Guest Speaker Series
Arizona Serve’s Guest Speaker Series is a highlight of our Civic Leadership and Service program provided to our national service members. We invite local leaders, politicians, teachers, professors, and those working with area nonprofits to speak about the unique educational, cultural, and political climate of our community—particularly issues affecting those living in poverty. Each panel in the Guest Speaker Series focuses on a topic of importance, especially issues affecting disadvantaged individuals and communities.
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Building Careers in Public Service
(Hear from AmeriCorps Alumni)
May 2026
Nikki Gallegos
Nikki Gallegos began her journey at The Launch Pad Teen Center as an AmeriCorps VISTA before transitioning into her current role as Volunteer and Community Events Coordinator. In her role, she coordinates community events, fundraisers, volunteer engagement, and youth-centered programming that helps connect teens with meaningful opportunities and support systems throughout Prescott. Nikki recently graduated from Prescott College with a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies with an emphasis in Community Psychology and Sustainable Leadership. She is passionate about community connection, volunteer engagement, and building meaningful relationships that strengthen support systems for local teens.
Annmarie Brady
Annmarie Brady is a public health professional with experience in prevention and community outreach. She has her Master of Public Health degree and is a Certified Health Education Specialist. She currently works as a Health Promotion Specialist with the American Lung Association and lives in Cleveland, OH. Annmarie served at the Arizona Diaper Bank in 2022-2023.
Brandon White
Brandon is a Midwest transplant who grew up in a small town in southern Michigan. He earned his Bachelor's degree from Michigan State University in kinesiology with a specialization in health promotions, then headed east to the Washington, DC area to work as a physical therapy assistant.
Motivated by a desire to help people on a larger scale, Brandon entered national service in 2019 as an AmeriCorps VISTA member in Prescott, AZ, serving with Boys to Men — a mentoring organization for teenagers. After his year of service, he stayed in the area to further his professional development. He first worked as a Program Manager for GEM Environmental NFP, where he helped to create a workforce development program for STEM-focused students, and later became a Program and Finance Manager for Arizona Serve at Prescott College. In that role, he recruited and managed AmeriCorps members, and implemented community projects throughout Yavapai County, while earning an MBA degree.
After three years with Arizona Serve, Brandon pursued a new challenge and relocated to Tucson to become the Operations Manager for the Adult Basic Education Program at Pima Community College. There, he currently oversees operations for more than 4,000 students enrolled in 100 classes — spanning reading, writing, and math for GED preparation, English for speakers of other languages, and refugee education.
The Realities of Aging in Arizona
February 2026
Part 2
Part 1
Naomi Nugent, Outreach Coordinator, Meals on Wheels Community
Naomi Nugent is the Community Outreach Coordinator at Prescott Meals on Wheels, a nonprofit dedicated to helping adults maintain independence and dignity through nourishment, care, and community connection.
Her relationship with Meals on Wheels began fifteen years ago, when she volunteered in the kitchen while seeking meaningful work. After earning her associate’s degree, Naomi spent her twenties living abroad and exploring a variety of professional paths.
She returned to Prescott about a year and a half ago and found her way back to Meals on Wheels in a professional role. Today, she focuses on fundraising, community events, community partnerships, and outreach. She believes her role and the role of the organization itself is to serve as a bridge between those who want to help and neighbors who need support.
Naomi is also a member of Prescott Area Young Professionals and a student in Yavapai College’s Business Program.
Deb Seng, Resources and Supports Director, Pima County Council on Aging
Deb Seng is passionate about people being their best selves and living their best lives. With more than 30 years experience as a therapist, clinical director, and program director, Deb has committed her career to empowering people to choose wholeness, contentment, and healthy connections with others. She is now grateful for the opportunity to assist people, especially older adults, in living well with purpose, and by preparing well for dying and death. Deb serves as Pima Council on Aging’s Resources and Supports Director, and leads eight program areas that assist older adults and their caregivers to meet basic needs, live independently and safely, and be equipped with accurate information to make informed decisions.
