The academy, offered through the Arizona Center for Civic Leadership, aims to prepare and support Arizona’s future civic leaders
The Arizona Center for Civic Leadership has announced the 25 Arizonans selected for the sixth Flinn-Brown Civic Leadership Academy. Among them are two University of Arizona leaders – Karen Francis-Begay, UA assistant vice president for tribal relations, and Tannya Gaxiola, UA special adviser to the president on public outreach.
The non-partisan Flinn-Brown Civic Leadership Academy, supported by the Flinn Foundation in Phoenix and the Thomas R. Brown Foundations in Tucson, helps to prepare and support Arizona’s future civic leaders through advising as well as seminars on issues vital to the state’s long-term success.
Fellows selected for this year’s academy come from across the state and include university leaders, local government officials, business and nonprofit leaders, economic development specialists, policy analysts and government affairs professionals.
“I am thrilled to have been selected to participate in the academy,” Gaxiola said.
“The University of Arizona is an important partner for every county throughout Arizona. For that reason, the deeper understanding of statewide issues that I will gain through the Flinn-Brown Civic Leadership Academy will be invaluable in my work here at the University,” Gaxiola said. “I am looking forward to learning a lot, making some great connections, and ultimately doing better service to our University and our state.”
During the academy’s seminar series, fellows will have the opportunity to learn about public policy and leadership from public- and private-sector experts, scholars, elected officials, current and former agency heads, and others, while discussing and analyzing public policy choices in today’s world.
Participating as the UA’s assistant vice president for tribal relations, Francis-Begay said: “This bestows upon me the responsibility to provide insight and knowledge about how our different tribal governments work so that I, myself, can strengthen my civic leadership abilities, whether it’s in the political arena, the education arena or even potentially in the tribal government system.”
“I’m delighted to have this opportunity and I’m proud to represent the University of Arizona,” she said.
Flinn-Brown Civic Leadership Academy fellows are selected through a competitive process that includes a formal application and in-person interview by a committee of accomplished Arizona civic leaders. The Leadership Council of the Arizona Center for Civic Leadership makes the final selection.
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Two UA Leaders Chosen for Flinn-Brown Civic Leadership Academy,
