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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, engagement, and leadership-development programs. Flinn Young Leaders emphasizes civic learning and skill-building and helps teens imagine paths to making a difference. CivEx delivers educational programming for the public to become better-informed on Arizona policy and political topics. The Civic Leadership Collaborative and the Arizona Civic Life Partnership convene organizations that strengthen civic participation and connected communities. The Center’s cornerstone, the prestigious Flinn-Brown Fellowship, is an immersive experience for community leaders from diverse backgrounds. Fellows engage in rich discussions with policymakers and political experts; join a robust professional network; and gain understanding of how to address Arizona’s most pressing issues through public service.
The 2025 Flinn-Brown Fellowship application is now open. The deadline to apply is Feb. 28.
This spring, about 25 Arizonans will be selected to join the statewide network of 465 Flinn-Brown Fellows—leaders from all walks of life and perspectives. Starting in August, the Fellows will participate in the Flinn-Brown Academy where they will learn from experts and each other about issues facing our state.
The Arizona Center for Civic Leadership at the Flinn Foundation’s is the premier statewide civic leadership program for experienced Arizona leaders to expand their knowledge, put their connections to use, and make a difference in their communities. [Learn more]
When 2014 Flinn-Brown Fellow Dan Coleman co-founded Modern Works Music Publishing about 20 years ago, he did not just enter the music industry—he helped reshape it. With none other than John Legend as the company’s first signing, Coleman’s vision for bridging artistry and commerce took root.
Nearly two decades later, his contributions have extended far beyond music publishing, earning him a reputation as a creative leader who brings the arts to life in communities across the nation. [Read more]
A CivEx webinar hosted by the Arizona Center for Civic Leadership examined the findings of the Civic Language Perceptions Project, An Arizona Snapshot. The study explored how Arizonans perceive and connect with civic language compared to national trends.
The Jan. 22 webinar was moderated by 2011 Flinn-Brown Fellow David Martinez III, director of strategic community partnerships at Vitalyst Health Foundation, with panelists Kristi Tate, director of civic health initiatives, Center for the Future of Arizona; Siri Erickson, program support lead, Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement; 2013 Flinn-Brown Fellow Teniqua Broughton, chief executive officer, State of Black Arizona; and Scott Koenig, executive director, Arizona Center for Rural Leadership. [Watch]
Alfred Urbina describes himself as a husband, father, and grandfather from South Tucson. He’s also a 2013 Flinn-Brown Fellow who started as a paperboy and busboy and went on to serve in the military, as a police officer, and later a prosecutor, Attorney General, and judge for Arizona tribal communities.
In this 14th episode of the Leadership Forward for a Better Arizona podcast, hosted by Dawn Wallace with the Arizona Center for Civic Leadership at the Flinn Foundation, Urbina talks about his Flinn-Brown experience, tribal government, his optimism for greater inclusion of tribal leaders, and his hope for integrating Native American history into Arizona history and requiring it be taught in schools. [Listen]
Flinn-Brown Fellow Lisa Schnebly Heidinger, a renowned author, journalist, and historian, shares her stories of Arizona and future plan to promote teachers with Leadership Forward for a Better Arizona host Dawn Wallace of the Arizona Center for Civic Leadership at the Flinn Foundation.
Schnebly Heidinger, a 2012 Flinn-Brown Fellow and third generation Arizonan, has worked in print, radio and television journalism and written books, including “Sedona Schnebly” about her great-grandmother and namesake of Sedona. In this 13th episode of the podcast, learn about her interviews with Arizona icons Barry Goldwater and Sandra Day O’Connor and the real story of the miner on the Arizona State Seal. [Listen]
When Elizabeth Alvarado-Thorson was a child, she and her five siblings watched as two men in suits left their family home. Shortly after, their parents sat them down, and their father explained that the men had presented them with an opportunity to give back to the state of Arizona. It was the late 1970s, a time of rapid growth in Phoenix, and their opportunity came in the form of giving up their home to allow for the expansion of I-10.
For Alvarado-Thorson, a 2017-Flinn-Brown Fellow, her father’s legacy of service and gratitude continues to guide her work and inspire her every day. Her current title? Director of the Arizona Department of Administration, a role that speaks volumes about her exceptional leadership skills and dedication to public service. [Read more]
Civic Leadership
The Flinn-Brown Fellowship is a statewide civic leadership program like no other. Now in its second decade, the Arizona Center for Civic Leadership at the Flinn Foundation offers the premier program for experienced leaders to expand their knowledge, put their connections to use, and make a difference in their communities. Now seeking applicants for 2025 […]
Civic Leadership
Happy New Year!
Can you believe it? We’re officially a quarter of the way through the 21st century. Twenty-five years ago, we were nervously stockpiling bottled water and canned goods for Y2K, worrying that computers would crash, planes might fall from the sky, and microwaves would stop working.
Civic Leadership
When Dan Coleman co-founded Modern Works Music Publishing in 2004, he did not just enter the music industry—he helped reshape it. With none other than John Legend as the company’s first signing, Coleman’s vision for bridging artistry and commerce took root.
Civic Leadership
An engaging CivEx webinar featuring a four-person panel and moderated by 2011 Flinn-Brown Fellow David Martinez III, director of strategic community partnerships at Vitalyst Health Foundation, examined the findings of the Civic Language Perceptions Project, An Arizona Snapshot.