Be A Leader Foundation For more than 18 years, the Be A Leader Foundation (BALF) has been supporting opportunity youth with financial assistance, personal mentoring and guidance in their pursuits of post-secondary education.

Carlos Galindo-Elvira Carlos Galindo-Elvira is the Arizona Regional Director for the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), where he is responsible for fundraising, program delivery, leadership development, communications and government relations to advance the ADL’s mission of protecting the Jewish people and securing justice and fair treatment for all.

Dr. Ernie Lara Dr. Ernie Lara is the President of Estrella Mountain Community College. His 40 years of experience in education began after military service which allowed him to pursue higher education. As the first in his family to pursue a college degree, he became intimately familiar with the challenges of first-generation college students.

Dr. Javier Cárdenas Dr. Cárdenas is one of the foremost experts in the nation on traumatic brain injury and concussion. He is the founder of Barrow Concussion and Brain Injury Center at Dignity Health St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix.

Dr. Mónica Brown Mónica Brown, PhD, is a professor of English at Northern Arizona University, specializing in U.S. Latino Literature and Multicultural Literature. Author of Gang Nation: Delinquent Citizenship in Puerto Rican, Chicano and Chicana Narratives and numerous scholarly articles.

Edmundo Hidalgo Edmundo Hidalgo is the Vice President of Outreach Partnerships at Arizona State University where he leads efforts to improve individual and collective economic prosperity through education.

Fry’s Food Stores Fry’s Food Stores have been practicing corporate social responsibility long before it was in the communal vernacular. Via its current Community Rewards Program, which pledges to give $2 million to local nonprofits this year alone.

Honorable Catherine Miranda Senator Catherine Miranda currently serves in the Arizona Senate representing South Phoenix’s District 27, the very district in which she was born, raised and educated.

Honorable Lorenzo Sierra An award-winning marketing and communications professional, Lorenzo has spent the last 20 years finding opportunities to serve both professionally and personally to improve Hispanic representation in community leadership roles.

Honorable Raúl Grijalva The Honorable Raúl Grijalva currently serves as the United States Representative for Arizona’s 3rd Congressional District and has been serving Arizona for more than 40 years.

Janet Murguía Janet Murguía is the President and CEO of UnidosUS (formerly National Council of La Raza). A native of Kansas City, Kansas, Janet grew up in the Argentine district of the city.

Louis Sánchez Since his arrival in Casa Grande in 2003 for the opening of the Walmart Distribution Center, Louis Sánchez has become a pillar of that community, providing not only leadership to numerous community efforts such as United Way and Rotary, but also rolling up his sleeves to get work done.