Stefanie Mach becomes first Flinn-Brown Fellow elected to state office

December 7, 2012

By Arizona Center for Civic Leadership

Stefanie Mach has become the first Flinn-Brown Civic Leadership Academy Fellow to successfully run for a state-level office.

Stefanie Mach, April 2012.

Mach was elected to the Arizona House of Representatives from District 10 (Tucson) in the November 2012 General Election in her first-ever run for public office.

Mach, a member of the Fall 2011 Flinn-Brown Academy, said the Academy trained her well for the issues she will be facing in the state legislature.

“I believe it will be huge knowing that I have the background from expert sources that Flinn-Brown was able to provide,” Mach said. “I believe I am a step ahead in understanding water, budget, infrastructure, demographic, transportation, and other issues.”

Mach said being able to meet such a diverse group of people from different fields has helped her feel more comfortable in approaching the complex issues.  She added the relationships and networking offered through the Academy will be beneficial in solving the state’s programs as she prepares to work across the aisle at the legislature.

Mach believes there will be more Flinn-Brown Fellows elected to state office —many already hold local offices— and recommends the program to others.

Thea Wilshire, clinical director of the San Carlos Apache Wellness Center and a member of the same Fall 2011 cohort as Mach, praised the network that developed during the sessions.

“While I enjoyed the lectures and discussions, I believe the relationships formed through the Flinn-Brown Academy are even more valuable and foundational to the future leadership roles that Flinn-Brown hopes we will step into,” Wilshire said. “Already these connections have helped me with a number of public policy and applied leadership challenges.”

The Fall 2012 seminar series wrapped up in November, and the selection process has started for the Spring 2013 session that begins in March.

The Flinn-Brown Civic Leadership Academy, sponsored by the Flinn Foundation in Phoenix and the Thomas R. Brown Foundations in Tucson, is a component of the Arizona Center for Civic Leadership.

Read more about Stefanie Mach here.