Thirty Arizonans have been selected for the 2019 Flinn-Brown Civic Leadership Academy by the Arizona Center for Civic Leadership at the Flinn Foundation.
In addition to representatives from the Phoenix metro area, eight of the Flinn-Brown Fellows are from northern, eastern, and southern Arizona, including Clarkdale, Cottonwood, Prescott Valley, Superior, Casa Grande, Tucson, and Sierra Vista. This is the first time Fellows have been selected from Superior and Casa Grande.
The 2019 cohort members represent the private and public sectors in business and industry, government, nonprofits and education. The competitively selected Fellows come from a wide range of backgrounds, work experiences, and political perspectives and are expecting to pursue roles as state-level elected officials, state-agency executives, policy advisors, members of state boards or commissions, and executives in statewide organizations that affect public policy.
The Academy’s 14 interactive seminars, with a focus on policy, politics, and solutions, will begin in early February and conclude in early May. Dozens of presenters include elected and appointed officials, judges, executives, scholars, business leaders and other experts. Topics include the state budget, K-12 and higher education, corrections, courts, water, rural and urban interests, transportation and many other issues.
More than 350 Flinn-Brown Fellows have been selected since the start of the Flinn-Brown Academy in 2011. Together, the Fellows compose the Flinn-Brown Network, which provides long-term support, including continuing education and connection opportunities throughout the state, an annual Flinn-Brown Convention, and other activities.
“Each year we continue to be impressed with the wealth of talent and creativity among Arizonans and the desire of so many to dedicate their talents to the betterment of our state,” said Nancy Welch, director of the Arizona Center for Civic Leadership at the Flinn Foundation. “The 2019 Fellows will strengthen our Flinn-Brown Network and form relationships with other state-level leaders and those aspiring to have a significant impact on Arizona.”
Arizonans interested in learning more and applying for future cohorts can sign up for regular updates from the Arizona Center for Civic Leadership.
The Flinn Foundation is a Phoenix-based private, nonprofit, grantmaking organization, founded by Dr. Robert S. Flinn and Irene P. Flinn, in 1965, with the mission, “To improve the quality of life in Arizona to benefit future generations.” Along with the Arizona Center for Civic Leadership, the Foundation supports the advancement of Arizona’s bioscience sector, the Flinn Scholars Program, and Arizona arts and culture organizations.
The Thomas R. Brown Foundations of Tucson is a partner in the Flinn-Brown program. It supports solutions to community and state issues through grants and educational programs in the areas of research and education, workforce development, civic leadership, and economics education.
2019 Flinn-Brown Fellows
(Listing includes name, position, and city of residence)
Northern Arizona
Jodie Filardo: Community & Economic Development Director, Town of Clarkdale, Clarkdale
Kell Palguta: Mayor, Town of Prescott Valley, Prescott Valley
Nancy Steele: Executive Director, Friends of the Verde River, Cottonwood
Central Arizona
Jaclyn Boyes: Donor Relations Manager, A New Leaf, Phoenix
Ashley Bridwell: Program Coordinator, Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix
Lisa Cagnolatti: Consultant, Retired/Self Employed, Gilbert
Tammy Caputi: President, Yale Electric West, Inc., Scottsdale
Joseph Citelli: Chief Counsel, Arizona Registrar of Contractors, Phoenix
Melissa Duke: Senior Director, Ambulatory Pharmacy Services, Banner Health, Phoenix
Yan Gao: Budget Analyst, Governor’s Office of Strategic Planning and Budgeting, Phoenix
Trista Guzman Glover: Director, Constituent Services, Arizona Governor’s Office, Mesa
Elyse Guidas: Executive Director, Discovery Triangle Development Corporation, Phoenix
Michelle Kauk: Founder & President, MODE Public Affairs, Gilbert
Shane Leonard: General Manager, Roosevelt Water Conservation District, Higley
Amy Love: Deputy Director of Government Affairs, Arizona Supreme Court, Phoenix
Josue Macias: Continuous Improvement Manager, Office of the County Manager, Maricopa County, Phoenix
Aaron Magezi: Division Director, Rights of Way, Agriculture, Minerals, Oil and Gas, Arizona State Land Department, Phoenix
Adriana Garcia Maximiliano: Manager of Alumni Programs, New American Leaders, Phoenix
Jessica Rigler: Assistant Director, Arizona Department of Health Services, Chandler
Gina Roberts: Voter Education Director, Citizens Clean Elections Commission, Scottsdale
Tomas Robles: Co-Executive Director, LUCHA, Phoenix
Naketa Ross: Executive Director-Founder, ResilientMe, Laveen
Benjamin Taylor: Attorney-Partner, Taylor & Gomez Law, Phoenix
Alec Esteban Thomson: Chief Operations Officer, Arizona-Mexico Commission, Phoenix
Patrick Tighe: Associate, Snell & Wilmer, LLP, Chandler
Eastern Arizona
Mila Besich: Mayor, Town of Superior; Executive Director, Copper Corridor Economic Development Coalition, Superior
Southern Arizona
Tony Boone: Economic Development Manager, City of Sierra Vista, Sierra Vista
Kelly Fryer: CEO, YWCA Southern Arizona, Tucson
Matthew Herman: Council Member, Casa Grande; General Manager, Norris RV, Casa Grande
Bradley Williams: Project Manager, Steward Observatory, University of Arizona, Tucson