Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Arizona (BBBSAZ) is one of the largest Big Brothers Big Sisters agencies in the United States. For more than 70 years, BBBSAZ has operated under the belief that inherent in every child is the ability to succeed and thrive in life. BBBSAZ makes meaningful, professionally supported matches between volunteers (Bigs) and children (Littles), ages 6 through 18, in Maricopa County and Pinal County. Debbie Castillo-Smith serves as President and CEO; she was named permanent CEO in November 2025 after serving as interim CEO since April 2025. Castillo-Smith has been part of BBBSAZ since September 2007 and has herself been matched with five Little Sisters over the years. She strongly believes in the power of supportive, consistent relationships. Previous CEO Laura Capello served for more than 20 years before stepping down June 30 2024. The new Board Chair is Jenny Holsman Tetreault (VP and Associate General Counsel at TPI Composites, named Outstanding Woman in Business by the Phoenix Business Journal in 2024). BBBSAZ receives support from Thunderbirds Charities for the ongoing Phoenix Mentoring Program.
BBBSAZ creates and supports one-to-one mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth. As one of the largest BBBS agencies in the United States, BBBSAZ brings the full weight of organizational infrastructure, professional Match Specialist support, corporate partnerships, and community relationships to each match it creates in Maricopa and Pinal counties.
In a world of causes, BBBSAZ makes a difference by creating professionally supported, one-to-one Matches for kids who want to realize their full potential. BBBSAZ develops positive relationships that have a direct and lasting effect on the lives of young people. The organization is committed to being the nation's largest donor and volunteer-supported mentoring network's flagship Arizona affiliate.
For more than 70 years, BBBSAZ has operated under the belief that inherent in every child is the ability to succeed and thrive in life. The 70-year history predates the explosion of the Greater Phoenix metropolitan area into one of the largest and fastest-growing metro areas in the United States. BBBSAZ's institutional history runs deep through decades of Phoenix growth, corporate partnership development, and community relationship building.
The 70-year milestone (celebrated in approximately 2024) reflects the organizational durability that comes from delivering consistent program quality, maintaining transparent financial management, and sustaining donor and corporate partner relationships through leadership transitions, economic cycles, and community changes.
Debbie Castillo-Smith was named permanent CEO of BBBSAZ in November 2025, having served as interim CEO since April 2025. Castillo-Smith has been part of BBBSAZ since September 2007 and has served in a variety of roles throughout her tenure, including working directly with matches, recruiting volunteers, and facilitating trainings for volunteers, parents and guardians, and staff.
Castillo-Smith graduated from Arizona State University with a Bachelor's degree in Family Studies and Nonprofit Leadership and Management. She completed the Generation Next Nonprofit Leadership Academy, graduated from the Arizona State University Leadership Institute (Go Class 5!), and was honored as a Sun Devil 100 in 2024. Her passion for mentorship is deeply personal: Castillo-Smith has been matched with five Little Sisters over the years and strongly believes in the life-changing power of supportive, consistent relationships.
Matt Manoogian, Board Chair at the time of her appointment, said: "I couldn't be more excited that Debbie Castillo-Smith has been selected as the next CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Arizona." Castillo-Smith's commitment: "I want to extend my sincere gratitude for the opportunity to serve as the next CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Arizona. I am deeply honored by your confidence in me and grateful for the trust you have placed in my leadership. I am committed to leading with transparency, accountability, and heart as we build on our momentum and move BBBSAZ into its next chapter of growth and impact."
Laura Capello served as President and CEO of BBBSAZ for more than 20 years before stepping down on June 30, 2024. She began her career with BBBSAZ as a public relations manager in 1998, rose to Vice President of Marketing by 2005, left the organization to pursue other opportunities, returned in 2011, and was later promoted into the CEO role. During her tenure, Capello focused on improving the lives of disadvantaged youths and their families throughout the Grand Canyon State.
