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Valley Metro Board of Directors Bios
Serving in the position of Mayor of Glendale since February 1993, Elaine Scruggs was most recently selected as Chair of the Valley Metro Regional Public Transportation Authority (RPTA) board of directors. The RPTA board of directors helps to guide the authority by providing public transit solutions that best serve each of the member communities. Mayor Scruggs recently completed a one-year term as chair of the Arizona Municipal Water Users Association (AMWUA), a coordinated effort of 10 Valley cities to manage water resources. She also serves on the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee of Westmarc, an advocacy group of businesses and government promoting the West Valley. As mayor of Glendale, which is home to Luke Air Force Base, Elaine Scruggs was selected to serve on the 15-member Arizona Military Affairs Commission, which evaluates and authorizes projects that sustain the missions of Arizona’s military facilities. Helping to foster the positive development of youth also is a priority for Mayor Scruggs. She actively participates in her Mayor’s Youth Advisory Commission and serves on the YWCA Advisory Board, which honored her with its 2001 Tribute to Women Public Sector Leadership award. Through Mayor Scruggs’ efforts, Glendale was named the first Kids at Hope city in the United States. Fostering leadership is of great personal interest to Mayor Scruggs. Her desire for a program that would reinvigorate the public’s civic participation and their sense of ownership of local government led to the creation of Glendale University in 1997. Since the program’s inception, more than 450 Glendale residents have “graduated” from Glendale University to become community leaders through service to non-profit organizations, appointment to municipal commissions and election to the City Council. Mayor Scruggs' business career is marked with highly specialized management assignments within the communications industry. Positions held include Corporate Training Manager for a seven-state area and Arizona Administrative Manager with responsibility for a customer account base billing in excess of $25 million annually. Mayor Scruggs has been recognized by the National Association of Women Business Owners for her support of small business endeavors. In 1998, she was honored as one of Today's Arizona Woman magazine's Top 100, and in 2003, she accepted their Woman of the Year award. Past leadership positions include serving as chairman of the Maricopa Association of Governments Regional Council, chairman of the Arizona Municipal Tax Code Commission, President of the League of Arizona Cities and Towns and chair of Maricopa Association of Governments’ Transportation Policy Committee Mayor Scruggs and her husband, Larry, relocated to Arizona from Pasadena, Calif. in 1971. Their daughter, Jennifer, lives in Tennessee.
Councilman Wayne Ecton began his first term on the Scottsdale City Council in June 2002 and was reelected to a second term beginning in June 2006. He previously served on the 2001/2002 Citizens Budget Committee and the Big Box Ideas Team, which helped the city develop an ordinance to regulate the placement and appearance of "big box" retail buildings. A Scottsdale resident since 1996, Councilman Ecton is a member of Friends of the McDowell Land Trust and the Foothills Community Foundation. He also is a member of the Scottsdale Center for the Arts, the Art Alliance for Contemporary Glass, the American Craft Council and the Glass Art Society. Councilman Ecton retired from Alcoa after 33 years in high-level financial management positions in the U.S. corporate headquarters and International and U. S. operating locations. In his last 13 years with the company, he specialized in managing "turnaround" situations involving mergers and acquisitions at Alcoa subsidiaries. His international experience includes assignments in Guinea, West Africa and Hungary. In West Africa, his was responsible for all administrative functions - including housing, transportation, utilities, security, food supply, hospital and schools - in a company town. In Hungary, he also served as an advisor to government agencies on health, safety and environmental issues and did volunteer work assisting entrepreneurial start-up businesses. Councilman Ecton holds a bachelor's degree in business. He was also a member of the Financial Executives Institute until his retirement. He and his wife Martha have been married for 40 years and have two grown children.
Councilmember
Michael Johnson, Phoenix Michael Johnson was re-elected to a second term as Councilmember for District 8 which includes Sky Harbor Airport, Downtown Phoenix and South Phoenix. He serves on various subcommittees such as Downtown, Economy, Sports and International, Housing, Neighborhoods and Historic Preservation, Public Safety and Technology and Transportation, Parks and Seniors. Councilman Johnson retired from the Police Department in 1995 after serving 21 years as a police officer, community relations officer and detective, and is now president and chief executive of Nkosi Inc., a security service. He has also served on the South Mountain Village Planning Committee and the Rio Salado Advisory Committee.
