Piper Fellow:
Torrie A. Taj

As CEO of Child Crisis Arizona (CCA), Torrie Taj focuses on creating big visions for and growing programs with the goal of “Safe kids, Strong families.” She leads a dedicated team with passion, persistence, and contagious optimism as together, they provide 24/7/365 love, safety, and hope through foster care, early education, and family support services. Taj is an executive coach, a professional mentor and also serves as the board chair of AZ Impact for Good and as an advisory board member of Enterprise Bank & Trust. She has taught nonprofit management and other fundraising courses at Arizona State University (ASU) and other educational institutions over the last decade. An ASU graduate, Taj has dedicated her 30+ year career to “social benefit organizations,” aka the nonprofit sector.

Child Crisis Arizona’s clients come from a range of backgrounds, but are primarily low-income, have experienced trauma and, in many cases, speak mostly Spanish. Taj’s Fellowship will afford her a deep-dive into Spanish language and culture to enrich her relationships and connections with staff and clients through bilingual communication. Her plans include participating in an immersive Spanish language program along with a walking pilgrimage at The Camino. The pilgrimage is specifically designed for her to build physical endurance and gain cultural insights similar to the refugee experience. Overall, Taj is seeking comprehensive learnings and development that will inform plans to strengthen CCA early education and refugee shelter programs that serve Spanish-speaking clients.