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2025 Southern Arizona Workforce Leadership Academy

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2025 Southern Arizona Workforce Leadership Academy FellowsSouthern Arizona Workforce Leadership Academy Session

In 2025, Center for the Future of Arizona (CFA) and Pima Community College (PCC) provided the Southern Arizona Workforce Leadership Academy to 18 workforce development professionals, Fellows, in the Southern Arizona area. The tenth-month Academy successfully strengthened leadership pipelines and deepened collaborative relationships through a series of retreats and action learning sessions. Fellows worked with leading practitioners from the Southern Arizona ecosystem to deepen networks; strengthen systems leadership skills; apply race, equity, and systems change frameworks to their work; and increase understanding of effective strategies and programs.

The 2025 Academy concluded with Recommendations for the Future of Workforce Development presentations on Nov. 14, 2025, in Tucson, Arizona. At the event, Fellows presented recommendations on improving local and regional systems-based challenges and addressing long-term sustainable solutions for workforce challenges, including improving cross-sector collaboration and strategies in the workplace, advancing economic opportunity for all Arizonans.

As Alumni of the Academy, Fellows became part of the Aspen Institute’s Economic Opportunity Fellows Network, joining changemakers from across the nation and Canada. The 2025 Academy may have concluded but CFA, PCC, and the Fellows continue to impact Southern Arizona counties’ workforce landscape, and we invite you to support our efforts by exploring the recommendations and engaging with the Fellows.

 

Learn More About the Process, Participants & Progress

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Academy Fellows

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Fellows’ Recommendations to Address Workforce Challenges

Actionable Presentations & One Pagers:

Throughout the Academy, Fellows worked in teams to develop actionable recommendations to help address workforce challenges across Pima, Santa Cruz, Cochise, and Yuma Counties.

Fellows shared their researched recommendations to the audience of Southern Arizona based stakeholders on Friday, November 14, 2025, at Community Foundation Campus.

Learn more about the recommendations by viewing the presentations and one pagers below. If you're interested in activating a recommendation, have questions, or would like to contact a Fellow, email here

Increasing Workforce Infrastructure: Childcare

Presentation One Pager

Industry’s Role in Career Exploration

Presentation One Pager

Reengaging Opportunity Youth

Presentation One Pager

Utilize What Works

Presentation One Pager

 

What Academy Alumni Say About the Professional Development Experience

“ Being involved in the Workforce Leadership Academy provided me insight into the healthcare sector, the business development sector, the startup ecosystem, the academic ecosystem, and gave me a broader view of workforce development. And it empowered me to be a connector across all those sectors. ”
– Karla Morales, Vice President, Arizona Technology Council, 2023 Fellow

 

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“ The Academy illuminates the fact that you are not alone in your workforce challenges, while highlighting opportunities for improvement and collaboration within and across industries in your communities, as well as within your organization, departments, and teams. Participation in the Academy equips you with additional knowledge and resources, while fostering productive conversations, relationships, and partnerships that will continue to move your region and Arizona forward.”
– Selena McDonald, WFD Administrator, Banner Health Plans, 2021 Fellow

 

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“ The Academy has been instrumental in forming valuable professional relationships and expanding my network. It provided access to a community of high achievers who are deeply committed to community development and workforce improvement. One particularly impactful connection that comes to mind was with Skylie Estep, Director of HR at South32. We discovered shared passions for community development and discussed collaborative efforts to achieve our mutual goals. These connections not only deepen my understanding of various sectors but also foster partnerships that can drive meaningful change. ”
– Manuel Felix, Founder & CEO, AZ Cyber Initiative

 

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“ A workforce academy for professionals to acquire and methodically use real case scenarios that is based on equity for everyone.”
– Nubert Boubeka, Founder, Ambivium LLC

 

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“ I would say as a fellow in the Academy we worked to strengthen leadership and systems change skills to increase our understanding of effective strategies to address workforce challenges and improve job quality in the workplace. ”
– Gladys Walker, VP, Human Services, Leonardo Electroncis Us Inc.

 

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Many Thanks to the 2025 Southern Arizona Advisory Council

Organizations & titles current during the Academy

  • Maria Ahumada — Deputy Administrator, Arizona Department of Economic Security, Workforce Development Administration
  • Barbra Coffee — Economic Initiatives Director, City of Tucson
  • Susan Dumon — Chief Economic Development Officer, The Chamber of Southern Arizona
  • Rob Elias — President & CEO, Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
  • Dr. Francisco Garcia — Former Deputy County Administrator & Chief Medical Officer, Pima County
  • Mark Gaspers — Director, Government Operations, Boeing; Chair, Workforce Arizona Council, Arizona@Work
  • Michael Guymon — Chief Advocacy Officer, The Chamber of Southern Arizona
  • Dr. Melissa Hernandez — Associate Vice President, Cradle to Career Partnership, United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona
  • Mignonne Hollis — Executive Director, Arizona Regional Economic Development Foundation
  • Todd Jaeger — Superintendent, Amphitheater Public Schools
  • Greg Madril — Director, Workforce Development, Tribal Nations, Pascua-Yaqui
  • Ted Maxwell — President & CEO, Southern Arizona Leadership Council
  • Krista McGarvey — Business Operations Manager, Arizona Office of Economic Opportunity
  • Kathy Prather — Superintendent, Pima JTED
  • Dr. Ian Roark — Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Workforce Development, Pima Comunity College

 

Academy Contacts

Southern Arizona Site Facilitators

Holly Kurtz
Director, Workforce Development
Center for the Future of Arizona
[email protected]

 

Amanda Abens, MC
Assistant Vice Chancellor for Workforce Development & Lifelong Learning
Pima Community College
[email protected]

 

Tennille Penaloza-Hagen
Project Manager, Workforce Development
Center for the Future of Arizona
[email protected]

 

Partners

 

Supporters

The Southern Arizona Workforce Leadership Academy is made possible in part by:

Supporters

Community Foundation for Southern Arizona