Officers & Staff

As President and CEO, Steve Zabilski leads Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust’s mission to enrich health, well-being, and opportunity for the people of Maricopa County. Steve joins Piper Trust as its fourth CEO after providing more than 17 years of dedicated service as a Trustee and member of the Trust’s Investment and Audit Committees.

For the past 25 years, Steve served as CEO of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul—Phoenix Diocesan Council. His talent for bringing people together united myriad Vincentians, volunteers, employees, and donors who collectively advanced the mission and services of St. Vincent de Paul. During his tenure, Steve and his team doubled St. Vincent de Paul’s health clinic space enabling treatment for more people, established dining rooms that serve meals 365 days a year, installed three urban farms that provide food-insecure people with fresh produce daily, and opened a transitional shelter and resource center. Further he helped create an environment where community members can find purpose and joy through meaningful volunteer opportunities. St. Vincent de Paul received a President George H.W. Bush Points of Light Award in 2001 for having one of the most family-friendly volunteer programs in the country.

Prior positions include senior vice president with Transamerica Insurance Group and audit manager for the accounting firm KPMG (formerly Peat Marwick). Steve is a member of the board of trustees of St. Vincent de Paul and Great Hearts Arizona. He is a past member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the FBI Citizen’s Academy and has served as president of the board of trustees of Ville de Marie Academy among several school and parish advisory councils. Steve was honored by Grand Canyon University’s Colangelo College of Business with a Colangelo Servant Leadership Award in January 2023.

Carey oversees accounting and tax compliance for the Trust. She is a certified public accountant with more than 20 years of experience in financial statement audit, audit of internal control, performance improvement advisory, due diligence, and staff mentoring/development.

Prior to joining Piper Trust, she was a Managing Director at KPMG, one of the Big Four auditing firms. During her 20 years at KPMG she served nonprofit and for-profit organizations in audit and advisory capacities. Carey also led KPMG’s graduate recruiting at Northern Arizona University and has served in community engagement in roles such as Treasurer, Arizona Center for Afterschool Excellence Board among other nonprofit Board roles.

Carey currently serves on the accounting advisory council for Northern Arizona University’s W.A. Franke College of Business and is a member of the Arizona Society of Certified Public Accountants and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. She is a graduate of Northern Arizona University and a Certified Public Accountant in the State of Arizona.

Karen leads Piper Trust’s communications and public relations efforts, which include developing and executing strategies to highlight the benefits of the Trust’s initiatives as well as the positive impacts made by its grantees. Before joining the Trust, she led communications and marketing operations for several units at Arizona State University, including the Global Institute of Sustainability, the Office of Research and Economic Affairs, and the Morrison Institute for Public Policy. A graduate of Arizona State University’s W.P. Carey School of Business, Karen has also worked with the Greater Phoenix Economic Council and other economic development organizations. She brings wide-ranging business and communications expertise to the Trust.

Christopher Bernal oversees grant processing, compliance, and documentation – working across departments to ensure accurate and timely processing and payment of application-based grant awards. He also maintains the Trust’s grants management database, application and reporting portal, and grantee relationship management system. Prior to joining the Trust in 2021, Christopher worked in the private sector, where he managed customer relationships via a complex database. Born and raised in Phoenix, Christopher received his early education in private schools. A first-generation college student, he holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in organizational leadership from Arizona State University. Christopher serves the Society of St. Vincent de Paul as a volunteer in its Rising Leaders program.

Alma is responsible for building maintenance, event management, and meeting coordination. Prior to joining the Trust, Alma worked as a facility services supervisor and in the healthcare industry.

Angélica González works with current and prospective grantee partners providing technical assistance and support throughout the application process and the life of an awarded grant. She also manages several of the Trust’s ongoing trust-initiated grant programs including Back To School Clothing Grants, Holiday Grants; and represents the Trust in the Summer Youth Program Fund – a statewide funder collaborative. Prior to joining the Trust in 2019, Angélica supported the leadership team of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix. She previously served the nonprofit sector in various capacities for more than 15 years. Born and raised in Phoenix, Angélica received her early education in the public school system. A first-generation college student, she holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications from Arizona State University.

