2024 Impact Summit: Southern Arizona Sessions

Heather Hiscox is a Frustrated Changemaker on a mission to change the way WE change the world. Heather is the founder and CEO of Pause for Change. The PAUSE method is a proven and proprietary framework that helps changemakers address difficult challenges and pursue promising opportunities. These skills help organizations be certain about which solutions will create the greatest impact while using fewer resources and less time. Heather is the author of No More Status Quo: A Proven Framework to Change the Way We Change the World. Heather is also the co-creator and host of Possibility Project, an online conversion series and growing community of disruptive changemakers reclaiming their power through meaningful sparks, connections, and action. Heather speaks at conferences and events about social impact (nonprofit, local government, and philanthropic) disruption and innovation, and has launched several ventures that benefit the social impact sector, connecting organizations to the training, skills, and resources they need to deepen their impact.

Christina Rossetti, Rossetti Consulting Group (RCG), brings more than 30 years’ experience in nonprofit administration and has consulted with dozens of organizations in visioning their future, creating programming, and implementing sound governance practices with a focus on innovation and sustainability. RCG partners with philanthropy, businesses, nonprofit organizations, and community coalitions to address the growing complexities of meeting their mission in a changing environment. Christina earned her undergraduate degree (and her penchant for college basketball!) at the University of Kansas and a Master’s in Social Work Planning, Administration & Community Organization from Arizona State University. http://rossetti-consulting.com

A U.S. Virgin Islands native, Jeaiza Quiñones Ivory has led a decade-long career working closely with local communities in both communications and programs-based roles. Quiñones Ivory first migrated to the mainland United States to pursue her undergraduate education at Prairie View A&M University and then graduate studies Syracuse University. Alongside her work in the nonprofit sector, she has worked as a communications strategist and public relations coordinator in higher education, international pageantry competitions, and large community-based festivals and events. In her current role, she has primary responsibility for CFSA’s competitive grantmaking, community impact strategy, and implementation of a portfolio of special projects and initiatives. Jeaiza helped to shift CFSA’s Community Impact work to a trust-based philanthropy framework, supporting the transition of several grant programs to multi-year, unrestricted funding. In 2023, she led the establishment of CFSA’s Comunidad Grants Program and the upcoming Policy Project advocacy-based grant program. Jeaiza is passionate about increasing access to communities that have been historically underrepresented in philanthropic work through trust-based philanthropy. She currently represents CFSA as a member of the Trust-Based Philanthropy Peer Network, PEAK Grantmaking’s Black Caucus Steering Committee, and as co-chair of the Council on Foundation’s Values Aligned Philanthropy Peer Group. In her free time, Jeaiza volunteers with the Tucson Festival of Books as a book and author committee member, moderator, and social media manager.

Kim Madrigal PhD, is an ACC leadership coach, consultant, and partner in leadership development. Her formal training includes studies as a Woodruff fellow at Georgetown University, which led to a certification in leadership coaching. She also achieved a PhD from the University of North Carolina Greensboro in educational leadership and cultural studies. This skillset, along with becoming a Leadership Strategies endorsed master facilitator, a Flinn-Brown fellow and Nonprofit Lifecycles Consultant better prepared Kim to diversify services to organizations, teams, and individuals. Education is a tailored component of the overall journey. The PhD combined with a Masters of Liberal Studies from the University of Toledo and a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education from Indiana University provides tools to foster leadership and development skills in others. The journey is a focused one: to combine creativity, knowledge, and experience to deliver the best leadership development for partner-leaders to have the greatest impact. Certified in a number of organizational development tools, Kim has traveled the nation and trained thousands of chief and management executives, board of directors, and frontline staff in leadership development, strategy development and implementation, quality improvement, and program design and facilitation. She has also provided consulting on team development, the implementation and evaluation of curriculum, and leadership and performance coaching. Kim is committed to sharing a good belly laugh, to developing enriching relationships, and refueling her spirit through learning, running, cheese and travel.

Andre T. Whittington, a respected U.S. Army veteran, serves as the Executive Director of Growth Partners Arizona (GPAz), where his leadership has significantly influenced the organization's evolution from a regionally focused CDFI to a vital force in Arizona's economic framework. Andre's commitment to promoting economic growth and inclusivity shines through in his work. His recent appointment to the Arizona Finance Authority's Board of Directors positions him among key leaders dedicated to strengthening the state's economic foundations. At GPAz, Andre champions efforts beyond financial support, focusing on dismantling systemic barriers and ensuring equitable access to capital for underserved communities. His dedication to community development and enabling opportunities for others reflects a deep-seated commitment to driving positive change. Andre's approach to leadership is a reminder of the power of vision and commitment in creating pathways for progress and inclusivity.

