Meet the Board
MARILYN TORRES-SIERRA
Marilyn Torres-Sierra (she/her) is currently a tenured faculty member and the assistant program director of nursing at Phoenix College. She is also a traditional ordained storyteller, a dancer with Kawambe Omowale African Drum and Dance Theater, and a licensed massage therapist. Her connection to music and dance began as a child dancing with her mother performing Bomba and Plena - the traditional dances of Puerto Rico. She has been a super fan of Girls Rock since her daughter first attended in 2017 driving her to become a volunteer right away. Her experience as an artist, healer and educator coupled with her speciality as an obstetrical and pediatric nurse aligned perfectly with the mission and goal of Girls Rock! Phoenix. The inclusive, safe space for gender expansive kids coupled with the celebration of Women taking up space aligned perfectly with Marilyn’s life work in service to women and children resulting in her becoming a board member in the fall of 2022.
KENYATTA TURNER, MM, BSPC
Kenyatta (she/her) has been an avid volunteer for Girls Rock! Phoenix since she witnessed her first camp showcase in the Summer of 2017. She hopped in to assist wherever she could, serving as the showcase emcee, floating band coach, Gear Team Captain, workshop facilitator, drum instructor, and recruiting volunteers through community networking. In January 2024, she joined the board to serve at a new level and continue to help the organization flourish through its post-pandemic momentum. Kenyatta has been a musician since 1999, playing bass guitar and singing in local bands, and recently began playing drums. She is passionate about music and creativity and enjoys helping the campers and volunteers explore their self-awareness and express their ideas through music and all forms of communication. Kenyatta loves hiking, skateboarding, yoga, snowboarding, karaoke, and meditation for extra special fun!
An entrepreneur since 2014, Kenyatta is a Transformational Speaker, Certified Behavioral SuperPowers Coach & Master Trainer, and Author. She’s the Founder and CEO of Freedom Empire Consulting firm, where they Coach, Influence, and Protect their clients by helping them build and shield their own Freedom Empires and live their best lives. Her practice uses real-time, scientifically validated behavioral assessments that unleash the Behavioral SuperPowers of individuals, teams, entrepreneurs, and professionals. #BehaviorMatters
KIRSTEN RUTHERFORD
Kirsten (she/her) has been working in product development for 13 years and holds degrees in Art, Psychology, and Industrial Design from Arizona State University. She is now the Associate Director of User Experience Research at ASU, EdPlus, developing technology solutions to deliver student-centered educational experiences. When not dreaming up creative projects, you can find her behind a drum kit or traveling the world. Excited to share her passion for drums and music, she's been volunteering with Girls Rock! Phoenix as a camp drum instructor and band coach since 2023. Kirsten joined the Girls Rock! Phoenix board in 2025 and is thrilled to be part of a vibrant community and empower kids through music.
BETHANY VALDIVIA
Bethany Valdivia (she/her) is a former K–8 educator and fitness instructor with degrees in Education and English, as well as certifications in personal training and fitness instruction. She joined Girls Rock! Phoenix in July 2019 as a band coach, after performing in Valley bands and seeking ways to combine her passion for education and music while empowering youth to rise up and rock out.
With over 15 years of experience serving under-resourced and underserved communities in public education, Bethany has seen firsthand how extracurricular programs—especially those centered on music and movement—can help students of all backgrounds develop confidence, creativity, and lifelong skills.
Bethany currently works as an Account Executive at Imagine Learning, where she continues her mission to help educators and students unlock their full potential. She is passionate about building inclusive communities that recognize and unbridle the potential in every person.
CYNTHIA MRUCZEK
Cynthia (she/her) wishes Girls Rock existed during her youth. After being told "girls don't play guitar" and trying to learn Van Halen songs on the piano, she was finally able to be around like-minded lady rockers who helped her find her identity as a guitarist. She has volunteered as a guitar instructor during camp and was ECSTATIC to watch her own daughter bring down the house on drums this past summer. Cynthia is the co-founder of a local queer band that has been playing shows across Arizona for over 20 years. She's a big nerd who loves watching people do what they love.
Cynthia holds a PhD in Educational Leadership and is currently faculty at the University of Arizona. She directs and teaches in the Educational Leadership Doctoral Program (Ed.D.), supporting educational leaders in cultivating safe, inclusive learning spaces across PK-20+ school contexts. Her passion is to promote educational equity for students and families who have experienced marginalization across a variety of intersecting identities, including race, ethnicity, gender/gender identity, sexual orientation, and disability status.
KRISTI WIMMER
Kristi has been a Girls Rock Phoenix volunteer since its inception in 2015. She has also played bass in local Phoenix bands since her early 20’s and has been a bass instructor and band coach at GR summer camp every year. She wishes there had been a Girls Rock program when she was young, and the empowerment, passion and joy she sees in the campers each summer is why she believes so much in the unique power and importance of the organization. She has recruited her three nieces to participate in camp, and two have returned as volunteers.
Professionally, Kristi has been an adult education instructor and administrator for 25 years, working to help teens and adults who were unsuccessful in high school finally reach their goals of earning a GED, learning essential workforce skills, and increasing their English language abilities so they may be able to find a career they love and provide for themselves and their families. She has a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree from Arizona State University in Justice Studies and is a fierce social justice, equity, feminism, and diversity advocate and activist.
Her husband Jeremy is also a musician and they currently play in a band together with her sister-in-law (his sister). She has a son who loves soccer and videogames and the best golden retriever ever who goes on adventures with her. She loves hiking, traveling, photography, 80’s goth dancing, and playing music. Her favorite week of the year is the week of Girls Rock Summer Camp.