BLOG

This Women’s History Month we’re highlighting some inspiring female leaders throughout Arizona! Each of these women are a partner in one of the six cities that our Explore Program visits. We’ve had the privilege of connecting with exceptional women who are trailblazers in their communities and champions of sustainable impact throughout Arizona.
To celebrate Black History Month, we interviewed Teniqua Broughton to discuss the Racial Justice Collaborative. The Collaborative developed a Racial Justice Curriculum that is now used by organizations across Arizona. This initiative not only addresses the pressing issues of systemic racism and unconscious bias but also provides practical tools for addressing challenges within leadership organizations.
Thirteen Arizonans from the Valley Leadership alumni have been chosen for the third Explore program class. They will travel 1,700 miles to six communities across Arizona, engaging with 90 partners to understand diverse local issues. The program, running March to June and visits six different rural, urban, suburban, border and Native communities.
November is National Native American Heritage Month! It is a celebration of the resilience and achievements of the Native community. Listen to our conversation with Holly Patterson, Business Coach at Change Labs in Navajo and Hopi lands, to learn more.
To celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, we interviewed Dr. Dani Portillo, Superintendent of Roosevelt School District and graduate of both our Catalyze and Explore programs, to discuss her role at RSD and the importance of ensuring that our Hispanic population has equal access to educational opportunities and resources.
Angela Hughey and Brian Spicker will be Valley Leadership’s 74th Man & Woman of the Year. The two were selected because of their commitment to addressing Arizona’s most pressing issues, track record of community engagement and alignment with Valley Leadership’s Principles of Doing.
99 Arizonans have been selected for the third Catalyze class. During the 6-month program, participants grow their connections to the people and issues that impact Arizona, while gaining new skills and experiences.
We’re excited to announce that Koran Hardimon has been elected as Board Chair, Josh Shade as Vice Chair and Ginger Sykes-Torres as Secretary! Meet our newest board leadership members.
Valley Leadership is excited to welcome Carrie Larson to the VL team! She brings her deep background in education to her role as the new Program Manager for our Catalyze program. Learn more about her in our latest blog post!
Last year was an exciting year for Valley Leadership! We built on the foundations of the first year of our reimagined programming and expanded the work of the Impact Maker. Let’s take a look at some of the important accomplishments over the last year.
The second year of VL’s Explore class has wrapped! The Class 2 Explore cohort gathered in mid June for a final reflection of the program and a celebratory dinner. The day was designed to create space for the group to get creative and connect over the shared experiences.
Five years after the launch of Valley Leadership’s “Pivot Towards Impact”, leading philanthropic partners have renewed their investments totaling over $1 million in the organization’s evolutionary shift on how it develops a culture of leadership steeped in values, action and engagement of more leaders.

Added to cart!