Photos by Ralph Freso / Slideshow
Former Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey quipped about how he came from the mean streets of Toledo, Ohio, to Arizona in 1982.
“I’d never been there,” Ducey recalled. “I knew no one. But I thought there was incredible opportunity here. And I knew immediately while growing up in Toledo, Ohio, this was the place I wanted to be.”
Transplants like Ducey, Tom Lewis, Dr. Chevy Humphrey and Dr. Richard Gray weren’t content just settling in the Valley. They made an impact in the community and were honored Tuesday morning at the fifth annual Colangelo Servant Leadership Awards ceremony at Grand Canyon University’s Havoc House.
The foursome was honored for their servant leadership, which embodies the ideals for which Jerry Colangelo has been known since arriving in the Valley in 1968. The awards, organized by the Colangelo College of Business, were presented by Freeport-McMoRan.
“You think about the impact on the local community, just on the west side of Phoenix and the impact, the investment that’s been made, the results are tremendous,” Colangelo said. “When we have the opportunity to honor people who embellish that whole concept, it’s important to bring recognition to those individuals to encourage others along the way to follow suit. It’s a great morning.”
Ducey, who served as governor from 2015 to 2023, estimated that about 80% of the attendees were born out of state but came to Arizona to seek a better life.
“So I always said thanks to the natives for creating such an incredible state.”
Ducey said he aligned his campaign platform with the vision of Colangelo, a native of a Chicago suburb, built in the Valley with a strong sports and economic presence.
“This country sees us differently with pro sports,” Ducey said.
Colangelo College of Business Dean John Kaites, meanwhile, praised Ducey for cutting taxes in some form every year while improving education and its funding and creating a dashboard to measure if the state’s goals were achieved.
Furthermore, Kaites credited Ducey for making state government more efficient and creating a workforce development program for prisoners who were on the verge of getting released.
Colangelo recalled one of his first press conferences in 1968 when he started the NBA’s Suns.
“The community owes us nothing,” Colangelo recalled telling reporters. “We have to earn the respect and support of the community by how we conduct ourselves, not only on the court but in the community.
“And God will be the judge. God will determine whether we’re doing the right things.”
GCU President Brian Mueller said it’s people and leaders who make a state prosperous.
“We’ve had great gatherings in the past, but the people who are involved this year are really kind of over the top,” Mueller said. “We can’t tell you how honored we are to have you here.”
Lewis’ contributions run deeper than starting the T.W. Lewis Co. in 1991 that quickly became one of top-quality home building businesses in the Valley. Lewis and his wife, Jan, formed the T.W. Lewis Foundation that supports higher education, children and families in need, youth education and multiple nonprofits and has provided more than 200 college scholarships to exceptional students.
Lewis, who earned degrees from Kentucky and North Carolina, recently made a substantial financial commitment to the college that will include the T.W. Lewis Learning Center for Student Success with state-of-the-art equipment and resources for students.
He became sold on GCU after meeting Mueller and other school officials through former Canyon Ventures co-founder Kevin Youngblood.
“What GCU is doing today is what all public universities did 50 years ago,” said Lewis, referring to priorities such as caring for students and preparing them for a better life.
“As a donor I look for three things,” added Lewis, referring to being effective, receptive and grateful. “I think GCU is all three of those things.”
Humphrey, a native of Houston, has served as president and CEO of the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry for the last four years. She previously served as CEO of the Arizona Science Center for 15 years and is known for making science more acceptable to diverse communities, Kaites said.
Humphrey earned her doctorate in business administration from GCU and serves as director and chair of the compensation committee for Grand Canyon Education. She couldn't attend Tuesday's event because of a previous commitment in Washington, D.C., but she delivered a video expressing her appreciation for Phoenix and Colangelo.
“Phoenix is more than just a city to me,” Humphrey said. “It’s where my leadership journey truly began. People like Jerry Colangelo helped shape my understanding that leadership is not about status or power. It is about service, lifting others up, creating space for people to grow and ensuring that no one is left behind.
“During my career journey I was fortunate and blessed to watch Mr. Colangelo exhibit his philosophy, and it has been a guiding light in my own leadership journey. I’m proud to be a GCU alumnus, not because of the education I received, but because of our shared values.”
Gray, who grew up in Northern Michigan, has been CEO of the world-renowned Mayo Clinic in Arizona since 2019 and has published more than 160 manuscripts. His research has focused on developing less burdensome treatments to alleviate the risk of cancer recurrence.
“The real focus of core value is that the needs of the patient come first,” Gray said.
Gray’s oldest son, Hudson, graduated from GCU’s business college, middle son, Landon, is a sophomore, and youngest son, Keaton, will be enrolling at GCU next fall.
“It’s been a wonderful experience,” Gray said. “The Christian worldview and values-based approach have been very important to our sons and family, and they received an amazing education in a wonderful atmosphere.”
GCU News senior writer Mark Gonzales can be reached at Mark.Gonzales@gcu.edu
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