A Stepping Stone Foundation Staff and Board Members 2025-2026

Gaby Jimenez brings more than two decades of experience in education access, student advocacy, and community engagement to her role as Executive Director of A Stepping Stone Foundation. A proud first-generation college graduate, Gaby holds a Master of Education in Secondary Education and a Bachelor’s in Spanish Literature, both from Arizona State University.

Before joining A Stepping Stone Foundation, Gaby worked across Arizona’s public higher education systems—including Arizona State University, the University of Arizona, and Pima Community College. She spent her career walking alongside students and families, helping them navigate the often-intimidating world of college admissions, financial aid, and educational planning. Her expertise includes federal and institutional funding policies, compliance and program eligibility, and crisis management—always with a deep commitment to reducing barriers and building bridges.

Gaby’s lifelong passion is ensuring that students—especially those historically left behind—don’t just access education, but thrive within it. Her leadership at A Stepping Stone Foundation reflects this vision: expanding opportunity for families through a two-generation model rooted in high-quality early childhood education, adult literacy, and wraparound support.

Originally from El Paso, Texas, Gaby has called Phoenix home since 2002. She is honored to lead A Stepping Stone Foundation into its next chapter of impact, innovation, and community-rooted transformation.

Cecilia Rodriguez is a passionate advocate for families in the community who form part of our program. She was born in California and moved to Arizona in 1995 where she and her family became part of the A Stepping Stone Foundation Family. Cecilia and her mother joined the ASSF Family as mother and daughter in the program at Isaac Preschool within the Isaac School District. Cecilia continued her education in Arizona while attending Mitchell Elementary, Isaac Middle School, and graduating from Carl Hayden Community High School.

Cecilia continued her education and holds her license as A Speech-Language Pathologist Assistant. She has extensive experience working with families and providing services, support and advocating for the needs of children and their families within the education system.

Cecilia takes pride in being a product of public education which is the reason she strives to advocate for the community she grew up in.

Shannon Warner is originally from Mesa, currently lives in Gilbert and is the Managing Director/COO, Chase Business Banking at JP Morgan Chase and has joined the ASSF Board in 2022. Shannon still remembers her favorite vacation to India in 2019, but when she isn’t travelling, she loves to cook! Shannon joined the ASSF board because “Both of my parents were teachers, junior high and high school so we grew up with a passion for education. We understand not everyone has the same starting point and how key early education and parent involvement makes a difference.”

Kim Eicher grew up in Glendale, AZ, but currently lives in Chandler with her partner Jeff and their two fur babies. She has been in the financial services industry for 20+ years and is a business strategy and execution consultant within the mortgage division of Wells Fargo. She has a Bachelor’s degree from Arizona State University and a minor in International Business. Kim has previously held officer positions with P.E.O. International, supporting women’s education and is excited to expand her support of education for Arizona families by joining ASSF. In her free time, she loves traveling, photography, and the arts.

Jennings Mayne is a strategic and transformation-focused executive with over 15 years of experience leading enterprise-wide initiatives across the financial services industry. She currently serves as Executive Director at USAA Bank, where she oversees strategic execution and regulatory transformation efforts. Jennings brings deep expertise in governance, operational excellence, and data-driven decision-making to her role as Treasurer. She is Lean Six Sigma trained and holds an executive certificate in Artificial Intelligence from MIT Sloan. Her leadership is grounded in a commitment to sustainable impact, innovation, and community service.

Bio coming soon…

Tom Bogardus is originally from Mt. Vernon, Ohio. Over the course of Tom’s 38-year career in the financial services industry, he held leadership roles at Discover Financial Services, American Express and Zelle, and resided in; Chicago; Columbus, OH; Brighton, England; and Phoenix. In 2017, Tom joined the board of directors of Aunt Rita’s Foundation, and served as treasurer for three years. Tom enjoys travel and has visited many destinations in North and South America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Australia. One of his favorite places to visit is Bali, Indonesia. Tom joined the ASSF board in 2022, “because I want to help with ASSF’s work promoting and enabling literacy among underserved families in our community. I do this in honor of all the great teachers I had in school, especially my second-grade teacher who helped me overcome difficulties I had learning to read. I know first-hand that learning to read is critical to a child’s success in school and throughout their lifetime. I am proud to be a part of ASSF’s important mission.”

Bio coming soon…

Bio coming soon…

Michelle Lewis has been in the financial services and payments industries for 20+ years, developing risk, compliance, legal and operational strategies and programs in support of product innovation and business growth. She has held leadership positions at Early Warning Services, the network operator behind the well known person to person payments service, ZelleⓇ, American Express and most recently at Stripe. Michelle was also a practicing attorney at a number of large international law firms.

Michelle previously served as a Member of the Board of Directors for The Phoenix Theater, has done advocacy for Education Forward Arizona and joined the ASSF Board in 2023. She holds a Juris Doctor from George Washington University Law School and Bachelor of Arts degree from New York University.

Michelle and her family moved to Arizona from New York City in 2006.  She loves traveling to Italy with her husband (a native of Tuscany) and her two children to visit family and soak up the Tuscan sun! Michelle is passionate about education and is thrilled to be supporting ASSF’s mission as part of its Board.

Dr. Lenay Dunn is a Senior Research Director at WestEd. She helps education partners develop, select, and use evidence to make decisions; guide implementation; and improve educational systems, opportunities, and outcomes.

She also serves as a faculty associate for the ASU Lodestar Center’s Nonprofit Management Institute, where she teaches courses to help nonprofit leaders understand program evaluation and its use.

Dr. Dunn is deeply committed to the mission of ASSF. She began her career in education as an elementary teacher and has seen, firsthand, the power of family literacy and high-quality early learning experiences to equip young children and their families with the tools to become lifelong learners and leaders.

Melissa Lempke has more than 25 years of experience in marketing and communications in the nonprofit and government sectors. She joined the National Health Care for the Homeless Council in 2023 where she oversees communications and development. Melissa previously served as Vice President of Marketing and Communications for Expect More Arizona, a statewide education advocacy organization. She also worked in marketing and communications for MAVEN Project, Banner Health Foundation, Valley of the Sun United Way, the Arizona Governor’s Office for Children, Youth and Families, and others.

A native of Wisconsin, Melissa earned a Bachelor of Arts in Speech and Public Relations from the University of Wisconsin – Whitewater. Her passion for building stronger, healthier communities carries over into her volunteer work as a Court Appointed Special Advocate for foster care youth.

Marcelino Quiñonez serves Arizona State University as an executive director of outreach. Marcelino earned his BA and MFA in Theatre from Arizona State University and has served his community as an artist, educator, and elected official. Marcelino is honored to serve on the A Stepping Stone Foundation Board.

Bio coming soon…

Bio coming soon…