Our Board of Trustees

Taunya is the CEO and Wealth Manager of Aspirational Wealth Management and is a native Tucsonan. She began her career with Merrill Lynch and has been in the industry since 1991. She was recruited by Dean Witter in 1996 and then, Morgan Stanley. Taunya was awarded the Regent’s Scholarship and attended Arizona State University.

Taunya has been nominated for the LPL Advisor Catalyst Award. She holds the following security registrations with LPL Financial: Series 7, 65, 63, 31, Insurance and is an LPL Investment Advisor Representative in numerous states (AZ, CA, CO, FL, HI, ID, IL, MA, ME, MN, MO, NM, NY, OH, OR, RI, TX, VA, VT, & WI).

When Richard moved to Tucson from New York in 2013, he was intent on doing something positive for his new community.  Since relocating, he served nine years on the Board of Catholic Community Services, including a two-year term as its President, ten years on the Tucson Medical Center Ethics Committee and, until the pandemic came along, as a hospice volunteer.  He looks forward to doing more through his service to CFSA and its constituents.

Billy is the co-founder and President of Pedroza & Hayes Accounting and Consulting. His fiscal background is further highlighted by higher education at Grand Canyon University, where he earned an MBA, and professional positions as a Financial Analyst for Pima County and Financial Specialist at the City of Tucson. Community volunteer work is important to Billy, and he remains active in the community.

Billy has volunteered at United Way’s VITA program, processing tax returns for low-income families. Additionally, he volunteers as a basketball coach at the local YMCA and a baseball coach at the neighborhood Little League. I have coached baseball for 20 years, including at Mountain View HS, Salpointe Catholic HS, The Gregory School, Green Fields, and the club Team 520 Elite. Billy has passionately served on several boards in the community. He served as Treasurer at the Waldorf School and also served as an advisory board member at the YMCA. Billy’s accolades include being the winner of 2020’s 40 under 40 and participation in the Emerging Leaders with the Tucson Metro Chamber. Billy and his wife, Rosy, have three sons, Alan, Oliver, and Anderson, who are also part of an active lifestyle. 

Daniel Arana is a Director with Fennemore Craig, P.C., where he focuses primarily on agribusiness, international trade and tax law, international transactions, and mergers and acquisitions. Most of his clients are companies in Mexico that open operations in the United States. Leveraging his vast experience as a business lawyer, he acts as a general counsel for these corporations, assisting them with business dealings, keeping them in compliance and partnering to ensure every legal aspect of their needs are met. The majority of these organizations are produce distributors and transportation companies looking for legal support for their U.S. distribution, as well as domestic companies looking to service Mexico and the United States.

A native of Nogales, Arizona, and the son of attorneys, Daniel studied business and accounting as an undergrad, but the lure to help people through studying the law prompted him to embark on his career as a business attorney. Along with his Juris Doctor degree, he also earned a certificate in international trade and business law. Fluent in Spanish, Daniel takes great pride in becoming an integral member of his clients’ teams, knowing their businesses, families and culture, and guiding them to success through what naturally becomes long-term relationships.

Outside of his work as an international business attorney, spending time with his wife and three kids recharges Daniel’s batteries, and he is also involved in his church and several local nonprofit organizations.

Dr. David Baker was the superintendent of Flowing Wells School District in Tucson, Arizona. His 30-year career began when he accepted a position as a fourth-grade teacher. David worked as an assistant principal, elementary school, and middle school principal prior to moving into district administration. As an associate superintendent, he spent ten years overseeing technology, curriculum, and instruction. He earned his Doctorate Degree in Educational Leadership from the University of Arizona and worked as an adjunct instructor for graduate courses at The University of Arizona and Northern Arizona University prior to his hiring as superintendent.

During his superintendency, he earned the Arizona School Administrators All Arizona Superintendent award for his focus on creating an environment of high academic expectations, expanding extra-curricular activities, and creating opportunities for students and staff to engage in meaningful activities.  He advocated for educators to use their diverse and unique experiences and personal interests to enrich educational programs for students. The District also developed a 100% initiative designed to encourage and assist all students in successfully matriculating to a post-secondary experience. Since retiring, he is an active member of Old Pueblo Rotary and volunteered as a community representative for Literacy Connects.

As a lifelong Tucsonan, David remains interested and engaged in the community on educational issues and works with the College and Career Office in Flowing Wells to help students pursue college access.  

