Valley Leadership Announces 68th Annual Man & Woman of the Year Honorees

Valley Leadership announces David Tierney and Dr. Maria Harper-Marinick as the organization’s 68th Man & Woman of the Year. The pair will be honored for their long-term contributions and commitment to our community at the Annual Man & Woman of the Year awards luncheon on March 30, 2017.

Each year an outstanding Valley man and woman are selected based on their vision, innovation, measurable impact on the lives of others, and their extraordinary service to our community.

Tierney and Harper-Marinick join a prestigious list of past Man & Woman of the Year award recipients. U.S. Sen. Barry Goldwater was honored as the inaugural Man of the Year and most recently Dr. Michael Crow and Elva Coor were recognized.

Tierney has been a partner in the Phoenix firm of Sacks Tierney P.A. since 1974, practicing primarily in Commercial Construction Law. Before moving to Arizona in 1969, Tierney was active in civil-rights issues. In 1962, he made trips to Mississippi in the height of civil-rights violence to help with voter registration, visiting churches that distributed information about related issues. After completing Harvard Law School in 1965, Tierney joined the Peace Corps where he served as Assistant to the City Manager in Barguisimeto, Venezuela. He later became Regional Director for the Peace Corps in Venezuela, before moving to Phoenix.

Tierney serves on more than two dozen community boards and organizations, and has created committees, coalitions, and non-profits that serve the disenfranchised and less fortunate, including the Restorative Justice Resources Council and Friends of the Court, Inc. Tierney was a member of the inaugural Valley Leadership Institute, Class 1, and continues to actively support VL’s mission by serving on committees and presenting at program days.

Mark Stodola, member of Valley Leadership Institute Class 22 and Tierney’s nominator, has emphasized Tierney’s contributions: “Through Dave Tierney’s efforts, the lives of thousands of children and adults living in Maricopa County have been positively impacted.”

Dr. Maria Harper-Marinick is the Chancellor of the Maricopa Community College District (MCCD),one of the largest community college systems in the nation. She is the first woman and the first Hispanic to be appointed as Chancellor of the District. In this capacity, Chancellor Harper-Marinick oversees operations for the MCCD system, which serves 200,000 students and nearly 10,000 faculty and staff members across 10 colleges, two skills centers, and several satellite campuses.

Alfredo Gutierrez, President of the MCCD Governing Board, has applauded HarperMarinick’s contributions: “As the education landscape continues to evolve, Maria Harper-Marinick’s steady leadership, commitment to lifelong education, and stellar reputation at both a local and national level will elevate Maricopa Community College’s standing as an institution dedicated to high achievement and successful student outcomes.”

Arizona State University President Michael Crow, VL’s most recently honored Man of the Year who co-chaired the MCCD chancellor’s search committee,said that Dr. HarperMarinick “excelled among the candidates interviewed and identified as a national leader in terms of understanding the unique and complex education landscape in Arizona, and the need for innovation and collaboration. Her commitment to strengthening the quality of education in Arizona and keen insights on major issues make her perfectly poised to propel Maricopa Community Colleges to the next level.”

“On behalf of Valley Leadership and the Board of Directors, we are truly honored to celebrate the impact these two leaders have had on Arizona for decades,” said President and CEO, Christy Moore.

The newest inductees will be formally recognized at a luncheon on March 30, 2017, at the Arizona Biltmore.

About Man & Women of the Year

Valley Leadership’s Man & Woman of the Year luncheon is one of the premier business and community recognition programs in the Phoenix Metropolitan area. It is attended by approximately 1,000 of the Valley’s most prominent business and community leaders and serves as the primary fundraiser for Valley Leadership, the oldest and largest leadership development organization in greater Phoenix. Nominations for this prestigious award are accepted each year from the public at large. A committee of past honorees and community leaders then selects a single man and woman to be honored at a spring luncheon.