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Prescott Valley’s Longest Serving Mayor Looking Toward Retirement

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When 13-year-old Ashlyn asked her grandfather what a mayor does, Harvey Skoog gave his answer serious thought. At the time, Skoog was midway through his third term as mayor of the Town of Prescott Valley.

“Even though I had been mayor for several years, I decided I needed to be able to explain clearly to an inexperienced teenager what a mayor does. In doing that, it made me clarify for myself what the role involved,” Skoog explained.

Skoog, now 79-years-old, said, “The primary concern is to serve the best interests of the community in all decisions. Being mayor is an office that must serve the public.”

A resident of Arizona since 1974 and Prescott Valley since 1982, Skoog is emphatic in his view. “A mayor only holds the office; he does not own it. It is a multifaceted office – formal, informal and ceremonial. Many duties have no written descriptions. But foremost, is the obligation to draw upon the talents of council members, staff, commissions and volunteers to serve the best interests of the community. Concerns of citizens must be respected and appreciated.”

The Minnesota native has announced he will retire at the end of his fifth term in December.

 

Years of Professional Experience

Always well-dressed, Skoog, a farm kid from a small rural Minnesota community, attended a one-room schoolhouse. Later, he attended the University of Minnesota and Minnesota School of Business and earned credentials in financial management and bookkeeping-accounting. He began his management career with a major Minnesota food company but took advantage of a career opportunity to work with an international firm, National Cash Register, for several years.

But warmer weather in Arizona appealed to him. In 1974, he took the job of assistant to the comptroller for the Associated Grocers chain in Phoenix. In 1977, Skoog decided to become his own boss, so he moved to Prescott Valley.

“At that time, PV had only a population of 3,000 and it hadn’t yet incorporated. I was lucky and became a tax and business accountant-consultant. I founded and then sold three different practices,” he said.

Prescott Valley incorporated in 1978 and has experienced explosive growth to the point it is now the largest community in Yavapai County, with a population approaching 46,000.

“Growth isn’t stopping,” Skoog said. “We’re building about 42 houses a month – and they are affordable.”

Skoog says he became involved in civic government in the early 1990s and hasn’t stopped since, despite health issues. “I had cancer in 1999, but it’s gone now. I also had bypass surgery. I have a pacemaker. And most people don’t know it, but I’ve had seven heart attacks.”

Two people who have worked closely with Skoog for many years, Larry Tarkowski, PV town manager, and Lea Duke, PV executive assistant, agree that Skoog always has a positive outlook.

“Harvey has the distinction of having been a councilmember and mayor for the majority of the 40 years our town has existed. That gave him enormous opportunity to have positive impact on its direction. All of us who work with him are grateful he has served as an example for all the employees,” said Tarkowski.

Tarkowski complimented Skoog for his “…light touch on the tiller of public policy while at the same time he ensured transparency and a strong customer service ethic for all aspects of town government. Respect, trust and a sense of care for employees and citizens are hallmarks of Harvey’s tenure.”

Duke echoes Tarkowski. She has worked directly with Skoog for 13 years. “He loves this community. He dedicates himself to making it a positive, beautiful place for families to make a home. He keeps his office open so that citizens can come and share their concerns. They often tell me when they leave that they are impressed by what a gentleman Mayor Skoog is.”

Duke especially cited Skoog’s efforts to know personally each of the more than 230 town employees. “He appreciates what each employee contributes. He consciously reviews what each employee in each department has done, and he knows almost everyone by first name.”

Duke smiles when acknowledging Skoog’s pending retirement. “We’re going to miss him, but he and Edna truly do want to spend more time with their kids and grandkids. He deserves that opportunity.”

 

Where will the road take you in retirement?

“We’ll probably sleep a bit later and have more personal time. We’ve no big plans for travel other than perhaps visiting our children and grandchildren, who are spread all over the country. We have talked about a cruise.”

What’s the best advice you ever received?

“I can’t remember who told me this, but it was years ago – and it stuck. I was told to hire the best people I could identify, tell them what was expected and then to get out of the way and let them do their jobs. Don’t micromanage.”

 

What characteristic do you most admire in colleagues and associates?

“Ambition, honesty and integrity – all very important. And being approachable, not distant.”

 

What’s your favorite entertainment?

“We like walking and hiking. We enjoy good company, good friends. We don’t have a TV, and I’ve never, ever seen a movie.”

 

Where do you and Edna like to dine?

“We really enjoy going to local restaurants for breakfast, where we have a traditional bacon and eggs meal. And honest, we enjoy In-N-Out Burgers – a lot.” QCBN

By Ray Newton, QCBN

 

 

Prescott Valley Mayor Harvey Skoog reviews official town business virtually every day of the working week.

Photo by Ray Newton

 

 

Leslie Horton has her Finger on the Pulse County Health

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“I hope the communities we serve are safer and healthier because of what we do.”

That’s the credo that Leslie Horton, director of Yavapai County Community Health Services, makes public whenever she has the chance.

“I see my obligation as assuring that public health services are effectively and efficiently delivered throughout Yavapai County,” said Horton, who earned both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees at Northern Arizona University in public health administration.

The 38-year-old Alaska native has been a county employee since 2002, when she accepted a health intern position. She rapidly moved into the executive administrative ranks. Slightly more than a year ago, she was selected unanimously by the Yavapai County Board of Supervisors to replace retiring Director Stephen Tullos. Prior to that, she had been the county health education section manager for eight years. She served three years as the public information officer, and two years as assistant health director.

