Burnett School of Medicine at TCU Vice Dean Completes Successful Term as Fiesta Bowl Chair
Judy Bernas, Vice Dean and Chief Strategy and Communication Officer at the Anne Burnett Marion School of Medicine at Texas Christian University, finished her two-year term as Chair of the Fiesta Sports Foundation.
With just 18 seconds left in the fourth quarter, the Miami Hurricanes scored a late touchdown defeating the Ole Miss Rebels 31-27 in the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl College Football Playoff Semifinal on January 8. The dramatic comeback sent Miami to the National Championship game and marked the end of another successful run.
Judy Bernas, Vice Dean and Chief Strategy and Communication Officer at the Anne Burnett Marion School of Medicine at Texas Christian University, completed her two-year term as Chair of the Board for the Fiesta Sports Foundation. The Fiesta Sports Foundation is home to the premier College Football Playoff postseason game, the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Arizona.
“To me personally, the Fiesta Bowl has been a myriad of incredible experiences and watching some of the best football games,” Bernas said. “It has been my honor to be a part of the Fiesta Sports Foundation and continue to grow our bowl game into the best bowl game in all of college football. We want everyone to know that and share in that excitement and enthusiasm for college football each year.”
Bernas was appointed as chair in April 2024 and has overseen the 29-member board of directors during the 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons.
Over the last two football seasons, Bernas has led the strategic direction of the nonprofit organization during its first-ever College Football Playoff Quarterfinal at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl when the CFP expanded to a 12-team format.
“The Fiesta Bowl has been around for more than 50 years,” Bernas said. “In that time, we have celebrated some of the biggest games in college football.”
In 2025-26, the Fiesta Sports Foundation impacted more than a million Arizona residents through 22 charitable grants, youth programming, educational programming and sports programming.
“We really support our community,” Bernas said. “We’ve given an amazing amount of funds to help student athletes, build football fields, encourage education and scholarship, and support for our teachers in the community.”
Bernas became a board member of the Fiesta Bowl in 2013. During her time, she has served on committees in nominating and governance, hospitality, charitable giving, strategic planning and audit and compliance. Prior to becoming the Chair of the Board, she served as Board Chair-Elect and was a member of the Executive Committee.
Before joining the Burnett School of Medicine at TCU, she previously served at the University of Arizona for 24 years at the main campus in Tucson and helped launch their medical school in downtown Phoenix. She also served as Board Chair for the Arizona Sports and Tourism Authority and is a 40 Under 40 recipient from Inside Tucson Business and the Phoenix Business Journal.
She was named the 2013 Woman of the Year for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Arizona. Bernas received her undergraduate degree from the University of Arizona and is currently completing her Master of Public Health at Arizona.