Show Low Cemetery Grave Digger
City of Show Low

It is difficult to imagine that anyone can be passionate about digging graves, but Floyd Gilmore has dug more than 1,000 graves in the city-owned cemetery since 1976 as an independent backhoe operator. He finds the work fascinating and, sometimes, even exciting, because he “gets to do things no one else has ever done.”

“According to Arizona law, a body doesn’t have to be embalmed if it is buried within 24 hours of death,” says Gilmore. He recalls fielding a frantic call from a local mortician asking that a grave be dug within three hours—or miss the 24-hour window. The decedent, a white male, was buried wrapped in a handmade Indian blanket, a gift for his many years of working alongside Navajos and Apaches on their reservations.

Gilmore buried one of his grown sons in the same manner, whose last wish was to not be embalmed. He was assisted by his other three sons and grandchildren. Gilmore says, “It’s like a family tradition. My kids have always helped me dig graves.”

With almost 40 years of experience, Gilmore has disinterred graves across Apache and Navajo counties. Often, the graves are on private property and the new owners want them transplanted. One job was to disinter five graves—four children ages four to 11 and one uncle—who died from an influenza epidemic in the early 1900s. Similar to an archaeological dig, Gilmore and his grandchildren used whisk brooms to clear away the dirt from the remains buried in homemade pine caskets disintegrated by time and moisture. “Moisture is what causes decay,” says Gilmore.

As proof, he recalls disinterring the graves of a family buried in dry sand on a private ranch in Apache County.  The earliest, the father, was buried in 1876, the mother in 1890, and the children in early 1900. The pine boxes holding the decedents were intact and the mother was mummified, her clothes and blond hair otherwise uninterrupted by time.

Next time you visit a cemetery, check the headstones and see what intriguing story you might uncover.

Solid Waste Equipment Operator
City of Peoria

“Anything is possible. You just have to want it and believe in yourself.”

These are the words that Rosie Perez lives by as she serves the City of Peoria.

Born in Tempe and raised in southern Phoenix, Arizona, Rosie Lopez is a hometown girl whose dedication to her city has led to great accomplishments.

Rosie works for the City of Peoria as a solid waste equipment operator. In fact, she’s the only female solid waste equipment operator to work for the city. And she’s the best.

Recently Rosie competed in the “Road-E-O,” an annual event sponsored by the Solid Waste Association of North America. Her incomparable skills and belief in herself led Rosie to compete with the best of Arizona and she placed first in the rear-loading category at the national event. Weeks later, Rosie placed first in the same category for the international competition. The competition included participants from Arizona and the U.S. representing municipal and private waste haulers, landfill equipment operators, and mechanics. The “Road-E-O” promotes professionalism and safety in the field of solid waste management and facilitates a spirit of competition and goodwill.

In a typical day, Rosie does a little of everything and is happy to assist wherever she is needed. Currently she is working in residential areas as side-rail and does front-loading for commercial areas. She also operates a Kubota articulating loader, which collects uncontained loose trash.

“I am the best Kubota operator here,” says Rosie confidently.

And she has the skills – and title of number one – to prove it.

Mayor
City of Holbrook

Mayor Robert “Bobby” E. Tyler served for four years on the Holbrook City Council beginning May, 2011 when he was sworn in as the newest elected member of the city council. He was sworn into his current position as mayor on May 26, 2015.

He has been a part of, and served the community with the Holbrook Volunteer Fire Department, Holbrook Police Program, and has a long history of involvement with the youth of Holbrook; primarily through sports programs to include city and school leagues.

Mayor Tyler was the third of six children born to Don & Johnnie Tyler. He is a third generation Holbrook native who graduated from Holbrook High School in 1977. He drove trucks for the City Street Department and then had a long career with Arizona Public Service Co. at Cholla Power Plant and later worked for Tucson Electric Power in Springerville.

He is a proud father and grandfather, who encourages his children with the words his parents instilled in him; “With hard work and the right attitude, you can accomplish your goals.”

Water Resources Coordinator
Town of Marana

No matter who we are, what continent we live on, or our circumstances, the need for water is one common thread we all share.

