By Kevin Downey

Photos by Robert Grebe, James Hamilton, Don Meserve, Stephen Parsons, Chuck Williams

It’s easy to overlook a piece of land, no matter how expansive, beautiful, and unique. Case in point: the breathtaking McDowell Sonoran Preserve, which includes the McDowell Mountains that hug the northeast corner of the Valley. This is land—dirt, bushes, stones—but it’s much more: It’s a treasure that needs to be saved.

It’s also easy to overlook people like Carla, which is her full legal name. Carla is a commissioner on the McDowell Sonoran Preserve Commission and has tirelessly worked for decades to preserve vast stretches of the North Valley that have lured millions of visitors and residents to the area for generations. She maintains that protecting the environment is unto itself a noble cause.

“At the core, economically, keeping this beautiful open space is what draws visitors here,” says Carla, 54, who’s lived in Scottsdale since she was a child. “If you develop all of it, you’ve killed the golden goose. We’re protecting one of Scottsdale’s key industries.”

There’s another reason that Carla’s made protecting this land a lifelong effort.

“We need it spiritually,” she says. “It’s where you can go hike 20 minutes in and completely escape urban pressures. And this is our children’s and grandchildren’s classroom.”

Carla is emphatic in saying that the Preserve is intended for all Arizonans and other Americans to enjoy, as she did as a child.

“I grew up here in South Scottsdale, with a scientist mom,” she says. “We weren’t allowed to have a TV. We were always told, ‘Go outside.’ So, for us, our enjoyment was family picnics in the northern desert or taking daylong hiking trips. It was our playground, and it was our classroom.”

The Preserve encompasses more than 16,000 acres, roughly north of Via Linda and east of Thompson Peak Parkway. It includes The Gateway: a visitor center, trailhead entrance, and educational path that opened in May 2009.

The vision for the land encompasses another 19,000 acres. In 1995, voters approved a sales tax increase to purchase the land. In 1998, voters approved funding for the expansion. Additional funding was approved in 2004. And Carla was there each step of the way. In 1992, she began volunteering for McDowell Sonoran Conservancy, formerly the McDowell Sonoran Land Trust. From 1998 until 2007, she worked for MSC.

“To make something big happen, it’s like rolling a boulder up the hill,” says Ruthie Carll, executive director of MSC. “It just doesn’t happen easily. The thing about Carla that is so amazing is that she kept pushing, even when it seemed the boulder was too big.”

Carla’s efforts will be recognized with a street being named in her honor: Carla Way. The city council was scheduled to vote on final approval of the street name on January 12.

“Carla is a great example of the impact that one individual can have on a community,” says Scottsdale’s mayor, W. J. “Jim” Lane. “She was an early advocate for preservation, and her continued passion for the cause has spurred other citizens to get involved.”

By Kevin Downey

It only takes a second for us locals to spot first-time visitors to the North Valley. They’re the folks on the golf course looking past the green toward the desert and breathing, “Wow.” They’re the people pointing to the hillsides, mouthing “Amazing” as they drive north on Tom Darlington Drive. They’re the shoppers at El Pedregal whom we overhear saying, “Oh, that’s beautiful.”

Of course, they’re gasping at the landscape—giant boulders and towering saguaros—but they’re also breathless over the North Valley’s stunning homes. Among these homes are many designed by local architect Terry Kilbane: soft geometric lines, sand-colored hues that turn a creamy orange as the sun rises and a deep amber as it sets, hints of influences ranging from adobe to contemporary.

“I call my architecture Desert Contemporary,” says Kilbane, 58. “But I never wanted to be confined [to a single design]. Right now, two of our three homes [under construction] are Old World, which I call Desert Old World.”

Kilbane is referring to the Tuscan-style houses with courtyards and stone exteriors. Many of the North Valley’s homes blend into the landscape so well that we pay little attention as we zip by. But stop for a moment—take a closer look, and it becomes clear these aren’t cookie-cutter houses slapped together in a hurry.

