Mayor's Office - Wilson School Holiday Adopt-A-Class Project

In the beginning of Mayor Gordon's first term, it was a tradition to make an Annual Christmas Party. In 2007, we replace the traditional Christmas Party with adopting a head-start (preschool) class from the Wilson School and deliver presents. We've been doing this now for four years with 2011 being the fifth and last one for Mayor Gordon. I was project manager of this project last year, and I'm honored with the title this year again.

The headstart teacher has the little 4-5 year old kids writing to Santa and making their wish list. We received their little wish lists this week and reading the letters was really heartwarming. The student's from these headstart classes come from low income families. Some students are so humble and innocent that they even ask for presents for their parents and siblings instead of asking for themselves.

My job is to collect donations from our staff and coordinate the shopping, wrapping and delivery date. My coworkers call me "The Office Elf". I'm super exited to get this project moving. Our delivery date and Holiday Celebration is December 22. I've collected the money and now is time for one of my favorite parts of this project; the shopping and wrapping.

My most favorite part of this project is seeing their little faces light up with joy when they receive their presents. I can't wait to see them rip through that wrapping paper with joy!

Finals, Vacation, and Christamas

I can't believe finals are already here! This semester has surely flew by. I've been writing research papers like crazy and at the same time getting ready for a vacation. I  don't know why I decided to take a vacation during finals week. To top it off, Christmas is right around the corner as well!

My papers are ready to be turned in, vacation is in motion as we speak, and Christmas? Well, I don't think I'm ready for that just yet. I have not done any Christmas shopping at all. I was thinking of doing some shopping here in DC, but I don't have room in my luggage. I guess I'll do my shopping when I return to Phoenix. I'm just glad my papers are done and that I'll be a semester less to graduate.

Good luck to all this week on finals!

Washington, DC is amazing

It's been an amazing experience here in Washington, DC. I've been touring since Friday, Dec. 2! I've visited The White House, U.S. Capitol, National Mall, Lincoln Memorial, Arlington Cemetery, Pentagon, Georgetown, and many other incredible historic places.  I've also visited about five museums, American National History Museum being my favorite. My request to tour The White House was sent too late and I couldn't experience a tour. Seeing it from the outside was good enough for me.

I was amazed to see that DC is very culturally diverse. I've met people from all over the world. I even met a nephew from the Governor of Nigeria! I also met many Asian people. I guess it was a given since I stayed in Chinatown. Lol... Our hotel has been awesome and located in a great central location to all of the national monuments and museums.

What a wonderful experience it has been visiting Washington, DC. I'm proud of what our country has done to make it an incredible place to live. God bless our country and those who fight at war to keep our country safe.

At my favorite memorial, the Abraham Lincoln Memorial.

Interview with Phoenix Police Code Enforcement Dept.

Today I interviewed with Phoenix Police Code Enforcement Department. The interview panel consisted of four people, two being males and the other two females. I was really nervous while I was waiting for them to call me in. Once I entered the room and saw that I knew one of the interviewers, I felt a little relieved. Her presence made me feel more confident and relaxed.

The interview consisted of approximately 16 questions and lasted about 20 minutes. I walked in and shook their hands then I sat down in a little desk right in-front of their table. We had a little breathe in breathe out session for relaxation. I thought that was really neat of them to do that. In the back of my head I was reminding myself to; sit up straight, make eye contact, ask questions, and all those little things we sometimes forget to do.

The position was for a Administrative Assistant I at the Vehicle Impound area. This position directly supervises five-six Administrative Aides and up to three temporary agency staff; it indirectly supervises an additional seventeen Administrative Aides and numerous agency staff. To be honest this position doesn't fit me. I'm glad they took me into consideration for an interview, but I think I need to look for something that is more in my area. I have no knowledge in regards to impounds nor supervising a group of five-six people.

