your candidates for the MARICOPA COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE BOARD
Affordable Local Education
Train Arizona's Healthcare Professionals
Build the Workforce That Builds Arizona
Bring Back JUCO Football
Affordable Local Education
Train Arizona's Healthcare Workforce
Build the Workforce That Builds Arizona
Bring Back JUCO Football
District 4
At Large
District 3
Endorsed by the Arizona Football Coaches Association!
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Our Mission
1. Affordable Local Education
COLLEGE SHOULD BE AFFORDABLE AND CLOSE TO HOME.
Maricopa Community Colleges were built to give students an affordable path to a better future right in their own communities. Our goal is to protect our community colleges and preserve that promise for the next generation of students and families. Protecting that promise starts with fiscal responsibility.
With a $1.7 billion annual budget, every dollar must be managed carefully so tuition stays low, essential programs remain strong, and students can access a quality education close to where they live and work.
Our team brings the diverse expertise needed to make that happen: John Crow, a CEO who understands budgets, efficiency, and accountability; Ryan Caracciolo, a marketing expert who knows how to compete for and attract students and grow enrollment; and Susan Winder, a 35-year educator and administrator who understands what belongs in the classroom and what students need to succeed.
Together, we can control costs, grow enrollment, strengthen the quality and marketability of education, and protect the community college system that so many Arizona families depend on. Fiscal responsibility isn’t just about balancing a budget — it’s about keeping college within reach and ensuring our community colleges remain strong for generations to come.
2. Train Arizona's Healthcare Professionals
ARIZONA NEEDS HEALTHCARE WORKERS — LET'S TRAIN THEM HERE.
Arizona is facing an enormous and growing demand for healthcare professionals. Our state is projected to have nearly 4,800 openings for registered nurses every year, more than 3,600 annual openings for medical assistants, and nearly 15,000 annual openings for home health and personal care aides. Respiratory therapy jobs are projected to grow 28%, while Arizona is also experiencing critical shortages in behavioral health and primary care.
Maricopa Community Colleges should aggressively expand training for the healthcare careers Arizona needs most — and provide a pathway for students at every level.
That means more four-year degree opportunities in fields such as nursing; two-year degrees for registered nurses, respiratory therapists, radiologic and imaging technologists, physical therapist assistants, and other high-demand allied-health careers; and short-term certificates and specialized training for medical assistants, nursing assistants, phlebotomists, surgical technologists, pharmacy technicians, and other frontline healthcare positions.
We should work directly with Arizona's hospitals, healthcare systems, and employers to identify the positions they cannot fill and rapidly expand the programs that prepare students for those jobs.
If Arizona needs the workers, Maricopa Community Colleges should be training them.
3. Build the Workforce That Builds Arizona
THE JOBS ARE ALREADY COMING — LET'S MAKE SURE ARIZONANS ARE TRAINED TO FILL THEM.
Maricopa County is experiencing an extraordinary construction and advanced-manufacturing boom. TSMC is undertaking one of the largest private investments in American history in North Phoenix. Amkor is building a $7 billion semiconductor facility in Peoria. VAI Resort is constructing what will become Arizona's largest resort in Glendale. Across the Valley, new semiconductor facilities, data centers, hospitals, roads, housing and advanced-manufacturing projects are creating tremendous demand for skilled workers.
The State of Arizona estimates that more than 20,000 new construction and trades jobs need to be filled by 2030. These projects require electricians, HVAC technicians, plumbers, welders, heavy-equipment operators, construction technicians, industrial maintenance specialists, machinists and increasingly sophisticated semiconductor and advanced-manufacturing technicians.
Maricopa Community Colleges should be the premier training ground for this workforce. We need to expand two-year degrees, industry certifications, apprenticeships and accelerated specialized training developed in direct partnership with the companies and contractors doing the hiring.
Not every successful career requires four years at a university. Many of these careers provide outstanding wages and opportunities for advancement with two years — or even months — of specialized education and hands-on training.
Billions of dollars are being invested right here in Maricopa County. We need to make sure the jobs and opportunities that come with that investment are going to people who live here.
4. Bring Back JUCO Football
FOR MOST JUCO MEN, FOOTBALL ISN'T JUST A SPORT — IT'S THEIR PATH TO COLLEGE, A TRADE, A CAREER AND EVEN A FAMILY.
When Maricopa Community Colleges eliminated football after the 2018 season, we didn't just lose four football teams. We eliminated an opportunity that was bringing hundreds of young men onto our college campuses — including many who may never have pursued higher education without football.
And the decline since then should concern us. Since football ended after the 2018 season, fall enrollment of Black men at the seven Arizona community colleges that dropped the sport has fallen 29%, from 2,326 in fall 2018 to 1,651 in fall 2024. At Maricopa's four former football colleges, it fell 27%, from 1,591 to 1,169. Many factors played a role, including COVID, and these numbers don't prove football's loss caused the decline. But it's a question the district owes these students an answer to.