Shana Ellis was elected to the Tempe City Council in March 2006. She was raised in Tempe, graduating from Tempe High School and Arizona State University, where she received a Bachelor's Degree in Business/Computer Information Systems and a Master's in Public Administration. Ms. Ellis is currently chair of the City of Tempe Transportation, Housing and Environment Committee, and serves on the Central City Development Committee of the Whole and the Social Services and Culture Committee. Shana's leadership experience includes serving on the Board of Directors of Tempe Leadership, the Tempe Human Relations Commission, the Kiwanis Club of Tempe, the Area Agency on Aging Advisory Council, the Economic Development Policy/Advocacy Committee (National League of Cities)and the Tempe Community Council. She has also volunteered for numerous organizations including Tempe Boys and Girls Club, Tempe Rio Salado Little League, Tempe St. Luke's Hospital, Tempe Cares, Tempe Diablos, Tempe Sister Cities, Broadmor Elementary School and Kyrene Middle School.
Mayor Marie Lopez Rogers was elected to the Avondale City Council in 1996, elected Vice Mayor of Avondale in 2003 and was appointed Mayor of the city in 2006. She was elected to the position of Mayor in September 2007 for a four year term. Mayor Lopez Rogers is an active member of her community, serving on local, regional and national committees, including the League of Arizona Cities and Town Executive Committee, the Governor’s Arizona Rides Council, and Vice President of the National League of Cities Hispanic Elected Local Officials— to name a few. On a personal note, Mayor Lopez Rogers has been married 38 years, has three sons and six grandchildren. A native of Arizona, Lopez Rogers has lived in Avondale since the age of seven. In her spare time, she enjoys social work, public service and reading.
Councilmember Les Presmyk was first elected to the Gilbert Town in 1999 after serving on the Gilbert Planning and Zoning Commission for four years. He has been re-elected twice and is currently serving his third term. He served as Vice Mayor in 2001-2002 and 2005-2006. Councilmember Presmyk has been with the Salt River Project and is currently the Senior Mine Engineer in the Fuels Department. He has been an active member of the Gilbert community for almost 20 years, serving as president of the Islands Community Association board of directors and chairman of its architectural review committee. He currently serves as co-chair of the Mercy Gilbert Medical Center gala event (Gilbert’s first such event). Councilmember Presmyk earned a bachelor’s degree in mining engineering
from the University of Arizona. He has been married to his wife, Paula,
for over 31 years. They have lived in Gilbert for the past 21 years
and were both born and raised in Phoenix.
Vice
Mayor Frank Cavalier, City of Goodyear Councilmember Cavalier was elected to his second four-year term as
a Council Member in 2005 and was elected Vice Mayor. During Councilmember Cavalier's tenure on the Goodyear City Council,
his foremost concern has been growth issues, adding cultural amenities
and creating more parks. “The city needs more high wealth industry
and more businesses that will add tax and trade revenue to take the
tax burden off the residential sector of the city," states Cavalier.
He says that he believes in thoroughly studying issues that will influence
policy and openly stating his rationale for each decision in council
meetings. Councilmember Cavalier’s background is in education and training.
He has an Ed.D. in Education and Music from Arizona State University.
He graduated with a B.A. and an M.A. from Western State College of
Colorado, and undertook graduate studies at the University of Colorado,
Northern Colorado University and Morehead State University in Kentucky. After completing his doctorate, Cavalier spent four years as instrumental
music teacher at Chaparral High School in Scottsdale, Arizona before
becoming professor of Music for the University of Guam, Director of
Music for the Government of Guam, and Conductor of the Guam Symphony
Orchestra. Upon moving to Arizona in 1980, the Vice Mayor worked as Director
of Lamson Business College and as Curriculum Manager for Apollo Schools
(University of Phoenix). In 1985, Cavalier began working at the Palo
Verde Nuclear Generation Station as Training Coordinator for all engineers
on site. After retiring from Palo Verde, the Vice Mayor became involved
with the City of Goodyear on several committees and was appointed to
the Planning and Zoning Commission where he served for five years,
two years as chairperson. Frank and his wife, Dr. Jamie Cavalier, have been Goodyear residents since 1991.