I'm glad I got to experience the feeling of interviewing once again. Hoping I get another interview soon with Phoenix Police Dept or Aviation. I also just applied with U.S. House of Representatives - Office of Congressman Ed Pastor as a Constituent Services Representative. I'm staying positive something will come soon.

Slow day with great news

Today was a slow day at the office. It gave me time to organize files, catch up with scheduling pending meetings for the Mayor, reply to couple emails, and even do a little bit of homework. It's rare when we have days like this one at the office. Usually it's hectic and always working 100 mph. I also did some cleaning and started putting away my personal belongings. We have exactly five weeks left in the office.

Five weeks left and some of us still looking where to go. Luckily, I got a call for an interview tomorrow! My interview is with Phoenix Police Department Public Records Office. I'm a little bit nervous because I haven't had an interview in 8 years! I've been practicing and reviewing the usual questions they ask at interviews. Hoping I do well and nail it.

2011 City of Phoenix Community Service Fund Drive

The City of Phoenix Employees have been giving their time and dollars to the community through the Community Service Fund Drive for over 30 years. As a result, over $13.5 MILLION has been given in the last 10 years alone!

Countless employees have believed in this effort and worked hard to positively impact Phoenix beyond our daily jobs.

The effort is planned through a team of volunteer employees knows as the Executive Committee and led by an annual Campaign Chairperson. Support is given through the Human Resources Department, which houses the Drive's history and functions by lending some services of an employee.

As the CSFD is not an offical city function or an organzation unto itself, we need a community organization partner to carry out our goals and distribute the dollars raised each year.

Our partner is the Valley of the Sun United Way (VSUW), a respected non-profit organization in our community since 1925. The VSUW assists our CSFD with expertise and resources for our campaigns. It also serves as the distributor to all the agencies we have chosen to be on our list.

I'm proud to say that I've been a CSFD representative for the Office of the Mayor for two years now. We've helped raise money through making personal contributions and sponsoring little fundraising events to reach a our own department goal. Usually, CSFD has a goal to raise $1 million each year, and I'm excited to say that we did achieve it once again this year. Approximately 5,131 employees donated to the campaign in support of VSUW, the Environmental Fund for Arizona and other programs.

The successful campaign will be celebrated at the CSFD Awards breakfast on Wednesday, Nov. 30. I'm proud to be part of this team who put all their effort to meet our goal, considering the economic challenges employees and the city organizations face.

Why You Should Shop Phoenix for the Holidays!

Spend the holidays shopping at locally owned businesses to find that unique gift, or satisfy your holiday cravings at one of the many locally owned restaurants in Phoenix.

When you do your shopping in Phoenix, taxes from the merchandise you buy goes directly to the city's General Fund. City sales taxes are about 40 percent of the total General Fund revenue, which pays for city services such as police and fire protection, parks, libraries, senior centers and street maintenance.

When you make purchases at local and small businesses more of your money re-circulates in the community instead of being sent out of state. That means more jobs, neighborhood improvement and community development for Phoenix.

Let's support the cause and Shop Local Phoenix to support our local businesses and our community services and programs!

Black Friday not so much madness

Who hasn't been part of Black Friday? Everybody knows that Black Friday brings out the crazies looking for great deals. Well I was surprise to see that this year there weren't any madness at the malls. Well at least to the malls I went to. I shopped at the Biltmore and Scottsdale Fashion Square. Both malls weren't packed with crazy people and it was a peaceful shopping experience for me. Although, I did see in the news about people getting trampled on and even people getting tase for shoplifting. I'm glad I wasn't around that mess.

Did anybody else have a great Black Friday experience?

2nd Annual CityScape Tree Lighting

On Saturday, November 26, my coworkers and I had the honor once again to attend the 2nd Annual CityScape Tree Lighting at Patriots Square at CityScape. The ceremony also featured the opening of the NRG ice rink. The ice rink is the only outdoor ice rink in Downtown Phoenix. Mayor Gordon inaugurated this event last year, and it was unfortunate he couldn't make it this year. Organizers and constituents were pleased to know Mayor Gordon's staff was able to go and represent the office.

