GUESTS:
Barbara McClure, Executive Director
IMPACT of Southern Arizona
3535 E Hawser Street
Tucson, AZ 85739
520-825-0009 / Mobile Phone: 206-915-0919
barbara@impactsoaz.org
www.impactsoaz.org
SOCIAL MEDIA: Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Twitter |
Barbara McClure wakes up each morning passionate about going to work at a place that improves lives and inspires futures every day! She has been the Executive Director of a Tucson social service nonprofit called IMPACT of Southern Arizona, for ten years. What is it that keeps you passionate about your role Barbara?
Barbara has been a visionary and planner with decades of experience as a small business owner and in nonprofit leadership; her innovative ideas and strategic thinking, along with a talent for bringing the community together, has helped grow IMPACT five-fold in a very short time. Her talents and interests are diverse but all center around helping people, improving the community, bolstering education, building capacity and sustainability, being vocal about the rights and conditions of others, experiencing art, nurturing all inhabitants of your garden, and enjoying life to the fullest.
And now Barbara is about to experience another exciting chapter in her life with hosting a brand-new Radio Show Podcast here on the Tucson Business RadioX Network starting in November.
IMPACT of Southern Arizona is a 20 – year old social service nonprofit stabilizing families and seniors, and moving people out of poverty. IMPACT’s programs are designed to stretch household budgets so earned income can be spent on necessities such as improved housing conditions, fuel to get to work, utilizes, and needed medical attention and prescriptions. Its clients are your neighbors! People come to IMPACT because it is a welcoming place where they are always treated with dignity and respect, and where they find resources, referrals, coaching, and help to attain the skills that can move them forward into self-sufficiency.
Barbara grew up in Pasadena CA, moved to Long Beach for college, got married and started our family then moved to Seattle area ten years later. Took our youngest son on an 11-month motorhome trip to get to Tucson – Homeschooled for 10th grade.
We vacationed at a rustic cabin when I was growing up, where we had no phone or television; and spent all our time outside fishing, hiking, horseback riding, listening to old radio shows, playing pool, reading comic books from the local small grocer, and using our imaginations all day long. I always admired the superheroes who defended people and cities like Gotham and Metropolis, so when our three boys were born, we named them after familiar character: Colin (Bryce for an overlay of Bruce Wayne, Kent, and Parker. Our first grandchild was born last year, and as in the family tradition, named Logan, after the Wolverine. I used to always tell them they were my superheroes – and they still are today!
Barbara loves working with numbers and has always loved math and the organization of things, so accounting seemed perfect, but I soon realized that I if I became a CPA I would have to spend many months inside doing tax returns, and that did not appeal to me as a long–term career! I have a great imagination and enjoy creating things, so thought I should find a better path that might nurture that side of my personality. I was working in the shipping industry in SoCal at the time and fell in love with import and export, so shifted my majors to Marketing and International Business. Those were wonderful fits, and I imagined graduating and moving to the largest port on the planet, in Germany; then, I met my future husband and things took a different turn.
A little bit about how Barbara got into Nonprofit work:
All along with my husband and I were always involved in nonprofits and community volunteer opportunities, and often said it was too bad we could not make a living doing those things we loved so much. Leadership roles in PTO, Boy Scouts, Historical Societies, Junior League, Elks, Rotary and more. Then when we moved to Tucson I looked for a local opportunity to impact my community. A Board position was about to open at IMPACT, and my local bank branch manager, Peggy Smoot, suggested I would be very passionate about getting involved in the mission work there. I worked in the Food Bank.
There are thousands of nonprofits in Tucson. What makes IMPACT Unique is that they bring the community together to stabilize families and move people out of poverty. Our true success lies in partnering with a large number of businesses, agencies, social clubs and other nonprofits. We invest $2.5 million in the community each year, and we do it all with a lean staff of amazing professionals supported by more than 170 volunteer shifts each week! We have put great systems in place to run efficiently, effectively and with a commitment to sustainability and integrity, protecting the community’s investment in our work, striving for perfect audits, being innovative, building capacity and most importantly – treating everyone with dignity and respect. We are an award–winning nonprofit with numerous nods to incredible customer service. Our clients are your neighbors… We improve lives and inspire futures of people living in Southern AZ.
So, IMPACT is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, and you have been at the helm half that time. Share with me the things IMPACT has accomplished over the years, and the things you have planned for this celebratory year.
Jennifer English
Jennifer is a multi-award-winning broadcaster, writer, Hospitality Industry consultant and culinarian who is the founder and host of the Food & Wine Radio Network, and host of Friends in The Business.
Her in-depth interviews and intellectual musings on the craft, history, and culture of all areas of food and drink have earned Jennifer the prestigious Gracie Allen Award from The Foundation of American Women in Radio & Television and The James Beard Foundation Award for Best Radio Show.
Jennifer served on the Board of the New Orleans Culinary & Cultural Preservation Society and was proud to participate in the very first Seminar Panel at Tales of the Cocktail.
Jennifer is a co-founder of the World Margarita Championships and is a Founding Editor of Tea Journey Magazine.
Jennifer developed and launched the Let’s Make A Meal cooking segments for NBC affiliate KVOA TV-4 and the Around the Table, “Bottoms Up Radio Hour”, and R.S.V.P. Radio Shows.
Jennifer is delighted to welcome friends, old and new, to her table to cultivate conviviality.
Cherisse Belussi, Licensed Wedding Officiant
A Romantic Dream Wedding
6490 N. Tierra De Las Catalinas Street:
Tucson, AZ, 85718
520-237-5211
cheri@a-romanticwedding.com
www.a-romanticwedding.com
Cheri/Cherise has for more than 18 years specialized in creating and preserving romantic wedding ceremonies and vow renewals in the most beautiful locations Arizona have to offer.
Cheri’s expertise in this highly specialized field has allowed me to orchestrate beautiful and memorable weddings in every location Arizona has to offer. I endeavor to make each couple’s special day a beautiful memory for the rest of their lives).
Cheri is licensed through the Unity Church of Naples, Florida. I began performing weddings in beautiful Sanibel Island and Naples, Florida. She offers her services in Spanish and English. I have performed weddings for couples from all over the world, incorporating their traditions and customs that are unique to their heritage. It is a privilege and joy to perform your wedding ceremony or provide my wedding packages to the location of your choice. I offer a free consultation to discuss your preferences for a religious or romantic personalized wedding ceremony. I also perform commitment ceremonies, vow renewal/anniversary celebrations and blessings Quinceañeras and baptisms).
Cheri’s packages contain all the key services for your wedding: Officiate, Photography, and Flowers, with each vendor providing the highest quality of service. They can be customized to suit your needs. A deposit of $50 is required to reserve a package).
To help you create your dream wedding, see the information on my Ala Carte services and our wedding packages. Once I know the date of your wedding and the location you have chosen, you can send out invitations.
McKenzie Taylor, Executive chef at Forty Niner CC
McKenzie Taylor has been the executive chef at Forty Niner CC since August of 2018 and is not both “Chef and B” as she runs the kitchen and the restaurant as a whole.
Although her position at the 49 Golf and Country Club at the Rincon Grill is demanding, it is unusual for a solo person to run all areas of a restaurant.
McKenzie attended Pima Culinary School in 2010 and has since been loving working for catering companies and restaurants across town. McKenzie has a 12-year-old daughter named Lyla and enjoys teaching kids how to cook.
Forty-Niner Golf & CC – Tucson’s Hidden Jewel
