Winter Issue 2020
From The Publisher –
Energizing Economy
As we begin a new decade, our region’s economy is well positioned for continued growth. Sun Corridor Inc.’s President and CEO Joe Snell states, “Economic development is a team sport.”
Sun Corridor Inc. has an impressive lineup of Southern Arizona’s top executives – pictured on our cover. The “Chairman’s Circle” is comprised of leading CEOs such as Dr. Robert C. Robbins of the University of Arizona, Wesley Kremer of Raytheon Missile Systems, David Hutchens of UNS Energy/Tucson Electric Power, Lee Lambert of Pima Community College, Jean Savage of Caterpillar, Marc Beaudette of Bombardier, Sandra Watson of the Arizona Commerce Authority, Fletcher McCusker of UAVenture Capital, Judy Rich of Tucson Medical Center, Lisa Lovallo of Cox Communications and Danette Bewley of Tucson Airport Authority…and the list goes on.
Our team presents a Special Report focused on Sun Corridor Inc.’s 15th anniversary as the region’s economic engine. Southern Arizona’s economy has posted strong growth for the past five years, as Sun Corridor Inc. continues to build an impressive record of expansion and recruitment of Fortune 500 companies, including Raytheon Missile Systems, Caterpillar Surface Mining and Technology Division, GEICO, Amazon, Comcast, Texas Instruments, Roche Tissue Diagnostics, Hexagon Mining, Target.com, HomeGoods, Ernst & Young and more. In fact, since 2003, Sun Corridor Inc. has facilitated the attraction or expansion of 173 companies as of December 2019 – creating 50,989 jobs and an economic impact of $29.5 billion.
Our next Special Report is quite an inspiration, as El Rio Health celebrates 50 years of innovation. When President Lyndon B. Johnson declared a “war on poverty” in the late 1960s, federal grants were provided for community health centers. As a result of this new funding, El Rio opened its first neighborhood health center on the westside in 1970. El Rio has received national recognition for its comprehensive network of community health centers and for its exceptional and compassionate model of healthcare.
El Rio Health’s CEO Nancy Johnson has said that the organization’s growth is the result of a singular focus on their mission – and the compassionate care for which it is known. “It’s exciting to see the growth and to see people realize that this model is not just for the most vulnerable populations,” she said. In fact, more than 70% of El Rio’s patients have health insurance. For this report, we assembled an historic timeline of achievements over the past five decades – El Rio Health’s citywide impact is immense as its 12 locations serve more than 107,000 patients annually and the current number of full-time healthcare professionals is 1,395.
One devastating disease afflicting 50 million people worldwide is Alzheimer’s. Currently 3 million Americans are living with the degenerative disease, and by 2050, the total is expected to reach an estimated 14 million Americans. Roberta Diaz Brinton is an Alzheimer’s research pioneer who was recently awarded a $37.5 million research grant. She’s the Director of the Center for Innovation in Brain Research at the University of Arizona. Brinton said, “We are here for a purpose that is greater than ourselves. We bring our extraordinary talents, our passion and our commitment to this challenge of curing neurodegenerative diseases.” It’s exciting to note that UArizona is now ranked in the Top 20 research institutions in the nation, with more than $687 million in total research activity in fiscal year 2018.
In closing, four remarkable leaders are being recognized for their contributions to our community. Congratulations to Mark Irvin (Man of the Year), Barbi Reuter (Woman of the Year), Gen. Ron Shoopman (Founders Award) and Kate Hoffman (Greater Tucson Leadership Alumni Excellence Award). A toast to these champions of our city!
Steven E. Rosenberg
Publisher & Owner
BizTucson
