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| Courtesy
photo |
| Dr.
Sharon Prado, executive director of Foothills CommunityFoundation,
takes serving the community personally–so much
so that she operates on a firstname basis. (Click
picture to see larger image) |
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You
can call her Sharon
Executive
director runs foundation on three guiding principles
by
Chris Moore
DESERT
FOOTHILLS – Back in December of 2005, Dr. Sharon Prado stepped
easily into her new
role as the executive director of the Foothills Community
Foundation (FCF) and brought with her an impressive list
of credentials, but try to resist the urge to call her Dr.
Prado–she prefers Sharon.
With
her background in education and the arts, and her dedication
to the community, Sharon is running FCF by following her
three guiding principles:
"Make the most of every day. Treat others as you would
like to be treated. Make a difference in the lives of others."
When
she joined FCF to fill the vacancy left by former executive
director Susan Shattuck, who held the post for two years,
she came with a purpose.
"I
am here to lead and to facilitate and hopefully to unify
our community in ways that enhance the quality of life for
as many of our local neighbors as possible," she said.
"The Foothills Community Foundation mission matters
to me personally."
A
teacher, musician, performing arts aficionado, administrator
and director, Sharon draws on
her expertise in public education and cultural programs
to guide the many volunteers who provide programs and services
to meet changing needs of the FCF community in Cave Creek,
Carefree, north Scottsdale, Anthem and northern Maricopa
County.
"I
see the Foothills Community Foundation as a complex organization,"
she said, "with a myriad of good things getting done
in an ever‑changing landscape of volunteers who
rise to the occasion to make their community a better
place."
Before
taking the executive director position, Sharon was the
chief academic officer (provost) at Western International
University, a subsidiary of Apollo Group, Inc. Prior to
that she was executive director of the Center of Excellence
in Teaching at Boston University where she utilized
her skills in process management, strategic planning,
administration, human resources and programmatic functions.
"Coming
from Boston, which is ancient, relatively speaking, to a
town that is only 20 years old–it's very different,"
she said. "The people care about this community. It's
pretty impressive."
She
has a master's and a doctorate in musicology and music history
and a bachelor's degree in piano performance.
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