By Connor Dziawura The Scottsdale Airport and surrounding area were doing well in the 2019 fiscal year. According to Sarah Ferrara, aviation planning and outreach coordinator for the Scottsdale Airport, aviation activity at the airport and airpark brought in $688 million in economic benefits for the region, supporting 3,979 jobs amounting to $241 million in income. Spin-off airpark activity, unrelated to av ...

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski Cybersecurity expert and former FBI agent Michael McAndrews has three loves in his life—malware, motorcycles and music. Malware is key to PacketWatch, a 3-year-old Scottsdale-based company for which he serves as vice president, network security services. PacketWatch is the name of the business and the proprietary network monitoring, analysis and investigation platform designed ...

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski Amie Miksta relaxes in the shade. The task comes easier to her these days, after a whirlwind, arduous bout with brain cancer. Her Instagram is @aminspirational, a play on her first name and her friends’ description of her. “I’ve been through a lot,” says Miksta, a former teacher who lives near Desert Ridge Marketplace. “A lot of people get very saddened, but I try to inspire. “ ...

By Laura Latzko   The COVID-19 pandemic has been hard on the restaurant industry, especially local mom-and-pop restaurants in Cave Creek and Carefree. These local restaurants have needed to adapt to change to be able to survive. Two local restaurants, Giordano’s Trattoria Romana and Harold’s Cave Creek Corral, have done just that. Giordano’s Trattoria Romana For Giordano’s Trattoria Romana, surviving d ...

By Kamala Kirk One of the world’s leading auction houses for classic and one-of-a-kind cars, Barrett-Jackson hosts annual auctions and lifestyle events that draw nearly half a million people. Since its founding in 1971, the company has continued to expand and innovate, becoming the first collector car auction to offer live internet and television coverage. The Scottsdale 2021 auction is set for Saturday, Ja ...

By Annika Tomlin Michelle Moore hasn’t let the hardships of being a mother and cancer survivor get in the way. Founder and president of the Phoenix-based nonprofit organization Mother’s Grace, Moore recently published her first book, “A Mother’s Grace: Healing the World, One Woman at a Time.” With around $2,000, Moore founded Mother’s Grace in 2009 as a nonprofit that provides financial assistance for housi ...

By Jacqueline Robledo For many people, seeing “The Nutcracker” ballet in a theater is a holiday tradition. The COVID-19 pandemic is making that a little difficult this year. But Jo Gemmill is doing something about it. Her English Rose Tea Room in Carefree is once again hosting a Nutcracker Tea Party December 5, December 6, December 12 and December 13. The dates are sold out, but more will be added. Masks wi ...

By Alison Bailin Batz In 1997, “Titanic” ruled the box office. Hanson had everyone singing “MMMBop.” Delta Dental of Arizona launched one of the most impactful nonprofit organizations in the state.  “Delta Dental of Arizona started the Delta Dental of Arizona Foundation with the mission to improve oral health across the state, particularly for uninsured and underinsured groups and communities,” says Barb Ko ...

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski Yasmin Tajik sits in her Fountain Hills home surrounded by camera equipment. Photo backdrops, prints and white gloves are strategically placed around her dining area. But there is more to Tajik than photography and her business, Yasmin Tajik Fine Art Prints. She took her company and mixed it with her humanitarian spirit to capture stories while giving back through the sale of e ...

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski Gary Spaniola was in the successful Detroit band Bitter Sweet Alley, when he just decided to call it quits. For 25 years, the new North Scottsdale resident avoided music and instead invented a high-end software system for home automation. “I was in love with that,” he says. “I taught myself computer language and code. That’s how I designed that program.” Now—much like music 25 ...

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski William Swearingen is passionate about senior living communities. As senior vice president of sales and marketing for Spectrum Retirement Communities, Swearingen was part of the team that brought Lone Mountain Memory Care to life in February 2018. “It’s one of the most beautiful memory care-specific communities that I’ve ever seen that doesn’t overdo that luxury component,” Swe ...

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski Charles Small says owning Glo Medspa is the “best job ever.” Because of his work and that of his staff, Small’s clients leave the Scottsdale Medspa living their best life. “The best part of my job is helping people look better and then they feel better about themselves,” Small says. “It’s definitely rewarding.” Small’s background is in helping people. For 15 years, he served as ...

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski Jo Gemmill believes there’s power in numbers. Collectively, Carefree’s restaurants and coffeehouses—including her English Rose Tea Room—will make their mark with the third annual Carefree Restaurant Week from October 1 to October 11. “It’s a chance to say ‘thank you’ to all the folks who have supported us through the pandemic,” says Gemmill, who also serves as the Carefree Rest ...

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski Federico Venturini and Viola Tagliaferri, the husband-and-wife duo behind Carefree’s Pizzicata, are expressing their love for their home country of Italy with Pomodoro Italian Grill & Seafood in Cave Creek. The couple says, in Italy, the most important part of the dining experience is the company. They believe in those interactions, and they want to make a dining experience ...

By Greg Rubenstein Like the colossal trees found in Northern California, Toyota’s Sequoia is nearly as ancient—at least in automotive years—rolling on a platform largely unchanged since its 2008 debut. Fortunately, this full-size sport utility vehicle has only become better with age, and a new-for-2020 TRD Pro trim adds rugged good looks and upgraded off-road capabilities to a body-on-frame SUV with big-tim ...