A community of people strengthening the nonprofits that strengthen Tucson.

Bruce Friedman and his wife, Julie Goddard, retired to Tucson from Detroit, Michigan in 2019.  He became an SVP Partner in 2023, and has been involved in several projects since then, including service as a Fast Pitch mentor for a member of the class of 2024.

After graduating with a double degree in History and English from Emory University, Bruce received his J.D. from Case Western Reserve University School of Law, where he was a Clinton Dewitt Scholar, and practiced Labor & Employment law in Cleveland, Ohio and Atlanta, Georgia.  Bruce eventually joined a Fortune 100 client in its legal department, then moved into the company’s business operations, where he spent the majority of his career as a Managing Director and Vice President of Global Operations.  He spent the last 8 years of his career as the Chief Operating Officer of a privately held Technology Company.  Responsible for operations across more than 45 countries, Bruce developed a strong expertise in Business Process Reengineering, Business Transformation, Organizational Development, and Acquisitions.  During his career, Bruce participated in additional coursework with the London Business School, Duke’s Fuqua School of Business and the MIT Sloan School of Management.  Upon his ‘retirement’, he began consulting with SMB clients across several industries. 

Throughout his adult life, Bruce has been involved in several philanthropic organizations, including service on the Boards of the Vogel Alcove in Dallas, Texas, and the Detroit Institute for Children, where he was Board Chair for several years. He also served on the Board of his employer’s Charitable Foundation for two terms. 

Bruce and Julie have 4 children between them.  Bruce spends his free time skiing, cycling, playing golf and cooking (not necessarily in that order).  His wife and he also travel extensively. 

Jeff grew up in Tucson and then ventured east, receiving a B.A. in International Studies from Johns Hopkins University and then a J.D. from the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law. He has been a practicing attorney for more than 30 years.

In 2013, Jeff was appointed as the first General Counsel for Pima County Community College, where he oversees legal affairs, compliance, risk management, and legislative affairs.  Previously, Jeff spent five years as General Counsel for the Morris and Stewart Udall Foundation, a federal agency based in Tucson, devoted to environmental conflict resolution and education.  Jeff began his legal career in private practice, focused on employment law and commercial litigation.

Throughout his legal career, he has served in volunteer and leadership roles for a range of professional organizations including the National Association of College and University Attorneys, American Bar Association, State Bar of Arizona, and the Pima County Bar Association, primarily developing legal education resources.

Since returning to Tucson, Jeff has been actively engaged in supporting non-profit organizations.  He served as a Trustee for the St. Gregory College Preparatory School (now the Gregory School) where he attended, and on the Board of the Tucson Jewish Community Center where his children were enrolled in the early childcare and various athletic programs.  More recently, Jeff and his spouse Keri joined Social Venture Partners to further their mutual dedication to making Tucson an even better community.

In their “spare” time, Keri and Jeff enjoy outdoor sports and traveling, including to visit their three children who are now spread across the country.

Jordan is an education technology entrepreneur.

His passion is building EdTech companies that help students transition from education to work. His method is to integrate real industry partners and mentors into the learning process through hands-on collaborations that expose learners to new industries and job roles by working on real projects with real stakeholders and stakes.

CapSource offers technology that empowers academic and industry partners to build and manage high-impact, scalable experiential learning and hiring programs that engage, educate, and train our next-generation workforce. Through CapSource’s software and added services, CapSource helps educators and industry partners coordinate, manage, and scale high-impact case-based, project-based, and mentoring-based programs designed to help emerging talent learn, network, and get hired. Since 2017, CapSource has helped 2,000+ different industry partners like Caterpillar, DoorDash, Adidas, and the American Cancer Society collaborate with 18,000+ young professionals from over 150 global academic institutions across the world, including Florida State University, New York University, and the University of Notre Dame. With your support, Jordan hopes to bridge the skills gap and ensure students graduate workforce-ready!

Jordan started his first education technology company, Real Time Cases (acquired), which raised over $2,000,000 in venture funding while an undergraduate at Lehigh University studying Accounting, Finance, and Entrepreneurship.

