Thoughts from Dawn Wallace
Last week, we closed the application period for the 2020 Flinn-Brown Fellowship. We had a tremendous response this year, with 129 completed applications from truly remarkable individuals representing communities from all over the state.
When we put out the call to service in early April for help in recruiting members, we could not have anticipated to what degree each of you would respond and offer to contribute. This is the true power of the Flinn-Brown Network—the ability to combine talents and expertise with determination and get things done.
There is no doubt the unprecedented demand for the Fellowship is due primarily to the support of so many extraordinary Fellows in the Network, especially through promotion of the program with videos and other social media as well as the continued recruitment from your own networks. In fact, over 75% of our applicants reported that they heard about the program through a Flinn-Brown Fellow. During our virtual office hoursm we spoke with many applicants, and one of the first pieces of information they would share is which Fellow recommended the program to them.
My long-term goal is to continue to engage the tremendous talents of our Flinn-Brown Network through all aspects of our work at the Arizona Center for Civic Leadership. Your perspective as a Fellow is invaluable as we look for opportunities to enhance learning and networking for the Flinn-Brown Network, both through statewide activities and more regional connections. Additionally, as we head into the Fellowship seminar series in August and plan for the annual Flinn-Brown Convention this fall, I also welcome any suggestions you may have to improve our programming and associated Network activities.
Again, my sincere thanks to each of you for your support. Please continue to stay safe and healthy, and as always, we deeply appreciate our relationship with you—so please let us know if we can help you in any way.
Best wishes,
Dawn Wallace
Vice President, Civic Leadership
Flinn Foundation
Exciting Opportunities
There is a seat open for the Commission on Appellate Court Appointments, which plays a large part in both redistricting and selecting the supreme and appellate court judges. Applications are due by 5:00 p.m., May 15.
The Sierra Vista Sunrise Rotary course is now certified by USA Track and Field. The first race is Oct. 10 and benefits Rotary vocational scholarships. Register here!
Flinn-Brown Fellows Updates
Chip Davis (Clarkdale) has been appointed by the Yavapai County Board of Supervisors to be the Yavapai County treasurer. He will run for that position in the upcoming election cycle.
Ben Graff (Scottsdale) was featured in an article in North Phoenix Family.
Chris Stoller (Washington, D.C.) is now the senior account executive at DCI Group, a public-affairs firm in Washington, D.C. DCI was founded in Phoenix and does a lot of work in Arizona.
Mitchell Moore (Phoenix) is the new chief financial officer for ACCEL, Arizona Centers for Comprehensive Education and Life Skills, in Phoenix.
Erin Carr-Jordan (Phoenix) is now a board member for Arizona’s Developmental Disabilities Advisory Council.
Coral Evans (Flagstaff) received a Viola Award for her support of arts and culture.
Christopher Nagata (Ann Arbor, Michigan) is now the division administrator for Northwestern Medicine.
Lea Marquez Peterson (Tucson) was appointed to the National Small Business Development Center Advisory Board.
Nora Hannah (Phoenix) was recently honored for her leadership of Experience Matters.
Alec Esteban Thomson (Phoenix) is leading the Arizona Together initiative and continuing his role as director of the Arizona Complete Count Committee for the 2020 Census.
John Garcia III (Los Angeles) was recently elected to join the board of the NYC Leadership Academy, an organization focused on building educational leadership and advancing equity across the nation.
Stacy Reinstein (Phoenix) is promoting her program, Connecting Arizona, which focuses on awareness and kindness during this time of isolation.
Peter Huisking (Sierra Vista) was selected by the American Red Cross Southern Arizona Chapter as the 2019 “Volunteer of the Year for Service to the Armed Forces.” He has been a medical-support assistant at the Raymond W. Bliss Army Health Center in Ft. Huachuca since 2015.
Will Barnow (Phoenix) is the new vice president, government relations at Verra Mobility.
Jaclyn Boyes (Phoenix) started a new position as senior career specialist at Thunderbird School of Global Management.
Joe Fu (New York City) is now the director of strategic initiatives at UnitedHealthcare for the greater New York City area.