Executive Job Shadow Program

Brenda Blunt has over 30 years of experience providing services to tax-exempt entities, closely held business and their stakeholders. Blunt is a frequent teacher nationally, locally, and at the organization level on topics that include health care reform, board responsibilities, tax compliance, strategic planning, and financial management principles for nonprofits.

Blunt currently represents almost 200 nonprofit organizations ranging in size from formation-stage organizations to multi-million organizations with international reach. Her client base includes public charities, private foundations, trade associations, social welfare organizations, cooperatives and unions.

She is currently a Partner with Eide Bailly LLP in Phoenix, AZ

Jimmy Lovelace is an Accounting & Assurance Senior Advisor for BeachFleischman PC in Tucson, AZ. He is primarily responsible for planning and managing audit engagements, including coordinating the efforts of the audit team. Additionally, he is the Governmental and Not-For-Profit Services Group Leader.

His areas of specialty include Accounting and Auditing, Single Audits, Federal Acquisition Regulations, and U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles. Lovelace’s industry experience includes Agriculture, Construction, Financial, Government Units, Government Contractors, Not-for-Profit, Manufacturing, Professional Firms, Retail, Service Industries, and Software Companies.

With over 12 years of experience, Nicole Harrigan became a partner of the Regier, Carr, and Monroe firm in Tucson, AZ in 2009. Specializing in the areas of individual, partnership and corporate taxation, she is also skilled in services for small businesses, including management consulting, accounting, and bookkeeping. As a certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor, Harrigan is able to also assist with the implementation and troubleshooting of QuickBooks files. Working closely with clients, Harrigan believes personal service is very important and has mentored many younger staff and played a significant role in their success in the industry.

A graduate of the University of Arizona, Harrigan is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Arizona Society of Certified Public Accountants, and Southern Arizona Association of Estate Planners.

Republic Services (Phoenix, AZ). More information coming…

John Carbone is a Principal and Portfolio Manager with The Vanguard Group. John is a 31-year municipal industry veteran. His current management responsibilities include Vanguard’s California, New Jersey and Pennsylvania Tax-exempt Money Market Portfolios. In addition to Carbone’s fund management responsibilities, he’s the site leader for Vanguard’s Investment Management Group in Scottsdale, AZ.

Carbone received his M.B.A. from Southern Methodist University and his Bachelor of Science Degree from Babson College.

Jeff Beatty, CPA, is the Senior Managing Director of the Financial Consulting Group of CBRE.

Beatty oversees a staff of over fifty finance and accounting professionals, who located in twelve cities throughout the country and who provide strategic consulting and sophisticated financial underwriting services to private and public corporations, partnerships, financial institutions, pension funds, REITs, real estate advisory companies, developers and private investors.

Beatty is also the Director of the CBRE Global Lease Accounting Task Force, which is comprised of CBRE professionals from both the U.S. and EMEA who are actively monitoring, and diligently working to influence the direction of, the proposed changes to lease accounting by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) and the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB).

Jimmy Lovelace is an Accounting & Assurance Senior Advisor for BeachFleischman PC in Tucson, AZ. His areas of specialty include accounting and auditing, A-133 Single Audits, Federal Acquisition Regulations, and U.S. GAAP. Additionally, he is the Governmental and Not-For-Profit Services Group Leader. Lovelace is a friend of Northern Arizona University and is currently a member of the FCB Accounting Advisory council.

He graduated with a BSBA from the University of Arizona and has over 21 years of experience in public accounting.

Scott Gurba is a finance executive with 20+ years of experience primarily within financial services industry. Currently, Gurba is a Senior Vice President of Finance at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, where he is a CFO to approximately two-thirds of the Bank’s operational spend, as well as leading a finance transformation effort. Over the years, his roles have included various financial analyst positions, controller, and several CFO opportunities.

Gurba graduated from Northern Arizona University in 1990 and went on to obtain his MBA from Hofstra University in 1995.

Larry Downey joined the Cushman & Wakefield Phoenix, AZ firm in 2002. Since then, Larry has been consistently recognized as a Top Producer in the Phoenix office and ranked in Cushman & Wakefield’s Top 100 brokers nationally.

In 2012, he earned the title of Vice Chairman, one of a select few nationally and the first and only in the Phoenix office. In 2013, Downey was appointed the Global Chairman of Cushman & Wakefield’s national Tenant Advisory Group (TAG) which is comprised of more than 600 Cushman & Wakefield Tenant Advisory brokers and served for four years in that position. He continues to serve on the Executive Committee as Tenant Advisory Group Chairman Emeritus.

