Meet the 77th Arizona Leaders of the Year Honorees
We are excited to share that Ambassador Cindy McCain, humanitarian leader and former Executive Director of the United Nations World Food Programme, and Derrick Hall, President, CEO & General Partner of the Arizona Diamondbacks, have been named the 77th Arizona Leaders of the Year. The annual award honors Arizonans who have made a lasting difference through their leadership and service.
McCain and Hall were selected for their longstanding commitment to their communities, their success in bringing people together and their ability to turn ideas into action. Their leadership reflects Valley Leadership’s Principles of Doing®, including acting with integrity, building trust and working alongside others to get results.
“Cindy and Derrick have each used their leadership to serve others and to have meaningful impact,” said Dave Brown, CEO of Valley Leadership. “They think big and act big and are always ready to roll up their sleeves to pitch in on issues that matter. We’re proud to recognize all they have accomplished and the example they continue to set for leaders across our state.”
Cindy McCain is an American businesswoman, philanthropist, diplomat, and humanitarian, and the widow of Senator John McCain. A longtime advocate for human rights and combating human trafficking, she has held leadership and board roles across major humanitarian organizations. From 2021 to 2023, she served as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture. In 2023, she became Executive Director of the UN World Food Programme. McCain has led WFP through escalating conflicts, hunger, displacement, and funding constraints, championing humanitarian access, protection of aid workers, international humanitarian law, and food security as essential to global stability and peace.
Derrick Hall, President, CEO & General Partner of the Arizona Diamondbacks, has transformed the organization over more than 20 years into a model franchise, emphasizing culture, fan experience, performance, community engagement, and financial efficiency. Under his leadership, the D-backs have achieved four postseason appearances, including a National League championship, while developing a remarkable farm system. Hall’s commitment to fans is reflected in stadium improvements, affordability initiatives, and exceptional customer service, earning numerous accolades. His dedication to philanthropy has helped make the D-backs one of the Valley’s largest charitable organizations, surpassing $100 million in giving since its inception. Beyond baseball, Hall contributes to civic, economic, and philanthropic initiatives.
McCain and Hall will be recognized at an Awards Reception hosted by John and Kathleen Graham on November 12, 2026 at the Paradise Valley Country Club.
We are grateful to this year’s Presenting Sponsor, Sprout’s Healthy Community Foundation, for their support of the event and Valley Leadership’s work overall in the community.
About the Honorees
Cindy McCain is an American businesswoman, philanthropist, diplomat, and humanitarian, and the widow of U.S. Senator John McCain. Throughout her public life, she has held leadership and board roles spanning humanitarian affairs, international development, human rights, and global security. She co-founded the McCain Institute for International Leadership and has served on the boards of organizations including The HALO Trust, CARE, the Eastern Congo Initiative, and Operation Smile. She has also been a prominent advocate for combating human trafficking and protecting survivors of exploitation.
From 2021 to 2023, McCain served as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture in Rome. In 2023, she became Executive Director of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), the world’s largest humanitarian organization dedicated to saving lives in emergencies and combating hunger.
At WFP, McCain has led the organization through an exceptionally challenging period marked by proliferating conflicts, acute food insecurity, mass displacement, constrained humanitarian access, and mounting pressure on international aid budgets. Under her leadership, WFP has sustained major emergency operations in crises including Gaza and Sudan while responding to humanitarian needs across fragile and conflict-affected countries worldwide.
McCain has emphasized food security as both an urgent humanitarian priority and a critical component of international stability. Working with governments, donors, UN partners, and humanitarian organizations, she has advocated for sustained resources and safe access to vulnerable populations, the protection of humanitarian personnel, and adherence to international humanitarian law, while maintaining global attention on worsening hunger amid unprecedented pressures on the humanitarian system worldwide.
Derrick Hall, serving as President, CEO & General Partner of the Arizona Diamondbacks, has transformed the organization over an impressive 20 plus years into a model franchise, focusing on organizational culture, fan experience, performance, community engagement, and financial efficiency. Under his leadership, the D-backs have achieved significant success on and off the field, including four postseason appearances, including a National League championship, and remarkable farm system development. Hall’s dedication to enhancing the fan experience is evident in stadium improvements, affordability initiatives and exceptional customer service policies that have earned him and the organization numerous accolades and commendations.
Moreover, Hall’s commitment to community philanthropy has positioned the D-backs as one of the largest philanthropic entities in the Valley, surpassing $100 million in charitable giving since inception and contributing more to the community than all Arizona professional sports teams combined. Beyond baseball, Hall’s influence extends to various boards and initiatives, emphasizing economic development, philanthropy, service, and civic duty. His personal journey, including overcoming prostate cancer, has inspired advocacy efforts and the establishment of the Derrick Hall Pro-State Foundation. Through his leadership, Hall has not only elevated the D-backs’ prominence on and off the field but also made substantial and lasting contributions to the broader community.
About Arizona Leaders of the Year
Arizona Leaders of the Year is a longstanding tradition honoring Arizonans who make a meaningful difference through leadership, service and a commitment to the greater good. The award began as Man of the Year, established by the Ad Association of Arizona in 1949, followed by Woman of the Year in 1951. The Ad Association later entrusted the awards to Valley Leadership, which continues to recognize leaders whose long-term contributions have helped strengthen Arizona and address the issues shaping our state. In its 75th year, the honor was renamed Arizona Leaders of the Year to be more inclusive and better reflect Valley Leadership’s mission and Principles of Doing®.