UASteele Center addsoutreach coordinator

Lauren Erdelyi has joined thedevelopment team at the Univer-sity of Arizona Steele Children’s

Research Cen-ter as coordina-tor for commu-nity outreachand public edu-cation.Erdelyi’s pri-

mary respon-sibility is toraise awarenessabout the UA

SteeleCenter throughpublic edu-cationprograms thathighlight thework of its physician-scientistsand researchers.In addition, she will be the liai-

son to volunteer groups that raisefunds for the UA Steele Center.Erdelyi also will provide oppor-tunities for community membersto get involved with the UA SteeleCenter.

Solis sworn in as newCBPNogales port director

Efrain Solis Jr. has been namedU.S. Customs and Border Protec-tion’sNogales port director.As the new port director, Solis

willoverseeoperationsincombat-ing the flow of terrorist weaponsand illicit drugs, and ensure im-

migration flowsare carried outlegally and re-sponsibly. Heis also respon-sible for en-suring customsand agriculturei n s p e c t i o n sare conductedin accordance

withU.S. laws and regulations.Solis’ responsibilities will in-

clude twomajor crossings—Den-nis DeConcini and Mariposa — aswell as theMorleypedestriangate,Nogales International Airport andtheRioRico rail yard.

Solis began his government ca-reerwith the formerU.S.CustomsService as a customs inspector atthe Port of Brownsville in Texas.During his 25-plus years of federalservice, he has held various lead-ership positions.

TucsonChambers namesdirector of investor servicesThe Tucson Metro Chamber

has hired Susan Manfredi as theinvestor services and affinity di-rector.In her role,Manfredi is respon-

sible for strengthening relation-ships with current investors andcultivating relationships withnew investors. She serves as thehigh-level investor concierge andis co-leadof the ambassadors vol-unteer committee. Manfredi alsomanages the Chamber/Copper-Point Association program andthe Blue Cross Blue Shield pro-gram.Manfredi has held key leader-

ship and exec-utive positionsin the airlineindustry andnon-profit sec-tors where herfocus has beenon customerservice, salesand operations,training and

managementof variousprograms.

Two joinUnderhillFinancial Advisors LLCUnderhill Financial Advisors

LLC has added two new employ-ees.Jessica Mendoza was named

client relationship manager. Sheholds an Associate’s Degree inBusiness Management from theUniversity of Phoenix.Mendoza is responsible for

providing customer service andsupport for existing and new pro-spective clients.

Melissa Ro-bles is the newadmin i s t ra -tive supportspecialist. Sheholds a Bache-lor’s Degree inBusiness Ad-ministrat ionfrom NortherArizona Uni-versity and hasfive years of fi-nancial indus-try experience.Robles’ pri-

mary role is tosupport finan-cial advisorsin the devel-opment of fi-

nancial plans and client meetingpreparation.

Submit items about local hirings and pro-motions to business@tucson.com; pleaseuse Moving Up in the email subject line andinclude photos in JPEG format

MOVING UP

Lauren Erdelyi

Efrain Solis Jr.

SusanManfredi

JessicaMendoza

Melissa Robles

SUNDAY,APRIL 2, 2017 | SECTION D

Editor: Hipolito R. Corella | 520-573-4101 | business@tucson.com

BUSINESS

By Gabriela RicoARIZONADAILY STAR

An academic senior villagenestled in the Rincon Valleywill soon have room to grow itsunique population.The Academy Village was

founded about 20 years ago byformer University of ArizonaPresident Henry Koffler with avision to provide retiring pro-fessors, scholars and artists aplace to retire from work, notlife.Residential development

around the Arizona SeniorAcademy floundered duringthe housing crisis but a teamoflocal developers have reignitedhome construction.Developer Dabdoub Ac-

quisitions and homebuilderMiramonte Homes have bro-ken ground on the first of 110planned homes in the village,near Old Spanish Trail andCaminoLomaAlta.“After we toured the com-

munity, we loved the viewsand the lifestyle,” said MarcelDabdoub. “It was a unique op-portunity to do something dif-ferent.”Chris Kemmerly, owner of