Horton says she is delighted with the professionalism of the people around her and how serious health concerns are addressed. “All the issues we face – social, legal, service centers, ongoing medical issues – every one of these is being looked at intensely by our exceptionally dedicated professional staff. That, for me, is gratifying.”

A growing problem Horton sees in the county is the number of overdose deaths caused by the use of opioids or other drugs. “Most people are unaware, but Yavapai County has a higher per capita death rate because of overdoses of drugs than most other counties in Arizona. As a county, state and nation, we simply must address and mediate that health issue. We work closely with our many medical, social agency and legal partners to mitigate that serious problem.”

The department recently conducted a Community Health Assessment, wherein it collected more than 1,000 surveys. Focus groups will begin meeting this summer and fall “…to help us in our pursuit of programming to serve the public health needs of the more than 240,000 population of this huge rural county.”

Currently, County Health Services has office locations in Cottonwood, Chino Valley, Prescott Valley and Prescott and addresses behavioral health, dental care, family planning and medical services including pediatrics and well-woman checks. County Health Services partners with Yavapai Regional Medical Center, too, in providing mobile health services.

Horton’s position occurred during a transition that separated the public health and the clinical divisions of county health services. The Clinical Health Center is coordinated by Sharon Richman. All services, however, remain housed in the same building complex at 1090 Commerce Drive, just west of Willow Creek Drive at the northeastern edge of Prescott.

As part of the transition, Horton was charged with responsibility for the federally-funded Women, Infant and Children (WIC) care program for new families. She believes the new administrative system allows broader and better defined delivery of health-related services. Recently, she was assigned supervisory responsibility for the Medical Examiner’s Office.

The mother of two, Jackson, 9, and Lila, 6, Horton and her husband, Kevin, an engineer with a local firm, try to separate their professional from their personal lives. They spend their family time hiking, biking, and in many other outdoor activities.

 

What’s the most memorable advice you ever received and from whom?

“My mom told me many years ago, ‘Never settle.’”

 

What character trait do you admire the most in your associates?

“Passion and enthusiasm for their work. For those who have worked in the same job for many years but still come to work looking for ways to improve, for striving for excellence, and who show passion about serving others, I have nothing but admiration.”

 

If you had a million dollars to give away, where would it go?

“To local schools. Our children are the future. We need well-supported schools and teachers to provide them with the best opportunities they can have for success.”

 

What is your biggest family tradition?

“Every summer, we take our boat to Lake Powell. As a family, we hike the huge sand dunes and then run and tumble down as fast as we can. When my kids were small, I carried them up the dune so they wouldn’t miss out on the fun.”

 

Name something that made you laugh hard and loud recently.

“I laugh loud and hard every day. I have many reasons to be happy. But the other day, my nine-year-old son put things in perspective. I had left a bite of food on my dinner plate. He looked at it and then me and said, ‘Mom, leaving one bite of food on your plate is like running a marathon and quitting three feet before the finish line.’” QCBN

 

 

By Ray Newton, QCBN

 

Photo by Ray Newton

 

 

 

‘Thanks for All You Do’

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Thrusting his hand out in warm handshake, he smiles broadly. “Hi, I’m Harold Viehweg. Thanks for all you do for the community.”

That is a pretty typical greeting most people get when they meet Viehweg in his tightly-organized, uncluttered ground-floor office in the Prescott Chamber of Commerce building on Goodwin Street.

Not everyone who enters the Prescott C of C sees Viehweg, for his office is at the rear of the tall skinny two-story building. However, Viehweg has been a chamber official more than one-fourth of the 80 years the C of C has served members, visitors and the community. He joined the organization in 1992, when he took a job there as an accountant.

Originally from South Dakota, where he earned his degree in business administration at the University of South Dakota in Vermillion, Viehweg and his wife, Dottie, and their two daughters moved to Phoenix in 1965. He has worked almost his entire career as an accountant, financial manager or business coordinator. In 1992, when he and his wife moved to Prescott to own and operate the Victorian-style bed and breakfast known as The Mark’s House, he applied for and was accepted a position at the chamber.

“I’ve always enjoyed working with business and financial matters,” he said matter-of-factly. “Hard to believe I’ve survived all the way from pencil and paper accounting through IBM punch cards into sophisticated computerized technological wizardry.”

Viehweg accounts for more than half a million dollars that come through the chamber each year. Beyond that, he handles the bookkeeping for the Chamber of Commerce Foundation, too, which requires a distinctly different accounting process.

But Viehweg’s involvements go far beyond keeping track of numbers. He helps coordinate the annual Christmas Parade, which requires months of detailed planning and plotting. Equally challenging is annual fund-gathering for the traditional Christmas Courthouse Lighting. He works with the annual Bluegrass Festival, which brings thousands to Prescott for a unique music experience.

“We’ve so many activities where we work with the greater community that I really have to keep a careful list of everything – Labor Day, the Territorial Festival in June, Memorial Day and Fall Festival in October. And morning and evening monthly mixers, ribbon cuttings, arts and crafts shows and often special seasonal projects – all take time,” he explained.

