December 2024
President's Corner
Joanna Peyton
Thank you for your commitment to Scottsdale Leadership, and for standing out as authentic leaders. Have a Blessed Holiday Season!
What a wonderful event we had together!
To those of you who attended our 24th Annual Spirit of Community Awards Luncheon, thank you for spending your day with us and adding to our rich discussions and celebrations. To those that missed it - come to the next event please, and bring another alumnus with you!
Here's what I love most about our SL events, whether that's a fancy awards celebration or packing lunches - I'm surrounded by genuine leaders. Think about it - everyone who's gone through the core program and stays engaged with our alumni is a battle tested authentic leader and is here for a common goal of elevating our community. Thank you for being such a positive part of our community.
I thought I'd take the opportunity to talk...well...write...a bit about what our staff and Board is working on, aside from helping to deliver the best leadership program in the country, and engaging with all of you as our alumni slowly change the world. We have a few unique goals this year around the scale and sustainability of Scottsdale Leadership. As you know, Dana, Michele and Lee Ann work tirelessly to continue to enhance the organization, but we're working to standardize some of our work so that we can find some capacity in their day to day tasks to give them time to also work on the creative pieces that make us unique. We're working to formalize some of the business process such as how we track and measure the results of our goals, how we share information internally, and creating succession plans for critical functions.
We're also evaluating the incoming revenue streams of the organization so we can create predictability and stability year over year. One of the places we are focusing our attention is our alumni donor support. Of course as Board members, or probably even as readers of this article, we understand the value and are pleased to donate in some way to ensure that this program is growing. We also know that by donating we're educating and elevating another set of Scottsdale leaders. However, we believe we can make this message stronger and create even higher levels of engagement by ensuring we articulate the value of being a Scottsdale Leadership alumni in a meaningful way.
There's lots more of course, but those are some of our current priorities. If any of this resonates with you and you're interested in chatting, please give me a call or text at 480-748-0348. I would love to hear from you.
Meet Your
Board Member
Jim Kollenda, Class 36
Corporate Outreach, Chair
Hello Fellow Alumni!
It was so great seeing many familiar faces at the Spirt of Community Awards!
It has been a busy six months for the Scottsdale Leadership Corporate Outreach Committee. The amazing committee members have been reaching out to several companies within the greater Scottsdale area to bring awareness of SL and how we impact our community through
our core values: Engagement, Inclusion, Connection, Courage and Stewardship. During these corporate connections we also ask about potential team members for future SL classes and of course we look for any potential available marketing dollars and/or grants that we should be aware of for potential sponsorship opportunities to sustain SL for years to come.
So far this year we have welcomed three new sponsors including: V.I.P. Mortgage, Vitalant and The Women’s Collective. The SL Sponsorship Committee and SL Staff continue to cultivate and build stronger relationships with our existing sponsors and strive to find new sponsorship partners that have common synergies with SL.
A FEW GOOD SPONSORS NEEDED!
The SL spirit is alive and thriving, and we would like to ask you a few simple questions:
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Does your company have marketing dollars and/or a grant program we should be aware of?
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Do you have a community connection within a company that we need to connect with for future SL class-member applicants or sponsorship potential?
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Can you help make a connection for us within a company that should know about SL and is currently not active with us?
If you answered “yes” to any of these questions – please reach out to Lee Ann (leeann@scottsdaleleadership.org), Lyric (naquinlaz@gmail.com) or me (jimjkaz@gmail.com) and help us make the connection to bring awareness of SL to these companies and contacts.
Thank you so much, on behalf of the SL Corporate Outreach Committee. We wish you a happy and healthy 2025!