I was too excited watching the show that I totally forgot to take pictures. lol... If I find any, I'll make sure to post them.

Career Service/ Job Searching

Yesterday, I had a really productive meeting with Kathleen Haggerty, Deputy Personnel Director at The City of Phoenix Human Resources Department. We met to discuss other job opportunities with The City of Phoenix. Mayor Gordon's team is only 5 weeks away for the transition to begin and we need to start looking elsewhere for jobs. Mayor Gordon always protecting his staff, made sure we met with Human Resources to seek other opportunities within the City.


During the meeting we first reviewed my resume and made sure everything was to standards. We did shift a couple things around and added important notes to it. After that, we moved on to the lists of positions I've applied to within the City. Being on these lists gives us better chances to get interviews with the different departments that have openings available. I'm in 4 lists which is good because it gives me better changes of getting interviews. The departments that are available for me to work in is the Police Department, Public Works, Parks & Recreation, Water, and Aviation. I personally would love to interview with Police and Aviation. I'm so interested that I already picked up a background check packet from the Police Department. The packet consists of 14 pages!

Hoping for the best these couple weeks to come!

Chocolate cake relieves stress

It's that time of the semester...finals! The word "finals" gives me stress. It's not easy working full time and going to school part-time. Well, how I try to relieve the stress is by eating chocolate cake. It's not the medical way to go but, it sure make me happy and makes me forget about the world. LOL. We all have those tricks or remedies to relieve it, right? What's yours??

 In a serious note, what are beneficial ways to relieve stress? I've gone to the chiropractor, getting massages, even going to the neurologist. Stress causes me horrible migraines. I once had a migraine that lasted a week! Worst feeling ever. I got prescribed pills for it but, those pills don't let me sleep. I don't know what I've done different but, I don't get migraines that often as before. Maybe it is the chocolate cake?

Mayor's Farewell Gala

The Mayor’s Farewell Gala was a huge success on Nov. 16.  My personal experience started with brief introductions to many of the guests as I, along with a few other co-workers, registered each of 400 attendees.  There were many different faces of professions under one roof ranging from healthcare to international developers and local politicians, many of whom I’ve worked with – it’s always great to place a face with a voice at the other end of the phone.  The event was held at Stand Up Live in the very new multi million dollar project in the heart of downtown Phoenix….I need to disclose that the event was not paid for with city tax dollars. Lol!  

Given the nonsense printed in the media about my boss, he is brilliant with many talents and a heart the size of Texas.  He is the first Mayor to have set goals publicly and conquer them all which consisted of a bio science center, downtown campus for ASU, lightrail, bring in a $750 million construction development and a 3rd Hotel.  Not only did the Mayor meet his goals he surpassed them by bringing in U of A in addition to ASU, a $950 million dollar construction site, known today as CityScape; he expanded the Convention Center, extended lightrail, brought in the Sky Train at CityScape and millions of dollars to Phoenix bringing jobs and enhancing the quality of life to many.  It’s simply amazing to witness history in the making.

10th Annual Hope Luncheon

In my many assignments I have in the office, I also serve as the liaison for The Family Advocacy Center. "The Family Advocacy Center's goal is to deliver quality victim advocacy services that positively impact primary and secondary victims of domestic and sexual violence while educating the community about the dynamics and prevalence of violence in our community" (http://phoenix.gov/humanservices/programs/victims/fac/index.html). Mayor gets invited to many fundraising events or events that honors domestic violence survivors and centers that provide support services. Sometimes Mayor can't attend them so, I attend on his behalf. Not necessarily to provide any type of speeches or remarks but to show presence and support from our office.


Later that afternoon on Tuesday, November 15, I attended the Sojourner Center 10th Annual Hope Luncheon. The luncheon was held at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa with over 600 attendees. To learn a little about the Sojourner Center visit the following website: http://www.sojournercenter.org/go2/index.php/aboutus.

