Linda Lopez

Biographical Information

The following is from ALIS for the 50th Arizona State Legislature, 1st Regular Session (2011):

Linda Lopez  
Democrat  District 29
Senate
1700 W. Washington
Room 312
Phoenix, AZ 85007
Phone Number: (602) 926-4089
Fax Number: (602) 417-3029 
Email Address: [email protected]
Home City: Tucson
Occupation: Program Devlopment Coordinator, LaFrontier Center Member
Member Since: 2001
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Linda’s Legislative Achievements:
First elected to office in 2001 to serve District 29; House Minority Whip 2003-2004; Assistant Minority Leader 2005-2006; Current committee assignments are Appropriations( B); Health; Rules; Joint Legislative Budget Committee; CPS Oversight; and the Governor’s Commission on Reforming CPS. Linda has and will continue to have a positive impact at the House of Representatives.

Professional Experience:
Linda serves as Community Relations Coordinator for La Frontera Center, Inc., Tucson. She has been employed and worked for the center since 1991 and is responsible for pursuing funding opportunities for programs, collaborating with other agencies and providers to ensure optimum services for children and adults, and for promoting La Frontera Center to the community. Ms. Lopez has also served as a Clinical Supervisor for Child/Family Center, responsible for overseeing all aspects of daily operations of the Child/Family Center to include personnel management, program development and implementation for a variety of children with special needs, provision of counseling services for children and parents/guardians, and review of financial operations. Prior to this she served as Child/Family Specialist which required direct contact with a variety of special needs children, including developmentally delayed and emotionally and behaviorally disturbed. She developed treatment plans, maintained client records, counseled children and parents/guardians, conducted home visits, and collaborated with staff of cooperating agencies. She was a foster parent for 10 years for 44 foster children who had been abused and neglected. Many of the children had special needs, including schizophrenia, learning disabilities, depression, developmental delays and behavior disorders.

Personal & Family:
Linda was born in September 1948. She and her brother Terry spent their formative years growing up in Indiana. In 1964 her family moved to the San Francisco Bay area where Linda attended University of California at Berkeley. In 1973, she moved to Tucson. As the children grew up Linda decided to return to college. She is the mother to two beautiful daughters, Toni and Bobbi and a son Aaron. Linda has bragging rights to two grandsons, Kyle and Dylan and their wonderful mother Charla. She was also a foster mother to 44 abused/neglected children.

In 2001, Linda decided to run for and won a seat at the House of Representatives for District 29. She is humbled and honored to serve the district and the people of the great state of Arizona. Ms. Lopez has an extraordinary capacity for hard work and enjoys serving the public. She has a great passion for children and education. Linda has been a member of the Sunnyside School Board since 1986, 5 years as board president, and 2 years as clerk of the board. As one can well imagine Ms. Lopez is a highly pivotal figure in her community and district.

Education:
•B.A., University of Arizona, Women’s Studies, Psychology, minor, 1990, 15 units of graduate credit toward M.A. in History, 1991.
•University of California, Berkeley – 1966 to 1968
Academic Honors:
Dean’s List, Phi Beta Kappa and National Golden Key Honor Society

Awards:
Among the many awards Linda has received are:
1996 NOW Woman of Courage
1996 Arizona Art Advocate
1998 YWCA Woman on the Move Award
2000 Noche de la Estrella Serenata de Honor
2003 Arizona School Boards Association Legislator of the Year
2004 Sunnyside School District Hall of Fame Award
2005 Distinguished Service to Exceptional Children
2006 National Association of Social Workers Elected Official of the Year
2006 Arizona School Boards Association Legislator of the Year for 2005

Associations:
Ms. Lopez serves on numerous boards and is a member of many organizations, including:
•National Conference of State Legislatures Women’s Legislative Network, Executive Committee Board
•Sunnyside School Board Member, 1986-2002, 2005 to present
•Parents as Teachers, 1998 to present. Advisory Committee member
•Arizona Schools Board Association, 1991 to 2002, 2005 to present. Served as President in 2001
•Arizona Hispanic – Native American School Board Members Caucus. 1987 to 2002. 2005 to present. Served as president in 1994
•Council of Urban Boards of Education, 1992 – 2002, 2005 to present. Served as chair (2002)
•National Hispanic Caucus of School Board Members, 1988 to 2002 – present - President 1999 – 2000.
•Juvenile Services Coordinating Council, 2000 – present. Member
•National Organization for Women
•Arizona Women’s Political Caucus
•NAACP
•American Association of University Women
•End of Life Choices -- Arizona
•Planned Parenthood
•Arizona Human Rights Fund
•Business and Professional Women’s Association
•Los Descendientes of Tucson
•Tucson Sister Cities
•Co-Chair Governor’s Task Force on Preventing Prenatal Exposure to Alcohol and Other Drugs…..2005
•NALEO (National Association of Latino Elected Officials)

Leadership Development:
2004 Flemming Fellow
2005 Harvard University Kennedy School of Government Program for Senior Government Executives, Fannie Mae Foundation
2005 Center for Women Policy Studies Foreign Policy Institute for Women Legislators

Education

Bachelor Arts: Women's Studies, University of Arizona, 1990

Employment

Arizona Legislative Service

Sources

Birth: 2008 Guide to the 48th Legislature (green book); Occupation(s): green book

Education: ASL 2014 Fifty-First Legislature, Second Regular Session.