BY JOYCE LOBECK “Absolutely,” education and business

need each other, says a consultant for edu-cation policy in Arizona who has initiated a summit in Yuma County to bring both sectors to the table.

“Neither can be successful without the other,” said Debra Raeder. She has been hired by the Arizona Business and Edu-cation Coalition to help county superin-tendents around the state bring local edu-cators, business people and community leaders together to talk about their needs, concerns and challenges - as well as their successes – and come up with a plan on how they can work collaboratively to meet mutual expectations.

The ultimate success will be ensur-ing a robust pipeline of an educated and skilled workforce that meets the business and economic development needs neces-sary for the community to prosper, noted Julie Engel, president and CEO of Greater Yuma Economic Development Corpora-tion

The organization is a co-convener of the summit along with the Yuma County Chamber of Commerce, Yuma County School Superintendent and ABEC with funding provided through a grant from Intel.

The Yuma County Business-Education Summit will be held from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

June 18 at the Arizona Western College Schoening Conference Center. Registra-tion is free. For more information, call the Yuma County School Superintendent’s Of-fice at (928) 373-1006.

Local and state speakers will provide information on economic workforce goals and trends, challenges facing education and collaborative efforts between educa-tion and business partners.

“We will bring some people to Yuma to give the local community some insight

in what is happening statewide in educa-tion and the need for business-education partnerships,” said Yuma County School Superintendent Tom Tyree.

During a working lunch, participants will then have an opportunity to engage in roundtable discussions on how to move forward in Yuma County.

“We hear businesses say workers aren’t prepared,” said Raeder. “We need to ex-

The Yuma Business And Education Coalition Summit Coming June 18 To The AWC 3C Conference Center

June 2015 Volume 1 – Issue 5

Members of the Month, AWC Continuing Education pg3

Committee Updates pg6

See Summit continued on page 9

New Members pg4

Students in the automotive program at Kofa High School learn skills that will help them find employment in the automotive industry.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF YUMA UNION HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT

CongrATulATionS!

2 YUMABiZ June 2015

Last month’s Yuma County Chamber member of the month was the Yuma International Airport (YIA) and executive Director Gladys Wiggins. As such, she was my guest on “Chamber Chatter” the Chamber’s radio show that airs every Wednesday on KBLU 560 AM. On the May 13th show, Gladys was in studio with Chamber board member Tom Pancrazi. The on-air and off-air discussion, of course centered around YIA obtaining another commercial carrier, or adding another route, maybe Denver, maybe LA again or some other West Coast destination. Remember, our Yuma International Airport was named the Arizona Airport of the Year for 2015 by ADOT, just a few weeks after YIA was named Chamber

member of the month. Our airport is very creative at developing tenants for the airport, from NASA to Skylancer Aviation, and these economic development efforts, bring jobs to Yuma. Good jobs.

I know just how hard Gladys, the Yuma County Airport Authority and GYEDC President Julie Engel are working on getting Yuma another destination. They work morning, noon and night and even weekends attending as many air carrier national conferences as humanly possible. These two professionals continually get the same answer, “We are watching the outbound and inbound passenger counts for Yuma, and we need to see them go up. In other words, ladies and gentlemen, the job of acquiring another destination is not the airports’, but that job is actually ours.

I hear stories about people driving to Phoenix to fly out to other destinations. It’s a matter of choice; America is good like that. BUT, when you consider the driving time to Phoenix, the parking hassles and then the expensive parking fees, the shuttle van ride sharing from long – term parking, the tips for the drivers and sky caps and then the LONG security lines, getting there can certainly be a drag. Then, when you are tired from your business trip or vacation you get the joy of the seemingly endless trip back to Yuma. For these reasons, we all should choose Yuma International Airport every time. Might there be a cancellation on the return trip? Maybe. But, I will choose the benefit of the 7+ hours of time I have saved AND gained the satisfaction that I am assisting YIA in getting Yuma another

destination. I’ve done the math on the money, and it’s a wash, so the no-hassle security at YIA creates the difference for a “FLY LOCALLY” outcome.

