Delta Dental of Arizona names new board chair

Delta Dental of Arizona announced that Candace Hunter Wiest, president and CEO at West Valley Bancorp Inc. and West Valley National Bank, has been named the Chairman of the dental insurance company’s corporate board of Directors. Wiest has been on the Delta Dental of Arizona board since 2014 and previously held roles on their compensation, finance and strategy committees.

Wiest’s career path has been unconventional. She married at 17, had three children by age 21, and when the youngest child was a few weeks old, she became the family’s sole provider. After spending time in the hospitality and insurance industries, she joined her first bank in 1986 as a loan clerk. In 2018, Wiest celebrated her 25th anniversary as a CEO.

Wiest believes that community commitment is the cornerstone of community banking. In addition to her role on the Delta Dental board, she currently she serves as a director of West Valley National Bank and West Valley Bancorp, a director and the secretary of Cancer Treatment Center of America at Western Regional Medical Center.

“Candace’s business acumen and risk management experience are remarkable assets to the organization and I could not be more thrilled to work alongside her,” said Allan Allford, president/CEO of Delta Dental of Arizona. “Candace’s guidance will better position Delta Dental of Arizona in the marketplace as we continue to optimize business operations and pursue new opportunities to promote optimal oral health.”

Ann Chevalier to lead Kidder Mathews in Phoenix, San Diego

Ann Chevalier has joined Kidder Mathews’ San Diego office. She has been named a senior vice president and will lead the firm’s Property Management Services in the San Diego and Phoenix markets. In this role, she will be responsible for managing diversified assets and developing and directing the San Diego and Phoenix property management teams, along with client development and support and overall quality control in service delivery. 

Chevalier brings over 24 years of commercial real estate experience. Before joining Kidder Mathews, she was with CBRE where she was the director of property management and oversaw a four million square foot portfolio consisting of office, retail, and industrial properties.

Sears named chief nursing officer at Abrazo Scottsdale

Wendi Sears, MSN, RN, CEN, is the new chief nursing officer at Abrazo Scottsdale Campus. Abrazo Scottsdale is a 136-bed acute care surgical hospital that has served the Northeast Valley and beyond for more than 35 years.

Sears more than 21 years of nursing experience and most recently was Market Senior Director of Emergency Services at Carondelet Health Network in Tucson. Her experience also includes nursing leadership positions with hospitals in Arizona, Virginia and California. 

“Wendi’s interpersonal skills and ability to inspire, achieve consensus and foster a collaborative environment will help us keep Abrazo Scottsdale on its continued path of growth and success,” said Abrazo Health CEO Frank Molinaro. 

Sears earned a Master’s of Nursing degree in Clinical Systems Leadership from the University of Arizona and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from Virginia Commonwealth University.

Entrepreneurs’ Organization Arizona Chapter announces board

Entrepreneurs’ Organization, the world’s leading peer-to-peer network of successful business owners, unveiled the 2019-2020 board of directors of its Arizona chapter today.

Since starting in Arizona in 1993, EO Arizona has grown to one of the largest chapters in the world with more than 170 members including some of the top entrepreneurial leaders in the state. EO is made up of entrepreneurs who are founders/co-founders or majority shareholders of a business that exceeds $1 million in annual revenue. In total, these member-lead Arizona businesses employ over 5,000 people and are responsible for annual sales in excess of $650 million.

The members of the new board are:

●      Dawn Cartier, President – CivTech

●      Michael Cocanower, President Elect – itSynergy

●      Accelerator Chair, Ben Ellis – E&G Real Estate Services

●      Chapter Ambassador Chair, Zack Barna – boompromo

●      Communication Chair, Dallin Harris – Skyhook

●      Forum Chair, Paul Smith – Service Smith, LLC

●      Finance Chair, Alex Lowy – Lowy’s Tax Planning & Accounting, LLC

●      GSEA Champion, Derek Greene – Get Your Move On, LLC

●      Integration Chair, Jack Weiner – JackWeiner.com

●      Learning Chair, Matt Altman – Sportiqe

●      Learning Chair Elect, Chad Nikkel – Aquaman Pools, LLC

●      Membership Chair, Melissa DiGianfilippo – Serendipit Consulting

●      Mentorship Chair, Scott Novis – Game Truck Licensing

●      MyEO Champion, Andy Griffin – The District PHX

●      Social Chair, Nora Hayzlett – Arrow Graphics

●      Strategic Alliance Partner Chair, Mark Jennings – MTJ Electric, Inc.

●      Tenured Member Integration Chair, Sheri Sender – SSTJ Management

Globally, the organization boasts more than 13,000 members with 185 chapters in 58 countries.

For more information or to inquire about becoming a member, please visit http://www.eoarizona.org/.