Erin Goodman manages Piper Trust’s responsive and Trust-initiated grantmaking, programs, projects, and Trust Initiatives. Erin has a lead role in the ongoing design and implementation of various organizational development and capacity building initiatives including the Good Governance Project, Nonprofit Lifecycles capacity building (ATLAS), and Listening and Feedback (Listen4Good, Listening and Feedback Peer Network); and the Trust’s other organizational enhancement investments. Prior to joining the Trust in 2014, Erin worked in fund development and nonprofit administration for nearly 15 years, serving organizations with missions that span the sector. She currently serves Read On Arizona through its Advisory Committee and Sustainability Work Group; and is a co-leader of Together for Arizona – a statewide collective focused on child safety and wellbeing. Born and raised in the Phoenix area, she received her early education in the public school system and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in the humanities from Arizona State University.

Susi supports Piper Trust’s accounting and finance team as a Senior Accountant. Susi brings a depth and breadth of accounting talent to the Trust through her diverse experiences working in accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll, and financial reporting. As an Arizona native, she understands the unique communities that make the Valley special.

Amy supports Piper Trust’s accounting and financial reporting. Previously, as an accounting manager with Make-A-Wish America, she served on the Centralized Financial Services team managing the relationships and accounting for select Make-A-Wish chapters. Amy holds bachelor of science degrees in accountancy and finance from Arizona State University.

Renée works as Piper Trust’s project manager, communications providing support to the chief communications officer and the communications team. Renée coordinates communication efforts and special events. Prior to joining the Trust, Renée worked as an assistant project director at a community college district in California where she administered non-credit programs for the community. Renée is a Phoenix native and graduate of Phoenix Community College.

Samantha supports Piper Trust’s CFO and the finance and grants management teams. Prior to joining the Trust, Samantha worked for the commercial aerospace company, Curtiss-Wright serving as executive assistant to the senior vice president of the Sensors and Controls division. Samantha has more than 15 years of experience supporting executives in Phoenix, including eight years as executive assistant to the director, and board liaison for the Phoenix Art Museum. Samantha holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology.

Roberta leads and executes analysis, information technology implementation and managed security. Before joining the Trust in 2009, she worked in the marketing department at Northern Trust in Phoenix. Roberta holds a bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point.

Emily Mead manages Piper Trust’s responsive and Trust-initiated grantmaking, programs, projects, and Trust Initiatives. Emily has a lead role in the ongoing design and implementation of the Trust’s signature learning opportunity – the Piper Academy; and other organizational enhancement investments. Prior to joining the Trust in 2020, Emily worked in nonprofit program management, fund development, and government affairs, serving in leadership roles at Institute for Sustainable Communities, and Greater Phoenix Economic Council (GPEC). She currently serves Eyes On Learning through its Advisory Board, serves as chair of the joint-fund Arizona Together For Impact, and is a member of the Maricopa Family Support Alliance Steering Committee. Born and raised in the Phoenix area, Emily received her early education in the Catholic schools; and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications from Northern Arizona University and Master of Public Administration degree from Arizona State University. She is an alumnus of Valley Leadership, Class 38.

Linda supports Piper Trust’s Board of Trustees, and president and CEO. Prior to joining the Trust, Linda worked for PGH Wong Engineering, Inc. as a consultant to Valley Metro Rail on the $358 million Northwest Extension to the Phoenix Light Rail system. She was also a former 911 Operator for the Phoenix Police Department—a role that strengthened her talents in assisting multiple people and priorities. Linda began her career at the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Boston; over the past 20+ years she has supported executives in Phoenix and Washington, D.C.

Joy is the receptionist/administrative assistant providing support to the Piper Trust team. She brings 15 years of experience to the Trust working in the fields of architecture, wealth management, and law (business/technology, criminal defense, and family law). A native of the Big Island of Hawaii, she has made Arizona her home for the last 24 years. In her spare time, Joy enjoys cultural festivals, road trips, spin, and yoga.

Cindy works as the accounting manager to support Piper Trust’s accounting and financial reporting. Previously, as an accounting manager with Make-A-Wish America, Cindy served on the Centralized Financial Services team managing relationships and accounting for select Make-A-Wish chapters. Cindy is a Phoenix native and graduate of Arizona State University.