AMWUA BOARD OF DIRECTORS

A fifth-generation Glendalian, Bart traces his roots to his great-great-grandfather who moved from Iowa to Arizona to establish a temperance colony in 1892. Prior to being elected to the City Council, Bart served as President of the Glendale Historical Society, Glendale Arts Council, and the West Valley Child Crisis Center, and as Chairman of the Glendale Parks and Recreation Commission. Bart was a founding board member of the Valley Citizens League, serving two years as Board President and nine years as Executive Director. Bart also co-authored and co-chaired Arizona’s successful independent redistricting initiative, which moved redistricting authority away from the legislature to an independent, politically balanced commission.

Bart served as the President of the Board of Directors of Arizona’s Clean Elections Institute, a non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion and preservation of public campaign financing, independent redistricting, and initiative and referendum rights. Bart has a breadth of business management experience across the insurance, food and beverage, and real estate industries. Bart studied Economics and Business at Northern Arizona University and earned a master’s degree in Public Administration from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. Councilmember Turner has served on the AMWUA Board of Directors since December 2014.

Councilmember Sheri Lauritano was elected to her first full term in March 2011. She was appointed in March, 2010, to complete the term of former Councilmember Rob Antoniak, which ended June, 2011 and was reelected in 2015 and 2019.  Sheri was elected to serve as Vice-Mayor from June 2015 to June 2017.   Councilmember Lauritano moved to Goodyear in 1995 and currently lives in Estrella Mountain Ranch with her husband Stephen and her two children Christopher and Victoria. Practicing law since 1994, Sheri is a former prosecutor with the City of Phoenix and was head of their Domestic Violence Unit. She currently is a partner in the firm of Bain & Lauritano, PLC where she specializes in criminal law.

A graduate from the Gonzaga University School of Law, she received her B.A. in Political Science from the University of Arizona.   Councilmember Lauritano previously served on the City of Goodyear’s Planning and Zoning Commission and the City Center Committee.   She currently represents serves as Co-Chair of the National League of Cities’ Public Safety and Crime Prevention Federal Advocacy Committee. She also sits on two Council Subcommittees, the City Audit Committee and the Boards and Commissions Selection Committee.   Councilmember Lauritano has served on the AMWUA Board of Directors since August 2018.

Scott Anderson was elected to the Town Council in 2016. He has been involved in the planning and development of Gilbert as a staff member since moving here in 1988 with his wife EJ, and five children. In 2013, he retired from the Town of Gilbert. The founding father of the Gilbert Riparian Preserve, it was his idea to transform a waste water treatment site from simple water recharge into a national award winning project that has become one of the most popular visitor destinations in the state. The preserves have been studied and copied by communities around the world seeking to be more sustainable. While Director of the Riparian Institute, Scott partnered with local organizations and businesses to create the Gilbert Rotary Centennial Observatory, the only dedicated public observatory in the region.

Before his work with the riparian preserves, Scott was the Planning and Zoning Director for Gilbert for 12 years where he managed a department that saw the Town grow from a population of 20,000 to over 100,000. As Director, Councilmember Anderson created a general plan, managed all planning and zoning processes, including changes to the zoning code, and began work on special area plans such as the Heritage district and San Tan Area Plan. Scott has a degree in Geography and International Relations from Brigham Young University and a Master’s in Public Administration from the University of Colorado. Councilmember Anderson joined the AMWUA Board of Directors in February 2020.

On January 3, 2023 Jason Beck was sworn into office as the Mayor of Peoria. Mayor Beck is invested in the City of Peoria, as a lifelong resident, and as a local business leader. As a local business owner, he understands the importance of providing goods and services. In his role as Mayor, he will apply his knowledge and experience as he works to provide superior public services within Peoria and improve quality of life for all residents.

As a veteran of the U.S. Marines, Mayor Beck values public service and is eager to serve the residents of the City of Peoria in a new capacity. Mayor Beck, and his wife Jane, reside in Peoria with their six sons. Mayor Beck joined the AMWUA Board of Directors in February 2023.

A 47-year resident of Tempe, Arlene Chin is an administrator at ASU Foundation and longtime community volunteer. She has served as the Director of Scholarship Advancement for the ASU Foundation since 2017. 

Other professional experience has included roles in student financial aid, undergraduate admissions and student services for ASU. She also served as Assistant Director at the W.P. Carey School of Business’ China MBA Program at ASU. 

