Maricopa Community Colleges Remains the “Best Decision”
for Students Seeking a Higher Education in the Valley

Maricopa Community Colleges is proud to join institutions nationwide in celebrating Community College Month. Observed annually in April, this year’s theme, “Best Decision Ever,” highlights the life-changing opportunities community colleges create for learners of all backgrounds. With 10 colleges and 31 satellite locations strategically positioned throughout the Valley, Maricopa Community Colleges educates more Arizona residents than any other higher education institution in the state.

“For more than 100 years, our system has been a leader in higher education, connecting students with meaningful learning opportunities and an affordable pathway to postsecondary education,” said Dr. Steven R. Gonzales, Maricopa Community Colleges Chancellor. “We know our colleges are the number one choice in the Valley because time and time again, students make us their first choice.”

By the Numbers
Across the U.S., community colleges play a vital role in educating the growing workforce by enrolling 41% of undergraduates. As the largest community college system in the state, Maricopa Community Colleges serves more than 140,000 students annually. Each year, Maricopa Community Colleges:

• Accepts the top 100% of students who apply.
• Produces the second-largest number of college graduates in the state.
• Supports over 47,000 first-generation college students with resources for success.
• Provides early college access to 26,000+ high schoolers through programs like Achieving a College Education, dual enrollment, and concurrent enrollment.
• Contributes nearly $8 billion in added income to Maricopa County’s economy.

Read the full story, here.

Maricopa Community Colleges Foundation
Announces Leadership Updates

We have some exciting news to share!

After a career spanning more than five decades in human services and philanthropy, our President and CEO, Brian Spicker, has announced his retirement, effective May 31, 2025. Brian joined the Foundation in 2019, working to expand staffing, nurture relationships, restructure the leadership team and develop workforce and industry initiatives—all of which have solidified the Foundation as a fundraising leader and high-performing nonprofit organization. Under his guidance, revenue has increased year-over-year from $5.2 million in FY 2019/20 to over $11.4 million in FY 2023/24, and increased funding for scholarships by 34% over the past three years. In addition, Brian established the annual Be a Student’s Hero Day of Giving and launched the EmpowerED for Student Success campaign. Furthermore, Brian has recently kicked-off an effort to scale a Maricopa Promise program across our ten colleges.

Due to this unprecedented growth, and with Brian leaving, it has become clear that there is a need to realign the Foundation’s leadership structure to better support a future of focusing on fundraising while strengthening relationships both locally and nationally. Therefore, we are thrilled to announce that Judy Sanchez has stepped into the role of Chief Operating Officer. Judy who was recently named a recipient of the prestigious 2025 YWCA Tribute to Leadership Award, has both college and Foundation operations expertise which makes her the ideal leader to guide the Foundation through this next phase. In this role she will ensure dedicated oversight of operations, systems and marketing, focusing on problem solving, increased efficiency, data analysis as well as driving the implementation of our strategic plan across the organization. Learn more about Judy by watching this YWCA Tribute to Leadership Award honoree video.

Nilam Patel, our previous Workforce and Industry Senior Development Officer, has transitioned into the position of Chief Development Officer. With extensive experience and proven success in leading and overseeing philanthropic initiatives, Nilam has played a critical role driving revenue and delivering outcomes, most recently with the EmpowerED for Student Success campaign, collaborating with both internal and external stakeholders to ensure its early success. Nilam’s commitment to advancing philanthropy, coupled with a passion for educational equity, aligns seamlessly with the Foundation’s mission and goals and are show in her other standout achievements including leadership in coordinating and scaling Promise Programs across the District and her strong collaborations and stwardship of multiple major gifts.

In the coming weeks, the Foundation Board will convene to determine both short-term and long-term strategies to fill the President and CEO position.  In the meantime, please join us in thanking Brian for his countless contributions to the Foundation and our community, and in congratulating Judy and Nilam as they begin their new roles.

EmpowerED for Student Success Campaign
Aligns with Chancellor’s Vision for the Future

As we approach the second year mark of our 3-year $20 million EmpowerED for Student Success (EFSS) campaign, we have a lot to celebrate! Since launching the campaign, we have secured close to $13 million including transformational donations and numerous smaller gifts from generous supporters. Each gift significantly bridges the gap between potential and opportunity for students across Arizona making our student’s futures brighter and Arizona’s workforce and economy stronger.

