Celie Downey-Foye was born and raised in Cheyenne, Wyoming. She attended Laramie County Community College in Cheyenne for two years before moving to Scottsdale, Arizona with her parents and future husband. Mrs. Downey-Foye completed her Bachelor’s Degree in Special Education at Arizona State University, after moving to Arizona. She student taught in Scottsdale, Arizona and received a teaching position for the remainder of that school year with the Scottsdale Unified School District. Mrs. Downey-Foye is certified to teach special education (K-12) with an emphasis in learning disabilities and emotional disabilities, as well as, elementary education (K-6).

Mrs. Downey-Foye and her husband made the decision to move to Casa Grande, Arizona in 1997 to get back to the small town roots they had grown up in living in Wyoming. Mrs. Downey-Foye was thrilled to accept a teaching position with the Casa Grande Elementary School District at Casa Grande Junior High
School. At the junior high school, she was a special education teacher for three years. During this time, she completed her Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership. Along with teaching and learning, she also coached the pom squad, coached girls’ basketball, directed the plays and musicals, and coached the
cheerleading squad while at the junior high school.

Mrs. Downey-Foye was one of the first two teachers hired into the new TOA (teacher-on-assignment) positions in 2000. She served as an assistant to the principals at Saguaro and Palo Verde schools for three years. In 2003, she was chosen as the principal for Saguaro Elementary School following Mr. Norm
Sam’s retirement and has proudly served as the principal ever sense. She has previously taught for both Central Arizona College and NAU as adjunct faculty. In 2009 and 2010, Mrs. Downey-Foye was named a semi-finalist in the RODEL Exemplary Principal Initiative.

Mrs. Downey-Foye and her husband are the proud parents of a daughter and son. Their daughter is a high school student and their son attends Saguaro. Mrs. Downey-Foye and her husband enjoy spending time with their children at home and traveling, as time allows. Raising children is a rewarding and
inspiring experience that happily consumes most of their free moments.

Mrs. Downey-Foye is honored to be a member of the Saguaro Family. She feels privileged and grateful every day to work with the caliber of teachers and other staff members who populate the classrooms and hallways of Saguaro Elementary School. Saguaro School is truly a family and without each and every
staff member, student, and parent, the family would not be complete.

"The one way the world hasn’t changed.  Teaching is still the most important job.”  - George Lucas