Brian Wood, BBBSAZ board chair at the time of Capello's departure, said: "Laura has been an invaluable leader, guiding our organization with dedication, vision and integrity for two decades. Her contribution has been instrumental in advancing our mission and achieving our goals. We are immensely grateful for her service and wish Laura all the best in the next chapter of her life." The Capello era built BBBSAZ into one of the largest BBBS agencies in the United States, establishing the organizational infrastructure that positions the agency for continued growth.
Jenny Holsman Tetreault was appointed Board Chair on July 22, 2024. She serves as Vice President and Associate General Counsel for TPI Composites, a global wind-blade manufacturer with locations throughout the United States, Europe, China, India, and Mexico. She is responsible for the company's global anti-corruption program, litigation, mergers and acquisitions, HR and employment matters, supply chain and procurement, commercial and contract negotiation, and domestic and international regulatory compliance.
Tetreault has received significant community recognition for her professional and civic leadership. She was honored as Outstanding Woman in Business by the Phoenix Business Journal in 2024, Woman of Achievement in 2023 by InBusiness Magazine, the Corporate Organization Advocate of the Year by the Phoenix Business Journal in 2021, and one of the Most Influential Women in Business in 2020 from AZ Business Magazine. She was also a Spirit of Philanthropy recipient by the Association of Fundraising Professionals in 2018 and recognized as one of the Top 10 National Attorneys under 40 by the Association of Corporate Counsel in 2017.
Tetreault brings personal BBBS experience to the Board Chair role. As a family, she, her husband Colin Tetreault, and their children Connor (age 10) and Madeline (age 8) have completed a successful match with a Little Brother through the BBBSAZ mentorship program.
BBBSAZ makes meaningful, professionally supported matches between adult volunteers and children ages 6 through 18 in Maricopa County and Pinal County. Maricopa County contains Phoenix, Scottsdale, Mesa, Glendale, Tempe, Chandler, Gilbert, Peoria, and surrounding Greater Phoenix metropolitan communities. With approximately 4.5 million residents, Maricopa County is the nation's fourth most populous county and one of the fastest-growing large counties in the country.
Pinal County is adjacent to Maricopa County, containing Casa Grande, Coolidge, Maricopa city, and other communities. Pinal County serves as the transition zone between the Greater Phoenix metro and the Tucson metro to the south. The two-county service area covers the core of the Greater Phoenix metropolitan region and represents one of the largest metropolitan service areas in the BBBSA national network.
Thunderbirds Charities provided a grant to BBBSAZ to support the ongoing Phoenix Mentoring Program. The purpose of the BBBSAZ Phoenix Mentoring Program is to create and support mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth. Through the program, volunteer mentors (Bigs) are matched with children in need of a positive role model (Littles) and meet regularly throughout the Phoenix community.
Thunderbirds Charities is the charitable arm of the Thunderbirds, the volunteer organization that runs the WM Phoenix Open golf tournament. The Thunderbirds have long supported Phoenix-area youth-serving nonprofits. The BBBSAZ partnership reflects the organization's position in the first tier of Greater Phoenix's largest and most recognized youth-serving charities.
To become a Big with BBBSAZ, visit bbbsaz.org to start the volunteer application process. The screening process includes application, references, background check, interviews, and orientation. BBBSAZ matches volunteers with children ages 6 through 18 across Maricopa and Pinal counties based on common interests, compatible personalities, and geographic proximity.
BBBSAZ offers both community-based and school/site-based mentoring options. Community-based matches plan activities of their own choosing on their own time across the Greater Phoenix area. School/site-based matches meet at the Little's school or after-school program during the school year.
Donations can be made at bbbsaz.org. BBBSAZ is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. Donations are tax-deductible. The Thunderbirds Charities grant through the WM Phoenix Open infrastructure provides one major funding channel. Corporate partnerships with Greater Phoenix's substantial corporate community (including banks, healthcare systems, technology companies, real estate firms, and professional services firms) provide additional revenue. Foundation grants and individual giving make up the remainder of the fundraising mix.
