John W. Lewis recently completed a 3-year church assignment as Mission President in Cambodia. Prior to the mission assignment, John served as the President/CEO of the PHX East Valley Partnership, and he has returned to that assignment as of January 2022. The PHX East Valley Partnership (PHX EVP) is a regional coalition of community, business, educational, and government leaders whose goal is to provide leadership and support in specific areas of focus. Other prior community and work assignments ...
Nov 21, 2022•38 min•Season 2Ep. 11
Kerri Ann Ronquist is the owner of All About You Placement and Senior Resources. She is a Board-Certified Patient Advocate, a Certified Placement and Referral Specialist, a Certified Dementia and Alzheimer’s Practitioner, and a Certified Senior Advisor®. Her early career with seniors included helping build a hospice company from the ground up and working for home health agencies and mobile physician groups to reach underserved communities. To honor her late father, Kerri Ann founded All About Yo...
Nov 07, 2022•36 min•Season 2Ep. 10
Alexa Tieu Whippo (she/her) is a Communications and Multimedia Consultant for Deloitte in Gilbert, Arizona, following 18 years working in sports broadcast media. She has worked in radio, marketing, print, digital media, and broadcast television. She previously was employed at Bally Sports Arizona, FOX Sports Arizona, FOX Sports Digital Media, and ESPN. Alexa currently serves on the University of Oregon Alumni Association Board of Directors as a proud alumna of the UO. She also is a member of the...
Oct 24, 2022•36 min•Season 2Ep. 9
Katey McPherson brings experience in school leadership, prevention, and organizational change with 25 years as a secondary school teacher, guidance counselor, and PK-12 school administrator. Katey’s educational career focus is on student and teacher social and emotional wellness and supports. She has worked diligently on several youth mental health initiatives and laws, delivers professional development to learning communities with a focus on creating adaptive coping skills and resiliency, and s...
Oct 10, 2022•28 min•Season 2Ep. 8
Vickie graduated Summa Cum Laude from Arizona State University with a Bachelor of Science in Criminology and Associate in Administration of Justice with an additional Certification from Phoenix College in Aviation and Aeronautics. Vickie has worked for the Gilbert Police Department for more than 20 years, assigned to the Crime Prevention and Community Affairs Unit. Working in this position, Vickie has spearheaded such programs as; the Blue Line Holiday Drive, which has helped thousands of underp...
Sep 26, 2022•26 min•Season 2Ep. 7
Meredith Hestand is the Chief Nurse Executive Officer for Dignity Health Mercy Gilbert Medical Center, a position she’s held since 2020. Her leadership ensures consistent and high-quality standards of patient-centered nursing care: managing all nursing resources, developing nursing policies and programs to comply with established standards, and implementing long-term strategic goals and objectives for the organization. Meredith has been a Registered Nurse for 23 years, the last 18 with Dignity H...
Sep 12, 2022•37 min•Season 2Ep. 6
Delmer Geesey is the Pastor of Life Community Church in Gilbert, AZ, and the President of Leading Edge Academy, a multi-campus charter school. Delmer was raised in the East Valley and has been a Pastor for almost 50 years, pastoring Life Community Church for 32 years. Delmer has two grown children who are both married, he has six grandchildren, and he resides in downtown Gilbert with his wife on their urban farm. ---------- Guiding Growth : Conversations with Community Leaders Join our hosts, Sa...
Aug 30, 2022•30 min•Season 2Ep. 5
Jän Simon is the Owner of Foundation Insurance Services, specializing in insurance for business and personal clientele. He has been a member of the Gilbert Community since 2003. Originally from Washington State Jän moved to Arizona in 1999. Jän just completed serving six years on the Board of Directors for the Gilbert Leadership program, with one of those as the Chairman, currently serves as Chairman of the Planning Commission for the Town of Gilbert, serves on the Gilbert Chamber of Commerce an...
Aug 15, 2022•33 min•Season 2Ep. 4
Troy Swope is one of Footprint’s founders and has served as its Chief Executive Officer and director since 2013. Prior to co-founding Footprint, Mr. Swope served as the sustainability director of Sprig Technologies, a product research firm, a senior vice president of Unisource Worldwide, Inc., an industrial products distributor and logistics provider, and in a variety of roles at Intel Corporation, starting as an intern, spending significant time in Asia, and ending as an Engineering Manager. Mr...
Aug 01, 2022•32 min•Season 2Ep. 3
Adam Baugh is a partner at Withey Morris, PLC where he has been practicing land use and zoning law since 2007. He is an experienced problem-solver with a talent for removing obstacles that impede development. He regularly works with city councils, planning commissions, and neighborhood groups in representing landowners, developers, and businesses in building their communities. Adam, along with business partner Jason Morris, host Dirt To Development, a podcast featuring insane stories and insight...
