MEET NICK

Nick is a third-generation Arizonan.  His grandfather moved to the Clifton-Morenci area in now-Greenlee County in Eastern Arizona in the early 1900s, and his grandparents settled in Superior in the 1930s.  Nick’s Dad and Aunt attended Superior High School, and his Dad graduated from the University of Arizona while his Aunt graduated from Arizona State University.

Nick was raised in Tucson with his brother and two sisters.  Service was a way of life in Nick’s house. His Mom was a nurse and his Dad was a doctor.  His brother, his sisters, and Nick spent the summers working on their Uncle’s farms in the midwest, where they learned the importance of hard work.  His parents stressed the value of education, and his siblings and he attended Salpointe Catholic High School, where Nick played football.

After earning an industrial engineering degree and a Masters in Business Administration from Stanford University, Nick built a career as an entrepreneur that has spanned finance, emergency support, and education all while having a positive community impact. A common theme, he’s always leveraged the power of strong workforce development programs and job training to help start and grow multiple businesses all while creating new, good-paying jobs.

Shortly after graduating from Stanford, Nick met Annemarie, who was a children’s counselor in a domestic violence shelter at the time and has been a preschool Director for the last 12 years.  They have been married twenty-seven years and have called Phoenix home for decades.  They have four, adult children, who keep Nick grounded.

Most recently, Nick was Chairman and CEO of the Arizona College of Nursing where he led the school to become Arizona’s largest nursing school, a leading nursing college in the nation, and a significant contributor to solving our state’s and nation’s critical need for nurses.  During his tenure, the Arizona College grew twenty times larger from a single campus to now twenty-four in fourteen states, while over 90% of the graduates passed their licensing exams on their first try and over 90% found jobs as nurses.  Ernst & Young recently recognized Nick as a Pacific Southwest Regional Winner and National Finalist for its Entrepreneur of the Year award.

For Nick, the mission to build Arizona College was personal. Not only was his mother a nurse but he also recognized the life-transforming power that a credential like a nursing degree can have for someone - especially because his own education changed his life.

For Nick, education is the single most powerful way to generate economic opportunity and open doors for more Arizonans - a priority that he will bring with him to the Treasurer’s Office. 

Several years ago, Nick faced a serious health scare that resulted in a ten-hour surgery that doctors told him he may not survive. In the weeks leading up to his surgery he had time to reflect and pray and realized that while he had been successful, he wanted to do more to help others. It’s why he’s stepping up now: he knows Arizona is only scratching the surface of its potential and the unmatched experience and expertise he’ll bring to the State Treasurer’s office will deliver a return on investment for all Arizonans.

As our Treasurer, Nick will ensure our state’s finances are run like those of the successful businesses he’s led - so that cities, towns, and school districts have the resources they need now and that our state is investing wisely to support future generations and families, just like yours.