Perhaps that’s why Asia Philbin was drawn to the field of water.

Having been the child of a father in the Navy, Asia was born in Naples, Italy and traveled Italy, Spain, France and the UK with her parents as an infant. While her primitive years aren’t ingrained in memory, Asia certainly believes her early-aged treks led to a love of travel she still carries with her.

Following her beginnings in Europe, Asia grew up in northeastern and central Pennsylvania in Scranton and State College. Both of her parents also grew up in Scranton. She went on to attend the University of Miami, Coral Gables in Florida to earn a bachelor’s degree in science, marine science and geology.

For more than a decade, Asia worked with the City of Tucson as a hydrologist. Most recently, she joined the team at the Town of Marana where she works as the Water Resource Coordinator. In her capacity, she deals with water resources, water and wastewater system assets, and energy management. She is also coordinating the design and construction of a facility to recharge the treated effluent from the wastewater treatment plant. The project is helping provide water resources for the growth planned by the town. She believes it is a great opportunity to create a multi-benefit project that incorporates public amenities and natural enhancements for wildlife.

She also believes in bringing water to people throughout the world.

While in graduate school at the University of Arizona, she heard a presentation from the Water for People Committee of Arizona. At the time, she learned, two billion people lacked access to safe drinking water – Asia was inspired to join their volunteer group.

When she began working with the City of Tucson, Asia soon learned that her director and many coworkers also volunteered with Water for People. As public servants whose roles involved bringing safe water and sanitation and human health to their communities, they viewed working with the organization as a natural extension of their day job.

At Tucson Water, she helped form a subcommittee that would focus on events to connect people in the water industry while raising much-needed funding for projects. Their events now include two golf tournaments, the Run for World Water (Phoenix-area), Team Pedal With Purpose at El Tour de Tucson, and a newly added wine tasting.

Because of help from individuals like Asia, over the past decade, Water for People has helped reduce the number of people without access to safe drinking water. The number is still a staggering 1.8 billion people and the organization is committed to helping four million more gain access to safe water and adequate sanitation.

Working with the Town of Marana for the last 18 months, Asia has come to enjoy the positive work environment the town provides, the coworkers and the multi-benefit projects.

“It’s important to me to enjoy working with people I see every day, and also to be supporting a larger vision for the town and the community,” said Asia.

She certainly has a large vision for the world’s community and is making a lasting impact by helping bring water to the citizens of Marana, Arizona and people around the world.

City Attorney
City of Yuma

Steve Moore grew up in Hayden, Arizona.  After graduating from the University of Arizona Law school he hitchhiked around the world for almost three years.  During that time he visited 36 countries and had various jobs, including working in three Olympics, a movie in Holland (“A Bridge Too Far”) and a brewery in Western Australia.

He served as the assistant city attorney in the City of Yuma for about two and a half years before going into private practice.  He then became the city attorney in 1986 and has been the city attorney for the City of Yuma for 29 years.  Moore’s responsibilities include both civil and criminal (prosecutor’s office ).  In Yuma, the risk management department is also part of his responsibilities.  During Moore’s tenure, he’s worked for eight mayors and eight city administrators (including interims).  The City of Yuma has grown from approximately 60,000 people to almost 100,000 people while he’s been in office.

Moore says he has been fortunate to have been elected to the Yuma County Bar Association, twice as president of the Arizona City Attorney’s Association and president of the International Municipal Lawyers Association (IMLA), which is comprised of the city attorneys of the United States and Canada. He was also only the second president of IMLA from the state of Arizona and the first in 30 years.

In general city attorneys have a position similar to a corporation counsel for a large corporation.  In Arizona a municipal corporation handles contracts, claims, demands, law suits, legal advice, human resource issues, personnel issues, bond financing issues, purchasing regulations, etc.  The only difference is particular types of municipal corporations have public safety personnel and issues that are usually not present in other large corporations.

One of Moore’s proudest accomplishments in this position is being part of a small group of individuals that was responsible for increasing the net water resources available to the City of Yuma from the Colorado River by approximately 80%.  He thinks all city attorneys are rewarded in practicing through the diversity of issues in their jobs.

