Board of Directors
Mrs. Valdez is currently the Executive Director of Next Generation Ministries and Human Resources at Living Streams Church and President of Valdez Strategic Consulting which she founded in 2013. She has extensive experience in organizational leadership, implementation, sales, service, retention, and employee development. She is a visionary and influential leader with a proven track record of empowering and inspiring management to exceed goals. She specializes in creating long-term business results through developing a culture of motivated professionals in complete alignment, and mentoring leaders to achieve their peak performance.
Mrs. Valdez holds a BS and MBA from Chadwick University. She has shared life with her soulmate for 34 years, and her passion for MentorKids has helped to strengthen and grow the organization’s financial strength and stability and refine the mission through coaching and strategic planning and alignment.
Tammy Valdez, Board Chair
Mr. Katsnelson is currently serving as the General Manager for Gila River Resorts & Casinos. He has over 15 years within the entertainment and gaming industry. Mr. Katsnelson has been working with MentorKids in different capacities since 2019 and is excited to provide both spiritual and professional growth to the youth that participates in mentor kids.
Mr. Katsnelson is married to his wife Kendall for over 10 years and has a 6-year-old daughter Mila and newborn Hunter.
Blake Katsnelson
For 19 years Aaron Parrott has been serving the nonprofit sector in a variety of roles, primarily through faith-based organizations. In his current role as Executive Director of MentorKids USA, Aaron is responsible for providing visionary leadership and financial stability to a growing nonprofit organization. Over the last 16 years, Aaron has grown with MentorKids, starting as a Mentor Coordinator in 2005 and serving in various management roles over the years. Beginning in 2010, Aaron was a key member of a management team tasked with restructuring MentorKids. As a result of this process, MentorKids has grown from an annual budget of $180,000 to over $1,000,000, and from serving approximately 100 children to now impacting over 500 children.
Aaron’s background growing up in Central and South America, in addition to a BA in Religious Studies from Westmont College, a Masters in Nonprofit Studies from ASU, and experience working with at-risk youth help him add unique value and perspective to MentorKids USA and the nonprofit sector.
As a husband and father of two young children, Aaron spends most of his free time playing with his kids and working on never-ending home improvement projects.
Outside of work and family, Aaron’s other passions include surfing, gardening, attempting to golf, and serving through his home church (Valley Presbyterian Church).
Aaron Parrott, Executive Director
Mr. Ambrose became a MKUSA volunteer upon his retirement from the US Public Health Service, Indian Health Service in 2016. He is a graduate of Fordham University with a degree in pharmacy who filled a variety of leadership positions in the Indian Health Service over the course of his 45-year career. He is married to Lyn and they have 9 grandchildren.
He became a member of the MentorKids Board of Directors in 2018. He is a member of Valley Presbyterian Church and has served as an Elder, Deacon and President of the Valley Presbyterian Foundation. He enjoys playing pickle ball and strives always to be a better golfer.
Tom Ambrose
Caleb Hardee currently serves as an Underwriting Manager at Markel Corporation in Scottsdale, AZ. He has worked in the commercial insurance industry for 5 years following his graduation from Appalachian State University in 2018. He also served in the Army National Guard as a Motor Transport Operator from 2013-2018.
Caleb first became involved with MentorKids by volunteering at the South Scottsdale/Paiute neighborhood in 2020. He enjoyed volunteering in the after school program as well as leading a couple soccer camps during school breaks.
Outside of work Caleb enjoys spending time with his girlfriend Deona, playing golf with friends, traveling and volunteering at his church.
Caleb Hardee
Mr. Anderson serves as a senior managing director and city leader responsible for new commercial and residential business opportunities that include new development, acquisition, management, and disposition within the Southwest Region of the United States. Anderson's responsibilities include business strategy, master planning, deal-structuring, contract negotiations, government relations and tenant relations.
Anderson holds a BS in Finance with a concentration in Real Estate from Arizona State University and master's degrees in Real Estate and Construction Management from the University of Denver. He also serves as a board member of NAIOP Arizona.
Chris Anderson
Mr. Gruber is the Chief Deputy City Attorney for the City of Glendale, where he has served since 2013. Prior to that, he was general counsel for the City of Surprise, and worked in private practice and journalism. Mr. Gruber holds a Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center, and a BS in Economics and Marketing from Boston College.
Jim Gruber
Diane Erhart retired as a Senior Vice President of Finance from Bank of America, where she supported the Consumer Banking business for nearly 25 years. With a BA in Accounting from Arizona State University and a certification as a Public Accountant, Diane has worked in the banking industry for 35 years.
Aside from her professional career, Diane is married to Jeffrey Erhart and together, they have 5 children and 11 grandchildren. She enjoys several hobbies, including travel, hiking, reading, and cooking, and also volunteers regularly at Paradise Valley Community Foodbank.
Diane has a passion for family and youth and is proud of the work that MentorKids is doing. She hopes to contribute to the success of the organization through her work on the board. Her expertise and experience will be a valuable addition to the team, and we are fortunate to have her as a member of our board.
Diane Erhart
Dominic Orozco, Development Chair
Parent Advisory Councils
One of the ways our Board members stay connected to what’s going on with our kids is to participate in the Parent Advisory Council meetings, held once each semester in each of our Promise Neighborhoods. Here’s what we learned during our most recent PAC meetings.
Palomino Parent Advisory Council
Paiute Parent Advisory Council
South Phoenix Parent Advisory Council
“I have 5 children in MentorKids ranging from Kindergarten to 10th grade. We have had so many great experiences over the last 4 years...learning to swim, homework help, planting in the garden, crafts, reading the Bible, and many more. I am so thankful for MentorKids. It’s such a blessing to our family!”
“MentorKids provides special attention to kids who really need it, like my younger daughter who needed extra help with reading. My older daughter was very shy but she has gained confidence and loves helping the younger kids.”
“MentorKids provides great educational support for my two children. We’ve only been with MentorKids for 3 months but already I’ve noticed their reading has improved and they seem more confident.”