If this seems like an advertisement for the Yuma International Airport, I’m OK with that. The message is clear, however, that if we want another destination, it’s up to us. It’s a business for the airlines and if they see customer demand, they will be sure to meet that customer demand. Fly Yuma this summer!

John Courtis, Executive Director

“Fly Yuma” Means You, Yuma!

Continuing Education is an “extension” of Arizona Western College. We offer a wide variety of courses, workshops, seminars and conferences aimed at business and industry professionals. You may be seeking to expand your knowledge of a particular subject, improve your professional skills, embark on a new career or advance toward an academic degree. Or you may simply be interested in an intellectual challenge. Whatever your interest, we have the courses for you!

Continuing Education is a program of non-credit, fee-based courses and activities designed to serve individuals with educational goals that do not require college credit. Continuing Education offers workforce and personal enrichment courses in a variety of areas, including business, computers, career and professional training, information technology and professional development, languages and fitness and health.

Mission Statement:“ To Represent Our Membership

By Advocating A Healthy Economic Climate Through The

Effective Use Of Our Unique Regional Resources To Enhance

The Quality Of Life In The Greater Yuma Area.”

Kelly Averitt, Office Manager

If you have questions about yourmembership, or any of our events,please call me at 928-782-2567

JUNE 2015 Volume 1 – Issue 5

Published and direct mailed monthly by the Yuma County Chamber of Commerce.

For information or to ask about submitting articles, call the chamber office at 928-782-2567 or send us an e-mail at info@yumachamber.org

928-782-2567180 W. 1st St., Ste A

Yuma, AZ 85364

Please listen in every Wednesday from 8 - 9 am

on KBLU 560AM for "Chamber Chatter." We will talk every week about all the good stuff going on in

Yuma County and introduce new Chamber members. Presented by the Fisher

Automotive Group, we will also give you updates on what's going on in Yuma.

Yuma County Chamber of Commerce YUMABiZ 3

Continuing Education is an “extension” of Arizona Western College. We offer a wide variety of courses, workshops, seminars and conferences aimed at business and industry professionals. You may be seeking to expand your knowledge of a particular subject, improve your professional skills, embark on a new career or advance toward an academic degree. Or you may simply be interested in an intellectual challenge. Whatever your interest, we have the courses for you!

Continuing Education is a program of non-credit, fee-based courses and activities designed to serve individuals with educational goals that do not require college credit. Continuing Education offers workforce and personal enrichment courses in a variety of areas, including business, computers, career and professional training, information technology and professional development, languages and fitness and health.

Continuing Education offers workforce and personal enrichment courses in a variety of areas including:

• Adult education• Business• Computer training• County code enforcement - Syllabus• CPR training• Customer service• Fitness• Health training• Professional development• Security officer training• Supervisory skillsContinuing Education includes the

following:• Administration• Adult Education• Customized and Contract

Training(delivery options are available)• Professional Development and

Lifelong Learning• Small Business Development Center

(SBDC)• Workforce Investment Act (WIA)Contact them for more information

about exciting educational and training opportunities for you, your organization or your staff

Congratulations to our June Member of the MonthArizona Western College Continuing Education

Maria Aguirre

4 YUMABiZ June 2015

WElCoME To our nEWEST MEMBErSC

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Yuma County Chamber of Commerce YUMABiZ 5

May good Morning Yuma

ribbon Cuttings

The Arizona Community Foundation of Yuma held a ribbon cutting to celebrate its new location at 350 W 16th Street, #304. Friends, family, and colleagues relaxed and mingled in the beautiful new offices. This celebration was however bittersweet as it also served as a going away party for Regional Manager Janell Johnson, a beloved member of the Yuma community.

The additional photo features Russ Jones one of the founders of the Arizona Community Foundation of Yuma and Janell Johnson the Regional Manager.

