2021 EVENT

Women Leading Government 2021 Conference

Join us for an exciting two day conference featuring keynote speakers and several breakout sessions on varying topics related to local government and professional development.

agenda

Event MC: Edith Baltierrez, Assistant Director of Neighborhood & Family Services, City of Avondale

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 28
Registration and Continental Breakfast
8:00 AM - South Lobby

Networking with a Mentor: Optional Pre-Conference Activity
8:30 AM | Main Room - 160

Keynote Speaker -  Resiliency Rx: Stress-Proof Your Brain & Body
9:30AM | Main Room - 160
Speaker: Jenny Evans
"Stress is not a psychology problem, it’s a chemistry problem. In order to maximize our intellect and potential, we first have to optimize our chemistry. And we don’t have to be ace chemists to do it! This paradigm-shifting session unveils that it’s not about “managing” or “reducing stress” (which isn’t possible) rather how to be more resilient to the stress we all face. And we can do it 60 seconds at a time.”

Click here to find a detailed program description.

Concurrent Sessions (see below)
11:15 AM

Lunch
12:15 PM

Boundaries: Building Fences Not Walls To Prevent Burnout
1:00 PM | Main Room - 160
Speaker: Marney Babbitt-Pierce, Certified Dare to Lead™ Facilitator
Just the word boundaries can cause you to roll your eyes. Who's got time for those? Maybe you even worry about if people will like and respect you if you establish boundaries. In this interactive presentation we will break down wholehearted living and boundaries to their essential pieces. You will leave with the skills to build a wholehearted life by living authentically within your boundaries with integrity and generosity.

Presentation (pdf)

Concurrent Sessions (see below)
2:15 PM

Be Yourself, Everyone Else is Taken
3:30PM | Main Room - 160
Speaker: Carol Stewart, Associate Vice President, Tech Parks Arizona, University of Arizona; and President, Campus Research Corporation
"Never one to take the road most traveled, let this recent Canadian transplant to Arizona share with you her unique professional journey that will inspire and kick start your internal conversation, ‘if she can… why not me?”

Presentation (pdf)

Reception
4:30 PM - 6:30PM | South Lobby

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29
Registration
8:00 AM | South Lobby

Office Yoga and Meditation: Optional Pre-Conference Activity - Sponsored by HPACT
8:30 AM | Main Room - 160

Change & Transition
9:30AM | Main Room - 160
Speakers:
Gina Montes, Deputy City Manager, City of Phoenix
Donna Rossi, Public Affairs Deputy, City of Phoenix
Ginger Spencer, Deputy City Manager, City of Phoenix

Concurrent Sessions   (see below)
11:15 AM

Lunch
12:15 PM | Main Room - 160

Business Meeting
1:00 PM | Main Room - 160

Concurrent Sessions (see below)
2:15 PM

The “Big Bang” of Change Has Banged Us Up
3:30PM | Main Room - 160
Moderator:  Dawn Prince, Assistant Town Manager, Town of Gilbert
Speakers:
Evelyn Racette, Instructor and MPA Coordinator, Grand Canyon University
Karen Osburn, City Manager, City of Sedona
Tracy Corman, Division Manager in the Capital Improvement Projects Department, Queen Creek
Need we say more? The pandemic has affected every aspect of our lives, from work to travel to family dynamics to our mental health. Recovery is underway, but some things are permanently different. For some, those changes are positive, like more telework. For others, the ever-present Zoom call and “you’re on mute” said in unison can drive us to the brink. This panel of leaders representing different governments and organizations will share their insights, observations, and perspective on how we have successfully adapted, where we still have work to do, and how we need to prepare for the future.

CONCURRENT SESSIONS
Owning Your Potential
Room 150
Speakers:
Nina Vetter, City Manager, Gresham, Oregon and Vice Chair Colorado Women Leading Government
Alisha Janes, Assistant Town Manager, Winter Park, Colorado and Chair of Colorado Women Leading Government
Owning Your Potential is a training that seeks to help encourage more women to enter leadership roles by guiding them through applying and interviewing for a real leadership opening. We begin with a reality check of current numbers of women in leadership, show how the job is totally doable and have the room engage in a group exercise where participants “interview”  We posit that once women have visualized and acted upon applying they will be more likely to submit an application!

