Governance

George Dean has been the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Greater Phoenix Urban League since mid 1992. He is a former CEO of the Sacramento, California and Omaha, Nebraska affiliates, and has served more than 25 years as an Urban League staff member. In February of 2013, he was appointed Western Regional Vice President of the NUL Association of Executives (AOE). Honors: Mr. Dean was presented with an Honorary Law Degree from Arizona Summit Law School in May 2013 and the Victoria Foundation established the George H. Dean Scholarship for undergraduates and graduates within the Mel & Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health at the University of Arizona in December 2014.Mr. Dean holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology from Arizona State University and Graduate Studies in the School of Industrial and Labor Relations, Cornell University.

Mr. José Cárdenas is a 1977 Stanford University Law School graduate, he was a partner in the law firm of Lewis and Roca before joining Arizona State University in 2009. He also served as the firm’s managing partner and later as its chairman. Mr. Cárdenas served ASU as Sr. Vice President and General Counsel until July of 2022 when he assumed his new position as Senor University Advisor. He is also Special Counsel to the ASU Office of General Counsel.

Amy has been exploring education innovation and personalized learning for more than ten years with her efforts in school design, marketing strategy and educational policy. She is dedicated to educational reform and instructional choice for all students. She is also a fan of all things soccer and chasing her children and chickens around her yard.

Julie has been celebrated as an education disruptor for nearly three decades. She was the founding CEO and president of Florida Virtual School, the world’s first state-wide virtual school and one of the nation’s largest K-12 online education provider. When not leading international school programs, you’ll find her at the nearest beach with several golden retrievers.

Katie Ratlief has been involved in shaping public policy in Arizona for over a decade. She currently serves as Executive Director for the Common Sense Institute Arizona, a non-partisan, free market research organization. Previously, she served as Deputy Chief of Staff, Senior Advisor, and Director of Legislative Affairs to an Arizona governor. Katie lives in Phoenix with her husband Casey and dog Betsy.