ARIZONA'S CHILDREN - Key Persons


AEA Federal

Job Titles:
  • Marketing Specialist
  • Member of the BOARD of DIRECTORS

Anna Osborn

Job Titles:
  • Member of the Officers Team

Ashlie Pendleton

Job Titles:
  • Member of the BOARD of DIRECTORS

Barbara Krusko

Job Titles:
  • Chief Development Officer
  • Chief Development Officer at Arizona 's Children Association
Barbara Krusko is the Chief Development Officer at Arizona's Children Association. Prior to this, Barbara served as Chief Development Officer at West Bergen Mental Healthcare in Ridgewood, NJ. Barbara has more than 25 years of experience in managing fundraising, marketing and public relations programs for healthcare and educational institutions. Barbara has a dual Bachelor's Degree in English and Education from Syracuse University and a Master's Degree in Public Relations from Iona College.

Barbara Nelson

Job Titles:
  • Member of the BOARD of DIRECTORS
  • Community Volunteer / Williams

Betsy Apking

Job Titles:
  • Member of the BOARD of DIRECTORS
  • Financial Consultant / Wells Fargo

Carrie Hall

Job Titles:
  • Member of the BOARD of DIRECTORS
  • Owner / the Nautilus Group / Scottsdale

Craig Shay

Job Titles:
  • Member of the BOARD of DIRECTORS
  • Operation Manager

Cynthia R. Landin

Job Titles:
  • Member of the BOARD of DIRECTORS
  • Marketing / Promotion Specialist

Dawn Grittmann

Job Titles:
  • Senior Manager, Health Care Initiatives

Deborah Kramer

Job Titles:
  • Member of the BOARD of DIRECTORS

Diane Costantino

Job Titles:
  • Member of the BOARD of DIRECTORS
  • Partner

Dolores Durán-Cerda

Job Titles:
  • Member of the BOARD of DIRECTORS
  • Provost & Executive Vice Chancellor / Pima Community College / Tucson

Elizabeth Howell

Job Titles:
  • Member of the BOARD of DIRECTORS
  • Director of Media, Comm. & Govt. Relations / Pima Community College / Tucson

Ellen Howlett

Job Titles:
  • Member of the BOARD of DIRECTORS
  • Retired CFO / AGM Container Controls, Inc. Tucson

Emily Bofetta

Job Titles:
  • Chief Compliance & Quality Officer
Emily Bofetta, MPA, CPHQ Chief Compliance & Quality Officer Emily Bofetta joined the AzCA team in 2022, and is responsible for AzCA's overall compliance, performance and quality improvement efforts. She has over 12 years of non-profit behavioral healthcare quality leadership and operations experience. Emily achieved her Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality in 2018, holds a Bachelor's in Education from the University of Kansas, and a Master's in Public Administration from Arizona State University. She additionally serves as a volunteer Peer Reviewer for the Council on Accreditation, and a board member for the Arizona Association for Healthcare Quality.

Gerald Smith

Job Titles:
  • Member of the Officers Team
  • Chairman - Elect / Retired Director

Harold Magalnick

Job Titles:
  • Member of the BOARD of DIRECTORS
  • Pediatrician / Phoenix

Holley Stacy

Job Titles:
  • Member of the BOARD of DIRECTORS
  • Treasurer / V.P. / Private Banking

Ingrid Novodvorsky

Job Titles:
  • Member of the BOARD of DIRECTORS

Jacob Schmitt - CEO, President

Job Titles:
  • Chief Executive Officer
  • President
Jacob Schmitt began his work at AzCA in 2013 and was responsible for AzCA's performance and quality improvement program as well as compliance with all federal, state, contractual, and accreditation requirements. He moved into the role of President and CEO in September 2019. Jacob has more than 20 years of experience in providing and overseeing social service programs in both public and private sectors. Jacob has a Bachelor's Degree in Special Studies from Cornell College and a Master's Degree in Public Administration from Bellevue University.

Jess Lorona

Job Titles:
  • Attorney
  • Member of the BOARD of DIRECTORS

Jillian Hansen

Job Titles:
  • Attorney
  • Member of the BOARD of DIRECTORS

Joan Shapiro

Job Titles:
  • Member of the BOARD of DIRECTORS
  • Vice President / St. Joseph 's Hospital & Medical Center / Phoenix

Juan Gabriel Martinez

Job Titles:
  • Member of the BOARD of DIRECTORS
  • Pediatrician / Mountain Park Health Center / Phoenix

Juliet Peters

Job Titles:
  • Member of the BOARD of DIRECTORS
  • Attorney / Framework Legal, PLLC / Scottsdale

Kathleen McLaughlin

Job Titles:
  • Member of the BOARD of DIRECTORS
  • Retired / Prescott

Kenneth Goranson - CFO

Job Titles:
  • Chief Financial Officer
Ken Goranson brings a mix of for-profit and not-for-profit experience in health care, manufacturing, and service related organizations. With more than 30 years of professional accounting and finance experience, he brings a unique skill set to AzCA. Ken is a CMA and has an MBA from Babson College. He was most recently the CFO at Benson Hospital, a 22-bed, rural, critical-access hospital. Ken has also taught accounting and finance classes at the college level in his spare time.

