Highlights
- The Greater Phoenix Chamber's Valley Young Professionals program held its 2026 Mentor Breakfast on Sept. 1.
- Fourteen mentors participated, drawn from firms including Bank of America, ADP, Dignity Health, and Greenberg Traurig.
- The format paired a panel discussion with rotating roundtable conversations, giving attendees access to multiple mentors.
- Paul Penzone, now VP and chief community relations officer at Blue Cross Blue Shield Arizona, was among the mentors listed.
The Greater Phoenix Chamber's Valley Young Professionals program held its 2026 Mentor Breakfast, pairing a panel discussion with roundtable conversations led by 14 executives drawn from across the Valley's finance, health, legal, and marketing sectors.
Mentors included Chet Samuelson, Arizona market CEO at BOK Financial; Craig Waugh, a shareholder at Greenberg Traurig; and Paul Penzone, vice president and chief community relations officer at Blue Cross Blue Shield Arizona. Also on the roster: Laura Lynn Smith, division vice president and general manager at ADP, LLC; Dillan Knudson, Arizona market director at Columbia Bank; and Vince Thelander, SVP and market executive for business banking at Bank of America.
The health and education sectors were represented by Dr. Doug Ross, president of Dignity Health St. Joseph's Hospital; Donna Taylor, chief operating officer at Beatitudes Campus; and Emily Breuker, associate provost at University of Phoenix. Rounding out the group: Angela Clervoix, director of operations at Next Gen; Joel Eberhart, vice president of marketing and community development at Ideas Collide Marketing Communications; Jay Kaprosy, partner at Veridus; Tamala McBath, CEO of Dress for Success Phoenix; and Jim Tomes, president and CEO of Telgian Holdings, Inc.
The program format gave attendees the opportunity to rotate through multiple mentors, ask questions, and build professional relationships, according to the Chamber. Some mentors hold seats on the Greater Phoenix Chamber Board of Directors.
The Chamber's VYP network holds monthly events connecting entrepreneurs and business professionals, per the program's event page.
No date has been announced for the next VYP event; check the Greater Phoenix Chamber events calendar for scheduling updates.
Where to find them
- Columbia Bank · columbiabank.com
Sources
Every factual claim in this article traces to one of the sources below. See how we work for the editorial process.
- phoenixchamber.com retrieved 01/09/2026 22:52
- Columbia Bank (official site) retrieved 01/09/2026 22:52
Authored by The Scottsdale Signal. Drafted by AI from primary-source material under our beat-specific editorial guides; reviewed by humans before publish under our five-gate process. Sources retrieved at 01/09/2026 22:52. Every claim traces to a source.