6 YUMABiZ June 2015

Committee updateslEgiSlATiVE AFFAirS Next MeetingMonday, June 8 at 12 noonOld City Hall Conference RoomLunch for Committee

The Legislative Affairs Committee meet-ing was attended by two members of the Yuma County Pest Abatement District and two date growers. They wanted to explain the severity of the house fly issue coming off the landfill on the South Mesa. Companies from California are bring truckloads of bio waste and dumping it there creating a breeding ground for flies by the thousands. This is all being done within the rules and regulations set forth by ADEQ, however it is causing a real problem not only because of the number of flies, but that they are carrying Sominila and E Coli. The flies are a nuisance to those that live in the area and to the 600+ employees working on the date farms in the area. Not to mention they could be contaminating the dates. ADEQ states that the landfill users are handling the waste according to protocol, however they have agreed to send someone to observe the issue. The gentlemen that presented this problem to the committee are seeking assistance and support to get ADEQ to reexamine the rules and regulations so this will not continue. In other news, MCAS is losing its C-12s to Miramar and the base will be doing night tests from May 5th-12th. The City received a grant allowing it to purchase 3 new fully equipped police motor cycles. The City along with the County, the Fair Grounds, and MCAS are continuing to explore the idea of moving the Fair Grounds and City Council will decide the fate of a retention basin out at Smucker Park at its next meeting.

BoArD oF DirECTorS Next meeting Tuesday, June 16 at 3PMOld City Hall Conference RoomMembers Welcome

Last month Chairman Ed Shippen posed two questions to the Board. The first was how do we determine the eligibility of a po-tential member, especially one that is not in the Greater Yuma Area. The second was, at what point does a delinquent member drop off the roll. These topics were briefly discussed at this past Board meeting. A committee is going to be formed to tackle these questions and come up with fair and reasonable answers. Representatives from the City of Yuma, YPIC, YPG, and the Caballeros de Yuma attended and gave the Board reports on their respec-tive organizations. We would love to have a representative from MCAS also attend these meeting to keep us abreast of what is going on on the base. Executive Director John Courtis shared more details of the Mega Mixer/Busi-ness Expo that will be held August 28th and 29th at the Yuma Civic Center. Friday the 28th will be a day for members to set-up their booths and at 5:00 that evening all members will be invited in and the Mega Mixer will be held, complete with food and adult beverages. Then Saturday the Business Expo will be open to the public. Admission will be free and we will be giving away tons of door prizes. Booths are going to be as little as $99 for members. We already have several members signed up and we are hoping to be sold out before the June 31st deadline. John also spoke about his new radio show ”Chamber Chatter” that airs on KBLU 560 AM, Wednesdays from 8-9:00 A.M. The slogan is ‘Nothing but the Good

Stuff.’ It is a fast paced, upbeat radio show that focuses on the positive things that are going on in our community. John also shared his takeaways from the Governor’s Leadership Conference he attended and the rebirth of the Yuma Business Education Coalition that will be having a Yuma County Business-Education Summit June 18th from 7:30 A.M. to 1:00 P.M. at AWC’s Schoening Conference Center.

MiliTArY AFFAirSNext Meeting Wednesday, June 24 at 7AMAmerican Legion Post 19, 2575 S Virginia DrMembers Welcome

The Yuma Armed Forces Park continues to grow. There are now fewer than 930 places for new plaques. It looks like it may be time to start thinking about expansion of the park to the North. When the park is full it will have over 3,000 plaques honoring individu-als that have or are serving this great country. Military Appreciation Day on Main Street has a new date. The event will be held on Sat-urday December 5th this year and that’s not the only thing that is changing. It looks like the Veterans’ Day Parade will not be on Vet-erans’ Day this year. Instead it will be held on Saturday November 14th. The June meeting is going to be a good one to attend since Sen-ator McCain’s office will be sending a staffer down to speak about Veteran’s Affairs.

AMBASSADorS THE AMBASSADORS WILL NOT BE MEET-ING IN JUNE

It was lights, camera, and posing at the last Ambassador meeting.The group met at Tawnee Miller’s photography studio, Seren-dipity located on Main Street. All Ambas-sadors present had their photo taken for the Chamber’s new website (coming soon) and Facebook page. Once that fun was done

they got down to business and discussed the difference between the Mega-Mixer Friday August 28th and the Business Expo the fol-lowing day. Discussion was then had about the mixer that night at the Cocopah Casino and that the City of Yuma’s Mixer in May will be held at The Yuma Art Center. The June Good Morning Yuma was then talked about and how it was a 3 way sponsorship between Acupuncture of Yuma, Cummings Chiro-practic, and Take Shape for Life. All mixers and Good Morning Yumas are all spoken for in 2015 and we will not start taking sponsors for 2016 until the fourth quarter of 2015. We are always accepting applications for Ambas-sadors; anyone interested should contact Kelly at kelly@yumachamber.org for more details and an application.