In 2019, Arlene Chin made history as the first Asian American to serve on the Tempe City Council and when elected to the Tempe City Council in March 2022, became the first Asian American elected to the council. Among her primary achievements during her first time on council are passing the city’s comprehensive Climate Action Plan and adopting Tempe’s Right to Breathe Plan. Arlene has held an array of progressively responsible positions that have developed her skills in collaboration, relationship development and leadership. She takes pride in having supported and assisted people in reaching their goals, in working with diverse groups of people to collaborate and work through complicated issues respectfully, and in developing as a leader who can listen to the viewpoints of those serving in any roles. 

A strong sense of community commitment has been part of Arlene’s life since 1982, when she served on the Mayor’s Youth Advisory Commission. She has since served on the Tempe Human Relations Commission and the Tempe Neighborhood Advisory Commission, among other roles. 

Arlene has clear memories of the biggest moment from her time as a high school student involved in public service. It was her participation in a 1984 delegation to San Antonio to try to earn the prestigious All-America City Award for Tempe. Months later, then-Mayor Harry Mitchell announced that Tempe was one of eight cities nationally to clinch the honor.

She proudly keeps a Tempe Daily News article and other memorabilia about the award – including a copy of a Western Union telegram of congratulations from President Ronald Reagan to Mitchell. In the Daily News article, a young Arlene was quoted as saying about Tempe, “There’s something here for every age and every person. They don’t discriminate by age or any other reason. It’s not how big or small (a city) you are. It’s the people in it.” 

Arlene has a Master’s degree in Education from Northern Arizona University and a Bachelor’s degree in Organizational Communication from Arizona State University.

Elected to the Mesa City Council in August 2016, Councilmember Mark Freeman began his first term representing District 1 in January 2017. He served as Vice Mayor from January 28, 2019, until January 11, 2021. He started a second term in August 2020 that will run until January 2025. Freeman’s Mesa roots run deep, as his ancestor, Charles Crismon, was one of the founding fathers of Mesa. His family has farmed in the Valley since 1878, and Freeman continues that tradition today, growing alfalfa and sweet corn and running a summer farmer’s market at Brown and Center Street. In addition to farming, he spent 31 years with the Mesa Fire and Medical Department retiring as a Captain Paramedic in 2011. Mark has been active in the community serving on various boards and committees, both nationally and regionally. He is serving his sixth term on the National League of Cities Public Safety & Crime Prevention committee. He serves on multiple Council Committees, including the Audit, Finance, and Enterprise Committee and City Benefits Advisory Committee, and currently serving as Chair of Public Safety.

Mark acts as the Council Representative with the Mesa Chamber of Commerce and the League of Arizona Cities & Towns Public Safety, Military Affairs, and Courts Committee. He has served on the Lehi Area Board of Directors as well as the Mesa Board of Adjustment. He is involved in many Mesa youth programs including 4-H and Mesa Public School’s FFA. His service reaches beyond Mesa. Freeman continues to be active with the Maricopa County and Arizona Farm Bureau organizations. He is an active Board Member of the SRP Association for District 9 since 2016 and joined the AMWUA Board of Directors in January 2023.

Curtis Nielson was elected in 2018 to serve as Councilmember on the Avondale City Council. His four-year term began January 2019. Councilmember Nielson has spent his career in the Arizona copper industry and is keenly aware of the environmental concerns associated with industry and interfacing with nearby residents. He has a Bachelor’s degree in metallurgical engineering and has been involved with office management, process design and improvements, preparation of feasibility studies, operating and capital cost estimates and budget controls. He was the principle in MCN Consulting Company.

He has been involved in the city and community throughout his life. A leader and co-leader in Boy and Girl Scouts, Bishop of his local church, member of the Littleton Elementary School Board, member of his HOA board and Treasurer for 4 PAC (Political Action Committees) for Bond and override elections in the Littleton and Tolleson School districts. He has served on many City Boards and Commissions including: Water and Environmental 2007 – 2010; Environment, Energy, and Natural Resources 2015 – 2018; Capital Improvement Plan Citizens Committee 2015 – Present; Industrial Development Authority 2015 – Present. He is also a proud graduate of the Avondale Citizens Leadership Academy Class I. Councilmember Nielson serves on the Phoenix/Goodyear Airport Superfund Site. He has lived in Arizona since 1976 and has resided with his family in Avondale since 2004. Councilmember Nielson has served on the AMWUA Board of Directors since April 2019.

