PHOENIX, AZ, FEBRUARY 2, 2022 - The Arizona Educational Foundation (AEF) is pleased to announce Lindy Gaudiano, Assistant Dean of Educational Partnerships and Development for the College of Education at Grand Canyon University (GCU), and Rudy Navarro, Sr. Director of Customer Services at Salt River Project (SRP), will join the Board of Trustees.
Lindy Gaudiano manages the strategic planning, development, and improvement of all academic programs and outreach efforts for the GCU College of Education, as the Assistant Dean of Educational Partnerships and Development. She has been a GCU employee for 12 years and has worked in the education field for 15 years.
Gaudiano partners with many educational groups, both internal and external, to ensure standards-based curriculums for all academic programs are focused on continuous improvement and aligned to appropriate standards for teacher certification. She enjoys collaborating on large projects, teaching education foundations, literacy and honors courses, attending and presenting at national and local educational conferences, and being involved with all things highlighting the student experience within GCU.
Prior to transitioning to higher education and GCU, Gaudiano received her bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Arizona State University, and her master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction with an Emphasis in Elementary Education Reading, from GCU before teaching in a first grade classroom in the public school environment. She is currently a PhD candidate and working on completing her doctoral degree in Industrial and Organizational Psychology.
Gaudiano has been married to her husband, Jimmy, for 11 years and they have two daughters Gigi and Elle. They enjoy traveling from coast to coast and are always planning a new adventure for their family to explore.
Rudy Navarro is the Sr. Director of Customer Services at SRP, responsible for the Customer Contact Centers, Revenue Accounting and Billing, Metering and Credit services. SRP provides a wide range of support to the communities they serve including corporate contributions, educational and safety programs, and volunteer services.
Navarro has over 27 years of experience in the power industry and has worked at various generating stations as a controls engineer, Plant Engineer, Operations & Maintenance Manager and Plant Manager. He was the Director of the Generation Engineering group and led the Transmission Line Design, Construction and Maintenance group for SRP’s transmission line assets.
Prior to SRP, Navarro received his Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from the University of Arizona and has completed the University of Idaho’s Energy Executive course.
He served 6 years in the U.S. Navy as enlisted man in the Naval Nuclear power program.
Providing programs to support public education in Arizona has been AEF’s mission since it was founded in 1983 by then Superintendent of Public Instruction, Carolyn Warner. AEF is most well-known for programs like the Arizona Teacher of the Year Awards, A+ School of Excellence Awards, and the Arizona Spelling Bee. In recent years, the organization has expanded its work to include “teachSTEM,” which encourages students to become STEM teachers; and “Our World,” a free equity program for schools and districts.
“Serving on the Arizona Educational Foundation board is such an honor,” states Dr. Pam Roggeman, AEF Board president. “Both Lindy and Rudy have a history of dedication to Arizona public schools and students that directly aligns with AEF’s mission. We’re thrilled to welcome them aboard.”
Gaudiano and Navarro’s appointments to the AEF Board are for a two-year term.
About Arizona Educational Foundation:
The mission of AEF is to celebrate excellence and cultivate equity in Pre-K-12th grade Arizona public education. This is accomplished through a variety of programs for teachers, administrators, and students. Some programs shine a spotlight on excellence; others provide a stepping stone to help support schools and educators on the road to awesomeness. In addition to the Arizona Teacher of the Year program, AEF also coordinates the Arizona State Spelling Bee, the A+ School of Excellence Award, the Principals Leadership Academy of Arizona, teachSTEM, Take Your Legislator to School, and Our World. AEF was founded in 1983 by then State Superintendent of Public Education, Carolyn Warner, who felt a nonprofit needed to be established to champion public education and recognize the great work of public school educators. AEF annually reaches over 500,000 students, teachers and administrators throughout Arizona. For more information, visit www.azedfoundation.org or contact info@azedfoundation.org.
Media Contact:
Terri Bradford
Director of Communications & Digital Strategy, Arizona Educational Foundation
Mobile: 720-468-3996
Email address: terri@azedfoundation.org