For over twenty-five years, as Broker and Owner of Centra Realty on 4th, Colette has been instrumental in promoting and facilitating homeownership in Arizona. She has aided thousands of businesses and individuals in the journey to purchase land and real estate; commercial, income and residential. Colette mentors and educates Real Estate Agents and believes strongly in property ownership as one of the cornerstone foundational rights of our country. She has tirelessly worked to see thousands in the LGBTQ community successfully purchase land and real property. She believes property ownership strengthens community and gives people roots to thrive.

Colette owned Colette’s West an iconic Tucson Bar that welcomed all from the LGBTQ community and straight allies. Colette’s bar provided a safe place for a marginalize community to meet friends, network and socialize. Colette’s Bars were often meeting places where pride events were planned, where people debated who was the best candidate to vote for and friendships were started. She is a proud proponent for LGBTQ rights and continues to tirelessly work towards the goal of LGBTQ equality and acceptance.

Colette is a champion and fighter for ethical inclusion of all people with a special focus on LGBTQ community and women. She is a valiant warrior and outspoken leader for campaigns and practices the values she believes in by publicly supporting causes and fighting for the rights of others. She is an advocate for help and treatment for those who suffer from alcoholism and drug dependence, working with The Haven and Pima County Jail continuing to make a difference for those who suffer with addiction and for the people who love them.

She is a leader that has empowered women to overcoming gender-biased issues and other personal obstacles by leveraging her own experiences and showing the way through example. Colette is a board member/volunteer for charities and non-profits and is an outspoken voice for civil rights. She inspires others to stand with her for social change and campaigns against injustice by leading in community efforts focusing on positive changes in the community.

Colette has generously promoted the welfare of others through her philanthropic endeavors, either by financial donations or through using her skills and talents to donate time effort and energy to community organizations and charities helping them thrive under her leadership and help.  Among the many organizations that Colette has supported and or volunteered her time for are: Community Foundation or Southern Arizona, Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, United Way, Arizona Human Rights Fund, Compass Health Care, Wingspan, Lesbian and Gay Public Awareness Project, and Community Profile, Desert Voices, The Haven, SAAF, The Alliance Fund, Primavera Men’s Shelter and Pima County Jail and many Women’s Groups.

Shawn Best, M.S., CFP®, focuses on assisting clients in all financial planning areas at the Tucson office of Meridian Wealth Management LLC. Shawn’s experience ranges from Retirement Planning, Tax Planning, Estate Planning, Education Planning, Investment Management, Risk Management and Insurance Planning.

With over fifteen years in the wealth management and banking industry, Shawn utilizes his knowledge to work collaboratively with a wide range of clientele. Shawn’s passion for finance is centered around helping people from all walks of life attain financial wellness and comfort. He has held leadership roles in retail and commercial banking and has rounded out his wealth management experience working as an Associate Portfolio Manager and Senior Wealth Manager prior to joining the firm. In previous roles, Shawn has worked with executives, non-profits, ultra-high net worth and high-net worth individuals and families.

Native to Arizona, Shawn graduated from the University of Arizona, where he earned his undergraduate degree. To further his knowledge in financial planning and investment management, Shawn completed his Master of Science in Finance degree with an emphasis in Personal Financial Planning from Kansas State University. He also earned the designation of CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®).

Shawn enjoys spending time with his amazing wife Jessica, and their two boys in his free time. He is a passionate Arizona Wildcats sports fan, enjoys cooking (especially grilling steaks) and spends time serving on the boards of several charities to give back to his local Tucson community.

Nicollette is the Director of Finance at Tohono Chul Park. Previously she was CFO of the Primavera Foundation and the Community Food Bank.

After spending a decade in the construction industry in California, Nicollette found her passion for accounting and philanthropy while working as a public accountant. She earned her Bachelor and Master of Accounting degrees from the Eller School of Accountancy and received her Certified Public Accountant license shortly thereafter. During her time as a public accountant, Nicollette focused on partnership taxation, nonprofit audit and tax preparation and retirement plan audits. She left public accounting when the food bank, he client for several years, asked her to join their finance team. She has also taught CPA exam study courses for Becker Professional Education and presents many topics as a presenter and lecturer in various capacities.

