Cover Story: A Season of Leadership
Pamela Overton Risoleo talks law, philanthropy and tradition
It was 1983, and Iowa native Pamela Overton Risoleo was fresh out of law school. Just 23, she had landed a job at Phoenix’s prestigious O’Connor Cavanagh law firm and was making a name for herself in the high-stakes world of litigation. Calm and tenacious, she became known for her rigorous preparation, writing her opening in longhand on legal pads and rehearsing in front of a mirror. “I would go to the courtroom, put it aside and just say it,” she said. “They used to call me the ‘Velvet Hammer’ because I was so prepared.”
Today, Risoleo’s touch remains. Smooth like velvet, she is using her strength, intelligence and kindness to hammer out plans for a banner year. So much has lined up, in fact, it’s almost like she planned it.
Risoleo grew up in North Liberty, Iowa, the second-oldest of six children. Her mother, Shirley, was an obstetrics nurse and her father, Bill, was a contractor. “When I grew up, North Liberty had 200 people. We lived on Front Street, which was the main street, and there were 20 houses,” Risoleo said. She was close to her grandparents and credits her Midwestern upbringing for her work ethic and values.
Risoleo became the first in her family to attend a four-year college when she chose Arizona State University. She loved the people and the weather and joined a sorority. “Financially, I wasn’t sure, but my grandmother said, ‘If you get in, I’ll help you,’” Risoleo said. “She was an incredible entrepreneur — she owned antique shops. So I rushed, and I got into Pi Phi.”
Risoleo adored college life, but halfway through her sophomore year, her parents got divorced. “I had four younger siblings back in Iowa City, and I needed to go back to help with my family,” she said. So, she transferred to the University of Iowa to finish her degree, majoring in political science and minoring in philosophy.
The next step was law school. “It is so strange because there were no lawyers anywhere in our family and I had no lawyers as mentors,” Risoleo said. But her inquisitive nature and love for learning led her to the field.
“I would watch ‘Perry Mason’ when I was little and say, ‘Mom, why don’t they ask this?’” she laughed.
Risoleo was accepted into an accelerated program at University of Iowa’s College of Law, graduating in only two years. She applied to law firms in Phoenix, Minneapolis and Kansas City, but her dream was to come back to Phoenix. “I chose O’Connor Cavanagh, and I was so happy,” she said.
In the early years of her career, Risoleo worked exceedingly long hours. “It was grueling, just like any other big-firm work,” she said. She met her first husband, Ted Overton, in 1984 and got married in 1986. Twin sons Teddy and Christian were born in 1990, and daughter Elizabeth followed five years later. “Balancing was hard, like it is for anyone,” she said about juggling home and family with a high-powered job.
Colleagues and press clippings from the time praised Risoleo for “having it all.” But then, like now, the secret was old-fashioned hard work. “Being a litigator is a lot of pressure. Somebody’s business is at stake. I had these little kids running around. I would wait until they went to bed, and then work until the next morning,” she said.
Risoleo’s star kept rising at O’Connor Cavanagh, and then the firm split and part became Greenberg Traurig. “A portion of O’Connor became Greenberg, so I’ve essentially been with the same firm for 40 years,” Risoleo said about being a shareholder of what is now one of the largest legal firms in the nation.
Risoleo’s values and skills as a litigator — all the preparation, communication and tenacity — translated well to other areas of life, too, including philanthropy. In 1993, she became one of the founding members of Fresh Start Women’s Foundation, bringing the same rigor and attention to detail that had earned praise at her firm.
Back then, Fresh Start founders Pat Petznick and Beverly Stewart would gather a handful of women around a conference table at O’Connor Cavanagh to determine how to support other women in the community. The approach appealed to Risoleo, whose own community work was rooted in her
small-town upbringing.
“I come from very modest means, and the people who brought me along were my grandparents and people who were so caring. I understood, being one of six, that sometimes you need people to help you,” she said. “I was lucky enough to launch into this big law firm where it was more money than I ever dreamed I would make. So, I love giving back to people who need a helping hand.”
Risoleo’s philanthropy isn’t scattershot. She has been an active Fresh Start member for over 30 years, served on its board, and chaired its ball several times. “And my kids were involved,” she said. “At fundraisers, all three of them would walk around with little baskets selling raffle tickets.”
2024 Heart Ball leadership team, left to right, sweetheart Kimberly Afkhami, vice chairman DeeDee Vecchione, chairman Pamela Risoleo, vice chairman Diane O’Malley, honorary chairman Laurie Florkiewicz and chairman-elect Patricia Watts.
