Education Forward Arizona is thrilled to launch the organization with support from the following organizations and people from across the state.

Text logo with "act" in black and "one" in red
All In Education - Leadership • Power • Justice
Alliance Bank of Arizona logo, text: "A division of Western Alliance Bank. Member FDIC
Logo of Arizona Association for the Education of Young Children with a cactus icon and "azaeyc" text
Arizona Board of Regents logo with a brown state outline and text: ASU, NAU, UA
Arizona CTED Consortium logo with text "Serving Arizona's Career and Technical Education Districts" in a green circle
AZ Community Colleges logo with a maroon "az" and a blue "Community Colleges" text, featuring a star and graduation cap
Teal circle with stylized "A" next to the text "Arizona Community Foundation
Arizona GEAR UP logo with a yellow gear and a graduation cap on the letter "U
Logo of Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce with colorful abstract design on the left
Teal logo with three abstract figures and text "Arizona K12 Center
ASU logo with maroon letters and a yellow sunburst design
Arizona Western College logo with yellow sun rays and red stylized letters "AWC" above the college name
Bank of America logo with blue text and a red and blue abstract flag design
BHHS Legacy Foundation logo, related to scholarships and education in Arizona
BlueCross BlueShield of Arizona logo with text: "An Independent Licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association
Carstens Family Funds logo with shield design and mountain landscape
Logo of Center for the Future of Arizona with a stylized map of Arizona in blue
Central Arizona College logo with green and yellow circular design
Silhouettes in blue, red, and yellow with text: "Champion for Success, Community Mentoring Empowerment
Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth - Connect. Inspire. Engage. Act
Diné College logo featuring a black arrowhead on a yellow and blue background with text "Diné College" and "Ahiłna’
EY logo with bold black letters and a yellow upward slanting triangle above
Logo with blue and green woven lines above the text "FIRST THINGS FIRST" in blue
Freeport-McMoRan logo with "FM" in blue and black text. Related to scholarships and Arizona education
Logo of Greater Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce with a stylized mountain icon in a blue circle
Greater Phoenix Leadership logo with the initials GPL in blue
Helios Education Foundation
Geometric pattern above the words "Inclusive Strategies" in stylized brown font on a black background
Bold black letters "KCS" with "Kinney Construction Services" below, separated by a line
Silhouette of a person looking through a telescope above the text "Lowell Observatory" in red and gray
Maricopa Community Colleges logo with a stylized "M" in a blue circle
Mesa Public Schools logo with "mesa" above an open book graphic
ASU Morrison Institute for Public Policy logo, Arizona State University
Pharos Foundation logo with a lighthouse and radiating lines, tagline: "Guiding children to a better life
Read Better Be Better
Blue oval logo with a stylized white "S" in the center
Logo of Southern Arizona Leadership Council with "SALC" in squares, the "A" on an orange background
Outline of Arizona with text "The State of Black Arizona" in orange and black
Unitek Learning logo with a colorful swirl design on the left
University of Arizona logo with a large red "A" outlined in blue above the text "The University of Arizona
Valley of the Sun United Way logo with blue text and a symbol of a person in a hand under a rainbow
WGU logo with an owl design, text reads "Western Governors University
Jacqui Clay Superintendent of Schools, Cochise County
Rick Collins President, Western Division, Ryan Companies
Gonzalo A. de la Melena, Jr. Founder and CEO, Emerging Airport Ventures, LLC
Richard H. Dozer Chairman, Viad and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona
John Fees Founder and Managing Director, NGI Group, LLC
John Graham Chairman and CEO, Sunbelt Holdings
Berdetta Hodge Governing Board Member, Tempe Union High School
Jennifer Holsman Tetreault Assistant General Counsel, Field Operations, West Region, US Foods
Chevy Humphrey Board Member, Education Forward Arizona
Paul Koehler, PhD Senior Director of Leadership Development and Outreach, WestEd
Shelley Mellon President/CEO, RL Jones Insurance
Jim Swanson President and CEO, Kitchell Corporation
Ricardo Valencia Partner, Luna Valencia Consulting
Patricia Welborn Board Member, Education Forward Arizona

What Our Partners Say

There are four essential ingredients for advancing education across Arizona: bold visions, noble aspirations, high expectations, and the courage to do the right thing for children. Education Forward Arizona will be a galvanizing force in advancing and advocating for these ideals and to fully represent the many voices in Arizona who seek the same.

Smiling man in a suit with a blue tie, standing in an office setting with bookshelves in the background
Steve Seleznow, President & CEO, Arizona Community Foundation

We are thrilled for the launch of Education Forward Arizona. We believe that their work will be crucial in strengthening Arizona’s P20 education system. ALL In Education looks forward to partnering with Education Forward Arizona and working together to achieve our common goal of improving educational outcomes for underserved students in Arizona. Through this work we will secure a higher quality of life and achieve economic success for our state and communities.

Smiling woman with long brown hair wearing a light green blazer and floral blouse against a beige background
Stephanie Parra, Executive Director, ALL in Education

This initiative is a giant leap forward in leveraging the strengths of many Arizona organizations, across different sectors to align and advance our common goal, raising Arizona’s educational attainment, and further developing our workforce, economy, and overall quality of life. Our shared commitment to these outcomes will create common focus, common ground, and more success together.

A person with short gray hair, wearing a suit and tie, smiling against a gray textured background
Manuel O. Valenzuela, Ed.D., Superintendent, Sahuarita Unified School District

This is an exciting time as Education Forward Arizona launches its collective work to advance Arizona’s P-20 education system. At First Things First, we know that children can’t climb the ladder of school success if the first rung is broken. Building a strong foundation in the early years is critical, and we look forward to partnering with Education Forward Arizona to amplify the importance of learning across all ages, beginning at birth. The leadership of Education Forward Arizona will be instrumental in helping education supporters across the state promote educational excellence.

A man in a suit with a blue shirt and patterned tie, smiling against a gray background
Joshua J. Allen, Interim CEO, First Things First

Arizona has been fortunate to have these three organizations supporting education across the state. Merging all three groups will strengthen their work even more and provide the opportunity to enhance their messages through collaboration. I am grateful for their work to inform and advocate for all Arizonans to have access to world class education.

A woman with short white hair smiles, wearing a black blazer and pearl necklace, outdoors with trees in the background
Colleen A. Smith, Ph.D., Education Committee Chair, Northern Arizona Leadership Alliance, President, Coconino Community College