BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Allison Otu, MBA is a visionary executive leader renowned for driving organizational success through impactful branding strategies and community engagement initiatives. Currently serving as the Executive Director of Marketing and Communications at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University (ASU), Otu is pivotal in leading ASU Law’s endeavors to scale and elevate programs while fostering strategic partnerships and expanding targeted efforts.

Over the past 20+ years, Otu has held various influential positions in higher education and healthcare, showcasing her expertise in executive communications, brand and community engagement. Her higher education journey began in 2012 at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix leading outreach and communications and then assumed the role of Executive Director for Corporate and Community Relations at the University of Arizona Health Sciences. Joining various roles at ASU as Executive Director of Brand Engagement and Communications for the Walter Cronkite School for Journalism and Mass Communication and Arizona PBS and Associate Vice President of Outreach in Educational Outreach and Student Services, she led an expanded team to elevate brand awareness and orchestrate strategic engagement opportunities, leaving an indelible mark.

Otu’s remarkable achievements include founding and organizing signature programs such as the University of Arizona’s Connect2STEM annual event, which garnered widespread acclaim as the largest STEM outreach event in Phoenix. Under her leadership, Connect2STEM attracted over 41,000 attendees over seven years and garnered 29.5M media impressions. Notably, the event received prestigious accolades, including the Best in Show at the 2021 Public Relations Society of America Impact Awards and first place at the 2022 Association of American Medical Colleges Group on Institutional Advancement Awards for Excellence.

Beyond her professional endeavors, Otu is deeply committed to community impact and serves in board positions in prominent organizations such as the Children’s Museum of Phoenix and the Downtown Phoenix Partnership in addition to ASA. Recognized for her leadership, Otu was appointed by City of Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego to the Phoenix Women’s Commission in 2019, where she currently serves as the affordable childcare subcommittee co-chair.

Mrs. Otu received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Broadcast Journalism from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana and her Executive MBA from University of Arizona Eller College of Management.

Michelle Davidson has worked in politics and public policy in Arizona for over twenty years. Her experience includes managing successful statewide political campaigns, implementing communications strategies for advocacy groups and nonprofit organizations and managing diverse teams to accomplish short and long-term goals.

Michelle is currently Executive Director of the Sinema Center for Innovation in Learning at Arizona State University. She served as the Deputy Chief of Staff and State Director for Arizona’s Senator Kyrsten Sinema after working as a Senior Advisor on the Senator’s 2018 campaign, helping to craft the winning communications and voter contact strategy. She managed a team of staff in a hybrid work environment who help constituents resolve issues with federal agencies as well as engage the local community through outreach activities and events. She also managed the Senator’s successful re-election campaigns for the House in 2014 and 2016 and served as her District Director from 2013-2018 for Arizona’s 9th Congressional District.

She is a proud Sun Devil with two degrees from ASU – a Bachelor’s in Journalism and a Masters in Public Administration. In her spare time she enjoys reading, live music and Broadway productions, and spending time with friends. She lives in Central Phoenix with her husband Brian, their two children, two dogs and two cats.

Leola Abraham focuses on climate change, emergency management, public health, and justice reform. She is a senior communications practitioner with more than 20 years of professional experience advising federal, state, and local government leaders, nonprofit organizations, and universities to deliver national and global programs and campaigns. Her expertise includes project management, data-informed strategy development, research and analysis, crisis communications, public and media relations, marketing, and stakeholder engagement.

As Program Manager, Institute for Public Research at CNA Corporation, Ms. Abraham has led and supported projects for clients including the Cyber and Infrastructure Security Agency, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Justice, National Institute of Corrections, DC Department of Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and the National Council on Disability. She received a CNA Safety and Security Initiative Award and a FEMA Certificate of Achievement for her exceptional support to the agency’s after-action report on its response to the Champlain Towers South building collapse in Surfside, Florida.

Ms. Abraham holds a Master of Fine Arts in writing from Bard College and a Bachelor of Arts in communications from Virginia Wesleyan University.

Ms. Abraham is the proud stepparent of an ASA graduate.