The American Heart Association and the annual Phoenix Heart Ball is another long-standing charity Risoleo supports. “I’ve been involved with that for 32 years now,” she said. There, too, her upbringing was an inspiration.
“My grandmother, who was an idol of mine in lots of ways, needed a pacemaker to save her life,” Risoleo said. Through her research, Risoleo learned that the pacemaker was developed by a doctor at the American Heart Association. “So the research that we were funding through the Heart Ball and through all the fundraising that benefited AHA — the pacemaker wouldn’t have been developed without it,” Risoleo said.
Her grandmother lived to be 98.
But it’s not only Risoleo’s family that inspires her. “Just about everyone has someone in their life who has been affected by cardiovascular disease or stroke, which is why bringing awareness about heart health is so important to me,” she said.
Data-driven and fact-based, Risoleo approaches her charitable work with the precision of a top attorney. She understands that, while you won’t always win, you improve your odds by treating people with respect and being prepared — and that goes for the ups and downs of life, as well.
After her first marriage ended, Risoleo would frequently fly to see her son Teddy play golf for Dartmouth. Another parent, whose son played soccer, was often on her flights. They got acquainted, and one day he said, “I’ve got somebody I want you to meet.”
That somebody turned out to be hotel executive Jim Risoleo, who lived in Washington, D.C., at the time. “There was a Tom Petty concert here and my firm had a skybox, so I invited the dad and his wife to go with me,” Risoleo said. “He said, ‘I’m not coming unless you let me invite Jim as your date.’”
That was 15 years ago. She and Jim married in 2011, and Risoleo added two stepdaughters to the family, Cathy and Lauren. “It was seamless. All the kids get along, so it’s great,” she said.
Just when life was getting settled, another major change came. After 21 years with Host Hotels & Resorts, Jim was named CEO, president & director in 2016. “That was the catalyst for me to say, I have to not practice so much,” Risoleo said. “He was able to move here in 2010, and it’s been amazing. Lucky, lucky me.”
Gratitude flows easily for Risoleo, who celebrates life’s markers and milestones. So two years ago when she was asked to chair the 2024 Phoenix Heart Ball and a remarkable number of anniversaries aligned, it was an opportunity she could not pass.
The annual gala to benefit the American Heart Association is always steeped in history and significance — but this year Risoleo would be turning 65, and it would also be the 65th Phoenix Heart Ball and the 100th anniversary of the American Heart Association.
Risoleo asked Jim what he thought about taking on the massive commitment. “Do it,” he said. “You’ll be 65 for the 65th, and you’ve been passionate about this cause for 32 years. Check the box.”
Fast-forward to today, when Risoleo is managing the myriad details of the upcoming bash and, unsurprisingly, leaning on her research skills. “I thought that for 65 years of the Heart Ball and 100 years of AHA, I can really celebrate the traditions of both of those together,” she said.
Because she has been involved with the organization so long, she is unearthing and incorporating past elements. “Many of the past Heart Ball chairmen are dear friends of mine, so I’ve been able to experience beautiful traditions that they established,” she said.
Risoleo is glad that a new generation of supporters is embracing the charity and is excited about the event — “and not just the hoopla about it, but raising the money,” she said.
Jim has stepped up in a major way, too. “His support of me this year is unbelievable,” Risoleo said. “He has rallied his friends, companies and contacts, and raised so much money for me.”
As chair, Risoleo is drawing on many of her skills as a lawyer, emphasizing the importance of clear, honest communication, respect for all, and following through on commitments. “I’m a big agenda person,” she said. “You learn those skills from writing briefs and arguing in court.”
Though her to-do list now includes auction items instead of affidavits and invitations rather than closing statements, her commitment to doing good has remained. “Those days with the firm were fabulous, but I was giving back all that time, too. I really do care,” she said.
It’s the tail end of October and Risoleo is preparing for life to get intense, with final preparations for the Heart Ball in November and major family milestones to follow next year. “I think that the thing I’m most proud about in my life is that I always put family first,” she said. And with kids and spouses scattered across the country — Cathy and Keith, Lauren and Russ, Teddy and Lauren, and four grandchildren in California; Christian and Heather in Washington, D.C.; and Elizabeth and Richie in New York City — family reunions are precious.
“Jim turns 70 next year,” she said. “So, Heart Ball is in November, Liz’s wedding is in April, and Christian and Heather are getting married in the Bahamas in May. So I have two weddings next year! And I want to do something special for Jim’s 70th, because he turned 65 during COVID, so he deserves a celebration.”
Milestone after milestone, Risoleo channels her energy and intellect to balance her life, family and career. And in true “Velvet Hammer” style, she plans it all out with kindness, respect and exquisite preparation.
