Flinn-Brown Fellowship Leaders Named

Members of the 14th cohort of Flinn-Brown Fellows, bringing together diverse political perspectives, experience, and policy interests, currently serve in the private and public sectors, including business and industry, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations.

The 2022 Fellows represent nine Arizona counties, including the first Flinn-Brown Fellow from La Paz County. About half of the cohort is from outside the Phoenix area, including Flagstaff, Page, Prescott, Quartzsite, Saint David, San Tan Valley, Sonoita, Tucson, and Yuma.

Becoming a Flinn-Brown Fellow brings membership in the distinguished Flinn-Brown Network and participation in the Flinn-Brown Academy, a 12-session policy institute that offers unparalleled rigorous learning about Arizona policy and politics—and connections with top state leaders and policy experts. The Academy begins in August and concludes with the annual Flinn-Brown Convention in November, a day-long professional-development gathering for the entire Flinn-Brown Network.

“Flinn-Brown is a chance for these professionals to learn from our state’s top experts. They’ll also build friendships and networks that will advance their understanding of policy and the political landscape—and provide the support they need to become impactful civic leaders throughout Arizona,” said Dawn Wallace, Flinn Foundation vice president for civic leadership.

The 2022 Flinn-Brown Fellows, including position(s), city of residence, and county, are:

• Sophie Allen-Etchart: CEO & Founder, Read Better Be Better, Phoenix, Maricopa County
• Amanda Burke: Executive Vice President, Center for the Future of Arizona, Phoenix, Maricopa County
• Amy Cislak: Principal, Tanque Verde High School, Tucson, Pima County
• Michael Deiana Jr.: Education Program Manager, Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry, Anthem, Maricopa County
• The Honorable Reetika Dhawan: Vice President of Workforce & CTE, Arizona Western College; Governing Board Member, Southwest Technical Education of Yuma, Yuma, Yuma County
• David Engelthaler: Director, Associate Professor, TGen North, Flagstaff, Coconino County
• Julie Euber: CEO, SARSEF (Southern Arizona Research, Science and Engineering Foundation), Tucson, Pima County
• The Honorable Brannon Hampton: Financial Advisor, Edward Jones; Vice Mayor, City of Goodyear, Goodyear, Maricopa County
• Charlinda Haudley: Deputy Scheduler, Office of U.S. Senator Mark Kelly, Tucson, Pima County
• The Honorable Andrew Hettinger: Magistrate, City of Page, Page, Coconino County
• Douglas Hockstad: Assistant Vice President, Tech Launch Arizona, Tucson, Pima County
• Gabriel Jaramillo: Director, Healthy Communities, Vitalyst Health Foundation, Phoenix, Maricopa County
• The Honorable Sherri Jones: Program Development Specialist, Arizona Department of Economic Security-Child Care Administration; Governing Board Member, Florence Unified School District, San Tan Valley, Pinal County
• Tomás León: President, Equality Health Foundation, Phoenix, Maricopa County
• Sarah León: Grants & Community Engagement Director, Phoenix Office of Arts & Culture, Phoenix, Maricopa County
• Adam Lopez Falk: Community Program Officer, Arizona Community Foundation, Phoenix, Maricopa County
• Kim Madrigal: COO, Boys & Girls Club of the Valley, Scottsdale, Maricopa County
• Darcy Mentone: Director of Communications & Public Affairs, Vail Unified School District, Sonoita, Santa Cruz County
• Jerry McPherson: Director of Economic Empowerment, Greater Phoenix Urban League, Tempe, Maricopa County
• April Rhodes: CEO, Spectrum Healthcare, Prescott, Yavapai County
• Alanna Riggs: Executive Liaison, U.S Army Intelligence Center of Excellence, Ft. Huachuca, Saint David, Cochise County
• Chris Richardson: Deputy CIO, Arizona State University, Scottsdale, Maricopa County
• Edgar Soto: Vice President, Pima Community College, Tucson, Pima County
• Hiral Tipirneni: Chair/Healthcare Advocate, HEAL PAC (Health Equity and Access through Leadership), Glendale, Maricopa County
• The Honorable Monica Timberlake: Realtor, Valley of the Sun Real Estate; Governing Board Member, Quartzite Elementary School District, Quartzsite, La Paz County
• Kevin Volk: Investor and Housing Builder, Volk Company, Tucson, Pima County
• Avery Xola: Voter Education Specialist, Arizona Citizens Clean Elections Commission, Queen Creek, Maricopa County

Since 2011, more than 400 Flinn-Brown Fellows have been selected for the Flinn-Brown Fellowship, created to foster civic leaders in Arizona by building knowledge, skills, and a robust network to find solutions for Arizona’s long-term issues.

The newest Fellows were chosen following interviews with a selection committee of Arizona leaders:

• John Arnold: Executive Director, Arizona Board of Regents
• Cheryl Lombard: President & CEO, Valley Partnership
• Josh Mackey: Vice President and Chief Human Resource Officer, Northern Arizona University
• Adam Goodman: President, Goodmans Interior Structures
• Daniel Valenzuela: Firefighter and former Councilman, City of Phoenix
• Mignonne Hollis: Executive Director, Arizona Regional Economic Development Foundation and 2022 Flinn-Brown Arizona Champion–Southern Arizona
• Bobbie Shorr: Grants Director, Thomas R. Brown Foundations
• Dr. David Gullen: Chair, Board of Directors, Flinn Foundation

“The Flinn Foundation believes in investing in people to improve the quality of life in Arizona. The Flinn-Brown Fellows are a perfect example of the good that can arise in our state by identifying and supporting future leaders,” said Tammy McLeod, Ph.D., Flinn Foundation president and CEO.

The Flinn Foundation is a Phoenix-based private, nonprofit, grantmaking organization, founded by Dr. Robert S. Flinn and Irene P. Flinn in 1965 with a mission to improve the quality of life in Arizona to benefit future generations. In addition to 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 nonpartisan Arizona Center for Civic Leadership at the Flinn Foundation enhances civic life in Arizona through Flinn-Brown and other civic education, leadership, and engagement programs. Arizona Civic Exchange—CivEx—creates opportunities for the public to become better informed on political and policy topics impacting their communities. The Center promotes civic engagement through the Civic Leadership Collaborative and the Arizona Civic Life Partnership, convening organizations driving public discussion about the importance of civic participation and connected communities to effective civic leadership—and our broader prosperity and quality of life.

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.