We’re incredibly excited to announce our largest leadership cohort to date. This milestone year for the program reflects Valley Leadership’s commitment to expanding access to leadership development opportunities for individuals across the state who are ready to take action on Arizona’s most pressing issues. Learn more about our newest cohort.
Meet Kate, Valley Leadership’s new Director, Business Engagement & Wellbeing. A Phoenix native with 15+ years in HR leadership, she’s passionate about helping Arizona employers create stigma-free workplaces through the OUD Business Toolkit. Read our interview to learn more about her background and vision for this work.
Valley Leadership’s 2024–2025 Impact Report highlights a year of growth and action through the Catalyze and Explore programs, engaging leaders across Arizona. From launching tools like the Mia and Opioid Toolkit chatbots to hosting community events and expanding Impact Teams, VL continues to drive meaningful change statewide.
We are very excited to welcome Stephen Flaaen to the VL team as our new Director, Tech-Based Initiatives. A longtime Impact Maker volunteer, VL alum, and our 2025 Impact Maker of the Year, Stephen brings a deep commitment to service and systems-level change across Arizona.
Valley Leadership is excited to announce that graduates from VL programs are now eligible for exclusive scholarships up to $40,000 graduate programs at Thunderbird School of Global Management. Learn more about this great opportunity.
Valley Leadership is excited to welcome Briana Clark as our new Director of Strategic Initiatives! A passionate Arizona native with a strong background in education and nonprofit work, Briana is dedicated to addressing challenges in education and child well-being across the state. With her leadership, we look forward to empowering communities and advancing equal opportunities for Arizona students.
Juanita “Nita” Francis, Vince Roig, and Calvin Goode will be Valley Leadership’s 75th Arizona Leaders of the Year, formally known as Man & Woman of the Year. The three 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.
113 Arizonans have been selected for the fourth 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.
Last year proved to be a year of growth for Valley Leadership. We had the third year of Catalyze and Explore, which brought refinements in the programming and an expansion of our community. Keep reading for more exciting updates from each of our programs!
To celebrate the start of Pride Month, we interviewed Gabe Hagen, co-founder of Brick Road Coffee, a locally owned coffee shop in Tempe, Arizona that is LGBTQA and sober-community friendly, to discuss the importance of creating spaces that welcome and celebrate diversity.
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