5 ASU alumni receive NCAA Final Four community award
Sun Devils chosen for their work in improving communities in a range of roles
Courtesy NCAA
Five Arizona State University alumni have been named recipients of the NCAA Men’s Final Four Phoenix 2024 Legends and Legacy Community Awards.
The awards recognize those who commit their time, resources and influence to improve their communities. The honor is given in conjunction with the NCAA’s Men’s Final Four, which will be held April 6 and 8 in Glendale in State Farm Stadium; ASU is the host institution.
Jacob Moore, ASU vice president and special advisor to the president for American Indian affairs, said being named one of the recipients was an honor.
“Personal commitment to service to community was something that had been instilled in me at a young age by my parents and grandparents,” said Moore, who is a citizen of the Tohono O’odham Nation. “The real honor and recognition are to the tribal nations, communities and peoples that I’m blessed to serve and represent.”
Moore said the fact all five recipients are ASU graduates is a reflection of the university’s charter, which states, in part, that ASU assumes “fundamental responsibility for the economic, social, cultural and overall health of the communities it serves. “
“It's not surprising that ASU is both attracting and producing local community leaders that are committed to positive change in their respective communities,” Moore said.
In a news release, Felicia Martin, the NCAA’s senior vice president of inclusion, said, “What a tremendous group of purpose-driven individuals who commit their time, talent and resources to their communities. It is our pleasure to celebrate their dedication and their service to the greater Phoenix area. Each honoree is passionate about their cause and has an incredible record of positively impacting their local communities and their neighbors.”
Here are the five recipients of the award:
Jacob Moore
Moore, who earned a Bachelor of Science in finance from ASU in 1999 and a 2008 Master of Business Administration, works on a range of transformative initiatives, including using Indigenous knowledge, developing partnerships and aligning research projects with tribal priorities.
Before coming to ASU, Moore worked as a special assistant on congressional and legislative affairs for the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community. He also has been a member of the Arizona State Board of Education. Moore is currently on the boards of directors for the Arizona Community Foundation, ASU's Morrison Institute for Public Policy, WestEd and the Tohono O'odham Gaming Enterprise.
Diana “Dede” Yazzie Devine
Devine, who received her MBA from ASU in 1999, is the retired president and CEO of Native American Connections, a Native American-operated nonprofit corporation that provides behavioral heath and medical services, affordable housing and community-based economic development in Phoenix.
Devine has earned numerous honors, including being named one of Phoenix Business Journal’s 25 Most Admired CEOs, one of Arizona’s 48 Most Most Intriguing Women as part of Arizona's Centennial Legacy Project and one of USA Today’s Women of the Year in 2023, as well as an Arizona Department of Housing Lifetime Achievement Award.
She’s also an inductee in the Arizona Women’s Hall of Fame.
Reyna Montoya
Montoya, who earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science from ASU in 2012 and a Bachelor of Arts in transborder Chicana/o and Latina/o studies in 2021, is the founder and CEO of Aliento, which serves undocumented families, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipients and families with mixed immigration status.
Montoya is also a 2016 Soros Justice Fellow, which enabled her to start Aliento. In seven years, Aliento has touched the lives of more than 50,000 people, which includes over 20,000 youth through its programs, and has educated close to 100,000 voters in Arizona's 2020 and 2022 elections.
She has been recognized as a Muhammad Ali Center Humanitarian Recipient for Spirituality, a 2017 #NBCLatino20, a New Profit award recipient and a Boulder Fund grantee.
David Solano
Solano, the creator of Solano's No Limit Hoops, a Phoenix basketball program that provides youth with a free place to play basketball and learn life lessons, graduated from ASU in 1998 with a Bachelor of Arts in education. Solano’s No Limit Hoops features pep talks on being focused in life and in school, and team play for kids 15 and younger and 16- to 19-year-olds.
Solano, who coaches junior high basketball and is a lifelong educator, created the program to motivate youth and provide them with an affordable community activity.
Solano was the first in his family to graduate from college. He teaches fourth grade at Palm Lane Elementary School in west Phoenix and has received numerous accolades, including a Positive Coach of the Year award by the Positive Coaching Alliance, a Positive Coach award from the Arizona Diamondbacks and two superintendent awards for his service to the community.
Christina Spicer
Spicer, who received a Bachelor of Arts in communication from ASU in 2003 and a 2008 master's degree in nonprofit management, has been co-CEO of the Girl Scouts Arizona Cactus-Pine Council since 2022. She has held numerous positions at the organization and was integral in growing its annual fund from $600,000 to $4 million over seven years.
Spicer is a leader who has devoted nearly two decades of her career to directing critical youth initiatives throughout the Phoenix community. After graduating from ASU, she joined notMYkid, a local nonprofit organization, as its director of the Clear Choices program, where she helped engage teens in discussions about issues such as drug and alcohol use, body image disorders and depression.
Spicer is also founder of CAMEO, a women's mentorship organization. Additionally, she serves on local boards and has received several local awards, including Phoenix Business Journal's 40 Under 40 Award.
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