Valley of the Sun United Way Names Carla Vargas Jasa as President and CEO

Valley of the Sun United Way Names Carla Vargas Jasa as President and CEO

Vargas Jasa is first woman and first Latina to lead the Phoenix-based organization,

one of the largest in the global United Way network

Valley of the Sun United Way announced today that after a national search, it has named Carla Vargas Jasa as President & CE0 — the first woman and the first Latina to hold the position since the organization began in 1927.

She succeeds Merl Waschler, who has led the organization since 2006 and is retiring June 30, 2019.  Vargas Jasa will assume leadership July 1.

Vargas Jasa joins Valley of the Sun United Way after 20 years with the Orange County United Way, where she held several leadership roles, including Senior Vice President of Community Impact and most recently Chief Operating Officer. The Orange County United Way serves a population of over 3 million people and is among the largest in the United Way system.

With Vargas Jasa’s leadership, that United Way launched FACE 2024, a 10-year strategic community impact plan driven by measurable community goals.

Vargas Jasa was born in State College, Pennsylvania, and has roots in Arizona, spending formative years in Tucson where her father was a professor at University of Arizona. More recently, she and her husband own a home in Phoenix where she’s spent significant time over the past four years.  Her family is from Paraguay, and she spent her early years in Guadalajara, Mexico, where she became fluent in Spanish and English.