Your Career Journey: Planning, Executing, and Achieving
Room 151
Speaker: Beth Chepelsky, Organizational Development Specialist, City of Chandler
With the growing number of retirements in the public sector, many career opportunities are available at all levels of the organizations. There are valuable resources to help you plan for and navigate your journey. In this workshop, you’ll walk away with actionable tools and strategies to help empower your career.

Presentation (pdf)

Top Five Things to do to Avoid Being Sued by Your Employees
Room 152
Speakers:
Laura Ingegneri, SPHR, IPMA-SCP, SHRM-SCP, Founder & Managing Director, HR ExecPro
Melanie V. Pate, Partner, Lewis Roca
Employment lawsuits are on the rise.  As senior leaders, learn simple action items you can do to avoid being in the middle of one.

Presentation (pdf)

Imposter Syndrome and the Insidious Nature of Doubt
Room 153
Speaker: Nicole Lance, CEO, Lance Strategies
Imposter syndrome is rooted in doubt. Doubt says “I don’t know if I can do this.” Fear says “I don’t know if I should do this.” It’s important to know the difference because you’ll deploy different tactics to battle doubt than you will to battle fear. Impostor Syndrome is the thing that makes you worry that some day, the jig will be up. EVERYONE will realize just how unworthy you really are of that position you hold or thing for which you are responsible. Impostor Syndrome makes us question our own capabilities, and it can overinflate the importance of criticism we receive -- or imagine we are receiving -- from others. This fast-moving workshop will explore tactics for hopping off the bullet train of doubt, effectively confronting (and even collaborating with!) your own impostor syndrome, and cultivating an environment of success for yourself and those around you. You'll walk away feeling affirmed, empowered, and ready to stand fully in your own right space.

Are you busy or productive?
Room 154
Speaker: Sara Mayer, CEO, Sara Mayer Consulting
How to move from living a busy life to a productive life. We all get the same number of hours in the day, yet some seem to have unlimited hours. We don’t have to do it ALL. Learn how to manage the hours you have productively. There is no need to work double-time. In this session we will discover what is getting in the way of you productively managing time and you will walk away with tips and tricks on how to manage time.

Presentation (pdf)

Build It and They Will Come.. and Stay: Creating a Workplace Culture for Innovation, Productivity and Sustainability
Room 155
Speaker: Dr. Maria Church
Some of the biggest challenges facing leaders include retaining and rewarding the best employees, developing the next generation of leaders, and creating an organizational culture that attracts and keeps the best employees. The next generation of leaders views organizational culture as one of the most important factors in working for and staying with a company.
Social sites like LinkedIn, Glassdoor, and Indeed means that companies' employment brands are now public information. If not a great place to work, people find out fast. Deloitte reports that 95% of candidates believe culture is more important than compensation.
In this presentation, participants will be inspired to recognize the powerful differentiator of organizational culture for local governments. Participants will also explore the seven layers of culture and how to influence positive change at each level. Leaders will learn strategies to influence, motivate, and retain employees with practical and tactical solutions to build thriving, sustainable, and innovative workplace cultures.

Presentation (pdf)

Into and Through Middle Management
Room 156
Moderator:
Donna Rossi, Public Affairs Deputy, City of Phoenix
Speakers:
Samantha Tavares, Special Projects Administrator, City of Phoenix
Jennifer Calles, Water Services Deputy Director, City of Phoenix
Mary Ling, Water Services Deputy Director, City of Phoenix
Leading from the middle as a middle manager isn’t about a position; it’s about meeting the objectives and demands from above and providing valuable insights for the team you work with and lead. As a middle manager, you are the link between your team and your executives. You must motivate, inspire, influence and support your team while being self-aware and resilient. But how do you get there and successfully navigate your way through middle management in a government agency? In this session, learn from carefully selected middle managers from the City of Phoenix as they share their experiences with you.

Networking Room
Room 157
Drop-in to the Networking Room for a refreshment and network with new connections!

