EXECUTIVE TEAM
Amber
AMBER SMITH
President & CEO
Michael
A native Tucsonan, Michael’s twenty-two-year professional career has primarily centered on political strategy, business development and advocacy, and organizational management. He actually enjoys politics and policy (early in his career he was Chief-of-Staff to Tucson City Council Member Fred Ronstadt) and leads the Chamber’s local government affairs and initiatives. Between trying to reduce government intrusion into business and advancing talent development and attraction, Michael is committed to making Tucson a great place to live, work and play.
Hobbies:
Ice hockey goaltender, classical guitar, painting (mainly in the form of duplicating Rothkos and Thiebauds), live music, travel
Fun fact:
Michael was named the Official Scorer for the Tucson Padres AAA Baseball Club from 2011 – 2013. The team moved to El Paso in 2014.
MICHAEL GUYMON
Vice President
Local Community & Government Affairs
Robert
Growing up an Army kid, Robert lived across the U.S. and Western Europe. While attending the U of A, he found his calling with policy and politics. After a short stint interning with a U.S. Senator, Robert came to the Chamber in 2007. He has focused primarily on public policy and politics within local, state, federal and international governments. Robert is also heavily involved with numerous Chamber of Commerce industry professional associations and boards.
Hobbies:
Golf, fly fishing, photography, cooking, travel
Fun fact:
Robert was visiting Berlin when the wall came down in November 1989.
ROBERT MEDLER
Vice President
State & Federal Affairs
INVESTOR RELATIONS
Carrie
Carrie is an outdoors girl most comfortable wearing jeans, cowboy boots and riding her horses. She relocated to Tucson from Bend, Oregon, 16 years ago with her husband and two children, to enjoy the beautiful Arizona desert and sunshine. Left behind in Oregon were her eclectic jobs of farming, banking, jeweler, owner of a floral shop and a tile manufacturing company.
Hobbies:
Horseback riding, running, traveling
Fun Fact:
Carrie broke her finger while trying to kill a spider.
CARRIE GILCHRIST
Director of Business Development
Heather
HEATHER WUELPERN
Director of Communications
Sector Partnerships
Adam
Adam was born in Albany, New York, but was quickly whisked away to Tucson shortly after his first birthday. After graduating from THE Ohio State University, Adam came back home and spent nearly a decade working in the beer industry before joining the Chamber staff. Adam is extremely active in our community and just recently graduated from the Greater Tucson Leadership class of 2019. An avid sports fan, Adam enjoys having season basketball tickets and going to games with his mom.
Hobbies:
9-ball pool, golf, yoga, video games (He still has his original Nintendo!)
Fun Fact:
Adam’s father is full-blooded Navajo and his great-great grandfather was the first Tribal Chairman of the Navajo Nation in 1923 (Henry Chee Dodge)
ADAM BEGODY
Senior Account Executive
Sponsorships
Jason
Jason is a seventh-generation Tucson native who grew up on the northeast side and started working at the age of 14 babysitting and tutoring kids in his neighborhood. Jason worked for a major car manufacturer for eight years in the corporate consumer affairs division and then started his foray into project management and event planning. He enjoys having his finger on the pulse of Tucson and championing for a better business community.
Hobbies:
Gardening, DIY, collecting old jukeboxes, radios, old signs and random Americana, and hopes to own a classic car one day soon
Fun Fact:
Jason used to be a dedicated spelunker and explored old mines and caves in Arizona.
JASON COOK
Senior Member Services Manager
Member Celebrations
Tammy
Tammy landed in Tucson at an early age as the result of her father’s military transfer to DMAFB. After graduating from the University of Arizona she worked behind the scenes for a local architecture firm for 10 years before moving into the property management arena. In 1999, Tammy joined the Chamber team.
Hobbies:
Gardening, travel, basket weaving, crafts
Fun Fact:
WHEREAS Tammy has assisted with more than 1,000 ribbon cuttings, she is literally comfortable running with scissors!
TAMMY JENSEN
Member Operations Manager
OPERATIONS
Carissa
“Quality control” for home improvement projects (her husband loves this), reading, cheering her kids on from the sidelines of the soccer field
Carissa has a fear of birds – yes, even cute little ones such as ducklings.
CARISSA FAIRBANKS
Director of Operations
Shirley
Shirley started out life (and spent many summers) on a dairy farm in Ohio before moving to Tucson in 1961. She enrolled in the Cooperative Office Program her senior year at Cholla High, through which she became employed part-time by the Tucson Chamber of Commerce. During her college years at the University of Arizona, she continued working at the Chamber and has been here ever since.
Hobbies:
Needlecrafts, scrapbooking, bowling, reading
Fun Fact:
Shirley has been called a “ding-a-ling” as one of her many musical talents is playing handbells.
SHIRLEY WILKA
Executive Assistant
Diana
DIANA CORTEZ
Administrative Coordinator
David
David is from Los Angeles, California, although he lived in Mexico for a couple of years before moving to Tucson for the heat and the saguaros. He graduated from Pima Community College with a degree in graphic design and multimedia. A wonderful serenity has taken possession of his entire soul, like these sweet mornings of monsoon which he enjoys with his whole heart.
Hobbies:
Drums, guitar, skating, working out, Gameboy, running
Fun facts: |
David recorded his band’s demo in a random house near Tucson High Magnet School.
DAVID LONG
Creative Manager