This specific luncheon was to fundraise for the center. The ballroom where it was held was full of people, especially with families victims of domestic violence. The program included two guest speakers which happened to be domestic violence victims. They both talked about what they experienced and how they survived and ending their speech by thanking the Sojourner Center for giving them the support they needed. Their stories touched everybody's heart and had us all sobbing.

Attending these events are always life learning experiences. It's amazing how many victims are out there and have no clue how to get away from danger. Thanks to centers like the Sojourner Center women who are victims become survivors.

Eventful "Green" morning

On Tuesday, November 15, I had the turn to staff the Mayor at an event. APS and The City of Phoenix partner to kick-off a conference called GoGreen'11 at the Phoenix Convention Center. GoGreen'11 Phoenix hosted business owners and leaders - those who can make decisions regarding sustainability practices at their respective companies. Mayor Gordon was in charge of kicking-off the event that morning. I had to arrive early and make sure the program was running as planned. Mayor kicked-off the conference with the following talking points:

• Phoenix is proud to host the GoGreen Conference right here in our own LEED silver certified West Building of the Phoenix Convention Center.
• This building is home to the one of the largest photovoltaic systems in the City of Phoenix
• By 2012 solar installations on city buildings like this will generate 12 megawatss of power
• Through the Solar Phoenix Program, 445 homes have also recently received solar panels
• Phoenix has been leading the way in the sustainability decades before "green" was cool
• We began four decades by developing rubberized asphalt made from recycled tires
• We've adopted water conservation and energy programs 30 years ago
• More than 50 percent of our city fleet now runs on alternative fuel - making it one of the largest programs of its kind in the country
• This past year we provided almost 1 million in incentives to residents and business looking to building green - and we adopted one of the first green buildings codes in the nation
• We are on the way to achieving the aggressive goals in my 17 point Green Phoenix Plan
• By 2015 we will reduce greenhouse gas emissions for city operations to five percent below 2005 levels
• By 2025, 15 percent of the city will be powered by alternatives fuel
• Our city will achieve 25 percent shade canopy coverage by 2030

The Mayor did a great job kicking-off the event and getting all those business owners and leaders pumped and ready to learn from the sessions the conference was offering.  The kick-off continued with opening remarks by Maria Baier, Commissioner from the Arizona State Land Deparment, and keynote spearkers Ed Fox, President for APS, Lori Singer, from SRP, and Al Halverson, Senior Director of Sustainability at Frito-Lay.

Temporary Good News!

At staff meeting this morning it was announced that I will become Mayor Gordon's main scheduler for the remainder of his term. The news was a surprise for me. Although, it is only temporary I feel excited! I've done this role many times when the scheduler is out. So, the duties are not new to me. I'm confident we can end the term smoothly and with professionalism.

I'm excited and looking forward to the challenges to come!

Change...it has to happen sooner or later

Yesterday, November 8th, The City of Phoenix had the last opportunity to vote for the new Mayor. That new Mayor being Greg Stanton. Congratulations to him and his campaign who worked hard for the victory.

Today at the office was a usual hectic one. I started my morning with a 9am meeting regarding our Affirmative Action Plan and Business Plan with the Equal Opportunity Department. We were introduced to new businesses that will work with the City. Then at around 10am we had a staff meeting. We gathered to talk about how our team will help Mayor Interim Greg Stanton, and his administration to transition to the office. We also discussed what we plan to do with old files and archives. Before we throw anything away we have to make sure we stay in compliance with City's regulations on records retention. Our meeting concluded with a commendation from our Chief's of Staff to all of us for the hard work and dedication we've had.

The City of Phoenix has voted for a new mayor and that's how it will continue to happen every four years. It's part of change, and change is a way of celebrating democracy. We hope to make it a smooth and pleasant transition for the new administration.

