SPEAKER BIOS
Kimberly Jordan serves as Executive Vice President at WESTMARC, where she is dedicated to advancing the strategic development, growth, and long-term success of the West Valley region. Her passion for workforce and economic development drives her leadership in creating impactful strategies, initiatives, and measurable outcomes.
In her current role, Kimberly oversees the strategic alignment of WESTMARC and the WESTMARC Workforce Foundation, ensuring both arms of the organization work collaboratively to fulfill its mission and vision. She manages annual programming, seven Issue Committees (Public Affairs, Economic Development, Education & Workforce Development, Healthcare, Infrastructure, Marketing, and Quality of Life), and leads human resources functions including onboarding, training development, performance management, and team support. Additionally, she serves as Project Manager for the Greater Maricopa Foreign Trade Zone (GMFTZ #277).
Lauren Zbyszinski is the Director of Public Policy and State Partnerships at Teaching Strategies, where she focuses on advancing policies and systems that ensure every child has a strong foundation for success. In her role, she drives early childhood education initiatives through strategic collaboration with state leaders, policymakers, and national stakeholders.
Lauren began her career as a kindergarten teacher, grounding her work in firsthand classroom experience that continues to inform her approach to policy and systems change. She brings extensive experience in cross-agency systems building and early childhood policy. She previously served as Deputy Director of Early Childhood Policy at the Hunt Institute, helping to drive sustainable, equitable early education reform alongside national political leaders, and as Texas Inter-Agency Deputy Director for Early Childhood, where she led coordination across the Texas Education Agency, Department of Family and Protective Services, Workforce Commission, and Health and Human Services, establishing statewide priorities, align programs, and support the development of a comprehensive early childhood system.
Earlier in her career, Lauren served at the Arizona Department of Education as Director of Professional Learning and Sustainability for Early Childhood. There, she led the creation of a unified statewide professional development system and supported the implementation of Arizona’s K–3 formative assessment system to strengthen the early childhood education pipeline.
Lauren holds a PhD in Curriculum and Instruction with a specialization in Early Childhood Education, with research focused on executive function and social-emotional development in early learners. She also earned a law degree from Loyola University, concentrating on social justice reform through education, along with a master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction and a bachelor’s degree in Business Marketing.
Education:
PhD: Curriculum and Instruction, Early Childhood Education Approaches to Learning/ Executive Function, Social Emotional Development
LLM: Child Law and Education
MEd: Curriculum and Instruction, Early Childhood Education Language and Literacy Development
BS: Business Marketing
Theresa Christensen, Ph.D., is the Founder and CEO of Bright Beginnings Early Childhood Development Center and its nonprofit partner, Building Bright Futures (BBF). With more than 26 years of experience, she is a recognized leader in positioning early childhood education as essential workforce infrastructure. Theresa develops scalable, community-driven models that expand access to high-quality childcare, support working families, and strengthen local economies.
She holds a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, a Master’s in Marriage and Family Therapy, and a Bachelor’s in Human Services and Business Administration. Theresa actively engages with policymakers, workforce leaders, and regional partners across Arizona and beyond, including New Mexico and Colorado, to advance data-informed solutions for stronger early childhood systems. She is known for her authenticity, practical insight, and unwavering commitment to improving outcomes for children, families, and employers.
Scott Holman is the Vice President of Human Resources and General Administration for Amkor Technology Arizona. With over 36 years of experience,
he has held executive roles at TSMC Arizona, where he led all Human Resources and General Affair functions, and at Micron as the Global Human Resources Director. Scott also spent 22 years at Intel in various operational roles, but primarily in Human Resources. Known for his strong track record in developing global organizations, he excels in strategic planning, workforce planning, and organizational effectiveness. Scott is adept at building and developing global teams and is recognized for his ability to develop employees, optimize talent, and foster high morale and engagement.
Scott is a Veteran of the United States Air Force and holds a master’s degree in management, with and emphasis in Human Resources Development from Webster University.
Shawn Neidorf identifies and capitalizes on strategic opportunities and funding for the Arizona Commerce Authority. She leads efforts related to Opportunity Zones and supports the deployment of development finance in Arizona to support economic development. Shawn supervises two research teams at ACA that produce bespoke research products to support ACA’s business attraction and expansion efforts, workforce development and marketing outreach. She also oversees ACA’s loan guarantee program through the State Small Business Credit Initiative.
Previously, Shawn worked in public opinion polling at the Pew Research Center in Washington, D.C., and as a newspaper and magazine journalist, most recently at The Mercury News in San Jose, California.
She has a doctorate in economic and organizational sociology from the University of Illinois at Chicago, where she completed a concentration in survey methods. She also has a master’s degree from UIC in sociology and a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Ian Dowdy currently serves as the Director of Strategic Data Initiatives for CFA and is a certified urban planner with a diverse background across the public and private sectors in addition to more than a decade in the non-profit arena. Ian’s work involves analyzing CFA’s public opinion research, measuring Arizona’s outcomes with the Arizona Progress Meters, and collaborating with partners and communities in bringing data to action.
Kimberly Banach is the marketing lead for the Arizona Region of Howard Hughes Communities, overseeing marketing and communications for Teravalis, a transformative new community in the Phoenix West Valley. With extensive experience in master planned community development, Kimberly is skilled in all phases of marketing, from branding and strategy to field implementation and analytics. She is passionate about creating vibrant communities where future residents can thrive, and her expertise spans projects ranging from 950 to over 37,000 acres.
With a keen eye for community engagement and placemaking, Kimberly’s leadership has driven marketing initiatives that resonate with prospective residents and support long-term development goals. Her ability to craft compelling narratives and execute impactful strategies has made her a key player in shaping successful, sustainable communities that foster lasting connections and growth.
Throughout her career, Kimberly has played a key role in launching new community phases and supporting the growth of more mature developments. Her strategic vision and dedication to creating a strong sense of place and connection consistently deliver results that enhance the lives of residents and the legacy of the communities she helps build.
Matthew Hess is Deputy Director of the City of Glendale’s Community Services Department, where he oversees a broad portfolio of programs focused on affordable housing, homelessness response, human services, neighborhood revitalization, and workforce development. With a background in urban planning and extensive experience in strategic planning, regulatory compliance, financial management, and grant administration, he specializes in translating complex funding and policy requirements into practical, community-focused solutions. Matt is known for his collaborative leadership style, strong operational focus, and commitment to building fair, sustainable and efficient systems that improve outcomes for low- and moderate-income residents.
Gabriel Jaramillo serves as Director of Healthy Communities. In this role, he works with our community partners and decision makers to address housing needs across Arizona by creating and supporting community health through design.
Gabriel has more than 15 years of experience in affordable housing, from financing to community development and housing policy. He currently chairs the board of the Arizona Housing Coalition, the City of Phoenix’s Planning Commission, and the Governor’s Interagency and Community Council on Housing and Homelessness. Before Vitalyst, Gabriel was at Habitat for Humanity of Central Arizona as the Director of Community Development and Government Relations, where he helped pass legislation and coordinated community outreach for revitalization projects.
Gabriel graduated with his BA in History and Public History from Grand Canyon University and is a Flinn-Brown Fellow and Valley Leadership Alumni.