Rather, many of these homes are so meticulously designed that it takes years to get from hand-drawn sketch by architects like Kilbane to completed house, often with interiors that are as meticulously created as the exteriors, with custom-built sound systems, ambient lighting, and windows placed just so to maximize views.

“It’s much more art than it is architecture,” says Kilbane.

Kilbane is one of a handful of North Valley architects whose work has become synonymous with the area. Many of these homes have a distinctive style—low slung structures melting into the desert landscape, often enhancing its beauty.

Kilbane, who moved to the North Valley from Colorado in 1978, spearheaded the region’s desert contemporary style. He has conceived some of the first homes built in North Valley communities such Desert Mountain, Desert Highlands, and Estancia.

Today, 29 years after opening his firm and setting the course for North Valley architecture, Kilbane is designing about two to three homes each year, some outside Arizona in Hawaii and Idaho. His son, Justin, 27, joined his father in 2000 and, his father says, has kept the firm technologically up-to-date.

In these days of high-tech gadgets, however, Kilbane continues to design homes with hand-drawn sketches, starting with the home’s interior and continuing with its exterior designed around that, all to his client’s specifications. He has few influences and, in fact, steers clear of that of other architects lest his style be muddied and thrown off track.

“I am not a follower of previous architects,” Kilbane says. “The way I look at it, I’m keeping my mind fresh for each client.”

By Kevin Downey

Even here in the North Valley, where the Old West that we know from the movies was a way of life for generations, it’s often easy to overlook remnants of that history, what with backed-up freeways and sweeping vistas blocked by sparkling office towers and mega-shopping centers.

But seek the Old West and you shall find it. Just ask Cheryl Ward and Todd Masden, owners of Cave Creek Outfitters in far North Scottsdale.

At Cave Creek Outfitters, the Old West isn’t merely nostalgia for a lost time. It’s an everyday way of life for Ward, whose background in showing horses began as a young girl, and Masden, who grew up to be a working cowboy like his father and grandfather before him.

“Cheryl and I have both shown horses quite a bit,” Masden says. “I was a working cowboy in Colorado and Arizona. And back in Ohio, Cheryl showed horses. She had a big room in her house back there, covered in ribbons.”

Cave Creek Outfitters, which Ward and Masden opened in 1993, caters to visitors from around the Valley and from towns and cities around the country. They saddle up visitors six days a week all year long for guided tours on horseback, including one-hour, two-hour, half-day, and full-day trips.

A day at Cave Creek Outfitters is a day in the Old West.

“We’re real proud of our facility,” Ward says. “We have Western storefronts. We have a Western look. With our horses, we do Western riding, not English riding. We dress in Western clothes and we love to tell the story of Western history.”

Outfitters’ guided tours are steeped in Old West history, courtesy of Ward and Masden, who share with visitors their encyclopedic knowledge of the area, including its flora and fauna.

“About anything you ever saw on a TV Western probably took place here, including the [historic] shootout at the OK Corral,” says Masden. “And there were military forces. The Pima Indians worked as scouts for the Army during the Apache Wars.”

The area’s history stretches back not only to the days of Arizona’s first settlers but also to Indian tribes whose histories go back centuries, according to Masden.

“We had to have an archeological survey on our trail system,” he says. “They found stuff from Indians from as far back as 800 B.C. It’s an old area, but also with more modern Indians like the Apache and Pima.”

Cave Creek Outfitters has more than forty horses for visitors to ride. These gorgeous, friendly animals are exceedingly well cared for and are suited for both first-time and seasoned riders. Guided tours run Monday through Saturday, with only early-morning and evening rides during the summer.

Ward and Masden will roll out the chuck wagon with cookouts for up to sixty people in a private area with a fire pit and a covered pavilion, and offer a pickup service for visitors from about two dozen hotels throughout the North Valley.

