Councils page

The Leadership Councils support the university, its reputation and the ASU Charter. Membership consists of alumni who demonstrate a strong commitment to ASU, possess a robust record of leadership, including professional achievement and civic involvement, and are diverse in ethnicity, gender, age, professional background and academic focus. Comprised of 15 to 25 members, each Leadership Council meets three to four times annually. Members receive communications regarding significant university initiatives and advancements to ensure they possess the highest level of understanding of ASU as the model for the New American University and its operations as an enterprise. The senior vice president and secretary of the university manage the Leadership Councils. Members may be added throughout the year and nominations are encouraged.

Bay area leadership council

Jesse Ahearn

President, Pacific Coast Jet; ‘99 BS Geography, The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Jesse Ahearn is the president of Pacific Coast Jet, a private air travel company that he started in August 2006. In addition to his role with Pacific Coast Jet, Ahearn is a corporate pilot for Southwest Airlines. He has served as an officer in the U. S. Air Force Reserve from June 2005 through December 2020 and served as an officer in the U.S. Air Force from February 2000 to June 2005. While at ASU, Jesse was part of the Air Force ROTC program and a member of Phi Sigma Kappa.

Natalie Arora

Head of Operations, Kindred Ventures; ’12 BA Sustainability, The College of Global Futures

Natalie Arora is a venture capital operator who served as the head of operations for seed-stage venture capital fund Susa Venture. At Susa, she focused on designing pre- and post- investment processes, supporting fundraising, growing the team and building the company’s platform to support its founders. Arora also has served on the board of Let’s Talk Ops, an organization serving individuals holding non-traditional roles in venture capital firms. She previously served as the director of business development and investor relations at Juicero, a home juicing company. As an ASU student, Arora was a member of the Panhellenic Council and was named an ASU Alumni Outstanding Graduate.

Alan Clifford

Co-Founder and CEO, Picnic Group; ‘07 BS Accountancy, W. P. Carey School of Business

Alan Clifford is the co-founder and CEO of Picnic Group, a consumer-packaged goods firm he helped launch in November 2022. Clifford previously had been at Sweetgreen, a fast casual restaurant chain focused on healthy foods, where he served as the company’s vice president of logistics and later its vice president of digital channels before departing the company. Before joining Sweetgreen, he was the co-founder and CEO of Galley Foods, a meal-delivery service, and held several positions at LivingSocial, an online shopping discount voucher firm. As an ASU student, Clifford was a member of the programming and activities board and the student admissions relations team. He and another student also co-founded University Geeks, which provided computer services to students on campus.

Will Fairbourn

Managing Director, Goldman Sachs & Co.; ’07 MBA, W. P. Carey School of Business

Will Fairbourn is a Managing Director at Goldman Sachs & Co. where he leads a Private Wealth Management team. Fairbourn has been at Goldman Sachs since 2006. Prior to that, he worked with institutional retirement plans at MFS Investment Management. He earned his bachelor’s degree in English from the University of San Francisco.

Mary Hentges

Chief Financial Officer, Paypal (Retired); ’81 BS Accountancy, W. P. Carey School of Business

Mary Hentges is the former chief financial officer of Paypal, Yapstone, Inc. and CBS Interactive. She also serves on the ASU Foundation Board of Directors and on the boards of directors for Akili, Upstart and Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine. Hentges is a senior financial executive with more than 30 years of experience allocating capital, developing strategy, and leading global finance and administrative teams of small to large complex multi-billion-dollar corporations, some of which were highly regulated.

Phil Howard

EY Partner, US-West FAAS Health Sciences & Wellness Market Segment Leader; ’02 Finance, W. P. Carey School of Business; ’03 MA Accounting and Information Systems, W. P. Carey School of Business

Phil Howard is a partner at EY and the segment leader for the firm’s U.S. West Financial Accounting Advisory Services (FAAS) Health Sciences and Wellness market segment leading high-performing teams across the US-West Region in the delivery of advisory solutions to life sciences and health public, private and entrepreneurial companies from Fortune 500 multinationals to high-growth startups. Howard has been with EY, formerly known as Ernst and Young, since 2003. He previously was an assurance resident at the company’s Global Life Sciences Center in Boston. He serves as the treasurer of the Sudden Arrhythmia Death Foundation Board of Trustees. As an ASU student, Howard was a member of the Sun Devil football team.