Busy week at the office

This week will be yet another hectic one. Tomorrow we find out who the new Mayor will be! It's a bitter sweet moment for all of us in the office. We have two full months left in office. We're starting to wrap up projects, making sure nothing is half way done, and even starting the "how to" manuals.

The "how to" manuals will be binders that contain step-by-step instructions on how to do a certain assignment. I'm sure the new administration will have their own way of conducting things but, at least they'll have something to reference from.

Another reason why this week will be a hectic one is because Nov. 16 is getting closer. This day we'll be having the Mayor's Farewell Reception. The event which is being sponsored by friends of the Mayor. Our staff is not working directly with the production of the event but, for some reason it's causing (at least for me) some stress. I guess because it's a reminder we only have a couple months left as Mayor Gordon's staff.

Mayor's 2011 State of Downtown Mixer

On October 21, 2011 we had the Mayor's 2011 State of Downtown Mixer at The Duce. This was the Mayor's last big official event. He took this time to thank all his supporters for helping him transform the City of Phoenix during these 8 years, to the city it's become now. He was made fun of for juggling many projects at once when he started in office. I've become a witness of the accomplishments he's done. All of the juggling projects he once had up in the air, are all projects up and running. Below you'll find the speech Mayor Gordon delivered on Friday, October 21, 2011.

Mayor Phil Gordon Remarks
State of Downtown Mixer
The Duce, Phoenix
Friday, October 21, 2011

"Good evening everyone.

In the past 8 years, I’ve stood in front of hundreds of gatherings like this all over Phoenix. Each time, I’ve started by thanking the audience for inviting me and for listening. While my gratitude always has been sincere, I need to do more than that tonight.

The end of my term is closing in … it’s only 10 weeks away.

With that in mind, I need to thank each of you … and everyone in the Downtown community … for your support of my administration and my career in public service.

Thank you.

Thank you for your advice, your kind words, your donations, your time, your sweat and your passion.

Together, we’ve made the City of Phoenix and this Downtown what it is today.

The safest big city in the United States.

A city that hasn’t simply survived the worst economic downturn in our lifetimes, but has prospered.

A city with a balanced budget, a AAA credit rating and a 95 percent approval rating from its residents.

And a city where Downtown has defied all expectations, where we’ve pushed past the naysayers. We’ve forged ahead on more projects than I can possibly name, from light rail to CityScape, the biomedical campus to ASU downtown, the College of Medicine to new hotels and a newly expanded Phoenix Convention Center.

So many of you are my friends. Looking out, seeing you here tonight, reminds me of so many good works, so many dreams that have come true. I’m thankful for your friendship and for your vision.

I want to single out a few people … and I’m sure I’ll miss you, so you have my apologies in advance. I may need to tour the city and knock on a million doors to make sure I get everyone.

Steve Rosenstein, the owner of The Duce … thank you for being a great host tonight and for your commitment to Downtown.

To ASU and UA, my alma maters … thank you for investing in downtown, for your partnership and for educating the next generation of Phoenix visionaries.

To Mike Ebert and Jeff Moloznik, our friends with RED Development … thank you for CityScape, for your ability to never take no for an answer … and for your belief in Downtown Phoenix.

To Downtown Phoenix Journal, the Urban Affair team and Catrina Kahler … thank for your creativity and support with tonight’s event.

I also want to thank the downtown arts community for their commitment and their help tonight. And I especially want to single out the Roosevelt Row Artlink community for their efforts to keep First Friday alive and well.

Thank you.

Two groups and the men who lead them deserve my special thanks for everything they’ve done to support Downtown.

The Downtown Phoenix Partnership and Dave Roderique. And Don Keuth and the Phoenix Community Alliance … thank you.

Dave, thanks so much for all of your help with State of Downtown, the PAPA festival and so much more. You’ve never stopped pushing to make downtown successful. Thanks for being part of the team. 