“It’s nice for businesspeople who arrive at their hotel without a rental car,” Ward says. “And, for families, it’s really popular, sometimes because half the family wants to go golfing and the other half wants to come here.”

Some may head for fresh turf, but if you prefer the Old West, step in to Cave Creek Outfitters and spend some time with a couple of authentic Old West guides.

Cave Creek Outfitters is located at 31313 N. 144th St., Scottsdale, AZ 85262, Call toll free at (888) 921-0040 or visit cavecreekoutfitters.com for directions, prices, and riding options.

By Kevin Downey

In this economy, just about every business owner in the North Valley is shaking in their cowboy boots. Just when the recession appears to be lifting, another round of gloomy news comes out, deflating hopes of a speedy recovery.

But shaking in her cowboy boots isn’t Valerie Watters’s style. The lively owner of Valerie’s Furniture & Accents has seen her share of market downturns in the two decades that she’s owned and operated her namesake Western home-furnishings store, first in North Scottsdale and currently on Cave Creek Road in Cave Creek.

“This year, our twentieth anniversary, I think we just need to keep our name out there and keep marketing ourselves,” Watters says. “We’re doing a lot of networking at women’s groups and other groups. I keep really busy just being Valerie from Valerie’s Furniture.”

That’s not to say Watters and Valerie’s Furniture are immune to the grim economy. Many of Valerie’s Furniture’s customers are out-of-towners who make the North Valley their second home. In these cash-strapped times, fewer people are snapping up expansive homes and spending thousands of dollars on furniture than they were several years ago.

But Watters isn’t the type of woman to sit back and let economic downturn dictate her fortunes, as anyone who knows her can tell you. Instead, Watters is taking matters into her own hands. She and her team are reaching out to their best customers to remind them that the store is packed, as always, with carefully arranged custom-made and often one-of-kind Western home furnishings. The upscale store is as overstuffed as an armchair, but not so much so that it feels overwhelming. Instead, the furniture in Valerie’s is carefully arranged to invoke different moods—comfy cozy over here, polished and sophisticated over there, fun-for-entertaining over here.

“You walk in and go, wow,” says Watters. “I’ve always thought, the more the merrier. It’s jam-packed but it’s filled with vignettes. It represents a Western lifestyle, but it’s never cookie-cutter.”

Watters has always advertised around the North Valley, although these days she more carefully selects publications geared to her well-heeled clientele. More than that, though, Watters’ approach to marketing is her personal touch. She and her team send handwritten notes to customers, some of whom have been shopping at Valerie’s for years. They also call customers just to say hi and perhaps to point out some unique, hard-to-find furniture that’s now in the store.

Watters also has another message for her longtime customers and first-time visitors: The quality of the furniture is far above that of furniture found in chain stores, which tend to carry good but commonplace items. In Valerie’s Furniture & Accents, the Western furnishings are top-of-the-line and often handmade by artisans in Arizona and other Western states. It’s mostly American made, and Watters is proud of that.

Her dedication to selling only the best resonates with customers. Her message is sincere, and refreshingly so. As Watters says, we’ll make it through this downturn, and so will Valerie’s Furniture & Furnishings.

“The most important thing is you have to stay out there and be proactive,” says Watters. “That’s not to say I’m not a little scared. But you just have to have a positive attitude and mind your p’s and q’s.”

By Brian Sodoma
Jay Parry has always loved sports. But never did she envision herself as the president and chief operating officer of a professional women’s basketball team. The Phoenix Mercury, however, is glad she was open to the career shift.

Before coming to the Mercury, Parry was no stranger to the WNBA. While working for Bank of America, she oversaw the financial institution’s corporate sponsorships for both the Mercury and the Suns. When Kathy Munro, a past Bank of America colleague, decided to become an owner of the Mercury, Parry was Munro’s top choice to run the club.

“It was something that had not been on my radar, but I quickly got excited about it,” Parry says. “I knew people that worked here that were fabulous.”

