Melissa Holdaway was voted “Alumnus of the Year” by members of Leadership West and surprised with the honor at the Class XIX Graduation Ceremony.

The award is granted to an alumnus of the organization who is visibly and successfully leading in the West Valley and significantly contributing to the success of Leadership West.

Holdaway, who graduated from Leadership West in 2010 with Class XVI, is the co-founder and CEO of Arizona Charter Academy, which has received many awards, including the Phoenix Business Journal’s one of the Valley’s Best places to work, and Arizona Business magazine’s “Arizona’s Most Admired Company for 2010, 2011 and 2012. The Academy was also ranked in the “Top 100” companies in Arizona in 2012 by BestcompaniesAZ.

Holdaway serves the community as a Commissioner for the General Plan Commission in Surprise, Chair of the Arizona State Charter Association Advisory Board Business Committee and Serves on the West Valley Youth Leadership Council. She is an active member of the Surprise Rotary, Sun City Elks, The Arizona Association of Business Officials and the Dodie Londen Excellence in Public Service Program. She also serves on various committees for the Arizona Department of Education.

Despite graduating nearly four years ago, Holdaway continues to stay very engaged with Leadership West, contributing to the 501(c)3, speaking at the education-themed instructional day and serving on a variety of committees including one that is preparing for the organization’s twentieth anniversary celebration in October. She has established a significant number of community partnerships for her Academy through relationships established among her classmates and alumni.

“Melissa is an exemplary alumnus of Leadership West,” said Executive Director, Kathy Knecht. “Smart, effective, always smiling, she has friends in virtually every class. She is a role model among West Valley Leaders and has put her Leadership West experience to use in more ways than could have been imagined.”