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES

Alisha Janes, Assistant Town Manager, Winter Park
Alisha Janes currently serves as Assistant Town Manager of Winter Park, CO and Chair of Colorado Women Leading Government. She holds a Masters in Public Administration from CU Denver. Alisha has spent more than a decade in joyful public service including teaching bilingual 5th grade in Houston Texas with Teach for America, Personalized Learning Director at Morey Middle School in Denver Colorado, as well as her first local government job in the City Manager's office in Brighton, Colorado. Alisha currently spends her working hours learning about workforce housing and sustainability in Colorado's high country and her free time learning new outdoor hobbies.

Beth Chepelsky. Organization Development Coordinator, Chandler
Beth joined the City of Chandler in July 2015 as the Organizational Development Coordinator. Her role is to help create and support a culture of learning, development, and engagement within the City. Her passion is guiding employees in their professional and personal growth paths through mentoring programs, leadership and soft skills workshops, and individual career planning and coaching meetings. Beth loves to speak to high school students about the variety of careers that are available in local government and how these careers can make a positive impact in the community.

Prior to her position in the City of Chandler, Beth worked in the private sector beginning her career in the technical computer programming field in manufacturing in Ohio (GE Lighting, Parker Hannifin), mining (Phelps Dodge Corporation), and call center (Direct Alliance, a subsidiary of Insight Enterprises). At Direct Alliance, her drive and passion to help develop others led her to transition from a technical role into the learning and organizational development field.

Carol A. Stewart, Associate Vice President, UA Tech Parks
Carol Stewart, a long-standing authority on research parks, is the Associate Vice President for Tech Parks Arizona at the University of Arizona. Carol Stewart leads the UA Tech Park at Rita Road and is developing the UA Tech Park at the Bridges. She is also president of the University of Arizona Center for Innovation, a technology business incubator network serving the University of Arizona, Tucson and international community.
Stewart’s expertise in university research parks spans decades and nations with more than 20 years of experience working with research parks, technology commercialization, business incubation, governmental relations and business development.
As a pioneer in the research parks world, she has driven national policy, standardized programs, created national and international networks, built technology clusters, engaged stakeholders, and assisted countries with the development of their national science and technology policies.
Stewart is passionate about her community and serves as a champion in university-based economic development. She is a member of Southern Arizona Leadership Council, Flinn Foundation Steering Committee, a member of the Canadian Global Mentor Program and she also serves on the Board of Directors for Tucson Metro Chamber of Commerce, Pima County’s Workforce Investment Board, Sun Corridor Inc., Arizona Technology Council, Desert Angels, and is a member of the City of Tucson Mayor’s Economic Development Advisory Council.

Previously, Stewart served as the Chief Executive Officer of the Association of University Research Parks (AURP), which represents 200 research parks (80% US and 20% international). In this role, she collaborated with numerous leaders world-wide to build and grow university-related research parks through education, unification, and collaboration. She helped to expand the organization’s international credibility by showcasing best practices to research parks across the globe.
Her proven success record also includes co-founding the Canadian chapter of the Association of University Research Parks, founding director of the David Johnston Research + Technology Park at the University of Waterloo (named Canada’s most innovative university for 27 consecutive years) spearheading the development of the park, advancing the park to over the one-million-square-foot milestone, leading the marketing efforts and launching the professional services division of Maplesoft, a global spin-off company from the University of Waterloo, and enhancing the entrepreneurial culture of Canada at the Canadian Industrial Innovation Centre (CIIC).

Dawn Prince, Assistant Town Manager, Gilbert
With 20+ years of varied, increasingly responsible state and local government experience, Dawn is a seasoned professional and dedicated servant leader. Dawn currently serves as the Assistant Town Manager for the Town of Gilbert overseeing the areas of Finance and Management Services, Office of Management and Budget, Parks and Recreation and Community Resources. Prior to her role in Gilbert, she served the City of Douglas as the Interim City Manager, overseeing the management and operation of all City departments and services, and as the Deputy City Manager bringing leadership, best practices and strategic approaches to the Economic Development, Development Services, Leisure Services, Housing, Library and Human Resources functions.

