Donald V. Budinger is a founder and the former President of Rodel, Inc., and Susan Budinger was a director of Rodel, Inc., where she held a variety of management positions. When Rodel, Inc. was sold in 1999, the Budinger Family formed The Rodel Foundations with a significant portion of the proceeds. The Rodel Foundations is a family of private and public philanthropies dedicated to making a significant, systemic improvement in primary and secondary public education in the United States.

Currently, Don is Chairman and a Founding Director of the Rodel Foundations, Chairman of the Arizona College Scholarship Foundation and Chairman of Science Foundation Arizona. He also serves on the board of directors of Greater Phoenix Leadership. In 2004, Don received the "Outstanding Achievement in Higher Education" award from the Arizona Board of Regents. In 2005, he received the "Homeroom Heroes" award from Teach for America and the "Distinguished Service" award from the University of Arizona College of Engineering.

Susan is a Founding Director of The Rodel Foundations, a trustee of the Arizona Community Foundation, where she chairs the Education Initiative Governance Committee, and a trustee at Phoenix Country Day School, where she chairs the Education Committee. Susan is also a trustee of the Arizona Early Education Funds.

Fourth Annual Science of Early Learning Award Luncheon 2007

Six hundred people filled the Arizona Biltmore Ballroom to honor Donald V. Budinger and Susan M. Budinger at the Fourth Annual Science of Early Learning Award Luncheon held May 3, 2007. The award was presented by Bill Post, chairman of APS and luncheon chairman, and Jill Stamm, Ph.D., co-founder of New Directions Institute.   Speaker Kenneth S. Kosik, M.D., Director of the Neuroscience Institute at the University of California, Santa Barbara, captivated the audience with his remarks on genes, heredity and the influence of environment on genetic expression.  Proceeds of the luncheon help fund NDI’s parent and caregiver training. We appreciate the support of APS and the many other benefactors whose support contributed to the success of this event.

All photos by Tim Trumble Photography

Left to Right: Donald V. Budinger, Dr. Jill Stamm of NDI,

Susan M. Budinger and Bill Post, event chairman

Elva Coor, Nadine Basha, Susan Budinger and Eddie Basha

Billie Enz Ph.D., Speaker Kenneth Kosik M.D.

and Pamela Webb - NDI Director of Training

   Seated: Leslie Budinger, Greater Phoenix Leadership President and CEO Tom Browning, APS Chairman Bill Post and daughter Kathryn Post and Dr. Lattie Coor, CEO for the Center for the Future of Arizona 

Standing: Honoree Donald V. Budinger and F. Francis Najafi -

Chairman & CEO of Pivotal Group

The Armstrong Family Foundation

Seated: NDI Executive Director Jill Stamm, Susan Budinger, Kenneth Kosik MD and Kristin McNealy. Standing: Rep. Mark Anderson, APS President Jack Davis, Arizona Diamondbacks managing partner Ken Kendrick and Phoenix Councilman Tom Simplot

Seated: Robin Sewell, Ruth Osuna, Marc Kellenberger-AzCA Senior V.P., Becky Ruffner, and Richard Tollefson.  Standing: George Abram, Tom Wisz- AzCA Board Chair and Irene Jacobs- Senior Policy Advisor to the Governor & Director of the Office of Children Youth and Families

Rick & Molly Sodja of Tutor Time, at right, and guests

Seated: Nadine & Eddie Basha, Sharon & Don Ulrich

Standing: Helaine Levy, Rhian Evans Allvin, Don Diamond,

Paul Allvin and J. Elliott Hibbs, Interim Executive Dir. of the

Early Childhood Development and Health Board