Lydia Guzman, a former Democratic candidate for the state Senate’s District 10, has been named outreach director for the Clean Elections Institute. Ms. Guzman’s duties will include educating the public generally and minorities in particular about how public campaign funding works in Arizona’s state races. Ms. Guzman also will assist in fund-raising efforts for the nonprofit organization, which promotes public funding of political campaigns. Ms. Guzman ran unsuccessfully for the Senate in District 10 this past election. She previously served as voter outreach director for the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office and as state director for the Southwest Voter Registration and Education Project.

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David Gowdey, former head of the Arizona Wildlife Federation, is the new executive director of the Wyoming Wildlife Federation. Mr. Gowdey grew up on a ranch outside of Prescott, where he became an avid fly fisherman and bird hunter. He is credited with helping increase membership under his leadership, from 405 to 627 in eight months in 2002.

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Governor Napolitano has appointed Flagstaff businessman Robert M. Montoya to the state Transportation Board. Mr. Montoya, whose term begins in January, will fill a seat representing Apache, Coconino and Navajo counties. He replaces Bill Jeffers of Holbrook. Mr. Montoya is the owner of Sun Mountain Real Estate and Development. He has a degree in business administration from Northern Arizona University. The seven-member board has final authority on establishing, opening, relocating, altering, vacating, or abandoning any portion of a state route or state highway, including establishment of parkways and historic and scenic roadways. The Transportation Board also awards construction contracts and monitors the status of construction projects. The Board distributes monies appropriated from the State Aviation Fund for planning, design, development, land acquisition, construction and improvement of publicly owned airport facilities. The board also approves airport construction.

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Jerry Bisgrove, chairman and CEO of Stardust Companies, has been elected board chairman of the Arizona Community Foundation (ACF). Mr. Bisgrove succeeds Robert M. (Bob) Delgado, president of Anheuser-Busch distributor Hensley & Company, as chair of one of Arizona’s largest philanthropies. Mr. Bisgrove has served on the ACF board for seven years, five of them as vice chair. Mr. Bisgrove is president of The Stardust Foundation, which is a private foundation, and the Stardust Charitable Fund, a support foundation at ACF. A frontrunner in supporting affordable housing, Mr. Bisgrove was the primary catalyst behind the formation of the Habitat for Humanity South Ranch Community, a 39-acre community of 195 homes in south Phoenix for low-income families. Established in 1978, the Arizona Community Foundation is a $400 million statewide philanthropy representing 765 charitable funds. Its Web site is www.azfoundation.org