Meet Our Advisory Board
Arizona Talks Advisory Board members serve a vital role in supporting our mission. Board members help guide the organization in creating spaces for substantive conversation in Arizona. The board is made up of local leaders involved in politics, community organizations, academia, and business.
Board members also serve as champions of our cause and representatives to the Arizona community. Every one of the members listed below is committed to making our country a better place through civil dialogue.
Paul Boyer
Former Arizona State Senator
Before Paul Boyer made the decision to focus on his campaign for Mayor of Glendale, he taught at Veritas Preparatory Academy and was an adjunct professor. He served as a state senator in District 20 and chaired the Senate Education Committee.
He holds a B.A. in English from A.S.U. West and a M.A. in Communication Studies from A.S.U. West. He’s currently working on another M.A. in Humanities with a Classical Education emphasis from the University of Dallas.
He is married to Elizabeth. They have a beautiful baby boy and a Yorkie Terrier named Mr. Bingley.
Heather Carter
Greater Phoenix Leadership
Dr. Heather Carter is Executive Vice President with Greater Phoenix Leadership, with a special focus on Arizona’s health sector and P-20 education. Prior to this role, Dr. Carter served 10 years in the Arizona State Legislature, having served in both the House of Representatives and Senate, also with a focus on health sector and P-20 education.
Serving as House Health Committee Chairwoman, she worked relentlessly to make sure our Arizona healthcare system is innovative, efficient, and effective, granting Arizonans access to world-class treatments right in our own backyard. Prior to joining GPL, she was also a full-time, assistant professor of practice in the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health and associate director of the Center for Rural Health, at the University of Arizona, Phoenix Campus.
She is a well-respected educational leader in her community, having served as Vice-Chair of the House Education Committee and worked as a clinical associate professor at ASU, preparing teachers and leaders for Arizona Schools. Her passion for public education is rooted in her experience as a 7th grade teacher in the Paradise Valley Unified School District.
Heather graduated from ASU with a degree in communication. She then completed a master’s degree in educational technology at ASU and earned a doctorate degree in education leadership from NAU.
Auggie Bartning
Mojica & Associates Real Estate
Auggie Bartning is an Associate Broker at Mojica & Associates Real Estate. A native Phoenician, Auggie’s grandfather was a pioneer cattleman in Arizona and his uncles have been mayor of Nogales, which has prompted him to understand and strive to address community needs.
Auggie previously served as a Governing Board Member for the Maricopa Community Colleges and was actively involved in the Quincea Social Enterprise Initiative. He is a graduate of the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University, a 2015 Flinn-Brown Fellow and a Public Member for the Arizona Supreme Court Committee on Character and Fitness.
Danny Carroll
Carroll Consulting Group
Danny Carroll is a political consultant and Founder of Carroll Consulting Group, an Arizona based political fundraising firm. Previously he served at numerous senior roles on statewide and federal campaigns based throughout Arizona. Most notably, he worked directly with Senator Mark Kelly in launching his bid for the United States Senate. During this time, he served as the AZ Finance Director of the campaign and helped spearhead one of the most successful fundraising operations for statewide candidates in Arizona securing two consecutive winning campaigns for Senator Kelly.
Danny grew up in Kansas City and is a diehard Chiefs fan. He is an alum of the University of Kansas where he studied Political Science and loves rooting for the Jayhawks.
David Fierro
Project Manager, City of Phoenix
David Fierro works for the City of Phoenix in the Public Works Department. He is currently on the facility asset management project team for Facilities Projects and Planning Division. He also owns a consulting firm, Ironside Consulting LLC.
David is a third generation Phoenician and graduate of Arizona State University where he studied History and Political Science. He has participated in Valle del Sol’s Hispanic Leadership Institute in 2017 and the Anti-Defamation League’s Glass Leadership Institute in 2019. He has served as a board member for the Legacy Foundation Chris-town YMCA, Ethos Academy CFA, and Acacia Lodge #42 F & AM of Arizona.
David resides in Central Phoenix and enjoys travel abroad, reading, live concerts, frequenting restaurants in every neighborhood of the valley and talking cryptocurrency with anyone who’ll listen.
John Giles
Mayor of Mesa, Arizona
John Giles was elected Mayor of Mesa, Arizona in 2014 and began his second full term in January 2021.
Mayor Giles is Chair of the Immigration Task Force for the U.S. Conference of Mayors and serves on the Board of Trustees. He is the Chair of Mayors and CEOs for U.S. Housing Investment. He also serves on the Accelerator for America Advisory Council and as Chair of the Mayor’s Alliance to End Childhood Hunger.
