Meet Our Staff | Fresh Start Women’s Foundation

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

Chief Business Development Officer

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Abdu Dahr

Executive Leadership

Chief Business Development Officer

Abdu Dahr’s role as the Chief Business Development Officer 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, CPA, CMA

Executive Leadership

Chief Financial Officer

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Lata Quinn, CPA, CMA

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 Impact Officer

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Patti O’Brien

Executive Leadership

Chief Impact 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.

Denise Shields, MS

Executive Leadership

Vice President of People, Culture, & Administration

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Denise Shields, MS

Executive Leadership

Vice President of People, Culture, & Administration

Denise R. Shields is an accomplished Human Resources executive with more than 20 years of progressive leadership experience spanning talent acquisition, employee relations, organizational development, performance management, compensation, compliance, and executive leadership. Throughout her career, she has built a reputation for creating people-first strategies that strengthen organizational culture, develop high-performing teams, and align workforce initiatives with business objectives.

Denise began her HR career in operational roles, steadily advancing through positions of increasing responsibility, including HR Site Coordinator, HR Generalist, Talent Acquisition Manager, Director of Human Resources, and Senior Director of People, Culture & Equity. Her proven ability to lead organizational transformation, foster employee engagement, and drive strategic HR initiatives culminated in her promotion to Vice President of People, Culture & Administration.

In her executive role, Denise serves as a trusted advisor to senior leadership, overseeing human resources, culture, administration, and organizational effectiveness. She is passionate about developing leaders, cultivating inclusive workplace cultures, and implementing innovative people strategies that empower employees and advance organizational success.

Ashley Finch

Executive Leadership

Vice President of Community & Client Engagement

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Ashley Finch

Executive Leadership

Vice President of Community & Client Engagement

Ashley Finch serves as Vice President of Community & Client Engagement at Fresh Start Women’s Foundation, where she provides leadership for the organization’s programs, client engagement, and community partnerships. Since joining Fresh Start in 2019 as Volunteer & Outreach Manager, Ashley has served in progressive leadership roles, helping guide the organization through significant growth and transformation. She brings more than a decade of nonprofit leadership experience in program development, strategic partnerships, client engagement, and organizational transformation. Throughout her career, Ashley has focused on strengthening organizational impact by enhancing client experiences, expanding learning opportunities, and building innovative programs and partnerships that increase Fresh Start’s impact throughout the community.

Ashley began her nonprofit career in 2014 with Playworks Arizona, combining her passion for health and wellness with youth development. She later served at UMOM New Day Centers, supporting youth and families experiencing homelessness before joining Fresh Start. Originally from Oklahoma, Ashley earned her bachelor’s degree in Exercise and Sports Science from the University of Tulsa before relocating to Arizona in 2012. She is passionate about empowering women as a pathway to strengthening families, improving community well-being, and creating opportunities that positively impact future generations.