MiramonteHomes, said it’s thefirst time he’s built in a seniorcommunity.The residential develop-

ment, named Altura, featureshomes from 1,200 to 2,200

square feet in size with pricesof $189,000 to $264,000. Thehomes feature 10-foot ceil-

ings and 12-foot sliding glassdoors with views of the RinconMountains and surroundingvalley.Thevillagealreadyhasabout

120 homes and the new devel-opers worked with homeown-ers on the design of the futurehomes.“We would not have been

able to do this if Miramon-te was not an out-of-the-box

builder,”Dabdoub said.Koffler, who served as UA

president from 1982 to 1991,said he is thrilled to see theproject getting new life.There have been recent

upgrades to the communitycenter, added activities at theAcademy and new assisted liv-ing facilities built in the village.

Senior village inSETucsonaddinghousingdevelopment

PHOTOS BY RICKWILEY / ARIZONA DAILY STAR

The residential development, named Altura, at Academy Village offers views of the Rincon Mountains and surrounding valley.

A model home shows off the open living space in Altura. Developer Dabdoub Acquisitions and home-builder Miramonte Homes have broken ground on the first of 110 planned homes in Academy Village.

The residential development features homes from 1,200 to 2,200square feet with prices of $189,000 to $264,000.

The Academy Village was founded about 20 years ago by formerUniversity of Arizona President Henry Koffler.

THE ACADEMYVILLAGE

Learn more about the commu-nity and new development attheacademyvillage.com

See VILLAGE, D3

By Mikayla MaceFOR THEARIZONADAILY STAR

Spectral Instruments Inc.has beenbuild-ing custom scientific cameras for imagingobjects as small as a neutron and as large asa galaxycluster since 1993 in labswest of theSantaCruzRiver near downtownTucson.“It really spans thewhole rangeof scienc-

es,”saidGarySims,presidentofSpectral In-struments. “That’s one ofthe fun things about thisbusiness.”Sims founded the firm

with Keith Copeland. Thepair met when Copelandwas anundergraduate andSims was a graduate stu-dent at the University ofArizona. They both end-ed up working at Photo-metrics, another builderof scientific equipment inTucson.Now, their own busi-

ness takes orders fromhigh-energy physics labssuch as Lawrence Liver-more National Laborato-ry and institutions withtelescopes on mountainpeaks around the world,including the contiguous states, Hawaii andChile.“There’s not too many mountaintops in

the world where there are telescopes wherewedon’t have a camera,”Sims said.The University of Arizona though, is an

infrequent customer, despite its proximity.Typically, large organizations, such as Stew-ard Observatory, employ their own teams ofengineers to create needed technology.“But thenthere’skindofasecondtier that

doesn’t have the money to have a team ofpeople building their own detectors,” Simssaid,which is themarket they serve.Spectral Instruments has about 45 em-

ployees, according to Copeland, the firm’sCEO. The number fluctuates depending onthe orders received.When clients order hundreds of camer-

as to integrate into their own devices, workrampsup to get things done quickly.Custom cameras, on the other hand, can

take a year or two.

PROJECTS UNDERWAYSpectral Instruments built the new cus-

tom cameras for the 0.9-meter Schmidttelescope near Mount Bigelow and the1.6-meter telescope on Mount Lemmon.Theupgrade re-established theCatalinaSkySurvey as theworld leader in near-Earth as-teroid searches.A camera they’re currently building will

be sent to India tomap space junk.Spectral Instruments has also created a

sister company, called Spectral InstrumentsImaging, which focuses on making the en-tire apparatus, rather than just the camera.It is making devices to image fluorescent

biomarkers in mice for biological and phar-maceutical research.TheNational IgnitionFacilityatLawrence

LivermoreNational Laboratory inCalifornia

Scientificcamerasmade inTucsondottheglobe

Gary Sims

Keith Copeland

See SPECTRAL, D3

I’LLPAY

CA$HFOR

YOURHOUSE

Any AreaAny Condition

CALL520-977-ERIC (3742)Eric@BarrioHoldings.com

Arizona Daily Star / Sunday, April 2, 2017 BUSINESS • D3

“The future of this unique community looks as good as ever,” said Koffler, 94.

EDUCATION AND CULTUREThe centerpiece of the

Academy Village is the academy itself where res-idents can attend weekly concerts, discussion groups and lectures.