Outside of work, Jordan is passionate about Landscaping, Gardening, Photo/Film, Networking, Travel, Cooking, Mixology, Modern Art, Blogging, Podcasts, Sailing, Tennis, Hiking, Event Planning, Shabbat, Public Speaking, Photography, and Coaching/Connecting fellow entrepreneurs.

Kassie Davis joined the CME Group Foundation in 2006 as its first Executive Director.   Prior to her retirement in 2021, she led the Foundation to national prominence in early childhood, K-12 and post-secondary education funding.  She was responsible for the Foundation’s $6 million annual grant program, grantee performance measurement and reporting, external relations and management of outside legal, investment management, audit and tax resources.

Kassie was a leader in Chicago philanthropy since 1990 when she started the corporate contributions program at Marshall Field’s.  Following six years of corporate giving and two years of state government grantmaking experience, she began a consulting practice in 1999, providing research, program development and proposal review services for foundations and non-profits. From 2000 to May 2003, Kassie also acted as Project Director of Giving Greater Chicago, a three-year initiative of the Donors Forum of Chicago, promoting the creation of permanent philanthropic capital.  She was appointed Senior Program Officer for arts and culture at The Chicago Community Trust in July 2004 directing the Trust’s leadership activities, grantmaking and research in her program area

In 1997 and 1998, Kassie served as Executive Director of the Illinois Arts Council, the state agency responsible for funding the arts.  Kassie worked for Marshall Field’s for eleven years, joining the retailer in 1986 as Vice President, Marketing Research and Planning.  She was named Vice President, Direct Response in 1987 and in 1988 became Vice President, Public Relations and Special Events.  Following the company’s acquisition by Target Corporation in 1990, she became Director, Public Affairs and Communications.

Kesha is an ordained minister on a mission to inspire the natural, creative power within the human spirit, and she regards her work, the people she touches, and their life experiences as sacred.

Currently serving as the Corporate Learning & Development Manager at Tucson Electric Power, she is accountable for developing transformational leaders in Belize, the Cayman Islands, and the United States.

Before joining TEP, she was the Director of Organizational Development at CPES, Inc., a Learning Systems Architect at Intuit, the Program Manager for the Women’s Foundation of Southern Arizona, and owner of Taking Care of Her, LLC.

She studied Positive Organizational Scholarship under Dr. Kim Cameron at the University of Michigan Ross School of Business and holds a B.A. in Sustainable Community Development from Prescot College. She is a Green Belt Instructor and certified Six Sigma, Master Black Belt.

Kesha is a master facilitator certified in over a dozen disciplines by world-renowned program authors, including Franklin Covey, Crucial Learning, TalentSmart, CliftonStrengths, InsideOut Development, and Landmark Worldwide.

She chairs the Fast Pitch Mentor program with Social Venture Partners and is a member of Women in Energy at UNS Energy. The YWCA named her a Women on the Move award nominee, and the Women’s Funding Network honored her as a Bridgebuilder.

Kesha builds custom programs for groups looking to enhance collaboration and performance and has worked with Tucson organizations, including Women at the Top and Educational Enrichment Foundation.

Liz serves on the SVP Tucson Board of Directors and is passionate about anti-racism work on personal and organizational levels. She brings this drive to her position as the chair of SVP Tucson’s Equity Committee. Liz has a background in Management, Executive Coaching, Marketing, Human Resources, Fundraising, Strategic Planning, and Charitable Planning. She has run her own consulting business for 20 years. Most recently she served as the national board chair for MAZON, a national anti-hunger organization, and continues to support their work so every American can have their basic food needs met with special initiatives on current serving military and veterans, LGBT seniors, single moms, Indian Country and children.

She has experienced the ins and outs of nonprofits and uses her unique experience to help nonprofits grow and stabilize so they can continue to provide their vital services. She has served on special needs task forces to create community infrastructure to care for all people with dignity and high-quality service. She believes in the importance of a quality education system for every child and the benefits of multi-generation programming.

