PIMA COUNTY, Arizona – The Pima County Board of Supervisors at its Dec. 15 meeting voted 5-0 to name the fountain in the courtyard of the County’s Historic Courthouse for retiring County Recorder F. Ann Rodriguez.

Rodriguez, who has just completed her 28^th year as Pima County Recorder, maintained an office at the Historic Courthouse from 1993 to 2015. The office now is housed in the County Public Service Center, 240 N. Stone Ave., but for decades, individuals recording or searching for public documents and voter information came to the Historic Courthouse to work with Rodriguez and her staff.

Rodriguez used to refer to the Historic Courthouse as “the pink palace,” County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry said during the Dec. 15 Board meeting. “So I think it’s only fitting that the Board name the fountain in her honor for her years and years of service.”

During her administration, Rodriguez significantly automated and modernized the Recorder’s office. Archaic manual searches of records from books and microfilm, in place at the start of her tenure in 1993, have been replaced by updated, state-of-the-art computer equipment. Rodriguez also has broadened the exposure to vote-by-mail and walk-in early voting with aggressive media campaigns and expanded satellite voting sites to raise public awareness of this convenient method of casting a ballot.

In 2008, the Permanent Early Voting List provision was implemented, allowing any registered voter in Pima County to sign up to automatically receive vote-by-mail ballots for all elections in which they are eligible to vote.

This fall, Rodriguez worked closely with the Elections Department and the Communications Office to increase voter participation in ballot-by-mail voting to help minimize the spread of COVID-19. Through a campaign of television, radio, social media, and print advertising called Vote Safe, the County saw nearly 100,000 more registered voters and ballots cast in 2020 over the 2016 General Election. More than 87 percent of voters cast early ballots in the 2020 Election; that number was not quite 76 percent in 2016.

Rodriguez’s efforts to increase voter participation over the course of her career have earned her recognition from many quarters, including former Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano, the Tucson chapter of the League of Women Voters, the League of United Latino American Citizens (LULAC), and the NAACP.

“You’ve been a fixture in this community and you have managed it well,” Board Chairman Ramón Valadez told Rodriguez during the meeting. “You have conducted yourself with honor and respect and always upheld the integrity of our elections.”

Rodriguez, a Tucson native, recalled coming into downtown as a child and admiring the Historic Courthouse. To be housed in a building she admired as a youngster and now to have that building’s fountain named for her “really touches my heart,” Rodriguez said.

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GILBERT, Ariz. –Willmeng Construction Inc., a Phoenix-based commercial general contractor, hosted a tilting ceremony on Nov. 2, celebrating the successful lift of the heaviest concrete tilt panel in the nation and the eighth tallest in North and South America, weighing in at more than 500,000 lbs. at the Northrop Grumman satellite manufacturing facility in Gilbert, Ariz.

“The logistics, scheduling, pre-planning and execution of this project for Northrop Grumman is one of complexity and requires an entire team effort to deliver concrete panels like very few have seen before,” said James Murphy, Willmeng CEO. “The collaboration among Suntec, Gensler and the client will result in a state-of-the-art facility equipped to meet Northrop Grumman’s needs in Gilbert.”

Marking a major milestone in the construction at the facility, the first, and heaviest concrete panel lifted weighs approximately 504,000 lbs., and stands at 87 ft. 7 in. tall, officially breaking the previous record of 369,600 lbs. also set in Phoenix two years ago. Designed by Gensler, Phoenix, this expansion will maximize space to allow for nearly double the production capacity of the existing facility.

“This project milestone is a huge accomplishment for the entire project team and our many trade partners,” said Mike Mongelli, Willmeng President. “We look forward to seeing the impact this facility makes on Arizona at large.”

During the gathering on Nov. 2, the uniquely specialized 850-ton crane, which was exported from California and assembled on-site days prior, erected and set the first two panels. Due to the massive size of these panels, Suntec Concrete poured the slabs weeks prior to account for the lengthy curing process. Each panel measures 20 ft. 1 in. wide and 2 ft. thick, breaking records for size and requiring unique reinforcing considerations to execute this milestone.

“Safety is our number one priority on this project,” shared Israel Sanchez, Suntec Project Manager. “We kicked the morning off with an extensive safety meeting after weeks of preparation to make sure that everything occurred without any issues.”

“Our entire team is grateful to be part of such a momentous project in Arizona and the nation,” remarked Derek Wright, Suntec President. “Our intent is always to deliver for our clients on whatever the project demands. We appreciate the hard work by our team and trust given from our clients to be part of such a complex and exceptional project.It’s humbling to beconstructing and erecting these exceptionally large and heavy tilt panelsin 2020.”

The project expansion includes a 100,000 SF addition to its existing satellite manufacturing facility, and will feature large bays to house overhead cranes with a clear height of 55 ft. and transition bays as tall as 65 ft. In preparation for this day, Willmeng Construction and Suntec Concrete partnered to increase the number of safety practice-runs and doubled the number of field workers to ensure each panel wasplaced safely and with the highest level of quality.

The expansion of this facility will provide reliable and affordable satellites for various Northrop Grumman customersincludingthe National Aeronautics and Space Administration,National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Geological Survey and others. These satellites are used for a variety of high-profile satellite missions, including critical science missions and other programs to support our national securit

TEMPE, ARIZONA – Since celebrating its 15^th anniversary last year, Solutions AEC (SAEC) has continued its growth and market presence. As 2021 nears, the St. Louis-based engineering-led design-build firm is rolling out a refreshed and updated website.

“This new website will guide our clients, future SAEC team members, vendors and subcontractors to a better understanding of who we are and how we are able to serve others through the pursuit of our company vision,” said Principal/CEO Matt Ford, PE.

A fresh start in 2021 seems to be on everyone’s wish list, said SAEC Principal Kregg Kraus.

“Thanks to the hard work of our business development team, we are able to give our website that fresh start we are all looking for,” Kraus said. “Our core focus is to ‘serve people with stewardship and creativity.’ Our site includes new and updated information on our business approach, services, culture and project experience.”

Last year, SAEC’s growth plans included expanding its presence in Arizona and growing the Tempe office. The firm employs a workforce of 10 in the Valley and will be moving into a larger space in January 2021 to accommodate its growth.

SAEC’s Arizona footprint includes The Link PHX, a multifamily project at Third and Pierce streets in Phoenix; the City of Phoenix’s 27^th Avenue compost facility, an industrial project; Tempe Crossroads, a student housing project; and La Loma, a Sun Health senior living home in Phoenix.

SAEC provides mechanical, electrical, and plumbing design build construction and engineering services focused on delivering to owners, general contractors, subcontractors and architects. Those services ensure that the developer or owner gets a build that meets their needs within the budget they desire.

The commissioning services group ensures a fully functional building that meets the energy efficiency and functional performance goals for the project. SAEC executes projects from coast to coast and enjoys a strong track record of keeping design/build projects under budget and providing timely delivery on the mechanical, electrical, plumbing and fire protection systems it constructs.

The SAEC market share includes industrial, healthcare, multifamily including senior and student living, general commercial/mixed use and government projects.

Visit the new SAEC website at www.solutions-aec.com.