Leadership

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Marianne Scott is the AZ Partners in Leadership Program Coordinator for six years at Pilot Parents of Southern AZ. She has taught personal, team and community leadership courses and provides mentoring for systems navigation.  She is a determined advocate in the community that has successfully worked with the town and local leadership to install accessible swings at public parks and a school in Sahuarita, Ariz. She is also currently working on a neighborhood pocket park and a fully-inclusive town park and is a founder of Dignified Changes. Volunteer efforts include chair of the Parent Advisory Committee at Jumpstart, St. Alphonsus Hospital , PTO, church callings and Cub Master. She received her Associates at Northwest, Powell Wyoming and her Bachelor’s Degree at Boise State University in Early Childhood Education graduating Cum Laude with certification in Special Education and is a graduate of the Partners in Policymaking Program. She was a business owner educating the early learner and is a first generation Sib Shop Facilitator trained to implement classes for siblings of those with disabilities.  Marianne's oldest child is diagnosed with multiple disabilities giving her the opportunity to understand the challenges of navigating systems and the need for further advocating for inclusion and universal design. She and her husband have been married for 20 years and together they have three children. She loves her beautiful family foremost and sees God in all things.

Through her work with Dignified Changes, Courtney Burnett provides workshops, community activities, and trainings that will guide families, community members and business owners in strategies that will lead to a more accessible community. As such, she is currently advocating for a new bill at the Arizona legislators to advocate for a change in policies that would be more inclusive for the special needs population. She specializes in inclusion solutions, creating strong communication at home and school using a multisensory approach. She is a special needs mom and is passionate about overcoming challenges by seeking  solutions, hope, and empowering families. She is a alumna from NAU with a certificate in Speech and Language Pathology and has been an SLPA home health therapist for the last eight years. Courtney is also an ADHS OCSHCN advisor and a graduate of the  AZ Partner's in Leadership program. Courtney has three kids and her oldest has Cerebral Palsy, through her diagnosis she has learned so much about determination, unconditional love and overcoming the odds. Courtney and her husband have been married for 20 years and live in the east valley. They are active in their community and enjoy taking part in local events and services projects. 

With a career spanning over 12 years at ASU, Nicole Anderson is the Director of Communications for ASU’s Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law. When Nicole’s daughter Alexandra was 15 months old, she was diagnosed with Pitt Hopkins Syndrome, an ultra-rare, neurodevelopmental disorder. At the time, Alexandra was the third child in Arizona living with this disorder. With no known cure, Nicole launched ‘Alexandra's Pitt Crew,’ an online platform to fund a cure. Her daughter serves as her daily dose of inspiration as she combines her passion to serve along with advocating for those who are developmentally disabled. She serves on the Board of Directors for UCP of Central Arizona, Pitt Hopkins Research Foundation, Emerging Leaders of Phoenix Children’s Hospital and Mayor’s Commission on Disability Issues. Nicole is also the CEO and Founder of RareiTees for a Cure, an online clothing brand with a mission to bring awareness to rare diseases with 100% of proceeds going to research. She is proud to help impact local issues concerning those living with special needs. As such, she and three other women founded Dignified Changes and introduced legislation that would make it a requirement for adult-sized changing tables to be installed in new, publicly-funded establishments throughout Arizona. Governor Doug Ducey signed the bill into law in May of this year. Nicole received a BA in Journalism and Mass Communication and a Masters of Nonprofit Leadership and Management degree from ASU. She is married to her husband Matthew, and together, they give Alexandra every opportunity to live her most fulfilling and best life possible.