Dawn also spent 12 years with the City of Peoria serving in various departments including Human Resources, the City Manager’s office and the Neighborhood and Human Services Department. While serving in Human Resources, Dawn oversaw the City’s administration of employee relations, labor relations, HR customer service and recruitment, and was the sole negotiator for the meet and confer process with the City’s four recognized labor groups. As Assistant to the City Manager, Dawn oversaw Mayor and Council Office administration, special projects and served as the liaison for several community organizations such as the Peoria Chamber of Commerce, the Peoria Arizona Historical Society and the Peoria Unified School District.  Dawn also served as the Family and Youth Services Manager in the Peoria Neighborhood and Human Services Department. In this role, she oversaw all family and youth programs including 24 before and after school programs, 8 summer programs and a 26,000 sq. ft. state of the art Neighborhood Community Center, which, through non-profits and state and federal funding, provided for a variety of community needs including daily congregate meals.
Dawn holds a bachelor's degree in History and Education from Charter Oak State College and a master's degree in Human Resources Management from Webster University.

Donna Rossi, Director of Communication, Phoenix Police Department
Five-time Emmy Award-winning reporter Donna Rossi has logged three decades covering and uncovering some of the most high-profile stories in the state of Arizona. After retirement from broadcast news, Donna made a seamless transition into creating effective, transparent and positive communications for the Arizona law enforcement community.

Donna's reputation as a fair, accurate and compassionate journalist has earned her the respect of her colleagues and community. Her talent as a reporter has earned her more than a dozen Arizona Associated Press awards and five Emmy statues.

Donna started her professional journalism career at KNAZ – TV 2 in Flagstaff, Arizona while still attending Northern Arizona University to complete her B.A. in Broadcast Journalism. She then moved to the CBS affiliate in Tucson, Arizona, and joined CBS 5 News in Phoenix, in September 1994.

Donna's experience as a 4-year veteran of the Phoenix Police Department gave her a keen sense of crime and court stories as a broadcaster and offered an expert understanding of police culture as a law enforcement communicator.

During her journalism career, Donna offered gavel to gavel coverage of the 1999 sleepwalking murder trial of Scott Falater, and the trial and conviction of retired Catholic Bishop Thomas O'Brien for a fatal hit and run accident. She also spent 2 straight weeks in northeastern Arizona in the summer of 2011 covering the Wallow Fire, the largest wildfire in Arizona history.

Donna is a past president of the Rocky Mountain Southwest Chapter of the National Academy of Arts and Sciences and continues to serve on the NATAS Board of Governors.

Donna was born in New York and moved to the Valley with her family when she was 9 years old. She is a graduate of Maryvale High School and attended Arizona State University. She graduated cum laude from Northern Arizona University. She has also earned a Graduate Certificate in Crisis Communication from Ohio University.

In her free time, Donna enjoys boating, all forms of music and theatre. Donna frequently donates her time to speak to community organizations and emcee their events. She serves on the Board of Directors of DUET, a non-profit which helps promote health and well-being for older adults. She had previously served on the DUET board for two terms and took a break before returning.  Donna also loves donating her time to youth organizations and groups which work to secure and safeguard human rights.

One of the most gratifying moments of her career was when the Phoenix Police Department changed its policy on how it deals with officers after critical incidents, such as officer involved shooting and other traumatic events. These changes were promulgated by a series of report Donna did on police officers and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. That body of work also resulted in the Arizona Legislature passing a law to protect first responders with PTSD.
On Oct. 17, 2015, Donna was honored for her amazing work over the years. The Rocky Mountain Chapter of the National Academy of Televisions Arts and Sciences inducted her into its Silver Circle. It's one of the organization's most prestigious honors for which only a few candidates are selected each year.
In the fall of 2018, Donna was inducted into the Arizona Broadcaster's Association Hall of Fame.

She is also an adjunct instructor at the prestigious Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University.

Currently Donna is the Director of Communication for the Phoenix Police Department, overseeing internal and external communication for the department as well as strategic and crisis communication.