Soon after entering the nonprofit industry, she earned a Certificate in Non-Profit Executive Leadership from the ASU Lodestar Center and graduated from the Greater Tucson Leadership program. Nicollette also has a certificate in Human Resource Management and Supervision.

Nicollette has served on many boards and currently sits on the Advisory Board for the Eller School of Accountancy, the Board of Trustees for the Community Foundation for Southern Arizona, and the Board of Directors for the Burlesque Hall of Fame. She has won many awards for her volunteer and leadership roles, most recently being honored as Community Member of the Year by the Eller College African American Honorary. She had the distinct privilege of serving as an Honorary Commander at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base.

Her professional and personal interests overlap when she teaches best practices in accounting, nonprofit board service and leadership. She volunteers regularly, especially at UA, where she enjoys mentoring the next generation of leaders. Accounting runs in her family: her mother recently retired from a career of accounting while her brother Buddy also holds a degree in Accounting from Eller and currently works as a Senior Accountant in the non-profit industry.

Nicollette loves to travel when she’s not at home listening to music, cooking or crafting. You can often find her reading true crime or watching Twilight Zone or the Simpsons. She and her husband Mike moved to Tucson from San Francisco in 2005. They live with their smashed face dogs, Louis and Lola.

Learn more about Nicollette!

Meredith Hay, Ph.D., is the former Executive Vice President and Provost of The University of Arizona. Dr. Hay was the University of Arizona’s chief operating officer with responsibilities for the entire $1.8B university budget, including the Arizona Health Sciences Center. Currently, Dr. Hay leads an active brain research laboratory at the University of Arizona College Of Medicine Department of Physiology and the Evelyn  F. McKnight Brain Institute, where she is a tenured Full Professor.  Her laboratory studies the neurobiology of peptide and hormone actions in the brain with an emphasis on sex-related differences in blood pressure regulation.  Dr. Hay and her team were the first to discover that estrogen acts on brain cells to modulate blood pressure. 

Dr. Hay is also President and founder of a Tucson biotechnology company, ProNeurogen, Inc., a preclinical and clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel peptide-based therapeutics to treat vascular dementia. Dr. Hay and ProNeurogen are collaborating with physicians and scientists at the University of Arizona’s Sarver Heart Center, the Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, BIO5 Institute, and Banner Alzheimer’s Institute to advance these peptides through FDA Phase II clinical trials. The goal of these studies is to reduce or prevent memory loss related to systemic inflammatory disease. Future studies are underway for the treatment of chronic pain and traumatic brain injury as well. 

Dr. Hay is actively involved in the Tucson community and currently serves on the Board of Trustees for Pima Community College and was recently on the Board of Directors for the YWCA, San Miguel High School of Tucson Board of Trustees, the Beacon Group and Sinfonia, Healthcare Corp., LLC.  She is an active member of the Southern Arizona Leadership Council and has served on the Arizona Bioscience Advisory Group and the Working Board for the National Institute for Civil Discourse.  Prior to coming to Arizona, Dr. Hay served as Vice President for Research at the University of Iowa. A Texas native, Dr. Hay earned her B.A. in psychology from the University of Colorado, Denver, her M.S. in neurobiology from the University of Texas at San Antonio, and her Ph.D. in cardiovascular neuropharmacology from the University of Texas Health Sciences Center, San Antonio. 

Nancy Johnson is the former Chief Executive Officer for El Rio Community Health Center, one of the largest federally qualified health centers in the country. She is a registered nurse graduating with a BSN from Illinois Wesleyan University. Dr. Johnson also holds Master’s degrees in both Nursing from the University of Illinois and a Master’s in Marketing and Business from the University of Arizona Eller College.  Her doctoral research was on provider perspectives in caring for the uninsured population, leading to her completion of her Ph.D. in Health Care Administration. 

Nancy has held positions as a clinician, a faculty member in nursing, business, and medicine, as well as an administrator. She spent over 15 years with Tucson Medical Center, building community health and wellness programs, acquiring and managing medical practices for the TMC system, and expanding community networks. Today, after 14 years of service to El Rio Health,  she continues to serve as an adjunct clinical professor for the University of Arizona College of Medicine as well as the College of Nursing. She has authored a textbook with her husband, entitled “The Care of the Uninsured in America” and, most recently, an article in Nursing Administration Quarterly on Healthcare for the Homeless. Dr. Johnson is a recent recipient of the University of Arizona’s Cecil B. Hart Humanitarian Award as well as the 2016 Distinguished Alumni Award from Illinois Wesleyan University. Dr. Johnson was named Greater Tucson Leadership’s Woman of the Year in 2021. Since her Fall 2022 retirement as El Rio’s CEO, she has a part-time position with the University of Arizona around healthcare workforce strategy. 

