Leadership

MOLINA HEALTHCARE - CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Minnie Andrade is the Chief Executive Officer of Molina Healthcare of Arizona. Molina holds a contract with AHCCCS and provides integrated covered services to Medicaid and Medicare recipients.

Minnie is responsible for leading the organization in a manner that ensures members access health care services addressing the whole person while considering social determinants of health. She leads the organization through trauma informed and strength-based principles. Her collaborative leadership style cultivates an innovative, member-centric and solutions-based health plan for Arizona.

She holds a Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies, Communication, from Arizona State University; a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Grand Canyon University; and is a Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ) by the National Association for Healthcare Quality.

FIRST PLACE AZ - FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT/CEO

Denise is the founder and president/CEO of First Place® AZ (established in 2012), co-founder of the Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center (SARRC, established in 1997), and founder and CEO of DRA Collective, a marketing/ communications firm (established in 1986) that serves clients in a variety of fields, including real estate, economic development, healthcare, education and hospitality.

She serves as a member of the Arizona State University Foundation Board and Watts College Dean’s Council, and advisory boards for Creighton University Presidential Health Sciences Phoenix and The Precisionists, Inc.

Denise has received numerous local and national honors for her civic contributions and business accomplishments. She graduated cum laude from ASU, where she received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. Her adult son Matt, who has autism, and others with different abilities inspire her work.

UNITEDHEALTHCARE - SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT

Joe Gaudio is a Senior Vice President for UnitedHealthcare Community & State. In this role he is responsible for empowering and supporting local market UnitedHealthcare health plans. UnitedHealthcare Community & State proudly serves 6.45 million Medicaid members in 30 states, plus Washington D.C. Joe began his career with UnitedHealth Group in 1998, serving as Chief Financial Officer of United Healthcare of Arizona and as West Region and Public Sector CFO for United Healthcare.

Prior to joining UnitedHealth Group, Joe served as Chief Financial Officer of Arizona Physicians IPA, Inc., a Medicaid managed care organization. Joe is a Certified Public Accountant who began his career with Arthur Andersen & Company in the Audit Division after attaining his B.S., Accounting, from Arizona State University, magna cum laude, in 1987.

ALL IN EDUCATION - EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Stephanie Parra is the Executive Director of ALL In Education aims to ensure that the communities most impacted by education inequities are the ones making decisions for ALL students.

Stephanie is a first-generation American originally from Yuma, Arizona. As one of the first in her family to attend college, Parra saw first-hand the importance of education and the wonders it can do to develop a child’s life and future. Parra currently serves as the Governing Board Member of the Phoenix Union High School District, representing Ward 3. She is passionate about ensuring every student in Arizona receives an excellent education and is adequately prepared to succeed in college, career, and life.

VALLEY LEADERSHIP - CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

As CEO of Valley Leadership, he empowers Arizonans to lead through the organization’s innovative programming that helps participants expand their perspectives and their network.

Prior to becoming Valley Leadership’s CEO in 2017, Dave was CEO of Home Matters and Executive Director of the National NeighborWorks Association, both working to raise national awareness of the need for better homes and communities across the country. Today, he sits on the Advisory Council for Home Matters to Arizona, the first statewide Home Matters initiative focused on a new generation of affordable housing, connected communities and healthier individuals, families and economies.

HIDALGO & ASSOCIATES

Edmundo Hidalgo is a seasoned community & economic development practitioner with over 30 years of experience in both the non-profit and corporate sectors. Hidalgo’s focus ranges from social determinants of health and community advocacy to access to capital for emerging communities and community revitalization. Hidalgo currently supports non-profits who seek to impact communities of color through leadership & capacity building as well as securing capital for small businesses.

Hidalgo is the past President and CEO of Chicanos Por La Causa, Inc. (CPLC). Hidalgo served in this capacity from 2008 to 2016 and as its Chief Operating Officer from 1999 to 2008. Under his leadership, CPLC transformed into a regional community and economic development corporation. With more than 50 years of serving communities in the areas of education, Economic Development, Housing, and Health and Human Services, CPLC became one of the most impactful community development corporations in the country under his direction.

VITALYST HEALTH FOUNDATION - DIRECTOR OF HEALTHY COMMUNITIES

Prior to staring at Vitalyst as the Director of Healthy Communities, Gabriel worked at Habitat for Humanity Central Arizona for 8 years as the Director of Community Development and Government Relations. He worked with communities to address needs and concerns in their neighborhoods all the way to the federal level to advocate for affordable housing. He currently sits on the Home Matters to Arizona Board, is Vice Chair of Phoenix’s North Mountain Village Planning Committee, and leads Valley Leadership’s Impact Maker Team to address Housing and Social Determinants of Health.

Gabriel graduated with his BA in History and Public History from Grand Canyon University and is a Valley Leadership Alumni. He and his wife have been married for ten years and have four amazingly active children. They love to go fishing as their favorite hobby and visit family.

THE NARBHA INSTITUTE - CHIEF PROGRAM OFFICER

Jon Perez, Ph.D., serves as the Chief Program Officer for The NARBHA Institute, bringing a rich background of experience in clinical psychology and nearly 30 years of federal behavioral health service from direct care to policy and program management in the U.S. and abroad. 

He also has multiple Joint Force deployments including serving as behavioral health chief aboard USNS Mercy during initial U.S. tsunami relief efforts in Aceh Indonesia 2005, and serving as the Senior Liaison Officer between coalition forces and the Afghanistan Ministry of Public Health 2007-2008.

BANNER GOVERNMENT HEALTH PLANS - VICE PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Jim Stringham serves as VP/CEO for Banner Government Health Plans (BGHP). In this role, Jim oversees Banner’s continued health plan growth in central and southern Arizona. BGHP provides services for over 325,000 members across the AHCCCS Complete Care (ACC), Arizona Long Term Care (ALTCS) and Dual Eligible Special Need Plan (DSNP) plans, as well as Banner Medicare Advantage.

Before BGHP, Jim was the CEO for Magellan Complete Care of Arizona, overseeing Magellan’s recent expansion in the Arizona Complete Care market. Prior to that, he was senior vice president of operations for Magellan Healthcare, and directly oversaw Magellan’s national public sector contracts including the financial, clinical, and operational direction of care management centers, and led the business implementation of new markets.

GOLD KEY CONSULTING – CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

A native Phoenician, Mike grew up in the homebuilding business. In his 30-year homebuilding career, he developed unique neighborhoods and built about 10,000 homes in the greater Phoenix area.

In 2009, Mike was appointed by Governor Jan Brewer to serve as Director of the AZ Dept of Housing (ADOH). In that role, he applied his years of homebuilding experience and shifted the focus of ADOH from units of housing to the social determinants of health by connecting housing with affordable rents and mortages to public transportation, proximity to grocery stores, education, employment and supportive resident services.

As CEO of Gold Key Consulting, Mike is focused on expanding affordable homeownership and supportive housing for adults with autism and other neurodiversities. He serves as a board member of Home Matters to Arizona and First Place AZ, and consults with the Arizona Community Foundation and others on a collection of initiatives helping ensure that everyone can be at home in Arizona.