Comeback Kid

Randy Jay Bailin, Jr. – aka Randy The Roofer – rebuilt his own life, now rebuilding others’

By Alison Bailin Batz / Photo by Claudia Johnstone

Life was good for Randy Jay Bailin Jr. in the early 2000s. The Scottsdale native was a standout football player at Horizon High School. His father, Randy Sr., was his biggest fan.

Randy Jr. was also named to the homecoming court, giving his mother, Carol, bragging rights. As a long-time teacher at the school, she even made the announcement to his class during a pep rally. By 2002, Randy Jr. was fielding college scholarship offers both for his athletic prowess and academic aptitude. “What do they say about best-laid plans. They always go awry, right?” Bailin says. “I am living proof the old adage is true.”

In November of that year, Randy Sr. was giving a keynote address at a Chicago conference before meeting the family in Las Vegas for his 50th birthday. “We never made it to the party,” Bailin says. “My dad had a massive heart attack during that speech. We lost him, just like that.”

The next few years were a blur. Bailin’s two sisters were in college, so he was at home with his mom trying to navigate the trauma and financial impact of the loss though only 16. He would graduate high school in 2004 and earn a degree from Northern Arizona University soon after, but the pain clouded much of his young life. “I threw myself into working hard and playing harder, finding financial success by day while spending nights in the bar scene,” says Bailin, who worked in the fitness and investment industries before burning out in 2021.

He knew he needed to make a change, and to face the trauma of losing his father. “I made the decision to get help, leaving my career to focus on getting better,” says Bailin, crediting his uncle, Mark Bailin, as well as his sisters and mom for supporting his journey.

Now several years into recovery, Bailin is thriving. Initially working in a treatment center to help others, in 2023 he transitioned into general contracting. Today, he is a leader at the award-winning Valley Roofing and Repair (www.valleyroofingandrepair.com), a locally owned roofing and monsoon specialist. Nicknamed “Randy The Roofer” around town, in his spare time, he actively supports recovery, family and children’s charities via sponsorship, public speaking and volunteerism. “I think my dad would like the man I am today,” Bailin says. “I sure do.”

Agave Auteur

Chemist Oscar Vazquez Camarena joins Tequila Corrido as master distiller

By Alison Bailin Batz / Photo by Claudia Johnstone

When Oscar Vazquez Camarena was a child in Jalisco, Mexico, he had a unique favorite treat.

“In my town, we had several well-regarded distilleries specializing in tequila,” Vazquez Camarena says. “I loved nothing more than walking by these distilleries, which were open to the entire community, and asking a friendly worker for a piece of cooked agave.

Sweet with notes of honey, the agave was not distilled into tequila, so it contained no alcohol, but the flavor inspired a lifetime of work with the spirited plant.

“I set a goal early on in life to become a chemist in a distillery, earning acceptance into the Universidad de Guadalajara science program in 2005,” says Vazquez Camarena, who studied chemistry and biology for five years and graduated with his degree in 2011.

Upon graduation, Vazquez Camarena took on a role in the laboratory at Destileria El Pandillo in Jalisco, an esteemed and long-time tequila maker. Within a few years, he ran the lab and continued rising in the ranks with the brand for more than a decade. “In tequila making, we all start with the same basic process of cooking, fermenting, and distilling agave,” Vazquez Camarena says. “As I grew into my role, I blended my scientific background with my passion for the product and pride in our Mexican culture, resulting in nuanced, layered expressions.”

As his star rose, so did the reputation of Arizona-based distiller Tequila Corrido.

“Tequila is a big industry, but a small community,” Vazquez Camarena says. “We know who the quality makers are, and they were certainly one.”

Vazquez Camarena still remembers meeting Tequila Corrido (www.ilovetequilacorrido.com) partner Tony Boyle nearly a decade ago. Over drinks, Boyle shared his vision for creating quality expressions without the use of additives. “I’ve watch Tequila Corrido continue to elevate its varietals without compromising on their ideals, so when the opportunity came to join their team, I jumped at the chance,” Vazquez Camarena says.

Earlier this year, Vazquez Camarena was named the brand’s master distiller, following in the footsteps of Ana María Romero, one of the world’s first female master distillers. “My goal is marrying my style with Ana María’s foundation as we build into a national brand.”

Tequila Corrido is available in 11 states and at dozens of local eateries.