Advisory Board

Chair, Norton School Advisory Board

Known as a revenue driver and relationship builder, Denise Bina has been an executive in sales and marketing positions at leading hospitality technology agencies, hotels, wineries and food companies. Clients have included Four Seasons, Silversea, Hyatt Hotels, among many others.  A member of the boards of many industry organizations, she credits the foundation that she received at the University of Arizona both in education and organizational leadership in her success today.

Norton School Advisory Board
Former Director, Terry J. Lundgren Center for Retailing

Prior to my career with the University of Arizona I spent many years in the retailing industry in a variety of positions with several retailers. I was fortunate to experience several executive development programs and then work in  a specialty department store as a group manager, buyer and general store manager.

Norton School Advisory Board, Director of Development, Alumni, Advocacy and Corporate Relations, College of Agriculture, Life and Environmental Sciences

I help connect, to the University of Arizona, alumni and others who have professional interests or personal passions in the areas of Global Commerce, Human Wellness, Natural and Environmental Sciences, Sustainability, Agricultural Sciences, Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Research at the University of Arizona. This is about innovation, education, and developing solutions to address the challenges facing society and the planet and preparing the graduates who will have a role in shaping the future.

 

Norton School Advisory Board

Karen, a successful entrepreneur, is an alumnae of the University of Arizona and earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Fashion Merchandising and Promotion.

Norton School Advisory Board, Senior Director, Alumni, Advocacy and Corporate Relations, College of Agriculture, Life and Environmental Sciences

As Senior Director, Jim’s role is to generate outside support for CALES in the form of major gifts, enhance alumni affairs, support corporate relations, and provide constituent groups advocacy information on areas where the college needs support.  A large part of Jim’s time involves traveling with Dean Burgess and unit heads to meet with donors and friends, updating them on all the exciting things happening in CALES.  Jim enjoys helping alumni reconnect with the college to see the impact they can make with students and faculty.

Norton School Advisory Board
President, Norton School Council of Alumni and Friends

Norton School Advisory Board

William “Bill” Kapfer, PhD, is the Global Head of Supplier Diversity for JPMorgan Chase in New York City.  He is responsible for developing and engaging certified minority-owned, women-owned, LGBTQ-owned, verera and service-disabled veteran-owned businesses to integrate them into the JPMorgan Chase sourcing and procurement processes.  He has also served as Principal and Strategic Consultant for his own company serving clients such as Travel+ Leisure Magazine, Genre Magazine, Window Media, Harper’s Bazaar Magazine, Miramax Films, and others.

Norton School Advisory Board

Beverly “Bam” Mitchell has been a Clinical Psychologist in private practice for more than 30 years in the South Bay area of Los Angeles.  She is a consulting psychologist to the National Trauma Center at Del Amo Hospital in Torrance, CA.  She presently serves as a Board member to the Switzer Learning Center in Torrance. The school is dedicated to nurturing kids with learning and developmental disabilities who struggle with social, emotional and behavioral challenges.

Norton School Advisory Board

Pat Raskob President, Raskob Kambourian Financial Advisors Ltd. Patricia is a Certified Seminar Instructor on Wills and Bequests.  She has created and presented seminars on all aspects of financial planning (estate, retirement, tax, charitable trusts) all across the country.  She is frequently quoted in Smart Money Magazine, Worth, Mutual Fund Magazine, the Wall Street Journal, Medical Economics, Consumer Reports, Kiplinger, Business Week and other national and local newspapers and magazines.

Norton School Advisory Board

Jane Rojas is Senior Vice President of Morgan Stanley and  has worked in the financial services industry since 1982.  She was named to the 2017 and 2018 Forbes List of Top Women Wealth Advisors, 2015 Financial Times 400 Top Advisors, the 2015 Barron’s Top 1200 Advisers lists, Morgan Stanley’s 2016 Makers Class, as well as Morgan Stanley Master’s Club List from 2012-2017.  Jane is the recent past Chair of Morgan Stanley Wealth Management National Diversity Council.

Director, John and Doris Norton School of Human Ecology
Professor and Fitch Nesbitt Endowed Chair, Human Development and Family Science

Beginning June 1, 2019, Dr. Laura V. Scaramella has been Director of the Norton School of Family and Consumer Sciences.  An alumna of Tucson’s Salpointe Catholic High School and our own College of Agriculture, Life and Environmental Sciences, Laura has a background in family studies and child development as well as in psychology.  She served as a post-doctoral fellow at both Vanderbilt University and Iowa State University, and in 1998 she was appointed as an associate research scientist for Iowa State’s Center for Family Research and Rural Mental Health.

Norton School Advisory Board

Pam began her career as an environmental engineer at an asbestos mine in Quebec for Johns-Manville. She then held a number of financial positions before serving as an executive in finance, administration and government affairs for fortune 500 firms Nortel, WR Grace and Navistar. Since retiring as CEO of Navistar Financial Corporation in 2009, she has started a number of companies and is currently CEO if i-calQ, LLC, a biotech start-up in medical diagnostics.

Norton School Advisory Board

Jon Underwood is a University of Arizona graduates who have served on numerous boards, chaired events, led committees, and helped make the University of Arizona's Campaign Arizona a success.

Norton School Advisory Board

Tammy received her Bachelor of Science from Arizona in 1965. Highlights of her long list of community contributions include chairing numerous UA Alumni Association events, Campaign Arizona Presidential Leadership team member, founding board member or the Steele Memorial Children’s Research Center, and past president of the Friends of Arizona Cancer Center board.

In addition to their dedication to their UA and Scottsdale communities, Tammy and her husband Jon are active members and committee chairs of their Episcopal church.

Norton School Advisory Board

Whitney Wilkening is a 2008 graduate with a BS in Retailing and Consumer Science. Upon graduation, she worked for Macy's Corporate, Macy's MMG in New York City. In 2009, she took her jewelry company, Bling by Wilkening, full time. Bling by Wilkening is founded on the three pillars of outstanding quality, great price, and philanthropy. The company specializes in travel jewelry pieces, set as estate jewelry, at affordable prices with outstanding quality.