Team

Tracy Baynes - Founder & President/CEO

Tracy founded STEP in 2002.  She brings over 30 years of teaching and expedition leadership experience to the organization.  Tracy obtained her doctorate of oceanography from Scripps Institution of Oceanography in 1993.  Prior to STEP, she taught and led expedition-based programs with Sea Education Association, Columbia University, Long Island University, Semester at Sea, Outward Bound, and NOLS.  In 2002, Tracy turned her full attention to establishing STEP and remains deeply committed to providing low-income Arizona students and families with the knowledge, guidance, and advocacy skills to successfully navigate the pathway to a college degree. Tracy couldn't be prouder of STEP's 600+ pioneering alumni, who are emerging leaders in education, medicine, law, business, and the nonprofit sector, as well as within their communities and families.


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Eileen McLeod - Senior Program Director

Eileen joined the STEP team in 2011 and brought years of experience in the experiential education world as well as with the public education system in Arizona. She also brought a passion for working with youth and helping them to reach their full potential. Prior to working for STEP, Eileen led wilderness expeditions throughout the southwest for Outward Bound. She also served as a full time substitute teacher for various high schools throughout southern Arizona. Eileen graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from Kenyon College in Ohio and currently spends every moment that she isn’t working with her two amazing kids (and her husband and dogs).


Katie Carmer - Program Director

Katie joined STEP in 2019, bringing six years of experience as a humanities teacher and school administrator. Katie graduated from the University of Notre Dame with degrees in liberal studies and cello performance. After moving to Phoenix and teaching for three years, she decided to return to school and completed her Masters in Education Policy, Organization, and Leadership Studies at Stanford University. In addition to her work with STEP, Katie is actively involved in several music education programs and continues to hone her skills as a cello teacher. She is passionate about educational equity and believes that all students should have access to opportunities to grow intellectually and creatively. She loves working with STEP students because of their inspiring determination and energy.


Erica Work - Program Manager

Erica joined STEP in 2023 after relocating with her family to Arizona. She has a Bachelor’s of Arts in Intercultural Studies from BIOLA University and a Master’s in Business Administration from Western Governors University. Throughout her diverse career, she spent time as an ESL teacher and community development coordinator. These experiences are what sparked her passion for working with cross-cultural students in helping them develop goals and dream BIG. She believes everyone has a right to education and should have equal opportunities to achieve their version of success. She is excited to support the future generation of history makers through STEP!


Jynuial Edwards - Student Success Advisor

Jynuial joined the STEP team in 2023 and is a proud STEP alum, Class of 2009. She was one of the very first students to participate in STEP's signature 3-week Alaska Wilderness Leadership Expedition with NOLS and credits it for changing the trajectory of her life.  Jynuial is the first generation in her family to attain a college degree, receiving her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Arizona State University.  After several years providing customer care in the insurance field, she felt compelled to make a career change in order to better help others.  Jynuial is inspired and committed to empowering STEP students to believe deeply in themselves, work hard for their dreams, and make a difference in their communities and the world.


Elena Calderon - Student Success Advisor

Elena joined STEP in 2023. She is a first-generation college graduate and comes from an immigrant background. Elena graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Community Health and a Master of Science in Communication Studies from Eastern Washington University. She is currently pursuing a PhD in Higher Education from the University of Arizona. Prior to working with STEP, Elena served as a Transfer Coordinator at the University of Arizona and also as an academic advisor at Arizona State University. Elena overcame several obstacles in pursuit of higher education and had multiple mentors that ultimately made college a reality for her. Through her position with STEP, her goal is to support students with college access and reduce barriers for first-generation students.


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Jamie Lieberman - Director of Development

Jamie joined STEP in 2021. Before relocating to Arizona with her husband and sons in 2015, Jamie spent 20 years teaching in high schools in both San Francisco and New York City.  As a first-generation college student herself, Jamie understands how difficult the path to college can be, especially for low-income students. Jamie earned her bachelor’s degree from Harvard College, studied at the Beijing Foreign Languages Institute, and completed graduate work at the Stanford Center in Taiwan. Jamie earned her Masters of Teaching from the University of San Francisco, and later spent a summer in India on a Fulbright Scholarship. Jamie is committed to supporting STEP students as they defy the odds and pursue their dreams of a college education.


“STEP made college a reality for my daughter. I always encouraged her to work hard in school, but past that I had no idea. Ashley became much more independent after the STEP workshops because she had all the information. They really really break it down. She was empowered to take the steps she needed to get in to college.”
— Patti Parrra, STEP Parent

Board of Directors

Tracy Baynes (Ex Officio): Founder and President, STEP: Student Expedition Program, Inc.

Andrew White, Board Chair: Senior Vice President, Treasury Management, Arizona Bank & Trust.

Charles Layne: Chief Executive Officer at PatientNOW, a SaaS based EMR firm focused on elective and cash pay engagements.

Christine Burton: Chair and Co-Founder, Burton Family Foundation. Member, Women in Philanthropy, The Aspen Institute Society of Fellows, ASU President’s Club, and Arizona State Board of Education.

Debora Luna, Board Secretary: STEP Alum. B.S. in Family Studies and Human Development, University of Arizona. Service Coordinator, Arizona Early Intervention Program.

Fred Pakis, Board Treasurer: Co-Founder, JDA Software, Inc. Chair, Pakis Family Foundation.

Jamie Rosenthal:  President, Greenberg Fruit Company, a wholesale food distributor.

Jesus Ramirez:  Vice President of Strategy and Innovation at Tallwave, a customer experience design company.

Joan Lowell: Academic Associate, ASU. Former Executive Director, Hospice of the Valley. Former Senior Advancement Officer for Donor Services for the Arizona Community Foundation.

Joseph Schenk: Co-Founder, Hebert Schenk Johnson & Dake Law Firm. Business Litigation, Fennemore Craig.

Morris Scott: Founder, DMD Systems Recovery, Inc., a secure IT asset disposal service.

Patti Parra: STEP Alum Parent. Parent Representative and proud mom of STEP College-Prep alums Ashley (Wellesley College) and Leo (Skidmore College).

Sandra Grijalva: STEP Alum.  Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering, Emory University and Georgia Institute of Technology.  Biomechanics Associate at Exponent Scientific Consulting.

Susan Erler: Educator. Former Coordinator of the Doctor of Audiology Program at Northwestern University.

Advisor Emeritus

Gail Williams: Founding Accountant and Advisor to STEP.


“The STEP staff are awesome individuals. They know what they are doing. They know what advice to offer individuals. They help prepare us to leave everything we know to go to a new environment.”
— Octavio Orozco Ibarra, STEP Alum, Bowdoin College