Board of Directors

Steven Bales Jr.

Steven Bales Jr., a fifth-generation Arizonan, is President of Bales Hay Sales in Buckeye. Bales farms alfalfa hay, cotton and small grains on approximately 2,500 acres in the area of Buckeye and Rainbow Valley, including his original family homestead on Beloat Road, named for his great-great-grandfather. A graduate of the University of Arizona (Agricultural Economics), Steven is the current President of the Maricopa County Farm Bureau. He is also Vice-President of the Arizona Cotton Growers Association and serves on the board of the Arizona Farm Bureau Federation.

Mr. Bales has been extensively involved in organizations relating to agriculture. He has served as a community director of Farm Services Agency Board and on the Board of the Arizona Cotton Growers Association. Mr. Bales was recently elected to the Buckeye Valley Chamber of Commerce.

Timothy Bidwill

Timothy Bidwill is Vice President of Vermilion IDG, a family-owned investment and real estate development company. Bidwill has worked in such a real estate development capacity for his family since 2007. Prior to that, Bidwill, an attorney, began working on the project for what would ultimately become University of Phoenix Stadium after relocating to Arizona from Washington, DC in 1999. He served in the legal department of the Arizona Cardinals before joining Land Strategies for nearly eight years as western regional manager. In that role, he served on the project team that oversaw site location, design and construction of the $455 million stadium. Prior to his move to Arizona, Bidwill worked on Capitol Hill for the National Gambling Impact Study Commission from 1997-1999. Bidwill also has an interest in agriculture, having been a California citrus grower since 1999. Bidwill earned his bachelor of science degree from Santa Clara University in 1994 and his J.D. from Georgetown Law in 1997.

Bidwill was honored by the Phoenix Business Journal by making its Forty under 40 Class of 2009.

Jim Grogan

An attorney and successful businessman, Mr. Grogan has a long track record of leadership in both public and private companies. Since 2009, he has served as a trusted advisor to a private enterprise with substantial global investments, operating entities, and real estate holdings. His duties include direct real estate investing over a broad range of asset types and geographic regions, private equity investment analysis, deal structuring and negotiations, asset management, and enterprise wide operating company consulting, CEO coaching, and talent mentoring, evaluation, and recruitment.

He has served on a variety of Boards related to enterprise investments and acts as an advisor to additional Boards and Board members.

Mr. Grogan�s legal background, investment experience, and real estate expertise combined with his significant operational experience as CEO in a variety of operating companies make him perfectly suited for his current role.

Mr. Grogan was appointed by the Governor of Arizona to the Board of the Arizona Tourism and Sports Authority, a public body created to promote tourism and design, build, own and operate a $500 million multi-purpose convention facility and NFL stadium in Maricopa County. Mr. Grogan was elected founding Chairman of the TSA by his fellow board members.

Since coming to the Valley of the Sun in 1984, he has been very active in a wide variety of civic and charitable organizations. Among other Boards, presently Mr. Grogan is President of the Board of Cancer Treatment Centers of America, Western Regional Medical Center College of Law. He served as a Trustee of Holy Cross from 1996 to 2004.

William W. Drury Jr.

William W. Drury, Jr., is a Shareholder with the Phoenix Arizona law firm of Renaud Cook Drury Mesaros, PA. He is a trial attorney who has practiced law in the State of Arizona for nearly 30 years and focuses his practice on the areas of product liability, health care liability, commercial litigation, and transportation litigation. Mr. Drury is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates and the Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel. He has served as Vice Chairman, Chairman, and Chairman Emeritus of ALFA International. Drury is a co-founder of the Make-A-Wish-Foundation of America and is a member of the Drake University Board of Trustees.

Joseph L. Echeverria

Joseph L. Echeverria, is a fifth-generation Arizonan born and raised in Buckeye, AZ. He completed his undergraduate degree in Economics at Arizona State University in 2000 and his law degree at the University of Arizona in 2003. After graduating from law school, Echeverria practiced law at a large law firm in Phoenix where he represented local and national developers in the acquisition, leasing, sales and financing of real estate. In 2006, Echeverria returned to farming in the West Valley.

