Dedicated staff members make up backbone of Mesa United Way
Mesa United Way has a paid staff of 9 full- and part-time professionals, each seriously dedicated to serving the people of Mesa and surrounding communities. The entire cost of our professional leadership is covered by corporate sponsors, grants and other sources so that your contribution to Mesa United Way goes entirely to help people in need in our community.
A dedicated, experienced staff of volunteers provides support services to the professional staff. Additionally, caring companies from around the East Valley loan employees to Mesa United Way during our campaign season. This Loaned Executive program allows us to carry out a highly professional campaign, while maintaining a low year-round overhead.
Meet our professional staff
President and Chief Executive Officer 480-834-2104 T. Dan Wollam has been the President/CEO of Mesa United Way since 2010. Immediately prior to this current responsibility, Dan had served Mesa United Way as its Vice President for Community Solutions since 2008 and had been Executive Director of River Cities United Way (Mohave and La Paz counties, Arizona) since 2006. He has had a career of more than 45 years in the administration of nonprofit services and higher education, including service as the executive director of two community action agencies, vice president for administration of a graduate school, and as executive director of a county economic development agency. He and his wife, Linda, spent more than 20 years as foster parents for 13 children (in addition to two of their own) and sponsored 4 refugee families from Southeast Asia and Eastern Europe. |
T. Dan Wollam
Vice President claudia.walters@mesaunitedway.org 480-834-2127 Born and raised in Ithaca, New York, Claudia has lived in Mesa for more than a quarter of a century. She served on the Mesa Public Schools Governing Board for four years and on the Mesa City Council for eight and half years, including four years as Vice Mayor. She has worked as an educator and as a communications consultant. Claudia likes to read, sing, fish, laugh, travel, bake cookies, and truly make a difference – not necessarily in that order. She and her husband Steven have five children and eight grandchildren, with a ninth due to arrive this summer. Steve and Claudia have been United Way donors for more than thirty years. |
Director of Finance richard.james@mesaunitedway.org 480-834-2109 Richard has been a Mesa and Tempe resident since 1976. He graduated from Arizona State University with a BS in accountancy in 1986. He has worked in public accounting, but spent most of his career in the private sector as a controller or chief financial officer. He enjoys playing golf and traveling with his daughter. Richard has been the Director of Finance for Mesa United Way for three years. |
Director of Resource Development linda.haskell@mesaunitedway.org 480-834-2108 Linda was born in Buffalo, N.Y., attended high school in California, moved to Washington State to attend college and then to Mesa in 2006. Linda is proud of her family - daughter Michelle and granddaughters Kayleigh and Megan - loves traveling to see family and enjoys estate sales and antiquing. She is passionate about addressing the needs of poverty and has worked in the social service arena for over 20 years. |
Finance Associate and Senior Community Development Associate maria.gongora@mesaunitedway.org 480-834-2118 Originally from Peru, Maria has lived in Arizona for seven years. Married to a U.S. Marine, Maria has worked for Mesa United Way for the past five years, overseeing the Community Investment Process, and assisting in the Finance Department. A translation and interpretation major, Maria is currently back in school pursuing a bachelor’s degree in accountancy. |
Executive Assistant to the President and Events Coordinator ann.leszczuk@mesaunitedway.org 480-834-2104 Ann is an East Coast native and worked in administrative support for the New Jersey Supreme Court before she and her family moved to the East Valley 15 years ago. She joined Mesa United Way three years ago. “I never realized how hard people worked to help people in need in the community,” she says. Besides her United Way work, Ann stays busy with her three children and three grand-children. |
Allison Johnson Database Administrator allison.johnson@mesaunitedway.org 480-834-2106 Allison has worked for more than 20 years in the non-profit arena, more than 10 years with Mesa United Way. “I like feeling I contribute in my small way to the betterment of society,” she says. Allison also has become an Arizona pro-sports fan, thanks to her husband’s avid interest in everything Dbacks, Suns and Cards. |
Program Manager, AmeriCorps and VITA 480-834-2113 Don grew up in the Valley, earned his engineering degree from the University of Arizona, served in the Army during the Vietnam War and later worked for 20 years in Asia in information technology and product development. He and his wife May have two teenage daughters “who I dote on.” Don enjoys recruiting and training volunteers, and also likes riding his bike in his spare time. |
Community Improvement Specialist sandi.jocewicz@mesaunitedway.org 480-834-2112 Sandi lived and worked in California most of her life before moving to Mesa in 2004. Her education includes the study of American Sign Language at American River College in Placerville, Calif. Sandi joined Mesa United Way in July 2009 as a Volunteer in Service to America. She has three children and six grandchildren. |
Claudia Walters
Richard James
Linda Haskell
Maria Carter
Ann Leszczuk
Don Jensen
Sandi Jocewicz