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Arizona Staff

  • John Fisher

    Executive Director
    jfisher@stand.org
    602-595-6944

    John comes to Stand AZ having most recently served as Interim Executive Director at Arizona for Teach For America. Prior to his role as Interim ED, John served as the managing director of Teach For America’s public partnerships efforts in Phoenix from 2009-2011.

  • Kelly McManus

    Policy Director
    kmcmanus@stand.org
    602-595-6944

    Kelly grew up in North Carolina and attended Wake Forest University, where she was magna cum laude, majoring in Political Science with a minor in Communication. 

  • Maria Luisa Ramos

    Parent Engagement Manager
    mlramos@stand.org
    602-753-0962

    Maria Luisa Ramos previously served as the Director for Community Development at Arizona State University Preparatory Academy where she focused on the creation of community service-learning opportunities, and designing projects that brought the community togethr as an eq

  • Luis Avila

    Organizing Director
    lavila@stand.org
    480.371.9234
    “The biggest challenge we face at this time is to secure the future of ALL children. I stand for children to make sure they receive the best education possible, fostering their minds to become the brightest innovators, and allowing them to be hopeful of their future. I stand for children because it is my responsibility, and by not doing it, I am neglecting the destiny of our society.”

  • Janey Pearl

    Communications Director
    jpearl@stand.org
    602.373.3112
    Originally from Guadalajara, Mexico, Janey’s prior experience includes serving as Senior Advisor to Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon, where she was responsible for English and Spanish media relations, working on education issues, and serving as a liaison to the Latino and GLBT communities, she was Press Secretary under Attorney General Terry Goddard and Public Information Officer/Latino Outreach Coordinator at the Arizona Department of Health Services.

  • Julieta Cruz

    Organizer
    jcruz@stand.org
    602.628.2912

    Julieta Cruz was born and raised in El Paso, TX. In 2009 she graduated with honors from the University of Texas El Paso (UTEP) with a B.A. in Political Science. She recently earned her Master in Public Administration from Arizona State University (ASU).

    Throughout her educational career, Julieta was fortunate in having supportive parents and motivating teachers who believed in her and constantly pushed her to thrive to her fullest potential.

    One of Julieta’s most exceptional teachers was Ms. Zumr from high school, who deliberately challenged Julieta in everything in order for her to think outside the box and create her own journey to success. Julieta stands for children because every student should have the opportunity to fully develop to their fullest potential to attain any lifelong endeavors they desire through an exceptional education.

  • Ann-Marie Esau

    Organizer
    aesau@stand.org
    480.326.7573

    Ann-Marie Esau joined Stand for Children in June 2011 as the Community Organizer for Charter Schools. She graduated from Concordia University Irvine with a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology. She also holds a Master’s Degree in Social Work with a concentration in Community Organization, Planning, and Administration from the University of Southern California. Ann-Marie’s passion to see equal opportunity for all children to thrive has developed through several years spent in the nonprofit sector serving youth and families affected by the poverty, disability, and the broken education system.

    Prior to joining Stand, Ann-Marie spent a year in Shanghai, China, where she taught for Berlitz International and became involved in community work serving local children.Further inspired by her experiences abroad to make a difference in education, Ann-Marie joined Stand in the fight to empower parents and educators to be the best advocates for Arizona’s children.

  • Adriana Figueroa

    State Operations Coordinator
    afigueroa@stand.org
    602.595.6944

    Growing up in Colombia Adriana became aware from a very young age of the many social issues our world faces today, in particular, those issues that affect our children. She graduated with a degree in Airline and Travel Management from Pittsburg Technical Institute.

    Adriana’s commitment to children’s issues and her interest in working for a philanthropic organization led her to join Stand for Children. As the former director of a private preschool here in the Valley of the Sun, Adriana has seen first-hand many challenges facing young children and their families in Arizona’s education system. This experience, combined with her passion for being the mother of a young daughter, have given her a special enthusiasm for helping provide opportunities for children in Arizona.

  • Liliana Hutcheson

    Organizer
    lhutcheson@stand.org
    602.284.4198

    A native of Mexico, Liliana spent most of her childhood in Mexico City. She attended college in Queretaro, where she received her bachelor’s degree in visual communications.

    Shortly after college, Liliana moved to the U.S. and began a career in education. Wanting to make a difference and help improve education quality, Liliana reached out to thousands of parents across Arizona to express the importance of parental involvement in their child’s education.

    Liliana has made her mark at both the State Capitol and in Washington, D.C. In Arizona, she often met with the Hispanic Caucus to discuss the crisis in Hispanic educational achievement and educating them on the needs of other minority children. In D.C., Liliana presented an organizing strategy session at the 2007 Community Initiatives in Education conference, sponsored by the White House.

    In 2006, Liliana was recognized by State Senator Dean Martin for her efforts in getting legislators to pass the Arizona Corporate Income Tax Tuition Credit legislation. She lives in Chandler, with her husband, Reggie, her son, Marcus, and their two dogs.