Lance Dickson

Senior vice president, NOVA Home Loans

Age: 37

Community involvement: St. Jude Children's Research Hospital; the Boys and Girls Clubs of Tucson; United Cerebral Palsy; the Arizona Foundation for the Deaf and Blind; American Heart Association, the Touchstone Foundation and the American Diabetes Foundation, title sponsor

First paying job: pumping gas and fixing flat tires at a gas station

Describe yourself with one word: resolute

Most unique thing no one knows about you: I was the intramural table tennis champion at UA in 1988.

A word from the nominator: "Lance's philosophy is simple: whatever you commit to, you should do it as well as you possibly can, pushing your limits and exceeding personal goals whenever possible. The same strength of character and commitment to personal excellence that propelled him to success in the world of baseball earned him a spot among the Mortgage Originator Magazine Top 200." - Lini Burton, director of marketing, NOVA Home Loans