Lyric Naquin, Class 35 – Vice Chair
Jim Kollenda, Class 36 – Chair
Blast From the Past
Stephanie Tippett, Class 36
Written by: Craig Miller, Class 7 and Dr. Frances Mills-Yerger, Class 16
Scottsdale Leadership graduates come from all over the country, bringing a wide variety of perspectives to our community. But there’s something extra special when we meet someone who’s truly a local, like Stephanie Tippett from Class 36. She is epitome of a local girl made good. From the moment we met her, we got the sense that nothing was out of her reach. Of course, she must endure Scottsdale’s hot summers and traffic jams like we all do, but she knows what she likes and powers through to make it happen.
Sometimes we take all the beauty of Scottsdale for granted as we go about our daily lives, but not Stephanie. She is part of a team who ensures it stays that way. Right now, it is fun to think of her as the person who makes sure the trains run on time, making sure things stay on track. We know you will enjoy getting to her know her better.
Alumni Serving Our Community
Stay tuned for next month's issue when we share a list of ALL Scottsdale Leadership Alumni involved in Boards and Commissions
Way to Go, Sky Larsen!
Alumni Working Together Create Over 2,000 Healthy Packs
Alumni from Class 1 to Class 39 worked together during one of the favorite Alumni Events of the year! They assembled Healthy Packs for SUSD kids to ensure that all kids have enough to eat on the weekend. Great work everyone!
The Morning of the Spirit of Community Awards Luncheon, Class 39 participants received their Project Lead It Forward assignments. This year, the focus of our projects will be on YOUTH. The teams have already started organizing themselves and there is no doubt that they are going to knock it out of the park for five very worthy causes. As you know, the teams can use all the help they can get in order to reach their lofty goals in a short amount of time. If you would like to help our teams, or donate to any of these great organizations, contact dana@scottsdaleleadership.org
And this year's projects are...
Class Day Journals
Team Miracle League of Arizona will create a marketing plan that will make more people aware of the great work that Miracle League does sharing the joy of baseball with those with those with disabilities. They will make sure that more people know about their good work so they can support their efforts. The team will be working to support one of their original fund raising efforts with a Casino Night and you are all invited to attend. Check out: miracleleagueaz.com/casinonight
Team Scottsdale Police and SUSD will work together to create a 4-Square Pad and surrounding landscaping at two Scottsdale Unified School District elementary schools. The program is called PALS. The police will play in tournaments with the students. What a great way to create positive relationships with the police and the kids!
Team Desert Stages Theatre will be working on producing a fundraising gala in which a portion of the funds raised will go toward much needed audio and lighting equipment. The team will leave behind a how-to manual so that the theatre can replicate the gala for years to come. Desert Stages Theatre provides a creative and inclusive environment for kids of all ages and now they will enjoy new equipment for future productions.
Team Homeless Engagement Lift Partnership or H.E.L.P will be working to address the cycle of of homelessness and poverty. The objective of this project is to acquire portable containers to eliminate rental charges and acquire storage shelving. The team will also provide a strategic roadmap to secure funding, and optimize resource allocation to implement effective services.
Team Happily Ever After League (HEAL) will upgrade a "Healing Farm" for mothers who are going through cancer. They will create a beautiful garden space for mothers to bring their children to enjoy miniature horses, a donkey and a pig. The children will enjoy interacting with the animals and the moms will find emotional support while dealing with a cancer diagnosis.
Join the Team Behind the Game
🏀 Join the Dream Team Behind the Community All-Stars Charity Basketball Game! 🏀
The 3rd Annual Community All Stars' Rim 2 Rim for Charity Basketball Game is set for September 27, 2025, and we’re looking for passionate, talented committee members to help us take this event to the next level for Scottsdale! This exciting event has grown each year, and now we need your skills to make it even better.
Are you someone who:
✅ Has a knack for marketing and graphic design?
✅ Is well-connected and loves building relationships?
✅ Thrives on turning vision into action?
✅ Has experience in grant writing and fundraising?
If so, we’re looking for YOU! We’re seeking 2 additional Scottsdale Leadership alumni to join our committee and be part of something truly impactful for our community.
🗣 Ready to step up?
Reach out to Dale Shafer at dale.shafer@lifemoveswealth.com for more information.
