​2023 Arizona Women Leading Government 

President: Kirsten Lennon, Financial Services Director, City of Cottonwood​​

​Working for the City of Cottonwood for over 20 years in the Finance department doing everything from Accounts Payable and benefits to being the Finance Director I have had great support in my growth and development as a leader. During these years not only did I work and raise my four children but I also went back to college and earned a Bachelors in Business Administration. I joined the WLG board not only to network with other great women leaders in Government but to hopefully help emerging women leaders. We all need a good support system and tools to improve ourselves to be the best we can be! Being on the board gives me the opportunity to lift other women up and let them realize their full potential. ​

Past President: Brandi Flores, Deputy Director City of Phoenix Water Services Department ​

Brandi Flores is a Deputy Director with the City of Phoenix where she leads the budget and accounting team in managing the Water Services Department’s $400 million operating budget. She has 15 years of experience in governmental finance and she is passionate about providing guidance for the responsible stewardship of public resources. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in global business from Arizona State University and a Master of Business Administration from Ottawa University both with an emphasis in finance. Brandi is actively engaged in industry associations that provide guidance in the area of governmental finance and leadership including the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA), the Arizona State University School of Public Affairs Advisory Council, Arizona Women Leading Government (AZWLG), and the Women in Public Finance Network (WPFN).  Notable roles include serving as the 2021 President of GFOAz and 2021-2022 President of AZWLG.  In her free time, Brandi enjoys reading and camping with her husband and five beautiful children. 

Vice-President: Brandie Barrett, Deputy Public Works Director, City of Phoenix

Brandie Ishcomer Barrett currently serves as a Deputy Public Works Director for the City of Phoenix.  In this role, Brandie manages the Administrative Services Division consisting of the department’s fiscal, procurement, information technology, communications, environmental quality, badging and alarm services, and field invoice management services, with management responsibility for a $315 million operating budget, a $172 million five-year capital improvement program and for $427M in procurement administration.  In her prior role, she established the Community and Government Relations Division for the city’s Solid Waste Services division, and was responsible for providing cross-disciplinary leadership, and implementing circular economy and economic development initiatives in support of the city’s Reimagine Phoenix Initiative to improve diversion from landfill and achieve zero waste by 2050.  
 
During her 18+ years of local government experience, Brandie has managed a multitude of high-profile activities, including the city’s fleet of 7,500 pieces of equipment, which was recognized with a Government Green Fleet award. She has presented policy alternatives to the City Council on a diverse range of citywide programs and issues.  Brandie holds a Master of Arts from the University of Arizona and a Bachelor of Arts from Mount Holyoke College. 

Directors:

Andrea Alicoate, Diversity & Special Projects Manager, City of Mesa

Andrea Alicoate has been with the City of Mesa for 12+ years currently serving as part of the Executive Management leadership team.  She has extensive experience with community engagement and diversity related initiatives, specializing in project management and the administration of public programs. A strong believer in the power of collaboration, Andrea has a passion for developing platforms that empower staff, incorporates diverse perspectives, and listens to the community voice to elevate the greater organization. Andrea is part of ICMA’s Equity Officer Institute, an active member in the Local Government Hispanic Network and one of the founders of the Mesa Hispanic Network. She holds a BA from Arizona State University, an MPA from California State University Northridge, and more recently completed a certification program through Yale University. As an East Valley native, Andrea enjoys raising her son with her husband in the community she loves to serve. 

Alejandra Larios, Chief of Staff, Maricopa County

Alejandra Larios currently serves as the Chief of Staff to the Maricopa County Assessor Eddie Cook. In her role with the Assessor’s Office, she leads the Public Affairs, Communications, Human Resources, Professional Development and Finance teams. She plays a critical role in determining, defining, and prioritizing business strategies for the organization and providing leaders with recommendations to improve teamwork and collaboration. Her goal is to build and develop relationships both inside and outside the organization to help increase efficiency, effectiveness, and responsiveness of all team members. Alejandra joined the Maricopa County family in 2007 as a human resource professional for Correctional Health Services, focusing on employee relations, recruitment, and compensation. Four years later, she transferred to the Clerk of the Superior Court where she led multiple teams and special projects until moving to the Assessor’s Office in 2019. She is a subject matter expert in various human resources competencies, communications, strategic planning, and public affairs. Prior to her tenure with Maricopa County, Alejandra served as a professional with Target Stores in Los Angeles and U-Haul International Headquarters in Phoenix.