Entering her sixth season with the Mercury, Parry earned a championship ring in 2007 and has placed a strong focus on steadily increasing paid attendance for the professional sports franchise. Today, with an average attendance of 7,500, the lower bowl of U.S. Airways Arena is usually full for Mercury games. Corporate sponsorships have seen double-digit growth under her watch, and Parry has helped grow the Mercury brand through her own civic engagement and team community-outreach efforts. For Parry, the end of the basketball season is really the beginning of a new season, one that involves Mercury players reaching out to the Phoenix fan base and beyond.

Through the years, Mercury players have been involved with nonprofits like Habitat for Humanity, Valley of the Sun United Way, Salvation Army, Boys and Girls Clubs, and Special Olympics Arizona. The Mercury is far more than a basketball team—its players are role models, Parry says.

“When I first came here, I was brought in to focus on the business and how to build it,” she says. “I was so pleasantly surprised by our players and our coaches, and what incredible human beings they are and how passionate they are about the game. It’s important for people to see how confident and how graceful and articulate and successful women athletes can be.”

Parry, who is currently the highest-ranking female executive in Arizona sports, is also on the board of Arizona Women for Education and Employment (AWEE), a group that helps the Valley’s unemployed get back on their feet by providing résumé-writing services, education programs, and other resources. She is also on the board of the Downtown Phoenix Partnership, Phoenix Pride Commission, and Juvenile Diabetes Foundation. She sees AWEE as a critical group in today’s rough economy.

“[AWEE is] just so important right now in this downturn for people who are going through a tough time but who are ready, willing, and able to get back out in the workforce,” she says.

While Parry has many hobbies that include skiing, golf, and reading, one of her favorites is going to Mercury games.

“There’s nothing better than going to a game and seeing the incredible basketball action, seeing the fans and sponsors and visiting with them,” Parry says. “There’s great energy and excitement at our home games.”

By Brian Sodoma
On the surface, he’s a longtime name associated with the workings of a large Arizona utility. But to his community, Martin Shultz is an agent for change.

Shultz, who recently accepted Valley Leadership’s 2008 Man of the Year honor, arrived in Phoenix from Cleveland in 1953, when the city wasn’t even a one-basketball town yet. As a thirty-year veteran of Arizona Public Service (APS) and now vice president of government affairs for Pinnacle West Capital Corp., whose wholly-owned subsidiaries include APS, Shultz’s extensive experience in public affairs and government relations has transferred well to his civic contributions. In total, he has been or is currently involved in more than sixty professional and civic organizations.

Currently, Shultz, 64, is a commissioner of the National Surface Transportation Infrastructure Financing Commission, a group charged with analyzing future highway and transit needs as well as the Highway Trust Fund. He is also chairman of the Arizona Governor’s Transportation Vision 21 Task Force, a member of the Arizona School District Redistricting Commission, and a past member of Arizona Business Leaders for Education and the Phoenix Commission on Excellence in Education.

In 1984, Schultz helped form the Phoenix Community Alliance, whose focus is on facilitating downtown redevelopment efforts, and recently took over the chair position of the organization after longtime chair Jerry Colangelo stepped down last year.

Schultz took over the chair position of the Phoenix Community Association when Jerry Colangelo stepped down after serving many years. Schultz had helped form the organization in 1984.

“We actually knew we had to organize our community leaders and work as a partner with government to do a better job of determining what we really wanted to be,” Shultz says. “So we went to cities like Boston, Milwaukee, and Denver, which were all doing exceptional development at that time, and we took a page out of their books and created the PCA.”

Through his many years on the board of the organization, Shultz has helped usher in downtown’s transformation. For those who have lived in the city since the 1980s, they recognize the changes that have occurred: light rail, Copper Square, and major league sports stadiums, to name just a few.