Linda Lockyer

Cardinal Health (Retired); Vice President, Enterprise Contracting (Retired); ’79 BS Marketing, W. P. Carey School of Business

Linda Lockyer has lived in the San Francisco area since she left ASU in 1979. She recently retired from Cardinal Health where she most recently served as the Vice President of Enterprise Contracting. Throughout her robust career, Lockyer has been a healthcare sales leader, contract negotiator and functional team leader at Allegiance Healthcare, Baster Healthcare and American Hospital Supply. She earned her MBA from Golden Gate University in 1986. Currently, Lockyer is serving as the Tournament Chair at the Harding Park Women’s Golf Club. She also has served on the boards of the Pharmacy and Health and Services Foundation and the Seton Institute.

Marc Mar-Yohana

Founder and CEO, OtisHealth; ’03 MBA, W. P. Carey School of Business

Marc Mar-Yohana is the founder and CEO of OtisHealth. Marc started OtisHealth to help families and individuals manage their everyday healthcare. Previously, he worked in various executive leadership roles for technology, consulting and private equity firms. Mar-Yohana has a depth of community involvement including being a volunteer for the Autism Society of America, a member of the Advocacy Committee for HIMSS, Co-Chair of the Mobile Health work group for Health Level Seven International and a ski instructor for Children with Disabilities.

Tom Persons

Principal and Founder, Piedmont Properties; ‘80 BS Finance, W. P. Carey School of Business; ’81 MIM, MBA, Thunderbird School of Global Management

Tom Persons is the principal at Piedmont Properties Group, which acquires and repositions apartment buildings in Western United States. Persons started his career in 1982 as a commercial real estate loan officer in New York City working at Manufacturer Hanover Trust and Bank of Montreal. In 1986, he joined the Saxon Group as director of finance for its joint venture capital funds. In 1990, he went on to join Wells Fargo Realty Finance in San Francisco. He formed Arroyo and Coates Financial Group in 1994. While serving as director of finance at Arroyo and Coates Financial Group, he formed Piedmont Properties in over 10 cities including Phoenix and Mesa.

Deepa Rich

Partner, Goodwin; ’99 BS Supply Chain Management, W. P. Carey School of Business

Deepa Rich is currently a partner in Goodwin’s Life Sciences group and Business Law department leader for the Silicon Valley office. She has years of experience working on corporate transactions for high-growth biotechnology, medical device, diagnostic, healthcare, and digital health companies. Rich also regularly represents venture capital funds and underwriters in the life sciences industry. She has worked for other firms including Sidley Austin LLP, VLP Law Group LLP, Latham & Watkins and City of Menlo Park Library Commission. At ASU, she was a member of Delta Sigma Pi. She earned her juris doctorate degree from Santa Clara University School of Law in 2007.

Ron Goodall

Business Development Executive, Cirrus Materials Science; ’81 BS Management, W. P. Carey School of Business

Ron Goodall is a Business Development Executive with Cirrus Materials Science, an international organization that creates low energy, low impact processes for a variety of industries including aerospace and defense, automotive, consumer electronics, energy, and heavy-duty industry. He also has worked at /GYFT Labs Inc., Patmos Partners, Tonal among others in leadership roles in operations, manufacturing, supply chain, business development, product development, field operations, hardware quality and product reliability.

Bob Zollars

Senior Advisor, Frazier Healthcare Partners; ’79 BS Marketing, W. P. Carey School of Business

Throughout his career, Bob Zollars has led many companies including venture, private equity and publicly traded businesses ranging in size from $100M to more than $5B in revenue. He has taken two companies public as CEO and has participated as a board member on five other private to public transitions. He now serves on corporate boards focused primarily on healthcare including Five9, Kate Farms, Kinnos, CUBEX LLC, and Recuro Health. Zollars is a member of the Trustees of ASU and served as co-chair from Fall 2016 to Spring 2022, a member of the W. P. Carey Deans Council, and has been inducted in the W. P. Carey Alumni Hall of Fame. Zollars earned his MBA from John F. Kennedy University in 1982.

Los Angeles leadership council

Luis C. Arellano

Co-Founder, MPM Partners; President, MPM Latin; ’06 BS, Justice Studies, The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Luis C. Arellano has more than 10 years of executive experience in Latin entertainment. During his time with MPM, he has overseen record labels, designed marketing campaigns in English and Spanish, and has represented many digital content creators. Arellano has worked with clients and aided them in their ability to achieve over 2 billion streams worldwide and multimillion-dollar record deals. He is also the founder and CEO of Contigo Global Philanthropy, which advises minority celebrities and athletes and works with non-profit organizations to create change in the world. Arellano also has an MBA from the Florida Institute of Technology. He is a member of the Sun Devil 100 Class of 2022, an awards program recognizing alumni business leaders.

