Rancho Feliz Names New Executive Director & CEO

Rancho Feliz Charitable Foundation, a volunteer-based nonprofit in Scottsdale, recently named Donna M. Valdés its new executive director and CEO.

Valdés has over 35 years of experience in community service, nonprofits and arts advocacy, most recently with Xico, a local Latino Indigenous arts and culture organization.

At Xico, Valdés worked for 19 years to promote and sustain Latino and Indigenous culture through art and to serve and advance Latino and Indigenous artists. She was highly effective in raising visibility, outreach and fundraising, averaging 100 percent growth year over year.

Recognized as an influential leader, Valdés serves as a board member on the AZ-Mexico Commission and co-chairs the Arts & Culture Committee.

“We are confident that with Donna’s expertise and connections, she will help elevate Rancho Feliz’s already successful programs to new heights and help grow our donor base,” said Rancho Feliz president and co-founder Gil Gillenwater, who will continue with the organization. 

“This will be the best of both worlds. A qualified executive director/CEO will expand Rancho Feliz’s reach while freeing up my time to immerse myself in the Rancho Feliz experiences I truly enjoy,” Gillenwater said.

Since 1987, Rancho Feliz has raised and invested over $18 million to build homes, education centers, childcare centers and a facility to host donors and volunteers in Agua Prieta, Mexico, along Arizona’s southern border. This infrastructure has provided the foundation for entire families to lift themselves from extreme poverty into the global middle class.

For more behind this Frontdoor, visit ranchofeliz.com.