After graduating from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in Industrial Technology, David Longstaff entered Consolidated Electrical Distributors’ management training program. Upon completion of the three-year program, Longstaff ran his first profit center in Flagstaff for three years. His success in Flagstaff led him to his next profit center in Scottsdale where he continued to grow CED’s business for the next 15 years. In 2012, Longstaff moved into his current role as Division Manager. His responsibilities now include supporting 24 profit center managers across Arizona, New Mexico, Las Vegas and El Paso in their pursuit of building a strong business.

Western Region Credit Manager with Consolidated Electrical Distributors. More information coming…

John Carbone is a Principal and Portfolio Manager with The Vanguard Group in Scottsdale, AZ. Carbone is a 31-year municipal industry veteran. His current management responsibilities include Vanguard’s California, New Jersey and Pennsylvania Tax-exempt Money Market Portfolios.

Carbone received his M.B.A. from Southern Methodist University and his Bachelor of Science Degree from Babson College.

After a 17-year career in banking, Brad Meuli began working in 1999 for the Denver Rescue Mission, and now serves as President/CEO in Denver, CO.

Mike Donley began his career in 1988 in Tucson, Arizona with the Sheraton Hotel Corporation. Donley was hired at Donley Service Center and has held a series of leadership positions during his DSC career, including General, Service, and Sales manager. He is currently serving as their President and CEO in Phoenix, AZ. Donley is active in both the service industry and the Phoenix community, where he currently serves on the Arizona Better Business Bureau and Executive Association of Greater Phoenix Boards and is President of the Electric League of Arizona.

Donley is a Phoenix native and graduate of Northern Arizona University.

Immediately upon graduation, Kathy Finnerty Thomas accepted a position at Eastman Kodak where she held several divisions at Kodak working in sales for the Consumer Imaging Division, sales training, national accounts and marketing. Today, as President of Stowebridge Promotion Group in Chandler, AZ, she works with companies all over the country creating products and programs to promote their brand, grow their business, reward employees, thank customers and promote safety and other key messages.

She attended NAU where she majored in Marketing and Management and graduated with honors in three years.

Jeff Beatty, CPA, is the Senior Managing Director of the Financial Consulting Group of CBRE.

Beatty oversees a staff of over fifty finance and accounting professionals, who are located in twelve cities throughout the country and who provide strategic consulting and sophisticated financial underwriting services to private and public corporations, partnerships, financial institutions, pension funds, REITs, real estate advisory companies, developers and private investors. Beatty is also the Director of the CBRE Global Lease Accounting Task Force.

Paige Lund is the General Manager of the Renaissance Phoenix Downtown Hotel, a member of the Marriott group. Lund also supports the Sheraton Grand Phoenix and the Westin Phoenix as Area General Manager. She enjoys serving the community and contributes to the Arizona Lodging and Tourism Association Board, City of Phoenix Tourism and Hospitality Advisory Board, Northern Arizona University School of Hotel and Restaurant Management National Advisory Board, HopeKids Arizona State Board and is also a member of AzLTA Women in Lodging.

Lund is a graduate of Northern Arizona University.

Lisa Rojas Bacus has been Global Chief Marketing & Customer Officer of Cigna Corporation since February 2017 and currently serves as its Executive Vice President. She also served for more than 22 years at Ford Motor Company where she served in many key roles, including as head of global marketing strategy and director of global market research and she served as chief marketing officer and Executive Vice President of American Family Mutual Insurance Company.

Bacus earned BA and BS Degrees from Northern Arizona University and an MBA from Duke University.

Immediately upon graduation, Kathy Finnerty Thomas accepted a position at Eastman Kodak where she held several divisions at Kodak working in sales for the Consumer Imaging Division, sales training, national accounts and marketing. Today, as President of Stowebridge Promotion Group in Chandler, AZ, she works with companies all over the country creating products and programs to promote their brand, grow their business, reward employees, thank customers and promote safety and other key messages.

She attended NAU where she majored in Marketing and Management and graduated with honors in three years.

Lisa Rojas Bacus has been Global Chief Marketing & Customer Officer of Cigna Corporation since February 2017 and currently serves as its Executive Vice President. She also served for more than 22 years at Ford Motor Company where she served in many key roles, including as head of global marketing strategy and director of global market research and she served as chief marketing officer and Executive Vice President of American Family Mutual Insurance Company.

