Welcome to "Leadership Forward for a Better Arizona," where you'll meet Arizonans with innovative answers to our state's greatest challenges.
Your guide on this inspiring journey toward a brighter Arizona is Dawn Wallace of the Arizona Center for Civic Leadership at the Flinn Foundation, who brings you thought-provoking conversations, insightful stories, and expert perspectives on leadership, policy, and community development. Her guests include visionary change-makers, civic leaders, entrepreneurs, and advocates working in areas from education and sustainability to healthcare and economic growth.
The monthly show explores how these issues are interconnected and how visionary leaders are finding innovative solutions to propel Arizona into a brighter future.
Flinn-Brown Fellows Christopher Glover and Patrick Tighe discuss their roles as board members for Keys to Change, an organization dedicated to supporting individuals experiencing homelessness in Maricopa County, in this 16th episode of the Leadership Forward for a Better Arizona podcast by Arizona Center for Civic Leadership at the Flinn Foundation.
Glover, a 2016 Fellow and former Mesa City Councilman, and Tighe, a 2019 Fellow from Phoenix and attorney with Snell & Wilmer, also share how their broader civic engagement in Arizona—and their experiences with Flinn-Brown Fellows—have shaped them into leaders driving effective community transformation.
20 Mar 2025
Sarah Rose Webber: 15
Sarah Rose Webber is deputy director of Arizona State Parks and Trails, where the 2017 Flinn-Brown Fellow applies her passion for preserving Arizona’s natural and cultural heritage.
In this 15th episode of the Leadership Forward for a Better Arizona podcast by Arizona Center for Civic Leadership at the Flinn Foundation, Webber discusses her leadership in expanding public access to outdoor spaces, her deep appreciation for art and its connection to nature, and how both shape her approach to civic engagement.
16 Jan 2025
Alfred Urbina: Episode 14
Alfred Urbina, a seasoned leader with a diverse background in law enforcement and tribal government, shares his vision for greater inclusion and integration of Native American history in Arizona's education system.
13 Dec 2024
Lisa Schnebly Heidinger: Episode 13
Flinn-Brown Fellow Lisa Schnebly Heidinger shares her stories of Arizona and vision for promoting teachers with host Dawn Wallace on Leadership Forward for a Better Arizona.
26 Nov 2024
Thea Wilshire: Episode 12
Flinn-Brown Fellow Thea Wilshire shares her transformative story of moving to Arizona, dedicating her life to public service, art, and community, and finding her true home.
3 Oct 2024
Tony Cani and Daniel Scarpinato: Episode 11
In this 11th episode of the Leadership for a Better Arizona podcast, hosted by Dawn Wallace with the Arizona Center for Civic Leadership at the Flinn Foundation, Flinn-Brown Fellow Tony Cani, founder of Slingshot Campaigns, and Daniel Scarpinato, president of Winged Victory Agency, discuss the issues that are top of mind for Arizona voters in the upcoming general election.
The political strategists talk about the party breakdown of Arizona voters, expected turnout, the realignment of the parties, the impact of debates, statewide propositions and how the size of the Maricopa County ballot may influence outcomes.
17 Sept 2024
Elyse Guidas: Episode 10
Flinn-Brown Fellow Elyse Guidas talks about her dedication to providing access to food for Arizonans during this 10th episode of the Leadership for a Better Arizona podcast, hosted by Dawn Wallace with the Arizona Center for Civic Leadership at the Flinn Foundation.
Guidas, a 2019 Fellow and executive director of Activate Food Arizona, shares stories about growing up in Phoenix and her family’s food insecurity which sparked her passion to eliminate those barriers for others.
8 Jul 2024
Gina Roberts: Episode 9
In our ninth episode of the Leadership for a Better Arizona podcast, Gina Roberts (Scottsdale, 2019) chronicles her public service journey from local government to leading the Arizona Citizens Clean Elections Commission.
She discusses the importance of voter education and how that led to an unprecedented partnership this year with the Arizona Media Association to stream candidate debates to every corner of the state. Bonus: Learn which Hogwarts house she'd most like to be assigned to.
8 Jun 2024
Dr. Nick Vasquez: Episode 8
In this eighth episode of the Leadership Forward for a Better Arizona podcast, host Dawn Wallace of the Arizona Center for Civic Leadership at the Flinn Foundation is joined by East Valley emergency physician and 2016 Flinn-Brown Fellow Dr. Nick Vasquez.
Vasquez, who serves as a Vitalyst Health Foundation trustee among other community service roles, talks about his experiences in the emergency department and how it is representative of the community and public policy, diversity and equity in health care, reading as an indicator of future health behaviors, changes in physician recruitment strategies, and his love of chess.
