Nancy Padberg, MBA, President & CEO of Catholic Education Arizona, and Deb Preach, the COO of Catholic Education Arizona welcome Jeff McQueen to the show, a leader in the home building industry. Jeff is the President and Co-Founder of Shea Homes Active Lifestyle Community, a leading national developer of active adult communities. This brand was conceived in 1999 and has been awarded the Most Trusted Active Lifestyle Brand for ten years and is currently operating over 15 Trilogy communities across the country. Jeff himself was born in Seattle, Washington and attended Pittman College in Walla Walla. Jeff received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science before getting his MBA at ASU in Tempe.
While many people know Shea Homes as a building corporation, behind the scenes, they are a family-owned company that strives to give back into their communities, specifically, educating children in Catholic schools. They have gone into neighborhoods where community and funding are limited and help rehabilitate the schools by partnering with local parishes to revitalize school facilities and programs. Shea homes and Catholic Education Arizona consider this work as their civic duty. Catholic schools provide a family environment combined with quality education that in many cases would not be possible without the Arizona tax credits.
Arizona is lucky to be one of the states that give the opportunity to redirect tax dollars through school tuition organizations for tuition assistance. Instead of paying the state, business and individuals can contribute their tax dollars to the education system in their area. This redirection of tax dollars ultimately costs the contributor nothing and leaves them with the satisfaction of knowing they helped strengthen the community and build their future workforce. Families in these communities often can’t afford to send their children to these schools, which is why these scholarships are so beneficial to children who otherwise would not be presented with these opportunities.
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 56.6 million children attended U.S schools in 2019, and while many schools may provide a good education, Catholic schools are unique in the family atmosphere and moral that is built there. While confidence, strength, and lifelong friends are all benefits of Catholic schools, there is also an amazing 99.4% graduation rate. If you want more information on how you can go about directing your tax dollars to CEA, or you want to know more about Jeff McQueen and his mission, contact us today.