He says he’s regularly surprised at how efficiently the chamber functions with only four full-time staff members and several part-time personnel. He credits much of the chamber’s success to “an exceptionally dedicated team of volunteers who give freely and willingly of their time and talent.”

Viehweg reports directly to Sheri Heiney, CEO and president of the 850-member organization. “What gratifies me is that despite the diverse activities and programs we’re always involved in, we rarely have problems or conflicts. We, at the chamber, owe thanks to a lot of people,” he said.

One of Viehweg’s colleagues is Visitor Information Center Manager Robert Coombs. Coombs interacts with up to 30,000 visitors annually, many of whom are out of state or international guests. “I’ve worked closely with Harold for more than 12 years,” said Coombs. “He’s one of the most dedicated, committed and friendly people I can think of, especially about community matters. He’s involved in so many activities and programs. He’s really a team player, too, and works well with everyone.”

Viehweg’s is a passionate supporter of performing and fine arts throughout the community, including the Yavapai Symphony Association and the Central Arizona Concert Band support group.

For years, too, he has been an active member of the Prescott POPS Symphony Orchestra School Grants Committee. Through funds raised from contributions and gate receipts from POPS concerts, Viehweg and other committee members annually distribute grants to Quad Cities schools, which have instrumental music programs. That process requires considerable time in solicitation and consequent review of applications to determine grant amounts and recipients.

Since he first moved to Prescott from Phoenix in 1992, Viehweg has been involved in one way or another in the Prescott United Methodist Church. “Harold has been volunteering at our church for years,” said PUMC minister, The Rev. Dan Hurlbert. “He sings in the Chancel Choir, rings bells in the bell choir, and is a part of the financial leadership team. He spends part of every week signing checks and auditing the cash flow to the church. He’s often overlooked because he’s so quiet. But believe me, his efforts are important and appreciated.”

Hurlbert’s praise is echoed by PUMC music director Jacob Gilbert. He especially lauded Viehweg’s faithfulness at every rehearsal and performance in the various groups with which he performs. “Harold is one of the most dependable persons I know,” Gilbert said.

 

What the best advice you’ve ever received?

“When I was just a kid, my dad told me, ‘Always tell the truth.’ That advice stuck, and I follow it daily.”

If you could vacation anywhere in the world, where would it be?

“I’d love to go to London and the United Kingdom. I’ve never been there, but I’m fascinated by the history, tradition and culture. I’d really like to visit my granddaughter who lives in London.”

What character trait do you most admire in colleagues and associates?

“No hesitation there. Honesty and integrity.”

What really annoys you?

“Seriously? Being interrupted when I am really busy at some intense task.”

What actor is going to play your role when they make a TV show or movie about you?

“I hope it could be Steve Carrell, who seems like a really nice guy who never offends anybody.”

 

By Ray Newton, QCBN

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More Than A Broker

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When Kyle Karstens’s name comes up, typical responses sound something like this: “She’s got the biggest grin, happiest smile and the best sense of humor. She makes even the toughest real estate decisions understandable.”

Kyle Karstens is one half of the Karstens and Associates Realty team in Prescott. She and her husband of 35 years, Steve, have been handling real estate in Prescott for 22 of those years.

Those involved in the real estate business may say it is often a frustrating, annoying and disheartening profession that requires 24/7 attention and sometimes long periods of time without a paycheck.

But that is not the case for Karstens. In fact, she describes what she does as “…one of the most rewarding and satisfying careers possible. I get to meet the neatest people from all over the country, and I get to help people find just what they’re looking for.”

The Louisiana native has not always been in real estate. In fact, she has had a truly diverse career path, ranging from being a bartender in Tacoma, Washington, to driving an 18-wheeler Freightliner truck for a major commercial company, Conway Trucking. She also worked for a mortuary.

But she is adamant that the most fulfilling career she has had is being a real estate broker. “For 22 years, all of them in Prescott, my husband, Steve, and I have been lucky enough to live and work in what I think is one of the most charming communities in America,” she said.

 

Invested in the Process

Two of her clients have known Karstens for years. Dave and Brenda Favier, Prescott homeowners since the mid-1990s, used Karstens to sell their house a few years ago, at a time when the market was not as robust as it is currently.

“Kyle had such vast knowledge of real estate in the area that she and her husband made what could have been a stressful time into a pleasant experience,” said Dave.

When the Faviers decided to purchase another property slightly more than two years ago, they turned to Karstens. “Kyle doesn’t just want to sell a house or help you purchase one. She truly is invested in the process,” said Brenda. “We felt we had a good friend at our side.”

Recently, an out-of-state couple, Richard and Marlene Glasgow, sold their home in Redmond, Oregon and decided to move to Prescott. Marlene tells of her experience with Karstens. “We contacted her in mid-July and told her what we were interested in. Not long after, we got our first phone call from her. She had answers to our questions and some recommendations for us to consider. She helped us at every step of the way, finding just the right place for us to ultimately purchase.”

Glasgow continued, “Kyle was a joy to work with – a real ‘ray of sunshine’ in what sometimes can be a distressing time. Because of her, we bought our home and were able to move in mid-October – far sooner than what we ever thought we could. And guess what. She showed up when we moved in with wine and cheese.”

Karstens says buying and selling property through Karstens and Associates is a team effort. “My husband and I have loved this town and the people in it since we first rode through it years ago on motorcycles. Having earlier been in the cold, wet and gray Pacific Northwest, we decided immediately to move to Prescott. We’ve no regrets, and we’re here to stay.”

 

The Decision to Drive a Big Rig

When the real estate market crashed in 2008, Kyle and Steve wondered how they were going to survive economically.

“Our two girls, Chorissa and Caleena, were then grown and out of the house. Steve and I both liked to travel so we said, ‘What the heck? Let’s become truck drivers.’ So, we did. We went to school, got our Commercial Driver’s Licenses, and hit the road for 14 months.”

The Karstens were hired by Conway Trucking, also known as CFI, headquartered in Joplin, Missouri. CFI hired and assigned them to a brand new Freightliner with a Cascadia cab and berth. “It was big enough to stand up in and to sleep in quite comfortably,” Karstens said. “We called it ‘Frances the Freightliner’ and it was our home.”

For the next 14 months, the Karstens criss-crossed the U.S., coast to coast and north to south, in all kinds of weather and road conditions.

“We got to see a lot of country we’d otherwise never have seen – and somebody else was paying for the gas!” Karstens said they had long hours and were often exhausted, but as a team, they could take turns sleeping and keeping the wheels rolling.

“God was taking care of us, too. We never had an accident or serious problem, and we made a lot of friends across the country.”

But when the economy began recovering, the Karstens decided to return to their “real home,” Prescott. “We’re not going to leave again, unless it’s on our motorcycles for short vacations,” she said.

Karstens serves on the Arizona Association of Realtors Education Committee and was president of the Prescott Area Association of Realtors. She also is on the Prescott Preservation Commission and supports the Prescott Area Habitat for Humanity.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

“Many years ago, one of my supervisors told me this, and I didn’t forget. Remember you are part of the community. Find a way to give back and make the community stronger.”

If you could travel anywhere you wanted to go, where would it be?

“Any place I can go on a motorcycle.”

What’s your biggest family tradition?

“Thanksgiving, and it doesn’t have to happen in just November. We take time to sit together at the table, share our gratitude, count our blessings and eat all kinds of things that may not be good for us.”

What character trait do you value the most and why?

“The ability to listen. People who are connected and hear what others say are a pleasure to be around. They can re-energize or defuse a room.”

What actress is going to play your role when they make a movie or TV show about you?

“Oh, Myrna Loy, the ‘Nora Charles” from the Think Man movies. But if not her, then Audrey Hepburn. She’s absolutely wonderful.”

By Ray Newton, QCBN

Photo caption:

Kyle Karsten, one-half of the two-member team of Karstens Brokers, is emphatic that the Prescott area is their first choice for a permanent preferred place to live. “And, we’ve seen almost every city and town in America,” she says.

Photo by Ray Newton

 

Teller Continues Looking Up

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As a youngster, Arlando Teller stood in the yard of his Chinle home on the Navajo Reservation and looked up at an azure sky pebbled with popcorn clouds and jet contrails. He wondered where those white streaks crisscrossing the wild blue yonder were headed.

When he graduated from Chinle High School in 1991, his continuing curiosity prompted him to find out. He wanted to become a part of that high-flying adventure. He enrolled at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University – home of the Eagles – in Prescott and earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Aviation Business Administration in 1995.

The success Teller had because of following his childhood ambition resulted in his being honored as one of two ERAU Chancellor’s Alumni Hall of Fame recipients during Homecoming activities on Oct. 6.

Teller is the first Navajo to graduate from the nation’s No. 1 rated aerospace and aviation university.

“I was blessed by the community of Chinle, the Navajo Nation and ERAU,” he said. “They worked together and provided me with scholarships so I could attend the university. I had opportunities from several other universities like Dartmouth and the University of Rochester. But the admissions counselor from ERAU persuaded me that it could give me the education I needed to pursue the career I wanted. She was right.”

Teller’s career indeed has been high-flying. Though not a pilot, he has years of experience working with airport and transportation management. He began in the San Francisco Bay Area, where he was Native American liaison and Transportation Planner for the California Department of Transportation.

He later returned to Arizona, where he worked with airport planning for Sky Harbor Airport, City of Phoenix; and Falcon Field, City of Mesa.

Since September 2009, Teller has worked for the Navajo Nation Department of Transportation. Initially, he administered for four years the seven airstrips on the reservation with the Department of Airport Management. “I have been dedicated to improving the airport system in all aspects on the Navajo Nation,” he said.

He is now the deputy division director for the Navajo Department of Transportation. In that role, he works with a budget of $60 million to $65 million annually and is tasked with maintaining service, maintenance, safety and planning for all aspects of transportation with the Navajo Nation in Coconino, Navajo, and Apache Counties in Arizona, and with adjacent counties in Utah and New Mexico.

His office is in Window Rock, but his work routinely takes him throughout Central and Northern Arizona and into other nearby states.

Last February, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey appointed Teller to be one of the seven-member State Transportation Board, where he represents all of Northern Arizona and its rural communities.

 

Teller Retains His Traditional Navajo Cultural and Spiritual Values
Teller was raised by his single mother, Clara Tah-Nunn, in the remote northeastern community of Chinle. In Navajo, the world Chinle means “water flowing out,” in this case, into scenic Canyon de Chelly.

