Az Business and AZRE magazines announced the publications’ lists of the Most Influential Women in Arizona of 2022 including, Melanie Smihula, executive director of Exceptional Student Services, Edkey Sequoia Schools. 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.
READ ALSO: The Most Influential Women in Arizona Business for 2022
READ ALSO: The Most Influential Women in Commercial Real Estate for 2022
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.
Melanie Smihula, executive director of Exceptional Student Services, Edkey Sequoia Schools
BACKGROUND: As the Executive Director of Exceptional Student Services, Melanie Smihula ensures that schools and districts follow all state and federal regulations relative to the identification, placement and program development for special education students. She provides system-wide leadership for assuring the development of effective and appropriate special education programs and teachers. Smihula also facilitates communication and mediation with parents and advocates regarding the delivery of special education services, while representing the school system in dealing with outside agencies and organizations concerned with special education.
SOURCE OF PRIDE: “Standing behind my team and agreeing that their decisions were right by taking a parent through a due process hearing. It was a long legal process that was very time-consuming but in the end, my team and I were validated, and we created a case law that has been used by many public and charter school districts in the Valley to support their educational teams. It was a monumental case in Arizona educational law and I am proud it came from my team and me.”
SURPRISING FACT: “When I was in high school, I played every sport: softball, volleyball, basketball, badminton and track but not a lot of people know I did biathlon. In the winter for 10th and 11th grade, I took part in competitions where I would cross-country ski and shoot targets. I hated doing penalty laps so much that in two years and several competitions I never missed a shot.”
SOURCE OF INSPIRATION: “I was very inspired by a former grad school teacher, Dr. Rita Curl. She was so very educated, and her name was often on textbooks I came across as an undergrad, however, she never made me feel small. I did my senior paper with her and whenever I presented something new to her, she would get excited about learning something new, she never acted bored or acted like what I said was not important. She truly loved to learn and ask questions. She always made me feel empowered and excited when I worked with her.”
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
