2009 Piper Fellows
Amy Caffarello "fell into" her first nonprofit job by answering an ad for an office manager. Since that beginning in 1997, she has worked at several nonprofits and in the process has found everything she could ask for: "I am earning my living by taking lessons on how to live as I believe I should." She is currently executive director of St. Joseph the Worker (SJW), a small organization helping homeless and formerly incarcerated individuals learn how to rejoin the workforce and achieve self-sufficiency. With the Piper Fellowship, Ms. Caffarello intends to gain momentum to implement annual staff and board development and long-range planning at SJW. [Read More...]
Elaine McGinn first joined the Desert Botanical Garden in 1997 as exhibits coordinator, then director of exhibits and, since 2005, director of planning and exhibits. She has been involved in planning and executing the Harriet K. Maxwell Desert Wildflower Trail, the Marshall Butterfly Pavilion, the Sybil B. Harrington Cactus and Succulent Garden and the Berlin Agave Forest. Ms. McGinn, who is actively involved in the American Public Gardens of America, has helped bring a number of artists to the garden, including Dale Chihuly. With the Piper Fellowship, Ms. McGinn will explore how social, cultural and horticultural trends influence garden design by examining firsthand gardens in Italy, Spain and in the United States. [Read More...]
Dr. Paul Mittman began his work 28 years ago in naturopathic medicine, which integrates therapeutic lifestyle changes with conventional and natural therapies. After 12 years in private practice, he moved to Arizona in 1997 to join the faculty at Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine and help a young school train a new generation of naturopathic practitioners. He became college president in 1999. In May 2009, the college purchased an office building adjacent to the school's Tempe campus, and the board of trustees has challenged Dr. Mittman to raise the funds required for the capital improvements as well as expansion of care to medically underserved populations. With the Piper Fellowship, Dr. Mittman will split his sabbatical in 2010 between sessions at the The Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University and the Lance Armstrong Foundation in Austin, Texas. [Read More...]
Prior to joining Beatitudes Campus in 1988, Margaret "Peggy" Mullan worked for Volunteers of America and a private nursing home. She became president and CEO of Beatitudes in 1999. Following an intense repositioning and turnaround effort, including an $84 million renovation and expansion, Beatitudes is now "squarely positioned for renewed growth." Ms. Mullan currently serves on the executive committee of the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging, the Government Affairs and Reimbursement Committees of Aging Services of Arizona, and the Governor's Taskforce on the Nursing Shortage. With the Piper Fellowship, Ms. Mullan intends to continue to renovate and expand the retirement community and make it a hub for outreach programs to serve seniors in the greater community. [Read More...]
In 1999, as a college student, Mary Peterson co-founded Maggie's place, a community that provides housing for expectant women who are alone or living on the streets. The organization operates five homes in three states that serve 40 women at a time. Maggie's Place is now preparing for national expansion. Ms. Peterson has won a number of awards and recognitions from Arizona Business Journal, Arizona Ecumenical Council, Catholic Social Services, Phoenix Chamber of Commerce, Soroptimist International, University of Arizona and Xavier College Preparatory. With the Piper Fellowship, Ms. Peterson will prepare herself and her organization for replication of the Maggie's Place model on a national scale. [Read More...]
2008 Piper Fellows
Edmundo Hidalgo first joined the statewide Latino community development corporation, Chicanos Por La Causa in 1986, where he worked for four years. Almost a decade later, while earning an M.B.A. from Arizona State University, Mr. Hidalgo returned to the 39-year-old organization as COO. More recently, as CEO, his focus on the bottom line has driven the organization to maintain financial stability through its entrepreneurial programs. Now, Mr. Hidalgo wants to extend the organization’s entrepreneurial strengths to develop new programs for impoverished populations.
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Mark Nelson has worked in blind services for 19 years. He brings a dynamic background in assistive technology and management to his current position as COO of the Foundation for Blind Children, a 56-year-old organization that provides education and rehabilitation programs for the blind. Changes in executive leadership last year led to new organizational challenges, and Mr. Nelson plans to use the Piper Fellowship to strengthen his leadership skills during the organization’s transition.