Bonnie Kampa has more than 30 years of executive leadership, development, and board roles in the nonprofit sector. She retired in 2015 after serving 13 years as the Chief Executive Officer of Interfaith Community Services (ICS), a Tucson-based organization helping people in need throughout Pima County, Arizona, achieve stability, health, and independence.  

Bonnie is currently an Advisor on the Board of the David and Lura Lovell Foundation. She is a partner with Tucson Social Venture Partners and is an active member of St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, having served as a Trustee and on numerous planning committees. She served as Trustee and Board Chair of the Tucson Symphony Orchestra.  

Prior to moving to Tucson in 1999, she served in leadership roles for several non-profits, and served as a partner at SmithBucklin, a Chicago-based association management firm that provides headquarters services to national and international non-profit associations. 

Bonnie and her late husband moved to Tucson in 1998 after four years on a corporate assignment in South America. Her hobbies include traveling, entertaining, gardening, and painting Mediterranean-inspired fresco designs. She recently hosted a garden tour for the Tucson Cactus and Succulent Society. She enjoys hiking and twice has been on a “pilgrimage” to Spain’s Camino de Santiago. Her family includes four siblings, 13 nieces and nephews, four step-children, and ten step-grandchildren, all who enjoy visiting Tucson!  

Kristopher Kitz is an experienced healthcare executive, having served in faith-based, secular, public healthcare organizations and large private practice enterprises during his career. His experience ranges from critical access facilities to multi-state health systems and medical practice organizations. Over the years, his portfolio has included leading general operations, growth, strategic planning, business development, marketing, communications, virtual health and telemedicine, service lines, joint ventures, and ambulatory clinic operations, as well as corporate functions, including employee health, workers’ compensation, and childcare services.

Kris holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a master’s degree in health services administration from the University of Washington, Seattle. Currently, Kris serves as the President of Wyatt Surgery Center, Eye Associates of Tucson, and Tucson Ambulatory Anesthesia.

When he arrived in Tucson in 2021, Kris was TMC Health’s senior executive leading enterprise strategy, business development, and strategic partnerships. He came to Southern Arizona from the Pacific Northwest, where he held senior executive positions with MultiCare, PeaceHealth, and various other roles with Seattle Children’s, Olympic Medical Center, and the Washington State Hospital Association. Additionally, Kris is a member of the Cowlitz Indian Tribe and was elected to the Tribal Council in 2022, serving as a key leader of the governing body. Kris’s wife of over 15 years, Alaina, owns a marketing, communications, and web design business, and they both spend much of their time corralling their two children.

In more than 30 years in the nonprofit sector, Mr. Kunz has served in various executive leadership, development, and board roles. Initially moving to Tucson in 1995 and assuming Executive Directorship of the Tucson Symphony Orchestra, Mr. Kunz subsequently started a consulting practice in 2000 that continues to serve nonprofit organizations regionally and nationally. From 2014-2016 he was Vice President for Philanthropy at the Community Foundation for Southern Arizona.

Mr. Kunz is a past President of the Board of the Southern Arizona Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP). He has also served as President of the Planned Giving Roundtable of Southern Arizona, and as Chair of the LEAVE A LEGAYC® Southern Arizona Steering Committee. In 2005 the Southern Arizona Chapter of AFP named him Outstanding Fundraising Executive. Recognized for his expertise in the nonprofit sector, he developed curriculum and taught both Fund Development and Board Development courses for the ASU Lodestar Center on Philanthropy and Nonprofit Innovation for more than 10 years.

He is on the board and immediate past Chair of True Concord Voices & Orchestra, a Tucson-based GRAMMY-nominated choral ensemble. Former board memberships include those of the Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation (SAAF), the Nonprofit Loan Fund of Southern Arizona (now Growth Partners Arizona) and the Leadership Council of the Lodestar Center on Philanthropy and Nonprofit Innovation at ASU. He continues to serve as an advisor to both the Women’s Foundation of Southern Arizona, and the New York-based Episcopal Church Foundation (boards on which he formerly served). He now chairs the Standing Committee (e.g., board) of the Episcopal Diocese of Arizona. He currently also serves on the board of the Cincinnati-based publishing house Forward Movement.

