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LEADERSHIP

Amy Schaefer, CPA

Vice President, Finance

Amy has been with Junior Achievement since December 2010. She is responsible for overseeing the accounting and finance operations of the organization.

Amy started her career with the Arizona Auditor General’s Office where she was a financial auditor for 8 years. Amy went on to hold controller positions in the real estate and aircraft aftermarket sales industries, with a 5-year break to become co-owner of a retail golf store and to obtain a real estate license.

Amy graduated from Northern Arizona University with a bachelor’s degree in Accountancy. She became a CPA in 1988. She is a member of the Arizona Society of Certified Public Accountants and of Financial Executives International where she serves on the programs committee. She was a member of Sweet Adeline’s International for 17 years. She has a love of dogs and after adopting a dog from a foster program out of Mexico she started fostering dogs locally. She competed in dog agility with her mixed breed Mexico dog and with her Papillon in competitions with the United States Dog Agility Association, Dog On Course in North America and the American Kennel Club. She serves as treasurer of the board for Lost Our Home Pet Foundation.

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Amy Schaefer, CPA
Vice President, Finance
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Anne Landers

Chief Operating Officer

As Chief Operating Officer, Anne Landers is committed to ensuring that the Arizona community has a high-impact and positive experience with JA, so the organization can continue to shape the futures of tens of thousands of students each year. In tandem with JA’s president, Anne is the ensures the organization’s unique value proposition, thought-leadership, track record and impact on our community is represented in key education, career readiness, and financial literacy conversations. She oversees all programs, external relations and marketing for the organization, in addition to leading the organization’s data management programs for donor and volunteer engagement. She has been part of the JA team for 9 years.

Previously, she served as the Interim Director at nonprofit Life In Abundance, overseeing U.S.-based operations and fundraising, to support programs in Africa and the Caribbean. She began her career at an advertising and PR agency, Decibel Blue, where she was one of the agency’s first two employees, managing clients such as Dunkin’ Donuts and My Sister’s Closet. Honored as a Phoenix Business Journal Outstanding Women in Business, Anne holds a degree in Journalism from ASU. She is also a proud alumna of Valley Leadership, Scottsdale Leadership, and the Allstate Executive Leadership program at Kellogg|Northerwestern.

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Anne Landers
Chief Operating Officer
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Elizabeth Clements, SPHR

Vice President, People and Technology

Elizabeth Clements has been a member of the JA team since September 2009 and is the organization’s first locally dedicated Human Resources professional. Elizabeth oversees all of HR, IT, and Office Administration. She strives to be the bridge between the employer and the employee through a transparent, engaging, and empowering culture. Elizabeth is committed to ensuring the staff and the organization reach their maximum potential by utilizing and valuing the company’s greatest resource – its people.

Elizabeth holds a BA degree in English from WTAMU. She completed her certification for SPHR in 2018 and is a ongoing member of SHRM and SHRMGP. She helps to grow young professionals through her mentorship committee with ACEL. Elizabeth was honored with Phoenix Business Journals Best Places to Work inaugural HR Rockstar of the Year Award in 2018.

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Elizabeth Clements, SPHR
Vice President, People and Technology
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Joss Francheterre

Senior Vice President, Major Gifts

Originally from France, Joss grew up in Africa, South America, Holland, and France. At 20 years old, while studying Commerce & Business Management in Paris, Joss became an entrepreneur and started his first company.

In Europe, Joss created and managed a flourishing distribution network of thousands of distributors, but Joss’s true dream was to move to the United States – “the land of opportunities and free enterprise,” as he exclaims. For three years, Joss had the opportunity to manage a “Tour of the West of the USA” for nearly 9,000 European guests, honing his event planning, management and fundraising expertise.

Joss then relocated to Arizona permanently and started his first U.S. Company, TotalNews, “surfing” the wave of the new and burgeoning Internet industry. TotalNews was truly a pioneer in online advertising and news aggregation in the late-90s. The company was featured in the Wall Street Journal as well as other top-tier national and international news outlets.

Joss became a U.S. citizen in 2002, the same year he joined the Junior Achievement team as Senior Vice President of Major Gifts. In his nearly 15 years at JA, Joss and his team have developed many signature fundraising events, including the largest, premier nonprofit golf tournament in our state. Under Joss’s leadership, JA’s fundraising events raise more than $1 Million each year to enable Arizona students to receive JA’s critical programs. During his time with JA, Joss has raised nearly $20 million for the organization.

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Joss Francheterre
Senior Vice President, Major Gifts
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Katherine Kemmeries Cecala

President

A fourth-generation Arizonan, Katherine Kemmeries Cecala brings to Junior Achievement a diverse background in nonprofit leadership, healthcare administration, law, industrial engineering, utilities, and business. Katherine has extensive knowledge of our community and nonprofit landscape as she has served on more than 40 nonprofit boards.

Prior to joining JA, Katherine had twenty-five years of leadership experience in nonprofits, including serving as the Chief Operating Officer at Valley of the Sun United Way and in executive roles at Mayo Clinic Arizona. Because of her love of learning, she attained her law degree and practiced in the areas of commercial and real estate transactions, business and employment law.