Scott Stone grew up in San Jose, CA and Tucson, AZ, graduating from Northern Arizona University with a Bachelor of Science in Accountancy. He is a licensed Certified Public Accountant in the state of Arizona and received his Executive Master of Business Administration from Arizona State University.

Mr. Stone began his career in public accounting working the audit side for seven years with Price Waterhouse and a regional CPA firm. He then transitioned to the private sector where he has spent many years working for companies ranging from high tech startups to multi-billion dollar publicly-traded companies, such as DXC Technology, OnTrac, Allstate Identity Protection, and Moatable, Inc. where he is currently Chief Financial Officer.

Constant improvement, continual learning, building an engaged team, and bettering others’ economic opportunity are key motivators for Mr. Stone, giving him a track record of enhancement and growth wherever he applies his skills, including as the former Treasurer on the Board of Goodwill of Arizona. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and Financial Executives International, which named him Controller of the Year for the Arizona Chapter in 2019.

As a longtime “Dance Dad” for his two, now grown, daughters, Scott is a firm supporter of the arts, particularly music, dance, painting, and sculpture. He is a huge fan of college sports, especially of ASU Basketball for which he has been a season ticket holder for decades. Scott resides in Phoenix with his wife, Kristen.

Michelle Buckley is a Shareholder and Commercial Litigation attorney at Polsinelli, LLC, focusing her practice on business-related disputes, including complex contractual matters, construction, real estate, and product liability litigation.

Ms. Buckley’s experience in complex litigation and her collaborative and strategic brand of representation to each matter have earned her recognition in legal circles. She was selected for inclusion in 2023 by Super Lawyers as one of the “Southwest Rising Stars” and has been named in “Ones to Watch” by The Best Lawyers in America® for Commercial Litigation, Litigation – Construction and Product Liability Litigation – Defendants, every year since 2021. Ms. Buckley has also served as a Regional Editor for the American Bar Association/AGC of America’s Construction State Law Matrix and been a guest speaker for the Arizona State Bar.

Since 2022, Ms. Buckley has been a member of the Construction Lawyers Society of America and she currently serves as the Chair of the Construction Law Section of the Arizona State Bar. She served on the Executive Council of the Animal Law Section of the Arizona State Bar from 2014 to 2018.

After graduating cum laude in 2007 from Arizona State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Musical Performance, Ms. Buckley received her Juris Doctor from the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law in 2013 where she was a contributor to Arizona Journal of Environmental Law & Policy.

Carrie comes from a family of educators, including a grandmother who taught in a one room school house. After college she spent a year doing volunteer work in Port au Prince, Haiti, she then moved to Phoenix as a part of Teach For America.

In 2009 she co-founded Phoenix Collegiate Academy (PCA) with 2 fellow South Phoenix teachers. PCA went on to be the 2012 Charter School of the Year and Carrie was the 2011 Charter School Teacher of the Year. At PCA, Carrie did everything from teaching, to student recruitment, to teacher coaching, to serving as a site Principal and the Head of Academics. She was on the team that orchestrated a merger with ASU that turned PCA into an ASU Prep Campus. At ASU Prep, Carrie worked on school improvement and design, and was the leader of the brick-and-mortar sites as the Head of Schools.

Carrie currently serves as the program manager for Valley Leadership’s Catalyze Program. She spends her time away from work enjoying life in Arizona with her partner and 4 young boys.

Mike Medici retired as SmithGroup President and Managing Partner — part of their three-person executive leadership team — after 43 years with the firm. In his role, he shepherded client-facing initiatives, including market sector-focused practices and firmwide marketing, communications and business development. Prior to his election to his final position in 2015, Mike led SmithGroup’s corporate Higher Education practice, following his many years guiding and growing their Phoenix office.  He’s been involved with numerous key projects that have revitalized downtown Phoenix, including the $23-million Arizona Biomedical Collaborative and Arizona State University’s New Downtown Campus.  

