2022 Diversity Champions

Chris Haines

 With 38 years in higher education, Chris Haines has led educational initiatives designed to support marginalized and at-risk populations to reduce barriers to access, such as the Hannelly Center One Stop Enrollment Center at Phoenix College and launching scholarships for DACA/Dreamer students. While coaching women’s sports at South Mountain Community College, she realized many of the players required flexible schedules to participate and she adjusted practice times to accommodate everybody. During the summer of 2020, the campus community was hurting from the tragic death of George Floyd. She held multiple town halls, and encouraged everyone to share their experiences. She quickly launched an extensive diversity, equity and inclusion committee to engage and support the campus community.

She serves on the Scottsdale Chamber of Commerce, Community Celebrating Diversity, East Valley Think Tank, City of Scottsdale Education Committee, Scottsdale Coalition of Today and Tomorrow (SCOTT) and Arizona Happy Tails Dog Rescue.

ANGELA HUGHEY

Angela Hughey exemplifies leadership through her work within the LGBTQ+ community and the broader business and political communities in Arizona. She co-founded ONE Community in 2008 with the goal of engaging socially responsible businesses, organizations and individuals who support and promote diversity, inclusion, equity and equality for all Arizonans.

In 2013, Angela and the ONE Community team launched the UNITY Pledge to advance workplace equality and equal treatment in housing and public accommodations for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBTQ) individuals and their allies. More than 3,300 businesses and 20,000 Arizonans have taken the UNITY Pledge, the largest equality pledge in the nation.

Angela has won multiple awards for her work on inclusion and awareness including the Human Rights Campaign Individual Equality Award, Echo Magazine’s Woman of the Year and the Anti-Defamation League’s Al Brooks Community Leadership Award. Angela is a 2021 Phoenix Business Journal, Most Admired Leader.

ALAN "AP" POWELL

Alan “AP” Powell is a serial entrepreneur, Gulf War Veteran, philanthropist and a renowned strategic consultant developing relationships for Fortune 500 companies. Powell is also the founder of the non-profit HeroZona Foundation which serves students and veterans by giving them access to educational opportunities to ensure they get to cross the “finish line.” The Foundation’s programs include HeroZona National Veteran Summit, Veterans Reach to Teach, Phoenix Tools 4 Schools, the Bridge Forum, Play It Forward, among many others. 

In addition, his foundation is working on a series of Bridge Forums in an effort to understand different perspectives, attitudes and beliefs about community policing. Previous topics discussed ways to better support veterans with recruitment, hiring, opportunities in service, veterans in crisis and support systems. Another one of his more recent projects includes the Play It Forward program, which exposes students to the arts at an early age with opportunities to learn, create and grow.

2022

Chris Haines

Angela Hughey

Alan "AP" Powell

2021

Dr. Jan Gehler
Chief Alan Rodbell

2020

Rosa Casas

Shannon Paloma

Peter Rusin

2019

Sharon Cini

Gary Griggs

2018

Marybell Ramirez-Deeds

André Watkins

2017

Gina Griffiths
Linda Walton

2016

Keiko Conn
Stanna-Michelle Slater

2015

Frances Ann Burruel
Lee and Ray Silverman

2014

Michele Halyard
Tom Henny
Jim and Cindy Hill

2013

Darrell Copp
Christine French
Mary Manross

2012

Wendy Lyons
Carolyn Repp