CASA ACADEMY - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Instructional Coach / Dean of Students
Alexandra Cruz attended Arizona State University to pursue a Bachelor's degree in Political Science. During her time at ASU, she became passionate about education and decided to educate and mentor other students, from all grade levels in this community, about the importance of obtaining a college degree and the tools that they needed to be successful. Struggling herself to get to college, she decided to use her own experience to show that with hard work, dedication, and supportive educators, you can graduate from college and get where you want to be. During college, Alex was selected to intern for Congress in Washington, D.C where she was able to work on education policy directly. Ms. Cruz is passionate about educating students and believes that every student can achieve his or her dreams. She has worked at CASA since CASA's founding year and is excited to continue working with the scholars and their families to help them pursue their dreams, while she pursues her dream, which is to help students be successful.
Amy Curtiss was born and raised in Washington State, 20 miles north of Seattle. Ms. Curtiss attended Seattle Pacific University for 2 years, majoring in English Literature. Then, life happened! Ms. Curtiss spent many years as a stay-at-home mom of 3 children, including one with high-functioning Aspergers. Ms. Curtiss homeschooled her oldest child and volunteered, substituted, and was a teacher assistant at the nearby elementary school. Ms. Curtiss re-entered the workforce when her children were older and worked in various positions in Finance Departments. Ms. Curtiss returned to school in 2013, student taught in 2018, and earned her Bachelor's degree in K-8 Interdisciplinary Studies from WGU, passing her certification exams shortly thereafter. Ms. Curtiss loves staying fit, eating healthy, singing, dancing, and spending time with her adult children.
Job Titles:
- Director of Curriculum and Instruction, Title I Coordinator
Ashley Lowry graduated from Arizona State University in 2011 with a bachelor's degree in Social Work. The following year she joined Teach for America and served as a preschool teacher in the Mesa School District. During this time Ms. Lowry obtained a Master's degree in Early Childhood Education from Arizona State University. Ms. Lowry was a founding kindergarten teacher at CASA Academy and is now the Director of Curriculum and Instruction. In her free time Ashley enjoys spending time with her son and husband, going to the library, and taking walks around her neighborhood.
Cymber Clay graduated from Savannah State University where she obtained a Bachelor's Degree in Communications with a minor in Behavior Analysis. While attending college, Mrs. Clay became a Resident Assistant to new incoming freshmen as well as a Behavior Therapist to children with autism. Upon graduating, she relocated to Guam and pursued a career as a Community Outreach Specialist for a group home. While working with local youth groups and organizations, Mrs. Clay's passion, working with the community, helped her progress in the education field. She began working as a full-term Substitute Teacher for the Department of Defense Education Activity, in Guam and Japan, where she facilitated the needs of education and life's lessons to a diverse set of students associated with the military. Mrs. Clay is excited to be a new addition to the CASA team and aspires to empower, inspire, and enlighten our future leader's minds.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Governing Board
- Vice Chair of the Board
- Co - Founder and Managing Partner of the Myriad Real Estate Group
Daniel Brown, co-founder and Managing Partner of the Myriad Real Estate Group, specializes in helping people create a fantastic real estate experience. Whether working with bank-owned homes, short sales, investment properties, or traditional sales, Daniel works tirelessly to find the perfect home. As a Realtor with more than seven years of experience, Daniel works to educate his clients and ensure they get the best value in a rapidly changing housing marketing. He is an expert in analyzing neighborhoods and current market trends to establish fair property values. As an Arizona native, who currently lives in Phoenix, Daniel is extremely knowledgeable about the market and cities in the Phoenix Metropolitan area. Daniel graduated from Arizona State University with a degree in Business Management in 2004 and began his career in real estate in 2007. Daniel is an avid health and nutrition enthusiast. He enjoys staying active and enjoys golf, hiking and mountain biking at South Mountain, Camelback Mountain, or in the McDowell Mountains. Since Daniel ran his first mud run in 2009, he has competed in a total of nine runs, including four years in a row in the Tough Mudder.
Daniel Willett was born and raised on Long Island, New York. Daniel holds an Associate's degree in Early Childhood Education from Suffolk County Community College and has over five years of experience working with preschool students. In 2017, Mr. Willett graduated from St. Joseph's College in Patchogue, New York with a Bachelor's degree in Child Studies. During his student teaching program, he taught students in grades one through six, including spending a year with special needs students in highly restrictive environments. Inspired by the teachers he had as a student in elementary school, Mr. Willett's goal is to make the impact on his students that his teachers had on him. Mr. Willett is extremely happy to be part of the team at CASA!