Because the community is populated by many aca-demics, legal minds and re-tired CEOs, their expertise is often featured in the lec-tures, said Jed Kee, the pres-ident of the Arizona Senior Academy, and a resident.

“It’s an unusual commu-nity,” he said. “Education and culture are the focus, not golf.”

A working partnership with the UA School of Music offers guest performances at the academy. Sometimes, Kee said, a group will use the hour performance as a dress rehearsal before play-ing at the university in the evening.

ASA members also get a UA Cat Card, which allows them to check out books from the university’s library and get discounts on differ-ent things around campus.

The academy is nonprofit and funded by resident dues and private donations. Res-idents aged 60-plus pay $75 a month to the academy.

The academy has a pro-gram with the Vail School District where a resident

and a sixth-grader read the same book, then meet each other to discuss the story.

“We view it as one of our responsibilities,” Kee said.

A separate community center, funded by the $195

monthly homeowners fee, features event space, work-out rooms and a community kitchen, said Janet Barrett, a resident and a community tour guide.

Artwork throughout the

community center was pho-tographed or painted by the residents, and the center is often abuzz with committee meetings, birthday parties and regular happy hours.

An on-site wellness cen-ter is staffed by a registered nurse and offers basic med-ical services.

Residents who wanted an area where dogs could be off-leash pooled their mon-ey to build one adjacent to the pool area, Barrett said.

AGING IN PLACEAs the Academy Village

evolved, residents wanted a place where loved ones could get assisted living without having to leave the community, said Gary Fen-stermacher, president of the Academy Services Corp., and a resident.

The Services Corp. has three prongs:

• A wellness center, offer-ing support for those with acute or chronic conditions.

• A home health program that gives assistance with daily activities for those residents who want to re-main in their own homes.

• Assisted living care for those no longer able to live independently.

The first villa, with 14 beds, was built with a $2.9 million donation from a group of original residents and opened in 2010.

“They wanted a place where people could age in place,” Fenstermacher said.

A second villa, with 16 beds, is being finished and was also partially funded by $1 million in donations from residents.

The services provided are open to anyone, not just those who live in the com-munity.

“The Vail area is still heavily populated by young families,” Fenster-macher said. “We market to their parents because there are not a lot of as-sisting living facilities in Vail.

“We treasure the idea,” Fenstermacher said, “of keeping people here until the end.”

Contact reporter Gabriela Rico at grico@tucson.com.

VILLAGEContinued from Page D1

Chris Kemmerly

Marcel Dabdoub

Gary Fenstermacher

PHOTOS BY RICK WILEY / ARIZONA DAILY STAR

A swimming pool is one of the amenities at the community center in the Academy Village.

The center, which is funded by the $195 monthly homeown-ers fee, includes a fitness room.

has been using Spectral In-struments’ charged coupled device — OR CCD — cameras for more than 20 years to mea-sure the output of nuclear re-actions.

“There they are making a miniature nuclear reaction and using the 192 lasers that fire into this target—which is the size of the head of a pin,” Sims said. “They need instru-ments to measure the X-rays produced”

But the radiation from these experiments damage the CCDs. “So we’re develop-ing a new generation of CMOS (complementary metal-oxide semiconductor) sensors that are more resistant to the radi-ation,” Sims said.

NEW CAMS IN TOWNCCDs have a long history in

Tucson. The first astronomical image using CCD technology was taken with the 61-inch telescope on Mount Bigelow in 1976 by Jim Janesick, work-ing with Brad Smith, of the UA Lunar and Planetary Labora-tory.

CCDs are still the most commonly used cameras for science. CMOS technology is newer and used in cellphone

cameras.“(CMOS technology has)

been used for a number of years, but what they put in cellphone cameras are really not suitable for making quan-titative measurements,” Sims said.

But as CMOS technology develops, it will soon overtake CCDs in terms of standard technology in scientific cam-eras, he said.

“(CMOS) moves light from one surface to another us-ing an array of optical fibers,” which is then converted into electrical signals, Sims said. “They’re kind of neat things. You go to trade shows and it’s what everyone wants to play with.”

