Valley Leadership Selects 15 Arizonans For Inaugural Explore Program
Explore is the second of VL’s reimagined leadership development programs that will take participants to explore the wide variety of Arizona’s communities.
Valley Leadership has selected 15 Arizonans to be part of the inaugural class of its new Explore program. The program takes participants out of their home communities to get to know the great diversity of Arizona and how our most pressing issues show up in rural, urban, suburban, border and Native communities. The all-alumni cohort represents a diverse cross-section of industries, political affiliations, generations and experiences.
“We’re very excited about this new program and our first cohort of Explore leaders,” said VL Board President and current Catalyze program participant Paul Komadina. “With Arizona continuing to attract people from across the country, a program like this is invaluable to helping leaders gain a whole perspective of our state and work together to solve our most pressing issues.”
Participants will visit five different communities in Arizona that represent the broad diversity of our state. The destinations will include Navajo Nation, Nogales, Yuma, Mesa and Buckeye. Travel will range from single to multi-day trips. Each visit will focus on learning about the community’s assets, opportunities and challenges, with participants gaining a better understanding and perspective of how the experiences in our state vary based on different communities.
“The exciting thing about a program like this is that it can truly create a more connected Arizona,” Jen Gastelum, the Explore program manager shared. “Participants will connect with one another and learn about the incredible work being done throughout our state, connecting with the people in the places that we visit and ultimately contributing to the development of a network of community leaders sharing resources and supporting the work that makes our great state run.”
Meet the Class:
| Leslie | Barakat | Senior Medical Director and Market Medical Executive | Cigna Healthcare |
| Salvador | Bretts | Managing Director, Business Development | BrightFi |
| Michael | Chang | Project & Business Integration Manager | SUMMi7 |
| Mark | Dickerson | Attorney, Legal Counsel | Schmitt Schneck Even & Williams, P.C. |
| Laura | Etter | Deputy Director | Sun Corridor Network |
| Mary | Foote | Director | Partnership for Economic Innovation |
| Meaghan | Kramer | Managing Attorney, Healthcare | Arizona Center for Disability Law |
| Beth | Maloney | Arts Education Director | Act One |
| Michael | Mazzocco | Owner & CEO | Michael Mazzocco Events |
| Jessica | Mitchell | Dean, School of Naturopathic Medicine | Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine |
| Antonio | Newman | Chauffeur | Self Employed |
| Michelle | Osife | Philanthropy Manager | Cancer Support Community Arizona |
| Dani | Portillo | Executive Director | Roosevelt School District |
| Jen | Scrivner | COO | Goodmans Interior Structures |
| Janel | White-Taylor | Clinical Associate Professor | Arizona State University |