“Mine was a traditional youth,” Teller explained. “My grandfather was a World War II veteran, one of the fabled Code Talkers. One of my roles as a youngster was to help take care of him as he aged. He learned to trust me. He told me stories of being a Code Talker and what he did. But he pledged me to secrecy. I will never reveal what he said. He also taught me the time-honored values that Navajos have had for centuries. I still honor those.”

Teller smiled as he explained the spiritual symbolism of the Eagle, which happens to be the mascot for ERAU. “In Navajo, the eagle is a sacred bird, along with the hummingbird and the blue bird – and sometimes the crow and owl. So, to have attended Embry-Riddle and to be called an ‘Eagle’ – that’s a very special thing for me.”

Teller said he is encouraging other Navajo students to consider attending ERAU. To support that ambition, he initiated a partnership with ERAU, the Navajo Nation and Armstrong Consultants. Through that program, select students from the Navajo Nation, usually two to four annually –are sponsored to attend ERAU summer camps to learn more about aviation, aerospace and other aeronautical-related opportunities that have exceptional career potential.

“I am passionate about introducing Navajo students to these opportunities,” Teller said. He cited one example of a Navajo high school student, Shannon Spencer, who participated in an ERAU Helicopter Exploration camp and logged time practicing flying, hovering and landing.

All the while, he also was taking academic classes.

Teller is urging Native American students to apply for the ERAU summer camp. “If they will contact me at ateller@navajodot.org., I’ll provide all the details they need,” he said.

In sum, Teller hopes to see more Eagles in the Arizona sky.

 

  1. What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

“After I graduated from Embry-Riddle, I was working for CALTRANS in the Bay Area of Northern California. I received a call from my grandmother – just before she passed.   She asked me to come home – to return to Navajo land – and to bring my basket filled with all the good things I had learned, things like knowledge and experience and wisdom that I could bring home to share with Navajos on the reservation. She said I needed to pack up, bring all the good that I had gained home in that basket and then turn the basket upside down and share it with my people – the Dineh. I did – in 2009. I have no regrets.”

  1. Where’s your favorite place to travel for vacation?

“No hesitation, Spain and Italy. I love the people, the culture, the food, the history, the architecture. I’ve been there five times – extended trips – and I am going back again.”

  1. What’s your favorite food?

“Anything that’s home-cooked. And anything that’s with family. Because I’m gone so much, I really value sitting down at the table with fresh-cooked veggies and potatoes and gravy and beef or mutton or lamb, and homemade dessert that didn’t come out of a box or plastic bag.”

  1. If you had a million dollars to give away, where would it go?

“I struggle with this, for I see so many needs among my people on the Navajo Reservation. But first, I would give money to schools so they create advanced programs for the youngsters, give them life skills and genuine job training. Second, I dedicate money to fund programs for the elderly – things like providing better transportation, improved health care and facilities, and enhanced educational opportunities that fit their interests and needs.”

  1. What’s your favorite family tradition?

“My real favorite, when I was a kid, was Easter. We’d have Easter egg hunts, and then family get-togethers where we would tell stories and enjoy huge family meals and laugh a lot. But other favorites were Christmas and Thanksgiving, where we’d eat too much and then play board games and card games. But I also have to include the Navajo ceremonials like the Beauty Way, where we are taught never to harm another human being. Or the Blessing Way, where we try to restore equilibrium to the universe. Those are an important part of my internal spiritual beliefs.”

Photo by Ray Newton

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Veterinarian Helping Practices Manage Records

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When Cindy Barnes bought the Prescott Area Pet Emergency Hospital (PAPEH) in April 2015, she had no idea that within weeks, she would convert it to a 24-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week facility that would soon serve all of Northern Arizona.

Barnes, who earned a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Colorado State University in 2012, understands that pet owners want the same kind of care for their non-human companions as most people want for their direct family and friends.

But when the pet hospital opened two years before, it offered only limited emergency care and critical care services on weekends and major holidays.

“I soon found myself staying during the days when we supposedly were closed. I’d also have people showing up at the door with pet emergencies,” she said.

Within weeks, Barnes hired four more full-time veterinarians, a practice manager, two floor managers, three customer service representatives and six veterinary technicians.

Though most patients are household pets, Barnes laughs and says that if an animal can fit through the door, her team will treat it.

The native of Arcadia, California, grew up around racetracks and was – and still is – enamored with horses. Later, when she first received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine

degree, she worked in Kalispell, Montana, where she opened a large animal ambulatory practice. However, her husband, Steve persuaded her to leave the snow country and dark winters and move to Arizona. She discovered Prescott in January 2014.

All that time, she anguished over the amount of time that medical record keeping for her animal patients was taking. She said that effort was detracting from the time veterinarians had to care for sick animals.

So, in spring 2017, she launched Shepherd Software, Inc., a veterinary practice management software program that she says reduces record-keeping time and makes the veterinarian’s medical practice more efficient.

“My practice has increased revenues by 20 percent or more every month since we implemented Shepherd Software. We have completely eliminated staff overtime, and the doctors and technicians love how quick and easy charting is with Shepherd.”

Her company has an office in Prescott and another in Seattle, where four developers and a designer continue upgrading the programs.

“I think Cindy will create one of the most exciting software companies imaginable right here,” said Jim Robb, economic development consultant for the City of Prescott. “She is a visionary, an entrepreneur and a successful businesswoman. We need to support her and her efforts in Prescott.”