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In 2005, Daniel Scoggin was appointed the first CEO of Great Hearts Academies, a charter school management company with six schools in Greater Phoenix. The schools serve over 1,800 students in grades 6-12. Formerly, he served as headmaster of Tempe Preparatory Academy for six years. He holds a Ph.D. in English Literature from Claremont Graduate University and is the author of the Great Hearts Academies business plan. With the advent of a new school in South Central Phoenix, which will primarily serve minority, first-generation college bound students, Dr. Scoggin wants to develop his skills in delivering quality education to this underserved population. Read More
John Swagert, M.D., joined Mountain Park Health Center in 1998 after working four years in a private practice as an obstetrician. Trading in his scalpel for a BlackBerry, Dr. Swagert left clinical medicine to become CEO in 2006, and led the organization in its pursuit of providing affordable healthcare. Now, he plans to develop an infrastructure capable of adapting to a changing healthcare and economic environment, as well as seek opportunities for collaboration. Read More
Blase Bova has worked at St. Vincent de Paul for 10 years primarily in program management as the Director of Special Works Ministries, which serves the homeless and families facing homelessness. More recently, Mr. Bova has taken on responsibilities for development, a wholly new area for him. Away from the frontline, he now must transfer his leadership skills to a new environment of fundraising initiative and proactivity.
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Lisa Glow, a graduate of the University of Arizona College of Law, had a distinguished career in state government and in private practice, before taking her dream job of running a nonprofit organization. Since mid-2006, she has been head of Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center. To date, Ms. Glow has addressed operational infrastructure at the Center.
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Theresa Leon was hired in 2001 as COO of Friendly House, an 85-year-old Latino social service agency, with the idea that she would be in line to lead the organization in the future. Ms. Leon holds a master’s degree in social work from Arizona State University and currently serves on the Catholic Social Service Board and the Arizona Personnel Board for the City of Glendale. Read More
Connie Phillips has been part of Sojourner Center since 1994, when there were 28 beds to offer women and children escaping domestic violence. There will be 324 beds at Sojourner in the next 18 months. Ms. Phillips would say that the state of Arizona responded, donors appeared and volunteers have come to help. In fact, she led Sojourner through a successful, all-consuming capital campaign. Over two years, the organization raised $11.8 million. Read More
Kurt Sheppard came to Valle del Sol after a 20-year career in the United States Air Force. Prior to becoming the organization’s Chief Programs Officer, he led many innovative and progressive initiatives at the behavioral health and leadership development agency that strengthened infrastructure during a period of tremendous change. Now, Mr. Sheppard sees an avenue to lead the organization toward greater social enterprise capacity and new sources of unrestricted revenue. Read More
2006 Piper Fellows
As CEO of the Life Development Institute for the last 24 years, Rob Crawford has responded to the immense community need for support services that allow young adults with learning disabilities to enhance their knowledge, skills and resources to live independently. LDI is recognized nationally for its exemplary literacy program for those with learning disabilities.
Mr. Crawford received a Masters in Education from Northern Arizona University and Bachelor of Science in business administration and marketing from the University of Phoenix. He has served on a variety of local and national boards including the Learning Disabilities Association of America and the National Adult Literacy and Learning Disability Center, National Institute for Literacy. Read More
Michelle Mac Lennan joined the Chandler Center for the Arts in 1999 and in 2005 was named assistant manager, where she supervises more than 200 volunteers and a staff of 11. In addition to her duties at the center, Ms. Mac Lennan serves as vice president for the Chandler Cultural Foundation and is the liaison for the City of Chandler and Chandler Unified School District for facility scheduling.
Ms. MacLennan has completed coursework at ASU, Mesa Community College and Phoenix College as well as through Landmark Education. Read More
After working in several family support services positions at Homeward Bound, Milon F. Pitts in 2004 took over as director of client services, where he oversees support services and programs that help families and children achieve economic independence and stability. Prior to joining Homeward Bound, Mr. Pitts worked at Chandler Gilbert Arc as a residential and community relations coordinator and at Sycamores-Pasadena Children’s Training Society as the day treatment coordinator.
Mr. Pitts holds a bachelor’s degree in business management from the University of Phoenix and an Associate of Arts degree from Pasadena City College. He also completed family studies coursework at Iowa State University. Read More
Marsha Porter’s career in social work spans three decades in the Valley. After working for 18 years in various positions at the Arizona Department of Economic Security program, Ms. Porter joined Crisis Nursery as executive director in 1994. Since that time, Crisis Nursery has expanded its services to offer programs to children living at home with their parents and will be initiating a new program to recruit, train and supervise family foster homes in 2007.
Ms. Porter holds a Master of Social Work from the University of Nebraska at Omaha and a Bachelor of Arts degree in social welfare and sociology from the University of Nebraska. She serves on several children’s welfare committees including the Arizona Healthy Families Steering Committee, the Greater Phoenix Child Abuse Prevention Council and the Arizona Children’s Justice Task Force. Read More
As Phoenix Shanti Group’s executive director/CEO for the past four years, Keith A. Thompson has led the agency to expand services, double the annual budget and increase the number of clients served. He is responsible for the fiscal, programmatic and development operations of the agency, which provides housing, education and direct client services to individuals, families and loved ones infected with and affected by HIV/AIDS. Mr. Thompson also served as executive director of TERROS Behavioral Health Services for five years.
