Lauren Kuby

Biographical Information

Lauren Kuby, a former two-term councilmember and vice mayor in Tempe, is a long-time advocate for environmental, consumer, and worker protections.

PROFESSIONAL LIFE

As manager of community outreach for ASU’s Global Institute of Sustainability and Innovation, Kuby engaged the ASU community, small businesses, nonprofits, and neighborhoods in sustainable solutions. She also ran the Stardust Center for Affordable Housing and the Family. Though retired from ASU, she remains a Senior Global Futures Scientist there and continues to advocate for her community and for climate solutions.

ADVOCACY 

Lauren is a recognized national champion for climate action and cities and local governments as incubators of innovation. Veteran journalist Juan Gonzales featured Lauren in his book Reclaiming Gotham, citing her as evidence of a growing movement of cities taking progressive action and challenging legislative interference in local democracies.

As a Tempe councilmember, she led efforts for social, economic, environmental, and racial justice, including climate action, equal pay, earned sick days, affordable housing, animal welfare, urban forestry, transparency, and campaign-finance reform. She spearheaded a dark-money ballot initiative, garnering 91.44% support from Tempe voters. For her efforts exposing the corruptive influence of money in politics, Lauren was featured in the inaugural episode of the MSNBC docuseries American Swamp.

Seeing the need for statewide action, in 2022, Lauren ran for Arizona Corporation Commission, with the goal of gaining a majority of renewable energy advocates on the Commission, which Kuby called “the most important statewide office that no one’s ever heard of.” Recently, she ran for an even lesser-known office – the acreage-based SRP board – where land ownership is a requirement for voting and you vote the amount of acreage you own.

AWARDS & HONORS

2020 & 2022: Women’s History Month Climate Heroes - Sierra Club, Grand Canyon Chapter

2018: “Women of Inspiration” - University Career Women, ASU

2016: “Top Municipal Elected Official in the US,” Democratic Municipal Officials

2014: “Top 5 People who made a Difference in Tempe” by The Arizona Republic

2014: Hero for Eco-Justice” by Arizona Interfaith Power and Light

FAMILY

Lauren has a master’s degree in public history from ASU and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Chicago and has lived in Tempe for 36+ years with her husband Mike, a transportation geographer, and two daughters.

COMMUNITY SERVICE

Tempe Women’s Club, 2018 to present

Climate Power, Advisory Board for Arizona, 2020 to present

Local Progress, Co-Chair, Re-Imagining Democracy

Democratic Municipal Officials, Arizona Chair, 2018 to 2022

Democratic Municipal Officials Policy Committee, Co-Chair, 2018 to 2022

Energy, Environment, and Natural Resources Policy Advisory Committee,
National League of Cities, Committee Member, 2015 to 2022

Arizona Municipal Water Users Association, Board Member, 2015 to 2020

Planned Parenthood Annual Luncheon Organizing Committee

Tempe Community Counci, Past Board Member

Tempe Leadership Class XXV

Tempe Sister Cities, Past Board Member

Valley Forward, Past Board Member

ASU

Arizona Students Association, ASU Student Club Advisor, 2022

Stop Dark Money, ASU Student Club Advisor, 2021 to 2022

March For Our Lives, ASU Student Club Advisor, 2020 to 2022

Food for Change, ASU Student Club Advisor, 2020 to 2022

Next Gen ASU, ASU Student Club Advisor, 2019 to 2022

Arizona Student Environmental Coalition, ASU Club Advisor (past)

("Meet Lauren Kuby" - Lauren Kuby for Arizona Senate. https://www.kubyforsenate.com/about Accessed 24 Jan 2025.)

Education

EDUCATION

Masters Degree in Public History, ASU (1992)

Best Master’s Thesis, Department of History: What’s Sown Deep Takes Root: Schoolbook Advice to Girls and the Ideal of Womanhood, 1800 to 1830

Bachelor’s Degree in American history, The University of Chicago (1980)

Highest Honors

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

2007: Conservation Biology: Estimating the Effect of Protected Lands on the Development and Conservation of Their Surroundings with R.I. McDonald et al.

2007: Ecosystems: Integrating Social Science into the Long-Term Ecological Research Network: Social Dimensions of Ecological Change and Ecological Dimensions of Social Change with C.L. Redman et al.

("Meet Lauren Kuby" - Lauren Kuby for Arizona Senate. https://www.kubyforsenate.com/about Accessed 24 Jan 2025.

Arizona Legislative Service