Liz Mongrain, President

I have been involved with Tempe Parents for the Gifted since 2023 and am grateful for the opportunity to lead this organization. I was introduced to TPG by my son's PACE teacher. This teacher saw my child clearly, recognizing both gifts and challenges, and encouraged me to connect with other parents of gifted kids -- a game-changing recommendation. By connecting with other parents whose children had similar experiences, I felt less alone. I realized that I wasn't a bad parent for not always understanding my kids' gifted needs; I was just a parent who didn't have a community or resources on the topic. Plugging in with TPG has given me that and more. Along with my two children, I live with a cat, a dog, and about 30 houseplants. I enjoy music, hiking and outdoor activities, and writing.  

Andy Brown, Vice President

My experience with gifted learners is both personal and professional. I am a teacher and father of two gifted children. My son attends Peggy Payne Academy at McClintock High, and my daughter is a middle school student at Ward Traditional Academy. Both of them have been in PACE since kindergarten. I have been teaching for 13 years. For four of those years, I worked as a gifted teacher. I am now back in a general education classroom, but I would like to continue to be involved with the gifted learning community.

Ryan Griffin, Secretary

I'm a father to a gifted son that joined the ASPIRE program at Arredondo this year. I have lived in Phoenix since graduating from the Mechanical Engineering programs at the University of Utah and MIT, and I work as a Field Applications Engineer in Aerospace and Semiconductor industries. I am excited to help gifted students explore the exciting educational opportunities in Tempe, and to support the TPG community!