Mr. Kunz and his partner of 35 years Brian Arthur reside in Tucson, are the parents of three adult sons and three grandchildren, and are also former foster parents. An avid amateur musician, Mr. Kunz has for the past several years resumed his study of classical piano with a professional coach. In addition to English, he is also moderately fluent in Portuguese.

Sean Murray is a near Tucson native and attended the University of Arizona, graduating with a degree in Finance and International Business. He also has a certificate in commercial banking from the University of Washington’s Pacific Coast Banking School.

His previous work experience includes serving as a credit analyst and then Credit Analyst Manager for National Bank of Arizona and ten years with Wells Fargo Bank as a Senior Business Relationship Manager. Sean is currently the Commercial Loan Officer and Relationship Manager with Commerce Bank of AZ, Tucson’s last locally owned and managed community bank headquartered in Tucson, serving the state of Arizona.

He is active in the community and non-profit boards, including Youth on their Own, Growth Partners AZ,  AZ Capital Source (formerly BDFC), and The Centurions of Southern Arizona. He participates in Masters Swimming, skiing, and running.

Learn more about Sean!

Ana Nygren graduated from New Mexico State University with two Bachelor’s degrees in Accounting and Management. Ana has worked in the accounting field for over 30 years. Her present position is as President of the John and Helen Murphey Foundation. They are dedicated to promoting education opportunities and support both the University of Arizona and Pima Community College through scholarships.   

Ana is an active member of AAUW (American Association of University Women) at the local, state, and national levels. She was president of the local branch for two years and has been president of the state for the past four years. Ana is on the DE&I committee for the national organization.  

Ana has been on several nonprofit boards, such as YWCA, Girl Scouts of Southern Arizona, and various others.  

Since 2005, Dr. Eric Schindler has been the President and Chief Executive Officer of Child and Family Resources, Inc. (CFR), a statewide community, non-profit organization based in Tucson. Providing services in all counties of the state, CFR works in communities to promote strong, healthy families and ensure high-quality early childhood education so children can reach their full potential. CFR also partners with teens to prevent pregnancy, drug use, and suicide.

Dr. Schindler received his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Arizona in 1982. After postdoctoral studies in child and family psychology at U.C. Davis, and pediatric psychology in Chicago, he has spent the last 40-plus years in Tucson working in community settings as an administrator, director, professor, and private practitioner. A licensed clinical psychologist since 1984, he had a private practice focused on marriage and family therapy and substance abuse and was an adjunct faculty in the Department of Family Studies and Human Development at the University of Arizona for many years.

Eric and his wife Andrea, a family practice physician, have two adult sons. They enjoy scuba diving, travel adventures to different countries, yoga, hiking, and cycling in their spare time.

Chris Young lives in Rio Rico, AZ, with his beautiful wife Bianca Martinez and his wonderful, six-year-old twin daughters Emma and Maya.

Chris was born and raised in Windsor, Colorado. He later played baseball at and graduated from the University of Northern Colorado with a Bachelor’s Degree in History and a Minor in Coaching. At the same time, he received an Emphasis in Secondary Education from UNC and became a certified teacher in the state of Colorado.

After a year of traveling the world and spending summers in Alaska, Chris wanted to start his teaching career and, at the same time, continue traveling. He accepted a job at Instituto Soria in Hermosillo, Sonora Mexico. He would spend the next 13 years working for la Universidad del Noroeste and later the Universidad del Valle de Mexico in various administrative positions, including Academic Director of campus, High School Principal, and Dean of campus in different cities such as Hermosillo, Guadalajara, and Nogales, Mexico. La Universidad del Valle de Mexico is the largest private University in Mexico and part of Laureate International Universities, the world’s largest group of private universities. While living and working in Mexico, Chris obtained a Master’s Degree in Education and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration.

Chris’s biggest passion, aside from his family, is working on projects that have a positive impact on the community. Working at the Santa Cruz County School Superintendent’s Office with County School Superintendent Alfredo Velasquez gives Chris the opportunity to participate in projects that make a difference in our beautiful community. Chris is also an adjunct faculty member in the business department at Pima Community College.