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- Member of the Board
- Member of the Governing Board
Emily Jeffries is an attorney and currently a judicial law clerk on the Arizona Supreme Court to Justice Andrew Gould. Emily is a Teach for America alum from the 2014-2016 Cleveland corps. As a teacher, Emily taught second grade and developed math curriculum for the grade level. She also served on the Teach for America Advisory Council where she helped make decisions to increase student achievement in the Cleveland area. Emily also served as a School Leadership Fellow. In that role, she worked with school principals and model education leaders to set goals for student achievement and school culture. Emily is excited to serve and support scholars, families, and teachers at Casa Academy.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Member of the Governing Board
- Human Resources Consultant for Banner Health
Evan Hunt is currently a Human Resources Consultant for Banner Health. Prior to joining Banner, Evan spent 13 years with Fairmont Hotels & Resort in several different capacities, including Director of Talent & Culture and Director of Banquets. His primary background is in utilizing the engagement of workforces to drive exceptional service. Evan attended the University of Illinois at Chicago where he received his B.S. in Marketing. He loves the Chicago Cubs, Crossfit, and coffee. He also adores his wife, Michelle, and their son, George. Evan is excited to connect with the CASA community and assist with its continued improvement and evolution.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Member of the Governing Board
- Partner
Glen Collier's 36-year career includes working as Partner with IBM, Ernst & Young, BearingPoint, and Accenture where he was responsible for professional services and solutions, such as strategy and digital consulting, advanced analytics, big data and cognitive solutions, ERP Solutions, System Integration and Support, and Business Process Outsourcing Services. Glen has extensive financial services industry expertise including banking, insurance, and capital markets. He managed relationships with key clients, including PNC Bank, PayPal, eBay, Visa, American Express, U.S. Bank, and Wells Fargo. Glen is originally from Illinois. He was raised on a farm and both of his parents were teachers. He attended Illinois State University where he majored in computer science and management. He has called Phoenix home for 27 years. He and his wife Mindy, have a son (Jack) and daughter (Kendall). Glen is an avid hiker, golfer and traveler.
Guadalupe Gutierrez was born in Michoacan, Mexico but has lived in Phoenix since 2001. Mrs. Gutierrez is very passionate about education. In 2010, she graduated from Central High School in the top 10 percent of her class with honors and a scholarship to attend Phoenix College. She graduated from Phoenix College in 2017 with an Associate's Degree in Arts. Mrs. Gutierrez has worked as a child care provider for the past 5 years. Working with kids has allowed Mrs. Gutierrez to be a loving, caring and nurturing child educator. She enjoys working with the scholars at CASA Academy and helping them to reach their full potential and dream big!
Job Titles:
- Marketing Manager
- Operations Staff Member
Jesus Picon was born in Sonora, Mexico and raised in Avondale, Arizona. He attended Grand Canyon University, and graduated in 2019 with a Bachelor of Science in Marketing and a minor in Digital Design. Mr. Picon has been a volunteer at CASA since 2014 and is a firm believer in CASA's mission. He hopes to grow with CASA and have a positive impact on each scholar. In his free time, Mr. Picon enjoys playing soccer and one day hopes to manage a soccer academy in Europe.
Katelyn Stall graduated in the spring of 2021 from Minnesota State University Moorhead, where she earned her bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education. Ms. Stall lived in Fargo, North Dakota and worked at The Goddard School of Early Childhood Development for three years as a lead teacher in a three-year-old classroom. She is passionate about working with children and guiding them to construct and form their own knowledge and experiences to help them think, grow, and succeed in their academic and everyday lives. In her spare time, Ms. Stall enjoys spending time with family and friends, and exploring Arizona with her fiancé.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Member of the Governing Board
Kathy Evans has 30 years of experience working in preschool, kindergarten, and elementary school settings both public and private. She has been a classroom teacher, preschool director, assistant principal, and principal where she was consistently recognized as an innovator, change agent, and advocate for children and families. She is known for her integrity, professionalism, and leadership dedicated to promoting high quality in all early childhood settings. After retiring from Summit School in Ahwatukee, AZ in 2009, Kathy continued working in the field as an Early Childhood Coordinator and adjunct instructor for Paradise Valley Community College. She has been involved in data collection for Smart Support and various literacy projects funded by the Helios Foundation. A life-long volunteer, she served as President of Valley of the Sun Association AEYC and board member of Arizona AEYC. Currently she works for Arizona PBS as an Early Childhood Specialist.