Dean Scheinert, Executive Director, Justa Center
Dean Scheinert is Executive Director at Justa Center, a local non-profit that provides lifesustaining resources, services, and support to assist homeless seniors on their path to housing and supportive services to help prevent a return to homelessness. Prior to his current role, Dean was the COO at St. Joseph the Worker and had executive fundraising responsibilities with the Musical Instrument Museum and Western Spirit: Scottsdale’s Museum of the West. Dean’s transition to non-profit leadership in 2016 came on the heels of a 35-year career year as a senior banker, portfolio manager, and asset management entrepreneur in New York and Phoenix. Dean serves as a Trustee on the $22 billion Public Safety Personnel Retirement System Board where he chairs the Administration Committee and is a member of the Investment Committee. Additional current community activities include Board Chair of the Museum of Arizona Artists. Dean earned his Chartered Financial Analyst designation from the CFA Institute, MBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, and BA from Tufts University.
Community Engagement:
Building Representation Within Higher Education
November 2025
The Honorable N. Levi Esquerra is the University of Arizona Special Advisor for Native American Advancement and Tribal Engagement. In this position, he coordinates University-wide efforts to advance Native American programs and tribal engagement in consonance with the strategic plan. He serves as a point of contact for Native issues and as a liaison between the University and tribal governments and regional and national tribal organizations.
He has nearly three decades of experience facilitating and promoting Native American advancement and economic development for Native Nations, including two years as Chairman of the Chemehuevi (CHIM-WAY-Vi) Indian Tribe and three additional terms on the Tribal Council. Most recently, he served as Director of the Center for American Indian Economic Development and the Rural Policy Institute, both in the Alliance Bank Economic Policy Institute, which is part of Northern Arizona University’s W.A. Franke College of Business Administration. His experience also includes several other community and economic development roles with the state of Arizona, St. Louis Community Development Agency and American Indian Center of Mid-America, as well as work to address the needs of indigenous tribes in Argentina while representing the U.S. Department of State. His expertise also led to the Canadian Consulate inviting him to participate in the annual Canadian Indigenous Conference where he shared best practices with First Nations communities. As an elected leader, he helped shape the Nuwuvi (New-uvie) Economic Development Corporation, which creates, manages, and develops tribal enterprises to promote economic self-sufficiency through business development, job creation and revenue production.
Rebekah McMillan, Director of Housing and Residence Life at Prescott College
Rebekah McMillan is the Director of Housing & Residence Life at Prescott College, where she creates inclusive environments that foster personal development, leadership skills, and community engagement. With over a decade of experience in higher education, Rebekah has dedicated her career to ensuring that students’ college experiences extend beyond the classroom to encompass personal transformation and growth.
Rebekah holds a B.A. in Marketing Communications from Notre Dame of Maryland University, where her passion for student development began through her work as a Resident Assistant and Orientation Leader. She brings over six years of residential operations experience from Johns Hopkins University to her current role at Prescott College.
Since joining Prescott College in 2024, Rebekah has witnessed firsthand how the college’s community embodies its principles of sustainability, social justice, and experiential learning. She works to build residential communities where students with diverse identities feel supported and empowered to pursue transformative experiences that strengthen their communities and create lasting positive change. Her proudest accomplishment has been seeing off-campus students choose to return to the residential community, validating the inclusive and authentic environment being cultivated.
Dani Carrillo, Director of Fostering Success at the University of Arizona
Dani Carrillo is a mom of 3 phenomenal humans, a lover and hater of running, an avid non-fiction reader, and an explorer of deep human connection. As the director of the Fostering Success program at the University of Arizona, she serves students who have experienced foster care or housing insecurity through their post-secondary journeys. Dani is also a Gallup certified Clifton strengths coach, founder of Opportunities Ahead Coaching and Consulting, and community builder who challenges others to be the best version of their most authentic selves. With a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership and more than ten years of experience in social work, higher education, and professional development facilitation she brings a tailored approach to all spaces, generating meaningful outcomes for individuals and teams.
Careers in Civic Engagement
May 2025
Justin Lukasewicz, Chief Executive Officer, Greater Tucson Leadership
Justin Lukasewicz joined GTL as the growing organization’s first dedicated program manager in January 2021, with a focus on improving access to and diversification of the organization’s programs through multiple initiatives. In addition to working to continue to build and refine both Lead Tucson and the Civic and Political Leadership Academy curriculum, Justin was instrumental in the launch of GTL’s Tucson Youth Leadership Academy in 2021. A graduate of the 2020 Lead Tucson class, Justin was honored to be named GTL’s Chief Executive Officer in April of 2022, where he is committed to living out his passion for leadership development, recognizing people through their strengths, and working to create a stronger Tucson community as GTL’s CEO. Originally from Pennsylvania, Justin earned a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Misericordia University. He moved to Tucson in 2006 to get his Master’s degree in Higher Education from the University of Arizona, and in the process, fell in love with the desert and the City of Tucson. Justin worked in large public universities for over a decade in various roles within Residence Life, where he managed student groups and the training and development of more than 500 students and staff annually. When Justin isn’t driving growth and new initiatives for GTL, you can catch him performing and teaching improv comedy at the Fourth Avenue District’s Tucson Improv Movement, where Justin is the owner and executive producer.
