Meet the Foundation Board

Michael Jones is the president and CEO of Delta Dental of Arizona, the leading dental benefits insurance company in the state. Jones is also the president of the charitable Delta Dental of Arizona Foundation, which provides much needed funding, education, and dental supplies to those in need across the entire state. Jones works closely with the board of directors and Delta Dental’s executive leadership team to create and leverage partnerships that strengthen the organization’s ability to meet current and evolving market demands while remaining true to its mission of improving lives by promoting optimal oral health. 

Prior to joining Delta Dental of Arizona in 2021, Jones served as managing director and Midwest region healthcare provider lead for Accenture, a global professional services company providing strategy, consulting, digital and technology solutions. Since 2016, Jones specialized in identifying strategic solutions for various health care organizations and led business development activities to grow the consultancy while managing executive-level client relationships. Jones also founded professional consulting firm M. Jones & Associates, LLC in 2005, which he ran as managing partner until 2016, focusing on delivering strategic business and technology solutions to organizations across the country. He brings a wealth of experience from his various c-suite roles at companies like BeTheMatch and CIGNA Behavioral Health. In 2014, Jones was named by Fast Company Magazine as among the “Most Creative People in Business 100” and in 2011, Jones was named by Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal “CIO of the Year.”

Jones earned his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Iowa State University and a master’s in business administration degree from the University of Texas - Austin, where he was a Consortium Fellowship Recipient. Michael is married and has two children.   

Dr. Shaharyar Ashraf earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery from the University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine in 2012 and has been practicing in Tucson, Arizona ever since. Ashraf is a Tucson native and completed dual undergraduate degrees with honors from the University of Arizona. Since 2014, Dr. Ashraf has been the owner dentist of Tangerine Dental Group, a multi-provider dental office supported by Pacific Dental Services. 

Dr. Ashraf is a teaching faculty member and a subject matter expert in CAD/CAM dentistry. He has been affiliated with multiple national and local dental organizations, including the American Dental Association, Arizona Dental Association, Southern Arizona Dental Association, Southern Arizona New Dentists, Pima Dental Study Club, We Serve Foundation, Free Dentistry Day and Arizona Dental Mission of Mercy.

Dr. Eric Heiser is the president of Coconino Community College. He has worked in higher education for nearly two decades and holds a Ph.D. in Higher Education Leadership from Colorado State University. Prior to his current role, he served as the inagural provost of Central Ohio Technical College (COTC) after a successful tenure as chief academic, student support and workforce officer.

In addition to his current role, Dr. Heiser serves as chairman of the Board of Directors for the Competency-Based Education Network—an international network of institutions and organizations dedicated to improving graduation rates and eliminating equity gaps through quality CBD programs. He also serves as president of the Board for the National Council of Instructional Administrators, an affiliate council of the American Association of Community Colleges.

Dr. Laila Hishaw is a change agent for children’s oral health and diversity in dentistry. She is a board-certified pediatric dentist and a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and International College of Dentists.

Dr. Hishaw is a private-practice owner and author of the Amazon bestseller,  Cavity Free Kids. She’s been featured on Discovery Health Channel for her role in diagnosing a rare disorder in her patient, and in multiple podcasts and publications. She currently serves on the ADA Presidential Task Force to Eliminate Barriers for Underrepresented Minorities into the Dental Profession and as a delegate for the Southern Arizona Dental Society. She is an alumni of the ADA Institute for Diversity in Leadership.  

In 2018, she founded Diversity in Dentistry Mentorships Inc. a nonprofit committed to strengthening the diversity pathway from middle school to dental school through mentoring, educational and hands-on programming, and scholarships to youth and pre-dental students from African-American/Black, Latinx and Native American backgrounds. The organization has been featured in Yahoo! Finance, Black Enterprise and ADA News.  

Monica Villalobos is president and CEO of the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce after serving as vice president and foundation executive director for seven years. She is responsible for the growth strategy of the chamber. Her background and experience as a corporate marketing executive and as an entrepreneur result in a unique combination of skill and talent. She is also editor of 26 research publications over the last 10 years including the annual DATOS: State of Arizona’s Hispanic Market (2012-2022), DATOS Tucson (2012-2015), Minority-, Women-, Hispanic-, Family-owned Business Enterprise Reports; AZ Supplier Diversity, Employee Resource Group, Sustainability, Global Trade, Diversity & Inclusion Best Practices, and Minority Business Economic Indicator white papers.

Villalobos also serves as co-chair of Governor Katie Hobbs' transition team, leading the effort to select a diverse administration reflective of Arizona’s population.

Julia Wacloff works with Arizona Department of Health Services (AZDHS) leadership and management on a variety of public health functions as related to oral health and has been in her current position for ten years. She was responsible for developing the first comprehensive state oral health plan for Arizona. Prior to joining the AZDHS, she served as an epidemiologist with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Oral Health. There she participated as the lead epidemiologist for the Surveillance, Investigations and Research Team providing technical assistance and support to States with surveillance and research related to preventing oral diseases. 

She has over 20 years of experience in various public health settings providing needs assessment, policy development and quality assurance at local, state and national levels. Wacloff has held various faculty positions in dental and dental hygiene institutions. She earned her master’s degree in dental public health from Boston University; a bachelor’s in dental hygiene education from the University of Minnesota and holds certificates in epidemiology and dental hygiene..

Jessica Yanow is the president and chief executive officer for the Arizona Alliance for Community Health Centers (AACHC) and Collaborative Ventures Network. Prior to entering into this role in November 2021, she provided leadership as senior manager of community and health advancement at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona, developing and executing statewide strategies/initiatives to improve Arizonans’ health. Additionally, she spent 11 years at AACHC, serving as the chief operations 0fficer (2014-2019) and director of women’s health programs and grant administration (2008-2014).

Yanow graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in anthropology and minors in near eastern and Judaic studies and women’s studies from Brandeis University. She holds a Master of Public Health in community health practice from the University of Arizona. She completed the Geiger Gibson capstone fellowship in community health and leadership at George Washington University, Washington, D.C., and is certified in federal grants management by Management Concepts.  Yanow is a member of the Arizona Public Health Association and participated in Valley Leadership’s inaugural Catalyst class of 2022.