In her First Week in Office, Governor Hobbs is Off to a Fast Start

Governor Katie Hobbs and her team are off to a fast start in the first week of her term.

Calling her first actions part of the First 100 Days Initiative, Governor Hobbs has issued three Executive Orders related to Non-Discrimination, Homelessness, and Election Security.

The Governor has also continued to make appointments to her governing team.

On the First 100 Days Initiative, Ms. Hobbs offered these comments on her first day in office:

“Today marks a new era in Arizona, where my Administration will work to build an Arizona for everyone. I am proud to launch my First 100 Days Initiative, which will center around tackling the biggest challenges facing Arizonans, like making our state more affordable and sustainable. It’s time for bold action and I feel ready as ever to get the job done. Let’s get to work.”

To start off her administration, the Governor signed an Executive order dealing with nondiscrimination, called “Protecting Employment Opportunity,”  that, according to a Gubernatorial press release, “reinforces federal non-discrimination laws and affirms the State’s commitment to equal employment opportunity by directing Agencies to guarantee protections in all aspects of state employment and contracting.”

On January 6, 2023, the Governor issued two more Executive Orders regarding homelessness and election security.

The Homelessness order dealt with re-establishing the Governor’s Arizona Commission on Homelessness and Housing as Governor’s Interagency and Community Council on Homelessness and Housing. The Council had been disbanded in 2020.

The election security order concerned creating a bipartisan task force to develop greater ways to ensure election security. These task force members will be staffed with designees from Governor Hobbs, Secretary Fontes, the Arizona Speaker of the House, the Arizona Senate President, the League of Cities and Towns, and experts familiar with election law, voting rights, campaign finance laws, tribal government, and the rights of people with disabilities.

On these two Executive Orders, Governor Hobbs stated in a press release:

“We cannot deny that Arizona is in a homelessness and affordable housing crisis, and we need all hands on deck. The Interagency and Community Council is that deck. Both homelessness and housing are multifaceted issues and we need a multifaceted approach to improving the situation for so many Arizonans who are struggling. Our elections are equally critical. That’s why I’m creating the Elections Task Force to provide an opportunity for bipartisan engagement on election issues. While I would’ve appreciated this leadership from the last Governor I now look forward to the task force’s recommendations and will continue working toward meaningful election reform that will improve the democratic process for voters and election administrators in Arizona.”

With regards to the Election Security Taskforce, Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, in a press release, relayed:

“I share the Governor’s commitment to election integrity and look forward to working with her office to ensure this bipartisan Task Force is set up for success. It is important for both of our executive offices to work in tandem with one another, the state legislature, and county and local officials that administer elections. Voter confidence is paramount.”

Governor Hobbs also continued to fill her administration with the following appointments: Per the Governor’s press releases, they are:

“Lisa Urias – Director of the Office of Tourism: Lisa served as Chief Program & Community Engagement Officer for the Arizona Community Foundation leading statewide community programs and overseeing the foundation impact loan funds and discretionary grantmaking. Previously she was President & CEO for Urias Communications, a nationally recognized marketing and communications agency, serving corporate, government, and large nonprofit clients. She also served as the Director of International Markets for SRP, developing a market entry strategy for SRP into the Mexican energy markets. Lisa will begin her tenure in late February.

Jennifer Toth -Director of the Department of Transportation: Jennifer has 25 years of experience in public works. She recently was the Director for the Maricopa County Department of Transportation as well as the County Engineer. Jennifer previously served as the State Engineer and Deputy Director of the Arizona Department of Transportation. She has also worked in the private sector as a transportation consultant. Jennifer holds a Bachelor’s and Master of Science in Civil Engineering.

Elizabeth Alvarado-Thorson – Director of the Department of Administration: Elizabeth Alvarado-Thorson has served as ADOA’s deputy director since 2018. Prior to that she was the State Human Resources Director, overseeing the state’s personnel system of more than 32,000 employees. A proud Arizona native, she has more than 30 years of private and public sector experience in strategic and operational leadership. Elizabeth holds a degree in Political Science from ASU and is a 2017 Flinn Brown Civic Leadership Academy Fellow.

Sandra Watson – President and CEO of Arizona Commerce Authority: Sandra Watson is an economic development professional with 33 years of experience in business attraction and expansion, entrepreneurship, economic policy and workforce development. She serves as President & CEO of the Arizona Commerce Authority, and oversees the Arizona Office of Economic Opportunity and Workforce Arizona Council. Under Ms. Watson’s leadership, the ACA has worked with over 1,100 companies that have committed to creating more than 240,000 jobs and investing over $103 billion in capital in Arizona.

Jason Chavez, Tribal Affairs Director: Jason Chavez is a member of the Tohono O’odham Nation from the San Miguel Community in the Chukut Kuk District. Most recently, Jason served as the elections outreach manager in the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office. Jason holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Political Science from Virginia Tech.

Bo Dul, General Counsel: Bo Dul was Senior Counsel at the States United Democracy Center. Prior to that, she was the State Elections Director and General Counsel in the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office. Before that, Bo was Partner in the Political Law Group at Perkins Coie LLP. She received her Juris Doctorate from NYU School of Law and Master’s in Public Affairs from Princeton University, and clerked for Chief Judge Theodore McKee on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.

Marisol Flores-Aguirre, Southern Arizona Office Director: Marisol Flores-Aguirre MBA, M.A Candidate Human Rights Practice (she/ella), has nearly twenty years of cross sector experience ranging from small business, public and private sector to higher education. She is passionate about women in leadership, and building collaborative, innovative teams. Marisol is a native Tucsonan, activist & human rights advocate. She holds an Executive MBA from Eller College of Management from the University of Arizona. Marisol was named 40 emerging leaders under 40 in 2011 and 2016.

Tonya Hamilton, Governor’s Office of Youth, Faith and Family Director: Tonya Hamilton was appointed as Director of the Governor’s Office of Youth, Faith and Family (GOYFF) in January 2023. Previous to Ms. Hamilton’s appointment, the native Phoenician served 28 years working for the State of Arizona and its citizens at the Pima County Juvenile Court Center, the Arizona Supreme Court, and the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation, and Reentry. Following her time at state agencies, Hamilton has worked the last 15 years in various roles, such as Tribal Liaison, Substance Abuse Prevention Manager, and overseeing project directors for grant funding. Hamilton also currently serves as an ex officio member of the Arizona Commission of African American Affairs, a member of the Arizona Human Trafficking Council, and has participated on the Governor’s Veterans Policy Academy Team.”