2 Apr 2024
Lea Marquez Peterson: Episode 7
In this seventh episode of the Leadership Forward for a Better Arizona podcast, host Dawn Wallace of the Arizona Center for Civic Leadership at the Flinn Foundation is joined by Arizona Corporation Commissioner and 2011 Flinn-Brown Fellow Lea Márquez Peterson.
Peterson talks about her early career as an entrepreneur in Tucson and how that led to her leading the Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and eventually being appointed, and then elected, to the Arizona Corporation Commission. The conversation also covers energy policy, running for statewide office, and the value of the Flinn-Brown Network.
5 Mar 2024
Adam Goodman: Episode 6
In this sixth episode of the Leadership Forward for a Better Arizona podcast, host Dawn Wallace of the Arizona Center for Civic Leadership at the Flinn Foundation is joined by 2023 Flinn-Brown Fellow Adam Goodman, a business and community leader and CEO of Goodmans.
In this wide-ranging interview, Goodman discusses shaping his third-generation furniture business to impact and better the community, and offers his perspective on print journalism, capitalism, community service, Flinn-Brown, and the open primaries initiative.
7 Feb 2024
Erin Carr-Jordan and Mignonne Hollis: Episode 5
In this fifth episode of the Leadership Forward for a Better Arizona podcast, host Dawn Wallace of the Arizona Center for Civic Leadership at the Flinn Foundation is joined by two Flinn-Brown Fellows: Erin Carr-Jordan and Mignonne Hollis.
Carr-Jordan, president and CEO of the Digital Equity Institute, and Hollis, executive director of the Arizona Regional Economic Development Foundation, discuss the importance of reliable and affordable broadband in Arizona’s rural, tribal, and underserved communities and the impact it can make on people’s lives.
2 Jan 2024
Paul Perrault, Ph.D. and Janice Palmer: Episode 4
On this episode of Leadership Forward for a Better Arizona, Dawn Wallace is joined by two executives from Helios Education Foundation: Paul Perrault, Ph.D., Senior Vice President, Community Impact and Learning, and Janice Palmer, Senior Vice President, Government Affairs and Public Policy. Perrault and Palmer discuss with Wallace research Helios has done on the economic benefits of postsecondary education for both the student and state of Arizona, and examine how supporting dual-enrollment classes can lead to more Arizona students pursuing college degrees—an action that state leaders have recently embraced.
5 Dec 2023
Elvy Barton: Episode 3
Elvy Barton, Water and Forest Sustainability Manager at Salt River Project—and a 2013 Flinn-Brown Fellow—joins Dawn Wallace on Leadership Forward for a Better Arizona, a podcast from the Arizona Center for Civic Leadership at the Flinn Foundation.
In a period of rapid economic growth and ongoing drought, Arizonans are increasingly concerned about catastrophic wildfires, water conservation, and water quality. Against this backdrop, Barton speaks with Dawn about watershed management and landscape-scale restoration under SRP's Healthy Forests Initiative, as well as public-policy challenges from the local to federal level.
Barton also talks about the difference that participating in the Flinn-Brown Academy and joining the Flinn-Brown Network has made for her life's work and her capacity to engage in civic leadership.
7 Nov 2023
Teniqua Broughton: Episode 2
It’s the second episode of Leadership Forward for a Better Arizona, the podcast where leaders unite, ideas collide, and the future of the Grand Canyon State comes into focus, hosted by Dawn Wallace of the Arizona Center for Civic Leadership at the Flinn Foundation.
Today, Wallace speaks with Teniqua Broughton, executive director of The State of Black Arizona and CEO of VerveSimone Consulting. A 2013 Flinn-Brown Fellow, Broughton shares alarming figures about Black maternal and infant morbidity and mortality rates in Arizona, how she and others are working to address the causes, and how participating in the Flinn-Brown Academy and being part of the Flinn-Brown Network has helped her become the leader she is today.
LINKS/RESOURCES:
https://stateofblackarizona.org
https://www.vervesimone.com
21 Sept 2023
Stan Barnes and Chad Campbell: Episode 1
It’s the inaugural episode of Leadership Forward for a Better Arizona, the podcast where leaders unite, ideas collide, and the future of the Grand Canyon State comes into focus.
For this first episode, host Dawn Wallace is joined by two influential figures in Arizona politics, former legislators and political insiders, Stan Barnes and Chad Campbell, who partnered for several years as the principal facilitators for the Flinn-Brown Civic Leadership Academy.
In a time when leadership is paramount, Barnes, a seasoned Republican strategist, and Campbell, a respected Democratic leader, illustrate how to bridge political divides and inspire a deeper understanding of the issues facing Arizona, fostering constructive and civil dialogue on the most pressing matters. They comment on Arizona’s changing political landscape, including ever-changing voter demographics, policy trends, and how they have found ways, despite their differing political ideologies, to come together to find common ground and work toward solutions.
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Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
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Podcast Authority Score: 27 / 100
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Quality
31
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YouTube
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Engagement
60
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