Jamia H. Bigalow

Head of Partner Marketing, Fire TV at Amazon; ’94 BA Communication Studies, The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Jamia Bigalow has served as the head of partner marketing for Fire TV at Amazon since January 2021. She previously was the senior vice president of distribution marketing for Fox Networks, Director of Affiliate marketing for the NFL, and Director of Affiliate Marketing at The Walt Disney Co. As a student, Bigalow was a member of Delta Gamma Sorority.

Christine Devine

Anchor, Fox 11 Los Angeles; ’87 BA, Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication

Christine Devine has been an anchor at KTTV Fox 11 for more than 30 years. She currently anchors the 5 p.m., 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. weeknight newscasts. In 1995, she
started a weekly TV adoption segment “Wednesday’s Child,” which has helped more than 500 children from foster care find families. She has 16 Emmys, including the Governor’s Award from the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. She has served as a Trustee of ASU and previously was a member of the ASU Alumni Association National Council. In 2001, she was inducted into the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communications Hall of Fame and received the ASU Founder’s Day Alumni Achievement Award in 2002. She received a bachelor’s degree in broadcasting from ASU in 1987. As a student, Devine was a Medallion of Merit scholarship recipient and was part of the Leadership Scholarship Program. Cal State LA and the California State University Board of Trustees conferred an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters to her during the Commencement ceremony for the Rongxiang Xu College of Health and Human Services class of 2020, on July 26, 2021.

Leila M. “Lily” Fizzy

Vice President for Business Affairs, Sony Pictures Television; ’98 BS Political Science, The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences; ’02 JD, Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law

Lily Fizzy moved into her present role at Sony Pictures Television in April 2019, where she is responsible for negotiating development and production agreements. She has been with the company since June 2007, starting as the director of business affairs for Sony Pictures Television Networks. She was one of six entertainment law experts to participate in a 2009 symposium at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law. As an ASU student, she was a member of Devils’ Advocates, was employed at the Memorial Union and was part of the Leadership Scholarship Program.

Julia N. Fuller

Chief Operating Officer, Seduire Wine; ’04 BS Design – Architectural Studies, Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts

Darlene Gartrell

Aon Senior Vice President, Claims Counsel; ’92 JD, Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law

Darlene Gartrell is a Senior Vice President, Claims Counsel for Aon, one of the world’s largest insurance brokerage companies. She began her career in the insurance industry at Chubb Group of Insurance Companies, where she held the position of Directors & Officers Claims Examiner managing executive liability claims for a variety of insureds. Prior to embarking on her in-house insurance roles, she was an Associate Attorney with Atkins & Evans, LLP specializing in tort defense litigation. Gartrell is a diversity champion and has held leadership positions in Aon’s multiple Business Resource Groups. Gartrell has been recognized by Diversity MBA Magazine as a 2010 Top 100 under 50 Emerging and Executive Leaders’, a 2015 Volunteer of the Year finalist by the Los Angeles Business Journal, 2011 Executive Champion for the March of Dimes, and was profiled in Life Moments for Women, 100+ Extraordinary California Women Share Turning Points in Their Lives (Blue Point Books). Gartrell is a Trustee of California College of ASU.

Rabih N. Gholam

Head of Alternative/Unscripted, Innovative Artists Talent and Literary Agency LA; ’96 BA History, The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Rabih Gholam has had a long career working in unscripted and reality television. Before joining Innovative Artists Talent, he was the president of unscripted content for Studio71 and was the executive vice president of unscripted media at Ryan Seacrest Productions. As an ASU student, he was a member of Devils’ Advocates and Sigma Phi Epsilon, worked at the Memorial Union and was part of the Leadership Scholarship Program. In October 2023, Gholam was inducted in The College Leaders of ASU’s The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Austin Howe

Regional Vice President for Healthcare Security, Blackstone Consulting, Inc.; ’08 BA Global Studies, The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences; ’08 BS Political Science, The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Austin Howe, MHS, is the Regional Vice President for Healthcare Security, Blackstone Consulting, Inc. He is responsible for all contracted physical security operations within the Southern California Kaiser Permanente Hospitals and Medical Office Buildings. Howe is also a private consultant for susceptible facilities in natural or potentially man-made disaster areas. Since 2016, Austin continues to enjoy teaching for the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) Extension program in the areas of public health, business continuity, emergency management, security and crisis communications. He also holds a master’s degree in Homeland Security and has spent time training with the Israel Defense Forces in counter-terrorism measures. He is a graduate of Class 6 of the ASU Leadership Institute.

