We are building the bench of talent required to build the 1912 Institute into Arizona's premier institution.
President Taft signs the Arizona statehood bill, 1912. Library of Congress.
Program and Operations Manager
Craig serves as Program and Operations Manager for the 1912 Institute. He began his studies at Arizona State University before earning a bachelor's degree from the University of Oxford on the Barry Scholarship. Craig is based in Tempe, Arizona.
Events Manager
Paulina Cerros is 1912's Events Manager. She is the Business Manager at Broadscape, Inc., where she has led payroll and business operations since June 2025. Before joining Broadscape, she spent two years as a missionary with the Fellowship of Catholic University Students, work that sharpened her skills in large-scale event coordination and interpersonal communication. Earlier, she spent more than a year as a game day operations intern with the Arizona Cardinals Football Club in Glendale. She holds a degree in business and tourism from Arizona State University's W. P. Carey School of Business and is based in Tempe, Arizona.
Co-Founder, Chairman of the Board
Joe co-founded and leads the 1912 Institute. He is a Program Manager at the Postsecondary Commission in Washington, D.C., where he helped lead the drafting and procurement of a $1M U.S. Department of Education grant. He previously served as Program Coordinator and Research Assistant at the American Enterprise Institute, co-authoring higher-education research that prompted a U.S. House Education and Workforce Committee inquiry, and was Program Director at the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Joe also co-founded and served as CEO of the Western Tribune. He graduated summa cum laude from Arizona State University's Barrett Honors College, was a Truman Scholarship finalist, and is a member of Phi Beta Kappa.
Co-Founder, Vice Chair of the Board
Clay co-founded the 1912 Institute and is the Director of Creative Strategy & Technology at Winged Victory Advisory, a Phoenix-based strategic communications and public affairs firm. He began his career at the Resolute Group before moving to Camelback Strategy Group, and in 2021 co-founded the Western Tribune. Clay serves in the Arizona National Guard and was selected as a 2026 Flinn-Brown Fellow, the Flinn Foundation's statewide civic leadership program. He studied at Thunderbird School of Global Management.
Co-Founder, Board Member
Zach co-founded the 1912 Institute, joining the team in 2021. He works at Raymond James in Scottsdale, helping young professionals and growing families navigate budgeting, benefits, and debt as they build financial confidence. Zach studied at Arizona State University's W. P. Carey School of Business and is active in Phoenix's Young Catholic Professionals community.
Co-Founder, Board Member
Chris co-founded the 1912 Institute and is Managing Partner at Verde Peak Partners, which acquires and holds Arizona small businesses for the long term. He also co-founded Shepherd's, a made-to-measure menswear company, with Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker. Raised in Arizona, Chris's civic engagement dates back to age twelve, when he persuaded then-State Senator Dean Martin to introduce legislation restricting registered sex offenders near Arizona schools. He holds a B.S. in political science from Arizona State University, an MBA from Georgetown University, and an MPA from Harvard University.
Co-Founder, Board Member
Joel co-founded the 1912 Institute and is Managing Partner at Verde Peak Partners. A former U.S. Marine Corps infantry officer, he deployed to the Middle East with 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines during Operation Inherent Resolve. Joel holds a B.A. in Classical Languages and Literatures from Dartmouth College, a J.D. from Harvard Law School, and an MBA from Harvard Business School.