Councilmember Ron Aames joined the Peoria City Council on Jan. 2, 2007 as the representative of the Palo Verde District. He was elected to a four-year term in November 2006. His goal is to champion the needs and wishes of his fellow citizens in the PaloVerde District and Peoria. Ron and his wife Jacqueline, who is a college professor and writer, moved from out-of-state to Peoria in August 2002. They both love the variety and wonderful climate of the Valley of the Sun. They have a large extended family in the Northwest Valley. Educationally, Aames has a background in planning and city development, areas he anticipates will benefit him in his work as a councilmember. His degrees include a Ph.D., which focused on urban development, from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a Master’s from California State Polytechnic University-Pomona (Cal Poly Pomona), which focused on transportation planning. In business, Aames has been a corporate executive for hi-tech, banking, and marketing companies. In the marketing area, he was a managing consultant for eight years for The Gallup Organization, where his clients included federal government agencies. He worked for Gallup for two years after moving to Peoria, traveling frequently to Washington, D.C. to meet with clients. Aames currently is an independent marketing consultant.
Elected to the office of Mayor in 2000, Mayor Keno Hawker served previously
as a Mesa Councilmember from 1986 until 1994 and from 1998 to 2000.
He also served as Vice Mayor from 1990 until 1992.
Mayor Fred Waterman has lived in El Mirage since 2000 when he retired from the Phoenix Police department after 25 years. He wants to identify neighborhood needs and coordinate programs to address solutions. Mayor Waterman encourages citizen involvement and commercial development.
Mary Rose Garrido Wilcox was born in Superior, Arizona, and is a fourth generation Arizona native from a pioneer Mexican-American family. Supervisor Wilcox is serving her third four-year term on the Board of Supervisors in Maricopa County—named “best run county” by Governing Magazine and Syracuse University. She previously served on the Phoenix City Council for nine years. Supervisor Wilcox was honored as being the first Hispanic woman ever to serve on the Phoenix City Council and the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors.
Councilmember Trinity Donovan has lived in Chandler for 21 years. She began her tenure on the City Council in June 2006. Councilmember Donovan is Vice President, Community Impact, for the Valley of the Sun United Way, and is the former CEO of ICAN -- Improving Chandler Area Neighborhoods. She was honored by the Business Journal as a 2006 "Forty under 40" achiever, received the 2004 Chandler Alliance for Character Award, was a 2001 IMPACT for Enterprising Women Celebration of Success Honoree, and in 2003 was awarded the Stanford Associates Achievement Award. Councilmember Donovan has served on the City of Chandler’s National Hispanic Heritage Month Planning Committee, 2000 Bond Committee, Census 2000 Committee, Chandler Wellbeing Task Force and the Build Out and Beyond Committee. She also served on the Domestic Violence Local Coordinating Council, the Executive Committee of the Chandler Non-Profit Coalition and is a past Board Member of the Governor's Alliance Against Drugs and the Intel Community Advisory Panel. She is a member of the Governor's Earned Income Tax Credit Task Force and the Maricopa Association of Government's Continuum of Care Committee. She is active in her church and performs service projects throughout South and Central America in addition to working with a nonprofit school in India. Councilmember
Donovan attended Chandler High School and holds a bachelor's degree
in Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity, and a master's degree
in Sociology – both from Stanford University. She also attended
and graduated Chandler Leadership and Valley Leadership. Joe is a small business owner who has lived in Arizona for more than three decades. Joe sees progress city-wide, such as the opening of three new fire stations, the ongoing development of Surprise Point and Skyway Business Park, bringing Prasada to Surprise, and the ongoing improvements to Bell Road. He also cites progress with the construction of the new Surprise City Hall. “I will continue to lobby here and in Washington for the expansion of SR 303,” he says. Other priorities include public safety and community health and recreation, he adds. The father of two, Johnson is a founding member of Parents Plus, a parent/teacher organization at Willow Canyon High School. In his spare time, Johnson plays tennis and coaches the Willow Canyon Varsity Girls Tennis Team.
Mayor Art Sanders began his first term as Mayor in June of 2006. He serves on the Regional Council of Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG) and represents the Town of Queen Creek with the Williams Gateway Airport Authority (WGAA). Mayor Sanders and his family moved to Queen Creek in 1993 and have seen the Town grow from a small farming community of 4,000 residents to currently over 20,000 residents. He and wife Brenda currently own a digital video business and a cattle ranch. |
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Overview
Board of Directors
Councilmember
Shana Ellis, Tempe
Councilmember
Les Presmyk, Gilbert
Supervisor
Mary Rose Wilcox,
