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Fresh Start Staff

Meet the people behind our mission.

Executive Leadership

Kim McWaters

Executive Leadership

President and Chief Executive Officer

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Kim McWaters

Executive Leadership

President and Chief Executive Officer

Kim McWaters recently retired as Chief Executive Officer of Universal Technical Institute (UTI), the nation’s leading provider of transportation technician training. She joined UTI as a part-time receptionist in 1984, and quickly worked her way up the leadership ranks. She was named President in 2000 and, in 2003, became CEO. She continues to serve on the company’s board of directors, and also is a member of the boards of Penske Automotive Group, Inc., and Mobile Mini, Inc.

Kim is deeply committed to helping others transform their lives and communities through education, guidance and support, and is especially passionate about helping women forge a path to success. She has been on the Fresh Start Board of Directors for more than a decade and, in 2014, was honored with the organization’s Founders’ Award. She has also served as a previous chair for the Fresh Start Gala. In addition, she previously served on the boards of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Metropolitan Phoenix and Banner Health Foundation. While leading UTI, she earned a bachelor’s of science degree in Business Administration and raised three children.

Heidi Coupland

Executive Leadership

Chief of Staff

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Heidi Coupland

Executive Leadership

Chief of Staff

Heidi initially joined Fresh Start over 20 years ago and instantly fell in love with the Fresh Start mission and the services offered to women in our community.  Since that time she has served as the Chair of the Auxiliary Board, as well as Chair of the Fresh Start Fashion Gala.   In 2017, Heidi joined the administrative team at Fresh Start as the Development Manager.  Prior to that she owned a consulting practice that launched the operations of multiple new business start-ups.  She also spent over 10 years in the NBA, serving as the Director of Corporate Sales for the Phoenix Suns.

Abdu Dahr

Executive Leadership

Vice President of Strategic Partnerships

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Abdu Dahr

Executive Leadership

Vice President of Strategic Partnerships

Abdu Dahr’s role as the Vice President of Strategic Partnerships is a key driver in the ongoing growth and accelerated development of Fresh Start’s mission. Abdu is responsible for building partnerships with companies, employers, and educators who will provide career training, employment and education opportunities that meets the FSWF’s expectations for the women we serve to become self-sufficient.

Along with obtaining, a degree in Social Services in Rabat, Morocco where he grew up, Abdu also obtained his professional certificate in Nonprofit Executive Leadership from ASU. Abdu has over nineteen years of experience in the nonprofit field with the past eight years being at the executive level. He has held multiple leadership roles and is passionate about serving others within his community.

Lata Quinn

Executive Leadership

Chief Financial Officer

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Lata Quinn

Executive Leadership

Chief Financial Officer

Lata Quinn joined Fresh Start Women’s Foundation in November 2018 as the CFO. She brings a wealth of knowledge from her experience in running her own accounting firm with a focus on automating processes and working on productivity and efficiency to selling her company a few years ago to Clifton Larson Allen. Lata obtained her Chartered Professional Accounting, Certified Management Accountant designation in Canada and has worked in various capacities with Non-Profits for the past 25 years.

Patti O’Brien

Executive Leadership

Chief Marketing and Client Experience Officer

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Patti O’Brien

Executive Leadership

Chief Marketing and Client Experience Officer

Patti O’Brien joined Fresh Start with more than twenty-five years of marketing experience including, most recently, eight years at Maricopa Corporate College (MCOR) at Maricopa Community Colleges where she began in 2014 as the Director of Marketing and Communication. While at MCOR, she assumed additional areas of responsibility in Sales, Solutions, and Operations, and beginning in 2018, led the organization as Chief Operating Officer and Head of Corporate Engagement. As an advocate for continuous learning and gender equity, she has a passion for empowering women with life-changing education and training opportunities to foster career advancement and self-sufficiency.

Patti has a Master’s in Applied Leadership from Thunderbird School of Global Management, Arizona State University, and a B.S. in Business Finance from California State University. She has received numerous awards in marketing, sales, and leadership, and was most recently named 2021 Women Achiever of Arizona, by Arizona Capitol Times.

Fresh Start Staff

Genesis Antunez

Genesis Antunez

Community Engagement Coordinator

Adriana Arroyo 

Adriana Arroyo 

Senior Director of Career, Education and Financial Management

Sara Benét

Sara Benét

Education Instructor

Susan Brow

Susan Brow

Senior Director of Development Operations

Briana Burns

Briana Burns

Justice Involved Program Manager

Shamiah Byrd

Shamiah Byrd

Social Worker

Rocio Cortez

Rocio Cortez

Computer Literacy Manager

Jordan Crouch, LMSW

Jordan Crouch, LMSW

LMSW, Director of Social Work

Rachel Dole

Rachel Dole

Executive Assistant to President/CEO

Claudia Duarte

Claudia Duarte

Social Services Specialist 

Cynthia Ehlers

Cynthia Ehlers

Database and Analytics Manager

Cindy Enriquez 

Cindy Enriquez 

Social Services Specialist

Miebi Eserifa

Miebi Eserifa

Senior Business Analyst

Kelsey Evans

Kelsey Evans

Project Director

Ashley Finch

Ashley Finch

Senior Director of Community and Client Engagement

Jessica Fitch

Jessica Fitch

Education Recruiter

Nancy Flores

Nancy Flores

Career and Education Manager

Corey Francis

Corey Francis

Director of Accounting

Vishruth Gaur

Vishruth Gaur

Systems Administrator

Emma Gibbs

Emma Gibbs

Development Coordinator

Edna Gomez-Green

Edna Gomez-Green

Director of Family Law Support Services

Caitlin Goodman

Caitlin Goodman

Events Manager

Michael Gross

Michael Gross

Workforce Development Manager

Erika Hidalgo

Erika Hidalgo

Family Law Support Coordinator

Vittoria Horne

Vittoria Horne

Marketing Content Specialist

Trinka Jones

Trinka Jones

Client Services Ambassador

Pat Koepke

Pat Koepke

Board Liaison

Tracy Lathion

Tracy Lathion

Office Manager

Kirsy Liz

Kirsy Liz

Director of Technology and Automation

Matt Long

Matt Long

Financial Empowerment Coach

Sarah Lords

Sarah Lords

Director of Brand & Strategic Communications

Ana Martinez

Ana Martinez

Social Worker

Amara Murray-Bell

Amara Murray-Bell

Client Navigator

Trey Perkins

Trey Perkins

Education Recruiter

Adisa Podrug

Adisa Podrug

Community Engagement Coordinator

Sandra Quintana

Sandra Quintana

Workforce Development Specialist

Brittany Rojero

Brittany Rojero

Client Services Ambassador

Megan Shacklett

Megan Shacklett

Client Navigator

Ciara Shaw

Ciara Shaw

Social Services Specialist

Denise Shields

Denise Shields

Senior Director of People, Culture and Equity

Lauren Smith

Lauren Smith

Marketing Content Specialist

Dorinda Thompson, LMSW

Dorinda Thompson, LMSW

LMSW Social Worker 

Shayna Thompson

Shayna Thompson

Family Law Support Coordinator

Karen Thorn

Karen Thorn

Director of Major Gifts

Darryl Torres

Darryl Torres

Family Law Support Coordinator

Dominique Trier

Dominique Trier

Finance Program Specialist

Lendsey Vaughn

Lendsey Vaughn

Security Guard

Carissa Villagomez

Carissa Villagomez

Development Content Creator

Celeste Wyrick

Celeste Wyrick

Director of Digital Marketing & Operations

Cindy Yeager

Cindy Yeager

Grants Manager