The Women’s Foundation for the State of Arizona is excited to introduce our 2026 Board of Trustees!
Our Board of Trustees are the backbone of our organization and governance structure. The powerful group is now 7 members strong and together, they bring renewed energy, deep expertise, and a passion for racial and gender equity for our women and girls of all identities in Arizona. Each member brings a unique perspective and lived experience to the role.
WFSA is proud to reintroduce our 2026 Board Chair, Sharifa Rowe. Sharifa is a dynamic change agent and the principal consultant at S. Rowe Consulting, LLC. Sharifa is a longtime champion of community and WFSA. With more than 15 years of experience in facilitation and consulting, systems change work, and leadership service across Arizona, she brings her passion for building power with and for women to WFSA. As Board Chair, Sharifa’s vision for fiscal year 2027 centers systems change and empowerment. Her leadership has set the tone for a board that is bold, strategic, and deeply rooted in community.
Meet the Board of Trustees
Sharifa Rowe – WFSA Board Chair, Principal consultant at S. Rowe Consulting, LLC and Interim Executive Director for the YWCA Metropolitan Phoenix
Sharifa Rowe (she/her/zie) is a dynamic change agent and the principal consultant at S. Rowe Consulting, LLC. With more than 15 years of experience in justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion, she’s a master of facilitating dialogue and driving systems change. Sharifa has worked with coalitions, government entities, and foundations to deliver innovative solutions that bring real results. She’s passionate about using her skills to empower women and girls through WFSA’s work, and she’s excited to be part of a team that’s making such a powerful impact across the state.
We welcome six dedicated Trustees joining Sharifa Rowe to lead the Women’s Foundation for the State of Arizona:
Dr. Elana Payton, LPC, NCC — Owner, Ushauri Mindful Roots PLLC, and Program Director, Phoenix Union School District, Vice Chair WFSA
Dr. Elana Payton (she/her) is an innovative professional and strategic leader with over 20 years of experience in program management, operational development, and educational leadership. She currently serves as Program Director for Phoenix Union School District while maintaining a private practice, Ushauri Mindful Roots, PLLC, grounded in a humanistic, person-centered approach to trauma, anxiety, and depression. Her background spans strategic systems development, budget oversight, contract negotiation, and equity assessments for underserved populations. She also brings expertise in nonprofit strategic planning and grant writing, and she’s committed to empowering marginalized communities through sustainable program development.
Rachael Morczynski — Branch Manager, VP, National Bank of Arizona, Board Treasurer WFSA
Born and raised in Tucson, Rachael Morczynski (she/her) has deep roots in her community and a wealth of financial expertise. As a Branch Manager at National Bank of Arizona, she’s spent years helping local businesses and nonprofits thrive, crafting financial strategies that make a lasting impact. Outside of work, she’s a dedicated mom of three, always looking for ways to instill a sense of giving back. As WFSA’s Board Treasurer, Rachael is excited to support the foundation’s mission to ensure women and girls across Arizona have the opportunities they deserve to succeed.
Megan A. Carney — Professor of Anthropology, UA, Board Secretary WFSA
Megan A. Carney (she/her) is a feminist medical anthropologist, professor, award-winning author, and mother of two daughters. Her scholarship centers the lived experiences of marginalized communities to examine racialized and gendered health disparities, social inequality, and resource insecurity, drawing on two decades of fieldwork across the US Southwest and central Mediterranean borderlands. She serves as Director of the Center for Regional Food Studies at the University of Arizona and is president-elect of the Association for Feminist Anthropology. Her research has been funded by Fulbright, the Wenner-Gren Foundation, and the USDA, among others, and she has called Tucson home since 2017.
Christina C. Bell Andrews, JD, MPH, MBA, MA — Executive Director, UA College of Medicine, Wassaja Carlos Montezuma Center for Native American Health, Board Member WFSA
Christina C. Bell Andrews (she/her) is Hia-Ced O’odham and Yoeme, and a member of the Tohono O’odham Nation. She serves as an assistant professor and executive director of the Wassaja Carlos Montezuma Center for Native American Health at the University of Arizona College of Medicine, with over 26 years of experience in Indigenous law, health policy, and tribal governance. Andrews is principal investigator on national grants from the Kellogg and MacArthur Foundations addressing Native health workforce development and the disproportionate incarceration of Native Americans. She serves on the NIH “All of Us” Research Program advisory panel and the Arizona State & Tribal ICWA Advisory Committee, and her work remains rooted in cultural humility, reciprocity, and advocacy for tribal sovereignty.
Jonathon Gonzales — Military Family Projects Director, Zero to Three, Board Member WFSA
Jonathon Gonzales (he/him) serves as Zero to Three’s Military Family Projects Director, building funding and partnerships that expand support for young children in military-connected families. He also serves in the Arizona Army National Guard as a logistics officer and previously served as State Family Program Director, overseeing Family Assistance Centers and related programs statewide. In early education, Jonathon led the Arizona Head Start Association and served as the inaugural Regional Director for the South Phoenix Regional Partnership Council with First Things First. As a former Head Start parent, he brings firsthand experience to his advocacy for children and families across Arizona.
Candida L. Hunter-Querta — Chief Tribal Relations Officer, First Things First, Board Member WFSA
Candida Hunter-Querta (she/her) is Hualapai and Mexican and serves as Chief Tribal Relations Officer for First Things First, building government-to-government relations between the agency and Arizona’s tribal communities. She represents FTF on the Arizona Advisory Council on Indian Health Care and serves as a Trustee of the Vitalyst Health Foundation Board. Candida is a graduate of the ASU Indigenous Leadership Academy and a fellow of both the Flinn-Brown Civic Leadership Academy and the BUILD Equity Leaders Action Network. She previously served as a Hualapai Tribal Council member and was named a 2018 Native American 40 Under 40 honoree. A mother, wife, and aunt, she believes the success of future generations begins in the early years of life.
Click here to learn more and connect with WFSA’s Board of Trustees and Staff.
Further connect with our new team at this LinkedIn announcement!
