First Place AZ
James Burns, Ph.D., is an experienced arts and cultural leader with a diverse background in museum administration, advising, and educational policy. Currently serving as an Advisor at First Place AZ and Principal & Creative Director at Cypress & Sage Advising, James has held significant leadership positions, including Executive Director at Western Spirit: Scottsdale's Museum of the West and the Arizona Historical Society, where operational and strategic development was a key focus. James’s previous roles include Interim Director at the Center for Creative Photography, Director of the University of Arizona Museum of Art, Executive Director of Desert Caballeros Western Museum, and Curator of History at the Tempe History Museum. Academic credentials include a Ph.D. in Educational Policy Studies from Georgia State University and an MA in Public History from Arizona State University.
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First Place AZ
First Place is innovating a holistic approach to supportive housing through sensitive design, mix of uses, an urban location and close attention to replicability. This new nonprofit continues the mission of SARRC, established in 1997 to provide lifetime support for individuals with autism and their families. First Place is developing a mixed-use property and new home option that is supported, community connected and joyfully embraced by the individuals who live there, the people who work there, and family and friends who come and go. The property includes apartments for residents, a residential academy for students and a training institute for professionals and support service providers. First Place is leveraging the benefits of a supportive urban area in Central Phoenix that's been created and facilitated by SARRC. First Place will demonstrate and advance best practices in residential options for adults with autism and related disorders, and inspire public policy changes benefiting adults with autism nationwide and around the world. By developing a new prototype for supportive housing that promotes thoughtful design, community integration and the safety, security and comforts of home, we will enable individuals to live more independently, productively and happily, exceeding their dreams and those of their families.