Matt Michalowski

Co-Founder, Mind/Matter; ’09 BS Finance, W. P. Carey School of Business

Matt Michalowski co-founded Mind/Matter, a creative agency providing real-time marketing using new processes, frameworks, tools and rules. Prior to this newest venture, from September 2022 to May 2024, Michalowski was a managing director and a member of the board of directors at Tommy, a creative and production studio based in London. In March 2012, he founded and served as president for nearly 11 years of PXL, a full-service marketing agency specializing in web, mobile, social media and experiential activations. He’s an honoree of Sun Devil 100 classes 2016 and 2021.

Rick Noguchi

President & CEO, California Humanities; ’93 MFA Creative Writing, The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Rick Noguchi is the President and CEO of California Humanities. Previously, he was the Chief Operating Officer at the Japanese American National Museum, Founder of Artifac(s)tory, the Senior Program Officer for The James Irvine Foundation, and the Program Officer in Arts and Human Development for California Community Foundation. He is a published poet and children’s book author, his books include “The Ocean Inside Kenji Takezo,” “The Wave He Caught” and “Flowers from Mariko.” Noguchi earned his bachelor’s degree in English from California State University, Long Beach, and his MBA from Pepperdine University. He is a board member of the California Association of Museums and previously served as a member of the Cultural Equity and Inclusion Initiative Advisory Committee in the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture.

C. Frederick “Fred” Reish Jr.

Partner, Faigre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP; ’68 BS Accounting, W. P. Carey School of Business

Fred Reish has been a partner at Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP, a full-service national law firm headquartered in Philadelphia, since 2011. He serves as the chair of the firm’s fiduciary services ERISA team and is a member of its retirement income team. Reish is a Trustee of ASU, and he previously served on the Alumni Association board and the ASU 2020 campaign council. Reish also serves as a Trustee of California College of ASU. As a student, he was president of the ASU student government, a member of the student alumni association and a member of Theta Delta Chi. He has a juris doctor from the University of Arizona in 1969.

Josh Schimmels

Publisher and CEO, Los Angeles Business Journal; ’98 BA, Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication ’06 MBA, W. P. Carey School of Business

Josh Schimmels has been in his current role with the Los Angeles Business Journal (LABJ) since April 2020. Previously he served as associate publisher and vice president from 2010 to 2015 at LABJ. Prior to returning to LABJ, he was with Phoenix-based AZ Big Media, where he served as publisher, contributing six years at the company in two different roles. AZ Big Media publishes nine magazines including Arizona Business magazine, AZRE and Ranking Arizona. It also hosts one of the state’s most visited websites with an array of digital offerings.

Gabriel Shahin

Founder, Falcon Wealth Planning, Inc.; ’06 BS Business Administration, W. P. Carey School of Business

Gabriel Shahin is the founder of Falcon Wealth Planning, Inc. and is a Certified
Financial Planner (CFP). He is also the host of a radio show called “More Knowledge, More Wealth” that airs every Saturday from 12:30–1 p.m.. In addition, he is a general partner with Falcon Wealth Tax Services, LLP, the president of the Financial Community Education Foundation, and an investment consultant with TD Ameritrade. Shahin has a degree in financial planning from Boston University, and an MBA with a focus in Accounting from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He is a member of the classes of 2018, 2022, 2023 and 2024 of the Sun Devil 100. Falcon Wealth Management was the no. 1 fastest growing company in the 2018 Sun Devil 100 and the No. 1 fastest growing company is the mid-size category in 2022.

Stephen D. Stein

Managing Partner, Tauro Capital Advisors Inc.; ’79 BS Advertising, W. P. Carey School of Business

Stephen Stein has been managing partner of Tauro Capital Advisors Inc. since August 2017 and served as president of its predecessor organization, Tauro Real Estate Investment Services, beginning April 2014. During his 30-year career, Stein has helped clients source capital for construction, bridge and permanent financing. Prior to his roles at Tauro Capital Advisors, he was with Marcus & Millichap and George Smith Partners Inc.

