Women Who Lead

As sisters growing up, Autumn and Rebecca Kline experienced first-hand the hard work their parents put in to establish retail businesses that would create a generations-long family career for decades.

Unlike most Prescott High School graduates that dream of moving to the big city, Katie Romo’s heart has always been in Prescott. She loves everything about Prescott, from the beautiful scenery to her friendly neighbors. Katie was born in San Diego, CA, and raised here in Prescott. She thanks her parents daily for choosing such a charming little town.

As a Michigan native with family in Sedona, Sheri Heiney had the long-term goal to live and work in Prescott.  Now, energized and fulfilled as a Prescott resident and celebrating her third year as President & CEO of the Prescott Chamber of Commerce, Heiney leads her team with her 28 years of experience in the Chamber Industry as a whole.

Janae Ottis has a passion for helping and caring for people in whatever they are going through. Born and raised in Turlock, California where cows moo and almond trees blossom, she graduated from the University of California, Merced, with her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology. Freshly out of college, Janae worked as a Youth Advisor for the Summer Youth Employment Program, and this experience further instilled a desire to help counsel youth in their education and career goals.

When Brenda Martinez started working for Yavapai Title Agency as a “runner” in 1979 while still attending Prescott High School, the town was so small that she literally could run a short distance to all her job errands.

Today she’s the agency’s vice president, vying with the person who hired her as the longest-serving employee. Between the time he hired Brenda and today, Norb Wedepohl served a long stint as the Yavapai County Superior Court Clerk of Court. Otherwise he’d have her beat on the years, since he started with the region’s oldest existing title agency when it first opened in 1963.

In Prescott Valley, Pet Headquarters is a place where staff members know customers—and their pets—by name. It’s a place where new customers come in and immediately feel like long-time friends, and where people are greeted by wagging tails and puppy kisses … or, smiles and hugs (these days, it’s elbow bumps).

Tourism industry Veteran MJ Smith and Arizona native Sheri Shaw bring enthusiastic collective energy to the Prescott Downtown Partnership (PDP), the merchant’s association formed in 1999 to provide a voice for the stakeholders in historic downtown Prescott. While currently serving on the PDP Board for four years, Shaw became President last year and is now in her second and final year as President. Smith has been in the tourism sector for 13 years, most recently in the Bullhead/Laughlin area in a position that fostered the seamless transition to Executive Director of the PDP.  Both women share the goals of Prescott to retain its small-town downtown feel, most noticeable at events and venues sprinkled throughout town.

Phoenix may be the center for advertising agencies in Arizona, but leading companies in Greater Prescott prefer an advertising agency with roots in the community: Helken & Horn.

As Helken & Horn Advertising Agency celebrates 25 years of partnering with clients in Northern Arizona, President Tracey Horn reflected on her agency’s success and why most clients have been with the agency for a decade or longer.

Hailey Bettendorf is enjoying her fresh start in Prescott—even during this crazy, unpredictable year. After moving here from Spokane, Washington, in early December 2019, she took a job as a Sales and Marketing Support Specialist at The Daily Courier and joined Prescott Area Young Professionals, and she’s excited to see what the future brings.