Councilwoman Ann O’Brien is the newly elected representative of Council District 1. She is an Arizona native and has been a resident of District 1 since 2004. She made her mark in the community as an advocate for quality education--first as an active parent and volunteer in the Deer Valley Unified School District, and then as an elected Deer Valley Unified School District (DVUSD) Governing Board Member in 2014. She was reelected to the DVUSD Board in 2018 and is currently the Governing Board President. Councilwoman O’Brien’s extensive volunteer service to her community includes providing support to students, teachers and staff as a committee member of the of the Stetson Hills Elementary School Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA) and the Sandra Day O’Connor Academy of History Booster Club. In 2017, she was elected to the Arizona School Board Association (ASBA), where she is currently the President and the appointed chairperson of the 2020 Legislative Committee.

Professionally, Councilwoman O’Brien is a proud Sun Devil, who has worked in project management with the Arizona Department of Child Support Enforcement and as a business broker for a local company. With Council District 1 on the brink of great economic growth, Councilwoman O’Brien’s focus will be preparing the community for incoming industries and developments in the area, ensuring that transportation, housing and key infrastructures are part of the overall plan. Equally important to her are the community’s concerns surrounding homelessness and public safety. Her goal is to work closely with neighborhood associations and Block Watches to understand their issues and public safety needs and determine a roadmap that provides a strategy in finding solutions. Family time is of great value to Councilwoman O’Brien. When she needs a refresh, she spends time with her husband of 27 years, Terry, along with their daughter, Amanda, and son, Thomas, both graduates of Sandra Day O’Connor High School and Northern Arizona University. Councilwoman O’Brien joined the AMWUA Board of Directors in 2021.

Vice Mayor Matt Orlando has been a resident of Chandler since 1983 and began his sixth term on the City Council in January 2023. He also served as a City Councilmember from 1990-1998, 2004-2013, and 2019-2023. In November of 2016, he retired from Honeywell. His final role was Director of Technical Sales and was responsible for business development, sales and marketing of more than $500M worth of satellite, space and missile technology communications products for the military and other government agencies. He led a world-wide sales and business team of 26 people and directed successful business ventures in both the U.S. and international markets. Vice Mayor Orlando retired as a Colonel in the US Air Force after serving 30 years on active duty and in the Arizona Air National Guard. His last assignment was serving as the Chief of Staff for the Arizona Air Staff Headquarters.

He is married to Pat and they have three children and two grandchildren. A native of Newark, NJ, he graduated from Rutgers University, New Jersey with a BA in Political Science and received an MBA from Golden Gate University, San Francisco, CA. Vice Mayor Orlando is active in his community as a Junior Achievement teacher, and as a coach and umpire in baseball and softball. Additionally, he has participated on many committees and boards, including currently serving on the Chandler City Council subcommittees: Neighborhoods and Quality of Life and Read On Chandler/Chamber Education Workforce/Chandler Education Coalition. He joined the AMWUA Board of Directors in January 2023.

Mayor Ortega is focused on safeguarding public health and safety; maintaining Scottsdale’s family-friendly neighborhoods; protecting the McDowell Sonoran Preserve and strengthening Scottsdale’s world-renowned reputation. As mayor, he is committed to equal rights for all, responsive city government and adoption of citizen-driven General Plan 2035 to support economic vitality. Mayor Ortega is a registered Arizona architect and designed many landmark buildings in Old Town. He is a graduate of the University of Arizona and was an apprentice architect to Bennie Gonzales FAIA, the award-winning designer of Scottsdale City Hall, Civic Center Library and Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts.

Mayor Ortega has served on numerous city, county and state commissions, and on civic, non-profit organizations including: Scottsdale City Councilman, Scottsdale Downtown Architectural Guidelines Committee, Scottsdale Development Review Board, Maricopa County Private Industry Council, State of Arizona School Facilities Board, Governor’s Latino Advisory Council, American Institute of Architects, Scottsdale Leadership, Inc., Friends of the Scottsdale Library, Family Promise of Greater Phoenix, Inc., Coronado High School Foundation for the Future, Inc., Chrysalis Shelter for Victims of Domestic Violence, Reading Pals-Pueblo Elementary School SUSD, and Scottsdale Sunrise Rotary Club Past President. Mayor Ortega and his wife, Rosemary Gannon, have been married for 40 years. They live in the Park Scottsdale neighborhood near Saguaro High School where they raised their children Alexandra and Luke. Mayor Ortega joined the AMWUA Board of Directors in January 2021.