Bonnie Bazata is the Ending Poverty Now Program Manager for Pima County, a 2015 initiative incorporated into the County’s economic development plan. She is currently leading the Prosperity Initiative, a county-wide effort to develop policy to reduce generational poverty while building resources and assets for low-income families. She has extensive experience working with culturally and economically diverse communities and has developed model programs, as well as presented and published regionally and nationally on issues related to poverty. Bonnie has an MA from the University of Arizona, a BA from Antioch College, a teaching certificate from Prescott College, and is a Watson Fellow.

A U.S. Virgin Islands native, Jeaiza Quiñones Ivory has led a decade-long career working closely with local communities in both communications and programs-based roles. Quiñones Ivory first migrated to the mainland United States to pursue her undergraduate education at Prairie View A&M University and then graduate studies Syracuse University. Alongside her work in the nonprofit sector, she has worked as a communications strategist and public relations coordinator in higher education, international pageantry competitions, and large community-based festivals and events. In her current role, she has primary responsibility for CFSA’s competitive grantmaking, community impact strategy, and implementation of a portfolio of special projects and initiatives. Jeaiza helped to shift CFSA’s Community Impact work to a trust-based philanthropy framework, supporting the transition of several grant programs to multi-year, unrestricted funding. In 2023, she led the establishment of CFSA’s Comunidad Grants Program and the upcoming Policy Project advocacy-based grant program. Jeaiza is passionate about increasing access to communities that have been historically underrepresented in philanthropic work through trust-based philanthropy. She currently represents CFSA as a member of the Trust-Based Philanthropy Peer Network, PEAK Grantmaking’s Black Caucus Steering Committee, and as co-chair of the Council on Foundation’s Values Aligned Philanthropy Peer Group. In her free time, Jeaiza volunteers with the Tucson Festival of Books as a book and author committee member, moderator, and social media manager.

A Tucson native, Huber has served in various nonprofit leadership roles for nearly two decades following her education at The University of Arizona and the School for International Training. Prior to her career as a foundation professional, Huber was the Executive Director of the Santa Fe Youth Symphony Association, worked as a math and science teacher, and coordinated public art purchasing for the state of New Mexico. Huber joined CFSA in 2013, serving as a program manager and then as the Senior Director for Community Investments. During that time, she transformed CFSA’s Community Investments Department, including the establishment of several community initiatives and CFSA’s CORE Grants program. Through Huber’s efforts, CFSA’s CORE Collaborator Program has been a true success, with CORE general operating support grants increasing from $300,000 in 2017 to $854,000 in 2021. She has also engaged donors and regional funders to support and grow critical impact strategies like CFSA’s Catchafire program and Center for Healthy Nonprofits and launched a new funding partnership to support organizational development in inclusion, diversity equity, and access.

Melia Dunn is the Founder/Principal Consultant at Melia Dunn Consulting - inclusion, embraced. Be it through program design, leading teams in the non-profit sector, community engagement or facilitating workshops, her career has always been rooted in the intention to do good. Along her path, brave voices called her attention to practices and behaviors inconsistent with that intention - behaviors that did more harm than good. From there….“shift happened”. Her commitment to un-learning dominant culture practices, shedding white savior complex and demonstrating effective allyship took root. These practices remain core to her work as a JEDI specialist. With humility, she offers an honest examination of her experiences from the cringe-worthy to the redeeming. Melia hosts the monthly Southwest gathering of CWC (constructive white conversations) and served on the local committee supporting The Privilege Institute’s annual conference in 2023. Melia is a member of “Kick Ass Consultants” an Arizona- based association of consultants who serve as accountability partners in applying a lens of equity and justice in their work. Melia has a B.A. in Speech Communication from Penn State University and earned her Inclusion Practitioner certificate from The Center for Transformation and Change. Prior to launching her consulting practice, Melia’s career history includes anti-bias education with the Anti-Defamation League, international community development serving in Peace Corps Albania and non-profit fund development work with both human services and arts/culture organizations.Finally, As a volunteer with AZ Humane Society, Melia is an unapologetic cat person who holds dog people in high regard.

