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Supreme Court Justice Timmer: Fourth of a kind
Four.
In more than 100 years of statehood, four women have served on the Arizona Supreme Court.
But Justice Ann Scott Timmer found the one silver lining to the state’s gross underrepresentation at its highest court: “The good news is I’m in the top five of all time.”
Coral Evans at home as Flagstaff mayor, represents even foes
Coral Evans grew up living in public, low-income housing in Flagstaff, a place her family has called home for three generations. Now, she is proud to represent her city as the mayor. But that isn’t the only thing on Evans’ plate.
She recently published a self-help book, which features her own original poetry and is also working on a PhD in sustainability education. Full of energy after a little less than a year in office, Evans says she is hopeful about the direction the city is headed.
Wendy Baldo
The sand upon which the state Capitol sits shifts every two years to produce a changing cast of politicians, and that’s why its inhabitants value stability and consistency like desert creatures pang for water.
And few provide a stabilizing presence like Wendy Baldo, the Senate’s longtime chief of staff, who offers not just knowledge, but institutional knowledge, and not just any counsel, but counsel rooted in experience.
Wendy Briggs
Veridus comes from the Latin word veredus, meaning a swift horse or a hunter. Another dictionary defines it as a thill horse, meaning a horse that supports the shafts of a carriage.
It’s an apt description of the craftsmanship Wendy Briggs brings to the table. A founding director at lobbying firm Veridus LLC and one of the most respected in her profession, Briggs has built a reputation as relentless, tireless, dependable and tough as nails – qualities that have served her clients well.
Deb Gullett
With words, lobbyists must persuade policymakers to adopt a change, rebuff a proposal or modify a policy. And that’s why while subject matter expertise is important, credibility is everything and relationships matter.
And when it comes to credibility and building relationships, among the best is Deb Gullett, whose experience in the public policy arena is as expansive as the Arizona sky.
Cathi Herrod
The historian Garry Wills once mused how Americans are periodically astonished to see evangelical Christians blazing on the national stage in what he described as a “cyclic pattern of flarings and fadings.”
No such musings are necessary in Arizona, where evangelical Christians’ influence on policy has been consistently palpable for decades, much of which can be credited to the Center for Arizona Policy and its president, Cathi Herrod.
Patrice Kraus
In the kingdom of term limits and constant turnovers, institutional knowledge is king.
And few can match Patrice Kraus’ experience, skill and political acumen as a lobbyist.
Before joining the League of Arizona Cities and Towns, Kraus had spent two decades as lobbyist for the city of Chandler. Previously, she worked for the Arizona Senate and in Gov. Rose Mofford’s administration.
Jodi Liggett
Given the Legislature’s political and philosophical leanings, to represent Planned Parenthood’s interests at the state Capitol can seem like off-roading on a Prius at the Broken Arrow Trail in Sedona.
Fortunately for the group, it has Jodi Liggett, whose experience in tackling poverty, domestic violence, homelessness, and women’s reproductive health and rights runs deep.
Dana Naimark
When the 2016 legislative session was nearing its end, the prospect of restoring a federally funded program to provide health insurance to children was grim.
Supporters watched a flicker of hope – which came in the form of a budget amendment – fade when Republican lawmakers rejected that route out of worry it would blow up that year’s budget deal.
But Dana Naimark, president and CEO of Children’s Action Alliance, would not – could not – let go.
