CFSA’s staff is made up of an extraordinary group of people who strive to put our core purpose and values into action through their individual and collective work. We are excited to share a bit more about the members of each department, including the Philanthropic Services Team!
Missy Bowden has been the Chief Financial Officer for CFSA for nearly seven years. She previously spent 25 years in banking, the last 17 of which as Chief Financial Officer of the Bank of Tucson and Vice President of Bank Performance for Capital Bancorp Ltd. where she was a “virtual” CFO to multiple banks in the Western US. She developed an interest in working in the nonprofit sector by serving on the board of La Paloma Family Services for 11 years. She also served on the board of the Arizona Center for the Study of Children and Families.
When asked what she loves most about working at CFSA, Missy shared, “There are many things that are my favorite parts of working at CFSA. Working with the staff, donors, nonprofits and board/committee members to help our community seems very general, but that would sum up how I feel. Also, it is never boring.”
Missy’s Fun Facts:
- In her spare time, Missy enjoys spending time with family and friends (which of course isn’t as easy right now).
- Her favorite comfort food is both Mexican and Italian, but sometimes she just wants a salad with delicious toppings
- Missy really likes a variety of music and artists, and she mostly streams music in the evenings while cooking dinner
Cat Kiesel has been in the accounting field for over 22 years, 15 of which have been right here at CFSA. A natural problem solver, Cat finds joy in her day-to-day work organizing and creating efficient processes for our team. Cat believes in a work-life balance and is passionate about health and wellness, fine art, fun crafts, and raising her amazing daughter.
When asked what her favorite part of working at CFSA is, Cat shared, “The work done in the Finance Department touches every single other department. I love that we get to connect with each other in such ways that it benefits our entire community (both local and sometimes national).”
Cat’s Fun Facts:
- Cat loves everything health and wellness! She wakes up before the sun rises and exercises, does yoga, and meditates. She love hikes. Recently she’s also been dabbling in healthier no-sugar added desserts. She also loves listening to her daughter perform on her Viola and super enjoys walking with her partner and dog during the lunch hour. She loves horror movies, and enjoys young adult books (she reads with her daughter at bed time every night).
- Truth be told her favorite is probably steak. Steak and broccoli is a favorite meal for Cat. However, she is a super sucker for cheese too. If she were stranded on a deserted island she’d probably ask for a cow so that she could make her own cheese.
- Cat doesn’t have any current favorite musical artists or albums. She enjoys all kinds of various styles of music (with exception to country and rap). She enjoys live music the most though, and she used to be super into Madonna.
Mike Wiley has been part of the Finance team at CFSA for three years; he is incredibly grateful to help facilitate donor philanthropy by supporting their grantmaking and fundraising efforts. Mike recently took a trip to New Orleans and discovered alligators love marshmallows and learned more Nicholas Cage trivia than he ever expected on a cemetery tour.
When asked what his favorite part of working at CFSA is, Mike said, “The interaction with donors and nonprofits. Seeing and taking part in the generosity that is found in our community is deeply fulfilling.”
Mike’s Fun Facts:
- Mike enjoys hiking, camping, and fishing in his spare time.
- His favorite food is Mexican and Italian, and spicy!
Natalia Gabrielsen serves as the Gifts and Grants Finance Associate for Community Foundation for Southern Arizona, supporting gift processing and grant distributions. Previously, she was the Grants and Services Manager with the Arts Foundation for Tucson and Southern Arizona, where she oversaw grants funding local artists and arts organizations. She is excited to bring her knowledge of funding processes and community investment to CFSA. She has a background in museum databases and collections, and holds a master’s degree in art history from the University of Arizona.
When asked her favorite part of working at CFSA, Natalia responded, “It’s so exciting to see the causes, organizations, and missions that folks in our community are passionate about and dedicated to supporting. The enthusiasm is infectious! My other favorite part is getting to work with such a great team.”
Natalia’s Fun Facts:
- Natalia enjoys museum-going, thrift-shopping, and hiking. She also spends plenty of time playing the popular early-2000s arcade game, Dance Dance Revolution.
- Her favorite food is homemade pizza – over the last year she’s been experimenting with dough recipes and has got it down pretty well.
- While it’s hard to narrow down to one favorite musical artist, Natalia likes: Kishi Bashi, Billy Joel, The Killers, Devin Townsend, The Format, Electric Light Orchestra