Andrea Varela, Organizing Director, Rural Arizona Action
Andrea Varela is the Organizing Director for Rural Arizona Action (RAZA). Born and raised in Casa Grande, she continues to work in the community. Before joining RAZE, Andrea worked at Pinal Hispanic Council, a non-profit behavioral health organization, providing outreach and support to members and their families. She is a community organizer, a graduate of the Hispanic Leadership Institute and Arena Academy, and a member of the Cesar Chavez Memorial Committee of Pinal County. She is chairwoman of the Casa Grande Community Services Advisory Board. Andrea became a proponent of civic engagement and community advocacy at a young age when she saw the work her parents were doing in the community. She wants to continue to provide advocacy, outreach, and education to the diverse communities she serves. Andrea believes that everyone should have an active voice in their communities and government and hopes to empower others to use their voice and be civically engaged.
Cloud Oakes, Founder, The Art Hive
Cloud Oakes, born in Sedona, is currently the founder and director of the Art Hive in Prescott AZ. She has her undergraduate from University of Washington in political science and has a Masters in Education from Prescott College as well as a career in her own artistry. She enjoys the dynamic setting of the Art Hive and continues to bring more alternative art and art skill building to Prescott.
Chris Elsner, Peace Corps Prep Program Coordinator
Chris Elsner was born in Pinetop-Lakeside, Arizona and moved around a bit as a kid. He spent many years living in the suburbs of Chicago, IL before moving to Tucson in 2011 where he’s lived ever since. He was selected as a Paul D. Coverdell Fellow and earned his Master of Public Administration degree in 2013 from the University of Arizona. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in English degree in 2008 from Northern Illinois University. Chris served in the Peace Corps from 2008-10 as an English-Teaching Volunteer in Ukraine. He’s worked at the University of Arizona in a variety of roles for over 10 years, most recently coordinating the Peace Corps Prep Program since 2021. Chris is the current President of the Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of Southern Arizona: a nonprofit membership organization for Returned Peace Corps Volunteers in our region. He previously served as Vice President of the Board for Tucson Young Professionals and on the board of the Southern Arizona Regional Science and Education Foundation (SARSEF). Chris has worked and volunteered extensively with many nonprofits in our community. Chris Elsner is currently running for Tucson City Council in Ward 5. This is his first time running for an elected office, but the desire to do so is firmly rooted in his commitment to public service. Chris is married with two young children. He enjoys reading, computer games, volleyball, Dungeons & Dragons, meditation, and yoga among many other interests.
Cycles of Poverty
May 2024
Natalie Shepp, Climate and Community Engagement Manager, Community Gardens of Tucson
Natalie Shepp is the Climate and Community Engagement Manager at the Pima County Department of Environmental Quality (PDEQ), where she administers programs that support sustainable actions throughout Pima County, including the Regional Climate Plan Pima CAN!, as well as the Pima County Clean Air Program, and a new community air monitoring program to address environmental justice issues. Natalie works with community partners, local jurisdictions, schools, and the University of Arizona to develop strategies and messages to encourage environmental sustainability. Natalie has also been involved as a Garden Site Coordinator and Board Member with the Community Gardens of Tucson for the last 15 years. She received a B.S. in Environmental Sciences and a Master’s in Public Health from the University of Arizona. She was also selected as a 2022 Arizona Forward Emerging Sustainability Leader.
Rocque Perez, Executive Director of the Metropolitan Education Commission
Rocque Perez recently assumed the role of executive director for the Metropolitan Education Commission (MEC) bringing with him a background from Arizona’s largest universities. Rocque leads the MEC’s mission to advocate for accessible and quality education, inspire and empower engaged citizens, and administer programs that enable post-secondary attainment, completion, and career readiness for a dynamic, highly skilled workforce. Rocque’s journey with the MEC began as a participant in its youth programs, which later led him to pursue higher education as a first-generation learner and eventually professional staff at the University of Arizona and then Arizona State University. To date, Rocque aims to uplift and support historically underserved communities to ensure their access to, success in, and benefits from academia.