ABEC Staff
Tracey Benson is a dynamic and respected state-level nonprofit and K-12 education public policy leader with a deep commitment to education and the future of Arizona. Her exemplary record of service, integrity and innovation is amplified by the enthusiasm, and spirit of growth, possibility and urgency that she brings to the mission of ABEC and its members.
Prior to joining ABEC, Tracey served for nine years as associate executive director for the Arizona School Boards Association, where she used her skills as a bridge-builder, collaborator and communicator to unite organizations and individuals, forge meaningful and productive relationships and develop governance and leadership programs focused on providing a future of opportunity for all Arizona’s youth.
She has been a valued member of state-level task forces and committees that have united the business, education, public and nonprofit sectors around issues as varied as K-12 academic standards, public school funding, reopening of schools during the COVID 19 pandemic, and recruiting and retaining Arizona teachers.
Tracey began her career as a journalist and spent the first half of her career as an award-winning communications professional. She has served as board president for state- and national-level communications/public relations organizations. She earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Arizona in journalism and political science and holds a professional certificate in executive nonprofit leadership from the Lodestar Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Innovation at Arizona State University.
Tracey resides in Tempe with her husband, Marc, who recently retired from a second career in which he taught middle school math and art. An active community volunteer, Tracey’s leadership has contributed to successful passages of bond and overrides campaigns. In addition, she recently completed 120 hours of service as a child life volunteer in the cardiovascular intensive care unit at Phoenix Children’s Hospital. She is also the founder of the Caitlin Benson Collection of books for young readers at the Tempe Public Library. The collection is devoted to encouraging children to respect differences and appreciate similarities in themselves and others through reading.
Follow her on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/traceybenson/
Karen joined ABEC in March 2007. She brings to ABEC extensive experience in the information technology and customer service industries.
Karen's professional expertise focused on project development and management of business applications for large corporations including Federal Express, Schering-Plough, American Express, and Motorola. She has received numerous awards from her employers for bringing outstanding integrity, dedication, and excellence to her work in both project management and customer service.
Along with her valued knowledge of the business sector, Karen brings much professionalism to her position with her excellent organizational and event coordination skills, impeccable attention to detail, clarity in direction, and great customer service.
Debra began her work with ABEC in 2012 and currently serves as Vice President. Debra has been responsible for the development of ABEC’s award winning Career Exploration & Development Project (ACED). ACED provides a model for community-based partnerships between business and education, particularly in middle schools.
Immediately prior to working with ABEC, Debra served in the Governor’s Office as part of the education policy team. As Executive Director of the Governor’s P-20 Council under Governor Napolitano and as Associate Director of the Governor’s Office of Education Innovation under Governor Brewer, she worked collaboratively and in partnership with a wide spectrum of education, business, philanthropic and community leaders, as well as policy makers, to strengthen the education continuum in Arizona. Prior to joining the Governor’s Office, Debra served for four years as the Director of Policy for the Arizona Department of Commerce’s Workforce Division. In this role, she served as the Executive Director for the Governor’s Council on Workforce Policy. Debra also served for 12-years as an elected member of the Peoria Unified School District Governing Board. Debra holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Political Science from Arizona State University West.
Jim Zaharis joined ABEC in 2017 after serving as Vice President for Education at Greater Phoenix Leadership (GPL), a CEO business organization, for 17 years. Prior to that, Jim served 15 years as the Superintendent of Mesa Unified School District No. 4 in Mesa, Arizona; and a total of 35 years in the district as a teacher, coach and district administrator; and he served two years as the Special Assistant to the President at Arizona State University East. He is the sole owner and President of The Zaharis Group, a private consulting firm.
Dr. Zaharis brings 43 years of experience in education! He has served and chaired numerous boards and commissions in the not only the field of education, but also in health care, planning and zoning, and economic development. And he has served as a consultant to various universities, school districts, and corporations in over 47 states and 5 foreign countries. His wide range of roles includes having served as a visiting professor at Arizona State University, Mesa Community College, the American Association of School Administrators, and the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Honors Dr. Zaharis has received include being named on The Business Journal’s top 100+ for “The Valley’s Most Influential Business Leaders” in Education; one of “The Executive Educator 100,” as one of the best school managers in North America; Arizona State Superintendent of the Year; and Distinguished Professor, American Association of School Administrators’ National Academy of School Executives; Arizona’s CTE President’s Circle of Distinction; Teach For America’s Homeroom Hero award winner, Significant “Sig” for Sigma Chi National, and member of Northern Arizona University’s Hall of Fame.