Valley Leadership Launches Civic Engagement Impact Team!

June 24, 2024
Civic Engagement TeamNews and Announcements

Since 2019, Valley Leadership’s Impact Maker Teams have brought together VL alumni, staff, strategic partners, and funders to work meaningfully together to address Arizona’s most pressing issues.

These Teams have worked on issues ranging from opioid stigma reduction and housing to workforce development and early literacy. Through this work, Impact Teams have identified the connectivity between these issues and how policy and funding decisions can impact progress.

Ensuring trust in our institutions and elected officials is vital to Arizona’s future. This trust requires an accessible, transparent system that fosters engagement, participation and confidence in the democratic process. 

Over the last few months, VL has brought together alumni and community champions in this space as part of our Builder Team process to discuss how Valley Leadership can help address this most pressing issue. The group has had vibrant discussions about this issue, with two of our Principles of Doing helping guide our talks:

  • Arizona First – approach an issue from what is best for Arizona, not political party or individual ambition.
  • Integrity – engage other perspectives with respect, take responsibility for one’s own beliefs, actions, and biases, and value information, facts, and critical thinking. 

We’re now excited to announce the launch of our newest Impact Maker Team: the Civic Engagement Impact Team. This Team will work to foster civic engagement and participation by all Arizonans.

Special thanks to the alumni and leaders who helped shaped the above framework for the Team’s work:

Jane AndersenCatalyze Class 3
Adam GoodmanInstitute Class 39
Melissa GuardaroCatalyze Class 3
Paul JohnsonInstitute Class 6
Grady Gammage, Jr.Institute Class 4
Josh ShadeInstitute Class 29
Ginger Sykes TorresReady Together
Koran HardimonInstitute Class 37
Greg LimVL Board
Amanda BurkeCenter For The Future of Arizona
Meghaen Dell’ArtinoPublic Policy Partners
Denise ResnikFirst Place AZ, Vote the Spectrum
Brandon QuesterArizona Center for Investigative Reporting
Cassie BreecherBeyond Consulting

If you have any questions or are interested in joining the team, please contact Amanda Straight at amanda@valleyleadership.org.