TrAnSPorTATion CoMMiTTEE Next Meeting Thursday June 25 at 10:30AMChamber of Commerce OfficeMembers Welcome

Gene Dalbey of the Yuma Region Bicycle Coalition spoke about the newly passed City ordinance that bicycles must ride with the flow of traffic, NOT against it. This should reduce the amount of bicycle accidents in Yuma. He then went on to announce a Si-lent Bike Ride on May 30th in honor of those that lost their lives in bicycling accidents. For more information on this coalition visit www.yumarbc.org. The City and the County both presented their respective road project reports. Councilman Gary Knight also spoke about the upcoming dedication and place-ment of the commemorative signs for those military, public servants, and City employees that had lost their lives in the line of duty. The Yuma International Airport earned the honor of being named ADOT’s Airport of the Year. This definitely comes at a good time for our local airport. John Courtis is cur-rently working with Ricky Rinehart from the City to ease parking issues downtown and to develop better ways to have service trucks load and unload without disrupting other’s business. Lastly, Bruce Bartholomew from ADOT shared that Senator Flake is looking into the commercial truck inspection prob-lems at the border, particularly San Luis II.

Yuma County Chamber of Commerce YUMABiZ 7

Yuma international Airport – 2015 ADoT Airport of the YearBY GEN GROSSE

Yuma International Airport hit the tri-fecta at the Arizona Airports Asso-ciation (AzAA) annual con-ference earlier this month in Lake Havasu City as it earned ADOT’s Arizona Airport of the Year award, Yuma’s Airport Director Gladys Wiggins was named as AzAA 2015-2016 Presi-dent, and one of the airport interns received a scholarship towards her education in aviation management.

During the 2015 AzAA Annual “Dutch Bertholf ” Spring Conference presidents awards banquet, the ADOT Aeronautics Group selected Yuma International Airport for the 2015 Airport of the Year. This selec-tion was based on the Airport’s accomplish-ments in the areas of community relations, airport management, airport maintenance activities, and innovative activities and pro-

grams implemented at air-ports. Specific recognition was given for its support of military servicemen, as well as community out-reach promoting aviation related careers and airport tours.

Gladys Wiggins shared, “We have an amazing dedi-cated team and Board of Directors who are con-stantly working on com-

munity outreach programs including airport tours of all ages to learn about the various aviation related opportunities and business-es. We have implemented the Military Com-fort Center (MCC) for our traveling military personnel and have created the airport am-bassador program to assist customers in the terminal as well as welcome them upon their arrival in an effort to promote Yuma events, attractions and businesses. We are thankful for the wonderful and supportive community who nominated Yuma International Airport

for this award in recognition and apprecia-tion our efforts. It is very rewarding to see ev-eryone’s hard work and efforts be recognized, and to bring more positive recognition to our great Yuma community.”

Corporal Alexandra Duffy, an active duty Marine who is an intern at Yuma Interna-tional Airport studying aviation manage-ment, was awarded a $1,250 scholarship from AzAA for continued studies. Alexandra gra-ciously thanked AzAA and Yuma Interna-tional Airport for the opportunity to achieve her goals of a career in aviation.

Gladys Wiggins has now assumed the role as AzAA’s president. “I am proud to work along-side an amazing team of professionals within the airport and aviation industry who are passionate about the future of aviation in Arizona. Together, we are dedicated to achieve our goals of development and growth of the Association and the promotion of edu-cation for airport development, administra-tion, management, and operation.”

Over the past few years, Wiggins has held the roles as an Executive Director, 2nd

Vice President and 1st Vice President within AzAA. She has been an active with AzAA’s Strategic Business Plan, Policy Decisions, Ethics, By-Laws, Board Operating Policies & Guidelines, AZ Best Practices and Legislative committees.

