Andrew Erwin
Age: 39
Job title: Chief Operating Officer
Where you work and what it does: Solari – Crisis and Human Services. Solari is the 988 behavioral health crisis hotline for Arizona and Oklahoma. Our staff support people struggling with every kind of behavioral health crisis. We also operate 211 Arizona to support people experiencing homelessness, food insecurity and many other issues.
Education: Bachelor’s degree, University of California, Los Angeles; JD,Syracuse University College of Law
The top item on your bucket list: I want to travel through England on a narrow boat.
Where in the Valley do you take out-of-town guests? We love to take people out to Phoenix Rising soccer games. If we are going to dinner, we always take people to Barrio Café.
How do you give back to the local community? My partner Shannon Youso founded a local art nonprofit called the Bergamot Institute. We hold free events where we paint, make piñatas — anything to open up people’s creativity. Our favorite event is the Grand Ave Festival where we make crazy hats.
What’s your ultimate career goal? I feel like I am achieving my career goal every day. I love what I do and who I am doing it with.
How do you combat self-doubt? I check in with my friends, family and co-workers. When I am unsure about how things are going, they help me stay on course.
How do you prevent burnout? I try and make the most of my time with my family. Having a life outside of work breaks up my schedule and gives me perspective.
Best advice you have ever received? “Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out.”
TikTok or Instagram? Instagram