The Business of... podcast by the Tucson Metro Chamber

Guest:

Mohit “Moe” Asnani

Guest:

Hilary Van Alsburg

John Winchester

Sierra Boyer

Guest:

Candice Mason

Alissa Caillet

Guest:

Allison C. Manning

Sandi Eghtesadi

Trena McSwain

Guest:

Kate Maguire Jensen

Andy Heinemann

David Simpson

Guest:

Dan Gibson

Melissa “Misty” Shafiqullah, CTA CCC

Christopher Schmaltz, General Counsel

Guest: Michael Guymon | Interim President & CEO of Tucson Metro Chamber

Topic: Amber Smith and Michael Guymon talk about the transition from Amber to Michael at the helm of the Chamber as well as the strategic plan set in place for the Chamber’s future growth and success.

Guest: Kimberly Kirschner, Executive Director of the Institute for Better Education (IBE)

Topic: Amber Smith and Kimberly Kirschner, Executive Director of the Institute for Better Education (IBE),  discuss details regarding getting the most out of making school tax credits for individuals and eligible businesses. Visiting IBEscholarships.org is the best place to start to learn more about making a tax-credit donation to help students achieve their educational goals.

Bio: Kimberly Kirschner is honored to be the Executive Director of the Institute for Better Education (IBE), an Arizona non-profit organization. Kim is a Tucson native and has been with IBE since December of 2012.

IBE is committed to removing any financial obstacles that stand in a family’s way of providing K-12 education for their children and their unique needs. IBE accomplishes this through the Arizona private school tax credit program. Last academic year alone, they provided scholarships in Arizona totaling close to $21 million dollars and is on track to provide even more assistance to low-income Arizona families this year.

Kim has been an advocate for School Choice for many years. Her two children, Kaitlin & Carter, attended a private school through 12th grade and she is passionate that all children have the opportunity for an education that fits their personal learning style. She travels the state educating Arizona not only on tax credit donations and scholarships, but also raising awareness to the importance of School Choice. She has appeared on KOLD Noon Notebook and KGUN Morning Blend numerous times and has been on multiple radio programs, including the James T. Harris show in Phoenix. Kim works closely with the Arizona Society for CPAs to ensure Arizona tax preparers are not only up-to-speed with Arizona’s private school tax credit program, but are also utilizing it. She has written and presented at a number of CPA continuing education workshops and conferences.

Guest: Braden McLellan | Vice President of Sales and Account Management for UnitedHealthcare

Topic: Amber Smith and Braden McLellan discuss open enrollment in health insurance and the importance of why consumers should research options to get the most out of plans that suit their personal needs. Plus, UnitedHealthcare will offer Peleton fitness classes for their members.

Bio: Braden has been with UnitedHealth Group since 2007 and worked in a variety of capacities ranging from insurance sales to health and wellness development. Today, he is the leader for employer insurance sales and account management in our state--responsible for building a market strategy, understanding financial performance and group risk, and engaging with brokers and clients on their health plan performance. Braden spent nine years within Optum, UHG’s health services business, where he worked in a variety of capacities, most notably the rollout of telehealth nationwide, including network setup, vendor management, regulatory engagement, and performance. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration, as well as a Master’s in Business Administration with a healthcare focus, both from the University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, Minnesota.

GUEST: John Gibson | Community Banking Region Bank President, Arizona Southern Region, Wells Fargo

Topic: Amber Smith and John Gibson talk about the longstanding partnership between Wells Fargo and Tucson Metro Chamber for the Copper Cactus Awards, now in its 24th year. Mr. Gibson also shares how Wells Fargo has helped approximately 124,000 small businesses across the nation through the “Open For Business” fund.

BIO: As region bank president for Wells Fargo Bank in Arizona Southern, John is responsible for 991 employees and 98 branches with $17.2 billion in deposits. Prior to this appointment in 2012, Gibson served as a district manager for the Greater Tucson Metro District where he was responsible for 275 team members and 17 branches. He began his career with Wells Fargo in 2005 and has served as a personal banker, service manager and branch manager. Gibson has held leadership positions within the Arizona Region, including Social Responsibility Chair, Credit Leader and Community Involvement Coordinator. He has been honored with the “40 Under 40” award by the Tucson Hispanic Chamber in 2013 and the Phoenix Business Journal in 2019. Gibson earned a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in business administration from Arizona State University. He also graduated from the Pacific Coast Banking School at the University of Washington. He currently serves on the board of directors for the United Food Bank of Mesa. He previously served on the board of directors for the Valley of the Sun United Way, as the Board President for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tucson, and has held board positions on the Arizona State University Alumni Board, United Way of Southern Arizona, and the Tucson Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce. Gibson resides in Phoenix with his wife, Mistie and their two daughters.