Football also teaches things that cannot always be learned in a classroom. National research shows that more than 90% of college athletes say athletics strengthened their work ethic, responsibility and teamwork, while more than 80% credit athletics with developing leadership, goal-setting, time management, adaptability and the ability to perform under pressure.
Those lessons matter. Discipline. Teamwork. Perseverance. Tenacity. Accountability. A good football program surrounds young men with coaches, teammates, academic expectations and a structure that demands they show up — for practice, for class and for each other. It can create a sense of belonging and give a young man who never pictured himself as a college student a reason to become one.
And football doesn't just build players. It builds community. For generations, Friday night and Saturday football has brought students, parents, alumni and neighbors together around their local schools. Glendale, Mesa, Phoenix and Scottsdale Community Colleges once had football traditions that communities could rally around. Glendale's program alone dated to 1967 and won three national championships before being eliminated.
We believe it is time to protect and restore community college football — responsibly, sustainably and with strong academic accountability.
Bring back JUCO football. Bring young men back to our campuses. Give them a team, a purpose and a pathway to a better future.
Your Candidates 4 change
John Crow - At Large
John Crow is a multi-generation Arizonan, business leader, and dedicated community advocate who has spent his career investing in the future of Maricopa County. As CEO of a family of companies, John has built a reputation for leadership, economic development, and a deep understanding of the people and communities that make Arizona unique. His work has been featured in publications including the Arizona Republic, Arizona Business Journal, Scottsdale Business and Life, and the Glendale Star.
In addition to his professional career, John has devoted years of service to local civic and nonprofit organizations. He currently serves as a Planning and Zoning Commissioner for the City of Glendale, Vice President of the DC Ranch Community Council, and is a Past President and active member of the Glendale Rotary Club. Through these leadership roles, John has worked to strengthen neighborhoods, support local families, and promote responsible growth throughout the Valley.
As a candidate for the Maricopa County Community College District Governing Board, John is committed to expanding workforce training, supporting students and educators, and ensuring taxpayer dollars are spent responsibly. He believes community colleges play a vital role in preparing the next generation of skilled workers, business leaders, and public servants who will shape Arizona’s future.
Ryan Caracciolo - DISTRICT 4
Ryan Caracciolo was born and raised in Glendale, Arizona, and has spent his life rooted in the West Valley. An Arizona native, business leader, entrepreneur, and community advocate, Ryan has built his career around innovation, leadership, and helping organizations grow.
Ryan attended Arizona State University’s West Campus, where he continued developing his passion for leadership, business, and community involvement. For more than 14 years, he has owned and operated Striventa, a business growth agency that helps organizations strengthen their presence, reach more people, compete in changing markets, and create sustainable growth.
Through his work with Striventa, Ryan has partnered with businesses, organizations, and community leaders throughout Arizona and beyond. That experience has given him a firsthand understanding of what employers need from today’s workforce and the importance of connecting education with real career opportunities.
Ryan is passionate about strengthening Arizona’s education system and ensuring students have access to career-focused learning opportunities that prepare them for real-world success. He believes community colleges play a critical role in workforce development, university transfer pathways, and technical and skills-based education that directly supports local employers, students, and Arizona families.
As a candidate for the Maricopa County Community College District Governing Board representing District 4, Ryan is focused on responsible leadership, student success, stronger partnerships between education and industry, and ensuring MCCCD remains accountable to taxpayers and the communities it serves.
His goal is to help create more pathways for students to gain the skills, training, credentials, and opportunities they need to build successful careers while helping Arizona develop the workforce necessary to support its continued growth.
Susan Winder - District 3
Susan Winder graduated from the University of Maryland with a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education. From there, she was hired as a first- and second-grade teacher in a new school with large classrooms that housed both grade levels.
While living in Maryland, she attended Bowie State University and earned a Master of Education in Guidance and Counseling. Later, she attended Wayne State University, where she completed all doctoral coursework.
Susan's educational background reflects a lifelong passion for teaching, learning, and helping students succeed. Throughout her career, she taught a variety of age groups, served as a school counselor, and ultimately was promoted to school principal.
In addition to her work in K–12 education, she taught Child Development to undergraduate students at the college level. This experience led to her appointment as a Campus Faculty Assessment Liaison, where she helped fellow educators implement effective, research-based assessment practices that improved student learning outcomes.
She received several honors including Principal of the Year, and National Science Teachers Association Principal of the Year and her commitment to curriculumn development was recognized as exemplary by the State of Michigan for its strong student achievement. As a result, her team was invited to share their strategies with educators across the state. This work also earned her the privilege of serving on an accreditation committee, where she worked with fellow educators to evaluate and strengthen school programs.
It is her commitment to bring this experience and dedication to excellence to the Maricopa County Community Colleges.
Susan believes students deserve a high-quality education that prepares them for success, taxpayers deserve responsible stewardship of public resources, and colleges should remain focused on their core mission of teaching, learning, and workforce development.
As a Governing Board member, she will advocate for transparency, accountability, and strong academic standards and review administrative structures and support offices to ensure they are serving students efficiently and operating within their intended roles. Every decision should be guided by what best serves students, families, employers, and the taxpayers who support our institutions.