- Resources
- Programs
- Flinn-Brown Fellowship
- CivEx
- Civic Leadership Collaborative
- Arizona Civic Life Partnership
- Flinn Young Leaders
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.
Fellow Gina Roberts talks voter education in Leadership Forward podcast
Gina Roberts, a 2019 Flinn-Brown Fellow from Scottsdale and voter education director at Arizona Citizens Clean Elections Commission, speaks about her time spent in election administration, the cruciality of voter education, a partnership with the Arizona Media Association and the role that the Arizona Citizens Clean Elections Commission plays in Arizona politics. Bonus: Learn which Hogwarts house she’d most like to be assigned to.
This is the ninth episode of the Leadership for a Better Arizona podcast by the Arizona Center for Civic Leadership at the Flinn Foundation. Learn more about the most important issues facing Arizona from Flinn-Brown Fellows. [Listen]
Collaboration theme of upcoming 2024 Flinn-Brown Convention
The annual Flinn-Brown Convention—a Fellows-only event for the 465 members of the Flinn-Brown Network—will be held on Friday, Aug.16 at On Jackson in Phoenix.
The all-day event will focus on the theme, “Collaboration: A Network That Invokes Change,” and will feature a panel discussion with two federal judges, moderated by Flinn-Brown Fellows Alesia Ash and Christine Thompson. The winners of the annual Flinn-Brown Awards will be announced as well.
Fellows-only registration is available. [Learn more]
Fellow Tammy Caputi’s determination leads to successful business, service to Scottsdale
Tammy Caputi is the president and owner of Yale Electric West, Inc., a lighting and electrical supply distributing company. From the beginning, the 2019 Flinn-Brown Fellow never let the demographics of her predominantly male industry be a crutch, or something that could define the success of her business.
Meanwhile, Caputi’s compassion for Scottsdale and Arizona has driven her time as a Scottsdale City Councilwoman. Caputi, who is seeking her second term on the council this fall, felt there was a need for open-mindedness and balance. [Read more]
Leadership Forward podcast features physician and Fellow Dr. Nick Vasquez
Dr. Nick Vasquez, a 2016 Flinn-Brown Fellow and emergency physician in the East Valley, speaks with host Dawn Wallace of the Arizona Center for Civic Leadership at the Flinn Foundation for this eighth episode of the Leadership Forward for a Better Arizona podcast.
Vasquez, who serves as a Vitalyst Health Foundation trustee among other community service roles, talks about his experiences in the emergency department and how it is representative of the community and public policy, diversity and equity in health care, reading as an indicator of future health behaviors, changes in physician recruitment strategies, and his love of chess. [Listen]
Flinn-Brown Fellow Jane Strain of Sierra Vista a longtime community college advocate
Jane Strain is an Army veteran, retired educator, respected civic leader, and activist for a range of organizations. She experienced two pivotal moments in the American history: desegregation of public schools and integration of the U.S. military.
The 2013 Flinn-Brown Fellow from Sierra Vista is running for her fifth term on the Cochise Community College governing board. Such long terms may sound overwhelming, but Strain sees the elevation of community colleges to a highly sought-after higher education option as its own reward. [Read more]
Arizona Center for Civic Leadership announces 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—has 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 will participate in the fall Flinn-Brown Academy, an intensive public policy institute, which begins 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
June 2024 Network News
Every summer, I eagerly trade the scorching Arizona heat for a charming seaside town along the Pacific Coast Highway. My time here is mostly solitary with occasional family visits. Away from our usual routines, I revel in the fact that our conversations naturally shift from the mundane logistics of life to more meaningful exchanges.
Civic Leadership
Flinn-Brown Fellow Tammy Caputi’s determination leads to successful business, service to Scottsdale
“The conversations we had at Flinn-Brown were so deep and definitely got me used to speaking across the aisle, and speaking with people who have wildly different opinions, in a polite and courteous way. It was a real exchange of knowledge and information and opinions. There was no toxicity; it was just total respect and the understanding of other people. I learned so much.” — The Honorable Tammy Caputi, Scottsdale City Council
Civic Leadership
Flinn Foundation names new leaders as longtime executive retires
Brad Halvorsen joined the Flinn Foundation in 1989 as its first communications employee. After 35 years of service to the foundation and Arizona, including nearly a decade as executive vice president, Halvorsen retires June 14. Halvorsen’s departure prompts two other executive leadership changes. Vice President, Communications Matt Ellsworth has been promoted to chief administrative officer, […]
Civic Leadership
May 2024 Network News
It’s been a crazy busy month at the Center!
Our biggest news was the announcement of the 2024 Flinn-Brown Fellows – 28 remarkable individuals who are now part of other prestigious Flinn-Brown Network. The 16th cohort includes leaders from nine counties, spanning the private and public sectors, elected officials, nonprofit founders, physicians, lawyers, educators, and more.
For information about Civic Leadership, please contact:
civicleadership@flinn.org or (602) 744-6832
Dawn Wallace
Vice President, Civic Leadership
Jennifer Papworth
Program Manager, Arizona Center for Civic Leadership
Danielle Underwood
Program Coordinator, Arizona Center for Civic Leadership
Anna McClure
Intern, Arizona Center for Civic Leadership