It’s often said that in order to have your voice heard, you have to show up. A civic leadership program is allowing local leaders to do just that by offering a seminar on state-level issues.
Bill Regner, a member of Clarkdale’s Town Council, was named a 2018 FlinnBrown Fellow, counting him among a group of 300 Arizona civic leaders brought together to discuss state policies.
Regner has been on the Clarkdale Town Council since 2010, and he has served on the Planning Commission for more than two years before that.
“I believe in good governance, and this is where the rubber hits the road in whether good governance is provided for my community,” he said. “I have a high regard for community leadership programs.
“I am looking forward to listening to and conversing with a lot of really smart people who are experts on state-level issues,” he continued. “I am excited to be a part of a cohort of equally smart Flinn-Brown Fellows who will shape the future of Arizona and perhaps the nation.”
The Flinn-Brown Civic Leadership Academy begins with a 12-session seminar covering topics prevalent in state government, including education, the environment, political issues and the judicial system. The idea is to get community leaders in a room to discuss state policies and how their communities are affected by them. Sessions began in mid-March and will continue through May, culminating in members with similar experiences forming groups to collaborate and present on specific policy issues.
Regner isn’t the only Verde Valley representative — a cadre of civic leaders from the Verde Valley are participating in the seminar, including Cottonwood Mayor Tim Elinski and Clarkdale Mayor Doug Von Gausig.
“The story of a town like Clarkdale and a region like the Verde Valley needs to be told at the state level,” Regner said. “They can learn as much from us as our little rural region can learn from them.”
Flinn-Brown is a non-partisan effort to involve local leaders in state-level discussions. According to its website, the program “helps experienced leaders from all perspectives and walks of life to succeed in Arizona state government as policymakers, staff experts, decision makers and advisers.”
By bringing this variety of people into one room, FlinnBrown gives community leaders the opportunity to discuss and effect change at the state level.
“During my nearly eight years on the Clarkdale Town Council, I have been repeatedly brought face-to-face with how state-level policies affect our local government,” Regner said. “Laws passed at the state level supersede ordinances passed by cities and towns. That often results in our legislature and governor telling cities and towns how they can shape their communities …. Local governments are the closest level of government to the people, and they are best able to respond to their priorities and needs. In order to protect that, we must help shape the policies coming to us from the state level.”
Rebekah Wahlberg can be reached at 282-7795 ext. 117, or email rwahlberg@larsonnewspapers.com