“This recognition comes on the heels of learning we have also been named Member of the Month by the Yuma County Chamber of Commerce.” shared Ron Rice, Yuma County Airport Authority Board President. “We are incredibly proud of the accomplishments of the airport’s team, and of Gladys’ leader-ship. Just as she has done here in Yuma, she worked her way up through the ranks of the organization, has built dynamic relationships with the FAA, ADOT, airport executives and professionals, and has earned the respect of her peers.”

8 YUMABiZ June 2015

BY RANDY NELSON

Word of mouth, referrals, networking, viral, are all types of marketing that the savvy business owner will use to build his business.

At the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) we are no different and

encourage referrals to help us be more successful. We often get referrals from other clients, bankers, accountants and other professionals for our business counseling services. We also get referrals that are great where we can provide out-standing service as well as referrals where we are not very effective.

How do you cultivate your referral network?

How can you get great referrals?• People have to know what you do,

and how you can help the person they plan to refer to your business.

• People should also know what you do not do. An example is that we do not have grants for almost any small business.

• Your business location should be known, easy to find, and convenient. This could be a brick and mortar or online presence.

• You should be better than any al-ternatives. No one wants to refer their friends to #2

• You must be available and remind people of what you provide and that you are still alive.

• If a referral does come in and lets you know who referred them that customer should get a thank you and acknowledge-ment of what a great friend the person who referred them is. It wouldn’t hurt to thank the referrer the next time you see them.

You are your brand and must remem-ber you are always representing your busi-ness to others. To be a credible resource you need to always act professional and businesslike. Remember your referrals are based on your reputation and everyone’s reputation needs managing at one time or another.

Give referrals to others. In marketing today sharing is a great way to recognize others who often repay with referrals of their own.

Brag on yourself a little. Don’t be shy; even if you are good at what you do you still need to sell yourself.

Getting referrals is hard at the begin-ning simply because you are unknown.

Once you earn the respect of others in the community the introductions and per-sonal referrals from others often comes easier. So thank you Yuma for many years of referrals to the SBDC. We truly appreciate your trust in us to send your friends over for our services. By the way just because you remember us from a year or more before doesn’t mean we are not still around to help your business. Give us a call to set up your appointment at 928-317-6151

If you are sure you have been doing everything correctly and still do not see any referrals to your business follow this simple tip.

Ask

using referrals To Build Your Business

Yuma Sun is full of news, events and ads that you can use everyday. We won’t even take credit when your boss asks how you know so much.

ReAdinG the YUMA SUn heLPS YoU iMPReSS YoUR BoSS

Local News. Anytime.

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Yuma County Chamber of Commerce YUMABiZ 9

pand opportunities for businesses to share their needs with educators … get everyone to the table to share their common goals and how to work together long after the summit.”

It will be important, she said, that par-ticipants not only come up with a strategic plan that identifies common goals, but also set measurements on meeting those goals and establishing who will be responsible.

What that strategic plan might look like for Yuma County depends on the lo-cal community, said Rader, no stranger to Yuma as she grew up here. “ABEC doesn’t bring solutions to the county. It has to be Yuma County’s plan, something they’re comfortable with. Each county is different, the challenges they face and what their economic development looks like. The key is we all need to come to the table.”

Statistics nationwide indicate jobs are available but it’s hard to find people with the needed skills to fill those positions, said Engel. “Businesses have to let us know what skill sets they need and what their fu-ture requirements look like. That’s why this discussion is so critical. Education is only successful if students become employable.”

An educated workforce is critical, she said, not only to GYEDC’s efforts to attract new industry to the community but also the retention of the high-end employers who are already here.

“In my opinion, the future of education rests with business,” said John Courtis, ex-ecutive director of Yuma County Chamber of Commerce. “In my opinion, business is really driving the outcome. We need spe-cialized education targeting what we want to be when we grow up. We need medical, construction, other people at the table say-ing what that needs to look like.”

Engel noted that education in Yuma County has already seen some successes in that regard, pointing out such programs as the STEM curriculum, industry relation-ships with the high schools and AWC and the partnerships between the schools and workforce development agencies. And in May, a record number of people – about 1,200 students - received associate degrees from AWC, students who Engel hopes will pursue further education.

