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Improving the quality of life in Arizona to benefit future generations.
Enhancing civic life in Arizona through education, engagement, and leadership programs.
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The nonpartisan Arizona Center for Civic Leadership at the Flinn Foundation enhances civic life in Arizona through civic education, leadership, and engagement programs. The Arizona Civic Exchange—CivEx—creates opportunities for the public to become better informed and educated on political and policy topics impacting their communities. The prestigious Flinn-Brown Fellowship fosters civic leaders in Arizona by building knowledge, skills, and a robust network to find solutions for Arizona’s long-term issues. The Center promotes civic engagement through the Civic Leadership Collaborative and the Arizona Civic Life Partnership by convening organizations committed to generating public discussion about the critical importance of civic participation and connected communities to effective civic leadership—and our broader prosperity and quality of life.
John Garcia III, a 2012 Flinn-Brown Fellow living in Washington, D.C., is a senior advisor in the Office of Policy, Evaluation and Planning at the U.S. Department of Education where he strengthens pathways from K-12 to postsecondary and in-demand careers as part of the Unlocking Career Success Initiative, in partnership with the Department of Commerce and Department of Labor. He left a career in business, working at Intel and Jet Propulsion Labs, in order to improve the economic opportunities of our youth through education.
Garcia says Flinn-Brown creates connections and common understanding among civic leaders in Arizona, and there needs to be strong ways to communicate how “people-first policies” and compromise are good for all Arizonans. [Read more]
The Arizona Center for Civic Leadership in May will announce the approximately 25 Arizonans who will participate in the 2023 Flinn-Brown Academy and join the statewide network of more than 400 Flinn-Brown Fellows—leaders from all walks of life and perspectives.
Following a highly competitive application and interview process, the experienced leaders will be selected to participate in 11 full-day sessions of the Flinn-Brown Academy, starting in August, and expand their knowledge, skills, and networks to help address Arizona’s long-term issues.
The deadline to apply was Feb. 28.
Flinn-Brown Fellows Paul Perrault, Ph.D. and Lenay Dunn, Ph.D., along with Betsy Hargrove, Ed.D., Superintendent, Avondale Elementary School District, participated in the March 8 CivEx discussion about the impact of chronic absenteeism on student achievement and the increase of absenteeism in Arizona schools since the pandemic.
The webinar, part of a monthly series of public policy seminars emphasizing learning and discussion, discussed the 2022 report, Missing Too Much School, from the Helios Education Foundation and WestEd identifying trends in K-8 absenteeism. [Watch CivEx]
Benjamin Taylor, a 2019 Flinn-Brown Fellow from Phoenix, is a personal-injury, civil-rights, and criminal-defense attorney who is the president-elect of the Arizona State Bar Board of Governors. He is a member of the committee that selects people who interview potential Superior Court and Appellate Court judges.
Taylor’s passion is ensuring that our legal system gives everyone an equal opportunity. He also believes we need to respect everyone’s opinion and figure out a way to work together so that we all succeed. [Read more]
Ryan Gregg, a 2015 Flinn-Brown Fellow from Scottsdale, is the president of Gregg Global Group, a global advisory company that serves both the public and private sector with expertise in proactive and incident related cybersecurity services, regulatory compliance, and a comprehensive suite of solutions surrounding litigation and regulatory investigation related discovery and data analytics.
Gregg said being a member of the Flinn-Brown Network has provided a deep understanding of our state’s history and challenges, along with access to a network of esteemed leaders who keep him on top of current challenges we face as a state. [Read more]
Civic Leadership
Dr. Eric Reiman, nationally recognized Alzheimer’s researcher, selected as new chair Dr. David Gullen, the longest-serving member of the Flinn Foundation board of directors, is stepping down as chair after 21 years of leading the philanthropic grantmaking organization. He will remain a board member through March 2024 before retiring. Gullen, a physician who practiced internal […]
Civic Leadership
Thoughts from Dawn Wallace Technology becomes entrenched in our lives so quickly that it is sometimes hard to recall a world without even a recent change. Today, it’s unrealistic and unimaginable to think we could live a day outside the digital age. We live more comfortable lives owing to innovations that have helped us manage […]
Civic Leadership
Fellows Spotlight John Garcia III(Washington, D.C., 2012)Senior AdvisorUnited States Department of Education Twitter | LinkedIn 1. Can you please describe your work and how public policy impacts how you manage your organization? I’m currently a senior advisor in the Office of Policy, Evaluation and Planning at the U.S. Department of Education in Washington, D.C. In my office, […]
Civic Leadership
Fellows Spotlight Benjamin Taylor(Phoenix, 2019) Attorney, PartnerTaylor & Gomez Law, LLP LinkedIn | Twitter 1. Can you please describe your work and how public policy impacts how you manage your organization? I work as a personal injury, civil rights, and criminal defense attorney. I am currently the president-elect of the Arizona State Bar Board of Governors. One […]