Dr. Maria Church, CEO, Dr. Maria Church International
Dr. Maria Church knows what it is like to lead a team. With over 25 years working for Fortune 500 companies, local governments, non-profits, and academia, she is intimately familiar with all the ups and downs of holding a senior leadership position in both the public and corporate worlds. Today, as CEO of Dr. Maria Church International, including Government and Corporate divisions as well as Leadership Development University, Maria brings that depth of knowledge and her unique qualifications – specializing in organizational culture, change agility, and leadership development – to the aid of companies, teams and individuals. Dr. Church, author of the best seller Love-Based Leadership: The Model for Leading with Strength, Grace, and Authenticity, as well as the upcoming book, A Course in Leadership: 21 Spiritual Lessons on Power, Love, and Influence has started a long-needed movement to revolutionize the workplace by transforming leadership at all levels through a seismic shift from fear to love. Her organizational culture work has realized her clients over 300% ROI, intentionally reshaping their cultures to pursue clear strategic objectives and become differentiators in their marketplace. She holds a Doctor of Management degree in Organizational Leadership and has been teaching for several universities for the past 20 years winning numerous faculty awards. Maria is part of the elite 17% worldwide that has earned a CSP (Certified Speaking Professional) designation from the National Speakers Association. And, as probably the recognized expert in organizational culture and leading with love, she has been sought out to speak on many in-person and virtual stages across North America for associations, corporations, local governments, and non-profits. Her message is simple, compelling, and transformative. Because of that, she has been featured on radio shows, television interviews, and in both magazine and newspaper features. Maria writes numerous articles on leadership for a variety of periodicals and hosts an online leadership series, Dr. Maria TV. Splitting her time between Scottsdale and the restorative canyons of Southern Arizona, Maria continues to work with high-performing organizations while working on her next book about exemplary corporate and local government cultures

Edith Baltierrez, Assistant Director for Neighborhood and Family Services Department, Avondale
Edith Baltierrez has 14 years of local government experience, currently serving as the Assistant Director with the City
of Avondale Neighborhood and Family Services Department in Arizona.

Ms. Baltierrez helps oversee the Avondale Neighborhood Family Services Department which includes the divisions of Family Services, Housing & Community Development, Libraries, Revitalization, Senior Services and Youth & Community Engagement.

Prior to joining Avondale, Edith was the Human Services & Community Vitality Department Supervisor for the City of Surprise Resource Center. Prior to her work in Surprise, she held various managerial roles with the City of Phoenix Public Works Department.

Ms. Baltierrez holds two degrees from Arizona State University, a Bachelor’s in Global Business, and a Master’s in Public Administration.

Ginger Spencer, Deputy City Manager, Phoenix
Ginger Spencer was named Deputy City Manager for the city of Phoenix in May 2021. Prior to that she served as director of the city's Public Works Department since 2017.
During her 23 years of service with the City of Phoenix, Ginger has served in various leadership positions including Assistant Public Works Director, Deputy Public Works Director, Family Advocacy Center Director, Arts and Culture Administrator, and Special Assistant to the City Manager. She serves on the board of directors for Phoenix Community Development & Investment Corporation, Arizona Science Center and the Arizona City/County Management Association. A native of Phoenix, Ginger holds a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish from Arizona State University and a Master of Science in Public Policy and Management from Carnegie Mellon University.

In 2013, she was named by The Phoenix Business Journal as one of the “40 under 40" Top Business Leaders in Phoenix and was also named by the Engaging Local Government Leaders in 2018 as a Traeger 100 Top Influencer in Government. In 2021, Ginger was recognized by the American Public Works Association as one of the Top 10 Public Works Leaders in the nation.

Jenny Evans, CEO, PowerHouse Performance
Jenny Evans is obsessed with human performance and has created a career and life designed around maximizing her own potential, and helping others do the same. With a blend of confidence, creativity, stubbornness and some naïveté (which is sometimes key), she has gone headlong into following her passion and purpose…and figured out how to make a living while doing it.

Jenny is a keynote speaker, author and on-air expert on resiliency, stress, confidence and human performance. She is founder and CEO of PowerHouse Performance and author of the award-winning book The Resiliency rEvolution: Your Stress Solution for Life – 60 Seconds at a Time. Working with thousands of C-suite executives, leaders and employees worldwide, Jenny helps audiences tap into their personal power and confidence, as well as learn how to increase their capacity for stress and to recover from it more quickly and effectively. Clients improve their performance and productivity, all while enhancing their health.

