Fellows Spotlight
In each newsletter, we usually spotlight one Flinn-Brown Fellow—but this month, we’re recognizing a group of Fellows whose collective efforts contributed to one of the most significant regional wins in recent years: the passage of Proposition 479.
Though it’s been over half a year since voters approved the measure in November 2024, Proposition 479 remains a strong example of what can be accomplished through long-term planning, coordination across jurisdictions, and broad-based public engagement. The measure extended Maricopa County’s half-cent transportation sales tax through 2045, securing funding for regional infrastructure, public transit, and street improvements.
The work began in 2019, when the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG) initiated the development of a new long-range transportation plan. The final proposal was approved by MAG’s 32-member Regional Council, representing 70% of Arizona’s population.
Because Maricopa County is the only county in Arizona that must seek legislative approval before referring a transportation tax to the ballot, the process required navigating complex politics. Enabling legislation passed in 2022 but was vetoed. MAG and its partners returned in 2023, working through the longest legislative session in state history to secure passage of SB1102. Voters approved the measure in November 2024, and MAG successfully defended it against a legal challenge.
Flinn-Brown Fellows were involved at every level of this process—as local government leaders, legislative staff, advocates, legal advisors, and communications professionals. Their contributions reflect the breadth and depth of the Flinn-Brown Network and the value of cross-sector collaboration. Notably, Fellows from nearly every cohort year, from 2011 to 2025, played a role in this effort, demonstrating the enduring and statewide reach of the Network.
A special acknowledgment goes to Audra Koester Thomas (Fountain Hills, 2011), who joined MAG in 2015 to lead the development of the transportation plan. Her leadership and coordination over nearly a decade were key to the initiative’s success.
Proposition 479 is a clear example of what’s possible when Fellows lead from where they are—across agencies, institutions, and regional issues that shape Arizona’s future. Here’s to all the Flinn-Brown Fellows who did the heavy lifting:
- Ryan Peters (Chandler, 2025)
- The Honorable Terry Benelli (Mesa, 2011)
- The Honorable Daniel Hernandez, Jr. (Tucson, 2011)
- The Honorable Christopher Mathis (Tucson, 2011)
- Frank McCune (Phoenix, 2011)
- Talonya Adams (Phoenix, 2012)
- Eric Gudiño (Phoenix, 2012)
- David Longoria (Phoenix, 2012)
- The Honorable Joanne Osborne (Goodyear, 2012)
- The Honorable Christian Price (Maricopa, 2012)
- Catherine Alonzo (Phoenix, 2013)
- Luis Heredia (Chandler, 2013)
- Tony Cani (Phoenix, 2014)
- Blaise Caudill (Phoenix, 2014)
- The Honorable Kevin Hartke (Chandler, 2014)
- The Honorable Matt Gress (Phoenix, 2015)
- Alexis Danneman (Phoenix, 2016)
- Dana Kennedy (Phoenix, 2016)
- Marge Zylla (Tempe, 2017)
- Ben Blink (Phoenix, 2018)
- Kate Morley (Flagstaff, 2018)
- The Honorable Jennifer Pawlik (Chandler, 2018)
- The Honorable Bill Regner (Clarkdale, 2018)
- The Honorable Raquel Terán (Phoenix, 2018)
- Rosalva Zimmerman (Goodyear, 2018)
- The Honorable Tammy Caputi (Scottsdale, 2019)
- The Honorable Nicole Barraza (Tucson, 2020)
- Gabriel Jaramillo (Phoenix, 2022)
- Vinny Gallegos (Prescott, 2023)
- T.J. Mitchell (Phoenix, 2024)
If you missed a Fellows Spotlight, you can find them here.