Leadership
Management Staff
Lisa Budinger, CEO
Marjorie DeRubeis, Director of Education
Brenda Davis, Director of Operations
Myrna Cardenas, Retention Specialist
Paul Raia, Retention Specialist
Judy Ruston, Retention Specialist
Lisa Budinger, President & CEO
As President and Chief Executive Officer of Arizona College Scholarship Foundation, Lisa Budinger is diligently working to accomplish the organization’s vision of making a college education a reality for Arizona’s high potential/low income students. A native of Arizona, Ms. Budinger is passionate about education and ensuring that Arizona’s students have the opportunity to attend college, regardless of their financial status.
Lisa is a strategic and visionary leader with a background in communications and management in both corporate and not-for-profit environments. Most recently, she served as a consultant to The Rodel Foundations and Science Foundation Arizona. Prior to that, she created and managed the global training program for Check Point Software Technologies. Lisa received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Texas Christian University and her Master of Business Administration degree from Thunderbird School of Global Management.
Lisa is a member of All A's for Arizona and serves on the steering committees for College Depot and the Arizona Board of Regents Centenial Scholars Program.
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Marjorie DeRubeis, Director of Education
Marjorie has spent 15 years in academia. During this time, she managed Financial Aid for the Higher Education Opportunity Program at Fordham University, assisting many academically and financially disadvantaged students get a Fordham Education. As a member of NYSFAA for eight years, Marjorie worked on diversity and retention committees to help New York City students succeed in postsecondary education.
In 2000, Marjorie relocated to Arizona and continued her career in academia with leadership positions at Arizona State University and Cook College. She later became the Arizona State Financial Aid Director for the Arizona Commission for Postsecondary Education (ACPE). During her tenure at ACPE She worked with Congress to interpret, write policy and implement new state grants, while improving the procedures of those already in existence. Marjorie was born in the Bronx, and raised in New York City.
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Brenda Davis, Director of Operations
Brenda has spent more than 30 years in the accounting profession. She has served as office manager for two leading Arizona CPA firms and worked in administration in the banking field. Additionally, she and her husband started the “Madison Basketball Association, a 501(c)(3) organization serving Phoenix youth.
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Myrna Cardenas, Retention Specialist
Myrna Cardenas hails from Hermiston, Oregon. Myrna began her journey in Phoenix, AZ seven years ago. In 2005, she received a Bachelor of Business Administration from DeVry University. Myrna began her professional career at Wells Fargo as a Business Specialist where she provided support and guidance to small business owners. In 2008 Myrna transitioned to the nonprofit arena where she discovered her true passion in serving youth and promoting higher education. Myrna served as the Mentor Program Manager for the Arizona Quest for Kids organization, in this role she supported the mentor program through the recruitment and retention of volunteer mentors, program planning, and program support. In addition Myrna proved pivotal in transitioning the organization to a full translation of documents by transforming all components into bilingual existence. Currently, Myrna took on the position of Retention Specialist at the Arizona College Scholarship Foundation where she can further explore her passions to directly serve college and university scholarship recipients. Myrna will complete her certificate of Nonprofit Management at the ASU Lodestar Center for Nonprofit Management in the spring of 2011. She looks forward to building and sustaining relationships with the ACSF scholars and surrounding communities.
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Paul Raia, Retention Specialist
Paul was born in Brooklyn, New York and raised on Long Island. In 1994, he received a Bachelor of Science in Speech Communications from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. Paul moved to the Valley in 1996 and received his Elementary Education Certificate from Arizona State University. From 2001-2005, he taught fourth grade and general music in the Isaac School District and the Fountain Hills School District, respectively. Prior to joining ACSF, Paul worked for Mesa Community College as an enrollment specialist in the Office of Records and Registration.
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Judy Ruston, Retention Specialist
Judy brings to ACSF 15 years of Social Work experience. She has worked in the areas of child welfare, foster care and adoption, teen independent living initiative program, elder protective services and medical/hospital case-management and event planning. Judy and her family relocated to Phoenix in 2003 and is thrilled to be back in the human services field and with ACSF. Judy holds a Bachelor of Social Work from the University of Nevada, Reno.