A master’s level instructor of philanthropy and nonprofit leadership at Arizona State University, Katherine has a BS in industrial engineering from LSU, an MBA from Louisiana Tech, and a JD from the University of Arkansas.

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Katherine Kemmeries Cecala
President
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Paloma Santiago

District Director, Southern Arizona

Junior Achievement of Arizona is happy to announce Paloma L. Santiago, as the new District Director for Southern Arizona, she will succeed Charles Zaepfel who recently retired. Santiago will work with her team to increase funding for programming for students including the new JA Inspire Program that focuses on career readiness.

Vivacious, determined and hardworking, Paloma builds strong connections between individuals, corporations and communities. Her 24 years of professional experience in the media, nonprofit and business sectors, includes overseeing marketing, public relations, special events, strategic planning, corporate relations, relationship building and finally, fundraising.

Santiago comes from San Miguel High School where she was Vice President of Advancement and led her team in tripling development revenue in a five-year period bringing much needed resources to students and faculty.

Paloma circles back to Junior Achievement of Arizona after serving as Development Manager from 2010- 2013. Paloma serves on the board for Social Venture Partners, is a member of the Foothills Club of Tucson, and a participant of the Class of 2023 as well as serves on the social committee for Greater Tucson Leadership. She herself is a volunteer for JA and is coming up on her 10-year anniversary of volunteering for the organization.

Paloma spends her free time traveling whether it be solo, with her friends, or with her two sons and mother. For downtime, she enjoys walking her dogs, hiking, painting, and yoga.

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Paloma Santiago
District Director, Southern Arizona
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Will Abbott

Vice President, Development

William Abbott, originally hailing from his beloved hometown of Scottsdale, AZ, embarked on a diverse and dynamic career journey that has shaped his impressive accomplishments. Over the course of a decade, he honed his skills in Orange County, California, and then transitioned to Las Vegas, where he made a significant impact in just under three years.

An MBA candidate with a strong entrepreneurial mindset, William’s passion lies in building connections with people from all walks of life. His dedication to fostering relationships has been instrumental in his career.

William’s track record is marked by his exceptional ability to identify new donors, craft strategic campaigns, and contribute to a substantial $20 million community capital project. Notably, he achieved a remarkable 978% increase in funding, elevating it from $25,444 to an impressive $275,000.

One of his crowning achievements includes the development of an award-winning, multimillion-dollar pitch presentation, delivered to high-level community organizations, highlighting his exceptional talent for inspiring and engaging donors.

With over a decade of nonprofit experience, including specialization in fund development with the Boy Scouts of America’s Orange County Council, William’s journey led him to Las Vegas. His approach is rooted in building lifelong relationships with donors and volunteers, leveraging their unique skill sets to make a meaningful impact on the community.

Armed with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management and Sustainability from Arizona State University, William is well-prepared to lead development, communications, and marketing teams effectively.

Outside of work, William enjoys the great outdoors, with passions like skiing, hunting, and backpacking. Quality time with his wife, Reina, and his beloved adopted German Shepherd, Hera, is a top priority. He’s been an active member in past Rotary clubs in Las Vegas and Orange County, fostering a spirit of community and service. His adventurous spirit has taken him to 13 different countries, allowing him to savor diverse cultures and cuisines.

William Abbott’s impressive journey and commitment to making a difference have led him to his role as the Vice President of Development for JA of AZ , where he’s now thrilled to be back home with family, and we are excited about the contributions he will make to our organization’s mission.

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Will Abbott
Vice President, Development
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Administration

Carina Inganamort
Communications Specialist

Rose Kiyler
Data Analyst

Samantha Head
Receptionist

Stella Hall
Communications Specialist

Thomas Messinger
Accounting Specialist

William Lofton Sr.
Facilities Manager


Development & Special Events

Bri Tournas
Development Officer

Dena Kidd
Senior Development Officer

Eddie Mehta
Development Director

Maggie Jones
Development Officer

Renee Mason
Development & Special Events Coordinator


Programs - JA Inspire

Aden Ramirez
JA Inspire Manager

Cindy Ballantyne
JA Inspire Manager

Jamie Josephs
JA Inspire Program Coordinator

Jennie Clausen
JA Inspire Director

Joanne Schellhase
JA Inspire Manager

Tracie Carmel
JA Inspire Manager


Programs - Money in Motion

Abigail Franco
Education Manager

Cat Hoth
Education Manager


Programs – Classroom

Bobby Pacheco
Education Director

Cate Cotier
Encore Fellow

Lauren Allen
Education Manager

Micaela Barber
Education Manager

Miriam Robles
Education Manager

Rebecca Lopez
Data and Operations Senior Manager

Sandy Owen
Encore Fellow

Taylor Schulte
Education Manager


Programs – JA BizTown & JA Finance Park

Codie Cancellieri
Education Director

Danny Helser
Program Coordinator

Hailey McGuffin
Program Coordinator

Kelsey Griffin
Education Manager

Lauren Ward
Education Manager

Marie Nowicki
Program Coordinator

Shawn Lund
Program Coordinator

Taysia Snead
Education Manager

Teri Nitschke
Program Coordinator