“About the time I think I’ve seen it all, something unique comes through the door,” Moore says. “When I took the city attorney’s job, I said I would quit if it got boring.  Twenty nine years later it’s still not boring. “

Arts and Culture Commission Member
City of Goodyear

When Dr. Denise Bates moved to Goodyear from DowntownPhoenix nine years ago, she wanted to learn more about the heritage of the city she and her family moved to. Now, Bates is part of a push behind the Goodyear Mobile Museum that is gaining momentum.

After working closely with the Three Rivers Historical Society and local historian Sally Kiko to acquire pictures for the Images of America series book about Goodyear in 2012, Bates wanted to take the city’s history lesson to another level, so to speak – a visual element that would be available at city events and for organizations to see.

So what did Bates do? A professor at Arizona State University who holds a doctorate in history, she later became a member of the Goodyear Arts and Culture Commission and added a historical aspect to the group. Bates began putting together large vintage photographs on portable panels that told the city’s history. Truly a grassroots effort, she expanded on the idea from the former history trail project that was started in partnership with the city, the Maricopa County Parks and Three Rivers Historical Society a number of years ago.

Drawing from the archives of the Three Rivers Historical Society and the collection of Goodyear resident Gloria King, who operated the museum, Memories, the Goodyear Mobile Museum became a reality.

“We’re taking the history to the people instead of waiting for the people to come see the history,” Bates said. “It’s been an ambitious project.”

Those images now can be seen on 20 different displays, each depicting Goodyear’s beginnings through its founder – Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. Executive Paul Litchfield, the town’s history in cotton growing, and its rich history in defense and aerospace industries through Goodyear Aerospace and Lockheed Martin. Then, there’s the story of Goodyear’s rapid growth just before it became the spring training home of the Cleveland Indians and Cincinnati Reds.

“I’m a firm believer in that you must know the history of the city where you live,” Bates said. “It’s important to share it with others. Some of those facts about the history that are interesting to know: Why is the city named Goodyear? Who were some of its famous residents? History is people; it’s places.”

“Goodyear has a distinct identity, and the Mobile Museum demonstrates who we are,” Bates added. “It reflects Goodyear and the innovation it represents.

Senior Plans Examiner
City of Chandler Planning and Development Department

None of us enjoyed getting our homework returned by the teacher tattooed with red ink, but sometimes it was warranted.  This scenario is repeated numerous times in the adult world of construction plan review and Jim Dawson is the guy wielding the red pen.

As a building plans examiner, Jim pours over the construction plans of developers and builders to ensure they are designed in accordance with the International Building Code, fire code, mechanical code, plumbing code, energy conservation code, National Electric Code, residential code, and the accessibility design access guidelines that developed out of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Builders sometimes take issue with corrections being requested, but Jim’s grasp of the subject matter and reasoned demeanor usually wins out. And sometimes Jim doesn’t have to say a word, like the time a design consultant was upset with several ADA requirements and insisted on meeting personally with Jim. The consultant’s objections evaporated when Jim rolled his wheelchair into the lobby to greet him.

Jim has been paralyzed from the chest down and confined to a wheelchair since 2001 following a fall he took while on vacation in Canada. With his injury has come limited mobility and a greater reliance on others, especially his wife of 34 years, Tina. He credits Tina with being his lifesaver and speaks of the many sacrifices she has made to keep him going.

Before the accident, Jim was an active outdoorsman and travelled frequently while holding numerous jobs both in the United States and Canada. He was born in Kingston, Ontario and grew up helping his father who was a plumbing contractor. He also worked as a carpenter and later became a building inspector and plan reviewer for an agency of the Canadian Government similar to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Jim even spent a year as a building trades instructor in a Canadian penitentiary.  He shakes his head and smiles when recalling some of the crazy things he witnessed, including the time inmates were caught fermenting a concoction beneath some lockers in his office.

Other government jobs followed, including a high level job with Canada’s Department of Indian and Northern Affairs overseeing the infrastructure, housing and social service needs of numerous Indian communities in northern Alberta, Canada. He later owned his own construction company in his hometown of Kingston.