Lance Strategies - CEO

Job Titles:
  • CEO
  • Member of the BOARD of DIRECTORS

Linda Yocum

Job Titles:
  • Member of the BOARD of DIRECTORS
  • Retired Procurement Manager / Raytheon / Tucson

Luz Rios

Job Titles:
  • Member of the BOARD of DIRECTORS
  • Medicare Insurance Agent

Mabel Crescioni-Benitez

Job Titles:
  • Consultant
  • Member of the BOARD of DIRECTORS
  • Secretary

Marianne Thompson


Mary Lou Hapner

Job Titles:
  • Member of the BOARD of DIRECTORS

Nancy Stanley

Job Titles:
  • Member of the BOARD of DIRECTORS
  • Assistant Dean / James E. Rogers College of Law / University of Arizona / Tucson

Necole Bell Harper

Job Titles:
  • Executive Vice President of Child Welfare & Prevention Services
Necole Bell Harper began her work at AzCA in 1999 and is currently responsible for AzCA's child welfare programs which include foster care, therapeutic foster care, adoption, child specific recruitment, family preservation, parent aide, Kinship Navigator and KARE services, and youth in transition services. Necole is also responsible for AzCA's prevention services which include early childhood education services and home visitation. Necole has more than 16 years of experience in child welfare. Necole has a Bachelor of Social Work Degree from Northern Arizona University and Master of Social Work Degree from Arizona State University.

Nicole Lance

Job Titles:
  • Member of the BOARD of DIRECTORS

Patricia Krueger

Job Titles:
  • Member of the Officers Team
  • Chairman / Southwest Division Accounting Manager

Patricia Peyton

Job Titles:
  • Member of the BOARD of DIRECTORS
  • Sales & Leadership Consultant

Paul Zucarelli

Job Titles:
  • Member of the BOARD of DIRECTORS
  • Owner

Peacock, Hislop

Job Titles:
  • Vice President of the BOARD of DIRECTORS

Ramon Vasquez

Job Titles:
  • Member of the BOARD of DIRECTORS
  • Insurance Agent - Allstate / Vasquez Insurance Group / Tucson

Renee Dinwiddie

Job Titles:
  • Member of the BOARD of DIRECTORS
  • SW Regional Service Manager

Robert Shaff

Job Titles:
  • Member of the BOARD of DIRECTORS
  • Owner

Steve Zeidman

Job Titles:
  • Member of the BOARD of DIRECTORS
  • Technology Executive / Pethealth, Inc / Phoenix

Susan Encinas - CIO

Job Titles:
  • Chief Information Officer
Susan Encinas began working with AzCA in 2009 with the Information Technology department and moved into the role of CIO responsible for managing IT/IS functions for the agency in 2016. Susan holds a Bachelor's Degree in Management Information Systems from University of Arizona and a Master's Degree in Organizational Management from University of Phoenix.

Thomas J. Wisz

Job Titles:
  • Member of the BOARD of DIRECTORS
  • Retired VP, Human Resources

Tiffany D. Tillotson - CHRO

Job Titles:
  • Chief Human Resources Officer
Tiffany D. Tillotson began her work with AzCA in 2018 and is responsible for Human Resources. Before joining AzCA, she spent nearly 20 years in various Human Resources roles in for-profit, non-profit, and governmental organizations. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Tusculum College in Greenville, Tennessee with a Bachelor's Degree in Organizational Management. Tiffany holds her Senior Professional in Human Resources Certification from the Human Resources Certification Institute (SPHR) and is also certified as a Senior Certified Professional from the Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM-SCP). Tiffany has been a member of the Society of Human Resources Management since 2002.

Timothy Ellsworth Bowers

Job Titles:
  • Support Astronomer

Tom McKenna

Job Titles:
  • Member of the BOARD of DIRECTORS
  • Retired Vice President / Tucson Electric

Tracy Thurston

Tracy Thurston joined the AzCA team in 2021 and is responsible for the behavioral health services for the children and families of AzCA. Tracy has more than 19 years of experience in behavioral health, 16 in the non-profit sector. Her experience includes direct care, program growth, clinical oversight, leadership, and staff development. Tracy earned a Bachelor's of Science in Psychology and Sociology from the University of Wisconsin - Madison and a Master's of Counseling from Arizona State University.

Troy Richards

Job Titles:
  • Member of the BOARD of DIRECTORS
  • Owner / 4RealVentures, LLC / Scottsdale

Wesley Colvin

Job Titles:
  • Member of the BOARD of DIRECTORS
  • Retired COO / Tucson

William C. Weese

Job Titles:
  • Member of the BOARD of DIRECTORS
  • Retired Physician / Phoenix