40 Under 40: Amirah Halum
PHOTOGRAPH BY TAWNI BANNISTERAmirah Halum, 34Broker Associate, Halum Real Estate Group“I’m very ambitious and driven, and I think that scares a lot of people," Halum says. “So, when I see that in someone, I’m like, ‘This is that untapped talent that...
40 Under 40: Marcel Ramirez
40 Under 40: Albert Melo Jr.
PHOTOGRAPH BY TAWNI BANNISTERAlbert Melo Jr., 33Co-owner, Melo’s Pools and Outdoors“We’ve developed a reputation for taking on challenging projects," Melo says of his family-owned design-and-build pool company, which he returned to after studying civil...
40 Under 40: Missoni Lanza
PHOTOGRAPH BY TAWNI BANNISTERMissoni Lanza, 36Owner and Certified Pilates Instructor and Movement Specialist, Movement Bottega; Singer-Songwriter and Jazz ArtistPilates restored Lanza’s mobility after a head-on collision at age 18. The experience...
40 Under 40: Bahareh Kamoei
PHOTOGRAPH BY TAWNI BANNISTERBahareh Kamoei, 34Owner and Broker, BBS Brokers RealtyBBS has two meanings: A better buying and selling experience, and Bahareh, Bita, and Sara, the names of the sibling trio that founded the brokerage in 2015. “We bring our...
40 Under 40: Curtis Butler
PHOTOGRAPH BY TAWNI BANNISTERCurtis Butler, 32Chief Operations Officer, Brady Sandahl Real Estate GroupLike many of the homebuyers he works with at Brady Sandahl Real Estate Group, Curtis Butler is a transplant to the Coachella Valley. “What I love...
40 Under 40: John R. Preckwinkle III
PHOTOGRAPH BY TAWNI BANNISTERJohn R. Preckwinkle III, 34Tribal Council Member, Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians“I have family that was on council before me, and I’m carrying on that legacy," Preckwinkle says. Raised in Northern California,...
40 Under 40: Irma Leon
PHOTOGRAPH BY TAWNI BANNISTERIrma Leon, 37Landscape Contractor and Designer, Leon’s Landscaping & Tree ServicesWhen Leon left Palm Springs to study interior design in L.A., she never imagined she’d come back and join the landscaping business her...
40 Under 40: Amy Smith
PHOTOGRAPH BY TAWNI BANNISTERAmy Smith, 39Senior Vice President, Chartwell Properties“I’m most content when I’m doing 20 things at once," says Smith, a Floridian who relocated here with her husband in 2006. She’s in her element working for the company...
40 Under 40: Alison Soltysiak
PHOTOGRAPH BY TAWNI BANNISTERAlison Soltysiak, 37Attorney, OMAC LawA fateful Google search brought this Temecula-born attorney to the Coachella Valley. “I looked up, ‘What’s the best vacation spot … in November?’" Soltysiak recalls. “It was Palm...
40 Under 40: Phillip Niblo
PHOTOGRAPH BY TAWNI BANNISTERPhillip Niblo, 34Financial Advisor, Raymond JamesNiblo, a La Quinta resident and University of Redlands grad, was working his way up in a bank when a mentor recruited him to Raymond James. “Realizing that I can change...
40 Under 40: Peter Kim
PHOTOGRAPH BY TAWNI BANNISTERPeter Kim, 37Executive Vice President, FirstBankKim moved to the desert after landing his first job in corporate banking straight out of college. “It was a one-year plan; but 15 years later, I’m still here and happy," the...
40 Under 40: Rick Blanke
PHOTOGRAPH BY TAWNI BANNISTERRick Blanke, 32Managing Partner, Blanke Schein Wealth ManagementBlanke, a desert native, initially planned to attend law school. However, as he learned more about the financial business, which is his family’s business, it...
40 Under 40: Monet Orystick
PHOTOGRAPH BY TAWNI BANNISTERMonet Orystick, 35President, The Shag StoreWhen Orystick began as an intern at The Shag Store in Palm Springs 12 years ago, she was one of two employees helping customers and organizing exhibitions of the artist Shag’s...
40 Under 40: Tessa Voss
PHOTOGRAPH BY TAWNI BANNISTERTessa Voss, 33Vice President CA Region/Administrator, Betty Ford CenterA Minnesota native, Voss earned her master’s degree in addiction and mental health counseling at Hazelden Betty Ford Graduate School and worked as a...
40 Under 40: Christopher Hargett
PHOTOGRAPH BY TAWNI BANNISTERChristopher Hargett, 30Owner, Six Blades Jiu Jitsu La QuintaBorn in Thailand, Hargett moved to Vietnam with his Japanese mother and American father when he was 6. When he got into trouble as a teen, he was sent to live with...
40 Under 40: Katherine Villegas Ruiz
PHOTOGRAPH BY TAWNI BANNISTERKatherine Villegas Ruiz, 38Director of Client Services, Cord Media“I connect with clients on a personal level," Villegas Ruiz says. “My strength is building relationships with the people I work with." Indeed, she’s the...
40 Under 40: Stephen Nieto
PHOTOGRAPH BY TAWNI BANNISTERStephen Nieto, 38Director of Urban Design & Land Development, Altum GroupNieto’s hands touched architectural blueprints long before they turned the wheel of a car. He grew up working at his father’s Coachella...
40 Under 40: Joe Timo
PHOTOGRAPH BY TAWNI BANNISTERJoe Timo, 37President, Timo’s Air Conditioning & Heating“The air-conditioning industry in the Coachella Valley is more of an emergency service than some people realize," says Timo, who has grown the business his father...
40 Under 40: Adam Gilbert
PHOTOGRAPH BY TAWNI BANNISTERAdam Gilbert, 36President, The Firm CommercialAdam Gilbert sells commercial real estate. However, his passion is playing the Michelangelo of what he calls “the Palm Springs Renaissance." The Palm Springs High School alum...
