Heath Harris, the owner of Heath’s Auto Service in Flagstaff, calls himself a classic overachiever. He may be right. He starts his day five days a week weightlifting. “I do it every morning at 5:00 a.m. to get my whole day in focus. It sets the pace and the intensity,” he said. Then he goes to his car repair business and works for 12 or 15 hours a day. “I am a mechanic and manager. It depends on what hat needs to be worn that day,” he said. Harris said he has the ability to … [Read more...] about Driven to Make Customers Happy
Community Profile
Helping Steer Flagstaff’s Future
Stephanie McKinney is one of those people who, after talking to her for five minutes, you feel you’ve known forever. Effervescent and energetic might be two other ways to describe this dynamic community leader. Her day job is serving as vice president for business development at the National Bank of Arizona, where she helps fit bank products to best aid businesses, individuals and nonprofit organizations. Her other job – volunteer, of course – is helping promote people and businesses in … [Read more...] about Helping Steer Flagstaff’s Future
Teacher Empowering Young Flagstaff Students
It is not too far of a stretch to say that teacher Daniel Belieff runs his fifth grade classroom like the Marine Corps, because basically, he does. “It is the Marine attitude. We train hard; we play hard,” he said. “In the center of our room, there are the 14 units of leadership that our whole classroom revolves around. Some of the traits are integrity, courage, enthusiasm and loyalty. Kids try to demonstrate all these traits in the classroom and outside the classroom. “I think there … [Read more...] about Teacher Empowering Young Flagstaff Students
Discovering Life’s New Paths Among the Red Rocks
It‘s been nearly 10 years, but the emotions of working at Ground Zero just after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks are still close to the surface for Mark Ranges. “I don’t look at the pictures. I can watch things on TV, but I still can’t look at the pictures,” he said. Ranges, owner of Sedona Off Road Center, was in the Emergency Medical Service for 30 years in New Jersey when the twin towers came crashing down. “I was a volunteer in New Jersey. New Jersey has the largest number of volunteer … [Read more...] about Discovering Life’s New Paths Among the Red Rocks
Working to Preserve Forests
Pascal Berlioux's passion is something this region could use right now: a solution for increasing the health of our forests. He has spent most of his time in Flagstaff working closely with people on all sides of forest issues, from scientists to environmentalists. If plans work out, Berlioux's passion should translate to hundreds of jobs in the region and preservation of the ponderosa forests so many people revere. In the wake of the state's largest wildfire, many people are asking what can … [Read more...] about Working to Preserve Forests
A Career of Caring for Creatures
She was not one of those children who grew up knowing she was going be a veterinarian. “It was not something girls grew up to be,” said Dr. Cheryl Howerton, owner of Alpine Animal Hospital in Flagstaff. “I wanted to be a teacher.” Still, she had an affinity for animals. “I brought a lot of animals home. I spent a lot of time on my grandmother’s farm near Modesto,” she said. “One of my first experiences was a kitten choking on a chicken bone. She got it out. That really impressed … [Read more...] about A Career of Caring for Creatures
Three Decades of Serving His Community
About a year after he left his job as assistant dean at Northern Arizona University to open his own business as a financial advisor, Bill Babb had serious second thoughts. “I thought maybe this was a bad decision,“ he said. It was too late to return to the university. They had already replaced him. He had no choice but to move forward. “So, I made the cut of the life boat and decided to just go for it and not turn back,” he said. And along the way, he learned something valuable. “The … [Read more...] about Three Decades of Serving His Community
A Sustainable and Native Livelihood
When the idea of using xeriscape landscaping in yards became popular, most people resigned themselves that to save water, they had to settle for what Nigel Sparks calls a “gravelscape” – nothing fancy or colorful, just efficient. “I think that is what people came to see and that was not the intention when xeriscaping started,” he said. Sparks, the owner of Flagstaff Native Plant and Seed, would like to propose something different for your yard. You can have a shaded patio and beautiful, … [Read more...] about A Sustainable and Native Livelihood
Committed To Serving Up Quality
Many would agree that Paul and Laura Moir are a well-matched couple. As owners of Brix and Criollo restaurants in Flagstaff, they are on the same page with values that have made the establishments popular: excellent service, sustainability and organic offerings. They met in 1996 while working in a Phoenix area restaurant. With college degrees in hand, the couple moved to Denver to try careers in the corporate world. After two years, the experience convinced them that they needed to follow … [Read more...] about Committed To Serving Up Quality
Musical Passion Drives Recording Artist
While other 10-year-olds were playing soccer or basketball, Jeff Lusby-Breault picked up an acoustic guitar and couldn’t put it down. By the time he was 11, he switched to an electric guitar and his parents realized he had music in his blood. “I was hooked,” he said. “I’d come home from school and start playing, and didn’t want to do my homework,” he laughed. Before long, he was into Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, alternative rock and blue grass music. In 2004, he knew he wanted to start a … [Read more...] about Musical Passion Drives Recording Artist