Kelly Whittemore, Deputy City Attorney, City of Mesa​

​Kelly Whittemore is a Deputy City Attorney for the City of Mesa.  Since becoming an attorney in 2005, she has spent the majority of her legal career holding progressively more responsible positions in local government law departments in both Texas and Arizona.  For the City of Dallas, she served as a community prosecutor focused on quality-of-life issues, ensuring citizens had a safe place to live through the enforcement of building codes and nuisance laws.  Kelly joined the Mesa City Attorney’s Office in 2011.  During her time with Mesa, she has had the rare opportunity to work as both an administrative and land use attorney, allowing her to build a well-rounded view of the issues facing local government.  In her current role, she serves as the supervising attorney over the Land Use/Police Division.  Kelly is an avid weightlifter and self-proclaimed bookworm, who can be found spending her weekends with her husband, family, and friends.  As a member of the AZWLG Board, she is honored to have the opportunity to be of service to women leaders throughout Arizona.

Kristie Riester, CEO, KR Dynamic Solutions

Kristie founded KR Dynamic Solutions in 2018 because she's passionate about helping others succeed. Her drive is to inspire, educate, and motivate organizations and individuals to reach their goals. Prior to launching KR Dynamic Solutions, she spent over 20 years in public service working her way up from seasonal lifeguard to Director. In addition to being CEO of KR Dynamic Solutions, Kristie is serving as Executive Director for the Council for the Model Aquatic Health Code and Utilities Customer Service Manager for the Town of Queen Creek. 

Kristie discovered her passion for public service would lead to a career while at the University of Arizona, where she received a Bachelor of Science degree in physiology. She also has a Master of Administration Degree with an emphasis in Public Management from Northern Arizona University. 

Kristie is actively involved with her State and National Associations, currently serving on the Arizona Women Leading Government Board and as Past President for the Arizona Parks and Recreation Association. She has had the privilege to be an educational presenter at the Arizona Parks and Recreation Association conference as well as the National Recreation and Parks Association conference and National Aquatics Management School. She has been a guest lecturer at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo for the Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Tourism Administration program and spoke at the Arizona State University SPARK conference. She has presented at the Arizona Women Leading Government Conference and the Blooming Your Business Conference for entrepreneurs. She is passionate about public service and helping women achieve their career goals.  
​
Kristie is an avid reader and loves being in and around water. She lives in Maricopa, Arizona with her husband Troy and their daughter Jillian where you can find them enjoying a hot Arizona day in their backyard pool oasis.

Annette Padilla, Consultant/Associate, IPM​

Dr. Padilla is an associate and consultant with Interim Public Management (IPM), having served on several boards of directors, planning conferences, and evaluating education to advance women and girls.  Her 20+ years of public service includes local government, non-profits, as well as consulting with counties state-wide in California.  She is affiliated with 13 US Federal Departments (Justice, Education, Substance and Mental Health Services Administration, Indian Health Service, Administration for Native Americans, etc.) where she serves as a panel facilitator, grant reviewer, and project consultant in strategic planning.  With a PhD in Public Policy and Administration, focused on Leadership and Management from Walden University, Annette’s research furthered California County Strategic Planning for Substance Abuse departments. By training MBAs in Vietnam and teaching business at Jiangnan University in China she also assisted the City of Wuxi’s Police Transportation Dept. with technical language.  She also holds a Master Degree in Public Health and a Bachelor Degree in Community Health Education from San Diego State University. Her work in Arizona includes serving as a Department Head in the Town of Guadalupe where she strengthened contracts with United Food Bank, Maricopa County Human Services, Community Bridges, Inc. and Chicanos Por la Causa serving homeless families. Annette is a member of the International City/County Management Association (ICMA), Arizona City/County Management Association (ACMA), Phoenix Area ASU Alumnae Chapter (Delta Xi) of Alpha Gamma Delta Sorority, and the AZ WLG Board.  She enjoys meeting up in person and networking to support other female colleagues advancing as leaders in Arizona. Her free time is spent mountain biking on our beautiful Arizona trails and lap swimming in local pools.

Angele Ozoemelam, Finance Director, City of Casa Grande

​Angele Ozoemelam is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA), with experience in public accounting. She holds a Master’s in Business Administration and a Bachelor’s in Accounting, with Latin honors.

She is a seasoned government finance professional with over 30 years of budgeting, auditing, and accounting experienceand has held executive level positions in higher education and government. Angele has served on the Pinal County Audit Committee since 2020 and serves as a budget reviewer for the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA).

Angele serves as the Finance Director for the City of Casa Grande. In her role she provides leadership, direction and guidance in financial reporting, budgeting, and information technology. Under her leadership, the city received the triple crown award from the GFOA for excellence in financial reporting, distinguished budget presentation and the popular annual financial report.
​
Angele proudly identifies herself as a product of mentorship from a successful government finance professional and is excited to add her voice to the leadership of the AZWLG. She looks forward to working with the team to promote “excellence in government financial management through leadership, education, and communication”, and to develop strong and knowledgeable leaders for tomorrow.