Stephen M. Teglas

President, Hybrid Digital, Hybrid Apparel; ’89 BS Finance, W. P. Carey School of Business

In 2023, Stephen Teglas joined Hybrid Apparel leading Hybrid Digital and its brands such as NFL, Disney, Beatles and others. Prior to Hybrid Digital, Teglas led two start-up companies – RECUR and Cool Cats – in the web3/blockchain industry as CEO and President. Before RECUR, he was a senior vice president and general manager at Warner Bros. Entertainment, overseeing its North American consumer products division. Prior to that, Teglas spent 25 years at the Walt Disney Company where he last served as the senior vice president of retail sales, marketing and business development. He was the recipient of an ASU Founders’ Day Alumni Achievement Award in 2012. As an ASU student, he was a member of Sigma Chi. Teglas’ son, Cole, graduated from ASU in 2024 and also a member of Sigma Chi fraternity.

Tracy Thurman

Vice President, Product Design, Disney Parks, Experiences and Products; ’93 BS Industrial Design, Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts

Tracy Thurman is a creative leader and innovator in the toy and consumer product industry, leading global product design at The Walt Disney Company for the Disney Parks, Experiences and Products Division. Over her career, she has created and launched numerous new product lines and has led product design for many well-known toy and product brands. She started her career as an industrial design consultant and toy inventor. She has designed for Mattel and Spin Master, before becoming a creative design and licensing executive at Disney. Her products have had ten nominations for the Toy of the Year Award in the last 15 years and have received four design patents. Thurman has won two nominations for the Wonder Woman in Toys Award. Her father, Chris Bartelson, is also an ASU alumnus, and she has two children at ASU. Her son, Chance, graduated in May 2024 with an engineering degree and is a member of Phi Kappa Theta fraternity. Her daughter, Katie, is a junior studying education and is a member of Pi Beta Phi sorority. While at ASU, Thurman was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority.

David Werner

COO and Co-Founder, The Feel Good Company; ’07 BS Finance, W. P. Carey School of Business (Barrett, The Honors College); ’07 BS Economics, W. P. Carey School of Business (Barrett, The Honors College)

David Werner is the COO and Co-Founder of The Feel Good Company (TFGCo), a collective of emerging health and wellness franchised brands. Included in the TFGCo portfolio are Squeeze, a massage concept, Okay Humans, a modern approach to mental health / talk therapy, and Brightside, an infrared yoga and sauna studio. His background is primarily in technology and operations, having held leadership positions at multiple VC-backed startups, including HopSkipDrive, a rideshare service for kids where he led Product and Operations, and LivingSocial (since acquired by Groupon), where he was General Manager for a $100M+ physical goods business. While at ASU, he started an IT sales and consulting business out of his dorm room named University Geeks. Werner earned an MBA at the University of Southern California. A lifelong Sun Devil, he met his wife at ASU and got married in the Secret Garden on campus. While at ASU, Werner was the Homecoming King in 2005, the 2007 Outstanding Graduating Senior for the W. P. Carey Business Honors program, a member of the Leadership Scholarship Program, led local Government Relations for the Undergraduate Student Government, and a member of additional clubs and activities.

Gregory N. “Greg” Whitney

Senior Vice President- Development, Poag Shopping Centers; ’88 BS Real Estate, W. P. Carey School of Business

Greg Whitney joined Poag Shopping Centers in September 2022. Prior to that he served as the senior vice president for retail development at JLL where he identified development opportunities within the West Coast region, implementing strategies and overseeing the successful completion of projects. Previously, he was with Wilson Meany and CBRE, where he spent 24 years. He has served as a guest lecturer for the University of Southern California’s Master of Real Estate Development program. As a student, he was a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon.

Orange County leadership council

Greg Adams

Vice President, Sales Operations and Customer Service, Pepsico (Retired); ’86 BS Communication, The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Greg Adams was named vice president of sales operations and customer service for Pepsico in February 2019. He worked for the company for more than 33 years, previously serving as the senior director of sales and warehouse operation for the California/Nevada region and vice president sales operations for its Great West business unit. Before joining Pepsico, Adams was a sales representative and district and area manager for E&J Gallo Winery. As an ASU student, he was a member of Alpha Tau Omega and active in the Residence Hall Association.

