ABOUT US
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What We Do
Through powerful and immersive learning, Scottsdale Leadership develops current and future community and business leaders. Class members from diverse backgrounds participate in our nine-month experiential program to gain personal and professional growth, the ability to influence organizations, connections to more than 1,300 alumni, and elevated leadership abilities. The culmination of the program is completing a sustainable community project utilizing the compilation of leadership lessons learned. Our “Project Lead It Forward” community services program assists dozens of non- profit and civic organizations in meeting unfulfilled needs. Class member teams collaborate with community partners, putting the skills and knowledge they have learned in the program to use in real-time to implement projects for organizations such as Waste Not, Fresh Start Women’s Foundation, YMCS, Child Crisis Arizona and Family Promise.
Mission and History
Mission: To inform, inspire and empower leaders to champion and strengthen the interests of the community.
Leadership. Each and every one of us is impacted by leadership. We’ve all had the opportunity to take a lead; we’ve all watched and observed others take the lead. While nobody is born a leader, the Scottsdale Leadership experience turns ordinary, into extraordinary.
At Scottsdale Leadership, Inc. we relentlessly act on our belief that leadership can be developed and honed, then put into practice wherever passions lead. We’re passionate about helping people reach their potential to do great things not only for themselves, their businesses, and their families but for the community as well.
Since 1986, Scottsdale Leadership has been grooming highly motivated people who return to their community, employers, and families as a greater asset with higher-performing abilities and leadership connections. Alumni are also well-positioned for advanced leadership opportunities within their companies or organizations through exposure to diverse classmates and complex issues. Today nearly 1,200 graduates of the program have positively impacted more than 600 civic, business, philanthropic and cultural organizations. They have been sought out to serve in government, holding both city and state elected positions; serve on nonprofit boards and city commissions; provide volunteer support on important community issues and contribute as servant leaders in the business community. Our organization believes a diverse mix of voices leads to better discussions, decisions, and outcomes for everyone. Join us in those conversations and efforts.
Our values are engagement, inclusion, connection, courage, and stewardship.
At Scottsdale Leadership, we thrive on diversity of thought, experience, and background. We embrace our employees’ and members’ differences in age, color, disability, ethnicity, family or marital status, gender identity or expression, language, national origin, physical and mental ability, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, veteran status, and other characteristics that make our employees and members unique.
2021-2022
Board of Directors
Karen Armknecht
Treasurer, Class 20.
Chad Arruda
Outreach & Recruitment Vice Chair, Windom Security, Class 33.
Jane Blacker
Corporate Outreach Vice Chair, Class 19.
Melanie Campbell
Corporate Outreach Chair,
Class 33.
Jolynn Clarke
Alumni Engagement Vice Chair, Class 10.
Alleson Dunaway
Community Events Chair,
Class 31
Erin Gerace
Secretary, *Advisory Council,
Class 33.
Anne S Gwin
Core Program Vice Chair,
Class 34.
Andy Greenwood
Core Program Chair,
Class 34.
Colleen Katz
Community Events Vice Chair,
Class 34.
Sarah Kearney
President-Elect, *Advisory Council, Class 30.
Jenna Kohl
Outreach & Recruitment Chair, Class 34.
Joanna Peyton
Marketing Communications
Vice Chair,
Class 28.
Andi Robertson
Past President,
*Advisory Council,
Class 30.
John Stamper
Class Representative,
Class 35.
Michelle Warren
Board of Directors, President, Class 31.
Michael Wills
Alumni Engagement Chair,
Class 33.
Lee Ann Witt
Executive Director
Dana Close
Program and Events Manager
Michele Collier
Office Coordinator
Team
Advisory Council
Helping and Inspiring us at Every Turn.