Funding from the Ben & Catherine Ivy Foundation, Diane and Bruce Halle Foundation, AZ Blue, the Burton Family Foundation, Garcia Family Foundation and the Lowe’s Foundation amongst others are leading the charge to support workforce programs in nursing, allied health, behavioral health, cloud computing and the construction trades. The Helios Education Foundation, Arizona Community Foundation, City of Peoria, Cowley Family Foundation and TSMC are amongst our initial seed funders to support the scaling of Promise Programs across the Maricopa Community Colleges District (MCCCD) in order to make postsecondary education free for students in need across Maricopa County. We are incredibly grateful for each of our campaign donor’s contributions as together, we are strengthening our communities, connecting students to meaningful careers and delivering economic mobility and prosperity across Maricopa County.

This Community College Month, we renew our commitment to the campaign on the heels of the Chancellor’s bold new vision for the future of MCCCD. As we accelerate efforts towards meeting our goal, we have an opportunity to align with the areas of opportunity envisioned to strategically position our system to meet the shifting demands of our students, the workforce, and the communities we serve, including:

• MCCCD will be a future ready institutional leader in technology for Community Colleges across the US,
• MCCCD will establish a college-going behavior for all K-12 students in Maricopa County,
• MCCCD will be the leader in workforce development for Maricopa County,
• MCCCD will drive positive community impact by addressing critical economic and social needs in the regions we serve.

We invite you to learn more about the EFSS campaign here and to view the Chancellor’s bold new vision for MCCCD here.

Foundation to Honor Champions of Education at 2025 Event

Join us on November 13, 2025 for Heroes of Education: Honoring Heritage: Empowering Futures, a special evening in which the Foundation will honor those who have a proven and professional commitment to supporting students and educational opportunities in Arizona.

This year’s honorees include:

• Individual Hero:  Todd Sanders, President and CEO, Greater Phoenix Chamger of Commerce
• Corporate Hero: APS
• Honorary Heroes: Our Tribal Partners: Ak-Chin Indian Community, Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation, Gila River Indian Community, Pascua Yaqui Tribe, Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, Tohono O’odham Nation
• Ten College Heroes representing each of the Maricopa Community Colleges

The event committee is led by Co-Chairs Cathy Brown, Co-Owner and CEO of Paloma Ready Mix and Minerals and Sherri Thomas, President and Founder of Your Leadership Lab. Both are members of the Maricopa Community Colleges Foundation Board of Directors.

Held at the acclaimed Heard Museum, the evening will kick-off with a VIP reception at 5:30 p.m. and the program will begin at 6:30 p.m.

Proceeds from Heroes of Education support student scholarships and emergency fund needs. Sponsorships are now available at a variety of levels at mcccdf.org/heroes-of-education-2025-sponsorships. 

Student Nearing Completion of
Maricopa Community Colleges Bachelor’s Degree

Community College month is the perfect time to celebrate the achievements of our students and with the Maricopa Community Colleges District (MCCCD) now offering the most affordable path to a bachelor’s degree and with our first participants in the program nearing completion, we felt it important to share a letter from Melanie, a South Mountain Community College behavioral health student.

“I want to extend my gratitude for awarding me a scholarship for this Spring semester.

I am excited to be nearing the end of my bachelor’s degree in Behavioral Health at South Mountain Community College. I started the program at the beginning of the bachelor’s program being an option and I was very grateful for the affordability. I have also seen the reputation of the school within the community of behavioral health, which makes me very proud of it.

As the beginning of the semester has started, and knowing I have an internship of 180 hours this semester, money has been a concern. I am delighted to receive this scholarship to help me with gas and bills, as I navigate the schedule for this semester.

I am a mother of two teenagers and have been raising them on my own since I started my college journey. I know this has been a great example for them to see the possibilities for the future and my son has been a great advocate of community colleges within the Maricopa system because of seeing my example.”

Read more of Melanie’s letter here and learn more about the bachelor’s degree options at MCCCD, here.

Community College Month is Ideal Time
to Establish Estate Plan

The Maricopa Community Colleges Foundation has been turning educational dreams into a reality for almost 50 years, thanks to the support of friends like you.

Did you know that we offer many philanthropic opportunities to support our students through planned giving? By utilizing our comprehensive estate planning kit, you’ll be able to find the best opportunity for you, helping you to create a lasting legacy that ensures your wishes are carried out in the future.

For more information, please visit our planned giving website or contact Nilam Patel, Chief Development Officer, Maricopa Community Colleges Foundation at [email protected].edu.