Liz is always active in the community, while living in Detroit, Liz served as board chair of JVS, a nonprofit human service agency and is a past president of the Young Adult division of the Jewish Federations of Metropolitan Detroit. She was the founder and past president of Volunteer Impact Detroit and sat on the boards of The Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit, The United Jewish Foundation and CITY YEAR Detroit. In Tucson, she has been just as active. Since moving here in 2004, she served as the President of Strauss Manor, low-income senior housing, she has been on the boards of the JCRC, Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona, Social Venture Partners and The Gregory School.

Liz has received a number of awards for leadership and dedication to others in the communities she has served. She received her degree in Economics from Brandeis University. She is married to Eric Groskind, and they have two children who are recent college graduates. When she isn’t working you can find her cooking her favorite recipes, listening to Broadway and Motown albums, or buried in a pile of her favorite books.

Originally from Chicago, as a dietitian/nutritionist, Peggy has worked for over 40 years in the food and healthcare business. She has served on several nonprofit boards, including Senior Meals, a local library, and the University of Illinois Extension Board. After being on the board of her food manufacturing company for many years, Peggy wondered if there was a way to bring the skills of the for-profit and nonprofit worlds together, to create a better organization.

After several conventions and vacations in Tucson, Peggy and her late husband, Steve, decided that this town was where they wanted to end up. She loves the culture in the southwest, the university and the mountains are a plus and the art and music scene give the city an edgy vibe. She was also impressed with what a giving community Tucson is and wanted to get more involved. “We learned about SVP from our neighbors, former partners Donna Prescott and Steve Gaynor. I discovered that SVP is the perfect fit to utilize my skills as a former business owner.”

Peggy has been extremely generous with her philanthropic giving to many local organizations and believes in sharing resources to help solve community-level issues. She has seen the power of collaboration in business and how working together can solve problems on larger scales.

Peggy has stepped up to help lead the 2Gen Collaboration focusing on family support and social capital development. Previously, Peggy served on the Fast Pitch Selection committee for three years. She is also an SVP coach and has been a member of an advisory team.

In her spare time, she likes reading nonfiction and historical fiction, hiking and traveling, playing the piano, and cooking.

Sarah Spiekermeier has over fifteen years of experience in healthcare leadership with an emphasis on health plan operations, program implementation, and Medicaid and Medicare regulations. As Executive Director of Banner Plans & Networks Medicaid Plans, she provides operational executive leadership and oversight for their Medicaid plans with over 300,000 members within Central and Southern Arizona. Before her Executive Director role, Sarah held several positions within Banner such as Call Center Supervisor, Program Implementation Manager, Medicaid Contract Compliance Officer, Sr. Director of Administrative Operations, and Chief Operating Officer.

Sarah graduated with her MBA with a concentration in Health Care Administration from Ashford University-Forbes School of Business and is a Certified Public Manager from Arizona State University- College of Public Programs.

Sarah is a Board Member of the Sickle Cell Foundation of Arizona and American Heart Association of Southern Arizona.

Originally from Chicago, Steve Witthoeft retired to Tucson in 2015 with his wife Diane. Steve’s educational background is an undergraduate in Chemical Engineering and a Masters in Business Administration. Steve had a varied career in the oil and chemical industries and has held positions as a Chemical Engineer, Business Director, Vice President of Global Sales, Vice President of Research and Development, and Chief Executive. He has extensive international experience working for several European companies and has conducted business in over 40 countries during his career.

Since retirement, Steve has been involved in several philanthropic and civic activities. Steve’s philanthropic interests are in helping the community through mentoring and working with nonprofits, especially in the vocational education sector. In the Tucson and Arizona community he has served as President of the Rotary Club of Oro Valley, Board Chair of Professional Employment Exploration and Resource Services, Board Vice President of Edge High School, Vocational Committee Chair for Rotary District 5500, and Board member of the statewide Rotary Vocational Fund of Arizona.

For his civic interests, Steve attained a Fellowship from Leading for Change, an educational foundation for civic and nonprofit leaders located in Phoenix. From 2018-2020 Steve served as Chair of the Democratic Party for Legislative District 11 which encompassed all of central Arizona.

