Vince Roig, Board Chairman

Vince is Founder and Chairman of the Helios Education Foundation, the largest education foundation in Arizona. Prior to forming the Foundation, he served as Chairman of the Board, President, and CEO of Southwest Student Services Corporation, one of the largest independent student lender/servicers in the country, for more than twenty years. In February 2004, the Boards of Directors of Southwest and its affiliates elected to convert and reorganize the companies in order to create the Helios Education Foundation. In a transaction effective October 15, 2005, Helios sold the stock of Southwest Student Services Corporation to SLM Corporation for just over $500 million. The net proceeds of the sale funded the Helios Education Foundation.

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Don Budinger, Chairman Emeritus

Don Budinger is a founder and the former President of Rodel, Inc. - a garage start up that grew to become the world’s largest manufacturer of the surface finishing chemicals used to make computer chips, rigid memory disks and specialty optics.

When Rodel was sold in 1999, a significant portion of the proceeds was contributed to create The Rodel Foundations. The purpose of the Rodel Foundations is to improve the pre-kindergarten through 12th grade public education systems in Delaware and Arizona so that they will be widely recognized as two of the best in the nation.

Currently, Don is Chairman and Founding Director of the Rodel Foundations, Founding Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Arizona College Scholarship Foundation, Chairman and a Founding Director of Science Foundation Arizona, Co-Chair of the Coalition for Solutions Through Higher Education, is a member of the Southern Arizona Leadership Council and serves on the board of directors of Greater Phoenix Leadership. In addition, Don serves on the Bioscience Roadmap Steering Committee, the O’Connor House Advisory Group and the Metro Phoenix DNA Steering Committee.

Don has been the recipient of several awards including the 2007 inaugural “Techanthropic Award” from a coalition of The Arizona Technology Council, Microsoft Corp. and NPower; the “Science of Early Learning Award” from New Directions Institute; the “Horace Steele Child Advocacy Award” from Children’s Action Alliance, the “Outstanding Achievement in Higher Education” award from the Arizona Board of Regents; the “Homeroom Heroes” award from Teach for America and the “Distinguished Service” award from the University of Arizona College of Engineering.

Mr. Budinger graduated from the University of Arizona with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1964.

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Rich Nickel, President

Rich Nickel currently leads Arizona College Scholarship Foundation toward its goal of assisting young Arizonans in obtaining a college education. Rich brings 22 years of government, corporate and nonprofit experience to ACSF; much of that as a senior level leader. Rich has invested the majority of his career leading sales organizations and service related businesses in the financial services and education finance arenas. Rich may be best know for the years he spent with Sallie Mae, Inc. As Senior Vice President, he directed Sallie Mae's relationships with its largest business to business clients, including the country's largest student loan guarantor, USA Funds, and the US Department of Education. Most recently, he served as Vice President of Next Generation Insurance Group based in Phoenix. Rich's first role in the greater Phoenix community was in the mid-2000's, where he ultimately served as President of Gilbert based Southwest Student Services Corporation, following its merger with Sallie Mae.

Along with his passion for helping students attain their educational goals, Rich is also passionate about helping children take advantage of the benefits derived from participating in middle and high school team sports. In that vein, he recently served as President of the Franklin County High School Baseball Boosters Club as well as Director of WeWannaPlay, Inc., a Franklin County non-profit organization aimed at aiding young, financially disadvantaged athletes. Rich earned his bachelor's degree in telecommunications from the University of Kentucky.

Frank Brady, Board Member & Treasurer/Secretary

Frank Brady has recently retired as an Audit Partner from Ernst & Young where he worked since 1970. He is the former President of the Arizona State Board of Accountancy and currently serves on the boards of directors of Aztar Corporation, Biltmore Bank, and Sundt Corporation. Frank was chairman of the Catholic Community Foundation from 2002-2004, board member of Boys and Girls Club of Metropolitan Phoenix from 1989-1999 and is a former president of the Paradise Valley Country Club.

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Bob Craves, Board Member

Bob is Co-founder, Chairman and CEO of the College Success Foundation (CSF). CSF is partnering with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to offer achievers scholarships and mentoring support to approximately 500 highly motivated low-income students per year. CSF also administers the Costco Scholarship Fund. Most recently, CSF secured more than $100 million from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to implement the CSF model in Washington, DC.

Bob is one of the founding officers of the Costco Wholesale Corporation, a membership warehouse distribution organization based in the Seattle area. Since its start with a single warehouse in Seattle, Costco has grown to become a Fortune 500 company operating 349 stores throughout the Untied States, Canada, Mexico, Europe and Asia with combined 2000 sales of $32 billion.

Throughout the last 18 years, Bob helped develop and manage a number of functional areas for Costco. As a Senior Vice President he oversaw all Marketing and Membership activities, Community Giving, E-Commerce and Publishing. He continues to oversee Community Giving.

Bob also is the Chairman of the Higher Education Coordinating Board of the State of Washington and co-chair of the Governor's 2020 Commission on the Future of Post-Secondary Education. He sits on the Board of Regents of Seattle University and is a member of the Board of Trustees.