Ken Stevenson graduated from Arizona State University with a Bachelor's degree in history and a commission, as a second lieutenant, in the US Army. He attended the Defense Language Institute, in Monterey, CA, studying both the Czech and Slovak languages. He has deployed twice to Iraq. On his last deployment he supported the US Army Center of Military History. As a Military History Detachment Commander, he traveled extensively in the northern part of Iraq. Traveling to Tikrit, Mosul, Kirkuk and Irbil. It was a great opportunity to interact with several Iraqi military, police and civilian leaders learning a lot about the Iraqi people, their culture and the rich history of the country. After retiring in 2017 he has been looking for an opportunity to give back to the community. Teaching has always been something he has wanted to do and he is now realizing this goal. He is looking forward to helping his scholars meet their educational goals.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Member of the Governing Board
- Data Scientist at Teladoc
Kody Holmes is currently a data scientist at Teladoc, where he satisfies his interest in operations, optimization, and data-driven decision making. He also works as an adjunct mathematics instructor at Chandler-Gilbert Community College. Kody received his Master's Degree in Mathematics from University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where he specialized in optimization techniques applied to biological management problems. He is currently publishing some of his USDA-funded research from that time. In 2017, he was awarded with the Walter Mientka Teaching Award for his exceptional promise as an educator. Kody is excited to lend his diverse background in science, education, and operations to support the CASA community.
Liesl Wise grew up in several different states such as Idaho, Tennessee, and Connecticut, but claims the east coast as home. She graduated from BYU-Idaho in 2016 with a Bachelor's degree in Communication, with an emphasis in video production. After college, Ms. Wise worked in marketing and advertising, but desired to find more fulfillment in her profession. In 2018, she began working as a reading intervention aide at a charter school, where she fell in love with the field of education. Ms. Wise is so excited to have an opportunity to empower CASA Academy students through literacy and learning.
Job Titles:
- Director of Students and Operations
- Founding CASA Staff Member
Liliana Villasenor is a founding CASA staff member and began working at CASA in 2014, CASA's inaugural school year. Mrs. Villasenor was born in Mexico and grew up in Phoenix, Arizona. In 2014, Mrs. Villasenor graduated from Grand Canyon University, where she obtained over $60,000 in academic scholarships and a degree in Healthcare Administration. As a result of her dedication and leadership at CASA Academy, Mrs. Villasenor was awarded a scholarship worth over $50,000 to obtain her Master's in Business Administration at the University of Phoenix. Mrs. Villasenor is deeply connected to CASA's mission and is excited to continue supporting CASA's scholars and families!
Job Titles:
- Member of the Governing Board
- Board Secretary, Culture and Engagement Committee Chair
- in - House Counsel at PetSmart, Inc
Madison Major is currently in-house counsel at PetSmart, Inc. Prior to joining PetSmart, Madison practiced law at Fennemore Craig, P.C. in their Business and Finance Group. Madison is a Teach for America alum. She taught first grade and then sixth grade English in Memphis, Tennessee. After her two years as a Teach for America corps member, Madison joined Teach for America staff as a Manager of Teacher Leadership Development. In that role, she served as an instructional coach for teachers teaching Pre-K through 8th grade in the Achievement School District.
Job Titles:
- Office Assistant
- Operations Staff Member
Marina Iturrios grew up in Sinaloa, Mexico and moved to Arizona in 2005. She graduated from Central High School, then earned a scholarship and attended Phoenix College. Ms. Iturrios has ten years of experience working as a restaurant manager and waitress and has also has worked in marketing for a local cleaning company. She has a daughter named Mareena who is currently enrolled at CASA. Ms. Iturrios loves going on vacation with her daughter to places like San Diego, Santa Monica, and Newport Beach.
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the Board
- Executive
- Member of the Governing Board
Mark Tucker is an executive with 37 years of experience in retail management in merchandising, buying, and operations, most recently with Macy's Department Stores in Customer Service and Financial Operations. His long history with Macy's (31 years) gives him the knowledge and ability to create new ideas to support the improvement of the marketing, operations, financial health and culture of any organization. With his retirement from Macy's in 2016, Mark is developing his own consulting business that will focus on supporting small businesses and guide them through the changes needed for growth with all of the challenges that organizations experience. He attended the University of Denver receiving a B.S.B.A. in Marketing and also received his MBA from the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University. Mark is a skier and enjoys golfing in his spare time. In his younger years, he was a river guide for a white-water rafting company in Colorado and enjoys the outdoors. He has been a die-hard Arizona Cardinals Fan since 1988 when the Cardinals moved to Phoenix. Mark and his wife, Patti, have a daughter who attends Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas. He is excited to be part of the CASA Academy board and is looking forward to a great future for the school and the scholars.