Jenny has spoken on the TEDx stage, is the resiliency subject matter expert for Optum and The Big Know’s digital courses, writes as a blogger for The Huffington Post and was an NBC Health & Fitness expert for over four years. She has been quoted on National Public Radio, in Health Magazine and Women’s Health, while being showcased on FastCompany.com, Inc.com, Entrepreneur.com, Shape.com and Elle.com.

She holds a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology with an emphasis on Psychology from the University of Minnesota, has been an American Council on Exercise Certified Personal Trainer and Group Fitness Instructor for over 20 years, and is a certified Exercise Nutritionist. In her spare time she is an aerial arts performer…because you never know when you’re going to need a backup plan.

Jenny’s corporate client list includes Yale School of Management, Ameriprise Financial, U.S. Bank, AT&T, Estée Lauder Companies, Comcast, Nationwide, Procter & Gamble, Target, and many other Fortune 500 companies.

Karen Osburn, City Manager, Sedona
Karen Osburn has served the City of Sedona since 2012, since March 2021 as its City Manager.  Karen was the Assistant City Manager from 2012-2021 overseeing multiple operating departments, special projects and policy initiatives and providing general organizational leadership.  From 2018- 2021 she simultaneously served as the City’s Community Development Director directly overseeing planning and zoning, building safety, and code enforcement.  As City Manager she is responsible for overseeing the activities of all city departments, programs and service areas; collaborating with the community; serving as a policy advisor; and carrying out the ambitious agendas of the Sedona City Council.

Prior to joining the City, Karen was the Business Director and Chief Financial Officer for the Sedona Fire District.  Her previous municipal experience includes positions with the City of Peoria, the City of Phoenix and the City of Avondale. Karen’s focus areas include governmental budget and finance, organizational policy development and administration, land-use, affordable housing and common-sense approach to service delivery and decision-making.

Throughout her career, Karen has demonstrated a consistent record of innovation and achievement and a strong desire to build relationships and serve the public.  Karen holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Binghamton University and Master of Public Administration from Arizona State University School of Public Affairs.  Karen is also a Certified Public Finance Officer (CPFO) through the Government Finance Officers’ Association of the United States and Canada.  In 2017 Karen was the recipient of the prestigious Catherine F. Connolly Award for Outstanding Assistant City/County Manager from the Arizona City/County Management Association.

Laura Ingegneri, Founder and Managing Director, HR ExecPro
Laura is the Founder and Managing Director of HR ExecPro – a boutique human capital firm headquartered in Arizona specializing in public sector executive searches and executive evaluations, expert witness services, and workplace investigations. She has over 30 years of experience in HR where she gained extensive knowledge in employee relations, labor relations, employment law compliance, recruitment, selection, benefits, compensation, classification, organizational development, training, workers compensation, safety, and wellness. In addition to extensive "hands-on" work throughout her career, for over 10 years, she served as the top HR Executive providing strategic, innovative, and visionary leadership.
She is an active community leader. She successfully plans and leads an annual HR Executive Summit and Retreat in Arizona for top HR Executives. She currently serves on the City of Scottsdale’s Judicial Appointments Advisory Board and is a member of the leadership team at Scottsdale Bible Church’s Career Assistance Ministry. She previously served on the City of Scottsdale Personnel Board, the Commission for Judicial Performance Review, and the Arizona Society for Human Resources State Council in various volunteer roles including State Council Director.
Laura has received a significant number of workplace awards and is the only HR professional who has received all three highly acclaimed awards given by the Arizona Society for Human Resource Management. She received the Al O'Connor Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017, the Ann Byrnes Professional Excellence Award in 2010, and the Judith Krebs Volunteer Leader Award in 2007.
She holds a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration and three professional certifications – Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR), International Public Management Association for Human Resources Senior Certified Professional (IPMA-SCP), and the Society for Human Resource Management Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP).

Marney Babbitt-Pierce, Facilitator, Dare to Lead™
Marney Babbitt-Pierce is a Certified Dare to Lead™ Facilitator who works with leaders and aspiring leaders to live, lead, and change the world courageously.

