Action Committee
Arizona SciTech Festival Action Committee
The Arizona SciTech Festival is a grassroots-led community effort. The festival has enlisted several community experts with a passion for promoting the knowledge of science and technology statewide. These members of the SciTech Festival Action Committee volunteer their time and energy to improve the image and competitiveness of Arizona nationally and globally in an effort to enhance the academic experience for its citizens and promote a sound economic future.
For information on committee activities in your area, contact jbabendure@aztechcouncil.org.
Committee Co-Chairs
Xan Simonson, Former Arizona Educator, Mesa Schools
Steve Zylstra, President and CEO, Arizona Technology Council
Patrick Marcus (Tucson Committee Chair), President and CEO, Marcus Engineering LLC
Sandie Smith (Pinal Committee Chair), President and CEO, Pinal Partnership
Arts and Culture
Lisa Anderson, CEO, Mesa Historical Museum
Cindy Dach, General Manager, Changing Hands Bookstore
Chevy Humphrey, CEO, Arizona Science Center
Travis Huxman, Director, Biosphere 2 and the Flandrau Science Center
Kimber Lanning, Marketing and Sales Director, Arizona Renaissance Festival
Matt Lehrman, Executive Director, Alliance for Audience
Roger Lidman, CEO, Pueblo Grande Museum
Sanja Malinovic, Marketing and Sales Director, Arizona Renaissance Festival
Cindy Ornstein, Arts and Culture Director, City of Mesa
Julie Richard, President and CEO, West Valley Arts Council
Kari Silva, Executive Director, Challenger Space Center
College/University
Jim Buizer, Professor of Sustainablity, The University of Arizona
Maria Harper-Marinick, Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost, Maricopa Community Colleges
Brigitte Jordan-Mincks, External Relations, College of Medicine, The University of Arizona
Elizabeth Langland, Vice Provost, Dean New College, Arizona State University
Mitzi Montoya, Vice Provost / Dean CTI College of Technology and Innovation, Arizona State University
Dana Katbah, Program Manager, Pima County Community Services
Michele Roy, Strategic Specialist, Office of the President, Arizona State University
Darrel Smith, Chair, Department of Physics, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Loren Thompson, Assistant Vice Chancellor, UC San Diego
Andrew Webber, Associate Vice Provost, Graduate College, Arizona State University
Communications
Victor Aronow, President, Arizona Community Media Foundation
Charlie Babb and John Willie, Managing Partners, Creative Engine
Kris Baxter, Community Development Marketing Specialist and Community Relations, City of Tempe
Linda Capcara, CEO, Global Connect Communications
Marnie Cooley, Account Executive - Radio Disney Phoenix, Radio Disney
Kim Covington, Anchor / School Solutions Reporter, 12 News / KPNX-TV
Don Henninger, Publisher, Phoenix Business Journal
Catrina Kahler, Publisher, Downtown Phoenix Journal
Nicole Magnuson, Executive Director, ExpectMoreArizona
Mike Phillips, Communications, City of Scottsdale
Community and Workforce
Mary Baldwin, Manager, Global Corporate Citizenship, Boeing
Susan Carlson, Executive Director, Arizona Business & Education Coalition
Pam Furguson, Executive Director, ACTEAZ
Rick Hansen, Associate Director Center for Workforce Development, Maricopa County Community College
Angie Harmon, Manager, Social Investment, Freeport-McMoRan Copper and Gold
Debbie Gubernick, Gubernick Associates
Marilyn LaCount, Executive Director, Division of Youth Preparation, Arizona State University
Nolberto Machiche, AZ Commerce
Christine Mackay, Economic Development Director, City of Chandler
Eva Olivas, CEO, Phoenix Revitalization Corporation
Steve Peters, Program Coordinator Key to Employment, Metropolitan Education Commission
Darcy Renfro, Vice President and Director of STEM Initiatives, Science Foundation Arizona
Alison Smith, Community Outreach - Education, Salt River Project
Sandie Smith, President and CEO, Pinal Partnership
Jennifer Steele, Program Manager, Roadways to Healthcare Careers, Catholic Healthcare West
Mary Wolf-Francis, Business Liaison Community and Economic Development Department, EDU Partnerships
Education Research and Support
Susan Clark-Johnson, Executive Director, Morrison Institute For Public Policy, Arizona State University
Rebecca Gau, Director, Office of Education Innovation, Governor's Office
Laura Martin, Director of Science Interpretation, Arizona Science Center
Jim Middleton, Professor, Ira A Fulton School of Engineering, Arizona State University
Joanne Vasquez,Vice President and Program Director, Helios Education Foundation
Jim Zaharis, Vice President for Education, Greater Phoenix Leadership
Cathleen Barton, US and Arizona Education Manager, Intel
Andrew Bourne, CEO, Scottsdale Airpark, WayPoint Technologies
Industry and Business
Tyler Butler, Community Development and Events, Microsoft Store
Katie Charland, Director of Operations for Collaborative Workspace, Gangplank
Danielle Durate, Branch Manager, Nescore Source
David Drennon, VP Marketing and Business Development, Arizona Small Business Association
Joseph Ferro, Cox Communications
Saundra Johnson, MPA, HRA ANALYSTS, INC.
