Az Business and AZRE magazines announced the publications’ lists of the Most Influential Women in Arizona for 2020, including Carla Vargas Jasa, president and CEO of Valley of the Sun United Way. Each day, azbigmedia.com is profiling one of the Most Influential Women of 2020.
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The Most Influential Women for 2020 will be honored at a reception at a date TBD. For sponsorship information, click here or email Aseret.Arroyo@azbigmedia.com or call (602) 277-6045.
To buy copies of the Most Influential Women in Arizona issue, click here.
Today’s spotlight: Carla Vargas Jasa
President and CEO
Valley of the Sun United Way
Background: Vargas Jasa believes United Way belongs to its community, and in just over a year as CEO, has opened up Valley of the Sun United Way to the community, its 90,000 individual donors, 4,000 volunteers, 400 companies, and hundreds of nonprofits and school partners, to determine the Valley’s pressing issues and United Way’s role in solving them.
Professional advice: “My philosophy is to say ‘yes’ to new opportunities. Every opportunity is a chance to learn and grow. Raise your hand for new projects. Take on something outside of your role. Don’t say, ‘That’s not my job.’ You will learn, grow and ‘be seen.’ And, of course, learning the balance sheets is a MUST.”
Lesson learned in 2020: “Listening to learn, being transparent, and communicating clearly during the steady and not so steady times builds trust. When disruption inevitably strikes, as it has with COVID-19, it enables you to pivot nimbly, take some risks and to ask partners, supporters and staff to take dramatic, and sometimes uncomfortable, steps with you.”
Surprising fact: “I was first chair clarinet in my high school wind ensemble, rocked a mean marching band outfit on the football field, and played a solo to ‘Sweet Georgia Brown’ in my junior high jazz band. And, I’m an introvert.”
