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Neighbors

Make-A-Wish Arizona adds new board chair, three Board of Directors members

Posted 6/9/23

Make-A-Wish Arizona has appointed Kyle Pottinger from the Phoenix Suns as its incoming board chair, as well as three new leaders to its Board of Directors, totaling 35 individuals.

Make-A-Wish …

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Neighbors

Make-A-Wish Arizona adds new board chair, three Board of Directors members

Posted

Make-A-Wish Arizona has appointed Kyle Pottinger from the Phoenix Suns as its incoming board chair, as well as three new leaders to its Board of Directors, totaling 35 individuals.

Make-A-Wish is a nonprofit organization based in Scottsdale and Phoenix dedicated to granting the wishes of children with critical illnesses.

Added to the Board of Directors are Rahul Chawla, M.D. M.A., pediatric intensivist and pediatric emergency room physician at Banner Children’s at Banner Thunderbird Medical Center; Lorraine Murrietta, director of finance & human resources at Loffa Interactive Group; and Dawnyel Smink, CEO at Canyon Lands Insurance, according to a press release.

“Our Board of Directors is an active board, reaching out to corporations, organizations and even individuals as we work to reach more children in Arizona,” Fran Mallace, president and CEO of Make-A-Wish Arizona, said in the release. “With 100% of our funds coming from direct donations, we are thrilled to see how these new board members can help us with our goal to reach more kids.”

Kyle Pottinger, Phoenix Suns senior vice president of ticket sales 

With a 16-year career in the sports industry, Pottinger currently serves as senior vice president of ticket sales & service with the Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury. In addition to his professional accomplishments, Pottinger is a proud father to two young boys, Logan and Eli.

Having served on the Make-A-Wish Arizona board, Pottinger is committed to the organization’s mission and has been instrumental in its continued growth and success, the release stated. As a native of Nogales, Ariz. and an Arizona State University graduate, Pottinger understands the importance of giving back to his community and making a positive impact on the lives of others.

In his new role as board chair, Pottinger will provide strategic leadership, support the organization’s fundraising efforts, and advocate for the mission of granting life-changing wishes.

“I have always admired Make-A-Wish Arizona’s work and its incredible impact on the lives of wish kids and their families,” Pottinger said in the release. “I am humbled and honored to become the new board chair. The opportunity to collaborate with the amazing talent we have on the board is inspiring. My goal is to provide as much support as possible so the Make-A-Wish Arizona team has the resources they need to accomplish their goals, grow the Arizona chapter and continue fulfilling life-changing wishes for kids throughout the state.”

Rahul Chawla, Banner Children’s pediatric intensivist and pediatric emergency room physician

Dr. Chawla previously worked for the University of Illinois College of Medicine at the Children’s Hospital of Illinois, for Mednax Medical Group at Honor Health Scottsdale Shea Medical Center and for Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children in Denver, Colo.

He joined Banner Children’s in 2017 and has served on the Banner Foundation Board of Directors since early 2021, according to the release.

He is also an active board member of K2 Adventures Foundation in Scottsdale and leads its Global Health Programs. In 2018, he received the “Mt. Everest Award” from K2 Adventures Foundation for his role in improving pediatric health care in the Mount Kilimanjaro region of Tanzania in Africa, the release stated.

“I am honored to have the opportunity to join the Board of Directors of Make-A-Wish Arizona. I am a very strong believer in their mission and the joy that they bring to patients and their families,” Chawla said in the release.

Lorraine Murrietta, Loffa Interactive Group director of finance & human resources 

Murrietta is a licensed Arizona Certified Public Accountant with more than 20 years of progressive management experience.

“As an Arizona CPA with experience in the financial, business operations and marketing fields, I intend to use my network to reach out to a diverse community that will help support the mission to give children hope, strength and joy to fight their illness by granting them their wish,” Murrietta said in the release.

In her career, she spent almost three years at HomeSmart as chief financial officer and most recently as chief treasury and compliance officer. Prior to HomeSmart, Murrietta was at Off Madison Avenue for seven years as a result of a merger with SpinSix Strategic Marketing Design, LLC, where she worked for seven years prior to the merger.

Murrietta has also worked as chief financial officer of Results Media Group and has held several other relevant positions within the business and financial management realm, including three years as business manager for KNXV TV 15, the Scripps Howard ABC affiliate in Phoenix.

Dawnyel Smink, Canyon Lands Insurance CEO

As the founder of the Make-A-Wish charitable giving program, Champions Initiative, and a former member of the chapter’s Wishmakers Council, Smink helps raise money through her insurance contacts throughout the country.

She is an innovator in the insurance industry through her work with CLI Select Agencies, WIISE and numerous carrier councils that she serves on, the release stated.

The priorities that guide Smink’s day-to-day work are spending as much time with benefactors and finding ways to make a difference. She is also an avid golfer, often blending business with leisure by hitting the links.

“I am well connected here in Arizona through my business and personally, so I can spread the message to a large population of the state,” Smink said in the release. “I have a very creative mind that can help put together any event we put on. Sales is in my blood, so I am never afraid to ask for something. I believe that through the service I have done previously combined with where I am in my life, I would like to contribute more than ever before.”