Don, thanks for serving as emcee tonight. You’ve always been a gracious partner. I know our city can depend on you to keep our Downtown on the rise.
 
Both of you … thank you for your friendship and your years of effort.

Finally, I want to thank my staff and every employee in the City of Phoenix.

Each of you has helped Phoenix do more with less. Each of you has generated ideas, worked through frustration and pushed harder when it didn’t seem possible. I wish I could give you all the credit you so very much deserve.

Many of you, I’m proud to call a friend. Each of you will have my gratitude for the rest of my life.

Thank you. I know those are just words, but they are deeply felt and sincerely meant.

You have my promise here today: While I may be leaving office, I will not be leaving behind Phoenix, or the efforts to make this City and the     Downtown we all love the very best place it can be.

I will be there with you in the future, just as I have been for the past 25 years.

Thank you … for today and for everything."





 

Enjoying San Juan, Puerto Rico!!

I departed Phoenix on October 12, 2011 on red eye to Boston, then finally to San Juan, Puerto Rico. I don't even know where to start! I guess I can start by saying I'm here with my friend Perla, her son Danian, and her mom Olivia. We landed at around 1pm at Luis Munos Marin International Airport in San Juan. We got our rental and went our way to our hotel. The Conrad is where we are staying with a view to the Atlantic Ocean. The airport is only like 3 miles from our hotel. It took us and hour to get there. We got lost! lol We finally got to our destination and walked to a local restaurant and ate traditional Puerto Rican food. I had pork chops with white rice and plantains. Delicious food! That was day one.

On day two we went hiking to El Yunque National Forest. El Yunque National Forest is the sole tropical rain forest in the U.S. National Forest System.  We saw La Coca falls and La Mina Falls, two of the most beautiful falls the forest has. I don't know how many miles it was to get down there but I know it took us 45 minutes. We wore the wrong gear (sandals). The trail down along the river to La Mina falls is made of rock and concrete. But in the rain it's slippery in places as it runs along the river. Once finally down there the view was breathtaking. The hike took most of the day and we ended it with more traditional food.

 Day three we visited Coamo thermal hot springs. Coamo is about two hours from San Juan. For hundreds of years people have been enjoying these natural hot springs, which are said to have healing powers. The water was super hot with a sulfur smell to it. This part of the trip was a great relaxing experience.

Day four we visited Vega Baja "La Ciudad del Melao Melao". That means it's the city of syrup. Vega Baja used to produce the most sweet syrup out of sugar canes. Here at Vega Baja we visited family members of my friend Perla. We received with such warmth and lots of food. It was great. All it was pouring. It would stop for a couple minutes and then it would start pouring again. Phoenix needs the excess rain they get here. Our night concluded with happy hour back in San Juan. We visited a ocean front bar and cheered for a good vacation so far.

Today we visited Plaza Las Americas, which is the biggest mall in Puerto Rico. People kept telling us that that if you haven't visit Plaza Las Americas, then you haven't been to Puerto Rico. So, who can resist some shopping? Of course not I. After a little shopping we went and visited Old San Juan. In Old San Juan we toured Fort San Cristobal. The Spanish fort was built by Spain to protect against land based attacks on the city of San Juan. This tour was an awesome experience. Here below is me at one of the watch towers to the Atlantic Ocean.

So far this has been a little recap of my trip in San Juan, Puerto Rico. I'll keep you posted of how it ended when I return.

What I woke up to... The Atlantic Ocean

El Yunque National Forest

The Coca Falls

La Mina Falls

View to Old San Juan from the San Cristobal Fort watch tower

Old San Juan

Walking to explore Old San Juan

One of the many traditional meals: Pork chops, Rice, and Tostones (plantains)

Me enjoying Atlantic Beach

Washington, DC here I come!

