The Community Foundation for Southern Arizona, in partnership with Tucson Tome Gnome and Tucson Spotlight, invites you to join the Solutions-Focused Community Book Club, a quarterly gathering for community members who care about Southern Arizona and want to learn together.
This book club brings people from different backgrounds into conversation around shared readings and real-world impact. You do not need to finish the book to participate. Guided questions will be provided, and open discussion is always welcome, making it easy to join whether you’ve read a few pages or the whole book.
The remarkable Tucson Tome Gnome and Tucson Spotlight will also host a community book-sharing table. Bring a few books from your RTS (ready-to-share) stack and take home something new to enjoy. Any remaining books will be added to CFSA’s Little Free Library, Dog Eared Books.
Together, we will explore ideas, listen to one another, and reflect on how what we are reading connects to our community. This is a welcoming space where curiosity is encouraged, diverse perspectives are valued, and everyone belongs.
Light refreshments will be provided.
Agenda
5:15 – 5:30 PM: Registration and Check In
5:30 – 5:35 PM: Welcome
5:35 – 6:15 PM: Panel
6:15 – 7:20 PM: Small Group Discussions
7:20 – 7:30 PM: Wrap Up and Raffle
About the Book
Empire of AI by Karen Hao
From a brilliant longtime AI insider with intimate access to the world of Sam Altman’s OpenAI from the beginning, an eye-opening account of arguably the most fateful tech arms race in history, reshaping the planet in real time, from the cockpit of the company that is driving the frenzy
When AI expert and investigative journalist Karen Hao first began covering OpenAI in 2019, she thought they were the good guys. Founded as a nonprofit with safety enshrined as its core mission, the organization was meant, its leader Sam Altman told us, to act as a check against more purely mercantile, and potentially dangerous, forces. What could go wrong?
About the Panelists
Taunya Villicana
Taunya Villicana is the Founder & CEO of Aspirational Wealth Management and an LPL Investment Advisor Representative with more than 30 years of experience guiding families through thoughtful, multigenerational financial planning. A native Tucsonan, Taunya began her career at Merrill Lynch and continued at Dean Witter and Morgan Stanley, shaped by formative training on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange and in Two World Trade Center. Those early experiences reinforced her people-first approach, ethical compass, and dedication to creating space for women in a historically male-dominated industry. As an independent owner-operator, she built her firm on the principles of clarity, stewardship, and long-term partnership with the families she serves.
In the community, Taunya’s leadership reflects a deep belief in strengthening Southern Arizona’s future through collaborative, place-based investment. She currently serves as Board Chair of the Community Foundation for Southern Arizona and Secretary of the Rio Nuevo Board, roles through which she supports philanthropic impact, regional development, and the economic vitality of the place she calls home. Over the years, she has contributed to initiatives spanning education, civic infrastructure, small-business support, and cultural enrichment. Taunya is licensed in Series 7, 65, 63, and 31, as well as insurance, and she remains committed to mentoring emerging women leaders and fostering inclusive pathways into finance. Her work, both professionally and civically, is centered on building durable, values-aligned opportunities for the community she loves.
Dr. Josie Milliken
Dr. Josie Milliken is Dean of Distance Education at Pima Community College in Tucson, Arizona. With over 25 years of experience in higher education, Josie has held various roles, including Department Head, English faculty, and Faculty Senate President, and has offered workshops and presentations for a variety of organizations and conferences on topics including digital learning, artificial intelligence, technology, and innovation. In addition, as a Greater Tucson Leadership alum, Board Member of the Instructional Technology Council and Pima County Digital Inclusion Advisory Board, yoga teacher, and avid hiker, Josie is passionate about cultivating well-being and connection through technology and community engagement and serving the Southern Arizona community.
LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josiemilliken/