Jul 18, 2022•31 min•Season 2Ep. 2
Julia Macaluso is an Arizona native and CEO of GR8FR8 Logistics. She holds a BA in Early Childhood Education from the University of Arizona. Having taught kindergarten for many years, her creativity, positive attitude and passion for people makes her stand out amongst others in a male dominated logistics industry. Julia enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, hiking and working on her golf game. She believes relationship building, customer service and communication is key to any busines...
Jul 04, 2022•34 min•Season 2Ep. 1
Adrianne Lynch is an Arizona native and the Team Leader of The Lynch Team @ Real Broker AZ. The team was founded by Adrianne and her husband Terry Lynch. The love for helping friends and family grow wealth through real estate is what launched the passion and career for Adrianne to get her license in 2001 and launch The Lynch Team in 2015. Selling real estate is just a small piece of the puzzle when it comes to helping families buy, sell and invest in real estate. The teams top priority is to sup...
Jun 27, 2022•30 min•Season 1Ep. 20
This guest is a native of Arizona and graduated from Mesa High. He has made a career in the field of education with more than 27 years of experience in settings including elementary teacher, assistant principal, principal, and assistant superintendent. He has spent the majority of his time in Gilbert Public schools. and now is the Superintendent of the district, serving more than 33,000. An eternal optimist and wonderful friend, we welcome Dr. Shane McCord. ---------- Guiding Growth : Conversati...
Jun 07, 2022•36 min•Season 1Ep. 19
This guest grew up in Scottsdale and got his start in restaurants in the 1970's. He attended the University of Arizona before moving to Texas where he worked for American Airlines. Eventually, he found his way back Arizona where he became a partner in the well renowned Joe's Real BBQ, and later Joe's Farm Grill and then Topo. His serves as a community leader in many forms, is a graduate of Gilbert Leadership class 8, welcome, Tad Peelen. ---------- Guiding Growth : Conversations with Community L...
May 23, 2022•30 min•Season 1Ep. 18
Our guest today is a 23 year veteran of the Gilbert Fire and Rescue Department and has served in public safety for more thank 30 years. He grew up in Moon Valley, attended Thunderbird High School, is a graduate of University of Arizona and recently received a Master's in Public Administration from Park University. He and his wife, Sally, moved to Gilbert in 2002 where they raised their daughter. He now serves as our Assistant Fire Chief ---------- Guiding Growth : Conversations with Community Le...
May 09, 2022•39 min•Season 1Ep. 17
This guest started his career as a copy machine salesman in downtown Los Angeles and eventually found himself in Gilbert where he founded Prosperity North Advisors in 2015. He holds an MBA from GCU and is a very proud husband and father to two boys. He is a bass guitar playing, fisherman, and family man. Welcome, Casey Kendel. ---------- Guiding Growth : Conversations with Community Leaders Join our hosts, Sarah Watts and Ben Kalkman, as we explore the human journey of leaders - their stories of...
Apr 25, 2022•29 min•Season 1Ep. 16
He grew up at the end of the Oregon Trail with three brothers and a sister. By twelve, he was picking berries at a nearby farm. After working with adult immigrants at a furniture factory, he found a passion for adult education and has served at five community colleges, including four Hispanic Institutions. Since 2018, he has served as the president of Chandler-Gilbert Community College. He is the dog-loving, body-building, converse-wearing leader we love. Welcome, Dr. Greg Peterson. ---------- G...
Apr 12, 2022•24 min•Season 1Ep. 15
Adelaida is the president and chief executive officer of Bushtex Inc., an international satellite communications firm she founded with her husband in 1994 that specializes in remote broadcast transmissions for the government and broadcast networks. Among her many honors, Severson was inducted into Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication Hall of Fame in 2017. In addition, she was selected by AzBusiness magazine to its 2015 “Most Influential Women in ...
Mar 28, 2022•31 min•Season 1Ep. 14
Born in Flint, Michigan, today's guest was born to Polish immigrants as the middle of three children. He began his career as an accountant but returned to obtain his teaching degree. Eventually, he made the move to Gilbert, where he raised his family and served in the role of superintendent of Gilbert Public Schools for 20 years. He is now a legend of our community. Today, we welcome Dr. Wally Delecki. ---------- Guiding Growth : Conversations with Community Leaders Join our hosts, Sarah Watts a...
Mar 07, 2022•30 min•Season 1Ep. 13
She is a native Arizonian and a graduate of Gilbert High School - class of 1999. She is an ordained minister, and now an Associate Pastor at Life Community Church, the same church in which she grew up. She is the wife of Dan and, in 2018, adopted Declan - a precious and loving little boy. She is a Gilbert Leadership graduate and has a heart for serving people and serving God. She is Jaime Johnson. ---------- Guiding Growth : Conversations with Community Leaders Join our hosts, Sarah Watts and Be...
