Board of Directors
The Arizona Center for Afterschool Excellence
Officers
President
Julie Euber
CEO
SARSEF
Julie Euber is CEO of SARSEF. In this role, she builds and supports
a strong community of staff, board members, partners, and supporters that can strategically bring SARSEF closer to its mission
of creating Arizona’s next generation of critical thinkers and
problem solvers through science and engineering. Previously, she served as TGen’s Manager of Education and Outreach where she increased the community’s working knowledge of genomics and educated, trained, and inspired the next generation of researchers and physicians. She holds a BA in Anthropology and English with a minor in biology from Indiana University and earned her MA in Anthropology with a focus in Bioarchaeology from Arizona State University.
Julie is an alumna of City Year New York and the American Express Leadership Academy at the ASU Lodestar Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Innovation. She was President of the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network of Phoenix in 2020, received a Tucson 40 under 40 award in 2021, graduated from the Greater Tucson Leadership Lead Tucson program in 2022, and was a Flinn-Brown Fellow with the Arizona Center for Civic Leadership at the Flinn Foundation in 2022. Currently, Julie serves as board president of the Arizona Center for Afterschool Excellence, a member of the Leadership Council for ASU Lodestar Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Innovation, a board member with the Arizona Natural History Museum Foundation, and treasurer of Birdability.
President Elect
Cynthia Garcia
Human Services Manager
City of Tempe, Kid Zone
With 25 years of experience in the out-of-school-time field, Cynthia is a passionate advocate for quality afterschool and enrichment opportunities for Arizona’s children and families. She has been involved with the Arizona Center for Afterschool Excellence (AzCASE) for many years and is proud to continue supporting its mission to strengthen and advance out-of-school-time opportunities across Arizona.
Cynthia currently serves as the Community Health and Human Services Manager for the City of Tempe, where she oversees the City’s Kid Zone Enrichment Program and Tempe PRE programs. Managing large-scale programs has reinforced her belief that investing in our young workforce is just as important as investing in the children and families we serve. She is passionate about creating opportunities for emerging professionals to develop their skills, discover their strengths, and grow into the next generation of leaders in the out-of-school-time field and beyond.
Cynthia believes every child deserves access to safe, high-quality spaces and caring adults during the hours outside of the traditional school day. She knows the relationships children build with caring adults can have a lasting impact on their confidence, development, and future success.
Her passion for education and youth development was inspired by her parents, who were both educators and instilled in her a deep belief in the power of education and the importance of caring adults in a child’s life. Cynthia earned her degree in Elementary Education from Arizona State University and has dedicated her career to serving children, families, communities, and the professionals who make a difference in their lives.
Treasurer
Lisa Murphy
Accounting and Human Resources Director
GCON, Inc.
My personal mission has always been to serve. Starting my career
in the government and nonprofit sectors and then moving to a for profit Construction Company to serve as the VP of Accounting and HR was a big leap later in my career, but it’s been a growth opportunity I couldn’t have fathomed. Find the employer and leaders who match your ethics and personal vision & mission and never stop learning and growing.
GCON is a dynamic, full-service construction management
company serving a diverse portfolio of clients across the US, including high-tech/mission critical to healthcare, education,
office, industrial, retail, and more.
Secretary
Amy Flynn
Technology Continuity and Resiliency, Assistant Vice President
Wells Fargo
Amy is a technology professional with twenty years of nonprofit experience, touching administration, operations and programs.
After roles in various Arizona nonprofits, including as Head of Technology and COO, she made the jump into work at a for-profit
in fintech. While a tough decision, her service at AZCase allows
her to continue to give back to the Arizona community. In her
free time she enjoys traveling with her two kids and trying to
keep up with a high energy cattle dog.
Board Members
Bethany Taylor
President
Good Works Grant Writing
Early in her career, Bethany Taylor realized that volunteering on the weekends alone did not give her the personal satisfaction she was seeking, so she left her job in the entertainment industry and made the switch to the nonprofit sector – and she has never looked back. For more than 20 years now, Bethany has worked as a fundraiser, starting as a major gifts officer for Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, later heading up development for the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communications at Arizona State University, and then serving as the Chief Development Officer for Make-A-Wish® Arizona. In 2011, Bethany launched Good Works Grant Writing as a way to support a variety of nonprofits in their fundraising endeavors. She feels blessed to have had the opportunity to work with dozens of nonprofits since launching the company, helping them fuel their GOOD WORKS in the community. Since its inception, Good Works Grant Writing has secured more than $85 million in government, corporate and foundation grants for our clients. Bethany has earned her Masters in Nonprofit Students from Arizona State University, a bachelor’s in communications and in history from the University of Tennessee, and a certificate in fundraising from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Manny Padia
Recreation Administrator
City of Glendale Parks and Recreation Department
Manny Padia has been playing in parks and recreation for more than 20 years. He’s served as a clinical assistant professor at Arizona State University, has worked in several municipalities and is an adjunct faculty at Glendale Community College. He is currently working in the City of Glendale as a Recreation Administrator.
Manny graduated from Arizona State University with a B.S. in Recreation & Tourism Management and from Northern Arizona University with an M. Ed. in Educational Leadership. He is a Certified Parks and Recreation Professional and served a one-year commitment as an After School Ambassador for the National Afterschool Association.
Kari Taylor
Program Coordinator, Schools
Read Better Be Better
Earlier in her career, Kari held program leadership roles with Playworks Arizona and supported in developing a nationally used afterschool leadership curriculum now implemented in more than 1,200 schools. She also brings experience as an elementary educator, grounding their work in both classroom practice and systems-level thinking.
Dallas Thomas
Director, Arts Integration Programs
Literacy Connects
Dallas Thomas is the Director of Arts Integration Programs at Literacy Connects, an Arizona-based nonprofit, where she leads a mission-driven team of artists and educators creating youth-centered literacy, arts, and storytelling programs. She has worked in theatre education, program development, and production management for over 20 years.
Dallas is committed to expanding access to creative learning opportunities that amplify youth voice, build community, and support meaningful out-of-school time experiences. She is passionate about the role of storytelling, collaboration, and the arts in helping young people recognize the value of their own ideas and their ability to contribute to their communities.
Sean Ryan
Research Associate
Center for STEM Teaching and Learning
NAU
Mr. Ryan is a Research Associate, who focuses on collaborative grant implementation, cultivation of community partnerships, and facilitation of STEM professional development linking research and education. He was a 3rd-5th grade teacher for 9 years with Flagstaff Unified School District and has been supporting STEM Education in and out of school time programs for 10 years at NAU. He was born in Philadelphia, grew up in Flagstaff, and has undergraduate and master’s degrees from the University of Arizona in Tucson. He loves Arizona and the Southwest, hands-on learning, and being outdoors.
Stephen Wright
Attorney
Snell and Wilmer
I am a commercial real estate and corporate attorney at Snell and Wilmer with a practice dedicated to guiding clients through complex real estate transactions, development projects, leasing agreements, and the formation of private equity funds and syndication vehicles. I also assist with SEC compliance, ensuring investments meet regulatory standards. As a proud Arizona native and graduate of Saguaro High School, I am deeply connected to the local community and passionate about contributing to its growth through my work.
Brian Carrico
Director of Programs
ICAN: Positive Programs for Youth
Emeritus Board Members
JoAnne Hilde
Facilitator
The Education Coalition