Matt Kim, CEO, Quanttera and Chairman Arizona Nanotechnology Cluster
George Land, CEO, FarSight Group
Rachel Martin, Covance
Joe Marvin, President, International Council of Systems Engineers - Central Arizona Chapter
Jo Marie McDonald, Vice President, Phoenix Community Alliance
Jade Meskill, President, Integrumtech
Sharon O'Neal, Program Manager, Raytheon
Sethuraman Panchanathan, Deputy Vice President for Research and Economic Affairs, Arizona State University
James Pangborn, Manager AH-64D Attack Vehicle Management Systems, Boeing
Vicki Panhuise, Chairman, Arizona Aerospace & Defense Commission
Carol Popovich, FIRST Community Relations Representative, MicroChip
John Regni, Director Aerospace and Defense Initiative, Science Foundation Arizona
Ron Schott, Executive Emeritus, Arizona Technology Council
Brian Sherman, Business Development Director, AZ Commerce
Suzanne Taylor, Senior Vice President of Public Policy, Arizona Chamber of Commerce
Ted Tyler, Chair, Workforce Development, Scottsdale Area Chamber of Commerce
Roger Vogel, CEO, Vante
Russ Yelton, President and CEO, Northern Arizona Center for Entrepeneurship and Technology
Michael Mackowski, Master Engineer I, Orbital
K12 Education
Kathleen Bethel, Coordinator Southern Arizona Regional Science and Engineering Fair, The University of Arizona
Maria Castro, FIRST Robotics Student, Carl Hayden High School
Deb Duvall, Executive Director, Arizona School Administrators
Deborah Gonzalez, Chief Academic OfficerUniversity Public Schools, Arizona State University
Laurie King, Director of Innovative Practices, Maricopa County Education Service Agency
Fredi Lajvardi, Senior Mentor FIRST, Carl Hayden High School
Kal Mannis, Educational Specialist, Navajo County Education Support Agency
Melanie McClintock, Executive Director, Arizona Center for Afterschool Excellence
Rick Stephen, Program Administrator, The Rodel Foundations
Eric Perez, Department Head of Technology, East Valley Institute of Technology
Tracy Rexroat, State Supervisor Engineering Sciences, Arizona Department of Education
Bianca Rodriguez, FIRST Robotics Student, Carl Hayden High School
Kris Saddler, Former EVIT student
Eileen Sigmund, CEO, Arizona Charter Schools Association
Sara Torres, Executive Director, Arizona Science Teachers Association
Rochelle Wells, President Elect, Arizona PTA
Kathleen Wiebke, Executive Director, Arizona K12 Center
STEM Communication
Bryan Beaulieu, CEO, The Great Globe Project
Winnie Ennega, Director of Grants and Contracts, Northern Arizona University and President, Flagstaff Festival of Science
Phil Huebner, Director, Arizona Science and Technology Fair
Charles Kazilek, Director of Technology Integration and Outreach, School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University
Penelope Moon, Coordinator, Outreach and Curriculum, ASU Origins Project, Arizona State University
Steven Prager, Teacher / Naturalist, Audubon Arizona
Eric Proctor, Community Outreach Coordinator, Arizona Game and Fish
Melissa Rose, CEO, Biz in a Box
Kerry Schwartz, Statewide Coordinator, Project Wet
Joseph Tidwell, Project Manager, Arizona Technology Council Foundation
Richard Toon, Director, Museum Studies, School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University
STEM Research
Lee Allison, State Geologist & Director, Arizona Geological Survey
Jennifer Barton, Assistant Director, Bio5 Institute, The University of Arizona
Jennie Bever, Assistant Research Professor, College of Nursing and Health Innovation, Arizona State Univeristy
Lenard Fine, Scientific Program Officer, Science Foundation Arizona
Jeffrey Goldberg, Dean, College of Engineering, The University of Arizona
Laura Huenneke, Vice President for Research, Northern Arizona University
Matthew Nelson, Barrow Neurological Institute of SJHMC, Barrow Neurological Institute of SJHMC
Candice Nulsen, Science Education and Outreach, TGEN
Bill Petusky, Chair, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Arizona State University
Christina Raup, Masters Student, Center for Biology and Society, Arizona State University
Bill Read, Senior Vice President, Research and Special Programs, Flinn Foundation
Joaquin Ruiz, Dean, College of Science, The University of Arizona
Adrienne Scheck, Principal Investigator, Barrow Neurological Institute of SJHMC
Bruce Wright, Associate Vice President for University Research Parks, The University of Arizona
James Wyant, Dean, Optics, The University of Arizona