Tracee L. Larocca

Chief Marketing Officer, OCV!BE Sports and Entertainment; ’94 BA, Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication

Tracee Larocca is the chief marketing officer for OCV!BE Sports and Entertainment. Previously she served as the senior vice president, global brand creative for Taco Bell from 2018 until June 2022. In that role, Larocca led the company’s advertising, sports, social and music partnerships and led its in-house public relations and creative agency teams. She managed the Taco Bell brand repositioning to its well-known ‘Live Más’ slogan and oversaw such successful product launches as Doritos Locos Tacos, Taco Bell Breakfast and Nacho Fries. Before joining Taco Bell in 1999, Larocca held positions at Playmates Toys, Disney Consumer Products and Anheuser Busch. She received a 2020 Working Mothers of the Year award from She Runs It, a nonprofit organization serving women in advertising, and was named to the Top 100 Women in Brand Marketing by Brand-Innovation.com.

Ryan Moore

President and Chief Growth Officer, ATI Restoration; ’09 BIS Interdisciplinary Studies, College of Integrative Sciences and Arts

Ryan Moore is the president and chief growth officer of ATI Restoration, a family operated disaster recovery services firm with operations in 23 states. Moore leads the human resources, recruitment and training operations for the company. He has volunteered his time with organizations including Ronald McDonald House Charities, United Cerebral Palsy and the Orangewood Children’s Foundation. He is a member of the Sun Devil 100 Class of 2024, an awards program recognizing alumni business leaders.

Jeffrey R. “Jeff” Preston BJ’s

Vice President of Supply Chain, Restaurants Inc.; ’89 BS Real Estate, W. P. Carey School of Business

Jeff Preston is the vice president of supply chain at BJ’s Restaurant Inc., a restaurant chain operating in over 25 states. Prior to assuming his current role, he served as the director of purchasing and product development for The Johnny Rockets Group Inc., a restaurant franchise based in Los Angeles. He has an MBA from California State Polytechnic University – Pomona.

Jason Rupp

Partner, AO (formerly Architects Orange); ’11 BS Political Science, The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Jason Rupp is a Partner with AO, a full-service architectural, master planning and design firm. He leads the overall structured parking group and has been involved in every aspect of parking design for many uses including retail, office, multifamily and hospitality. Prior to working at AO, he has worked at CEI Architecture Planning Interiors, Innovative Design Group and Parkitects. He earned his bachelor’s degree in political science and during his undergraduate career he was involved in the Student Senate and the University Design Review committee.

Clay J. Sanger

CEO, Earthbar; ’95 BS Criminal Justice Studies, The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Clay Sanger serves as the CEO for Earthbar, a restaurant operation that develops vitamins, smoothies, juices and personalized wellness education plans for its customers. Prior to joining Earthbar, he served as the CEO for Superfood Holdings, LLC, a private investment firm focused on consumer-facing health and wellness brands. Sanger has more than 30 years of experience in the restaurant industry and was part of the team that oversaw the 2009 merger of Panera and Paradise Bakery.

Drew D. Senner

Vice President of Sales and Customer Success, Qualitest; ’97 BS Communications, The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Drew Senner serves as the vice president of sales and customer success at Qualitest, an IT consulting and AI-powered quality engineering firm based in London. Prior to assuming this role, he served as the organization’s vice president of sales. He also has held executive roles at software and technology firms such as LoadSpring Solutions, Hiperwall and Tone Software Corp. As an ASU student, he was on the swim and dive team and was the president of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity.

Bruce R. Thomas

Managing Partner, BioMed Development; ’93 BS Construction, Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering

Bruce Thomas serves as a managing partner for BioMed Development, a real estate development company focused on office, laboratory, and incubation space for biomedicine, biotechnology and biosport industries. He is also the owner of the Thomas Advisory Group, a real estate and development firm. Prior to these roles, Thomas served as the vice president of development for Hotel Financial Strategies, where he was responsible for development services, architect selection and marketing prospective investors. While at ASU, Thomas played for the men’s basketball team.

Kevin D. Tomkins

Regional Vice President, PTC; ’93 BA Communication Studies, The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Kevin Tomkins serves as the regional vice president for Power to Create (PTC), a software development company. He has been with PTC for over 26 years and served as its senior regional director before assuming his current role. Prior to joining PTC, he served as a sales manager for Neopost, a postage company based in Los Angeles. He served as a member of ASU’s Alumni Ambassadors and has hosted ASU send-off events for new incoming ASU students from the San Gabriel Valley for more than 10 years with his family. He also helps run golf tournaments and tailgates for Sun Devil Athletics on his custom ASU golf cart. As an ASU student, he participated in intramural sports and was a member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity.