Tyree also is heartened by the commu-nity support for the establishment of the

Joint Technical Education District, which he said will be up and running this fall.

“The support for the JTED is an ex-ample of how business-education part-nerships apply to businesses. People in business understand how important the education system is to the success of their business.”

Summit speakers will include: Pearl Esau of Expect More Arizona, a

statewide public-private partnership dedi-cated to making education Arizona’s top priority.

Darcy Renfro, executive director of The Arizona We Want, an education advo-cacy organization.

Janice Palmer, director of governmen-tal relations with Arizona Small Business Association.

Dick Foreman, president and CEO of Arizona Business and Education Coali-tion.

There will then be a panel discussion on the Yuma County picture. Panelists will include Engel, Courtis, Tyree, Yuma City Mayor Douglas Nicholls and Yuma Coun-ty Administrator Robert Pickels.

The Arizona Business and Education Coalition was founded in 2002 after voters passed Proposition 301, a ballot initiative for an additional temporary tax to sup-port public K-12 education. Many of those same business and education leaders went on to found ABEC in a united effort to ad-vance education in Arizona.

Tyree and YUHSD Superintendent Toni Badone are among members of ABEC.

Once you earn the respect of others in the community the introductions and per-sonal referrals from others often comes easier. So thank you Yuma for many years of referrals to the SBDC. We truly appreciate your trust in us to send your friends over for our services. By the way just because you remember us from a year or more before doesn’t mean we are not still around to help your business. Give us a call to set up your appointment at 928-317-6151

If you are sure you have been doing everything correctly and still do not see any referrals to your business follow this simple tip.

Ask

Summit continued from page 1

A student practices welding skills during a class at Gila Ridge High School.

10 YUMABiZ June 2015

BY CITY OF YUMA

With the passage of the ordinance amending the Bicycles chapter of the Yuma City Code, the City wants residents to understand what the law is regard-ing use of bicycles or what we define as “play vehicles” (tricycles, unicycles, skate-boards, motorized skateboards, scooters, roller skates and any wheeled, non-mo-torized conveyance).

Use the bike lane. If there is a bike lane provided on the street, please use it. If there is no bike lane, or if the bike lane is obstructed, it’s OK to ride on the side-walk.

Beware of doors. And people. In ar-eas such as downtown Main Street where business doors are directly adjacent to the sidewalk, it is illegal to operate a bike on the sidewalk in these areas. Similarly, if operation of a bicycle is hazardous to per-sons entering or exiting a business, don’t ride there.

Look for signs. Areas prohibiting bike riding shall be posted with signs referring to Yuma City Code section 213-05. The City also may post signs prohibiting bike riding or play vehicles on certain side-walks, streets, alleys or public highways.

Don’t impede traffic. Bicycles and play vehicles are not allowed to be on a street, alley or public highway if doing so creates a traffic hazard or impedes the free flow of traffic. So, no taking up a whole lane of 4th Avenue during rush hours during winter visitor season!

“Yield.” If you’re on a bike or play vehicle, riding on a sidewalk or shared pathway and are about to enter or cross a roadway, you must yield to the traffic on the roadway and to closely approaching vehicles and pedestrians. If on the side-walk or shared pathway and pedestrians are present, the rider must yield to them. Open road or pathway? Then simply ride “in a safe and lawful manner.”

Don’t speed (relatively speaking). “No person shall operate a bicycle or play ve-hicle at a speed greater than is reasonable and prudent under the existing condi-tions.” That about says it all.

Park carefully. Bicycles and play vehi-

cles can’t be parked in a manner that sub-stantially impedes pedestrian or motor vehicle traffic, or in a way that obstructs access to any facilities (be they public or private ones).

Ride with the flow of vehicular traffic. Repeat: Ride with the flow of traffic. Once again: Ride with the flow of traffic. Or put another way, “no person shall ride a bicy-cle against the flow of adjacent traffic in a bicycle lane, sidewalk or shoulder.” (That’s the way it reads in the ordinance. We just tried to “Acc-cent-choo-ate the positive.”)

