Joining the Higher Ground team means more than accepting a role— It’s a commitment to reaching Higher Ground, together. These individuals strive to honor and empower themselves, others, and the community each day.
Our Team
Higher Ground’s Executive Team
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Jansen Azarias-Suzumoto
CEO & Co-Founder
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Barbara Azarias
Chief of Staff & Co-Founder
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Rema Hamdan
Chief Technology Officer
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Stephanie Codd-Anderson
Chief Community Officer
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Tiffany Emerson
Chief Administration Officer
Higher Ground’s Team
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William “Bill” Pearson
Director of Human Resources
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Kenneth Welch
Director of Outreach & District Partnerships
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Kat St.Pierre
Director of Communications
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Erika Diaz
BeMapt Coordinator
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Taimar Escamilla
Technology Training & Support Coordinator
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David Rankin
Out of School Time Coordinator
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Mike Tveten
Curriculum & Training Specialist
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Rachel Joseph
Research & Policy Specialist
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JT Salah
Data Entry Specialist
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Larissa Alarcon-Teposte
Data Entry Support Specialist
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Sidney Jasper
Restart Smart Quality Coach
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Dallas Lara Valencia
Restart Smart Quality Coach
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Brittany Taylor
Technology & Training Support Coach
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Charles Sejalbo
BeMapt Coach
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Tina Marie Lopez
Grant Administrator
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Stephanie Byrd
Bookkeeper
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Valerie Murillo
Social Media & Content Creator
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Vanessa Murillo
Data & Technology Assistant
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Kenji Azarias
Administrative Assistant to the CEO
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Ramon Sarmiento
Administrative Aide
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Axel Priego
Administrative Aide
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Yliana Mendez
Student Support Specialist
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Jimmy Barrios
IT Support Coordinator
Apollo Middle School’s Restart SMART Team
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Lauren Villa
Site Director
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Isabel Alarcon
Student & Family Support Specialist
Doolen Middle School’s Restart SMART Team
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Kim Clark
Site Director
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Pak Yang
Family Support Coordinator
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Sama Albasha
University of Arizona Intern
Grijalva Elementary School’s Restart SMART Team
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Noah Paul
Interim Site Director
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Cristian Morales Reyes
Student & Family Support Specialist
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Libertad Sotelo
Student Support Specialist
Lawrence 3-8 School’s Restart SMART Team
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Esiquio “Zeke” Lara
Site Director
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Angelique Matus
Student Support Specialist
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Sonia Virgen
Family Support Specialist
Safford PreK-8 Community School’s Restart SMART Team
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Fred Ronstadt
Site Director
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Inna Chavez
Student Support Specialist
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Mauricio Salazar
Student Support Specialist
Utterback Middle School’s Restart SMART Team
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Cheryl Lopez
Site Director
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Rosa Lee Barbeau
Student & Family Support Coordinator
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Amaris Abril
Interim Site Director
Southside Community School’s Restart SMART Team
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Gene Martinez
Site Director
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Amaris Abril
Interim Site Director
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Lisette Williams
Family Support Coordinator
Willis Jr. High School’s Restart SMART Team
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Gerald Maldonado
Site Director
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Alondra Guzman
Student Support Coordinator
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Joe Archuleta
Student & Family Support Specialist
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Korena Barron
Family Support Specialist
Consultants & On-Site Partners
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Timothy Grivois
SEL Consultant, TGS Educational Consulting
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Tim Sumner & Steve Owen
Tucson Dojo
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Michael DiMaria
Business and Government Consultant