Pamela Williamson

Vice President, Marketing Cloud – Retail Sales, Salesforce; ’98 BA Communication Studies, The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences; ’02 MBA, W. P. Carey School of Business

Pamela Williamson is the vice president, Marketing Cloud - Retail Sales, at Salesforce, where she has worked for more than five years in a variety of roles. Prior to her time with Salesforce, she held positions within Catalina USA, FIJI Water and Molson Coors Beverage Co. She is currently a member of the Fowler Scholars Curriculum Advisory Board at San Diego State University. While an undergraduate student at ASU, Williamson was a part of the Reach Organization.

San Diego leadership council

Kathleen ‘Bade’ Bolitho

Anchor, Former FOX 5 San Diego; ’90 BA, Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication

Kathleen ‘Bade’ Bolitho was the primetime anchor for FOX 5 News since the station’s launch in 2008 through July 2024. Prior to that, she was with KFMB-TV Channel 8 (a CBS affiliate) in San Diego. Bade got her first on-air job in Yuma at KYMA, where she began as an evening weather caster and fill-in anchor. In 2004, was named to the Cronkite Alumni Hall of Fame. While at ASU, she served as a Devils’ Advocate and was a member of the ASU cheer team. Bade earned a broadcast meteorology degree and certification from Mississippi State University.

Rodger Dougherty

Senior Director of Public Affairs & Communications, Kaiser Permanente San Diego County; ’87 BS Psychology, The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Rodger Dougherty is the senior director of public affairs and communications for Kaiser Permanente. He leads the health plan, hospital and medical group marketing and public relations that includes 30 medical facilities with two acute care hospitals. Previously, he served as the vice president of marketing and public relations for neoIT, and director of public affairs for Cox Communications. Prior to his career in public affairs, Dougherty was with Rural Metro Fire Department and served as a fire captain and paramedic. Dougherty has been on the San Diego Holiday Bowl Committee since 2007 and served on the Holiday Bowl board of directors for two years. While at ASU, he was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon. He earned an MBA from the University of Phoenix in 1996.

Nick Dove

President, Heritage Global Partners; ’12 BA Business Communication, W. P. Carey School of Business

Nick Dove is the President of Heritage Global Partners, a global leader in industrial auctions. Dove oversees and manages all activities, operations and corporate developments of HGP, while also serving as President of Industrial Assets for Heritage Global Inc., HGP’s publicly traded parent company (NASDAQ: HGBL). Dove is responsible for the oversight of all three Industrial Asset business units – HGP, Heritage Global Valuations, and American Laboratory Trading, a subsidiary acquired in August 2021. Dove graduated cum laude with a bachelor’s degree from the W. P. Carey School of Business. While at ASU, he worked in Sun Devil Athletics in season ticket and group sales for nearly two years. He is a licensed auctioneer in multiple states and a graduate of the Missouri Auction School. In 2019, he was appointed to the Board of Directors for the Industrial Auctioneers Association and is presently serving as Treasurer. Dove also serves on the Sales Advisory Counsel for the W. P. Carey School of Business’ Sales Scholars program, to which his company (HGP), contributes an annual scholarship.

Jose A. ‘Tony’ Garcia

Co-Founder, Principal, Asquared Studios Inc.; ’95 BSD Architectural Studies, Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts

Tony Garcia and fellow ASU alum Jessie Whitesides founded Asquared Studios Inc., an architecture design firm, in 2005. Garcia oversees the firm’s La Mesa, California, office while Whitesides runs its Santa Rosa, California, office. Before launching the firm, Garcia served as project designer and manager for CCBG Architects 1999–2005. He previously had been an intern at the firm. In 2018, he received the Young Architects Award from the American Institute of Architecture in recognition of both his award-winning projects and his willingness to mentor architecture students. Garcia has been included in the ASU Alumni Association’s Sun Devil 100 honorees for four straight years beginning in 2018.

Chris Garrett

Director, Institutional Group, Brandes Investment Partners; ’89 BS Finance, W. P. Carey School of Business

Chris Garrett has served as the director of the institutional group at Brandes Investment Partners since January 2017. Before assuming his current role, Garrett was the CEO of Brandes Investment Partners (Asia). He has been with the firm for more than 21 years. Before joining Brandes, Garrett was an emerging markets equity analyst at Dupont Capital Management. From September 1994 to July 1995, Garrett was a program officer for Black Entrepreneurship Enterprise Support, working in the Johannesburg, South Africa area. As an ASU student, he was a wide receiver for the ASU football team 1985-1988 seasons. Garrett is a member of the ASU Alumni Association Board of Directors. He earned his MBA from Columbia University in 1996.

