Every July, as we begin a new fiscal year, CFSA takes an afternoon to celebrate what we achieved together as a team in the previous year, enjoy lunch, and tackle some kind of arts activity. This time around, we expanded our Staff Excellence Awards to recognize two people. One whose work was more clearly visible internally, perhaps impacting organizational team culture or processes, and one whose work was more visible to external audiences such as donors, nonprofits, and those who attend our events.
It’s not a perfect distinction, but honoring two people in this manner gives us some room to recognize the different kinds of work we do here at CFSA and a bit more of a yardstick from which to measure the work being done. (It’s also more FUN to honor two teammates!)
Staff Internal Excellence Award – Jeaiza Quiñones
For those lucky enough to work with Jeaiza, this should come as little surprise! Jeaiza has amassed a genuinely impressive body of work in five years with CFSA, forever reinventing and improving the way our Community Impact team goes about working with existing (and helping create brand-new) initiatives, grantmaking, and connecting with nonprofit organizations throughout Southern Arizona, among her many contributions.
Here’s a few select quotes from her nomination submissions:
“Jeaiza is an incredible leader and her impact on CFSA will be felt for years to come. Her community-centered approach is deeply felt, both internally by our team and externally by those we serve. Her thoughtful approach to structures and processes that best support nonprofits in our community are at the heart of what we do and how we do it.”
“Jeaiza is the kind of leader you don’t come across often. She brings authenticity, strategy, and innovation, along with a commitment to challenging the status quo in ways that have helped shape CFSA’s culture.”
“This year brought a lot of change for our team, and Jeaiza was the one who kept us steady through it all. From shifting team dynamics to major operational changes, she led with clarity, care, and consistency.”
Staff External Excellence Award – Sydney Wells
If you’ve been to one of CFSA’s events in the last year or so, you know that whatever the event, be it BoardConnect, the CORE & Comunidad Celebration, or the Campus Art Reception + Artist Market, you KNOW that you’re going to eat well and have a great time! That is largely due to one person – our Events Manager, Sydney Wells. Her desire to create welcoming and multi-faceted events with consistently great food and engaging activities has been an absolute game-changer for CFSA.
Here’s a few select quotes from her nomination submissions:
“Seeing the environments created by Sydney’s event planning, with genuinely large events like Campus Art Reception and Community Celebration 2025, has been so impressive to witness first-hand. People come and have a genuinely great time, and it all happens because Sydney invests so much time in mentally walking through an attendee’s experience before they even get here.”
“In under a year, Sydney has made a remarkable and lasting impact on CFSA’s event strategy, elevating the experience for both our internal team and external stakeholders.”
“Sydney brings people together. Her work directly supports CFSA’s presence in the community and shapes how we engage with partners, donors, grantees, and each other! Each event she leads feels more thoughtful and engaging than the last, and it’s clear that she takes great pride in curating spaces for connection.”
Congratulations once again to Jeaiza & Sydney and a heartfelt thank you for their wonderful (and now award-winning) efforts here!