By Kaylor Jones / Photos by Claudia Johnstone
Anyone will tell you that mothers are capable of changing the world. This month, we celebrate moms across the Valley who work around the clock to raise a family while supporting the community through education and empowerment. In honor of Mother’s Day, meet five local moms whose tireless work inspires change, encourages greatness, and sets an example at home and beyond.
CEO, Cancer Support Community Arizona
Two years ago, Julie Dunnigan was diagnosed with breast cancer, and her world changed overnight.
“I was scared and overwhelmed but determined to be strong,” Dunnigan says. “I didn’t want cancer to change anything in my life. Yes, I was delusional – cancer is more than just medicine, it has a profound impact on your mental health.”
Dunnigan, who has nearly 15 years of experience in nonprofit administration and fundraising – including with the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, the Canadian Olympic Foundation and the Goodwill Foundation – took a break from her career during treatment and recovery. When she returned to the professional world, it was to make a big impact on the cause that had become so close to her heart.
“Doctors know the importance of combining strong psychological, social and emotional support with medical treatment for patients to have the best outcomes. That support is not typically available in hospital – that’s where CSCAZ steps in.”
As the CEO of Cancer Support Community Arizona (CSCAZ), she helps provide free emotional and social support for people impacted by cancer. The organization offers over 100 free programs each month, from social activities and educational seminars to bilingual support groups and mind and body therapies, all in the name of catching people who might otherwise fall.
“As a cancer survivor, I have a profound personal understanding of the importance of our mission, including the impact cancer has on the whole family – which is why you can often find my husband and my teenage daughter participating in CSCAZ programs,” she says.
And if there’s one thing Dunnigan wants to model for her daughter, it’s that being strong doesn’t always look how you’d expect it to – sometimes it means bringing love into the workplace, staying genuine and never being afraid to ask for help.
“It takes courage to ask for help. We may assume that strong people have everything figured out, and they can handle things on their own, but I believe the opposite is true,” she says. “If there’s one thing I learned from having cancer, it’s that asking for help made me stronger.”
Founder and head of school, The Jones-Gordon School
Dana Herzberg has always known that she wanted to change lives in the very same way her life was once changed.
“As a child, I was diagnosed with dyslexia and dyscalculia between my third and fourth grade year,” Herzberg says. “Growing up a high-ability child with learning differences in reading and math, my one-on-one tutors impacted my life remarkably by providing me with the foundation to build academic success while empowering me to reach my fullest potential.”
Herzberg discovered a passion for volunteering at age 16 while working in a classroom for those with severe learning differences. From there, she went on to pursue a bachelor’s degree in special education and a master’s in curriculum and instruction with an emphasis on gifted education, both from Arizona State University.
While working as an educational consultant, she noticed the need for a local learning environment that catered to high-potential students with learning challenges. In 1999, she created On-Track Tutoring. The home- and site-based tutoring service became part of something even bigger in 2010, when Herzberg officially opened the doors of The Jones-Gordon School, (JGS), named after two of her professional and personal heroes.
Located in Paradise Valley, the private school provides individualized education for students in grades one through 12 with language-based learning differences or attention challenges, such as dyslexia and ADHD. Cornerstones include personalized, student-centered programming, experiential learning, small class sizes and a culture of kindness that promotes a tight-knit community among students.
JGS is modeled after the one-on-one tutoring approach that allowed Herzberg to thrive, encouraging creativity, curiosity and courage. In 2023, she celebrated a new milestone – in a fundraising first, JGS’s Dream Big Gala raised over half a million dollars, solidifying the school’s impact on the community while celebrating student achievement.
The overall goal for Herzberg is to leave behind a welcoming and nurturing environment for the student body – which currently includes her 18-year-old son, Nathan. “I have always instilled in him, and all of my students, the power of grit and perseverance. I hope to leave behind a legacy that empowers individuals to achieve their highest potential despite any obstacles they may face in their pursuit.”
Rare disease advocate
During COVID-19, two of Kendra Riley’s three daughters were diagnosed with metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD). The genetic disease is extremely rare, and the prognosis is poor.
Livvy, the middle child of the three, was already symptomatic, meaning there were no lifesaving treatments available. But Keira, who was a newborn at the time, had not yet displayed symptoms.
“There was one option in the world that could potentially save her life – a gene therapy treatment that was only available in Milan, Italy,” Riley says. “Upon diagnosis, we had one month to raise $500,000 to pay out of pocket for the treatment and move our family to Milan for five months.”