Lindsay Kotas

Director of Sales and Marketing, The US GRANT Hotel; ’03 BS Speech and Hearing Services, College of Health Solutions

Lindsay Kotas has been the Director of Sales and Marketing for The US GRANT, A Luxury Collection Hotel, part of Marriott International Inc., since March 2017. She is a veteran in the hospitality industry, and previously held the position of director of sales at Starwood San Diego Complex, and The US GRANT and The Westin San Diego Gaslamp. Kotas has served as chairwoman of the City Center Business District of San Diego, and previously served as the treasurer of the organization from 2019 to 2022. Kotas is a former board member with the ASU Alumni Association’s San Diego Alumni Chapter. While at ASU, she was a member of Gamma Phi Beta, START, served as a Devils’ Advocate and participated in intramural sports teams.

Mark McKenna

CEO and Founder, McKenna Capital; ’02 BS Marketing, W. P. Carey School of Business

Mark McKenna is CEO and Founder of McKenna Capital. Previously, he served as president and CEO of Prometheus Biosciences since 2019. Prometheus Biosciences, a biotechnology company that develops precision medicines for immune-mediated diseases, was acquired by Merck in June 2023. Prior to that, McKenna served as president of Salix Pharmaceuticals, a subsidiary of Bausch Health Companies. Before joining the firm, McKenna held various positions over 10 years with Bausch + Lomb, another Bausch Health Systems subsidiary. He is a former national board member of Optometry Giving Sight, a global fundraising initiative to help those with impaired vision. McKenna earned his MBA from Azusa Pacific University in 2004.

Erin Mott

Head of Worldwide Marketing, Z by HP; ’94 BS Finance, W. P. Carey School of Business (Barrett, The Honors College)

Erin Mott has been the head of worldwide marketing for Z by HP since March 2020. Z by HP is a high-end computer brand that also encompasses virtual reality, and retail and industry solutions product lines. Prior to joining HP, Mott was head of marketing for Aqua Lung, a water-sports equipment manufacturer. She also spent almost 15 years at General Mills, rising from associate marketing manager to director of global marketing and was for a time based in the Lausanne, Switzerland area. While at ASU, she was a Devils’ Advocate, Director of the ASASU Concert Series, and in the Leadership Scholarship Program. Mott earned her MBA from the University of Michigan in 1999.

Robert Rauch

Founder, Chairman and CEO, RAR Hospitality; ’86 MS Recreation, Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions

Bob Rauch founded RAR Hospitality, a hotel management and consulting company, in 1990. The company provides management services to more than 15 hotels in California, Colorado and Arizona, including one each in Phoenix and Tempe. A recognized expert in the hospitality industry, Rauch runs the blog hotelguru.com, in which he writes about industry news and trends. Rauch also recently retired from serving as a faculty associate for the ASU School of Community Resources and Development. He is a director of the San Diego Tourism Authority and the Carlsbad (CA) Tourism Business Improvement District and is a founding director of the San Diego Tourism Marketing District. He also served on the Campaign ASU 2020 campaign council. Rauch earned his bachelor’s degree in hospitality management from Western International University.

Elizabeth Sperling

Partner, Glaser Weil; ’98 Communication, The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Elizabeth Sperling is a litigation partner and co-office managing partner at Glaser Weil in San Diego. Prior to that, she had been a partner at Alston & Bird LLP since 2006, and previously an associate at Snell and Wilmer. She is licensed to practice in all state and federal courts of California and Arizona, as well as the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and has been recognized as a Rising Star by Southern California Super Lawyers every year since 2009. She is the former chair of the Ark Theatre Company. Sperling earned her law degree from the University of Arizona in 2002.

Jody James Watkins

CEO, Vertical MVMT; ’91 BS business operations/production management, W. P. Carey School of Business

Jody James Watkins is the CEO of Vertical MVMT, an infill development firm. Prior to that, in 2004 he founded and served as the CEO of Watkins Landmark Construction. He also has served as Project Manager for Clark Construction and DPR Construction, Inc. Watkins Landmark Construction has been recognized in the Sun Devil 100 classes of 2016, 2022 and 2023. While at ASU, he was a member of Phi Gamma Delta fraternity.

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