Mr. Thompson received a Master of Divinity from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., and a bachelor’s degree from Monmouth College in Illinois. He is a Licensed Independent Substance Abuse Counselor in Arizona. Read More
2005 Piper Fellows
Joe Baker (Delaware Tribe of Indians) joined the Heard Museum in 2003 as Lloyd Kiva New Curator of Fine Art after a one-year term as dean of the Center for Arts and Culture Studies at the Institute of American Indian Arts. Prior to that, he worked as outreach manager at the Heard Museum for three years, and he also was director of the Art-in-Education Grants Program at the Phoenix Office of Arts & Culture.
An accomplished painter and beadworker, Mr. Baker has a Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Tulsa and has completed post-graduate studies at Harvard University's Graduate School of Education. Read More
Richard M. "Mike" Bell for the past 18 years has worked as director of shelter services at the Society of St. Vincent de Paul Ozanam Manor, a transitional housing program for homeless elderly and disabled people.
He completed coursework for a Ph.D. in social-environmental psychology from Arizona State University, and he holds a Master of Arts degree from Michigan State University. Read More
Since 1999, Michelle R. Dionisio has served as president/CEO for Interfaith Community Care, which operates a network of six West Valley adult day centers as well as educational services, in-home care and care-management programs.
She holds a bachelor's degree from Brockport State University in New York and has worked in the field of adult day and senior healthcare for 23 years. Read More
A registered nurse, Juanita Howard serves as director of quality management and deputy director of Clinica Adelante, Inc., where she facilitates process improvement, staff development and organizational change. Clinica Adelante is a community and migrant health center dedicated to providing primary healthcare services to residents of Maricopa County.
With more than 20 years' experience in nursing and healthcare, Ms. Howard holds a master's degree in organizational management from the University of Phoenix in addition to a Bachelor of Science in nursing from Arizona State University. Read More
Kathy Nugent has served as finance director for Fresh Start Women's Foundation for the past three years. In her position, she coordinates financial activities, oversees facility operations of the Women's Resource Center and manages human resources.
She has completed courses at the University of Phoenix, Maricopa Community Colleges and ASU's Center for Nonprofit Leadership and Management. Read More
2004 Piper Fellows
Robin Dunn Marcos provided refugee relief and resettlement services for more than nine years in Africa during the late 1980s and early 1990s and has been the regional director for International Rescue Committee's Arizona office since 1996. IRC is the largest resettlement agency in Arizona and has helped resettle more than 6,800 refugees in Maricopa County.
Ms. Dunn Marcos holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in international relations from Eckerd College and a Master of Arts degree in intercultural administration from the School for International Training in Vermont. Read More
When Laura Larson-Huffaker began her fellowship, she was director of clinical services for EMPACT-SPC, where she provided oversight of all agency clinical services and programs including program development, licensing preparation, development of agency policies and procedures, utilization management, risk management and clinical program review. Since her fellowship, Ms. Larson-Huffaker has been named executive director for the organization.
Ms. Larson-Huffaker is a certified professional counselor with experience in nonprofit behavioral healthcare and the private practice of psychotherapy. She holds a Master of Science degree in counseling from Arizona State University. Read More
Katrina Mueller has been with the Chandler Center for the Arts since 1988, serving as its general manager since 1998. The center presents performing and visual art programs year-round and was named the outstanding organization for the 2005 Governor's Arts Awards "Community" category.
Along with managing daily operations, Ms. Mueller oversees a staff of 30 and more than 200 volunteers. She holds a bachelor's degree in arts management from Northern Arizona University. Read More
Luz Sarmina-Gutierrez is president and CEO of Valle del Sol, Inc., a community organization that provides a variety of behavioral health, social services and Latino leadership development to the community. She has led Valle del Sol since 1995, and during the last decade the agency has increased annual revenues from $3 million to $10 million and has grown from 56 employees to more than 170.
Ms. Sarmina-Gutierrez holds a Master of Science degree in social work from Arizona State University. Read More
2003 Piper Fellows
Since 1992, Pamela Martin has served as the president and executive director of Phoenix-based Homeward Bound, where she leads a staff of 40 in administering a national model program for homeless and domestic violence families with children.
A 25-year nonprofit executive veteran, she holds Bachelor of Science and Masters of Science degrees in psychology as well as a Ph.D. in organizational development from the University College of London. Read More
As executive director, Ken Schutz directs a staff of 80 and more than 500 volunteers who operate the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, which features a living collection of 52,000 desert plants, a 50,000 specimen herbarium and a 6,500-volume research library. Since Mr. Schutz joined the organization in 2001, he has doubled local attendance at the garden and successfully completed a $17 million capital improvement project.