In 2020, Keira became the 32nd child in the world to receive the treatment. “She’s now living the life of a happy, healthy 4-year-old with zero symptoms. Every day is a miracle seeing Keira walk, talk, run, jump and go to school. These are all things that wouldn’t be possible had she not received that treatment.”
Upon returning home, Riley, a seasoned PR professional and founder of Phoenix-based agency Dawning Public Relations, shared her family’s story with national and international news outlets. Her goal was to save other families the experience of uprooting their lives for treatment – a goal she made great headway in by helping pass Right to Try 2.0 in Arizona.
Recently, the advocacy of Riley and others in the rare disease community has paid off even further – this March, the treatment Keira received was approved by the Food and Drug Administration.
“I hope our family’s journey not only helps provide access to lifesaving medical treatments for patients with rare diseases, but that MLD will get added to nationwide newborn screening. No family should have to lose one child in order to save another.”
After symptom onset, Livvy lost the ability to walk and talk, and is now tube-fed. She loves listening to music, watching the birds, going to the aquarium and spending time with her sisters.
Through it all, there’s been one important lesson for Riley and her family – “To have hope and strength in the face of despair. It can turn a tragedy into a triumph.”
Founder, Monty’s Marvels
After her husband, MLB pitcher Mike Montgomery, won the World Series with the Chicago Cubs, Stephanie Montgomery knew they could use this victory to create something amazing.
“We realized that we were able to make an impact on the communities we were in thanks to baseball,” Montgomery says. “Our mission has always been simple – we want to recognize people that do amazing things and help wherever we can.”
Their nonprofit, Monty’s Marvels, supports women and children-focused charities. Recently, they’ve focused on a silent crisis, introduced to them by the Kansas City Royals: diaper need. No federal programs cover diaper costs for the nearly half of all families that experience diaper need in the United States.
“If families can’t provide enough diapers, the child can’t be sent to daycare. Then the caregiver may not be able to go to work or school. The health risks for the child are also substantial, ranging from infections to toxic stress – and the risk of depression for the mother goes up as well,” says Montgomery, who experienced postpartum depression and anxiety herself after the birth of their first child.
Now a mom of two, Montgomery – who started her career at Google before transitioning to a full-time TV host focused on tech-based content – has recently added “author” to her list of accomplishments. When she couldn’t find the right children’s book about their family’s favorite game, she wrote Max & Ollie’s Guide to Baseball, named after their son Max and their dog, Ollie the Australian shepherd. Max & Ollie has since grown into a baseball-themed lifestyle brand, with a portion of proceeds supporting Monty’s Marvels.
Montgomery hopes that her transparency about her journey can help remove some of the burdens from future generations.
“I want my children to know that you never have to hide something that you’re struggling with,” she says. “I hid my postpartum struggles for so long, and I want them to know they never have to deal with something hard on their own. Every struggle we face can be a blessing – not only to ourselves, but to people who we can help with our newfound knowledge and experience.”
Founding member, The Society of St. Vincent de Paul Rising Leaders
As the founder of a business development firm, Modern Business Development, and the co-founder of Keymakers, a members-only group for purposeful executive connections, Cassie Wells has had an accomplished career. But it’s when she applies her leadership skills to making an impact on the community that she feels the most fulfilled.
In 2022, after making more time in her schedule for nonprofit work, Wells became a founding member of The Society of St. Vincent de Paul Rising Leaders. The giving circle allows young professionals the opportunity to support the nonprofit’s mission to feed, clothe, house, and heal, while serving as community leaders and fundraisers.
“My father used to bring my brother and me to help feed the homeless at SVdP [St. Vincent de Paul] when we were little kids. Any Saturday that we were in town, we were there,” Wells says. “Oftentimes people ignore those on the streets, when in reality, they are the ones who need our attention the most. I’m here to help break the stereotypes and help others open their hearts to helping those in need.”
Wells is also a frequent volunteer at the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Last year, she served as the executive co-chair for Emerging Leaders for the annual Light the Night Walk, a fundraiser that aims to bring some light to the darkness caused by cancer.
Her first year attending the walk still stands out in her memory. “Seeing the lights walk around Sloan Park was breathtaking. You can see based on the color of the lanterns that people carry exactly how they are affected. Cancer affects so many of us, and together is the only way we can fight to end it.”
Wells hopes that her two children will follow her example of spreading kindness, but she says silent legacies are just as important as loud ones.
“I believe we make the biggest difference making daily connections through random acts of kindness. This can be for strangers, or checking in on friends and family that don’t seem themselves lately. Helping people because it is the right thing to do, not because someone is watching.”