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Chevy Humphrey, Board Member

Ms. Humphrey was appointed President and CEO of the Arizona Science Center on January 1, 2005. Ms. Humphrey oversees operation of the 162,000-square foot facility with more than 330 employees and volunteers. Exhibitions like The Dinosaurs of Jurassic Park, Titanic: The Artifact Exhibit, Dragon Bones: When Dinosaurs Ruled China, Bond. James Bond. The Exhibition., Sesame Street Presents: The Body (world premiere) and the thought provoking Gunther von Hagens' BODY WORLDS 3: The Anatomical Exhibition of Real Human Bodies were secured for presentation and opened at the Center under Ms. Humphrey's direction.

During her short tenure and leadership, she has secured the largest gift in the Center's history of $3.5 million and has built a strong working cash capital for reserves. Humphrey continues to lead the Arizona Science Center as a vital contributor to the state's science education infrastructure with a proven track record for interpreting science that serves teachers, families, children, distant communities and adults on a night out. The Science Center employs a range of methods based on research about how people learn and collaborates with like-minded organizations to maximize the benefit to the public, including the Phoenix Public Library system, the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, universities, community colleges, TGen, local businesses and more. The Center continues to deliver informal science education to thousands of students, teachers and families-an average of 400,000 people-every year. The five-gallery Center also includes the 285-seat IMAX(r) Theater and the state-of-the-art, domed Dorrance Planetarium.

The square footage includes a new wing funded through the City of Phoenix 2001 bond program that added two more exhibit galleries and an education center. The Arizona Science Center has experienced phenomenal growth in its revenue programs under Ms. Humphrey's direction. Before joining the Science Center, Ms. Humphrey served as the director of development for The Phoenix Symphony and held similar positions at the University of Houston, where she received a B.S. in Chemistry, the University of Texas at Austin Performing Arts Center and The Houston Symphony. She is a member of the Arizona Business Leadership, ARCS and Charter 100, and serves as a commissioner for the Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture. In 2007, Humphrey was named one of Arizona Foothills Magazine's Top 10 Women Who Move The City.

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Dr. Paul H. Koehler, Board Member

Paul is the Director of the Policy Center for WestEd. As one of 10 regional education laboratories, WestEd services Arizona, California, Nevada and Utah. In this position, he is responsible for providing information and services to the policymakers in the four-state region. Additionally, Paul has been an education policy advisor for Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano providing consultation, assistance, advice, and research to the Governor on improving the effectiveness of Arizona’s K-12 public education system.

Prior to joining WestEd, Paul served as Superintendent of the Peoria Unified School District, the fourth largest school district in the state, and was Associate Superintendent of the Arizona Department of Education. Paul lists among his many honors being named Arizona’s Superintendent of the Year by the Arizona School Administrators in 1999 and being named to the Executive Education 100. He also holds gubernatorial appointments to the State Conservation Acquisition Board and the Arizona K-12 Finance Efficiency and Accountability Task Force.

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Dr. Steve Seleznow, Board Member

Dr. Seleznow is a recent arrival to the Valley of the Sun, taking the helm of Arizona’s largest community foundation in early March 2010. Formerly the Deputy Director of the U.S. Program in Education for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in Seattle, Dr. Seleznow is a nationally recognized leader in education and philanthropy.

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Gary Trujillo, Board Member

Gary L. Trujillo founded Southwest Harvard Group (SHG) in 1990 and has served as the firm’s President & CEO since inception..

Southwest Harvard Group has a proven track record, due to its ability to manage the critical resources of its organization to profitability; in particular, these include the focus on its human and financial capital. In 1983, Mr. Trujillo began his career in investment-banking as a financial analyst in institutional sales and trading with Salomon Brothers, Inc. in New York City. He later joined the investment bank RBC Dain Rauscher in San Francisco where he specialized in corporate and public finance. He subsequently served as a staff assistant to L. William Seidman, Chairman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and the Resolution Trust Corporation (RTC) in Washington D.C..

Mr. Trujillo has historically been active in Educational issues throughout our country. He has served as the youngest school board member of the Phoenix Union High School District and was appointed by the Governor of the State of Arizona to become the First Chairperson of the Schools Facilities Board. Mr. Trujillo’s most treasured success is the creation of the Roosevelt Community Technology Center (RCTC) in Phoenix, Arizona, the neighborhood where he was born and raise. The RCTC provides state-of-the-art-technology including free internet access – and is available free of charge to any visitor. In addition, he and his wife Melissa started the Be A Leader Foundation (BALF), which serves as an incubator to develop College bound, focused and prepared students. BALF has programs that build self-esteem, leadership skills, promote higher education and mentors students through the stages of their educational and career development. The Trujillo’s have mentored numerous young adults and continue their quest to help others learn how to help themselves. His educational commitment and achievements have been recognized through the following honors and awards: Man of the Year from the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and Exemplary Leadership Award from Profiles in Success. .

Mr. Trujillo is a Harvard Business School graduate and also holds a Bachelors Degree in Accounting from Arizona State University. He currently serves on the boards of Wells Fargo Bank-Desert Region and BlueCross and BlueShield of Arizona and is a member of Young President’s Organization (YPO).

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John Fees, Board Member

John Fees is an entrepreneur, affinity marketing leader and invester who serves as Managing Partner of Access Venture Group LLC. The company has been incorporated to purchase, invest in, and operate high growth companies that provide innovative technology and marketing solutions to affinity, educational and financial services marketplaces.

Currently, he is the Co-Founder and CEO of NGI Group LLC, a next generation insurance marketing firm focused on speciality insurance markets. NGI operates Sallie Mae Insurance Services and GradGuard which are innovative solutions specifically designed for the collegiate market and young-adult market.

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