CMOS cameras can get the picture off the detector a thou-sand times faster than a CCD which allows researchers to get a better snapshot of rapidly moving objects such as mole-cules, according to Sims.

Now, everything Spectral Instruments is developing is based on CMOS technology, according to Sims and Cope-land.

“CMOS is the future,” Co-peland said.

Mikayla Mace is a graduate student in the University of Arizona School of Journalism and an apprentice for the Arizona Daily Star.

SPECTRALContinued from Page D1

MIKE CHRISTY / ARIZONA DAILY STAR

Gary Sims, co-founder and president of Spectral Instruments, shows a CCD camera sensor in production for a customer.

By Philip MarceloTHE ASSOCIATED PRESS

BOSTON — Hotels offer congee and other Chinese staples for room service. Casinos train staff mem-bers on Chinese etiquette. Restau-rants, tourist sights and shopping malls translate signs, menus and information booklets into Chinese.

The American hospitality indus-try is stepping up efforts to make Chinese visitors feel more welcome, since they are projected to soon surpass travelers from the United Kingdom and Japan as the single largest overseas demographic.

And it’s not just the typical tour-ist hubs of New York and Los An-geles, where such efforts have long been commonplace. Smaller cities like Boston, Las Vegas, Seattle and Washington, D.C., are increasingly getting into the act, industry offi-cials say.

“Americans traditionally lag be-hind what other international des-ignations do for different cultures,” said Elliott Ferguson, CEO of Des-tination DC, the city’s convention and tourism organization, which last year launched “Welcome Chi-na,” a certification program for local businesses. “We just kind of assume that one size fits all. Quite frankly, that’s just not welcoming.”

Local tourism associations in those and other cities have re-cently launched campaigns aimed at getting their member hotels, restaurants and tourism companies to better incorporate Chinese lan-guage and customs into their of-ferings. They’re also embarking on tourism-focused sales missions to China and opening satellite offices in Chinese cities to strengthen ties and sell their city to trendsetters.

Some companies have already embraced the message.

The Sheraton Boston in the Back Bay neighborhood started offering in 2013 simple creature comforts many Chinese travelers expect, in-cluding slippers, robes, instant noo-

dles, an electric kettle and green tea, and have since taken other steps to cater to Chinese guests, said Angela Vento, the hotel’s general manager.

The Four Seasons in D.C.’s Georgetown neighborhood of-fers Chinese-language television and newspapers. It’s also working on offering more traditional Chi-nese dishes on its room service and restaurant menus, said Liliana Bal-dassari, a hotel spokeswoman.

In Las Vegas, Caesars Enter-tainment last year started offering guests at some of its affiliated re-sorts the option to book and pay for hotel rooms using WeChat, China’s most popular social media app.

“It’s made a really strong state-ment to the Chinese that these peo-ple really welcome us and under-stand us,” said Bruce Bommarito, the company’s vice president for in-ternational marketing. He noted the Roman-themed casino has rolled out other China-focused initiatives in recent years, including training programs for staff on basic cultural etiquette for serving Chinese guests.

Those and other small touch-es are steps in the right direction,

but more companies need to make an effort to recognize the growing importance of the Chinese market, said Justin Minggan Wei, a 27-year-old from Beijing who came to Bos-ton in 2008 for college, an experi-ence that inspired him to launch a consulting company helping local restaurants and businesses better serve Chinese customers.

Cities can’t afford to be caught flat-footed as China’s growing mid-dle class — almost nonexistent two decades ago — flexes its spending power, industry experts say.

Chinese visitors already spend more than other international vis-itors, at roughly $7,200 per person, according to the U.S. Travel Associ-ation, an industry trade group. Trav-elers from the country are expected to more than double from about 2.6 million visitors in 2015 to nearly 6 million by 2021, the association said.

More direct flights from China to a wider range of U.S. cities in recent years is partly fueling the boom. Creation of a 10-year visa between the U.S. and China in 2014 has also made it easier for Chinese to travel more frequently to the U.S.

US cities boosting efforts to make Chinese tourists feel more at home

ELISE AMENDOLA / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Chinese tourists take pictures at the New England Aquarium in Boston. The U.S. hospitality industry is trying to make Chinese visitors feel welcome.