• Rhonda Bannard appointed to Phoenix Mayor-Elect Stanton’s Transition Team
• Rhonda Bannard nominated to leadership role with the Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits Board of Directors

MAYOR-ELECT STANTON COMPLETES TRANSITION TEAM

Mayor-elect Greg Stanton today announced the members of his 24-person transition team. This diverse group of accomplished professionals and community leaders will assist the new Stanton Administration in finding the most experienced policy minds available to implement the agenda that Phoenix voters overwhelmingly supported in the Nov. 8 election.

"This team reflects the rich diversity that is Phoenix, and it includes some of the brightest and most capable people I know," said Stanton. "From business to the arts, from education to social services, from our ethnic minority populations to the LGBT community - I want all of these perspectives at the table ready to work for the future of this city we all love."

Last week Mayor-Elect Stanton announced that Karlene Keogh Parks and Paul Luna will lead his transition team until Stanton takes office on Jan. 3, 2012. He also announced that Paul Blue will be the City Manager's Office representative on Mayor-elect Stanton's transition team, and will serve as Chief of Staff to Mayor Stanton following the inauguration.

The new members of the Transition team are:

The Transition Team's first meeting will be 2 p.m. today in the Ceremonial Room at Historic City Hall. The opening 30 minutes of the meeting will be open to the media.

Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits Names New Board Chair
First Time Business Leader Tapped to Steward Nonprofit Alliance

(October 27, 2011 Phoenix, Ariz.) -- Phoenix entrepreneur and communications expert Rhonda Bannard is bringing her business savvy and vision to the chair position for the Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits Board of Trustees.

Bannard is excited to apply her passion for making strategic connections between the business, government and nonprofit communities in her role as the board chair. "I’ve worked in or with the nonprofit sector for most of my professional life and have always seen great opportunity to weave together a variety of efforts toward greater outcomes for the community and state," Bannard said. "In serving the Alliance and the thousands of nonprofit organizations throughout the state, my hope is to be an even stronger cheerleader for connecting and leveraging our work, especially in these challenging economic times."

The Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits formed in 2004 to advance the common interests of more than 20,000 Arizona nonprofits through advocacy and services including collaboration initiatives, public policy representation and assistance to individual organizations.

"The Alliance will benefit from Rhonda's forward thinking, strategic connections and commitment to raising awareness about the importance of the nonprofit sector," said Alliance President and CEO Patrick McWhortor. "'We're moving deliberately into having the voice of this $19 billion sector heard and Rhonda, along with our growing board leadership, will help us do just that."

Bannard brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the Alliance. Prior to starting her own consulting business, she worked in TV news and then within the nonprofit sector. Her background includes communications positions with the March of Dimes, the Downtown Phoenix Partnership and the Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce.

Bannard is also the founder and chief connector at Inspired Connections, a non-traditional marketing firm that emphasizes relationship development, corporate social responsibility and community building. As chief connector at Inspired Connections, Bannard has worked in, served on or spent significant volunteer time in a range of industries and issues including education, business, health care, downtown development, women’s issues, leadership, civic engagement and other topics. Her combined experiences with nonprofits and the business community give her a unique perspective on how the sectors can support each other more efficiently and effectively.

She said it's imperative that people understand what a significant role nonprofits play in shaping the economic and social landscape of the state. Arizona nonprofits contribute more than $19 billion to the Arizona economy and employ more people than the transportation, communications and utilities industries combined.

"We need to raise the level of understanding about the impact nonprofits have in Arizona," Bannard said. She added that the nonprofit community has filled in the gaps for many social service needs no longer supported by government. Bannard believes that the government, business community and nonprofit sectors should leverage resources to develop service solutions collectively instead of operating in silos.

"The world has changed and we've got to do our work differently," she said. "Instead of being stop gaps, nonprofits should be at the forefront; at the table helping to create solutions - before and as cuts or changes are made. The nonprofit sector is rich with talent and we should tap it in strategically significant ways."

Bannard is working with the Alliance staff and board to grow the organization's leadership and impact statewide. Already the organization has significant successes in both rural and urban communities and has seen its membership grow. She would like to see more corporate and foundation entities work with the Alliance collaborative to change the landscape. "Already we’re having combined board meetings with grant-making entities and conversations with others to help begin the shift."

Two new additions to the Alliance board include Amy Schwabenlender, Vice President of Community Impact with Valley of the Sun United Way and Pam Gaber, founder & CEO of Gabriel's Angels, a statewide nonprofit organization.

"We will be focused on strengthening our collective impact on Arizona," she said. "Nonprofit work isn't just about feel-good, direct service. Nonprofits influence peoples' lives every day, sometimes in ways they don't realize. This influence can and should be leveraged to do more good for more people. The Alliance is poised to partner, collaborate and lead to make this possible."

Bannard's term began July 2011 and runs through June 2012. She has served on the Board of Trustees since September 2009.

The Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits is a 501(c)3 statewide membership organization serving the interests of more than 20,000 nonprofits based in Arizona. Members include nonprofits, partner stakeholders and individuals who support the interests of the state's nonprofit community. The Alliance serves its mission through educating the community about the contributions and economic impact of nonprofits; amplifying the voice of nonprofits and facilitating advocacy for policy and decision making; promoting knowledge sharing and use of best practices among nonprofit organizations through collaboration, communities of practice and learning opportunities; providing services to nonprofits that strengthen individual organizations, lead to effective use of resources and increase impact of nonprofit missions in the community; and leveraging the nonprofit sector's buying power to offer reduced costs for products and services used widely by nonprofit organizations, ensuring that maximum dollars possible are dedicated to core programs in nonprofits.