Az Business and AZRE magazines announced the publications’ lists of the Most Influential Women in Arizona of 2022 including, Breanna Naegeli, dean of the Honors College at Grand Canyon University (GCU). In celebration of the 11th anniversary of the Most Influential Women program, azbigmedia.com is profiling one of the Most Influential Women of 2022 each day leading up to the Most Influential Women of 2022 dinner and reception.


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The Most Influential Women for 2022 will be honored at a reception on August 25 at Chateau Luxe in Phoenix. For sponsorship information, email Amy.Lindsey@azbigmedia.com. For information about the event honoring the Most Influential Women, email Lynette.Carrington@azbigmedia.com or click here. To buy tickets, click here.

Breanna Naegeli, associate dean, GCU

BACKGROUND: Breanna J. Naegeli, PhD, is the dean of the Honors College and Global Studies Department at Grand Canyon University (GCU) in Phoenix, Arizona. She has been with GCU for more than 12 years, and most notably, has pioneered the launch, exponential growth and brand recognition of the university’s ninth official college. The college started in 2013 with 59 students and anticipates more than 3,000 honors students in the upcoming fall term.

SOURCE OF PRIDE: “There are three different points throughout my career where I was given a brand new department and brand new initiative and was expected to get that idea — that vague and ambiguous idea — off the ground. And one of those was the Honors College which is GCU’s ninth official college. We started with just 59 students and that has grown in less than a decade to more than 3,000 students enrolled for the next academic year.”  

SURPRISING FACT: “My sister-in-law and I have the same full name, so when receiving this honor, I had to double check that this was actually meant for me! She is far more influential as a leader, and I admire her for her work ethic, discipline and for the servant heart she leads with!”

SOURCE OF INSPIRATION: “Although I am blessed to be embraced and encouraged by numerous, strong female leaders within my family and throughout the GCU community, my grandmother, Thelma Boling, has been the most inspirational in my life. She has accomplished incredible feats with limited resources and support and continually seeks to serve others. I am also deeply inspired by my colleagues and friends, Anya Cofrancesco and Bianca Boling, for they are the epitome of grit, perseverance and discipline.”

Most Influential Women in Arizona Business for 2022

Dr. Suzanne Bentz, Red Mountain Weight Loss

Stephanie A. Bivens, Bivens & Associates

Rachel M. Bond, MD, Dignity Health

Suzanne Boyles, City of Buckeye

Alaina Chabrier, SRP

Margaret Chamberlain, OneAZ Credit Union

Rachel Davis-Schultz, CopperPoint Insurance Companies 

Jennifer Delgado, Burch & Cracchiolo

Brigitte Finley Green, Engelman Berger

Lin Sue Flood, Hospice of the Valley

Christine Gannon, BrightWorks Consulting

Karen Hoffman Tepper, PhD, Terros Health

Dawn Jones, Intel

Lisa Lovallo, Cox Communications

Lyndel Manson, Arizona Board of Regents

Carli Ann McClure, Grant Thornton

Karla Morales, Arizona Technology Council

Emily Nachlas, Western Alliance Bancorporation

Breanna Naegeli, PhD, Grand Canyon University

Shar Najafi-Piper, PhD, Copa Health

Christina Noyes, Gust Rosenfeld

Grace O’Sullivan, Arizona State University

Reena Rastogi, MD, Phoenix Children’s Hospital

Sara Regan, Desert Financial Credit Union

Karen Roch,  Credit Union West

Lisa Rulney, University of Arizona

Melanie Smihula, Edkey Sequoia Schools

Sherry Stotler, Valleywise Health

Lynn Toler, TV judge and host 

Kelli Tonkin, Enterprise Bank & Trust

Telle VanTrojen, Geneva Financial

Ruth Veloria, University of Phoenix

Amy Walters, Cancer Treatment Centers of America

Annabel Whiting, PNC

Reine Yazbeck Hamilton, Wells Fargo 

Sandra Zebrowski, MD, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona

Most Influential Women in Commercial Real Estate for 2022

Morgan Betancourt, project director, Okland Construction 

Keri Davies, partner, LevRose Commercial Real Estate

Alicia Hardwick, leasing manager, Prologis

Michelle Heeb, president and CEO, Forward Tilt

Dani Huval, business development director, Chasse Building Team

Bev Jensen, regional operations manager, Colliers

Carrie Kelly, executive director, Arizona Association for Economic Development

Alexandra Loye, executive managing director, Cushman & Wakefield

Stephanie Maderazzo-Hughes, CEO and COO, Canyon State Electric

Nancy McClure, first vice president, CBRE

Kathleen Morgan, managing director, Newmark

Vicki Robinson, senior vice president, JLL

Heather Skinner, vice president of global real estate, JP Morgan Chase

Angela Watson, president and CEO, Shepley Bulfinch