Ximena, a Burn Care Support Coordinator, has recently joined the Arizona Burn Foundation. As a Tucson native and graduate of Sunnyside High School, she has deep roots in the community. Ximena received her Bachelor of Science in Public Health from the University of Arizona. Before joining the ABF team, she spent six years at Cope Community Services as a Program Coordinator for Tucson’s behavioral health population. Ximena has always had a passion for working with people during their most vulnerable times, and she is dedicated to helping others take the first step towards change. When not at work, Ximena enjoys hiking, thrifting, caring for her dogs, and spending time with her loved ones.

At the start of her career, Bridget worked for the City of Phoenix Police Department, where she collaborated with detectives from multiple bureaus to assist crime victims in navigating the often cold criminal justice system. During this time, she was selected as the Mothers Against Drunk Driving Advocate of the Year and became a co-recipient of the Office of the Attorney General Distinguished Service Award.

Bridget continued her passion for serving the community during her 12 years with Dignity Healthcare. As a community educator for St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center, she built community programs and partnerships to promote health and safety within the City of Phoenix and surrounding suburbs. Moving on from her role within the hospital foundation system, Bridget transitioned to a community non-profit. She served as the Sr. Director of Development for Make-A-Wish Arizona, Chapter. Over six years, she worked to raise funds for over 1200 wishes to come true for critically ill children, starting as the Individual Giving Director in April 2017 and subsequently being promoted to Director of Major Gifts. In 2022, Bridget became the Senior Director of Development, leading a fantastic development department team that focused on individual gifts from the annual fund, middle giving, and major gifts.

Bridget earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Family and Human Development from Arizona State University and a Master of Education degree in Counseling and Human Relations from Northern Arizona University.

Vanessa joined Arizona Burn Foundation in September 2023 as a Burn Care Support Coordinator. She received her Bachelor of Science in Physiology and Master of Public Health from the University of Arizona. Before joining ABF, Vanessa worked as a Case Manager of behavioral health services and then as a Team Lead of the Integrated Behavioral Health Home Program with COPE Community Services. Vanessa is passionate about connecting survivors and their families to services during times of crisis, recovery, and beyond. She is also an advocate of increasing community access to preventative health and safety education. When not in the office, Vanessa enjoys traveling, attending concerts, hiking, reading, hanging out with her two cats, and spending time with her family.

Tess joined the Arizona Burn Foundation in June 2022 as the Events Administrator. She received her Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology at the University of Texas at El Paso, along with a Master of Arts in Human Services with a Specialization in Counseling from Wayland Baptist University. Prior to ABF, Tess served in higher education as the Admissions Specialist and Coordinator of Alumni Relations for Wayland Baptist University’s Arizona Campus, along with various roles in nonprofit ministries. She is passionate about serving the community through joyful and genuine relationship development. When not in the office, Tess enjoys spending quality time with her family, playing beach volleyball, and taking surf trips.

Kelsey received her bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in Social Work from Arizona State University. Kelsey spent the first 8 years of her career working with families experiencing homelessness at UMOM New Day Centers.

While pursuing her master’s degree, Kelsey worked with the City of Phoenix Housing Department as a caseworker for individuals and families living in public housing. From there, Kelsey transitioned to the Washington School District to help elementary children achieve emotional and educational success. Kelsey is passionate about working alongside individuals and families in accomplishing their goals.

Theresa joined the Arizona Burn Foundation in August 2019 after graduating from the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University in May 2019 with a Bachelors in Business Management. She grew up volunteering with nonprofits in the East Valley and developed a passion for helping others. This led to her desire to enter the nonprofit sector upon finishing her degree. She loves improving the Foundation’s operations while supporting its mission: prevent, survive, and thrive

With a passion for storytelling and values-based communication, Bretta has spent 15 years in nonprofit marketing, communications, and public relations. Before joining the Arizona Burn Foundation as Director of Marketing, she served as Associate Director of Communications and Marketing for The Nature Conservancy in Arizona. Prior to that, Bretta dedicated over a decade to the Valley’s most vulnerable pets—and their people—as Senior PR Manager for the Arizona Humane Society. At AHS, Bretta orchestrated media and PR operations across 15 departments, guided a dynamic team of six, and led PR efforts for a $54 million capital campaign. Bretta and her team’s efforts garnered six consecutive years of awards for excellence from the Public Relations Society of America. Bretta earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism – Public Relations from the University of Wisconsin – Madison. Outside of work, Bretta can be found enjoying Arizona’s many hiking trails with her partner and their loyal rescue dogs.