A native of Gilbert - who was born to a native of Gilbert - this guest has both roots and recognition in the Town as the third son of Marvin and June Morrison. Alongside his siblings and cousins, he has actively engaged in the development of the master-planned community known as Morrison Ranch. With a Masters in Theology and a Doctorate in Ministry, he considers his Christian faith to be the most formative aspect of his life, and his service to community is testament to his priorities. He has se...
Jan 29, 2024•43 min•Season 3Ep. 15
Tiffany Shultz is a seasoned professional with a diverse background and a strong commitment to her community. A proud graduate of Arizona State University, Tiffany has called Arizona home throughout her life. Her journey began in broadcast journalism before transitioning to a successful career in public relations. Tiffany's professional trajectory took an exciting turn as she shifted her focus to organizing large-scale festivals, showcasing her versatility and ability to manage diverse events. N...
Jan 15, 2024•36 min•Season 3Ep. 14
This podcast recording includes subject matter regarding acts against children that some may find upsetting or triggering. Listener discretion is advised. Dania Blanco founded Cosmiix Artistry in 2010. She was still working full-time as an investigator for the Town of Gilbert and raising three kids. Her artistic career started out in the film industry, working on commercials and editorial shoots during any free time she had. In 2014, she resigned from her position at the Gilbert Police Departmen...
Jan 01, 2024•42 min•Season 3Ep. 13
Jolean Fleck, vice president of people and organizational development, joined Delta Dental of Arizona in 2019. In this role, she works to shape the company’s culture and create an enriching experience for employees. With a focus on building a strong, high-performing team, Fleck is also responsible for leadership development and employer branding. Before joining Delta Dental of Arizona, Fleck was the chief talent officer for the Town of Gilbert, Arizona. As an experienced talent manager, she has ...
Dec 18, 2023•35 min•Season 3Ep. 12
Cindy Packard and her husband Blair are the founders of Care for Life, an NGO in Africa that, for the past 24 years, has seen unprecedented success in alleviating suffering, promoting self-reliance, and instilling hope for those families and villages living in extreme poverty. Cindy helped research and create a unique program using local people to offer comprehensive training and mentoring in health and hygiene, sanitation, food security, home improvement, income generation, literacy, psycho-soc...
Dec 11, 2023•40 min•Season 3Ep. 11
Brimage holds the top leadership position for the University’s Gilbert Campus and is a member of the University’s executive leadership team. She is responsible for leading the strategic growth and operations of the campus, including academic programming, market development, community relations, fundraising, enrollment growth, student services, student academic support, student engagement, and athletic program development and growth. Most recently, Brimage has been the principal and owner of Brim...
Nov 27, 2023•48 min•Season 3Ep. 10
Tim Hovik is an Executive and Philanthropist residing in Arizona. He’s the Owner & Operator of San Tan Ford in Gilbert, Arizona. Mr. Hovik is the leader among his colleagues. Tim’s greatest asset is his ability to make the right decisions at the correct times. The evidence is in the results. He’s also past President of the F.D.A.F. and current Chairman of the influential Ford National Dealers Council. Tim’s passion for all things Ford is a wonderful bond. He’s led his team to the greatest of...
Nov 12, 2023•43 min•Season 3Ep. 9
Owner of Garage-East Winery here in Gilbert, Arizona, since 2016. Married with three children living in Gilbert, the best town ever. Retired hero. ---------- Guiding Growth : Conversations with Community Leaders Join our hosts, Sarah Watts and Ben Kalkman, as we explore the human journey of leaders - their stories of humility, triumph, roadblocks, and lessons learned - as they reflect on how they became who they are today and share stories of inspiration and hope with listeners. We'll take away ...
Oct 30, 2023•32 min•Season 3Ep. 8
Dr. Maria Hesse serves as a Professor of Practice in the higher education program at Arizona State University. She was Vice Provost for Academic Partnerships at Arizona State University for a decade. Prior to joining the ASU administration in 2009, Dr. Hesse served as President and CEO for Chandler-Gilbert Community College, one of the Maricopa Community Colleges. Before her 25 years in the Maricopa Community Colleges system, she was a high school principal and teacher. Dr. Hesse holds a Master ...
Oct 16, 2023•31 min•Season 3Ep. 7
David is the Arizona Regional President for Meadows Bank, a community bank specializing in financial services for businesses and real estate. He was born and raised in Louisiana and moved to Arizona in 2004. David previously served as a Director in Bank of the West/BNP Paribas’ commercial banking office in Phoenix. Prior to that, he was a Vice President at JPMorgan Chase Bank’s Middle Market Banking Group for 12 years. David has worked as a commercial banker covering markets in Southern Californ...