Torrey brings over 15 years of experience navigating organizational change in the nonprofit and private sectors. She began her nonprofit career as an Executive Assistant at Price Charities, where she played a significant role in creating the City Heights Partnership for Children, a cross-sector collective impact initiative. The Partnership transitioned over to United Way of San Diego County, as did Torrey’s role. Serving in a variety of roles at United Way, Torrey continued to successfully orchestrate cross-sector collaboration as she built strong relationships and strategic partnerships locally, statewide, and nationally. As Director, Strategic Initiatives, Torrey served at the intersection of United Way's Community Impact, Corporate Social Responsibility, and Resource Development work, aligning partners, and leveraging resources to create positive change in the community. Torrey’s earlier professional experience includes administrative and business development roles for one of the nation’s leading law firms, Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani, LLP. After 9 years with United Way, Torrey joined Blair Search Partners as Director of Operations. Working across every area of the firm, Torrey manages daily operations, organizational development, and strategic growth initiatives. She is a member of LEAD San Diego and was recognized as one of San Diego’s Next Top Business Leaders Under 40. She holds an AA from San Diego Mesa College, a BA from California State University San Marcos, and an MA in Nonprofit Leadership and Management from the University of San Diego. A former collegiate athlete, Torrey loves the outdoors. In her free time, she enjoys surfing and camping with family.

Trevor has over 20 years of experience in executive search, recruiting, and workforce development. He began his career with Manpower, a global provider of recruiting and HR solutions, and was initially based in Sydney. After 5 years with the Australian operation, he returned to the US for graduate school and rejoined Manpower in San Diego. After serving for several years as a Business Development Manager, he shifted focus to building the company’s workforce development and executive search practices. During this time, Trevor worked closely with nonprofit organizations to develop training and job placement programs for underserved communities, helped secure public and private funding for those programs, and provided support in the areas of executive search and recruiting. In 2016, he leveraged this experience to launch Blair Search Partners, specializing in search engagements for nonprofit and public-sector clients. Today, BSP manages 40-50 search engagements annually. BSP’s work spans almost every area of the sector including philanthropy, human services, education, professional associations, and the arts. Trevor’s community engagement includes current and past board and committee positions with LEAD San Diego (immediate past chair), Zero8hundred (immediate past chair), Catalyst of San Diego & Imperial Counties, and the Association of Fundraising Professionals San Diego. Outside of work, Trevor is an avid endurance athlete, having competed in over 200 triathlons around the world. He is a 10-time Ironman finisher and 3-time Boston Marathon finisher. He holds a BA from the University of Pennsylvania (summa cum laude), and an MBA from the University of Southern California.

Christopher Casillas spent over a decade in tech helping a startup grow to become a multi-billion dollar company. He answered a call to do something meaningful with his life, which led him back to his hometown of Superior, AZ where he founded Regenerating Sonora 501(c)(3). Having visited 40 countries, Christopher still says where he lives is one of the most beautiful places on Earth. His son Francisco is a 6th generation community member of Superior, Arizona.

"Alison Smith (she/her) is an author, speaker, and coach. As an expert on burnout and how cultivating our resilience impacts our personal and professional lives, she speaks nationally to help audiences harness the power of small acts of resilience so they can design thriving lives. She has coached hundreds of highly-motivated yet highly-burnt out clients from CEOs, leaders, teachers, entrepreneurs, and mothers, to name a few. Her work has been featured in a variety of publications, and her book, Drawing Your Line: Setting Boundaries Step by Step has been a companion to many as they live life on healthier terms. Outside of work, you’ll find her enjoying a good book with a glass of wine, and hanging out with her husband and two kids."

Kenyn Benjamin is a business change strategist with over 15 years of public sector service, developing and orchestrating county- and state-wide improvements to human service delivery systems. His expertise extends across designing and implementing initiatives that enhance service delivery, operational efficiency, and strategic outcomes in the public-sector. Kenyn labels himself a “second-chair” leader, finding success in leveraging his innate ability to operationalize strategic objectives in ambiguous environments. He has served as Director of Operations for Maryland Information Network, overseeing Maryland’s 211 system. He has served as Deputy Director of Bridges to Housing Stability, a non-profit focused on solving homelessness with housing and implementing Howard County’s first coordinated entry system for homeless services. He currently serves as the CEO of ARGITEK, living out his passion to craft frameworks that allow teams to better align their operational structure towards their organizational and community strategies. He holds a Masters from Loyola University Maryland and is a Certified Business Architect.