Luz Sarmina-Gutiérrez is President and CEO of Valle del Sol, Inc., a community organization that provides a variety of behavioral health, social services and Latino leadership development to the community. Valle del Sol has been active in the community for over 35 years. Luz has lead Valle del Sol since 1995 and has grown the agency from $3 to over $10 million in annual revenues and from 56 employees to close to 200. As a recognized leader in the Latino community she was selected to attend the National Hispana Leadership Institute, a yearlong executive leadership-training course including Harvard's JFK School of Public Policy and the Center for Creative Leadership. She was in the inaugural class of Valley Leadership. Luz has been recognized for her visionary leadership by the YWCA in their "Tribute to Women" Award for Civic Service; the Alma de La Gente "El Águila" award; the Gamma Alpha Omega Sorority Inaugural Latina Excellence Award for Community Service, and the Phoenix Business Journal Women of Vision Award. She received the "OHTLI" Award from the Mexican government in 2003. (Ohtli means "path" in the Nahuatl dialect.) The award is given to Mexicans or Mexican descendents who have helped to create a "path" for Mexicans in a foreign country. Luz also serves on the Boards of Directors for Mountain Park Health Center, Vice-Chair, AZ Saves, the City of Phoenix Bond Committee, Executive Committee; she was appointed to the Latino Advisory Council by the Governor; served as a Commissioner for the Governor's Advisory Commission on Child Protective Services and on the Attorney General's Latino Advisory Council. In her personal life Luz is a horsewoman and has been riding since she was a child. She has been a resident of Arizona for 32 years. She has two grown children, Lisa and David. She is married to Rosendo Gutierrez who was the Vice-Mayor of the City Phoenix and currently is a member of the Laveen School District Board. Rosendo is well known in the community for his leadership skills and for his contributions in the areas of affordable housing. Born in Mexico City, Luz came to the U.S. at the age of six and grew up in the Midwest. She earned a Masters in Social Work degree from ASU.