Shultz’s civic involvement has garnered other awards. Some of them include the Distinguished Achievement Award from the League of Cities and Towns for his work on Proposition 104, the Tree of Life Award from the Jewish National Fund, and the ASU College of Architecture and Environmental Design’s Distinguished Achievement Award for his decades of involvement in downtown Phoenix development.

“It’s just the way I want to use my energy in life,” he says of the many community hats he wears. “I feel communities don’t move forward unless people are willing to assume leadership. It isn’t just sitting on the sidelines pontificating.” I enjoy the game and I’m active in it.”

Shultz will likely eye retirement soon and says that his civic focus would still continue to center on transportation, education, and the PCA.

“I don’t see myself, in the near term, slowing down,” he says. “I still see it as a personal commitment. Nobody’s telling me to do this. It’s not something where my job is dependent on it.”

By Kevin Madness
Photo by Paul Markow
Autism is defined as a developmental disorder characterized by debilitated social interaction, verbal impairment, repetitive behavior, and limited interests. It is also a condition shrouded in mystery. No one knows what causes it. Treatments are varied and debatable, and the path to a cure is unclear.

The labor involved with caring for an autistic child and the stress of not understanding the disorder often leaves parents desperate for help. Denise Resnik has been there. When her son, Matthew, was diagnosed with autism in 1993, she looked to the community and clinics for help and found none.

“There was a void in terms of resources, support, and hope,” Resnik says.

Instead of surrendering to hopelessness and relegating Matthew’s future to institutionalization, Resnik joined up with Dr. Cindy Schneider and Dr. Raun Melmed to found the Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center (SARRC). The aim of the organization is to advance treatment and enhance the quality of life for people with autism spectrum disorders. Since its inception in 1997, SARRC has raised over $35 million.

“My work with SARRC also provides me with greater hope for our son’s future,” says Resnik, who currently serves as development chair and vocational and life skills academy chair. “I’m confident that the programs in place and those currently underway will help care for him when my husband and I are no longer able to do so.”

Autism is a complicated condition that requires a multifaceted approach to treatment. SARRC’s varied care includes clinical programs that use evidence-based therapies and educational programs that train schools to support the needs of autistic students. The organization also established the Opus West Vocational and Life Skills Academy to equip autistic individuals with living skills and supported employment. SARRC also sponsors research that joins methods and studies to better understand the possible causes of autism, develop better treatments, and eventually find a cure. The organization has proven to be very useful to the region; last year’s program and research enrollment exceeded 10,000 people.

Although SARRC has grown immensely since its inception, Resnik hasn’t let it cast a shadow over her duties as president of her strategic marketing and public relations firm. They have actually grown to complement each other quite well.

“There are many ways in which running and operating my own firm has been beneficial to me in supporting SARRC,” Resnik says. “It’s about layering resources, networks and sound marketing, and communications practices, enabling us to build the SARRC brand.”

On top of her sizable work commitments, Resnik has found time to serve as a board member for the Whispering Hope Ranch Foundation for over ten years. The ranch serves as a retreat for special needs children to interact with nature and animals. Resnik says that bonds made at the camp are spiritual and provide healing energy.

In recognition of her success as a businesswoman and value as a community member, Resnik is being named Woman of the Year by the Valley Leadership Organization. Rhonda Bannard, who nominated Resnik for the award, states that “Denise’s passion for serving both her clients and her community draws you to her. She’s made a lasting imprint with her work at SARRC, TGen (Translational Genomics Research Institute), and more, and we are all the beneficiaries. Denise is a Valley treasure.”

The 60^th annual Valley Leadership Man and Woman of the Year Awards Luncheon will honor Resnik on April 16 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Arizona Biltmore. Seats for the event are available through Valley Leadership.

In her years since being a young mother dealing with the life-changing challenges of autism, Denise’s work has helped many families. When she accepts the award, there will surely be some thankful parents there to congratulate her.

To learn more about autism, visit SARRC’s Web site at autismcenter.org.

