By James Lotts When Josh Rojas headed to the University of Hawaii to play baseball, he had never been away from his home state of Arizona to play the sport he loved. He admitted he struggled at first, but he eventually settled in and became comfortable with life on the road. However, the business of baseball brought him back home and, with that, the pressure of representing his hometown in front of friends ...

By Annika Tomlin Danielle Betterman was gifted her first pig, Beezers, 12 years ago. She researched the ins and outs of raising a pig in the Valley. Wanting to impart her knowledge and her love of pigs, she opened Better Piggies Rescue in 2017. “I started doing research and quickly started volunteering with other organizations around the Valley, like Ironwood Pig Sanctuary and Circle L Ranch (Animal Rescue ...

By Alison Bailin Batz After graduating from Eastern Illinois University in 1999, Deborah Hillman Toll moved to the Valley to begin what would become a legacy of leadership and giving back. Initially, she worked with executives to build and execute human resources strategies. A significant project with a local chief executive officer early in her career proved to be a pivotal moment on Toll’s professional pa ...

Tuft & Needle  Two local entrepreneurs reimagine the mattress business to great success. By Matt Gottesman   It’s 3 p.m. and I’m sitting at a café in Scottsdale speaking to two commercial real estate executives tasked with supplying the city’s “who’s who” with the ultimate tech space. As we talk, one of the execs asks me, “Have you heard of Tuft & Needle?” Intrigued by the name alone, I said, “ ...

The Pursuit of Perfection Perfect Tile Inc. offers high-end custom home flooring solutions By Michelle Talsma Everson Local businessman Ron Eckburg believes in hard work and paying attention to every detail. As the president of Perfect Tile Inc., this type of work ethic has allowed his business to grow and thrive for more than 15 years—a major feat considering the economy’s ups and downs during that time pe ...

Golden Girls Local teens honored with Girl Scouts’ highest honor. By Alison Bailin Batz   All that glitters is not always gold, but these young women––and their futures––are sparkling bright. They’re the North Valley’s 2016 Gold Award honorees. “One of the most impactful parts of Girl Scouting is earning the Girl Scout Gold Award,” says Tamara Woodbury, CEO of Girl Scouts–Arizona Cactus-Pine Council. “ ...

Content and Connections Local entrepreneurs connect companies and creators By Michelle Talsma Everson When you’re a freelance writer, it can be hard to find a steady source of work with clients who pay decently and on time. On the flip side, if you’re a business, large or small, in need of content creators for your website, ad campaign, marketing materials, etc., it can be hard to connect with decent writer ...

Drinking It All In  The Fourth Annual Weekend Jetaway Culinary Casino Classic offers high-flying flavors.   By Alison Bailin Batz On Fri., Oct. 23, the Scottsdale Airport will transform from bustling transportation hub to the hottest party the North Valley has ever seen as it hosts the Fourth Annual Weekend Jetaway Culinary Casino Classic, presented by AXA Advisors Southwest. Set within one of the airp ...

    CONSTRUCTION & DEVELOPMENT   Attorney: Michael R. King Firm: Gammage & Burnham Phone: (602) 256-4405 Website: gblaw.com Address: 2 North Central Ave., 15th Floor, Phoenix Philosophy: World-class counsel. Arizona roots. CRIMINAL DEFENSE   Attorney: Alex H. Lane Firm: Stewart & Lane, PLC Phone: (480) 776-5757 Website: alexlanelaw.com Address: 777 E. Thomas Rd., Suite 210, P ...

Educational Leaders Meet two educators who make students and learning a North Valley priority. Compiled by Sondra Barr   Dr. Debbi Burdick  Cave Creek Unified School District superintendent Number of years in position: I am starting the eighth year. What is your educational experience? I have been an educator 40 years, teaching every grade K–8 as well as university undergrad, masters, and doctoral clas ...

Meet and Mingle with Kareem Rosser, the Greatest African-American Polo Player of All Time He’s been featured on 60 Minutes and ESPN and is undoubtedly the best African-American to ever play the sport of polo. And on Thursday, September 10th Arizona polo fans will get a chance to meet and mingle with Kareem Rosser when the Fifth Annual Bentley Scottsdale Polo Championships: Horses & Horsepower invites yo ...

Centennial Anniversary: Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records  By Julie Carlson Libraries are a haven for avid readers and researchers. Throughout the changing times, libraries have remained strong and diligent by keeping up with progress by preserving information, artifacts, and reading materials for the general public and for generations to come. Such is the case with the Arizona State Librar ...

Paint & Sip  Writer Julie Carlson on a hot new trend that combines artistry and wine.   Are you tired of doing the same old thing on date night or girls’ night out? Maybe you’ve been wanting to put a different twist on an upcoming birthday party, a wedding anniversary, or a bachelorette party. If so, then a paint-and-sip outing may be just what you were looking for. The paint-and-sip concept has be ...

Shake, Rattle––and Don’t Roll Your Ankle!  [caption id="attachment_1420" align="alignright" width="300"] Spokane Shock at Arizona Rattlers (Matt Hinshaw/Arizona Rattlers)[/caption] By Alison Bailin Batz Turns out, the five-time Arena Football League (AFL) Champion Arizona Rattlers have a secret weapon off the field––local students! “Since 2006, the AZ Rattlers have partnered with Carrington College and its ...