Desire'e Hardge, MBA
Desire'e Hardge is a healthcare executive and nonprofit leader serving as CEO and Executive Director of the Maricopa County Medical Society (MCMS), as well as Editor-in-Chief of Arizona Physician Magazine. In her leadership role, she oversees a network of more than 11,000 physicians across Arizona, guiding initiatives focused on advocacy, policy engagement, professional development, and strengthening the physician community. She is also a recognized thought leader, named among the 2025 Titan CEO 100, reflecting her impact on healthcare leadership and organizational growth.
With nearly two decades of experience across nonprofit, for-profit, and healthcare sectors, Desire'e has built a career centered on business development, strategic partnerships, and mission-driven leadership. Her work has included scaling organizations, expanding community relations efforts, and supporting capital development and fundraising initiatives. She holds an MBA from the University of Phoenix and has earned additional executive leadership certifications, further strengthening her expertise in organizational strategy and healthcare systems advancement.
Desire'e’s career journey reflects a strong commitment to advocacy, service, and elevating underrepresented voices within healthcare. Her earlier professional experiences included work in banking and law, but she ultimately transitioned into nonprofit and healthcare leadership to focus on meaningful community impact. Today, she combines executive leadership with editorial influence through MCMS and Arizona Physician Magazine, using both platforms to support physicians, shape healthcare dialogue, and advance policy discussions at local, state, and national levels.
• University of Phoenix- M.B.A.
• Phoenix Titan 100 - Top 100 CEOs in Phoenix (2025)
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to having faith and believing in myself. As a believer, God is in who I am and everything I do. I was a single mom at such a young age - I got pregnant when I was 19 - and I had to lean on God, and I have been ever since. So I would say have faith and belief in yourself, because while people do believe and have faith in you, there's no higher good than the faith and belief which you put in yourself. I would also say gratitude - have gratitude in everything we do. And treat people as if everyone's the same, whether they're an executive or a clerk at a grocery store, because you never know, they may be coming up, and you never know what people are going through either. I think because of the current climate we're in, whether locally, nationally, or geopolitically, there's a lot of information coming at us on a daily basis. To believe in the value in which you are and what you bring is so important right now when everything and everyone is being challenged, whether psychologically, emotionally, physically, intellectually, or politically. Stand firm in your belief and don't be persuaded by what others may think, say, or do when you know yourself to be true.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I’ve ever received is rooted in my faith—God has been my greatest mentor and guiding influence, providing the constant strength, wisdom, and direction I rely on, even as human mentors come and go throughout my journey.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
The advice I would highlight the most is: Have faith and believe in yourself. As a believer, God is in who I am and everything I do, but especially because I was a single mom at such a young age - I got pregnant when I was 19 - I had to lean on God, and I have been ever since. So have faith and belief in yourself, because while people do believe and have faith in you, there's no higher good than the faith and belief which you put in yourself. I would also say have gratitude - gratitude in everything we do. And treat people as if everyone's the same, whether they're an executive or a clerk at a grocery store, because you never know where they may be going, and you never know what people are going through either.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
I think the biggest challenge right now goes back to faith. Because of the current climate in which we're at, whether it's locally, nationally, or geopolitically, there's a lot of information that's coming at us on a daily basis. To believe in the value in which you are and what you bring is so important right now when everything and everyone is being challenged, whether that's psychologically, emotionally, physically, intellectually, or politically. The battle right now is having faith and standing firm in your belief, and not being persuaded by what others may think, say, or do when you know yourself to be true. We're also working on workforce deficits in healthcare, and we just concluded our legislative season dealing with laws that are being written, made, and confirmed. My work involves advocating with key stakeholders to ensure we sustain what we're seeing at the local and federal level, so that our physicians are able to provide quality care to the patients they see.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values most important to me are faith, gratitude, and treating all people with respect. God is at the center of who I am and everything I do. I believe in having gratitude in everything we do and treating people as if everyone's the same, whether they're an executive or a clerk at a grocery store, because you never know where they may be going and you never know what people are going through. I also value advocacy for those who are marginalized or unseen, and advocating for real issues that are affecting real people on a daily basis. I found the nonprofit sector more gratifying and aligned with who I am as a person and what I wanted to do to give back to our community and give voice to those who need it. Standing firm in your belief and not being persuaded by what others may think, say, or do when you know yourself to be true is also essential to me.