By Alana Stroud

If you grew up in Arizona, you’ve more than likely seen the celebrated television show The Wallace & Ladmo Show , which ran from 1954–1989 on KPHO Channel 5. Arizonans young and old enjoyed watching the comedic children’s program and even being a part of the studio audience. The show’s slew of visitors would act out silly skits in between cartoon segments, then take trips through the audience to pass out those coveted Ladmo Bags—you know you wanted one! Recurring guests such as Gerald, Captain Super, and Aunt Maud were all portrayed by the multitalented Pat McMahon, who brought more than 100 characters to life on the show. The real character of Pat McMahon, however, is the best one of all.

When North Valley Magazine approached Emmy-winning Pat McMahon for an interview, he immediately picked up the phone to stay away from the “cold and impersonal e-mail.” That showed him for who he is: a down-to-earth, friendly staple of Arizona’s past and present showbiz and broadcasting circuit. Fame certainly hasn’t gone to his head; though he does think he bears a rather uncanny resemblance to Brad Pitt.

Always the wisecracker, as any comedian is prone to be, John Patrick McMahon has led quite an interesting life straight from the beginning. Born in Leavenworth, Kansas to parents who were vaudeville performers, he was introduced to show business and world travel at a young age. “By the time I was 13, I had been in all the states and umpteen countries,” McMahon says. “It was a great education.”

McMahon spent his time watching comedians, magicians, jugglers, and especially chorus girls. He attended a strict all-boy Catholic school, then college, and later joined the Army, but McMahon couldn’t be deterred from his call to his life’s blood—the performing arts. “Even if I hadn’t been a broadcaster and an actor, I would probably have wound up as a lounge singer,” he says. Look out, Wayne Newton!

Today, you can hear McMahon daily on 92.3 KTAR, where he takes great pride in his writing and commentaries that he has provided the Valley with for the past twenty-five years. His daily McMahon Group radio show provides sharp commentary from a slew of fascinating guest stars, while his Sunday show, The God Show , “connects with the spiritual pulse of the Valley.” He also hosts a daily live hour of television on KAZ-TV at 9 a.m., where he engages in conversation with the most popular newsmakers of today, and heads his own creative company, The Idea Factory. The local theater community has even named the McMahons as The First Family of Arizona Entertainment. Pretty impressive for a man who wore a pageboy wig!

McMahon’s life has certainly been a wild ride, but of all the exciting things he’s done, which of them was the most meaningful and memorable? He surprisingly replies, “When I was a kid, I made a list of adventures I wanted to have…scuba-diving, parasailing, travel…I’m now on my 27th list.” And for that question every Arizonan surely wants answered—who was his favorite character to play on The Wallace & Ladmo Show ? There was no hesitation.

“Gerald. He was the consummate bad boy—the antithesis of Ladmo. He was my favorite because it replaced years of therapy.” As for our favorite character? There’s none better than Pat McMahon.

By Cassaundra Brooks

Six years ago, Rachel Peterson lived through a nightmare. After fifteen days of bleeding heavily and a life-saving trip to the emergency room, Peterson found that she had mixed müllerian adenosarcoma, a rare form of uterine cancer that carries a survival rate from 10 to 50 percent.

Peterson had lost so much blood that she would have died had her friend not convinced her to have her husband drive her to the emergency room. She went through two surgeries, recovery, and emotional distress and upheaval, which hit harder than the pain.

“I kept thinking, that’s her, not me,” Peterson says. “This is happening to some other Rachel. This is all too surreal.”

Thanks to the support of her husband, sons, family and friends, Rachel Peterson remained strong through her hysterectomy, a second surgery to remove a mass from her ovary, and the long recovery periods. She began what she refers to as her “reading marathon” as family and friends generously provided ‘round-the-clock care.