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Brian Bednar, Class 20; Salt River Project
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Jane Blacker, Class 19; Russ Lyon
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Kurt Brueckner, Class 2; Titus, Brueckner & Levine
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Sam Campana, Co-Founder; Former Mayor of Scottsdale
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Angela Creedon, Class 19; Intel
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Carol Damaso, Class 21; Retired
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Diane Enos, Honorary; SRPMIC Past President and Council
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Don Henninger, Class 32, Scottsdale Coalition of Today & Tomorrow
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Marion Kelly, Class 17; Mayo Clinic
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Virginia Korte, Class 3; Former Scottsdale City Councilmember
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Robert Leger, Class 21; Leger Strategies
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Don Logan, Class 6, City of Phoenix
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Linda Milhaven, Class 8; Wells Fargo; Scottsdale City Council
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Randy Nussbaum, Class 4; Sacks Teirney
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Doreen Reinke, Class 17; RaisonBread
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Dennis Robbins, Class 7; Charro Foundation
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Andrea Robertson, Class 30; Scottsdale Leadership Former President
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Don Ruff, Co-Founder; Retired
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Rachel Sacco, Honorary; Experience Scottsdale
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Gary Shapiro, Co-Founder; Coldwell Banker Residential
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Suzanne Walden-Wells, Class 16; DMB Community Life
Hodges Alumni Achievement Award
The Hodges Alumni Achievement Award honors a Scottsdale Leadership alumni who illustrates the passion and commitment Frank Hodges had for his community. As an Assistant Fire Chief with Rural Metro and Class 1 alumnus of Scottsdale Leadership, Frank’s dedication to the people of Scottsdale knew no boundaries. His efforts were tireless, his days were long, but it was never work to Frank, he simply found great satisfaction as a firefighter and by helping and involvement with the people of his community. Frank’s legacy lives on through the lives he touched. His life, spirit and dedication are honored through this annual Alumni Achievement award.
Nominations are based on contributions in:
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Community Service and Involvement: A record of community service which demonstrates commitment to Scottsdale Leadership’s core values: Engagement – Inclusion – Connection – Courage – Stewardship.
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Leadership: Recognition by others as a leader. Accomplishment of significant goals through the person’s leadership.
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Consistency of Community Involvement: Contributions have been consistent over an extended period of time.
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Humanitarian Values: The nominee exemplifies warmth, caring and concern for those of varying backgrounds and constituencies and can work well with different groups of people.
Drinkwater Leadership Award
The Drinkwater Community Leadership Award reminds us that many people knew Herb Drinkwater, often referred to as “Mr. Scottsdale”. No matter who he was speaking with, he had a wide smile, a warm demeanor, a friendly handshake and a gusto for life as extraordinary as an Arizona sunrise. The Honorable Herb Drinkwater was fearless. Business cards in hand, he was always willing to introduce Scottsdale to people who may be interested or willing to move their business to Scottsdale; he served more than 25 years as Scottsdale’s Mayor and as a City Council member. Herb is remembered as a friend to everyone; as mayor his approval rating was more than 90%! It is because of Herb’s on-purpose living and positive intent for the community he loved, that Scottsdale Leadership honors a community leader with the Drinkwater Award each year.
Nominations are based on contributions in:
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Community Service and Involvement: A record of community service which demonstrates commitment to Scottsdale Leadership’s core values: Engagement – Inclusion – Connection – Courage – Stewardship.
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Leadership: Recognition by others as a leader. Accomplishment of significant goals through the person’s leadership.
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Consistency of Community Involvement: Contributions have been consistent over an extended period of time.
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Humanitarian Values: The nominee exemplifies warmth, caring and concern for those of varying backgrounds and constituencies, and can work well with different groups of people.
Please note: Scottsdale Leadership alumni are not eligible for this award.
Jenkins Youth Leadership Award
The Jenkins Youth Leadership Award honors William C. (Bill) Jenkins. As a 29-year Scottsdale High School teacher and Scottsdale Mayor (1974 – 1980), Bill worked tirelessly for his students in the Social Sciences department and as their student government advisor. As a mayor, Bill took Scottsdale through rapid growth and through a recession. His accomplishments were many and included: building the first Scottsdale Senior Center, as well as completing the City Hall, Vista del Camino and Indian Bend Wash Greenbelt projects. Bill was a classic example of an unassuming, genuine, community-minded man.
The Jenkins Youth Leadership Award includes a $2,000 gift. Nominees must be in grades 11 or 12 (academic year) and meet one of these criteria:
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Attends a school within SUSD;
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Resides at a Scottsdale address or;
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Attends a school with a Scottsdale address
Nominators must be an adult other than a parent, guardian or sibling of the nominee.
Nominees must represent Bill’s passion for leadership and community with these qualifications:
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Demonstrating excellent leadership at home, at school and in the community
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Exhibiting initiative and leadership potential in setting and achieving short and long-term goals
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Exhibiting an understanding of the skills effective leaders possess