Dr. Robert Guyette: Chairman - West Valley Bancorp

Robert Guyette MD, DMD is a physician and dentist specializing in Facial Cosmetic and Oral surgery. His practice has served both the East and West Valley since 1989. He is also the founder and owner of GuyCor Development which develops medical, dental and mixed use projects. Dr. Guyette has served on the Arizona Board of Medical Examiners (BOMEX) as well as local, state and national medical and dental organizations. From 1998 to 2000 he was one of six physician directors of the Arizona BOMEX. He is a cofounder of the Phoenix Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons and a former president of the state organization.

In 1996, along with his wife and staff, Dr. Guyette founded a free Facial Surgery Clinic in Guaymas, Mexico helping children with cleft lip and palate and other facial deformities.

Dr. Mark Lonquist

Dr. Lonquist has been practicing medicine in Goodyear since 1995. He completed his undergrad degree in Biochemistry at the University of Victoria and then his medical training at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.

Dr. Lonquist is very active in the medical community. He is Chairman of the Department of Medicine and is a member of the Medical Executive Committee of West Valley Hospital .He participated on various committees and served on the Board for Primecare Network. Dr Lonquist is also involved in the development of medical buildings in Goodyear and Avondale. He was part of a team that just completed a merger with 40 physicians to form Integrated Medical Services, a multi-specialty medical group.

David Veillette

David Veillette is the President and CEO of Cancer Treatment Center of America's Western Regional Medical Center in Goodyear, Arizona. His career in health care spans 34 years in both clinical and leadership roles. Veillette is past President and Chief Executive Officer of The Indiana Heart Hospital, a fully digital heart hospital, and previously served as Chief Executive Officer of the Oklahoma Heart Center, LLC in Oklahoma City. He is President and Chief Executive Officer of CardCon, Inc. a consultation firm specializing in Healthcare development and implementation of new facilities.

A community activist, Veillette is a Paul Harris Fellow in Rotary International, a member of the Valley of the Sun YMCA Board, an honorary Commander of Luke AFB, a member of the White Tanks Rotary Club and one of the West Valley 24.

Candace D. Wiest: President/CEO West Valley National Bank

Ms. Wiest was the President of Inland Empire National Bank from 1993 to 2006. She was the seventh President in the Bank�s nine year history when she accepted the post. When she became President, the bank had classified loans (problem loans) equal to 300% of its capital, and had posted a $2.7 million dollar operating loss. Today, Inland Empire National Bank is a financially successful and well respected community bank that ranks favorably within its peer group. Ms. Wiest was the first woman ever elected as a Class A Director of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco for a three year term beginning in 2003. She was re-elected for a second term in 2006. She has served on the FRBSF Audit Committee from 2003 to 2006. Ms. Wiest served on the Fed's Bank Performance Committee and was Chair of the Public Information Committee. She retired in 2009. Ms. Wiest has received numerous awards and community recognition.

Rick Johnson

A native of the Southwest, Rick Johnson brings almost 40 years of business experiences to the Valley of the Sun. Rick has extensive experience in business and sales management, strategic planning and marketing development for all sizes of businesses and organizations.

A business career that spans both small business and major corporations, Rick has a unique blend of the entrepreneurial spirit, seasoned management and operations know-how. He has been President of a professional services company, worked as Senior Director at Lucent HQ, started his own consulting firm and managed operations for AT&T in New Mexico, His most recent major corporate position was as a U.S. Sales Vice President responsible for over $1B in Avaya�s annual sales.

In 2004, Rick and his partner established EXECUTIVE FORUMS in the Phoenix area providing advisory board services for business owners and senior executives. They currently work with top executives and their teams for over 55 companies headquartered in Valley representing nearly $2B in revenues and impacting over 13K employees. They have been selected a Business Partner of the Year twice in their brief history and became the largest Business Partner Internationally in 2010.

Rick has had extensive community and professional involvement and has served on over twenty business, professional and community Boards of Directors, both local and national in scope, holding numerous leadership positions.

Shelby Carl, Director Emeritus

Mr. Carl received his BS in Horticulture with a minor in Chemistry from the University of Arizona in 1952 after serving in the Navy. He earned his Masters degree in Entomology in 1953, with a minor in plant pathology. Mr. Carl is President and founder of FC & Associate Consulting, marketing & technical consultants to chemical industry.

Mr. Carl has served as the Founding President of the Agri-Business Council, as President and director of the Arizona Ag Association, as a director for the Western AgChemical Assn and on the Board of Directors of the Arizona Boys Ranch.

Board of Directors