Peterson is one of the fortunate ones—she can now call herself a survivor, despite the rare form of cancer and its discouraging survival rate. Now she celebrates by cherishing each day, taking up photography and engaging in outdoor activities with her family. But until 2007, Peterson hadn’t participated in any cancer-related volunteering, wishing only to move forward. A talk with her husband’s old classmate who worked for the American Cancer Society (ACS) introduced her to Relay for Life, and Peterson realized that she could best move forward by talking about her experience and embracing the opportunity to help others with their cancer battles.

“I started to think about the fact that there were people like me—just fighting the battle, wondering if they, too, could survive,” Peterson says.

Sadly, she didn’t have to look far to find such people. In 2004, Peterson had lost her father to lung cancer, just one year after losing a close friend to cancer. She researched the American Cancer Society and attended their first Relay for Life event in Sedona in 2007. The Petersons were hooked. They put together a team and raised $1,300 for their own Anthem race. This year, Peterson serves as chair for the Survivor Committee, and her husband works to educate the community on the efforts of the ACS.

Because of the impact her family and friends had on her battle with cancer, Peterson tells those fighting the disease to find support groups and to know that each day is precious. Live in the moment, she advises, instead of being preoccupied with the worries of life. And, it could be added, step out with her on that Relay for Life track to walk for yourself, your loved ones fighting their own battle, and those who can no longer run the race themselves.

This year, according to the ACS, nearly 1.5 million people in the United States will be diagnosed with cancer. The funds raised at RFL save lives by funding cutting-edge cancer research, early detection and prevention education, advocacy efforts, and life-affirming patient services. For more information, visit relayforlife.org. Anthem’s Relay For Life is Saturday, October 25. Visit ACS at cancer.org, and events.cancer.org/rflanthemaz to find out how you can get involved.

By Kevin Madness

“My mom has always told me that if you love what you do, you won’t work a day in your life,” Heather Hendon recalls. If that is true, then Hendon has indeed never toiled. From the cradle to the boardroom, she has been working alongside her family on a labor of love.

Hendon is the vice president of operations for Danny’s Family, a diverse Valley-based business conglomerate named for her father. Her parents started the company in 1984 with one car wash. Today, Danny’s Family owns thirteen full-service car washes, thirteen convenience stores, three truck washes, and two restaurants. Hendon attributes the success of the business to a dedicated work ethic shared by her family, particularly her father, who is the hardest worker that Hendon has ever known. Danny Hendon, she says, put his heart and soul in the business and acted as an early role model for his family.

“Since I was five years old, I have been around this business,” Hendon said. “I lived, breathed, and slept the car-care industry.”

Heather Hendon practically grew up at a car wash. As a teen, she worked selling chrome to truckers to outfit their rigs. It was no surprise to anyone when Hendon returned to the family business after graduating with honors from Arizona State University to work alongside her father.

Hendon says that it is crucial for her to be involved in every single aspect of the family business. This allows her to understand her operation and know that it is running properly. To expand her expertise, Hendon plans to begin working more with Barcelona, the family’s bar, steakhouse, and nightclub. “It’s very multifaceted,” she says. “It’s a field that I’m not that familiar with but am really enjoying getting to understand.”

One concept Heather certainly understands is generosity, a notion that was impressed upon her by her parents.

“From a very young age, my mother made it a priority to instill certain values within me,” she says. “She made it a point to always show me how fortunate we were to just have the basic necessities in life. She also wanted me to get out in the community and help others who weren’t as fortunate. There is no greater satisfaction in the world than knowing that you have helped someone else.” Hendon has logged many hours volunteering at local children’s hospitals, food banks, and animal shelters.

Her father, too, lives by a charitable maxim: The more you give, the more you get back—a theory the Hendons utilize in their business. With Heather Hendon’s help, Danny’s Family has given more than $750,000 to local charities and has raised over 10,000 pounds of canned food donations for St. Mary’s Food Bank.

The size of Hendon’s “family” continues to expand. With every community the company enters, every charitable cause they support, and every new person they employ.

“That is the most important thing, and we have created that here at Danny’s,” Heather says. “We are one big family.”