The appeal of warmer climates led Jim and his wife to Arizona in the mid-90’s where he held jobs with Scottsdale and Gilbert, went into the home inspection business, and even operated a restaurant and bar in Mesa. He joined Chandler nine years ago and says he’s grateful to be working alongside many wonderful coworkers.

And when asked about his life philosophy, Jim smiles and says, “I make a conscious mental decision each day to make it the best day I can possibly make it.”

Sounds like something we should all write down in big red letters.

Management Analyst
City of Sierra Vista

Local governments are home to hard-working employees who care passionately about the field in which they work. They inspire individuals to continue on a path of public service.

Pam Weir is one of those individuals whose passion for service has been an inspiration from a young age and continues to propel her in a public management career.

Having grown up in Scottsdale, Pam developed a passion for public service while attending Chaparral High School. She dreamt of working in government as a way to use privilege to make communities more inclusive and supportive.

Recognizing her dream, she travelled east to Northampton, Massachusetts to earn a bachelor’s degree in government from Smith College. To continue her education in public management and escape the snow, Pam moved back to Arizona to attend Arizona State University for her Master in Public Administration, where she was one of a prestigious few to become a Marvin Andrews Fellow.

Pam once again traded in a life of sunshine for a life of snow when she took a one-year management internship position in Fort Collins, Colorado. The position was a perfect introduction to full-time local government management work and she loved working for such an innovative community.

But as home often does, Arizona called Pam back and she returned to the Grand Canyon State to work for the City of Sierra Vista. While in graduate school, Pam had learned about the city organization when she shadowed the assistant city manager for a day to learn about the city’s response to the 2011 Monument Fire. The management analyst position for the city was exactly what Pam was looking for: an opportunity to gain further experience in the city manager’s office, focusing on budgeting, strategic planning, working with city council and helping operational departments to deliver outstanding services. It was an added bonus that the community offered stunning mountain views, unique community partnerships and an excellent team of professional managers.

Pam’s main role at Sierra Vista is to serve as the city’s budget officer. She manages the process by which all the department directors and city leaders work together to create a balanced proposed budget. Throughout the year, she works with city departments to analyze revenue and spending projections, develop priorities for future budget years, present process updates to the city council, and create the budget book document that is shared with the community once it has been passed. Like many individuals in small-town professional management, Pam wears many hats, as she also works on special projects ranging from community engagement to performance measurement initiatives.

And like many small-town professional managers, Pam realizes the importance of local government. Having wanted to work in public service since high school, her original aspirations led her to the federal level of government. However, after working in Washington, D.C. during college as both a Congressional intern and a policy advocate for a nonprofit agency, she felt that progress was very slow and often frustrating.

“I wanted to have a more direct impact on quality of life and issues of community safety and equity,” said Pam. “Local government management is the perfect place for me to use my skills and bring about tangible change to improve lives.”

Pam also loves the variety of the position, as in just one day she might work with public works, the library and finance. City management requires constant learning and creating new ways of doing things. Cities and towns are also collaborating with one another to share best practices and tackle complex challenges with municipalities from across the country.

“I believe that as communities, we can accomplish more together than separately, and the role of the city manager is to lead many different people and interests together toward the common goal of prosperity,” said Weir

As she continues to live out her passion and make her mark in the field of local government management, Pam will strive to ensure she’s using her skills to make a difference every day.

Fire Chief
City of Phoenix Fire Department

At 16 years old, most teenagers have three things on their minds: fun, friends and finding freedom. What they’re going to do for a living isn’t always at the top of the list. But for Kara Kalkbrenner, it was.

She was a student at Maryvale High School in the 1980s, working at Malcolm’s Department Store selling home furnishings. One day, Mrs. Mallow, one of her regular customers told Kara about her son who was a Phoenix firefighter, who at that time was dating the first female firefighter to work for the City of Phoenix.  She had a sense of Kara’s kind demeanor and caring personality, and suggested that she look into the fire service.

