Valley Leadership Selects Nearly 100 Arizonans for Ready Together

August 3, 2020

Today, Valley Leadership announced members of its first-ever Ready Together program, a completely virtual program designed to mobilize Arizonans to make an impact in the face of coronavirus. The cohort was selected from a diverse cross-section of industries ranging from health care, housing and food security to jobs and education, including front line workers, teachers, corporate and nonprofit leaders, small business owners and public officials and servants.

Ready Together will prepare leaders to identify and solve the pressing issues further exposed by the pandemic. Because this is Valley Leadership’s first virtual program, people from across the state are taking part, joining the diverse cohort that will bring together people with different experiences and viewpoints.

“As Valley Leadership continues our drive toward impact, we are excited to welcome this diverse and well-rounded group into the Valley Leadership family. This is such an important time in our state’s history, and we look forward to learning from and empowering these individuals to have deep impact on our Valley and the state.”
– Valley Leadership CEO Dave Brown

Ready Together will expand participants’ knowledge and perspectives to provide them with the tools, network and information to plug in and make a difference.

“Going forward, there is no such thing as business as usual,” Brown said. “Ready Together gives Arizonans the space to process and prepare for our collective new reality. Ready Together was created to directly respond to this crisis. Our hope is to grow the desire and ability of all our citizens to play a meaningful role in Arizona’s recovery and future.”

Ready Together will be the 42-year-old organization’s first completely virtual program, combining individual reflection and small-group work with live, online sessions that are short, dynamic and engaging.

Guided by Valley Leadership’s Principles of Doing—being driven to do; putting Arizona first; building trust; having a team mindset; and acting with integrity—Ready Together will utilize the strength of Valley Leadership’s proven approach to empowering Arizonans to lead. Content and discussions will draw from the expertise and experiences of thought leaders, subject matter experts across industries and essential front-line workers facing the daily challenges of the pandemic. Ready Together will address the need for collaboration and systems building, the gaps of personal success based on where you live and the inspiring power of everyday leadership.

What tomorrow holds for the health of Arizona’s families, our children’s success and the strength of our economy will depend on the resiliency and leadership of people throughout our communities. The organization’s long-standing mission is to empower, leverage and mobilize leaders for impact, and Ready Together sets that mission into action. We want all of Arizona to emerge from this crisis stronger and ready to tackle our most pressing issues.
– VL Board President Michelle McGinty

Because of the unprecedented nature of COVID-19, Valley Leadership is offering Ready Together this year only and plans to return to its regular program schedule in fall 2021.

Meet the Class: