30 FRONTDOORS MEDIA | MAY 2018 Balance is something everyone struggles to achieve, but it’s a skill Sara Dial has mastered. As the mother of three, president and CEO of Sara Dial & Associates and a member and chairman of multiple boards, she’s excelled in business, community and family life. She began her career in investment banking but transitioned into working on political campaigns. At 27, she was invited to be the finance director for the Arizona Department of Commerce. Before she turned 30, she was appointed the director of the agency. “I don’t think there’s another city in the country where you can come in at 27, be working at the Department of Commerce and actually be able to call the governor when you want,” she said. “You can make anything happen here. It’s such a welcoming place for people that want to make a difference.” When she met with Gov. Fife Symington to discuss the position, she raised concerns about her youth, but he was confident she was the right fit for the role. “He said, ‘You know, you have to go through this confirmation process. Is there anything that would come out that would be embarrassing?’ They have to ask you that — do you have any baggage?” Dial said. “I said, ‘The only thing I can think of is my age,’ and he goes, ‘Well, how old are you?’ I’d been working for him for two years. I go, ‘I’m 29,’ and he said ‘Oh, I’m not worried about it. I know you can do the job.’ Didn’t even hesitate. And then I had every single Democrat and Republican confirm me. It was a great experience.” Dial continued in the role for the next three years. A year after having her first son, Tyler, she decided to start her own company, Sara Dial & Associates. In the 21 years since its formation, the company has represented a variety of high-profile clients including Google and the Arizona Department of Commerce. “It was a serious position and we had three international offices, so there was tons of travel — constant travel,” she said of her time as Department of Commerce director. “I was lucky that I could start my own business and have more flexibility as a mom.” However, Dial didn’t stop with starting her own company. She continued her commitment to Jamie Killin | Web Editor SARA DIAL CEO of Sara Dial & Associates OFFICE DOORS {leadership}

MAY 2018 | FRONTDOORS MEDIA 31 the Phoenix area by becoming involved with multiple nonprofits through volunteering, fundraising and board positions. “There are some people that were kind of disappointed that I had dropped out of the workplace because I was sort of this rising female leader and we didn’t have a lot of those in this town. But I tried to be really smart about my career because I had kids and a couple of clients. I really got involved in the community, and that’s when I joined the Childhelp board,” she said. “I ended up chairing Childhelp and I got the Spirit of Children award a couple of years later. I purposely stayed very engaged.” Since then, Dial has amassed experience on more than two dozen nonprofit and corporate boards, including the Barrow Neurological Foundation, Valley Youth Theater, Phoenix Suns Charities and the Governor’s Strategic Partnership for Economic Development. “I love participating in nonprofits but I’m not as interested in status quo organizations,” she said. “I like to come in at a time when they need to be taken to the next level or there’s a big idea or a big project they’re working on. That’s what gets me excited.” Dial continues to make a meaningful difference in her community through her work on several boards, her consulting firm and by raising her family. “I learned early on that your path isn’t going to be what you think it’s going to be and to always be open to an opportunity, because you never know where it’s going to lead,” she said. “I keep saying to my kids, ‘Whatever your first job is out of college, it’s not going to be your career. Just take it for the experience.’” SARA DIAL’S THREE PROUDEST ACHIEVEMENTS TYLER DIAL The oldest of Patrick and Sara Dial’s three children, Tyler will graduate with a business degree from the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas this month. Following graduation, he’ll move to Nashville to continue pursuing a music career. “He was really committed to getting his degree and he will move to Nashville just about a week after he graduates,” Dial said. “He’s got a new EP that he’s going to be coming out with. He’s ready to launch very, very seriously in just a couple of weeks.” This month, Tyler’s EP “REPAINT” will be released. His song “Damn Good Time” has already debuted on XM Radio and he has collaborated with songwriters who’ve written for award- winning country acts such as Eric Church and Little Big Town. WYATT DIAL A 20-year-old Cadet 3rd Class at the United States Air Force Academy, Wyatt also plays D1 soccer full-time. “He’s the one that’s serving our country and taking the biggest risk and working extraordinarily hard at it,” Dial said. In addition to his role in the military and dedication to soccer, Wyatt is also a skilled artist and music enthusiast. He will make his commitment to serve in the Air Force for five years at the end of the year. TATUM DIAL The youngest of the Dial children, Tatum is a junior at Xavier College Preparatory, where she writes for the Xavier Xpress and recently started a kindness initiative called The Kindness Project with a friend. She is also involved in the school’s theater program as well as Valley Youth Theatre. “She’s very passionate about that,” said Dial. “She and a couple of other kids at the Valley Youth Theatre just started something called VY Teens. So she’s pursuing a little philanthropy herself. They are a group of kids who are available to donate their time to perform for sick kids and the elderly.” Tatum currently plans to study broadcast journalism. Jamie Killin is a writer, editor and public relations specialist. Her work has been published by Thrillist, Phoenix Magazine, The Arizona Republic, So Scottsdale! and more. She is also the Public Relations and Marketing Manager for Frontdoors Media’s sister company Evans Communications. She is a media enthusiast with experience in all things news, marketing, public relations and social media.