Marney knows that courage is measurable, teachable, and observable. She is committed to ensuring that the world has leaders ready to tackle the needs of a knowledge economy. Daring Leadership in a culture defined by scarcity, fear, and uncertainty requires skill-building around traits that are deeply and uniquely human. Through her training work, Marney focuses on building leaders who:

Know how to have courageous conversations;
Are not silent about difficult things;

Are ready and willing to show up with their whole hearts.

Marney has been honored by the Greater Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce with the Athena Young Professional Award as an emerging leader who is a role model for young women both professionally and personally and by the NAU College of Public Health for her mentoring of student interns. She serves on the Town Council of Clarkdale, AZ and on the Board of Trustees of Oldfields School.

Marney holds a Master of Education in Higher Education and Student Affairs from the University of South Carolina and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Trinity University (TX). Learn more at: www.marneybp.com

Mary Ling, Deputy Water Services Director, Phoenix
Mary started with the City of Phoenix as a Caseworker I in the Housing Department in 2004. As she was completing her Master’s Program, she moved into the HR field as a recruiter and then as an HR Analyst. During the 9 years Mary worked in the HR field with the City, she supported the Parks and Recreation, Transit, and Fire Departments with employee relations, hiring, training, and policy interpretations. Mary then moved in to the Administration field as a Management Assistant II in the Water Services Department and City Manager’s Office where she supported senior level executives with City Council documentation, research and program implementations. Mary then promoted to Deputy Water Services Director in 2016 where she leads Procurement and Warehouse services as well as Process Improvement and Data Analytics for the department. Currently Mary is the co-lead for the City of Phoenix Women in Leadership Group as well as the Program Lead for the MentorPHX program.

Mary has a Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations and Advertising as well as a Master’s in Business Administration. She is also a Certified Human Resources Professional and Lean Six Sigma Certified. In her spare time, Mary enjoys camping, reading, bicycling, traveling and spending time with her husband and Mini Schnauzer.

Melanie Pate, Partner, Lewis Roca
Melanie leads her practice with empathy, expertise, and integrity. Clients benefit from her established practice and extensive legal knowledge and experience.
Melanie Pate, a partner in the firm's Litigation Practice Group, focuses primarily on labor and employment issues. She spent 15 years working in the Arizona Attorney General's Office, including six years as a section chief and chief counsel of the Arizona Civil Rights Division and nine years as an assistant attorney general in the Employment Law Section. Melanie has more than 24 years of experience in representing public and private employers of all sizes and across a wide variety of industries, and she specializes in helping employers prevent litigation through preventative counseling and proactive risk management strategies.

Nicole Lance, CEO, Lance Strategies
Nicole Lance is the CEO of Lance Strategies and known as a "Possibility Expert". Having spent almost 13 years in the trenches of local government including stints in Finance and Budget and serving as Parks & Recreation Director and Public Works Director before wrapping up her career as an Assistant City Manager, Nicole now spends her time speaking, training, and doing executive coaching. She is a co-founder of Arizona Women Leading Government and a mentor with the International City/County Management Association. When she's not relentlessly promoting self-care as a way to accelerate outcomes, she spends her free time trying not to step on the Legos her 3-year-old leaves dangerously hidden in the carpet. Learn more at www.nicolelancestrategies.com

Nina Vetter, City Manager, Gresham
Nina Vetter currently serves as City Manager of Gresham, Oregon. She has worked in local and federal government for over 10 years and recently served as Vice Chair of Colorado Women Leading Government. She is passionate about more women leading local government, loves all things budget and strategic planning and really loves her cat, Rizzo.

Samantha Tavares, Special Projects Administrator, City of Phoenix
Bold, creative, and inclusive. Those are just a few words to describe Samantha Tavares, a transplant from California’s Bay Area who now calls Phoenix her adoptive home. She studied International Relations and Public Administration and proceeded to work in the public sector, both for nonprofit and local government agencies. An opportunity presented itself in the City of Phoenix and with encouragement from family and friends, she made the move to Arizona, flying solo. She currently works in the City Manager’s Office supporting the Emergency Rental Assistance Program and the American Rescue Plan Act programs. She is a current Phoenix Hispanic Network and Local Government Hispanic Network board member. When she is not nerding out at work, she is likely doing some outdoorsy thing, cuddling up with a good book, or playing with her best canine buddy, Korra.

