When all the other boys and girls wanted to grow up to be firefighters and police officers, John Panza wanted to be a chef. “I always kind of gravitated to the kitchen as a kid. If there was a family gathering or party, I was in the kitchen helping out mom or dad, whoever was cooking.” Panza’s parents are Italian and Lebanese, so he said celebrations were always centered around food. Now, he is the owner of BiGA, a restaurant that focuses on modern and local food. He shops at the Prescott … [Read more...] about Locally Sourced; Regionally Recognized
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Hospitality from Kabul to the Grand Canyon
Traveling almost 8,000 miles to fill his new position as food and beverage director for Xanterra at the Grand Canyon South Rim Lodges was an “easy” decision, says Todd Rodemyer, who left Kabul, Afghanistan, for the Grand Canyon. “It was the best move I’ve made yet and I really like it here.” While in Kabul, Rodemyer worked as a government contractor for the U.S. Embassy, managing the food service for the entire state department operation, which includes six dining facilities and catering … [Read more...] about Hospitality from Kabul to the Grand Canyon
Melissa Cripps Composing a Life of Business, Service, Music
Managing a rewarding career is as much how a person approaches living as what transpires during business hours. That reality was poignantly reinforced in 2018 for Flagstaff’s Melissa Collins Cripps, agent/owner of Melissa Cripps Insurance Agency, Inc. “My life changed last year when both my parents died within 12 days of each other,” Cripps said. “My mother died of leukemia and my father died of a broken heart 12 days later.” Characterizing her “world as a very different place now,” Cripps … [Read more...] about Melissa Cripps Composing a Life of Business, Service, Music
El Gato Azul Owner Committed to Community Service, Philanthropy
If you ask Barry Barbe, popular Prescott philanthropist and restaurant owner, he will tell you the best way to raise money for a charitable cause is to go dancing. That is what Barbe is planning to do on April 13, when local celebrities team up with professional dance instructors for a night of “Dancing for the Stars” to raise money for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Arizona. Barbe says the singular purpose for what has become a popular community event is to generate income to support … [Read more...] about El Gato Azul Owner Committed to Community Service, Philanthropy
Experienced Aviation Professional Lands Sedona Airport’s General Manager Position
‘U.S.S. Sedona’ welcomes a new commanding officer aboard The best journeys do not necessarily have a flight plan. From growing up near an airfield to becoming a licensed commercial pilot to spearheading a fledgling air-traffic control school, Deborah Abingdon has vectored her distinct aviation experience toward a career in airport management. Plus, she has made the unlikely transition from one mile-high, mesa-top airport with a mile-long runway to another. “As a young woman I read ‘West … [Read more...] about Experienced Aviation Professional Lands Sedona Airport’s General Manager Position
Karen Fann is Poised to Lead the State Senate
For more than 25 years, Yavapai County resident Karen Fann has been in the public eye. That visibility will continue. Fann was elected to another term as a state senator for District 1, which covers more than 8,000 square miles of Yavapai County and portions of Maricopa County. She beat out opponent Jo Craycroft, 54,952 to 23079 votes. To add to her victory, Fann was selected by her peers to serve as president of the Arizona Senate in the coming year. That powerful role allows her … [Read more...] about Karen Fann is Poised to Lead the State Senate
Healer Practicing Eastern Medicine to Treat Pain, Chronic Illnesses
The pain got so severe in his lower back and leg that Les Fullerton was considering back surgery. A friend suggested he first see Jean Painter of Harmony Integrative Medicine in Prescott. Fullerton is glad he did. After about 12 visits for acupuncture with Painter, he is 100 percent free of back pain. “I had met with a spine surgeon, and was looking into spinal surgery. That option is no longer in the picture. I don’t have back pain anymore,” Fullerton said. Fullerton is not the only one who … [Read more...] about Healer Practicing Eastern Medicine to Treat Pain, Chronic Illnesses
Inspired by Space, Sports, Science
Step into Kevin Schindler’s office and you get a sample of what he loves and where he has been. There is the shark tooth from Florida, the hubcap from one of the tires in Lowell Observatory’s historic Clark Telescope dome and the bucket of baseballs collected from spring training. The sign above the door says “Stadium Entrance,” so it should be no surprise when guests find themselves engaged in a conversation while tossing a baseball that has been in the hands of major leaguers. Famous guests … [Read more...] about Inspired by Space, Sports, Science
Singer Toni Tennille Wants More Musically, for Herself and Prescott
Grammy-award winning singer-songwriter and classical keyboardist Toni Tennille could probably live anywhere she wants. She has lived throughout the United States, in cities big and small, from coast to coast, in the scenic Sierra Nevadas and in lush, semi-tropical and sun-kissed Florida. But, Prescott is where she chooses to call home. She has done that twice, in fact, once in 2007 and again in 2017. The chart-topping vocalist with a contralto vocal range that spans two and a half octaves … [Read more...] about Singer Toni Tennille Wants More Musically, for Herself and Prescott
Executive Chef Jose Martinez Cooking Up Culinary Delights
Before dedicating himself to the culinary arts, Executive Chef Jose Martinez thought about leaving his native Puerto Rico to set up a business devoted to distributing one of the simplest but irreplaceable foodstuffs. “This business had nothing to do with cooking,” Martinez said, sitting in a booth at Che Ah Chi, one of the foodservice entities he now helps oversee at Sedona’s Enchantment Resort. “I wanted to sell ice on a small island because anytime I went there to camp, I could never find … [Read more...] about Executive Chef Jose Martinez Cooking Up Culinary Delights