Guiding Growth

Trinity Donovan has served as the CEO of AZCEND for the past 14 years. AZCEND is a nonprofit that provides help and hope, so people don’t have to face their crisis alone. Working in nonprofit leadership positions for over 20 years, her areas of focus have included hunger and homelessness, early childhood, senior programs, and youth development. Trinity also served two terms as a Council Member for...

Terrin Elam is a native of Phoenix, Arizona. He attended McClintock high school, where I was a three-year varsity basketball player. He also played college basketball at Phoenix College for two years. After his basketball career, he and his wife welcomed their first child Terrin Jr., and that is when he decided to join the Navy. Terrin joined the Navy to build a solid foundation for his family. Th...

Meet Bus Obayomi, an accomplished Business Leader, Community leader, and transformational coach with a proven track record of delivering flawless large-scale enterprise solutions in Government, Financial Services, and Healthcare. Bus specializes in streamlining operations, increasing efficiency, and reducing costs by implementing industry best practices. He has worked with top industry leaders suc...

Chief Michael Soelberg was appointed as the Gilbert Police Department Chief of Police in June 2017. Chief Soelberg began his law enforcement career with the Mesa Police Department in 1995. With the Town of Gilbert, Chief Soelberg has placed emphasis on keeping up the Department’s growth with the growth of the community, which is now over 282,000 residents. Chief Soelberg graduated from Weber State...

This guest grew up outside of New York City and was a child model, appearing in ads and commercials. After college, she traveled 3,000 miles to Arizona to join the sales team at the Phoenix Suns, then as Senior Director at the American Heart Association, and she is now the vice president and executive director of the Desert Financial Foundation. She is married and the proud parent to her boxer, Lo...

Lisa Abelar is an accomplished storyteller and copywriter based in Gilbert who seeks adventure for her blended family and runs a non-profit called For Your Record to support domestic abuse survivors with court fees. Her experience as a survivor herself, navigating the legal system and dealing with the financial burden that is associated with it, fueled the idea behind how For Your Record would ser...

Mark Bergerson is a high-energy individual with a passion for service. He started his career as a retail manager and moved into the world of insurance in 2006. He is currently a Commercial Insurance Consultant/Producer with The Arizona Group Insurance Brokers. Mark has embraced the Town of Gilbert since moving here from Minnesota in 2018. He has sat on the Gilbert Chamber Small Business Council, C...

Rich Ganley’s passionate entrepreneurial spirit and drive for excellence has made way for an impressive 30+ year track record of business success. Rich had a vivid executive history working in healthcare, Human Resources, anti-aging, and amongst others, digital media. Known as the ‘Positive Impact Executive (or, PIE ). Rich loves to help serve customers, employees, and the community. He loves to m...

During Patrick’s tenure, Gilbert has become the 79th largest city in the U.S., with a growing population of 277,436. Patrick has been a key leader in the process of transforming Gilbert into one of the most sought-after places for residential living and corporate expansions and relocations. He is a forward-thinking, change-orientated leader and has been instrumental in helping Gilbert become one o...

Mr. Tilque is currently semi-retired and the President of GK Tilque Enterprises, a consulting firm specializing in the fields of economic development (domestic & international), project management, and business development. He most recently served as Senior Economic Development Manager for the Greater Phoenix Chamber where he was responsible for the business retention and expansion program. Pr...

Kayla Kolar has been in nonprofit executive leadership for over 30 years and currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of House of Refuge since Jan. 1, 2021. Prior to that, she was President and CEO of HD SOUTH, Home of the Gilbert Historical Museum, for 15 ½ years, where she led the organization through most of a $2 million capital campaign and a complete rebranding from a history museum to...

This guest grew up in Clifton, Arizona and holds a master's degree in business administration from WP Carey School of Business at Arizona State University. With more than 25 years experience in Human Resources, she is recognized for her ability to ability to develop people. Today, she serves as the Associate General Manager and Chief Human Resources Executive at Salt River Project, which is the na...

This guest was born on the South side of Chicago but grew up amongst a chain of lakes in a small town in Northern Illinois, where she became a competitive water skier. A chance meeting on Valentine's Day in 1995 led her to her husband, Dave, and another chance interaction changed her path from stay at home mom to a successful career in the mortgage industry where she is a top producer for Guild Mo...

Jason Gillette is CEO of Guild Health Group, a public health firm committed to inspiring safe and healthy communities through emergency response planning and research and evaluation services. Jason’s path to public health formed from various experiences and efforts over the past twenty years. Helping has been a part of what makes Jason, Jason. From providing humanitarian efforts in communities acr...

Christie Boutain has a passion for helping small businesses navigate banking and strategize to achieve their business goals. She has spent her entire career in banking/finance having gained a vast knowledge of banking products/services and built loan support teams, loan policies, and treasury management platforms. She is a Vice President and Commercial Loan Officer with Meadows Bank, a regional co...

Wills Amstutz is the owner of Windows and Wheels Auto Detailing. He is an Arizona native and grew up in the east valley. Driven by his passion for car detailing, he, and his sister Daniella, started a mobile detailing service in 2012. As the business expanded and through a series of events they opened their first industrial location in 2015. They have since expanded into paint protection film and...

Jeff Breid is an ASE Certified Master Automotive Technician. Jeff began his career in the automotive world at age 18 IN 1992. He is currently the Chief Operating Officer and Owner Operator of CarLife Auto Repair. CarLife has two locations, one in Gilbert and one in Scottsdale. His leadership has led both teams to record-breaking years in 2022. His focus is on technician education, along with ensur...

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 pr...

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 physici...

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...

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 devel...

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...

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...

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 t...

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 Chair...