Bacus earned BA and BS Degrees from Northern Arizona University and an MBA from Duke University.

With over 30 years of business experience, Kitt joined Plexcity from the CANV CU Leagues where he directed the innovation and planning processes through oversight of existing business partnerships, new business initiatives and internal-facing support functions. He now serves as their President and CEO in Ontario, CA.

Kitt also spent nine years at Western Corporate Federal Credit Union (WesCorp) proving leadership to the IT, Payment Systems, Member Services, and Marketing and Communications departments. Prior to joining WesCorp, Kitt was an Air Force Officer, appointed the first Chief Financial Officer for United States Northern Command.

John Carbone is a Principal and Portfolio Manager with The Vanguard Group in Scottsdale, AZ. Carbone is a 31-year municipal industry veteran. His current management responsibilities include Vanguard’s California, New Jersey and Pennsylvania Tax-exempt Money Market Portfolios.

Carbone received his M.B.A. from Southern Methodist University and his Bachelor of Science Degree from Babson College.

After a 17-year career in banking, Brad Meuli began working in 1999 for the Denver Rescue Mission, and now serves as President/CEO in Denver, CO.

Larry Downey joined the Cushman & Wakefield Phoenix, AZ firm in 2002. Since then, Larry has been consistently recognized as a Top Producer in the Phoenix office and ranked in Cushman & Wakefield’s Top 100 brokers nationally.

In 2012, he earned the title of Vice Chairman, one of a select few nationally and the first and only in the Phoenix office. In 2013, Downey was appointed the Global Chairman of Cushman & Wakefield’s national Tenant Advisory Group (TAG) which is comprised of more than 600 Cushman & Wakefield Tenant Advisory brokers and served for four years in that position. He continues to serve on the Executive Committee as Tenant Advisory Group Chairman Emeritus.

Immediately upon graduation, Kathy Finnerty Thomas accepted a position at Eastman Kodak where she held several divisions at Kodak working in sales for the Consumer Imaging Division, sales training, national accounts and marketing. Today, as President of Stowebridge Promotion Group in Chandler, AZ, she works with companies all over the country creating products and programs to promote their brand, grow their business, reward employees, thank customers and promote safety and other key messages.

She attended NAU where she majored in Marketing and Management and graduated with honors in three years.

Mike Donley began his career in 1988 in Tucson, Arizona with the Sheraton Hotel Corporation. Donley was hired at Donley Service Center and has held a series of leadership positions during his DSC career, including General, Service, and Sales manager. He is currently serving as their President and CEO in Phoenix, AZ. Donley is active in both the service industry and the Phoenix community, where he currently serves on the Arizona Better Business Bureau and Executive Association of Greater Phoenix Boards and is President of the Electric League of Arizona.

Donley is a Phoenix native and graduate of Northern Arizona University.

Paige Lund is the General Manager of the Renaissance Phoenix Downtown Hotel, a member of the Marriott group. Lund also supports the Sheraton Grand Phoenix and the Westin Phoenix as Area General Manager. She enjoys serving the community and contributes to the Arizona Lodging and Tourism Association Board, City of Phoenix Tourism and Hospitality Advisory Board, Northern Arizona University School of Hotel and Restaurant Management National Advisory Board, HopeKids Arizona State Board and is also a member of AzLTA Women in Lodging.

Lund is a graduate of Northern Arizona University.

Lisa Rojas Bacus has been Global Chief Marketing & Customer Officer of Cigna Corporation since February 2017 and currently serves as its Executive Vice President. She also served for more than 22 years at Ford Motor Company where she served in many key roles, including as head of global marketing strategy and director of global market research and she served as chief marketing officer and Executive Vice President of American Family Mutual Insurance Company.

Bacus earned BA and BS Degrees from Northern Arizona University and an MBA from Duke University.

After graduating from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in Industrial Technology, David Longstaff entered Consolidated Electrical Distributors’ management training program. Upon completion of the three-year program, Longstaff ran his first profit center in Flagstaff for three years. His success in Flagstaff led him to his next profit center in Scottsdale where he continued to grow CED’s business for the next 15 years. In 2012, Longstaff moved into his current role as Division Manager. His responsibilities now include supporting 24 profit center managers across Arizona, New Mexico, Las Vegas and El Paso in their pursuit of building a strong business.

Western Region Credit Manager with Consolidated Electrical Distributors. More information coming…