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the Governance Committee
- Founding Partner
- Member of the Governing Board
Michael F. Campillo is a licensed Arizona attorney, a founding partner of intellectual property boutique law firm, Venjuris P.C., and is registered to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Born and raised in Tucson, Arizona, Michael is the proud son of parents who were also native Arizonans. Michael's law practice is focused on the procurement, enforcement, and defense of intellectual property law rights. Michael has over 20 years of experience in counseling, litigation, and procurement of patents, in the electrical, computer, and mechanical arts and the procurement trademark and copyright registrations in all areas. Michael has appeared in Arizona, Nevada, New York, and Texas courts in litigation matters involving patent infringement claims, inventorship disputes, and trademark disputes. Prior to becoming a registered patent attorney, Michael attended the University of Arizona and received a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering and worked as an electrical engineer for six and a half years for a major semiconductor manufacturer before returning to law school.
Pamela Prieto was born and raised in Southern California. She graduated from California State University, Dominguez Hills with a bachelor's degree in Political Science and Philosophy. She spent two years in Taiwan, teaching kindergarten through middle school. She then moved to China where she taught another five years and helped develop English curriculum. Throughout her experiences abroad Ms. Prieto has learned the value of adaptability, patience, respect, and the power of a smile. Ms. Prieto believes that scholars should be encouraged and empowered to be the best version of themselves. She recently relocated back to the United States with her husband, and is excited to teach in Arizona, her new home. Ms. Prieto is enthused to join CASA Academy and hopes to teach young scholars that "education is the ultimate seed of freedom".
Patricia Vincent was born in Orange, California but was raised in Winooski, Vermont. She graduated from Milton Jr./Sr. High School in 1988. She is a proud mother and grandmother. She has been a paraeducator for 21 years. She moved to Phoenix 9 years ago. She enjoys watching scholars learn and teaching them to become better readers. She loves animals and has three cats and a dog. She is very excited to be at CASA Academy.
Job Titles:
- School Operations Associate / Paraprofessional
Regina Villalobos was born and raised in California, then moved to Texas. She has extensive operational management experience. She has been in management for over 10 years with a concentration in staffing, operations and human resources. The hustle and bustle of the corporate world left her longing for a more fulfilling career. This led to her work with refugees in Texas and to her love of CASA's mission.
Sergio Ruiz was born and raised in Central Phoenix and graduated from Washington High School. He is currently pursuing a Bachelor's Degree in Communications at Northern Arizona University and will be graduating next year. Sergio admires being able to give back to the same community he grew up in and ensuring each scholar recognizes how special they are to the people around them and wherever their future endeavors take them! In his free time, Sergio loves to volunteer at his church, go to the library, and go on trips with his friends.
Tacey Clayton Cundy graduated from Bucknell University with a bachelor's degree in Elementary Education. She went on to serve as a Teach for America corps member in Phoenix. Following her corps commitment, Mrs. Clayton Cundy remained in the classroom teaching Title I second and third graders in Phoenix and Glendale. Always eager to improve her practice, Mrs. Clayton Cundy earned her master's degree in Elementary Education and Reading Endorsement at Arizona State University and continued her education by earning a second master's degree in Administration and Supervision through a scholarship from Teach for America and the University of Phoenix. Mrs. Clayton Cundy served multiple summers on Teach for America's summer institute staff as a Literacy Specialist and Academic Dean. Prior to co-founding CASA Academy, Mrs. Clayton Cundy was an Aspiring Leaders fellow and Charter Starter fellow through the Arizona Charter Schools Association. Outside of work, you can find Mrs. Clayton Cundy teaching Jazzercise fitness classes, hiking in National Parks, and spending time with her husband and daughter.
Zulema O. Cruz was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona. She graduated from Phoenix College in 2019 with an Associates Degree of Arts. She is currently pursuing a Bachelor's Degree in Social Work and will be graduating next year. She is passionate about working with children and strives to push them to their fullest potential. In her free time, she enjoys reading and spending time with her boyfriend and dogs.