Mary Phairis

Past President and Founder

Honorary Board Member

Mary Phairas founded Treasures 4 Teachers in 2004 after hearing about the desperate need our teachers have for school supplies. She previously had been a financial officer for The Somerset Group and was unaware of the crisis confronting our teachers. She decided to pursue a way to aid in their struggle and discovered an organization called Kids in Need, based out of the Midwest. She contacted them and became part of their network, receiving contributions of goods from Major Corporations of America. She opened the first Treasures 4 Teachers in North Phoenix and later moved to Mesa, AZ. In May 2007 Mary handed the torch to Barbara Blalock who was the Executive Director of The Resource Area for Teachers of Arizona, Inc. and they merged the two non-profits to meet the mission of both organizations on a much broader scale.

Sue Diaz

Chairperson for the Board of Directors

Sue Diaz was the first Program Administrator for ReUseAZ who initiated their personal assistance program. She holds a Masters degree in Technology from ASU which focused on hazardous materials and waste management. She worked at the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality in the Pollution Prevention Unit for 5 years and as a consultant in the environmental, health and safety field. Sue also holds a Bachelor of Science in Business - Finance from the University of Connecticut.

Kristin Marshall

Board Member

Kristin grew up in South Dakota where she received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration from Black Hills State College. Kristin has been with Intel since 1987 and is currently the Senior Administrative Assistant for the Arizona Intel Corporate Affairs Department. In her spare time she enjoys Opera, Broadway Series at ASU’s Gammage Auditorium and the Phoenix Theatre. Kristin has attended Jazzercise classes for 25 years. Kristin’s first job at the age of 15 was a gas station attendant.

Dr. Sally Goldberg

Board Member

Dr. Goldberg is a professor of education at the University of Phoenix, was the first parenting expert on “Parent to Parent,” a FOX TV Channel 7 weekly news segment. She is the author of four popular parenting books and well-known for Constructive Parenting (“The Instructions”). A prolific writer, her articles appear in many publications. She has a regular spot on two well-known blogs www.mommyperks.com/drsally and www.arizonamama.typepad.com and is often quoted in many magazines and newspapers including Parent’s Magazine and American Baby. Dr. Sally has worked for many years as an instructor of early childhood education on the adjunct faculties of Nova Southeastern University and at Barry University. Well-known for her tools and strategies for self-esteem development, she is a national conference presenter and a frequent guest on TV and radio. Dr. Sally is one of the nation’s first parent coaches and founder of Dr. Sally Parenting, Inc. She has a bachelor’s and a master’s degree from Cornell University and a Ph.D. from the University of Miami.

Mark Schaefer

Board Member

Mark Schaefer holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering Technology. He has over 25 years experience in the Electronics industry with over 9 years of it in Corporate technical sales representing Intel, IBM and various electronic manufacturers He has served on corporate charity campaigns or has co-chaired United Way campaigns with Hewlett-Packard, Digital Equipment Corp and Honeywell. For the past 3 years Mark has owned and operated a construction contracting business for the residential market.

Bunnie Williams

Board Member

Being an Air Force wife, Bunnie has taught in Michigan, Texas, Alabama, Bogota, Colombia, and Oklahoma. and Arizona. She retired after 34 years, but is enjoying substitute teaching. Bunnie was a Red Hat Calendar Girl, December 2005. The funds raised from the sale of the calendars were the seed for Treasures 4 Teachers.

Barbara Gordon

Board Member

Barbara Gordon, M.A. Ed., ECE has worked in the Early Childhood field for over 20 years. Having experience within the early childhood classroom, assisting parents in their search for quality child care, and working with the Head Start program, Barb continues to share her passion for children in everything she does. She is involved with the Arizona Association for the Education of Young Children as a Vice President of Development.

Pat Shindler

Board Member

Patricia Schindler has worked in the non-profit community as a development officer for twelve years holding positions at Cook School for Christian Leadership and Kivel Campus of Care. She also has a background in health care management and accounting. She received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix and received her Professional Certificate in Non-Profit Management from Arizona State University.

Matthew Dawson

Board Member

Matt, a lover of science and the outdoors, holds a BS in geology from Caltech and an MS in geology from MIT. For 6 years, Matt taught science at Brockton High School, a nationally-recognized school that is also the largest public school in Massachusetts. As a teacher, Matt spent his summers working with the National Solar Observatory in Tucson, the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Massachusetts, and the Bureau of Land Management in Montana. Matt moved to Arizona in the fall of 2007 and now works as the Assistant Naturalist at the City of Chandler's Environmental Education Center. When he's not at work (and sometimes when he is), Matt can usually be found outdoors, hiking, camping, or stargazing.