22 JUNE 2024 By Mallory Gleich Jim Valenzuela distinctly remembers the first time he entered a barbershop. Joined by his father, he recalls the booster chair needed; the smell of the tonics; the sometimes-inappropriate discussions between barbers and the patrons. Most of all, Jim remembers the unmistakable feeling of walking out of the shop with a new haircut. It was these father-son excursions that inspired him to open V’s Barbershop in Arcadia 25 years ago. Jim moved from Tucson to Phoenix in 1985 after graduating from the University of Arizona. Prior to V’s, he was the founding Executive Director of the Maricopa Faculty Association, later known as MedPro and District Medical Group. When he left MedPro, V’s was the first business owned and operated solely by the native Arizonan – although he is not a barber by trade. “I wanted a barbershop to replicate some of the memories I had with my dad. In 1999, there was truly little cool about barbershops,” Jim said. “Not being a barber allowed me to see the opportunity differently than those who toiled behind the chair. It was also naïve and I had much to learn about the industry. Thankfully, I am a quick study.” As the founder and CEO, Jim’s job is “to conduct the band,” and oversee all aspects of running the business. Upper management has been with V’s for 20- plus years and Jim says at this point, they can finish each other’s sentences. At the beginning, though, it took a while for him to get his bearings. Once he decided to open up shop, he needed to learn everything he could about barbering, gather memorabilia, restore authentic barber chairs, find the real estate, design the shop, name the business, find barbers who could shave, prepare the initial marketing plans, buy product and then place state-of-the-art technology in the shops. “Since I wasn’t a barber, everything was a challenge,” Jim said. “I did not have a staff and it was only me that did all the work up to opening day in 1999.” When looking for locations for that first V’s, Jim knew he wanted it to be somewhere in Arcadia, as it was a cohesive neighborhood – and he knew quite a few who called the area home. “I had a hunch that if we could become Arcadia’s barbershop, we would have a chance to get known throughout the city since many captains of industry lived there and they would inform others that a new, cool, and well-done barbershop had opened,” Jim said. “That hunch proved to be correct.” Now, there are 60 V’s Barbershops across 19 states. Jim and his team are excited about the anniversary, which they will celebrate with a company-wide celebration in Phoenix that they call “The Summit.” “It feels unreal. I didn’t know if V’s would last a year let alone 25 years. For me to have witnessed so many kids grow up coming here is the most rewarding part to me,” Jim said. “It validates my original thinking of starting a barbershop that my son and I could enjoy. That so many others enjoy it with their sons is incredibly heartwarming.” Although his son now lives in Chicago, Jim’s daughter, Bella, recently started working for the V’s family as a merchandising specialist in the e-commerce division, so it really is – and will continue to be – a family affair. vbarbershop.com Started in Arcadia, V’s Barbershop celebrates 25 years A s someone who spent his career – 36 and a half years to be exact – in law enforcement, I know how important accountability and transparency are to building strong relationships and trust between our police department and the community it protects. One thing I was always proud of with the Phoenix Police Department is that I was able to say that I helped someone every single day. The overwhelming majority of police officers feel the same way and think transparency with their community is paramount. With this in mind, a top priority of mine coming into office was to help get the Civilian Review Board up and running. After some considerable time researching the most effective review boards across the country and working with city staff and my colleagues, I feel proud of what the city was able to put together. We were able to move the Civilian Review Board forward with a vote at a council meeting in May. This board, which will consist of Mayor-appointed residents of Phoenix from different backgrounds, will be a recommending body helping the police department and our Office of Accountability and Transparency (OAT). As complaints are investigated from within the department, OAT will monitor and review completed investigations and provide a report to the civilian review board. Once the review board has received the report, they have an opportunity to make recommendations to the police department such as helpful trainings and ways to improve future investigations. The Council has had an opportunity to bring stakeholders into conversations like this, and work together to make the changes we want to see in our city. I’m proud to present something that I believe will considerably help both the Phoenix Police Department and the residents of Phoenix. Thank you, Kevin Civilian Review Board is a go! Jim Valenzuela and his father on opening day in 1999. PHOTO COURTESY OF JIM VALENZUELA Councilman District 6 602-262-7491 District6@phoenix.gov KEVIN ROBINSON

Named Top Agent & Top Producer Four Consecutive Years 480.335.8604 pontikasteam.com 2044 E Pasadena Avenue $925,000 JUST SOLD 11202 N 27th Street $866,500 6320 E Friess Drive $1,555,000 7471 E Sunnyvale Drive $1,895,000 PRICE IMPROVEMENT JUST SOLD JUST SOLD Tatiana Maus Realtor® Taylor Hubbs Licensed Assistant Ty Crandall Realtor® Debbie Pontikas | Associate Broker