January 2019 On The Board and In The Spotlight

Name: Yvonne Moss
Company: Caritas Law Group, P.C.
Job Title: Attorney

What drew you to the Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits board? I work with nonprofits on a daily basis. I was drawn to the Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits because of its positive impact on the Arizona nonprofit sector.

What would you say to someone considering joining a nonprofit board? Anyone interested in joining a nonprofit board should do their own due diligence (governing documents, financials, etc.) on the organization. Also, you get out what you put into the role, so be an active and engaged board member. 

List your three favorite books. To Kill a Mockingbird (Harper Lee), Their Eyes Were Watching God (Zora Neale Hurston), Becoming (Michelle Obama)

Name: Mario Aniles
Company: Housing Authority of Maricopa County (HAMC)
Job Title: CPA, Director of Finance and Portfolio Management

What drew you to the Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits board? The nonprofit sector continues to be a strong economic engine for our state, representing a significant portion of the economic growth, and I see the Alliance mission of uniting and strengthening this sector a critical factor in leveraging the industry’s resources and amplifying this impact.

What would you say to someone considering joining a nonprofit board? I would recommend a prospective board member understand the mission and value proposition of the organization to define the driving force behind its purpose and ensure governance is in alignment when setting goals and expectations for management. I have found the intrinsic nature of many nonprofits to lead the organization to offer more than it should often results in spreading the organization thin and preventing the opportunity to maximize results on its core mission and service to clients.

List your three favorite books. Getting to Yes (Roger Fisher and William Ury), Aztec (Gary Jennings), Journeyer (Gary Jennings) 

Name: Deborah Turcott
Company: PetSmart Charities, Inc.
Job Title: Chief Operating Officer

What drew you to the Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits board? As a relatively recent transplant to Arizona, I wanted to serve the community of nonprofits with an organization that cares as deeply as I do for the mission-driven, community-building work that happens in the nonprofit sector. The Alliance is built on this exact premise. My career has been dedicated to this work, and it is an honor to join other professionals who seek to invest themselves on the board of the Alliance.

What would you say to someone considering joining a nonprofit board? Do it. You don’t have to be perfect. The greatest attributes needed to join a board are a passion for the mission and the time to commit to it. The first is easy, the second is harder, but it will be well worth it and, in some instances, will improve your own life more than you can imagine. Everything else you need to know about being a board member can be learned!

List your three favorite books. The Giving Tree (Shel Silverstein), Let Your Life Speak; Listening for the Voice of Vocation (Parker Palmer), The Advantage (Patrick Lencioni)

Name: Steve Yamamori
Company: Rio Salado College
Job Title: Director, Military and Veteran Programs

What drew you to the Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits board? The opportunity to help support the nonprofit community.

What would you say to someone considering joining a nonprofit board? The Alliance offers you a way to impact our community and learn about the amazing things our members are doing to better the State of Arizona.

List your three favorite books. Lone Survivor (Marcus Luttrell with Patrick Robinson), Killing Jesus (Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard), Start (John Acuff)