Each year, Az Business magazine, a publication of AZ Big Media, presents the Champions of Change Awards to recognize those dynamic innovators and trailblazers who are changing Arizona’s business landscape through leadership, visionary thinking and philanthropy. The Champions of Change Awards honor both individuals and organizations. The Champions of Change Awards will be held Tuesday, May 13, 2025. Each day leading up to the event, we will preview one category of finalists. Today, meet the Champions of Change finalists for nonprofit leader of the year.
The winner of the Champions of Change award for nonprofit leader of the year will earn a grant from BOK Financial.
Sponsors of the Champions of Change Awards include BOK Financial and Diversified Partners (spotlight sponsors), Optum (dessert sponsor) and Wilde Wealth Management Group (step-and-repeat sponsor).
To learn more about the Champions of Change Awards of to purchase tickets, click here.
Nonprofit leader of the year finalists
Here are the Champions of Change Awards finalists for nonprofit leader of the year:
Jennifer Caraway, founder, The Joy Bus
Jennifer Caraway, the founder of The Joy Bus, exemplifies the qualities of an ideal nonprofit leader through her unwavering dedication, innovative approach, and profound impact on the community. Established in 2011, The Joy Bus addresses food insecurity among those battling cancer by providing free, nutritious meals to patients in need. Caraway’s personal experience with loss has fueled her passion for helping others, making her mission deeply personal and profoundly relatable.
Michelle DiMuro, executive director, Imprints of Honor
With over 25 years of strategic fundraising experience and 10 years leading Imprints of Honor, DiMuro has placed focus on building the organization inside and out. Under DiMuro’s leadership in 2024-25, the chapter program had 30 school partners, 305 student participants, 248 veterans who had their legacies preserved, awarded 11 scholarships to students and participated in over 40 civic engagement activities.
Jana Ferraro, executive director, Phoenix Community ToolBank
Executive director since Phoenix ToolBank’s 2015 inception, Ferraro diversified the non-profit from lending only tool and special event equipment to partnering with city entities, developing heat relief campaigns, delivery with U-Haul and more. The 8,000-square-foot warehouse holds 34,000 items. ToolBank’s impact in the community, and most notably, in the last two years, has exceeded any ToolBank affiliate, due to Ferraro’s leadership.
Tad Gary, CEO, Mercy Care
Gary, the CEO of Mercy Care, a not-for-profit health plan serving Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) members, has been at the frontlines of advancing health equity statewide for years. Currently, Mercy Care serves more than 475,000 Medicaid and Medicare members, and in his role, Gary is responsible for all health plan activities for all product lines.
Dr. Steven Hansen, president and CEO, Arizona Humane Society
Dr. Hansen is a transformational leader whose lifesaving vision extends beyond the walls of the Arizona Humane Society. His impact on animal welfare has not only transformed Maricopa County, but it has also set the standard of care for homeless pets on a national level. With Dr. Hansen’s leadership, AHS has grown to be the largest, privately funded shelter system in the United States.
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Heidi Hemp, founder, Hemp Legacy Foundation
Hemp is a driving force in Arizona’s nonprofit sector, transforming lives through her tireless dedication to serving those in crisis. As the founder of the Hemp Legacy Foundation, she has built a mission-driven organization that provides essential resources to over 40,000 individuals annually, including homeless individuals, veterans, survivors of sex trafficking, those recovering from addiction, and foster youth aging out of the system.
Mimi Hymel, founder and executive director, Comfort Bears in a Catastrophe
Hymel exemplifies what it means to be a dynamic innovator and trailblazer in the nonprofit world. As the visionary behind Comfort Bears in a Catastrophe, she has redefined how communities support children impacted by disasters. By providing comforting teddy bears and heartfelt cards, along with access to 24/7 free professional counseling, Hymel brings hope and healing to young survivors during their most challenging times.
Michael Jones, chairman, Delta Dental of Arizona Foundation
Jones is president and CEO of Delta Dental of Arizona as well as chairman of the Delta Dental of Arizona Foundation. Each year, under his leadership, Delta Dental has averaged $1.8 million in community giving, impacting an average of 293,000 Arizonans annually. Also under his leadership, in both 2023 and 2024, Delta Dental earned the Healthy Arizona Worksites Program Platinum Award.
Crisco Kidd, founder, Crisco’s Kids
Crisco Kidd is a visionary leader whose dedication to community service has made a profound impact across the Valley. Through his nonprofit, Crisco’s Kids, he has spent nearly two decades uplifting underserved youth and families, proving year after year that generosity knows no bounds. In December 2024, Crisco held his 18th annual Ton of Toys + Food Distribution, collecting more than 2,000 pounds of toys and 200 bikes.
Michelle Martinez, state advisor, SkillsUSA Arizona
Michelle Martinez leads SkillsUSA Arizona, the Arizona state chapter of the SkillsUSA, a workforce development organization aimed at empowering students to become skilled professionals, career-ready leaders, and responsible community members. SkillsUSA Arizona is the sixth largest state chapter in the nation, serving over 17,000 students. This organization provides opportunities for students to enhance their industry knowledge while working towards certifications and career pathways.
Kelly McGowan, executive director, Wildfire
McGowan leads Wildfire, one of the few nonprofits combatting poverty statewide. For more than 50 years, it has worked in the background to provide vital resources to tens of thousands of Arizonans in need – whether helping low-income families pay for utility bills and HVAC repairs or making it easier for vulnerable people to access essential benefits like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
Dr. Camea Peca, program director, Ruth Place
Ruth Place is a first-of-its-kind model community recovery program addressing chronic and complex trauma rooted in sexual assault, childhood sexual abuse, incest, and sexual trafficking. Ruth Place’s unique curriculum has been created by program director, Dr. Camea Peca, of the Arizona Trauma Institute, who has grown the program tenfold over the past 12 months.
Christina Spicer, co-CEO, Girl Scouts–Arizona Cactus-Pine Council
Spicer’s co-CEO title is often confusing as some think she and co-CEO Mary Mitchell divide duties or job share. Quite the contrary: the duo developed this innovative, collaborative, ego-less model for shared leadership to create broader and more holistic outcomes for GSACPC’s 13,000-plus girls in grades K-12 across central/northern Arizona.
Lauri Tanner, CEO, Treasure House
Tanner, the exceptional CEO of Treasure House, has been the driving force behind the transformative work of this organization. Under her leadership, Treasure House has flourished into a beacon of hope and inclusion for young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Tanner’s vision, unwavering commitment, and dedication to breaking down barriers have profoundly impacted the lives of both residents and the wider community.
Kristen Wilson, COO, Benevilla
Wilson’s leadership is critical to both her organizations and the nonprofits she serves. As the former CEO of AZ Impact for Good, Wilson helped Arizona nonprofits become as effective as possible in serving our communities through a broad spectrum of programs and initiatives, including capacity building efforts, public policy work, a broad spectrum of events, seminars and conferences. She joined Benevilla in March.
