Leadership West

09/18/2026

Non-Profit Friday: White Tank Mountains Conservancy
Submitted by Sharma Torrens and Catherine Locke

As the West Valley continues to grow, protecting what makes this region special matters more than ever.

This week, we’re highlighting the White Tank Mountains Conservancy, a local nonprofit working to protect the natural and cultural resources of the White Tank Mountains and surrounding region.

Through conservation, education, community engagement, and collaboration, WTMC is helping protect wildlife corridors, preserve biodiversity, and ensure thoughtful growth can coexist with the incredible Sonoran Desert landscape we call home.

Their work reminds us that building a strong future for the West Valley includes being good stewards of the places we are fortunate to inherit.

Learn more, volunteer, or support their work at wtmconservancy.org.

09/16/2026

We love celebrating Leadership West alumni!

Congratulations to Maria R. Brunner of Credit Union West on being named the 2026 West Valley Women Networking Woman of the Year!

Maria’s commitment to leadership, service, and community shines through in how she continues to show up for the West Valley. We are proud to have her as part of the Leadership West family and thrilled to see her recognized with this well-deserved honor.

Congratulations, Maria! 🎉

Want to join in the celebration this October? See the flyer for event details and registration information.

09/15/2026

Leadership West was well represented at the West Valley Regional Chamber Awards Gala!

We loved seeing so many Leadership West alumni, partners, and friends in the room and among this year’s honorees. It’s a great reflection of the leadership and impact our alumni continue to have across the West Valley.

Special congratulations to our Leadership West partners, COSIC Education Foundation, named Rising Star, and APS and SRP, recognized for Industrial Impact!

Congratulations to the West Valley Regional Chamber on a wonderful evening celebrating our region!

09/14/2026

They saw a problem. They built a solution.

Speak Up, Stand Up, Save a Life began with three Leadership West Class 22 alumni, Gina Godbehere, Dr. Lily DeBlieux, and Jennifer Rogers, who refused to accept that silence should ever cost a life. After the loss of two teenage girls in 2016, they made a promise: no community should feel that pain again. That promise became a statewide movement empowering students to speak up before silence turns into tragedy.

This is what civic-minded leadership looks like. It's not about waiting for someone else to fix it. It's about seeing the gap, and building the bridge yourself.

On September 18th, Speak Up, Stand Up, Save a Life holds its annual conference, bringing together schools, law enforcement, and community leaders working toward the same goal: making sure every young person knows they're not alone.

They need volunteers to make it happen. If you believe in this mission, they'd love your help. For more information: https://www.speakstandsave.com

09/11/2026

Non-Profit Spotlight: Mariah's Miracle
Submitted by: Denise McGloughlin, Class 24 Alumna

Mariah's Miracle was founded on the belief that every child deserves the opportunity to live a full and meaningful life. When insurance won't cover the cost of essential pediatric therapy or adaptive equipment, the organization steps in to help ensure Arizona children receive the resources they need to thrive.

Denise McGloughlin, a Class 24 alumna, reflected: "This mission is especially meaningful to me because Mariah's Miracle honors the legacy of my niece, Mariah. Mariah was a pediatric physical therapist at AzOPT who was passionate about helping children reach their fullest potential. She became increasingly frustrated by seeing young patients denied the therapy and equipment they desperately needed because of insurance limitations. After Mariah lost her courageous battle with the rare cancer epithelioid angiosarcoma at just 26 years old, only two months after welcoming her daughter, Clara, her employer, Teri Roberts, transformed that shared passion into purpose by founding Mariah's Miracle in 2021."

Since then, through community events, generous sponsors, and individual donations, Mariah's Miracle has raised more than $300,000 and helped more than 100 Arizona children receive life-changing therapy and adaptive equipment. Every dollar raised helps more children gain access to the care and equipment they need to lead fuller, more active lives.

To learn more about Mariah's Miracle or support its mission, visit www.mariahsmiracle.org.

Image: Ruthie, a Mariah's Miracle recipient, enjoys her new all-terrain adaptive wheelchair, giving her the opportunity to hike and explore the outdoors with her family.

09/11/2026

We remember.

September 11th is a reminder of what courage looks like when it matters most, in the first responders who ran toward danger, and in the ordinary people who became extraordinary that day simply by showing up for one another.

That same spirit lives in our community today. We're grateful for the military and public safety professionals among us, including several Leadership West alumni, who carry that legacy forward. And we're grateful for everyone who shows up for their community and neighbors, not because it's their job, but because it's who they are.

09/10/2026

Hello Leadership West Friends.

If you received an email invitation from me today, do not open it. It is not from me, my email was hacked. Do not click on any links or buttons and delete the email. I apologize for the confusion.

Allison

Send a message to learn more

09/10/2026

Swag alert 🔥
Leadership West gear is officially in the works. More details coming soon!

09/09/2026

Congratulations to the City of Surprise and Maricopa County on the grand opening of the new Surprise Community & Resource Center! We're proud that Leadership West alumni were part of bringing this vision to life, uniting the senior center, resource center, and Hollyhock Library into one connected hub for the community. It's always a joy to see our alumni out celebrating alongside their community and fellow alumni.

This is the West Valley we're building together.

Read more about the project: bit.ly/4qTJYbT

09/08/2026

The Power of the Pause

The concept of waiting is hard. Especially through the lens of leadership.

There's a pull to prove competency, make quick decisions to feel confident, or meet or exceed every deadline. Either way, this can be a trap. Some of that pressure is manufactured. Some deadlines aren't as real as they feel. And sometimes we prove our competence best by taking a little longer to decide.

There is power in the pause.

I don't think many people would argue that we're living in a constant state of hurry. Projects, opportunities, packed schedules, they're putting pressure on leaders like I haven't seen before. We're stretched thin.

In times like these, we must do the opposite of what feels intuitive. Instead of checking off more things, closing the next deal, pushing the next project forward, we need to pause. We set the tone in boardrooms, in brainstorming sessions, on our own calendars. And too often, we forget that power.

I've been strategically adding pauses back into my schedule to create space. Before I did, I noticed my creativity had gone flat. I was in checklist mode, running through the day with half my brain shut off, just making sure every box got checked and every meeting got attended.

That drop in creativity, that missing excitement for projects I usually love, was the signal I needed. I paid attention. I made a change. I added pauses.

Those pauses let both sides of my brain re-engage. That's what opens up more creativity, a better perspective from a little distance, and an extra beat to confirm I'm not just making a decision, but making the right decision on the actual problem in front of me.
Because when we're rushed, the danger isn't just burnout. It's creating extra work, missing a crucial detail, missing a new angle entirely, or confidently solving the wrong problem.
It's time to take back that time to think. Add a pause back into your schedule.

Your next step
Pick one recurring meeting or decision point this week, just one, and build in a five-minute pause before you walk in or hit send. Use it to ask: Is this deadline real, or assumed? Am I solving the right problem? Notice what shifts. That's where courageous momentum starts.