BBBSAZ files its own Form 990 separately from Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. Match Support Specialist staffing represents a significant share of operating costs because each Big and Little match requires ongoing professional case management. As one of the largest BBBS agencies in the United States, BBBSAZ's match support infrastructure is substantial.
The two-county geographic footprint (Maricopa + Pinal) requires Match Support Specialists placed across multiple population centers within the service area. The 70-plus year operational history provides sustained institutional credibility supporting ongoing fundraising from individual donors, corporations, and foundations.
For pure scale of youth-serving nonprofit infrastructure in Arizona, Boys and Girls Clubs of the Valley reaches more children annually through after-school programming, and the YMCA of Metropolitan Phoenix operates extensive community programming. For one-to-one structured mentoring specifically, BBBSAZ is the largest single agency in Greater Phoenix.
BBBSAZ's specific advantages: the 70-plus year institutional history, the one-of-the-largest-BBBS-agencies-in-the-US network positioning, the Maricopa + Pinal two-county service area covering most of the Greater Phoenix metropolitan population, the Debbie Castillo-Smith CEO appointment from within the organization with deep institutional knowledge and personal mentoring experience (matched with five Little Sisters), the Jenny Holsman Tetreault Board Chair with community leadership recognition, the Thunderbirds Charities Phoenix Mentoring Program partnership, and the organizational momentum from Laura Capello's 20-year CEO tenure that built BBBSAZ's current scale.
Practical framing: for parents looking for a structured mentor for their child in Maricopa or Pinal County, BBBSAZ is the largest and most established one-to-one mentoring agency. For adults looking to mentor a young person in Greater Phoenix, BBBSAZ offers the deepest infrastructure of vetted matches and ongoing professional support. For donors interested in Greater Phoenix youth mentoring, BBBSAZ represents the largest established channel.
Last updated May 2026. BBBSAZ as one of the largest BBBS agencies in the United States, 70+ years, matches ages 6-18 in Maricopa and Pinal counties, from the Idealist BBBSAZ profile and the BBBSAZ homepage. Laura Capello stepping down June 30 2024 after 20+ years (PR manager 1998, VP Marketing 2005, returned 2011, promoted CEO), with Brian Wood Board Chair praise from the ABC15 Arizona April 2024 article. Luis Vega named new CEO July 31 2024 after national search (Arizona native, military + nonprofit background, former SVP International Operations at Allied Extract leading humanitarian missions in Ukraine), from the City Sun Times July 2024 article. Debbie Castillo-Smith at BBBSAZ since September 2007, interim CEO April 2025, named permanent CEO November 2025, ASU Family Studies and Nonprofit Leadership Management degree, Generation Next Nonprofit Leadership Academy, ASU Leadership Institute Class 5, Sun Devil 100 2024, matched with five Little Sisters, commitment quote, from the BBBSAZ CEO announcement and ABC15 Arizona November 2025 article. Jenny Holsman Tetreault appointed Board Chair July 22 2024, VP and Associate General Counsel TPI Composites (global wind-blade manufacturer, US Europe China India Mexico), Outstanding Woman in Business PBJ 2024, Woman of Achievement InBusiness 2023, Corporate Organization Advocate of Year PBJ 2021, Most Influential Women AZ Business 2020, Spirit of Philanthropy AFP 2018, Top 10 National Attorneys under 40 Association of Corporate Counsel 2017, family completed successful match with Little Brother (husband Colin, children Connor and Madeline), from the BBBSAZ Executive Leadership July 2024 announcement. Thunderbirds Charities grant for the ongoing Phoenix Mentoring Program (matching volunteer mentors Bigs with children in need of positive role model Littles meeting regularly throughout Phoenix community), from the Thunderbirds Charities March 2024 grant announcement. We are not affiliated with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Arizona and receive no compensation for this listing. Errors: [email protected]
More Arizona and donation resources