Sara Mayer, Owner and Creator, Mayer Consulting
Sara Mayer, owner, and creator of Sara Mayer Consulting is your go-to expert on organizing your hectic days, weeks, and months into manageable, and functional chunks of work. Through her work as a champion for multiple philanthropies in Arizona and her commitment to building the capacity of the community, Sara has personally mastered maximizing every minute of every day to ensure she meets the expectations set before her. Upon her mastery, she began consulting and speaking locally and nationally with others in similar positions. Sara’s clients gain tools to help them close their laptops at the end of each day knowing they accomplished everything on their task list.

Riley Long, Manager of Wellness Member Services, Valley Schools
Riley Long is the Manager of Wellness Member Services at Valley Schools. She works alongside a variety of schools and public entities across Arizona to provide health-focused resources to their most valuable asset - their employees! Riley knows first-hand the difference that a healthy body and mind can make in a person's mood, actions, and professional success. She places this philosophy into her daily life by being a certified yoga instructor. Through fitness and yoga, she provides others with a place of escape and intention. Riley has a Bachelor’s of Science in Exercise and Wellness, with a General Business Minor from Arizona State University.

Jennifer Calles, Deputy Director Water Services, City of Phoenix
Jennifer Calles, Deputy Director Water Services, earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Scripps College in Claremont, California. She has more than 33 years of experience in the environmental regulatory field. She spent eight years in a commercial environmental laboratory setting performing and supervising analyses for water and wastewater samples. Her tenure at the City of Phoenix began in 1995 as Laboratory Superintendent. In her current role as Deputy Director, she manages the Environmental Services Division responsible for all regulatory compliance activities for the Water Services Department. The division provides sampling and field monitoring services; manages the industrial pretreatment and commercial sewer inspection programs; directs the Department’s regulatory compliance activities; operates analytical laboratories; oversees the City’s stormwater management program; management of the Environmental Health and Safety program for the Safety and Training Division; and serves as a technical resource to the operating divisions and other City Departments.

Gina Montes, Deputy City Manager, City of Phoenix
Gina Montes has served in local government for 26 years, most recently as assistant city manager for Avondale, Arizona, overseeing a diverse range of city services including police, fire and finance. She began her local career at the city of Phoenix as an internal auditor and was promoted to a variety of positions including deputy city auditor and deputy director of the Human Services Department before being named founding director of Avondale's Neighborhood and Family Services Department. She is active statewide having served as president of the Arizona City/County Management Association.

Montes holds a Bachelor of Arts from Texas Christian University and a Master of Public Policy degree from the University of Texas at Austin. She has completed a certificate program at Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government

Evelyn Racette, Instructor and MPA Coordinator, Grand Canyon University
Evelyn Racette loves government, and is passionate to tell others about the good government does in their lives everyday—especially her students. Evie currently works as an instructor at Grand Canyon University specializing in teaching Public Administration as well as State and Local government. Her research interests include Biblical Leadership and Management, values of public administrators, and Fair Housing. Prior to teaching at GCU, Evie served as the City Manager of Pinetop-Lakeside and Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin, as well as the City Administrator in Prairie City, Iowa.

Evie is Mom to Mattie, a spunky 18 month old, and wife to Tim, a web designer and entrepreneur. In her spare time, she loves to hike, mountain bike, and enjoy a glass of wine!

Tracy Corman, Division Manager in the Capital Improvement Projects Department, Queen Creek
Tracy Corman has worked for the Town of Queen Creek for more than 21 years. She was drawn to the idea of serving the community where she grew up and has found it extremely rewarding to be part of building a community from the ground up. The Town has seen exponential growth during this time, and she has had the opportunity to lead on a wide variety of issues and projects throughout the organization ranging from building Town offices to helping establish police and fire departments. She has worked in Planning and Development Services, Parks and Recreation, Economic Development, Communications and Marketing, Capital Improvement Projects and the Town Manager’s office. She is energized by new challenges, and there is always a new challenge in a fast-growing organization. Tracy has a Bachelor of Science and a Masters of Public Administration from Arizona State University.

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