Katherine Kemmeries Cecala

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A fourth-generation Arizonan, Katherine Kemmeries Cecala brings to Junior Achievement a diverse background in nonprofit leadership, healthcare administration, law, industrial engineering, utilities, and business. Katherine has extensive knowledge of our community and nonprofit landscape as she has served on more than 35 nonprofit boards including the Arizona Humane Society, Children’s Museum of Phoenix, Vista College Prep, Maricopa Integrated Health System, Mountain Park Health Center and Arizona Women’s Leadership Forum.

Just prior to joining JA, Katherine was the interim CEO/President for Friendly House, a 95-year-old social services nonprofit with a $7 million annual budget, 125 employees and a K-8 charter school, among other programs aimed to empower youth and families. Before that, she was Chief Operating Officer for eight years at Valley of the Sun United Way, one of the largest United Way offices in the country with an annual budget of $120 million.

Previously, she held executive roles at Mayo Clinic in Arizona for 12 years where she oversaw a staff of 350 and led all revenue cycle functions of an $800 million annual budget.

For the first 11 years of her career, she was a senior management engineer at Baptist Medical System in Arkansas as well as Samaritan Health System (now Banner Health) in Phoenix. Because of her love of learning, she attained her law degree and practiced in the areas of commercial and real estate transactions, business and employment law. She began her career as a work management analyst in Arkansas.

A master’s level instructor of philanthropy and nonprofit innovation at Arizona State University, Katherine has a degree in industrial engineering, a Master of Business Administration and a law degree.