Oct 02, 2023•38 min•Season 3Ep. 6
Dana Berchman is the Chief Digital Officer in Gilbert, Arizona, where she manages all internal and external communications, public relations, marketing and digital government initiatives, government innovation, and open data and storytelling efforts. She leads a digital team responsible for developing forward-thinking policies on social media, digital communications, web initiatives, and other tools to better serve the public. Dana created Gilbert’s award-winning Office of Digital Government, na...
Sep 19, 2023•42 min•Season 3Ep. 5
Leticia Barwick, with an illustrious 35-year career in the industry, is the owner of Meritum, a credit card processing company. Proud to be a local and family-owned business, Meritum stands as a testament to her commitment to her community. Beyond her professional success, Leticia's heart belongs to travel, her creative passion for scrapbooking, cherishing precious moments with loved ones, and her unwavering love for the Dodgers. She also has a passion for cigars, which she enjoys in her leisure...
Sep 04, 2023•25 min•Season 3Ep. 4
Meet Andrew Augustyniak: a guy who wears many hats and owns them all with a smile. Dad to four awesome kiddos, partner-in-crime to his amazing wife, and once upon a time, a golf pro turned loan magician. He’s the brain behind the Augustyniak Lending Team and the top 1% of the nation, according to the folks at Mortgage Executive magazine. Growing up in sunny Arizona, Andrew was all about numbers and people. Tempe was his playground, and boy, did he play well. After snagging a Business Management ...
Aug 21, 2023•37 min•Season 3Ep. 3
Trinity Donovan has served as the CEO of AZCEND for the past 14 years. AZCEND is a nonprofit that provides help and hope, so people don’t have to face their crisis alone. Working in nonprofit leadership positions for over 20 years, her areas of focus have included hunger and homelessness, early childhood, senior programs, and youth development. Trinity also served two terms as a Council Member for the City of Chandler. While on Council, she represented the city on a regional and national level i...
Aug 07, 2023•40 min•Season 3Ep. 2
Terrin Elam is a native of Phoenix, Arizona. He attended McClintock high school, where I was a three-year varsity basketball player. He also played college basketball at Phoenix College for two years. After his basketball career, he and his wife welcomed their first child Terrin Jr., and that is when he decided to join the Navy. Terrin joined the Navy to build a solid foundation for his family. Through his four years of service, he was deployed three times and visited seventeen countries. Upon h...
Jul 24, 2023•28 min•Season 3Ep. 1
Meet Bus Obayomi, an accomplished Business Leader, Community leader, and transformational coach with a proven track record of delivering flawless large-scale enterprise solutions in Government, Financial Services, and Healthcare. Bus specializes in streamlining operations, increasing efficiency, and reducing costs by implementing industry best practices. He has worked with top industry leaders such as Vanguard, Nationwide, and Lincoln Financial Group and has notable expertise in project/program ...
Jul 10, 2023•36 min•Season 2Ep. 26
Chief Michael Soelberg was appointed as the Gilbert Police Department Chief of Police in June 2017. Chief Soelberg began his law enforcement career with the Mesa Police Department in 1995. With the Town of Gilbert, Chief Soelberg has placed emphasis on keeping up the Department’s growth with the growth of the community, which is now over 282,000 residents. Chief Soelberg graduated from Weber State University (Ogden, UT), earning a Bachelor of Science degree and a Master of Education degree from ...
Jun 26, 2023•37 min•Season 2Ep. 25
This guest grew up outside of New York City and was a child model, appearing in ads and commercials. After college, she traveled 3,000 miles to Arizona to join the sales team at the Phoenix Suns, then as Senior Director at the American Heart Association, and she is now the vice president and executive director of the Desert Financial Foundation. She is married and the proud parent to her boxer, Lola! Please welcome Carlissa Wright! ---------- Guiding Growth : Conversations with Community Leaders...
Jun 05, 2023•27 min•Season 2Ep. 24
Lisa Abelar is an accomplished storyteller and copywriter based in Gilbert who seeks adventure for her blended family and runs a non-profit called For Your Record to support domestic abuse survivors with court fees. Her experience as a survivor herself, navigating the legal system and dealing with the financial burden that is associated with it, fueled the idea behind how For Your Record would serve survivors. When she isn't reporting a story for a local magazine, writing website copy, drafting ...
May 22, 2023•36 min•Season 2Ep. 23
Mark Bergerson is a high-energy individual with a passion for service. He started his career as a retail manager and moved into the world of insurance in 2006. He is currently a Commercial Insurance Consultant/Producer with The Arizona Group Insurance Brokers. Mark has embraced the Town of Gilbert since moving here from Minnesota in 2018. He has sat on the Gilbert Chamber Small Business Council, Chaired the GEMTalks committee, participated in Gilbert Leadership (Class 30), and currently sits on ...
