Valerie Pullara is the newest face on the Pima County Small Business Commission, an entity working closely with the Board of Supervisors to give voice to the concerns of small business owners in the region. This organization, founded in 2003, aims to bridge communication between the local entrepreneurs and the county's decision-makers. Pullara, appointed by Supervisor Sylvia Lee, juggles two professional roles: she's the helm of both a non-profit dog support center and a mentoring outfit for small businesses, as reported by the Pima County.
Pullara's day job as the Executive Director of Sol Dog Lodge and Training Center puts her right in the middle of dog lovers' affairs in Pima County. According to a recent profile by the Pima County Newsroom, she leads a 501(c)(3) non-profit striving to ensure every dog can to live a fulfilled life. In SCORE, she takes up the mantle of Chapter Chair for Southern Arizona, guiding small business owners towards success over the business lifespan. She's been in the non-profit sector for six years and mentoring for over two decades.
The drive to support canines and their owners spring from a thirty-year engagement with Arizona Greyhound Rescue, from where she saw a pronounced service gap for canine care and support. Sol Dog Lodge was her answer to this gap, offering a wide array of services intended to keep dogs healthy and homebound, even amidst family challenges. Managing the day-to-day while aiding in the launch of a new $4M Dog Center in Marana, she's a busy woman with a mission.
Her reason for joining the Small Business Commission was clear-cut. In a statement obtained by the Pima County Newsroom, she expressed a desire to put her skills in city management and business leadership to good use for the small business sector. The move allows her to take an active part in pivotal discussions that can shape the entrepreneurial landscape in Pima County. It's work that already gives her great satisfaction, despite her recent arrival on the commission.
Outside of her dual roles, Pullara extends her influence by mentoring start-up nonprofits and volunteering as a greyhound foster mom. As she weaves these threads of community engagement into her life, her love for her hometown shines through. The "incredible friendships," a "supportive community," and "scenic beauty" of the region, as she told the Pima County Newsroom, are the cornerstones of her commitment to the place she calls home.