As an SVP Tucson Partner, Steve has served as a Coach, Sponsorship and Marketing Chair for the annual Fast Pitch event, and as a member of various Assessment and Investment committees. He is currently SVP’s Lead Partner for Girl Scouts of Southern Arizona.

In his leisure time, Steve enjoys golfing, hiking, biking, and traveling. He has played golf in all 50 states and is currently working on golfing in all the Canadian Provinces.

Alisa Transue joined the SVP Tucson team in 2018 and quickly advanced to Administrative and Operations Manager. With 19 years of experience spanning administrative management, operations, project coordination, event planning, and team leadership, she brings a strategic mindset to her role. Alisa has been integral in implementing organizational policies and procedures, onboarding new employees, and supporting key initiatives such as Fast Pitch and the 2Gen Programs. Her expertise in streamlining processes and managing complex challenges ensures the smooth operation of all facets of the organization.

Born and raised in Tucson, Alisa has a deep connection to her community. Her early involvement with local nonprofits, including Children to Children (now Tu Nidito), Wright Flight, and the Tucson Girls Chorus, sparked her lifelong passion for community service. Alisa earned a Paralegal Certificate from Pima Community College and most recently achieved her Professional Administrative Certification of Excellence.

Outside of work, Alisa is an advocate for mental health awareness and suicide prevention, working to promote equitable access to quality mental health care for all populations. She enjoys traveling, photography, birdwatching, playing card and board games, and listening to music. Most importantly, Alisa cherishes time spent with her husband, Rick, and their two beloved dogs, Izzy (a terrier) and Lola (a chihuahua-pug mix).

Brittany is passionate about building community ecosystems to strengthen individuals, businesses, and communities. She joins the SVP team with experience in nonprofits, education, and technology startups. Through her knowledge of team building, marketing, program implementation, and community collaboration, Brittany helped to take SVP’s Fast Pitch program to the next level in 2020, ensuring that the entire program was focused on bringing our community together around solutions.

Her dedication to legacy and the passing down of heritage has been at the heart of her professional and voluntary career. Brittany has taken the baton from her beloved grandfather, Lew Murphy, who helped create the Tucson Community Food Bank. She now pays it forward and believes that caring for the whole family unit is vital to the uniting and healing of our community.

Brittany began her career teaching at Edge High School and then went on to serve as a Board Member in 2017, where she currently serves as President of the Board. She brings extensive executive experience working in finance and business development to SVP. She is a native Tucsonan whose roots run deep, and she is prepared to tackle Tucson’s greatest challenges in order to help strengthen SVP’s mission and vision.

Brittany is a creative artist, a musician, a humanitarian and a mom to 2 children. She is continually inspired by the rich culture of the Southwest. She has a growth mindset and is dedicated to making an impact in Tucson that will last for generations to come.

Bringing her whole lifetime of involvement with the nonprofit sector, Hattie’s passion for developing relationships and exploring change through connection guides her work. She brings administration, program, event, and community outreach experience to SVP Tucson.

Her degree in Care, Health, and Society with minors in Public Health and Social Leadership from the University of Arizona deepened her commitment to exploring systems and finding the root cause of problems. Her community-focused work has been grounded in a desire to provide resources and alleviate barriers to access for all people.

Her dedication to improving the world around her is rooted in her love for the nonprofit sector. She has a vast history of volunteering including the Girl Scouts of Southern Arizona and multiple therapeutic ranches around town. Through these opportunities, she has worked with whole family units and has seen the power of 2-Generation programs that take real life into account and support all members of the family.

Hattie served on the Board of Directors of the Autism Society of Southern Arizona and was the board’s first Self-Advocate. In this role, she worked to integrate the voice of the people they serve into their operations and policies. Most recently, she spent 6 summers working at JCC Ranch Camp in Colorado where she created and implemented a new horseback riding program from scratch. When she’s not at work you can find her riding horses, tending to her garden, enjoying a cup of tea, or swing dancing.