Barnes recently sold the PAPEH to Pathway Partners, from Austin, Texas. However, she remains on staff as medical director until next August.

Barnes explained that she wants to expand the search for developers and sales representatives as Shepherd grows. “I hope we can attract skilled personnel to Prescott where we can develop a technology hub and code school and grow some developers,” she said.

 

What character traits do you admire most in associates?

“Self-starters, team-players, motivators – and those who come to work with a positive attitude every day. I can train skills, but I cannot train people to have a positive attitude in the face of chaos. If my team is not in sync, I cannot deliver the best medicine for the most successful outcome.”

 

What is your favorite activity when you are not working?

“I ride horses. I’ve competed in show jumping my entire life. But now, I just trail ride, for I’m too busy. I do have two horses so I garden for them. I grow tomatoes and carrots.”

 

What kinds of things bother you?

“I am always suspicious of people who attend events to protest something, but when you ask what they are protesting, they don’t have a concise answer. I believe, if you are going to stand up for something, try to educate yourself on what you believe. Don’t just be part of the crowd.”

 

What was your last guilty pleasure?

“These days, my guilty pleasure is taking a day off – literally. I work three plus days a week at the ER, and every day for Shepherd Software. I’m always ‘on,’ so to speak. Just turning off my cell phone is a guilty pleasure. But the big (recent) pleasure – taking a vacation with my family for a week on the big island of Hawaii. All my kids (five), their spouses and my practice manager and her family were there. Amazing.”

 

When they make the movie about your life, who should play you?

“That’s easy: Robin Wright.” QCBN

 

By Ray Newton, QCBN

Photo by Ray Newton

 

 

 

 

Billie Orr – Servant Leader

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A longtime resident of the Quad Cities area observed, “Billie Orr is a really neat person. And she always looks so sharp in red – smart and sassy, just like she is.”

That seems a solid observation. Prescott City Council member and community activist Billie Orr dedicates her time and many abilities to serving the greater community and speaking out boldly about causes in which she believes.

Though a native of Jackson, Mississippi, Billie, as she is known by most, has been in Arizona off and on for almost 50 years. Her family moved to Phoenix in 1968. She enrolled at Arizona State University (ASU), and earned three degrees in education there – a bachelor’s, master’s and, ultimately, a doctorate in 1994. Along the way, she married Bob Orr, then an Air Force pilot and officer (now retired). They will celebrate their 45th anniversary this month. Their son, Porter, is a retired Navy pilot who served in Iraq and earned an MBA at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He and his wife, Jennifer, and the Orrs’ two granddaughters now live in Orlando, Florida, where he works for Disney.

“I’ve no regrets about having focused much of my career on teaching and administration, for that training and experience prepared me to meet challenges and make positive contributions, no matter what I do,” said Orr.

And “do” she does. A typical week includes sessions and meetings for the Prescott City Council, where she is an elected member, speaking engagements, travel to Phoenix for more meetings, charitable events and media interviews.

Adult Career is Varied and Influential

From the time she accepted her first teaching job until she and her husband finally retired in Prescott six years ago, Orr has typified diversity. Among her achievements:

  • Teacher and later principal in Arizona public schools for 25 years.
  • Vice President of Human Resources, Continental Bank, Phoenix.
  • Deputy Superintendent of Public Education for State of Arizona (1997-2001).
  • President, Education Leader’s Council, Washington, D.C. (2001-2003).
  • Consultant-State of Hawaii Public Education System (2003).
  • Director of Development, Montana Bible College, Bozeman (2003-2011).
  • Past president, Republican Women of Prescott (2014).
  • Elected Prescott City Council (2015-2019).

Beyond her formal professional or elected positions, Orr has been involved in

dozens of volunteer and philanthropic organizations. Currently, she is active in the Prescott SunUp Rotary Club, the Free Wheelchair Mission and the Willow Creek Baptist Church. She recently was elected to the board of directors of Arizona Town Hall, a statewide private, non-profit civic organization that serves as a catalyst for conversations to create significant change in Arizona’s public policy.

Orr says one of her most recent greatest satisfactions “…was seeing so many people in Prescott endorse our move to strengthen the business economy, emphasize tourism, and create a ‘Downtown Entertainment District’ for the benefit of all our merchants.”

In contrast, she says her biggest disappointment has been “…state or local political leaders who put their personal interests above the welfare of the citizens. Some of them distort the truth for their own benefit.”

She explained, “I have a strong Christian belief. I feel compelled to put faith, family and friends first in all that I do. I enjoy serving others.”

What was the worst advice you’ve ever received?

“I had an older uncle back in Mississippi when I graduated from high school who told me, ‘Kid, don’t waste your time or money going to college.’ He was wrong!”

Whom do you admire and why?      

“My mom. Because my dad had a heart attack when he was only 35, she was always a breadwinner. She taught me and my sister one really valuable life lesson: Always have a strong work ethic, and do what you say you’re going to do.”

Where do you like to travel?

“We’ll travel anywhere, nationally or internationally. But I especially loved Israel. It is a wonderful nation, full of culture, history, tradition – and positive advancement. God has blessed that country.”

When was the last time you sang in public?

“The last time I was in church. I used to sing in the choir until I got so busy. But I often sing in special programs like Easter or Christmas or patriotic services. I enjoy it.”

What is your “super power” and when do you use it?

