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Arizona Center for Civic Leadership
Enhancing civic life in Arizona through education, engagement, and leadership programs.
The Center’s cornerstone initiative which includes participation in the Flinn-Brown Academy and Flinn-Brown Network.
Meet the 465 Fellows who make up the Flinn-Brown Network through this searchable directory.
Join us for monthly virtual public policy seminars emphasizing learning and discussion.
A partnership to measure Arizona's progress on civic participation and connected communities—and act.
Meet the 2024 Flinn-Brown Fellows, learn about their careers and public service, and the communities they serve.
An annual gathering of Flinn-Brown Fellows to make connections while learning about public service from policy experts and Fellows.
Connect with Arizona Center for Civic Leadership: Stay up to date. Join our email list.
The Arizona Center for Civic Leadership
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.
Political strategists Fellow Tony Cani and Daniel Scarpinato share election insights
In this 11th episode of the Leadership for a Better Arizona podcast, hosted by Dawn Wallace with the Arizona Center for Civic Leadership at the Flinn Foundation, Flinn-Brown Fellow Tony Cani, founder of Slingshot Campaigns, and Daniel Scarpinato, president of Winged Victory Agency, discuss the issues that are top of mind for Arizona voters in the upcoming general election.
The political strategists talk about the party breakdown of Arizona voters, expected turnout, the realignment of the parties, the impact of debates, statewide propositions and how the size of the Maricopa County ballot may influence outcomes. [Listen]
Flinn-Brown Fellow Alfred Urbina: ‘My roots make me who I am today’
Alfred Urbina’s first job was as a paperboy for the Arizona Daily Star when he was in the third grade. He continued to work through high school as a busboy while he dreamed of becoming an attorney. His dream came true.
The Army veteran went on to serve as Attorney General of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe.
Urbina said his life has been shaped by the resilience of his blue-collar family that comes from South Tucson and has made their livings by working in Arizona’s copper mines and cotton fields in places such as Marana, Sahuarita, and Continental. [Read more]
Flinn-Brown Fellow Elyse Guidas leading effort of food access and security
Flinn-Brown Fellow Elyse Guidas talks about her dedication to providing access to food for Arizonans during this 10th episode of the Leadership for a Better Arizona podcast, hosted by Dawn Wallace with the Arizona Center for Civic Leadership at the Flinn Foundation.
Guidas, a 2019 Fellow and executive director of Activate Food Arizona, shares stories about being impacted by food insecurity during her Phoenix childhood and her passion to eliminate barriers for others. The podcast conversation ranges from mobile markets to school lunches to EBT cards to local farmers. [Listen]
Five Fellows honored with 2024 Flinn-Brown Awards
The 2024 Flinn-Brown Awards have been given to five Fellows: 2014 Fellow Ben Henderson (Jack Jewett Award), 2017 Fellow Sarah Rose Webber (Network Builder Award), 2018 Fellow Kate Morley (Northern Arizona Champion), 2019 Fellow Jaclyn Boyes (Central Arizona Champion), and 2022 Fellow Reetika Dhawan (Southern Arizona Champion). The awards were announced during the annual Flinn-Brown Convention in August.
The individual winners of the Flinn-Brown Awards have made significant contributions to Arizona as state-government advisers, elected officials, agency executives, and policy experts—and have played important roles in strengthening their communities and the Flinn-Brown Network. [Read more]
Early childhood education, forming connections a passion for Fellow Sherri Jones
Sherri Jones, a 2022 Flinn-Brown Fellow from San Tan Valley, is a Florence Unified School District Governing Board member and development director for Rural Arizona Engagement in Pinal County.
Between 2002 and 2017, Jones drove almost 500,000 miles around rural Arizona advocating for early childhood education while she worked for the Association for Supportive Child Care. Her unwavering love for rural Arizona and early childhood education intersected perfectly at the Florence school board, which she was elected to in 2020. Jones said she always uses her voice to make sure people are reaching for network growth throughout Arizona. [Read more]
Arizona Center for Civic Leadership welcomes its 2024 Flinn-Brown Fellows
The Arizona Center for Civic Leadership at the Flinn Foundation’s leadership program—dedicated to state-level policy and politics and forging professional connections—selected 28 Arizonans as 2024 Flinn-Brown Fellows.
The 16th cohort of the nonpartisan Flinn-Brown Fellowship includes leaders from the private and public sector, elected officials, founders of nonprofit organizations and companies, physicians, lawyers, educators and more.
The 2024 Fellows are participating in the fall Flinn-Brown Academy, an intensive public policy institute, which began with the Flinn-Brown Convention. The Flinn-Brown Network now includes 465 Fellows from rural, urban, and tribal communities. [Read more]
News and Updates
Civic Leadership
2024 Clean Elections CAP Candidate Forum
Meet the Candidates: Central Arizona Water Conservation District Board of Directors
A webinar featuring candidates for the Central Arizona Water Conservation District Board of Directors was held Monday, Sept. 30. In 2024, the five seats up for election are in Maricopa County.
Civic Leadership
Flinn-Brown Fellow Alfred Urbina
Alfred Urbina’s first job was as a paperboy for the Arizona Daily Star when he was in the third grade. He continued to work through high school as a busboy while he dreamed of becoming an attorney, but he believed those dreams were “out of reach.”
Urbina is now Attorney General of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe.
Civic Leadership
September 2024 Network News
This week, while taping a podcast with a Flinn-Brown Fellow (who also happens to be our spotlight this month), I was caught off guard by a moment that was far more meaningful than I expected. After we wrapped up our conversation, he removed the necklace he had been wearing, a beautiful Ojo de Venado made in the colors of his tribe, and handed it to me as a thank you for our time together.
Civic Leadership
CivEx: Building Change-Ready Teams in an Uncertain World
The Arizona Center for Civic Leadership hosted a CivEx webinar Sept. 15 featuring Flinn-Brown Fellow Catherine Alonzo (Phoenix, 2013). She delved into the critical skill every 21st century leader must master: navigating and leading through change.
For information about Civic Leadership, please contact:
civicleadership@flinn.org or (602) 744-6832