The week of September 19 was hectic. I was making traveling arrangements for the Mayor to fly to Washington, DC. It’s a process of days! Getting paper work approved and making sure we have documentation stating that the trip is for business purposes. Finally, every thing set and done Mayor departed to Washington, D.C. on September 26, 2011 for several meetings. The main objective of this trip is to meet with the Secretary of Energy Steven Chu to discuss the City’s success with Solar Phoenix and Energize Phoenix. The Mayor was joined by executives from National Bank of Arizona, Arizona Public Service and Salt River Project. The launch of Solar Phoenix II was discussed as well as how the Department of Energy can potentially partner with the City of Phoenix on this program.

While in Washington, D.C. the Mayor also met with Cecilia Munoz, director of Intergovernmental Affairs for the White House, and David Agnew, Deputy Director of Intergovernmental Affairs for the White House, and staff from Senate and House Representatives.

Mayor was gone for 3 days on this trip which means we had more than enough time to get caught up with work. Our administration consists of 12 members and when we started it was an administration of approximately 23. We do more with less. So, it’s hard to get things done when we have the Mayor running 100 mph in the office. It may sound kind of cruel and funny to say we get more done when he’s gone. ;-)

Mayor Gordon has been to Washington, DC numerous of times for several different reasons, but for some reason his recent trip has gotten me into a traveling mood. So, I booked a vacation for Washington, DC this December. I can not wait!!

Arts & Culture

In the Mayor's Office I have many duties and one of them is being the Arts & Culture Liaison. In this role I represent our office when it comes to meeting with Arts & Culture organizations or commissions. For example, recently we’ve been meeting with the Arts & Culture Commission in regards to having a museum/art gallery at Phoenix City Hall. The museum/gallery will have art pieces from 1916 to present. Money is being raised from donations and we hope to have this project completed by December 2011.

Other meetings include: meeting with the founder of Phoenix Opera,  the director of the Phoenix Art Museum, and the Phoenix Symphony. Most of the time the objective of our meetings is to discuss how the City can get more involved with helping these organizations have more of an active environment and even maybe help them financially.

Just recently Mayor Gordon met with Jim Ward, the new President & CEO of The Phoenix Symphony. The Mayor discussed how the City can continue to support the symphony.  

Before the Mayor walked into the meeting I had a one-on-one with Mr. Ward and we had a chance to introduce ourselves a little. I told him that ironically I’ve never had the pleasure of enjoying a symphony concert. He said, “well I can take care of that!”. I was able to experience my first concert this past Saturday, September 17, 2011. I saw Beethoven: Symphony No. 9. It was an amazing experience. The director Michael Christie did an amazing job conducting the orchestra.

Looking forward to experience an opera show next!

2011 Mayoral Elections

I have been with the City of Phoenix Office of the Mayor for almost 8 years. I started working for Mayor Phil Gordon when he started his term in January 2004.  It’s been a wild journey to work for the Mayor for the past 8 years - including watching his re-election campaign in 2008.  Today, August 30, 2011 is mayoral election day in the City of Phoenix.  Mayor Gordon is limited to serving 2, 4-year terms, and his last day in office will be December 31, 2011.  

Many journalists and political analysts believe this is the most contentious mayoral election Phoenix has seen in decades.  There are six candidates running :  Claude Mattox, Greg Stanton, Wes Gullett, Peggy Neely, Anna Brennan, and Jennifer Wright. Although city elections are non-partisan, this campaign has been unusual in that all of the candidates have campaigned as if it was a partisan race.  Both the state republican and democratic parties have been working hard on get-out-the-vote campaigns and have sent letters and emails out supporting their candidate(s).  Greg Stanton is the only democrat in the race. With so many candidates running, statistically it would be extremely unlikely that any of the candidates will receive 50.1% of the vote.  Therefore, there will most likely be a run-off election in November.  

Working in office we can’t really get involved with campaigns therefore it was hard to figure out who I wanted to vote for. I believe they all want the best for Phoenix.  It will be exciting to watch the results come in tonight!