Reinvesting in the Community to Create Greater Value
Today we are joined by Wendy Werden, Manager of Community Investment and Philanthropy TEP and an award-winning community engagement manager with more than 25 years of outreach, marketing, media, and strategic development experience. Also with us is Ciara Garcia, Chief Executive Officer Social Venture Partners Tucson a nonprofit organization dedicated to connecting individuals and businesses with true community impact. On this episode, we discuss how reinvesting in your community can generate value for the larger community that goes far beyond dollars and cents.
Guests
Wendy Werden ( WWerden@tep.com )
Manager of Community Investment and Philanthropy TEP
LinkedIn
Website
Wendy Erica Werden is an award-winning community engagement manager with more than 25 years of outreach, marketing, media, and strategic development experience. She began her career with the Fox TV affiliate in Cleveland, Ohio – then moved to Tucson, Arizona where she has worked with associations and businesses, an environmental non-profit, and media entities including PBS and NPR affiliates through the University of Arizona. She joined Arizona Congressman Ron Barber’s office as Outreach and Deputy District Director in 2012 and re-joined the Tucson Electric Power/UniSource Energy team in early 2015 as the manager of Community Investment where she manages donations totaling more than $2 million annually. In her personal time, she enjoys volunteering with animal rescue and the outdoors as a trail builder and section steward of Arizona National Scenic Trail. She is proud of her work and commitment to improving Arizona but also loves being on her horse with her trail dog on a mountain far away from the reach of her mobile phone.
Ciara Garcia (Ciara@svptucson.org) |
Chief Executive Officer
Social Venture Partners Tucson
5049 E. Broadway Blvd., Suite 233 | Tucson, AZ 85711
Direct 520.209.2878 | Main 520.622.8476 | Cell 520.449.0169
LinkedIn
Ciara is CEO of Social Venture Partners Tucson – a nonprofit organization dedicated to connecting individuals and businesses with true community impact. Using a venture philanthropy model, SVP Partners invest their time and money in vetted nonprofits through multi-year grants and capacity building projects. SVP has a 12-year track record of strengthening and scaling nonprofits – maximizing their impact in the Tucson community.
Ciara has more than 14- years’ experience leading nonprofits through strategic growth and transformation. As a community leader, Ciara recognizes the expanded impact that occurs when people come together to leverage their strengths and resources for a greater good. “The opportunity to support the Tucson community at this juncture is exciting to me,” says Ciara. “In fact, it is what I am most passionate about–bringing people together to create impact. There is so much potential when we bring the business, nonprofit and philanthropic communities together to address community issues.”
About Your Hosts
McCraren Compliance
sarah@mccrarencompliance.com
Sarah McCraren is CEO and President of McCraren Compliance and is a Tucson native with a strong sense of community. Sarah spent many years in the corporate finance world specializing in the operational analysis, measurement and accountability systems, project management and software implementations. However, Sarah wanted to do work which was meaningful and would positively impact her community. She found that saving lives and reducing injuries through comprehensive safety programs fit that bill. Sarah leads the McCraren Compliance team by keeping everyone focused on their primary purpose and balancing the needs of all their stakeholders.
Sarah serves on the Board for the Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration Tucson Chapter, Southwest University of Visual Arts, Conscious Capitalism Arizona and are active with the Arizona Builders Alliance, Arizona Rock Products Association and Arizona Transportation Builders.
Follow McCraren Compliance on LinkedIn and Facebook.
Retirement Evolutions
jneis@retevo.com
www.retevobiz.com
Jeremy Neis is an Investment Advisor with Retirement Evolutions and a small business operator fueled by the desire to enrich the life experience. He grew up in the Chicago area and chased the sun to get a degree at the University of Arizona in human and organizational communications. After doing so, he returned to Illinois where over the next 15 years he would find joy in co-launching and growing a technology solutions company and establishing a family. In 2014 he returned to the desert to join his current venture, Retirement Evolutions, where his focuses are: (1) Conduct planning with individuals and families so that they can maximize the likelihood of leading secure and comfortable retirements. (2) Through the business services arm, Resourceful, empower business leaders to care for the people that they will rely upon to be thriving, sustainable organizations.
Jeremy is a proud contributor to the Conscious Capitalism movement as he views it as a powerful vehicle to bring about greater prosperity and reduced suffering for our human family. Over his career he has had the privilege to work closely with hundreds of different enterprises across many markets and industries. A common theme emerges among those firms that he’s seen excel and that is to be great not just with what they are bringing to market, but also with the manner in which they are doing so.
Connect with Jeremy on LinkedIn and follow Retirement Evolutions on Facebook.