The Independent Redistricting Commission will interview their top five candidates for Executive Director on March 16, starting at 9:00 am. If you would like to submit public comments, this link, https://forms.gle/azyUptsqP2JMKuqY8 will be activated shortly after 9:00 am, and remain open until just before the meeting adjourns. The link to the meeting is https://youtu.be/Yv7x5IadSCM. A couple of those candidates might be brought back at 3:00 on Tuesday. Those second interviews may be conducted in executive session.
Link to 9:00 am agenda:
https://publicmeetings.az.gov/content/notice-and-agenda-regular-meeting-and-executive-session-0
Link to 3:00 pm https://publicmeetings.az.gov/sites/default/files/3.16.21%20PM%20%20IRC%20Agenda%20%283%29.pdf
As reported by Jeremy Duda in the AZ MIrror, the five candidates scheduled for an interview are:
- Trevor Abarzua, the vice president for business attraction from southern California at the Arizona Commerce Authority. Abarzua previously served Gov. Doug Ducey as director of operations and logistics and as a policy advisor, and worked for U.S. Sen. John McCain’s 2016 re-election campaign.
- Tom Augherton, the executive director of the Arizona Board of Massage Therapy. Augherton is the former mayor of Cave Creek and was chief of administration for Attorney General Grant Woods.
- Kristina Gomez, deputy executive director for the 2011 Independent Redistricting Commission and a community outreach staffer on the first IRC in 2001. Gomez currently serves as deputy director at the Arizona State Board of Dental Examiners.
- Keely Varvel Hartsell, a longtime aide to Democratic officials who spent the past four years as chief deputy recorder under former Maricopa County Recorder Adrian Fontes. She previously served as chief of staff for the Democratic caucus in the state House of Representatives, and worked at the Department of Economic Security and Governor’s Office of Children, Youth and Families during Janet Napolitano’s administration.
- Brian Schmitt, chief of staff to Jim Waring, a Republican member of the Phoenix City Council.