Motor vehicle drivers are part of this, too. “A person shall not drive a motor vehicle on a sidewalk, except to enter or leave the roadway, and only after yield-ing the right of way to all bicycles, play vehicles or pedestrians lawfully upon the sidewalk.”

These provisions are specific to riding in the City of Yuma. However, there are state laws that also apply to cyclists and operators of play vehicles. One of these is “stop at a stop sign.” Yes, even in a residen-tial neighborhood.

So, what happens to those who violate this ordinance? “Any person who violates any of the provisions of this Ordi-nance shall be guilty of a class 3 misdemeanor, violation of such provision shall be punishable by a fine not to exceed $500 or by imprisonment for not more than one day or by both such fine or imprisonment.”

Of course, the real pur-pose behind having an ordi-nance like this one is to prevent crashes. An injury will cost you way more than a $500 fine. So, practice safe riding (and safe, defensive driving), and help us pass the word so we can r e d u c e c r a s h e s in Yuma.

Bike ordinance Made Easy

Yuma County Chamber of Commerce YUMABiZ 11

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12 YUMABiZ June 2015

Karina Jones is a Yuma native and proud ASU Sundevil. After graduating magna cum laude with a degree in Tourism Development and Management, she returned home with hopes of bettering her local community. Being a part of United Way of Yuma County’s team, has given her the opportu-nity to increase local corporate engagement and raise awareness of crucial needs in Yuma. Karina and husband, Tyrone Jones have a 17 month-old daughter and are also actively involved at their church, Calvary Temple of Christ. Being a Chamber Ambassador gives her the ability to be an integral part of the business community. She enjoys con-tinually discovering new businesses and

connecting with other ambassadors and business owners.

Over the last 16+ years Matt Molenar has built MGM Design into the leading graphic design and Website development firm in the region. MGM produces high quality Website and graphic designs that seamlessly integrate with back-end manage-ment systems or custom applications. And, MGM has been named the Yuma County Chamber of Commerce Member of the Year in both 2008 and 2014.

As an expert in the Yuma community, Matt Molenar has taught Web site design and other graphic design classes at the col-lege level, wrote technology columns for the local newspaper and business journal, is on the board of directors of several arts and civic organizations and continually donates time and resources to many local charities and causes.

“I’m proud to say that Yuma is my family’s home. I take great pride in our community and with every design project we produce for a

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14 YUMABiZ June 2015

BY ANNA CHAULK

Having spent most of my life in Yuma, I have witnessed some of its incredible growth. According to census data, Yuma County’s population has increased by 27 percent since 2000, making it the third fastest-growing area in the United States. The statistics are pretty impressive.

For years, APS has recognized the need to stay ahead of this growth, re-quiring us to create some pretty signifi-cant statistics of our own. After nearly two years of construction and more than a decade of planning, March saw the completion of a new transmission line called Hassayampa to North Gila No. 2 (HANG 2), which at the time of con-struction was the largest utility project in the West.

This is a 112-mile, high-voltage pow-er line that will act as a massive exten-

sion cord connecting the Yuma area to the Phoenix Valley.

The new infrastructure built as a part of this project includes the following:

• 390 steel towers• 1,481,210 lbs. of tubular structures• 3,494,400 feet of conductor• 7,500 cubic yards of concreteWhat do all these numbers add up to?

Increased reliability for a growing Yuma. This was a huge project that brought

unique challenges. The line travels through some mountainous terrain in both the Muggins Mountains and the Laguna Mountains. The crews also dealt with weather conditions such as extreme heat and rain and wind, which some-times led to delays.

“Due to the remote locations and rugged terrain, several miles of road needed to be constructed just to be able to get to some of the structure locations,”

said our manager of construction projects Mike DeWitt. “It really was a huge undertaking, but so important for continuing reliabil-ity in the Yuma area.”

Check out APS’s YouTube channel to watch a video show-ing some breathtaking footage of the construction at youtube.com/arizonapublicservice.

Once this line is energized this month, Yuma County will have access to greater energy ca-pacity, and bolstered reliability, just in time for those high sum-mer temperatures and the correlating peak power demand on our system.

