FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Arizona Business Magazine Announces Winners of Inaugural
Centers of Influence Awards
PHOENIX, Ariz. (October 3, 2008) – Arizona Business Magazine has presented its first Centers of Influence Awards to honor the state's most influential accountants, bankers and lawyers. Together, these professionals help shape, guide and consult businesses of all sizes and industries throughout Arizona.
The awards reception was held Oct. 2, at the Ritz-Carlton Phoenix. More than 330 of the state's most prominent accountants, bankers and lawyers were in attendance to honor their peers. The October issue of Arizona Business Magazine features an editorial report highlighting all of the winners. The Centers of Influence Awards were sponsored by Alliance Bank of Arizona, Ernst & Young, Squire Sanders & Dempsey and Camelback Volkswagen.
All of the following winners have demonstrated an extraordinary influence within their companies, their industry, their business clients and the community they serve.
Under Hickel's leadership, the banks he led have offered financial support to companies of all sizes and have been deeply involved in community outreach. Hickel is an advocate of forming community advisory boards to provide insights into the Valley's diverse business community. Hickel's banks have also been recognized for their charity.
Accountants
Tony Astorga – senior vice president and CFO, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona
Bruce Beach – managing shareholder, Beach, Fleischman & Co.
Ronald Butler – Arizona managing partner, Ernst & Young
Diane Costantino – office managing partner of the Arizona practice, PricewaterhouseCoopers
Jay Lohman –president, Lohman Company
Edward O'Brien – office managing partner Desert Cluster, Grant Thornton
Ed Rodriguez – managing partner, KPMG
Carleen Shilling – partner, Eide Bailly
John Sizer – partner-in-charge of assurance and advisory services, Deloitte & Touche
Gary Smith – partner, McGladrey & Pullen
Bankers
Norman Butler – senior vice president, Bank of America
John Byrd –senior credit officer, Biltmore Bank of Arizona
Guy Downing – managing director, Columbia West Capital
Orville "Chip" E. Fisher – managing director, Greene Holcomb & Fisher
Gary Hickel – president, Paradise Valley National Bank (proposed)
Hope B. Levin – president Arizona market, U.S. Bank
Jeffrey D. Lowe – president Arizona banking, MidFirst Bank
Bob McGee – president and CEO, Southwestern Business Financing Corporation
Candace West – president and CEO, West Valley National Bank
Ed Zito – executive vice president commercial/corporate banking, Alliance Bank of Arizona
Lawyers
Timothy Berg – managing partner, Fennemore Craig
David Birk – senior vice president and general counsel, Avnet
John Bouma – chairman, Snell & Wilmer
Tom Curzon – partner, Osborn Maledon
Janet Dhillon – senior vice president and general counsel, US Airways
Karen Dickinson – partner, Quarles & Brady
Mark Dioguardi – partner, Dioguardi Flynn
Robert Matia – managing partner, Squire Sanders & Dempsey
Julie Pace – partner, Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll
Quinn Williams – shareholder, Greenberg Traurig
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About Arizona Business Magazine:
In existence since 1985, Arizona Business Magazine is published monthly by AZ Big Media and has a circulation of 25,000 per issue. AZ Big Media also publishes AZRE: Arizona Commercial Real Estate, Arizona Home & Design Magazine, Ranking Arizona, Experience Arizona, People to Know and Creative Designer. It also hosts the Arizona Home & Building Expo.