“I think my strength, if I have one, is being able to bring people together for a common purpose. I also think my attitude, which I always try to keep positive, is important. I truly believe we all need to share a smile.” QCBN

 

By Ray Newton, QCBN

 

 

Healing Through Food and Massage

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Few people would consider being in four major vehicle accidents in four years a positive thing.

Richard Maranville does.

Between the ages of 18 and 22, Maranville got first-hand experience dealing with pain and learning how it feels to be limited. Because of the accidents that fractured his spine, dislocated a knee, tore his rotator cuffs and inflicted other hard bumps and bruises, he has made it his life’s work to help others through their aches and pains with massage therapy.

“It is a personal cause of mine to help people avoid that [pain] in their lives,” said Maranville, who owns Precott’s Natural Healing Garden along with his wife, Debbie.

“This is my second go-‘round in massage. I wanted to create a community resource that would allow us to contribute in a way to give people the ability to live life fully,” he said.

Maranville has many loyal clients.

Paul Wenzel, 82, has been a client for the past five years.

“I’ve got a terrible back. My second vertebra from bottom is out of whack and I have a double fracture. Since I have been going to him and behaving myself (no heavy lifting), I am feeling really good,” he said. “I go once a week for a half hour and it gets me through the next week. I expect to go for the rest of my life.”

At the time of Maranville’s accidents, he was in the restaurant business, in which he excelled, but he changed direction and ended up in massage therapy. He started his training in 2000 in Phoenix. Now, he is able to combine his experiences with food and massage to help others.

He and Debbie are incorporating food as medicine along with massage to promote a healthy lifestyle for people who have decided to make a dietary change. Counseling and recipes are offered, as well as prepared meals.

“That is my wife’s end of things. She deals with food and my end is massage,” he said.

Special events are held at the garden center, and weddings and corporate retreats are hosted at their off-site Juniper Well Ranch, 20 minutes from Prescott.

“We do a lot of healing retreats and food support,” he said. “A part of our long-term vision is expanding the farming end of things at Juniper Ranch as a local source of vegetables.”

He said they are on the hunt for a perfect candidate to expand their food and nutrition service.

“One of my goals is to have an acupuncturist on staff,” he said.

Maranville hires his staff on the basis of their passion and common vision and goals. His massage therapists are seasoned professionals. One has been practicing for 30 years.

“That is a point of pride for the business. You get a different experience than you get at an average massage center,” he said.

Client Don LeGate agrees. “Richard is extremely knowledgeable about the human body,” said LeGate, who has been with the healing garden for four years. “If you are an athlete you have to maintain your body. Everyone should take care of their body and massage is the way to go.”

 

What is the best advice you’ve ever received?

“Probably the best advice I got was from a supervisor. I had been working construction in Winnipeg. He told me to search out a well-rounded lifestyle that offered me choices, not having to work outside in harsh weather. To pursue something that used my brain and brawn, not just relying on brawn. He was telling me not to get stuck in construction.”

 

What character traits to you most appreciate in others?

“Dedication and loyalty.”

 

What is your superpower and when do you use it?

“Multi-tasking and remaining calm in stressful situations.”

 

What is your favorite meal?

I love Italian food and Mediterranean food, anything that has that fresh celebration of good ingredients.

 

What do you do for fun?

“Everything I do is for fun. I truly enjoy being outside in nature. Gardening is a good release for me. There is not an aspect in my life I consider work, Work is fun and fun is work.”

By Patty McCormac, QCBN

The Maranvilles now have about 3,000 clients. The Natural Healing Garden is located at 119 Garden Street in Prescott.

For more information, visit NaturalHealingGarden.com or call 928-237-4116.

 

 

 

Schepman Wants to Give You a Lift

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Look around. Do you see anyone getting any younger?

Probably not. But, according to Justin Schepman, if a person uses the services of Prescott Dermalift Clinic, a person may certainly appear younger.

Schepman owns Dermalift. He offers a procedure that helps clients look better right away. It is non-surgical, non-toxic and reportedly less expensive than other procedures.

He says it is all about muscle memory – to remind your muscle group from your neck to your forehead about how they performed when you were younger. The procedure is called micro current. It involves a light electric current, followed by a quantum hydration process for collagen production, which projects saline with negative ions into the skin.

“It gets all the impurities out of the pores and helps with fine lines caused by the dry climate here in Arizona,” said Schepman. “We are addressing muscle tone and collagen production. In both cases, as you age, your muscles don’t stay firm and gravity takes over.

Jan Wheeler, of Prescott Bowen Works, has been receiving the treatments for about a month and a half and says she has seen immediate results. “I notice a difference in my skin tone and my neck is less droopy,” she said. “I will continue to do it. It is definitely worth it. It takes away fine wrinkles each time.”

 

Schepman says during treatments the client stays lying down for the process that tightens up the jaw line, the neck line and forehead and eye area. In just under an hour, the client can return to normal activities. “You always feel better when you walk out than when you walked in.”

And, he says, while no two clients have the same results in the same number of treatments, about 90 percent report receiving a benefit.

“I don’t do plastic surgery. I don’t change appearance drastically. I just enhance what you have.”

Schepman, a trained respiratory therapist, opened the clinic two years ago.

“I want to make it clear that I do not prevent or cure any disease. I am not a doctor. I am fully certified to do what I do.”

