Arizona Capitol Times Your Inside Source for Arizona Government, Politics and Business

From a young age, Mike Liburdi knew he either wanted to work in politics or make a living as a pilot. In the end, he choose law school, the more pragmatic option, that would propel him into Arizona politics.

Chris Herstam spent 35 years at the Capitol, first as a lawmaker and last as a lobbyist, but the longtime public policy fanatic is ready to call it quits.

Francisco Meneses, Jr., remembers watching televised boxing matches as a child with his aunts and uncles at family parties. More than 20 years later, Meneses serves as executive director of the Boxing and Mixed Martial Arts Commission

Dan Hargest started screen-printing T-shirts in his back yard in 1999. Nowadays, he's more well-known as the printer who churned out nearly 25,000 “Red for Ed” shirts in the past two months.

Kurt Altman, the state director for Right on Crime, a group that pushes conservative solutions to reduce crime, went to college to play baseball, but he ended up an attorney whose career has taken him from facing down and defending criminals in county and federal courtrooms to lobbying for “Right to Try” legislation in 46 state Capitols.

Attorney Chris DeRose stepped into a new role as clerk of the Superior Court for Maricopa County last month, the first attorney to hold the position.

During his time at MAG, Dennis Smith was instrumental in developing the region’s 911 system and led the charge on passing two successful transportation taxes.

Matthew Simon’s path to his current position as the Goldwater Institute’s new director of education policy may be surprising.

Geoff Esposito, a familiar face at the Capitol, has a new role. As a lobbyist for Creosote Partners, the Chandler native has long been active in local Arizona politics, dating back to his high school years and stints at the Arizona School Boards Association and Expect More Arizona.

Jordan Harb, the 17-year-old Mesa student who helped organize a student walkout on March 14 to mark the one-month anniversary of the school shooting in Parkland, Fla., said he won’t be deterred by lawmakers’ lack of response.