He holds a Bachelor of Science in biology from Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, a Master of Science in education/administration from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore and an MBA in general management from Darden Graduate School of Business Education, University of Virginia. Read More
2002 Piper Fellows
Since 1993, Janice Ertl has served as the clinic director for the St. Vincent de Paul Virginia G. Piper Medical and Dental Clinic, where she leads a staff of 19 and more than 160 volunteers.
A registered nurse, Ms. Ertl holds a master's degree in health services administration from Arizona State University. Read More
As executive director of the Foundation for Blind Children, Chris Tompkins directs an agency that serves more than 1,700 clients annually with a staff of 100. The agency provides a variety of services in education, early intervention, individual and parent counseling, Braille literacy training and other assistance programs. Previously, he served as the executive director of Dallas Services for Visually Impaired Children.
Mr. Tompkins holds a Bachelor of Arts in psychology and a Master of Arts in clinical psychology. Read More
2001 Piper Fellows
Santino Bernasconi serves as president & CEO of Centro de Amistad, Inc., a community-based behavioral health agency that strives to involve Indo-Latino communities in empowering themselves to be healthy communities - physically, mentally and spiritually. Its programs include outpatient behavioral and mental health therapy; wellness services; immunization clinics; perinatal support/education for pregnant women; well baby clinics; diabetes screening; and exercise/education-related activities with an organizational/leadership component. Centro De Amistad also develops policy, advocacy, training, and experiential models relating to the Indo-Latino population in various areas.
An ordained deacon, Mr. Bernasconi has worked in Guadalupe since 1968. He began working with the Guadalupe Organization, Inc. to improve education for the Indo-Latino youth of Guadalupe. In addition to assisting the youth in his community, Mr. Bernasconi was a driving force in motivating the community to vote to incorporate the Town of Guadalupe on February 4, 1975. Read More
Chevy Humphrey serves as the executive director for the Arizona Science Center, which features more than 300 hands-on exhibits, a state-of-the-art planetarium, a five-story giant-screen theater, live demonstrations, traveling exhibitions, and exciting science programs for people of all ages. Ms. Humphrey served as the center's executive vice president at the time of her fellowship and has since been named executive director.
Before joining the Science Center, Ms. Humphrey served as the director of development for The Phoenix Symphony and held similar positions at the University of Houston, the University of Texas at Austin Performing Arts Center and The Houston Symphony. Read More
Mary Lynn Kasunic has been with the Area Agency on Aging, Region One since 1980 and has served as its president & CEO/executive director since 1990. During this time, she has been instrumental in the development of many innovative and client-responsive programs to address the needs of the agency's four major client populations: the elderly; caregivers of the elderly; adults 18 to 59 with disabilities; and long-term care needs and persons of all ages with HIV/AIDS.
Ms. Kasunic is the co-founder and co-chairman of the Maricopa Elder Abuse Prevention Alliance (MEAPA), a 100-plus member group that was established in 1993 and is dedicated to the prevention of elder abuse and domestic violence. She also developed the Aging Services Management and Administrative Training (ASMAT) program, a cooperative effort between Phoenix College and the Area Agency on Aging. ASMAT is a nationally recognized certificate and associate degree program in gerontology. Ms. Kasunic is also the president and CEO of three other organizations that she helped establish: ELDERfriends, A Foundation for Older Adults; Antigua and Los Ancianos. Read More
In 1972 at age 23, Linda Searfoss became the executive director of Valley Big Sisters. The agency had two employees, a budget of approximately $11,000 and 30 matched volunteers and children. The Big Sister program grew to more than 300 matched volunteers and children by the time the Valley Big Brother and the Valley Big Sister programs merged in 1986. Since the merger, the agency has grown to be one of the largest of the 504 agencies in the country. Ms. Searfoss retired from Valley Big Brothers Big Sisters in 2003 and serves as a consultant for nonprofit leaders and boards.
Ms. Searfoss grew up in Scottsdale and attended Coronado High School. She received her Bachelor of Science in sociology and psychology from Northern Arizona University and her Master of Arts degree in sociology from Arizona State University. Read More
Tamara Woodbury has more than 25 years of management experience in nonprofit organizations and is currently the executive director of Girl Scouts - Arizona Cactus-Pine Council, Inc., one of the largest Girl Scout councils in the country. The Arizona Cactus-Pine Council has been recognized nationally and locally for its innovative programs and business practices.
Ms. Woodbury finds the time and energy to improve the quality of life for others locally and nationally. She has been a guest lecturer at Arizona State University in Tempe and American University in Washington, D.C. Woodbury also served as chair for the National Senior Management Conference for the Association of Girl Scout Executive Staff. Read More