His treatment is an alternative to fillers. He recommends a client coming in for an hour-long tune up regularly, “like going to the gym.”

 

What character traits to you most appreciate in others?

“I appreciate a sense of humor.”

 

What is your superpower and when do you use it?

“I have exceptional powers of patience. I use it every day. I am a pillar of patience.”

 

What is your favorite meal?

“I am a red meat man. I love a good steak.”

What do you do for fun?

“I spend time with my family.”

 

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

“The lady sitting next to me (fiancée Jamie Buttke) told me once that love wins.”

 

Prescott Dermalift Clinic is located at 1000 Ainsworth Suite A. For more information, visit prescottdermaliftclinic.com or call 928-713-6907.

By Patty McCormac, QCBN

Photo caption:

Justin Schepman uses treatments to address muscle tone and collagen production on clients like   Prescott Bowen Works owner Jan Wheeler.

Photo by Kay Lyons

 

 

 

Blanchard Flexing Her Business Muscles

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Many women can say they met their husband on a blind date, but how many can say she met her husband on a three-day camping trip that was also a blind date? Amber Blanchard can and it was fine with her because she is just that kind of outdoor girl.

“His roommate was dating my roommate. They put us together because we both liked to play outside,” she said. “It worked out great.”

In fact, they are married and have two kids, ages 7 and 10.

Now, the Blanchards are some of the newest business owners in Prescott.

Kevin and Amber bought the Prescott Athletic Club (PAC) along with James and Troy Haines at the end of last September. And business has been good and getting better.

“Up here, our winter season is slow because many snow birds go to Phoenix for the winter and in the spring people start coming back,” she said.

Since last September, Kevin has been getting a lot of work done in anticipation of the return of the snow birds. It has been mostly cosmetic and catching up with deferred maintenance. He has the pool and sauna up and running properly, and now is concentrating on the tennis courts.

The couple hopes the club can fill a need not already fulfilled in Prescott.

“We have two country clubs and a YMCA, but there was nothing in the middle for young families who want a little more, but don’t want to pay for a country club membership,” she said. “I have been in this field in camps and gyms since I was 14. I was raised by my dad who said girls can do anything boys can do. I was the only girl on a soccer team.”

Originally from Texarkana, Arkansas, she graduated in 1995 from the University of Arkansas with a degree in recreation management and an emphasis on therapeutic recreation.

After graduation, she moved to Park City, Utah, where she taught people with disabilities how to snow ski, water ski, horseback ride and other sports.

“I loved Park City, but it was hard to find housing because it is so expensive and recreation therapists don’t make that much money.”

She married Kevin in 2005 and moved to Bend, Oregon for eight years, running the city’s therapeutic recreation program.

When her husband was transferred to Phoenix to continue his construction career of building and remodeling homes, she landed a job at Ability 360, a 45,000-square-foot recreational facility focusing on people with disabilities. The facility is also the home of the national champion wheelchair rugby team, the Phoenix Heat.

Eventually, Amber had a serious talk with herself.

“Life is too short to work this much,” she said.

The couple decided to move to Prescott.

“It’s a great place to raise a family. I took a step back in Prescott and reflected on what I wanted to do: to be a mom and a wife and contribute to our community,” she said. “I taught some fitness classes and got my real estate license to help my husband.”

One day, the Blanchards were talking to the Haines about what a great facility PAC was and they all agreed they should purchase the facility.

“I was always camping with my family and playing outside. I went to college for it.”

A huge part of her philosophy is that “everyone has the right to play. It is great therapy for me to help others.”

When they bought the athletic club, it became a way of life for the entire family.

“The kids will grow up here,” she said. “Our kids are here with us. They have little jobs. They get paid for their jobs like picking up pine cones.”

They can take dance or tennis lessons right on site, she said.

“It’s a safe, healthy environment,” she said. “I feel fortunate that this is where my life brought me.”

Blanchard says the business gives back by helping non-profit organizations build a stronger community.

“There are so many opportunities and possibilities looking at the needs of our members that drive us in the direction in the future,” she said.

JaLene Gathman, café manager of the PAC, said it is wonderful to work for Amber. “It’s very family- and community-oriented. She cares a lot about her clients,” Gathman said. “It’s a pleasure to work here every day.”

When she thinks of all the things she could have done, Blanchard says owning an adult playground is very satisfying.

What do you do for fun?

“I spend time with my family. I still do a lot of camping.”

What is the best advice you’ve ever received?

“Of course I got a lot of great advice from my parents. I also had a professor who said, ‘Who said life has to be serious?’ I like to have fun every day and have fun people around me and not take life too seriously and enjoy it.”

Who do you admire?

“I admire my children. They are amazing human beings. They are some of the kindest people I have ever met. They have been raised around people with different ability levels and they have this kindness about them.”

Where do you like to travel?

“Anywhere that has a place to put a tent, by the water preferably.”

What is your super power and when do you use it?

“My super power is my ADHD. I use it very day. I have so many moving parts in my life that I can’t focus on one thing, but I am able to jump from project to project and complete them. I have a lot of energy because I am hyper.” QCBN

By Patty McCormac, QCBN

The Prescott Athletic Club is on five acres in Kingswood Estates, just off Iron Springs Road. To learn more, call 928-379-2835 or visit the website at prescottathleticclub.com.