Valley of the Sun United Way today announced a series of organizational leadership updates and staff promotions designed to strengthen its executive team, enhance operational effectiveness, and support the organization’s long-term impact across Maricopa County.
As part of these updates, Karen Diepholz has been named Chief Financial Officer, a key officer role responsible for overseeing the organization’s financial strategy, accounting, and human resources functions. Diepholz has served the position on an interim basis since November and brings more than two decades of financial leadership experience to the role.
Nadia Rivera has been promoted to Chief of Staff & Brand, joining the organization’s Executive Team. In this role, she will oversee the Executive Office, Brand and Operational Excellence functions and Donor Experience, while continuing to advance the organization’s Valley 100 initiative.
Rivera joined United Way as New Partnerships Director and quickly made an impact by leading the launch of Valley 100, an effort to deepen corporate engagement and collaboration. She brings more than 15 years of nonprofit leadership experience, including serving as Chief Impact Officer and Executive Director of the Arizona Coyotes Foundation. She has also held leadership roles with TGen and Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale, and most recently served as Interim Executive Director of XICO.
Rivera succeeds longtime team member Tamera Skrovan, who recently retired after a distinguished tenure with United Way. Skrovan played a pivotal role in strengthening the organization’s operations, brand, and community partnerships, leaving a strong foundation for continued growth.
Additionally, Shelley Griffin has been promoted to Chief Administrative Officer, expanding her leadership to include oversight of the organization’s business plan, business continuity efforts, policies and procedures, and key operational initiatives.
In addition to these executive appointments, Valley of the Sun United Way announced several other staff promotions and new roles that further enhance organizational capacity:
Kavita Patel has been promoted to Controller, continuing her leadership within the finance team.
Maristella Tojong has joined the organization as Volunteer Engagement Specialist, strengthening community connections and volunteer engagement.
John Frommelt has been named Donor & Corporate Analytics Strategy Director, leading data-driven fundraising, and donor engagement strategies.
Terri Dansro has been promoted to Executive Assistant, supporting the Executive Team and Board of Directors.
“These leadership updates reflect both the strength of our team and our intentional focus on the future,” said Carla Vargas Jasa, President and CEO of Valley of the Sun United Way. “By aligning our leadership structure and investing in talented individuals across the organization, we are building the capacity needed to better serve our community, support our nonprofit partners, and drive meaningful, measurable impact.
“As we enter our centennial year, and build on our recent organizational reorientation, these changes position us to lead with clarity, collaborate more effectively, and meet the evolving needs of Maricopa County for the next 100 years,” Jasa said.
For more than a century, Valley of the Sun United Way has worked alongside community partners to improve lives by addressing critical needs in education, housing, health, and financial stability throughout Maricopa County.
About Valley of the Sun United Way
Valley of the Sun United Way envisions a community where every child, family and individual is healthy, has a safe place to live, and has every opportunity to succeed in school, in life and in work. We are celebrating 100 years of uniting the Valley, with a focus on strengthening the local safety net and leading long-term solutions to systemic issues affecting Maricopa County in Health, Housing and Homelessness, Education and Workforce Development. Headquartered at Park Central, Valley of the Sun United Way is rooted in the heart of the community it serves.
