADTA since 2013.
Jones, Skelton & Hochuli welcomes 4 summer associates
Jones, Skelton & Hochuli welcomed Alexandra Glover, Brendan Hecht, Anthony Julian, and Jocelyn Reyes to our 2021 Summer Associate Program. During their virtual summer clerkship at JSH, these law students will work with attorneys in each of the firm’s practice areas, handle research and writing projects, learn about the day-to-day practice of law in the private sector, and observe hearings, depositions, mediations, and arbitrations.
Alexandra Glover is a law student at ASU’s Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law. Allie is a member of the Corporate and Business Law Society, serves as Editor-in-Chief of the Sports and Entertainment Law Journal, and is an active Law School Ambassador, welcoming new and prospective law students to ASU. During her first and second year of law school, Allie volunteered at the Arizona Legal Center and worked as an associate intern and researcher for four Valley law firms. She earned the CALI Excellence for the Future Award in The Litigation Experience, a class following a mock criminal case from charging to sentencing, and an A+ grade in Secured Transactions. She also received the Best Oral Argument Award in Legal Advocacy, representing the defense. Allie earned her B.A. in Marketing Management from Western Governor’s University in Salt Lake City. After completing her undergraduate degree, Allie worked in restaurant operations management. Before attending law school, she served as Vice Chair and full-time Business Mentor volunteer at SCORE in Vancouver, Washington, which offers free mentoring services and low-cost seminars to entrepreneurs and small business owners.
Brendan Hecht is also a law student at ASU. He serves on the Executive Board of the Sports Law and Business Student Association, as Secretary of the Jewish Law Student Association, and is a teaching assistant to Professor Christopher Lee in the Master of Sport Law and Business program. In addition to his summer clerkship at JSH, Brendan worked as a legal extern at the Maricopa County Prosecution Office, law clerk under a managing partner at a local law firm in the Consumer Protection Department, and legal intern at the Arizona Legal Center. After his first year of law school, Brendan spent his summer in his home province of Manitoba where he secured a summer internship with a Canadian Football League Agent and co-founded a landscaping business that he continues to manage. Brendan also volunteered as a mentor with CourtWorks, a partnership between ASU law school and the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona that introduces eighth grade students to constitutional principles and the judicial system. He earned his undergraduate degree in Psychology with minor in Sociology, magna cum laude, from the University of Manitoba. Brendan was a Rhodes Scholar Nominee and recipient of a General Arts Scholarship.
Anthony Julian is a law student at ASU and serves as the Submissions Chair for the Arizona State Sports and Entertainment Law Journal. By the end of his second year of law school, Tony has worked as a legal extern at the Arizona Attorney’s General’s Office in the Child & Family Protection Division and as a legal intern at the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office in the Capital Litigation Bureau. He began his law degree at the University of Oregon School of Law before transferring to ASU in 2020. While there, Tony was awarded an Oregon Merit Scholarship and served as a 1L Representative of the Sports and Entertainment Law Forum. Tony earned dual undergraduate degrees at the University of Arizona, graduating cum laude with a B.A. in Film and Television and a B.A. in Law. He was the recipient of numerous awards, including the Wildcat Excellence Scholarship, Mayo Clinic Scholars Scholarship, Certificate of Academic Excellence from the School of Government and Public Policy, and Sigma Phi Epsilon Academic & Involvement Scholarship. While at U of A, Tony served as the Concerts Director for the Wildcat Events Board for two years and helped create the “Bear Down Music Festival.”
Jocelyn Reyes is a law student at the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law. She serves as a 2L Writer and Note Comment Editor for the Arizona Journal of International & Comparative Law and served as President of the Latino Law Student Association. Jocelyn has earned several scholarships and awards, including the Cynthia Ettinger Memorial Scholarship, Carpenter Scholarship, Arizona Minority Bar Association Scholarship, Valdemar A. Cordova Scholarship, Raul H. Castro Scholar, and State Bar Criminal Justice Future Practitioner Award. She is Founder and President of the UA Pipeline Initiative and Marshall-Brennan, established to encourage high school students to pursue higher education by their participation in moot court competitions. Jocelyn gained legal experience through a judicial externship at the Arizona Supreme Court for Vice Chief Justice Ann A. Scott Timmer, as a law clerk at the Pima County Attorney’s Office, and as a judicial extern at the Arizona Court of Appeals, Division I for Judge Maria Elena Cruz. She earned triple undergraduate degrees at Northern Arizona University. Jocelyn graduated with a B.S. in Criminal Justice and Criminology, B.S. in Sociology, B.A. in Spanish, magna cum laude, and a minor in Psychology, cum laude. After earning her undergraduate degrees, Jocelyn worked at Child & Family Support Services as a High Needs Care Coordinator and at Southwest Key Programs as a Case Manager. While pursuing her undergraduate degrees, she worked for two years as an intern at the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and for one year as a research intern at Interns to Scholars Program in Flagstaff. She is a native Spanish speaker.
Jones, Skelton & Hochuli adds Amy Groark as a legal nurse consultant
Jones, Skelton & Hochuli welcomed legal nurse consultant Amy Groark to the firm’s Medical Liability & Health Care Defense Group.
Groark brings a combination of practical knowledge from prior work experience as both a registered nurse and a paralegal. She provides critical support to the firm’s legal teams with medical research, client and defense expert communication, plaintiff analysis, deposition preparation, and procurement and analysis of relevant medical records involved in litigation.
Prior to joining JSH, Groark spent more than four years as a nurse in the Hematology/Oncology Unit at the Mayo Clinic, with experience in bone marrow transplant procedures. She later worked more than a year in the Children’s Center for Cancer & Blood Disorders at Phoenix Children’s Hospital.
Groark completed her undergraduate studies at Arizona State University and spent seven years working as a paralegal for corporations in a wide variety of industries and completing legal studies coursework at the University of Washington in 2009. She earned her BSN from Arizona State University in 2015 and became a member of the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses and the American Nurses Association.
Outside of her professional responsibilities, Groark has volunteered with Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), a national association in the United States that supports and promotes court-appointed advocates for abused or neglected children.