Announcement made as community celebrates International Women’s Day;
March as Women’s History Month

PHOENIX (March 8, 2024)—Valley of the Sun United Way, one of Arizona’s largest nonprofits working to improve education, housing and homelessness, health and workforce development through its MC2026 plan for Mighty Change, announced today three of its women leadership team members are finalists for local business awards in their respective industries.

Colleen Gautam, senior vice president, general counsel and administration, is a finalist for the 2024 Arizona Corporate Counsel Awards, in partnership with the Association of Corporate Counsel, the State Bar of Arizona and AzBusiness magazine, which honor the best in-house counsel and corporate legal teams in Arizona. Gautam, who has worked with Valley of the Sun United Way for nearly nine years, is responsible for more than just traditional legal functions. Her contributions to regulation and compliance, data privacy and her leadership in directing $80 million in First Things First Quality First Scholarships have been of particular importance to United Way’s success during her tenure.

Shelley Griffin, vice president, information technology, is a finalist for the 2024 Arizona CIO ORBIE Awards, which recognize and celebrate technology executives for leadership, innovation and excellence. Griffin has been a member of the IT team at Valley of the Sun United Way for eight years and supports the nonprofit by leading the development of successful systems, data security, data analytics and technical solutions that drive business and growth. She plays a pivotal role in generating new ideas and transforming how United Way meets technology and data demands, while creating efficiencies and supporting revenue generation and donor connections.

Christine “CJ” Sullivan, vice president and controller, is a finalist for the FEI Arizona Controller of the Year Awards, which honors outstanding financial executives in Arizona. Sullivan has been a part of the finance team at Valley of the Sun United Way for the past eight years and is well versed in identifying operational gaps and creating efficiencies for Valley of the Sun United Way. Her empowerment of the finance team to reach new levels of excellence in accounting, purchasing and other revenue-processing functions, coupled with her solution-focused approach are some of the many reasons she is a finalist for this award.

“We are incredibly proud of all three of these outstanding women and their critical contributions to ensuring Valley of the Sun United Way is operating efficiently, reaching our strategic goals, and most importantly, supporting our work and partnerships throughout the Valley,” said Tanya Muñiz, chief financial and operating officer at Valley of the Sun United Way. “I can’t think of a better way to celebrate their honors as we, as a community, recognize International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month and the incredible strengths and accomplishments of women, particularly in the workplace.”

For more information about Valley of the Sun United Way, visit www.vsuw.org.

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. As we work with our community, corporate and nonprofit partners to implement our five-year plan for Mighty Change by 2026, Valley of the Sun United Way will put all of its efforts toward reaching Bold Goals for Maricopa County in health, housing and homelessness, education and workforce development. Join us at www.vsuw.org.

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