Summer Issue 2020

From The Publisher –

“The images were haunting, yet in a small way, comforting. America and the world were under siege like never before in our lifetimes from a deadly virus that came to be known as Coronavirus and COVID-19.” 

Jay Gonzales files a compelling in-depth report which includes our region’s swift and coordinated response to COVID-19 with unprecedented collaboration among everyone with a stake – which was essentially everyone in the community. You’ll be inspired after reading about our city’s healthcare heroes.

At BizTucson, we’ve always reported on “Why The World is Watching Tucson” and the University of Arizona has recently been in the national news spotlight on CNN, NBC’s Today Show and Meet The Press, MSNBC News, ABC News, CBS News. And the list goes on. The reason for such coverage is that UArizona President Dr. Robert C. Robbins is leading an unprecedented Campus Reentry Task Force, which will bring students and faculty back on campus in the fall. Robbins has enlisted former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Richard Carmona to chair this task force. 

Vision and expertise help fight a pandemic – and the UArizona’s Mel & Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health stepped up with critically needed science and leadership to support frontline healthcare and refocus the region. Monica Surfaro Spigelman files a well-timed report on the college, chronicling its many achievements over the past two decades.

Speaking of leadership, just three short months after becoming the first female mayor in Tucson’s history, Regina Romero found herself grappling with troubling issues involving the frightening and deadly virus. David Pittman reports on our new mayor’s response to the crisis and a great chronology of the events of the past few months. 

At press time, our nation witnessed the horrifying and tragic death of George Floyd in Minneapolis – which ignited weeks of protests and precipitated rioting and looting across the country. Locally, we were not immune, as this also happened Downtown. The morning after, Mayor Romero volunteered and    organized a cleanup and 75 business leaders answered the call. Tara Kirkpatrick reports on this effort.

This edition includes an exceptional special report on the Tucson Metro Chamber, titled “Out In Front For Business.” The report leads with an interview with the chamber’s CEO Amber Smith and her team’s response to the COVID-19 crisis. Romi Carrell Wittman writes, “While the health crisis enveloped the globe, another threat loomed closer to home. With residents staying away, Tucson restaurants, retail stores and other businesses saw their sales plummet with an uncertain future ahead. Yet, Amber Smith saw a need the chamber could satisfy. She said “it’s hard to look past COVID-19 right now. We immediately became the air traffic controller of information.”

This issue, we share some positive news from the region’s aerospace/defense sector regarding the merger of Raytheon and United Technologies and the impact of the newly named Raytheon Missiles & Defense.

“Tucson competed very heavily to keep Raytheon Missiles & Defense here and we were proud to lead that effort,” said Joe Snell, president and CEO of Sun Corridor Inc. “Major strategic decisions and cutting edge technology to support the nation’s front-line defense system will continue to be made right here. The ripple effect of this decision will be felt by our region for years to come,” Snell said.

As our business community weathers the crises through these uncertain, chaotic and turbulent times, count on BizTucson to keep you informed 

and stay connected. We invite you to   receive our new e-mail newsletter, The BizTucson News Update. Please register at BizTucson.com/NEWS.

Stay safe, take care and be well.

Steven E. Rosenberg

Publisher & Owner

BizTucson