In constructing the transmission line, we wanted to make sure both residents and business owners in Yuma will have ample supply of reliable power to run their businesses and be comfortable in

their homes, even as the area continues to grow.

new Transmission line Supplies Power To Southwest Arizona

Investing in ArizonaWe believe it’s our responsibility to contribute to the growthand vitality of the communities we serve. That’s why wepartner with local business leaders to help attract new jobsand investments to our state. Every dollar that goes backinto our community helps create a stronger, more vibranteconomic future for all Arizonans and that’s a goal wellworth achieving.

aps.com

Yuma County Chamber of Commerce YUMABiZ 15

BY ADRIANNE WAGNER

It’s June and that means it is time for YVB’s annual membership meet-ing from 7 to 8:30 a.m. June 26 at the Palms RV Resort, 3400 S. Avenue 7E. Our special treat for you is a remarkable presentation by Thomas Barr, Director of Operations at Local First Arizona. He will speak on survival skills in the summer (slow) time, with emphasis on buying local and cooperative marketing opportunities. Breakfast will be catered by Chef Alex Trujillo. We will review the many successes from last year (includ-ing being listed in Fodor Travel’s Top 20 World’s Most Unique Dining Expe-riences), outline upcoming ventures for the year and announce new members to our board of directors, voted on by our members. Cost is $15 per person and everyone is welcome. Please RSVP to Leslie Fain (376-0100, LeslieF@visityu-ma.com).

There’s still time: If the past few weeks have been too busy for you, don’t fret! There is still time to get your ad in our 2016 Visitors Guide. Ad design is included in pricing or you can get a dis-count for providing camera-ready art. As always, there is special pricing for YVB members. Contact Nelissa Henry (376-0100, Nelissa@visityuma.com) for further information.

Not a YVB member? This the perfect time to join – benefits include free listing in our 2016 Visitors Guide, a customiz-able listing on VisitYuma.com, distribu-tion of your rack cards or brochures at the Visitor Information Center, media relations assistance, networking and more. For details, contact Nelissa Henry (376-0100, Nelissa@visityuma.com).

Bright ideas: We are beginning to re-view and revamp our website, VisitYu-ma.com. Before we begin rebuilding, we are gathering thoughts and ideas! If you have any suggestions on how we can make our website better and easier for visitors to navigate, please let us know! Just send your thoughts to Fernando Zacharias (Fernando@visityuma.com).

Float down fun: Come out and join YVB at the annual Territorial River Re-gatta hosted by the Caballeros de Yuma, launching at 8 a.m. Saturday, June 27 – it’s a wet and wonderful day of fun in the sun with family and friends. Partici-pants are encouraged to build a float and ride the river in style! The most creative floats will win prizes! Get details and en-try forms at www.caballeros.org.

Fun in the sun: As the weather be-gins to heat up, stay cool with our Events Calendar at VisitYuma.com. Are we missing something? Send detailed infor-mation of your community event to me (Adrianne@visityuma.com) and I will add it to our master calendar so it can be posted it on our website, used in the What’s Happening weekly emails sent to over 1,500 people and distributed daily at the Visitor Information Center.

* Note: Beginning June 1, the Visitor Information Center is closed Mondays, open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday *

Planning Ahead With Yuma Visitors Bureau

16 YUMABiZ June 2015

PRSRT STDU.S. POSTAGE PAIDYUMA AZPERMIT NO 42

www.yumaeyedoctor.com

Two Offices To Serve Your Needs275 W. 28th Street

11551 S. Fortuna Rd., Suite E 928-782-1980

Se Habla Español

We Care About Eye Care... You’ll See!

We are proud to announce that Dr. Patrick Aiello, with Aiello Eye Institute, is the only ophthalmologist in Yuma to perform Bladeless laser Cataract Surgery. Laser Cataract Surgery is the newest technology in cataract care. This innovative procedure sets high standards in safety for our patients and has the most precise results.

If you or someone you know is interested in learning more about this revolutionary procedure, please call 928-782-1980.

Great NewsAbout

CataractsAnnouncing...Laser Cataract Surgery!