PHOENIX (May 20, 2026) — Education Forward Arizona today announced that Ricardo Lopez Valencia, a respected executive, strategist and civic leader with more than 30 years of experience across education, workforce development, business and community leadership, has joined the organization as Senior Vice President of Education and Workforce Alignment. In this role, Valencia will help advance Education Forward Arizona’s strategic direction by strengthening the connections among education, workforce and economic opportunity for Arizonans across the state, with a particular emphasis on ensuring that students and adult learners understand and can navigate clear pathways to degrees, certifications and good jobs.
Valencia will lead efforts to deepen collaboration among K–12 systems, postsecondary institutions, employers and community partners, engaging superintendents, educators and business leaders to expand integrated education and training pathways that prepare students and adult learners for high-wage, high-growth and sustainable careers. His appointment reflects Education Forward Arizona’s continued commitment to serving as the trusted statewide organization working to bridge education and workforce priorities through partnership, advocacy and evidence-based action that supports the success of learners.
“Ricardo brings an extraordinary combination of strategic insight, executive leadership and deep commitment to opportunity for Arizona students, families and communities,” said Rich Nickel, President and CEO of Education Forward Arizona. “His career has consistently focused on building the kinds of connections that matter most—among education, workforce, business, and community—and that is exactly the work this moment calls for. Ricardo will play a critical role in helping Education Forward Arizona engage superintendents, classroom educators and employers to accelerate our vision for a more aligned, effective and equitable education-to-workforce ecosystem statewide, where every learner can see and pursue their pathway to a credential and a career.”
Before coming to Education Forward Arizona, Valencia worked for a Phoenix-based consulting firm that advises organizations in education, health, legal and nonprofit sectors on strategy, business development and community-centered communications. He served as Chief Global Impact Officer at CEA CAPA Education Abroad, where he led strategies designed to expand access to international learning and internship opportunities for students from communities that have often been left out of those experiences, helping learners connect their education to future careers.
His previous leadership roles include serving as Senior Vice President at ING, where he led diversity market strategies and enterprise-wide initiatives, and as Director of Education for USA TODAY, where he helped expand national education programs connecting classroom learning with current events and career exploration. Valencia has also contributed to Arizona and national education leadership through board and advisory roles with organizations including arts organization Xico, Expect More Arizona, Children’s Action Alliance, WestEd, DECA National, National PTA, National 4-H and the National FFA Foundation.
“I have long believed that education and workforce opportunity must be connected in ways that are practical, inclusive and responsive to the lives people are actually leading,” said Ricardo Lopez Valencia. “Education Forward Arizona is uniquely positioned to stand with learners of all ages and to bring educators and business leaders together around a shared vision for student success, adult learner success and long-term economic vitality. I am honored to join this team and to help build stronger pathways that allow more Arizonans to learn, earn credentials, contribute and thrive.”
Valencia previously served as an advisor to Education Forward Arizona on the current state of education and workforce alignment, and he also served as an adviser on the merger that created the organization five years ago. He has spent much of his career helping organizations align mission, strategy and outcomes to expand access to opportunity. He is a graduate of California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, and completed an executive leadership study at Harvard University.
About Education Forward Arizona
Education Forward Arizona is a statewide education advocacy organization dedicated to championing education as the key driver to improving Arizona’s economy and quality of life. Education Forward Arizona serves as the leading voice for promoting the state’s Achieve60AZ education attainment goal and a shared action plan to move the goals of the Arizona Education Progress Meter forward. The organization’s work also includes mobilizing people and communities to advocate for policies and funding to improve educational outcomes across the Pre-K to postsecondary continuum, as well as providing scholarships and programs that improve postsecondary attainment for Arizona’s diverse student population. Learn more at EducationForwardArizona.org.