Kara didn’t know that women were just starting to become firefighters. She had plans of following in the footsteps of her mother and grandmother who were both nurses. Her mom worked in the emergency room. Kara knew about what doctors and nurses did for critical patients, but wanted to know more about what firefighters did to help save lives before they made it to the hospital.

Within the year, Kara volunteered to be a Phoenix Fire Cadet, learning the ropes at the fire stations. She finished high school and enrolled in fire science classes and eventually got her degree. By the age of 19, she graduated from an intense academy. At the time, there were only 20 female firefighters at the department, and she was one of the youngest. Fast forward more than 30 years later. Not only are there now more than 85 female firefighters in Phoenix, but that young and eager cadet is now the first female fire chief of the sixth largest city in the nation!

“I have been extremely fortunate to have served alongside some of the bravest and most interesting people on the planet.  Firefighters by nature are unique,” said Kara.   “To be given the training and tools to now lead the Phoenix Fire Department is an honor and privilege.”

She isn’t the kind of chief who manages from behind closed doors. At a three alarm hazardous material fire this year in south Phoenix, Kara was quickly on scene providing support with her team of command officers. Some of Kara’s most rewarding work with the department has come from riding in the backseat of a fire truck, responding to fires and helping sick people.

The chief is married to Assistant Fire Chief Kevin Kalkbrenner, who manages the Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management in Phoenix. Not only is he a tremendous support, Kara’s mother and grandmother were there as well, supporting her decision to enter a male-dominated profession.

Kara is one of a handful of women in the nation who manage major metropolitan fire departments. After a national and competitive recruitment, she was sworn in as fire chief in late 2014. She leads a robust organization that operates around the clock, consisting of nearly 2,000 diverse employees, and manages a $306 million budget.

Recently, Kara ran into Mrs. Mallow and thanked her for the talk they had 30 years ago at Malcolm’s. Not only did that ambitious young woman become a firefighter, she became fire chief.

“With the right inspiration, skills and knowledge, you can do anything.”

Streets Supervisor
City of Flagstaff Public Works

When you think about some of the toughest jobs in Arizona’s cities and towns, snow plow driver probably isn’t the first image conjured up within the sunny state. But for Mike Stress and other members of the Flagstaff streets team, they understand that snow has a real presence in our state and it’s up to them to keep the streets free and clear so that residents can get home safely.

A hometown boy, Mike was born and raised in Flagstaff and attended Coconino High School where he showed his strengths on the ball field. Right out of high school, he had the opportunity to try out with the Milwaukee Brewers baseball team.

He started with the City of Flagstaff in 1990 as a temporary employee in the parks department where he cleaned sidewalks at night and worked on the softball fields during the day. As he worked his way through the city, Mike has spent time in several departments, including a year in the city cemetery.

Once he transferred into the street operations as a heavy equipment operator, Mike found where he belonged. He worked his way through the ranks before being promoted to a supervisor in 2008.

Mike is responsible for scheduling the work of the Flagstaff streets crew on a daily basis. He also trains employees on various pieces of equipment and is involved with the fleet shop, communicating with mechanics to ensure equipment is ready and working properly when needed.

When Mike’s job really gets interesting is when the snow falls. A typical snow day for the Flagstaff streets crew includes the deployment of 32 pieces of equipment on a big storm. During an event, the crews communicate between two shifts to ensure that all main and critical routes are being attended to, as well as managing all citizen complaints and any issues that may pop up.

Mike recalls a particular incident in 2010 when Flagstaff received five feet of snow in a 48-hour period.

“The snow was so heavy that the streets crew could not keep up with the snow fall amounts,” he says.

Mike was tasked with looking for outside help from private contractors to help plow the routes so the public could get out. They had to help haul off the snow from the downtown as well as all the cul-de-sacs around the Flagstaff area.

In his 25 years with the City of Flagstaff, Mike has shown his capabilities as a streets supervisor. In 2012, he was selected to be a member of the Arizona state incident management team as equipment inspector.

In rain, sleet, snow, hail or sunshine, Mike and the Flagstaff streets team are working to ensure the roadways are safe for travelers.

While Mike enjoys the ability to start a project and oversee it to the end, he truly loves his job because of his capability to contribute to his hometown community of Flagstaff.