Mike is an alumnus of Lawrence Technological University’s graduate architecture program and the proud recipient of LTU’s Distinguished Alumni Award.  Active in the community in which he works and lives, Mike serves on the board of directors of numerous organizations, such as the Downtown Phoenix Community Development Corporation and formerly served on St. Joseph’s Hospital Foundation (emeritus board member), Alliance for Construction Excellence and Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art. He is also a member of the Greater Phoenix Leadership. He is a Board of Regents Member for Brophy College Prep in addition to being a Board Member for the Arizona School for the Arts. 

Mike has remained active in managing several of SmithGroup’s past and current key projects; Phelps Dodge Headquarters, TGen, Arizona Biomedical Collaborative, Avondale Government Center, Central Park East, and Apollo Development at Riverpoint Center. As well as the USDA Arid Land Agriculture Research Institute in Maricopa, AZ, Drachman Hall – University of Arizona and the University of Arizona Medical School – Downtown Phoenix. 

Mike resides in Paradise Valley with his wife and four children.

Dr. Lorisa Pombo has been serving Arizona’s public education system for over 27 years. As a dedicated Latina leader, her career has included roles in both traditional public school districts and public charter schools. She began her career as an elementary teacher and then moved on to instructional coach and school improvement specialist. Her leadership experience began as an elementary assistant principal and principal and would eventually serve as the Director of Elementary Initiatives for Leona Schools public charter system where she supervised teaching, learning, and school operations for their elementary schools.

Dr. Pombo currently serves as Academic Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment for Creighton School District in Phoenix. As the district’s instructional leader, Dr. Pombo partners with instructional teams, oversees curriculum development, and provides professional development to principals, school leadership teams, and instructional staff to enhance classroom practices and improve student success. Dr. Pombo’s efforts throughout her career aim at creating inclusive school environments that cater to the needs of each student, and her passion is supporting and partnering with educators in building highly effective, collaborative teams with a shared mission to meet the needs of every student.

Dr. Pombo holds three degrees from Arizona State University: a Bachelor’s in Elementary Education, a Master’s in Educational Administration and Supervision, and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership and Innovation. Her dissertation research focused on developing and retaining effective principals in underserved communities. She holds superintendent, principal, and K-8 teaching certificates and retains membership in the School Superintendents Association, Arizona School Administrators, and Arizona Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents.

She lives in Phoenix with her husband, Jose, and daughter who is a high school student at ASA. A fun fact, when Dr. Pombo was in high school, she was Miss Hispanic Arizona.

Nonnie Shivers is an Office Managing Shareholder at Ogletree Deakins, partnering with employers and managers in three primary ways: litigation avoidance through proactive and maximally compliant 50-state counseling and training; complex workplace investigations including at the C-Suite level; and litigating legally complex and factually challenging cases to defend employers actions.

Ms. Shivers advises and counsels employers in all aspects of employment law, including an emphasis on complex but proactive compliance projects, such as 50-state compliant wage deductions and lawful parental leave programs. She regularly partners with clients to plan and implement reductions in force, severance plans and agreements, and pre-litigation disciplinary matters as well as regularly conducts high-level internal investigations for clients and assists in identifying and resolving potential areas of liability and exposure in a proactive but practical way. Ms. Shivers’ unique practice also includes providing employment advice for employers doing business within the Navajo Nation’s territorial jurisdiction and other tribal lands, including cultural and employment law training on unique tribal code requirements.

Ms. Sivers has successfully defended employers against allegations of discrimination, sexual harassment and wrongful termination in state and federal court, as well as administrative forums. She has handled hundreds of charges with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Arizona Civil Rights Division, as well as claims and appeals filed with the Industrial Commission of Arizona. Ms. Shivers has also litigated whistleblower claims against air carriers under AIR 21 and handled investigations and enforcement actions with numerous other federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Labor and other employers under SOX.

Ms. Shivers regularly speaks and trains on current and emerging employment law topics, including recent presentations to industry and trade groups on civility in the #MeToo era, gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender workplace issues, avoidance of retaliation claims, and political expression in the workplace. Her advanced degree in education and years of experience as an instructor and student affairs professional at Arizona State University help make her training sessions and presentations simultaneously educational and entertaining. She has also published several scholarly articles focused on employment law, including a book chapter on the impact of reasonable workplace accommodations for employees with disabilities on employers, employees’ expectations of privacy for off-duty conduct, and most recently an article on ADA case law related to benefits and other evolving protections for transgender employees.

