Bill Phalen

At the time of his induction into the Mass Communication and Journalism Hall of Fame in 2008, Bill Phalen was CEO of Cities West Publishing, which produces some of the country’s best regional magazines, including Phoenix and Phoenix Home and Garden.  Before starting Cities West in 1997, he founded and co-founded three broadcasting companies that acquired 24 radio stations throughout the United States.  Mr. Phalen earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Southern Mississippi in 1965.  He later earned a master’s degree in organizational behavior from Norwich University in Vermont.  He served for six years in the U.S. Army and National Guard.  He is past president of the Tucson Broadcasters Association and was a member of the advisory board of the ABC Radio Network and the Walter Cronkite Endowment Board of the Trustees at Arizona State University.  All told, Mr. Phalen has served on five corporate boards and has been active in charitable work that has supported Junior Achievement and the University of Southern Mississippi.  He was inducted into the university’s Alumni Hall of Fame in the fall of 2007.