Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust Announces 2025 Piper Fellows
Trust’s 2025 Class of Piper Fellows.
Image courtesy of Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust
The 2025 Piper Fellows have been announced, marking a special milestone as the program celebrates 25 years of strengthening nonprofit leadership across Maricopa County and beyond.
This year, 13 leaders were selected for the prestigious 2025 cohort, representing a wide range of organizations that serve communities throughout Arizona, from tribal nations and families in crisis to teachers, artists, and young people.
The new class includes leaders such as Jolyana Begay-Kroupa of the Phoenix Indian Center, whose work supports tribal communities across the region; Jennifer Caraway of The Joy Bus, known for nourishing patients battling cancer; and Debbie Castaldo of the Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation, which impacts neighborhoods statewide.
Other honorees include Richard Crews of Keys to Change, Latrice Hickman of Copa Health, and Lloyd Hopkins of the Million Dollar Teacher Project, each championing critical services that lift underserved communities.
The arts, health, legal advocacy, and youth support sectors are also represented by Fellows like Shonna James of the Shemer Art Center, Tracy Leonard-Warner of Ryan House, Jaclyn Pederson of Feeding Matters, Valentina Restrepo-Montoya of Arizona Legal Women and Youth Services, and Nate Rhoton of one∙n∙ten. Rounding out the 2025 group are Eric Spicer of the ASU Foundation and Dr. Michael Zirulnik of Creighton University, both of whom serve communities statewide and beyond.
Steve Zabilski, president and CEO of the Piper Trust, praised the newest cohort for their vision and service.
“Our 2025 Piper Fellows demonstrated such an astute depth and breadth in their desires to enrich health, well-being, and opportunity for our communities,” he said. Zabilski also honored the program’s founder, Dr. Judy Mohraz, now a Trustee, whose leadership helped establish the Fellows initiative 25 years ago. “Its transformations continue in so many ways,” he added.
As part of the Fellowship, each leader will embark on a self-designed professional development journey tailored to their goals, incorporating hands-on learning, leadership training, and study at renowned institutions. Each plan also includes a meaningful respite element – an intentional break that gives Fellows space to reflect and synthesize what they’ve learned.
The aim is to strengthen both the individual leader and the organization they serve, while fostering stronger connections across community sectors. With this new class, the Piper Fellows network grows to 131 members.
The Fellowship provides significant support for organizational growth. Each nonprofit may receive professional development funding for staff or board members, and graduates can later apply for an Organizational Enhancement Award to implement new programs or innovations inspired by their Fellowship. Altogether, the program offers up to $90,000 in potential grant support for each organization.
Applications for the 2025 Fellowships were reviewed by an external committee that included nonprofit consultant and 2015 Piper Fellow Marc Ashton; Dr. Maria Chavira, Chancellor of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix; and Kirk Johnson, founder of SOUNDS Academy and a 2022 Piper Fellow.
Their selections reflect the program’s ongoing commitment to uplifting leaders whose work strengthens Arizona’s communities in lasting ways. For more behind this Frontdoor, visit pipertrust.org.
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