Ms. Shivers has received numerous accolades from clients and legal professionals for her dedicated client focus and problem-solving abilities. Southwest Super Lawyers named her a Rising Star in 2012-2014 and a Super Lawyer from 2015 through today. Ms. Shivers also obtained the recognition of the legal community by receiving an AV Preeminent Rating by Martindale-Hubbell beginning in 2014 through today. Chambers USA first ranked her as a Leading Individual in 2015 and Best Lawyers added Ms. Shivers to its list of recognized practitioners in 2016. Prior to joining Ogletree Deakins, Ms. Shivers served as a law clerk to the Honorable Patricia K. Norris on the Arizona Court of Appeals, Division One.

Annette Zinky is an entrepreneur, business and economic development professional, and a strong advocate for experimenting, innovation, startups, and leaning into change. She is the Chief Operating Officer of the therapeutic eyewear company, TheraSpecs, and the prior CEO of an entrepreneurial development organization working with higher education and community partners.

As an entrepreneur, a business owner for more than a decade, and for the past 15+ years as a passionate advocate for startups and entrepreneurs, Annette has been obsessed with helping people take action, getting hard things done, and building long-term relationships. She’s a Flinn-Brown Civic Leadership Fellow, and a Humanizing Work Certified Agile Leader.

Annette is an optimistic gardener who loves living in Phoenix with her two sons (middle and high school ages) and two dogs.

Joshua Pierce holds both a B.M. and M.M in Classical Guitar Performance from Arizona State University, where he studied with Professor Frank Koonce. During his time at ASU, he was the recipient of the Richard and Babette Burns Classical Guitar Scholarship, the Northern Trust/Virginia G. Piper Enrichment Award and was a two-time finalist in the ASU Concert of Soloists Concerto Competition. Mr. Pierce has studied with Chuck Hulihan at Glendale Community College, where he participated in premier performances of compositions written expressly for the GCC Guitar Orchestra and Octet. He has also performed in master classes with world-renowned guitarists, including Pepe Romero, David Russell, and Scott Tennant, and studied at the International Guitar Symposium in Iserlohn, Germany in 2007. As a teacher, Mr. Pierce has been active in the Phoenix area since 2006, working with several studios and organizations, as well as serving as a teaching assistant at GCC and co-director of guitar ensembles at ASU. Mr. Pierce serves on the board of three organizations: Phoenix Early Music Society (vice president), Phoenix Guitar Society (secretary) and Grand Canyon Guitar Society (board member).

Area/Grade Levels:
Guitar Teacher/5th-12th Grades

Total Years at ASA: 9

Years of Teaching Experience As Teacher of Record: 9

Teaching Experience: ASA

Other Years of Teaching Experience: 13

Education and Degrees Earned: 
B.M. Classical Guitar Performance | Arizona State University, 2013
M.M. Classical Guitar Performance | Arizona State University, 2016

Todd Webster grew up and went to college in North Carolina. In 1991, he moved to Cleveland, OH for a two-year graduate program – but ended up staying, marrying, raising a family, and building a career in education. Todd has worked in both public and private schools and has had the pleasure of working with elementary, middle, and high school grade levels. While primarily a science educator, Todd has also played a broad range of additional roles over his 25+ year career. Todd also enjoys live music, reading, travel, and hiking/camping.

Todd moved to Phoenix in 2021. At that time, he joined the administrative team at All Saints Episcopal Day School. While a wonderful school community, Todd has deeply missed the classroom and working directly with student learners. He is thrilled to be returning to the classroom and joining the ASA team!

Area/Grade Level
Social Studies Teacher/6th Grade

Total Years at ASA: 3

Total Years of Teaching Experience as a Teacher of Record: 28

Teaching Experience: ASA, All Saints Episcopal Day School, Hawken School, North Olmsted High School

Education and Degrees Earned:
B.A. Anthropology | University of North Carolina-Charlotte, 1991
M.A. Medical Anthropology | Case Western Reserve University, 1993