Jim Tofel 

An Everyday ‘Superhero’

By April Bourie

The Father’s Day Council chooses its awardees based on their success in business, level of community involvement, and, of course, for being great fathers.

Anyone who knows Jim Tofel would agree that he more than meets those requirements.

“People call him ‘Jimcredible,’ because he’s just like Mr. Incredible,” said his wife, Allyson, referencing the popular Disney character. “He’s a calm, everyday guy on the outside, but underneath it all, he’s a superhero.”

Tofel earned an engineering degree from the University of Arizona in 1991 and took a job with Andersen Consulting, now known as Accenture. The position allowed him to travel the world and gain a variety of experiences in several different industries.

He met his wife at a party in Hermosa Beach, Calif., while he was working for Andersen Consulting, and they quickly hit it off. She was the personal assistant for musician John Tesh at the time and the two were engaged at one of Tesh’s concerts in front of 3,000 people.

The couple had their first two daughters, Lauren and Carlee, while living in Los Angeles. When Andersen Consulting wanted to send Tofel to Connecticut to live and work, he decided he’d rather have a job where he could devote time to being a dad. He moved the family to Tucson and began working for his family’s company, Tofel Construction, founded by his father and uncle.

“We decided that we wanted to raise our family around family,” Tofel said. They had their third daughter, Lexi, after moving to Tucson. 

Today, he’s a partner in Tofel Dent Construction with Dave Dent. His title is managing member for business development and preconstruction services, which means he brings the business in the door, and his partner executes the projects. The company is one of the leading affordable-housing general contractors in Arizona and New Mexico, due to Tofel’s passion for providing housing opportunities for the less fortunate. 

“Affordable housing is desperately needed in Tucson and in Arizona,” Tofel said. “There is a shortage of 172,000 affordable housing units in the state, and over 30,000 in Tucson.”

Tofel has served on the board of the Arizona Housing Coalition and was the chair for the City of Tucson’s Commission on Equitable Housing and Development. He also serves on several committees that address the homeless crisis.

“Time is the biggest factor right now in determining which organizations to be involved with,” Tofel said. “Family has to be first. I’ve always tried to be there for them and be supportive and help them make decisions for what’s best for them and support them even if I don’t agree with their decisions.

“We’ve also tried to make things fun. Allyson is an amazing mother and person. She did a lot of the heavy lifting when the kids were young. I feel like I married up when I married her.”

Tofel recently acquired the Tucson Racquet & Fitness Club, built by his grandfather in 1967. In addition to the affordable housing projects that Tofel Dent Construction has built, Tofel considers the club one of his proudest professional achievements.

“Family is so completely important to Jim, and when he had the opportunity to buy the Tucson Racquet & Fitness Club, he was filled with such a sense of gratitude that he would be able to continue his Grandpa Joe’s legacy of a safe place to call a second home,” Allyson said. “Jim grew up there, and our kids grew up going to sports camps there every year. We love that it will be a place where the whole community can continue to bring their families for generations to come.”

Allyson said her husband has the qualities of a man and father that she was searching for when the two met.

“Before we met, I wanted to find a man who was organized and meticulous, but also spontaneous,” she said. “He completely fits that bill.

“I love that he is able to see the big picture, and he’s a very good problem solver, helping the girls with any issues they need help with. He answers their questions from a nonjudgmental viewpoint where he just tells them pros and cons. His dedication to the girls and to me is amazing and unwavering.”

Pictured Above: Back – Lauren, Lexi, Carlee. Front – Jim and Allyson. Photo by Brent G. Mathis