May 08, 2023•34 min•Season 2Ep. 22
Rich Ganley’s passionate entrepreneurial spirit and drive for excellence has made way for an impressive 30+ year track record of business success. Rich had a vivid executive history working in healthcare, Human Resources, anti-aging, and amongst others, digital media. Known as the ‘Positive Impact Executive (or, PIE ). Rich loves to help serve customers, employees, and the community. He loves to make a difference and do more things that will live on? Rich is the former CEO and current Board Memb...
Apr 17, 2023•41 min•Season 2Ep. 21
During Patrick’s tenure, Gilbert has become the 79th largest city in the U.S., with a growing population of 277,436. Patrick has been a key leader in the process of transforming Gilbert into one of the most sought-after places for residential living and corporate expansions and relocations. He is a forward-thinking, change-orientated leader and has been instrumental in helping Gilbert become one of the most prestigious and award-winning communities in the nation. Since 2011, Gilbert’s financial ...
Apr 03, 2023•35 min•Season 2Ep. 20
Mr. Tilque is currently semi-retired and the President of GK Tilque Enterprises, a consulting firm specializing in the fields of economic development (domestic & international), project management, and business development. He most recently served as Senior Economic Development Manager for the Greater Phoenix Chamber where he was responsible for the business retention and expansion program. Prior to the Phoenix Chamber, Mr. Tilque spent two years with a start-up management-consulting firm, E...
Mar 20, 2023•29 min•Season 2Ep. 19
Kayla Kolar has been in nonprofit executive leadership for over 30 years and currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of House of Refuge since Jan. 1, 2021. Prior to that, she was President and CEO of HD SOUTH, Home of the Gilbert Historical Museum, for 15 ½ years, where she led the organization through most of a $2 million capital campaign and a complete rebranding from a history museum to a complex arts and culture nonprofit. Before that, she was the Executive Director for the Susan G. ...
Mar 06, 2023•27 min•Season 2Ep. 18
This guest grew up in Clifton, Arizona and holds a master's degree in business administration from WP Carey School of Business at Arizona State University. With more than 25 years experience in Human Resources, she is recognized for her ability to ability to develop people. Today, she serves as the Associate General Manager and Chief Human Resources Executive at Salt River Project, which is the nation's third largest public power utility. She celebrates 31 years of marriage, four children and si...
Feb 20, 2023•23 min•Season 2Ep. 17
This guest was born on the South side of Chicago but grew up amongst a chain of lakes in a small town in Northern Illinois, where she became a competitive water skier. A chance meeting on Valentine's Day in 1995 led her to her husband, Dave, and another chance interaction changed her path from stay at home mom to a successful career in the mortgage industry where she is a top producer for Guild Mortgage and now a mentor to others in the field. Welcome a wonderful professional and great friend, K...
Feb 06, 2023•24 min•Season 2Ep. 16
Jason Gillette is CEO of Guild Health Group, a public health firm committed to inspiring safe and healthy communities through emergency response planning and research and evaluation services. Jason’s path to public health formed from various experiences and efforts over the past twenty years. Helping has been a part of what makes Jason, Jason. From providing humanitarian efforts in communities across the globe while serving in the United States Marines, Jason found his place in the service of ot...
Jan 23, 2023•27 min•Season 2Ep. 15
Christie Boutain has a passion for helping small businesses navigate banking and strategize to achieve their business goals. She has spent her entire career in banking/finance having gained a vast knowledge of banking products/services and built loan support teams, loan policies, and treasury management platforms. She is a Vice President and Commercial Loan Officer with Meadows Bank, a regional community bank. Christie is a small business advocate serving on the board for the Gilbert Chamber of ...
Jan 09, 2023•34 min•Season 2Ep. 14
Wills Amstutz is the owner of Windows and Wheels Auto Detailing. He is an Arizona native and grew up in the east valley. Driven by his passion for car detailing, he, and his sister Daniella, started a mobile detailing service in 2012. As the business expanded and through a series of events they opened their first industrial location in 2015. They have since expanded into paint protection film and window tinting all while growing into a team of 6. Wills is motivated to grow their business so, in ...
Dec 19, 2022•30 min•Season 2Ep. 13
Jeff Breid is an ASE Certified Master Automotive Technician. Jeff began his career in the automotive world at age 18 IN 1992. He is currently the Chief Operating Officer and Owner Operator of CarLife Auto Repair. CarLife has two locations, one in Gilbert and one in Scottsdale. His leadership has led both teams to record-breaking years in 2022. His focus is on technician education, along with ensuring the company has the latest and greatest in tools and technology. Jeff has been able to train cou...
Dec 05, 2022•40 min•Season 2Ep. 12