Jennie Grabel is a committed, caring, strategic, and optimistic leader with a passion for the profound and necessary work of the nonprofit sector. She believes that anything is possible when passion and purpose align with hard work, thoughtful planning, and adaptive execution. Her background in communications, program development, marketing, and team building adds enthusiasm, innovation, empathy, and strategy to any project she leads or helps.

Jennie returned to SVP Tucson in 2022 as Vice President of Programs previously serving the organization 2014-2018 as Director of Community Impact. She brings an understanding and deep appreciation of the nonprofit ecosystem, as well as a desire to enhance and elevate social service work to create a greater community impact. During her previous tenure with SVP Tucson, Jennie was the lead staff in bringing Fast Pitch, one of SVP Tucson’s signature programs to the community.

In her new role, Jennie is leading SVP’s 2Gen approach, focus, and collaboration. This opportunity is one that plays to her passion and strengths. A bridge builder and expert collaborator, Jennie sees the value in connectivity, process evaluation, program innovation, and cross-sector partnership. She is committed to creating positive systems change that benefits families in our community. The opportunity to understand and implement the components of a 2Gen approach centered on family voice, equity, and impact is a professional dream come true for someone deeply committed to society doing better for our families.

Jennie is an Arizona native, raised in Bisbee, a University of Arizona graduate, and a former commercial and community radio host. She was named Extraordinary Citizen by the Office of the Tucson Mayor and City Council and Six to Watch by the Arizona Daily Star in 2006 and was selected for the Ronald L Kurth Leadership Award by her Greater Tucson Leadership class of 2021. She loves music, exercise (she’s a Peloton fanatic), hiking, and cooking. Her commitment to social change and community is driven by her deep love for her husband Michael and four children, Richard, Kylene, Sage, and Sam.

Marci is eager to bring her experience and passion for collaboration, community involvement, and fun to SVP.  She adds a wealth of knowledge to the team in fundraising, cultivating relationships, and bringing the local nonprofit community together, to better the lives of children and families in Pima County. 

Marci is an active member of Angel Charity for Children. For the past 6 years, she has served on the Board of Directors for the organization and since her passion lies in their grant selection process she led the Impact and Opportunity Grants in 2022 and 2023.  As an admirer of social gatherings, Marci was instrumental in creating the lively fundraising event for Angel Charity called Drop in at the Dropout where donors, local businesses, volunteers, and nonprofits come together for a celebratory night of shopping and giving back. 

Marci holds a B.A. in Retail & Consumer Sciences from the University of Arizona.  Post college, she spent most of her career in the fashion industry in San Francisco and Los Angeles, where she worked on a global scale in both retail and wholesale capacities with brands like Nordstrom, Sue Wong, and BCBG Max Azria. At BCBG, Marci was instrumental in launching a family of brands under the BCBG umbrella; which included, BCBGeneration, Max & Cleo and BCBG Paris.  

Overall, building relationships is what Marci cherishes about her volunteer and career experiences.  Creating meaningful connections is what she is most looking forward to at SVP.  Outside of work, Marci enjoys spending time with her husband Mike, their two children and two rescue pups and she can be found on the tennis court, attending a yoga class, or outside exploring nature in the beautiful Sonoran Desert. 

Born and raised in Tucson, Ricky has become familiar with the beauty of the city as well as the challenges many face in the Old Pueblo. With a family filled with University of Arizona alumni and public educators, he found the best way to impact his birthplace would be to continue the familial tradition of public service.

He holds both a master’s and bachelor’s degree from the U of A - Master of Public Policy and B.A. in Political Science, respectively - and is a member of the Pi Alpha Alpha Global Honor Society for Public Affairs and Administration. In his educational endeavors, he studied systems’ change, policy enactment, policy analysis, and how to quantify the impact policies may have on a given population. Furthermore, he closely studied how social inequities present themselves within structured institutions and was challenged with synthesizing potential, real-world applications to combat said issues.

With these skills, coupled with his passion for lessening the ever-present divide of income and wealth inequality, he looks positively impact the lives of his fellow Tucsonans.