Feb 21, 2022•29 min•Season 1Ep. 12
He grew up in Mesa, Arizona and graduated with highest academic distinction, Summa Cum Laude, from Arizona State University, where he researched the brain of those impacted by Alzheimer's Disease. He moved to California, but the family business eventually called him home to Arizona. He is the youngest of six children and now is a husband to his wife Ashley and a father to three. He is the sole owner of Bunker Family Funerals and Cremation and recently was presented with the 2021 Visionary Award ...
Feb 07, 2022•34 min•Season 1Ep. 11
Jan Newton takes us on her journey of childhood heartbreak, the ability to stand out in a crowd, and the teacher who helped Jan realize her worth. After a mid-life reinvention, Jan found her second calling as the owner of Nothing Bundt Cakes, where she lives out her passion of leading her team, serving her community, and breaking franchise records. ---------- Guiding Growth : Conversations with Community Leaders Join our hosts, Sarah Watts and Ben Kalkman, as we explore the human journey of lead...
Jan 24, 2022•33 min•Season 1Ep. 10
Blaise Caudill is a third-generation Arizonan with family roots in Bisbee and a contagious passion for his beloved state. The youngest of four, Blaise is a survivor of childhood cancer, holds tight to his fascination with astrology, and celebrates his title as a proud mama's boy. Blaise is a successful lobbyist with a pulse on politics, a heart for service, and an incredible understanding of our shared humanity. ---------- Guiding Growth : Conversations with Community Leaders Join our hosts, Sar...
Jan 10, 2022•36 min•Season 1Ep. 9
A dynamic leader with a proven track record of success in both the public and private sectors. A native of Arizona, she is the owner of the Amy Jones Group, a residential real estate team serving the Valley. She is a hustler with heart who sets goals to one-up herself while leading herself, her son, and her team to greatness. ---------- Guiding Growth : Conversations with Community Leaders Join our hosts, Sarah Watts and Ben Kalkman, as we explore the human journey of leaders - their stories of ...
Dec 27, 2021•32 min•Season 1Ep. 8
Tim Colquhoun is a graduate of Class XVIII, joined the Gilbert Leadership board in 2014 and is the current Past-Chair. Tim has an extensive background in Finance with roughly 15 years of banking experience. He is a Vice President | Corporate Banking for National Bank of Arizona where he sources and negotiates transactions with private and publicly traded companies in addition to managing strategic relationships with industry professionals. Tim is a graduate of Arizona State University’s W.P. Car...
Dec 13, 2021•23 min•Season 1Ep. 7
As a Human Resources expert on behalf of Dignity Health, Sharon Fallon has built her career with the focus of empowering others, and she's learned how to empower herself along the way. A veteran, Gilbert Leadership graduate, HR professional, and CEO of the Fallon squad, Sharon is on the journey to overcome her biggest fear of all - greatness! ---------- Guiding Growth : Conversations with Community Leaders Join our hosts, Sarah Watts and Ben Kalkman, as we explore the human journey of leaders - ...
Nov 29, 2021•26 min•Season 1Ep. 6
Currently serving as U.S. Congressman representing Arizona's Fifth District, Andy Biggs shares his experiences as a young father in law school, his commitment to faith and family, and some of the great leaders who have influenced him along the way. We'll revisit his first day in elected office and reflect on what people get right - and get wrong - about this local leader. ---------- Guiding Growth : Conversations with Community Leaders Join our hosts, Sarah Watts and Ben Kalkman, as we explore t...
Nov 16, 2021•29 min•Season 1Ep. 5
Known for her authentic leadership and love for people, former Gilbert Mayor Jenn Daniels shares what is it means to live her best life as she reflects on awkward teenage years, the influence of her parents, her renewed view on parenting, and making the painstaking decision to step away from public office. ---------- Guiding Growth : Conversations with Community Leaders Join our hosts, Sarah Watts and Ben Kalkman, as we explore the human journey of leaders - their stories of humility, triumph, r...
Nov 01, 2021•31 min•Season 1Ep. 4
What this guest lacks in hair he makes up for in wit and inspiration. Robert Gardner sheds light on his leadership as CEO of Banner Ironwood and Goldfield Medical Center, father of five, and barbecue extraordinaire. Join us as the bromance unfolds. ---------- Guiding Growth : Conversations with Community Leaders Join our hosts, Sarah Watts and Ben Kalkman, as we explore the human journey of leaders - their stories of humility, triumph, roadblocks, and lessons learned - as they reflect on how the...
Nov 01, 2021•36 min•Season 1Ep. 2
Get ready to fall in love with local business owner Elaine Kessler. Join us as we explore the journey of this thought leader, advocate, academic, artist, and Gilbert Leadership graduate who has made a successful career from bringing out the very best in others. ---------- Guiding Growth : Conversations with Community Leaders Join our hosts, Sarah Watts and Ben Kalkman, as we explore the human journey of leaders - their stories of humility, triumph, roadblocks, and lessons learned - as they refle...
Oct 18, 2021•31 min•Season 1Ep. 1