Born and raised in Mesa, Mayor Giles earned degrees from Brigham Young University in Political Science and Arizona State University’s Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law where he is now an Adjunct Professor. He practiced law in Mesa for nearly 30 years before working full-time as Mayor. Mayor Giles is a marathoner and triathlete who has completed two full Ironman competitions, 20 marathons and four Boston Marathons. Mayor Giles and his wife Dawn have been married for more than 35 years. They have five children and eight grandchildren.
Megan Greenwood
Greenwood Brewing
Megan Greenwood is the Founder and Owner of Greenwood Brewing Company located in Phoenix, Arizona. Megan is an engineer and worked in manufacturing engineering for over a decade. After receiving a home-brew kit for her birthday in 2014, Megan started brewing regularly and built a microbrewery in her garage where she had 8 beers on tap! She began renting space from a local brewery, launching her flagship beers while she began construction of Greenwood Brewery. She opened her Downtown Phoenix Microbrewery and Beer Garden in July 2020 and her beer is now in over 200+ Restaurants and Retail Stores throughout Arizona.
Megan is very active in the community and strives to live by the brand pillars she’s created with Greenwood Brewing: Empowerment, Confidence and Inclusivity. Megan holds a Bachelor of Science in Engineering degree, Spanish Minor, and International Business Certificate from the University of Iowa.
Pilar McKee
ASU Preparatory Academy
Pilar McKee is a Middle School Math Interventionist at ASU Prep Digital. With a Master’s degree in Education (M.Ed), Pilar is dedicated to supporting students in their mathematical journey. Through her expertise, she provides targeted interventions and guidance to help students overcome learning obstacles and achieve success in math.
With Pilar’s passion for end expertise concerning K-12 education in Arizona, she brings a unique perspective to the Arizona Talks Advisory Board.
Tyler Montague
Public Integrity Alliance
Tyler Montague works as a Senior Operations Consultant for a large financial firm, but he has also influenced politics and generated headlines for years as the president of the Arizona Public Integrity Alliance.
Montague was also the Board Chair for Yes On 308, a campaign in support of Arizona Proposition 308, which was adopted by voters in November 2022.
He now serves on the Arizona Talks Advisory Board, bringing his insight and years of political experience.
Sergio Paris
Vitalyst Health Foundation
Sergio Paris serves as Director of Strategic Communications for Vitalyst Health Foundation. In this role, he works with Foundation staff and community partners to create equity-centered narratives and advance Vitalyst’s mission and goals.
Sergio brings more than a decade of experience in communications and nonprofit programmatic roles to Vitalyst. Prior to joining the Vitalyst team, he worked for Helios Education Foundation creating digital communications and serving as the foundation’s spokesperson for Spanish-language media. He also previously served as the Director of Communications at United Food Bank in Mesa, Arizona, and has worked in various programmatic roles at Benedictine University, UMOM New Day Centers, and the Boys and Girls Clubs.
Sergio is a graduate of Arizona State University’s Master of Nonprofit Leadership & Management. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in public relations from the University of South Florida in Tampa.
A native of Colombia, Sergio enjoys time with his girlfriend, her two kids, his dogs, his family, watching fútbol, and cooking.
Marcelino Quiñonez
Arizona State Representative
Marcelino Quiñonez (Democratic Party) is a member of the Arizona House of Representatives, representing District 11.
Quiñonez earned his B.A. and MFA in Theatre from Arizona State University. Quiñonez’s career experience includes working as the director of educational outreach and partnerships at Arizona State University and the director of youth outreach at The Society of St. Vincent de Paul of Arizona.
He has previously served on the Roosevelt School District Governing Board and has taught high school English and Drama at Espiritu NFL YET and Arizona School for the Arts, and as an adjunct theatre professor at Arizona State University and South Mountain Community College. He is also a published playwright.
Jessie Young
EdPlus at Arizona State University
Jessie Young spent thirteen years in non-profit work as a pastor in Scottsdale and the Director of Community Engagement at Mesa United Way. As a pastor, she was especially interested in fostering connections between the church and the surrounding community, and helped design and implement the Forum, a series of discussion panels hosted in a local coffee shop that opened space for people from different religious, theological, and ideological backgrounds to learn from one another. At Mesa United Way, she continued working with the community by partnering with donors, sponsors, and volunteers to help support those in need.
After receiving her master’s at Harvard Divinity School, Jessie decided she wanted to continue her work in human services and people development in higher education. She currently works as a Training Manager at ASU’s EdPlus, training and onboarding new hire academic coaches for ASU Online’s student population.
Jessie is passionate about continuing her work outside of the church making space for people with diverse ideas to come together and share their stories and experiences. She looks forward to doing this work as a member of the Arizona Talks Advisory Board.
Dajana Zlatičanin
Arizona State Republican Party
Dajana Zlatičanin is the Director of Communications & Press Secretary for the Arizona Republican Party. She immigrated to the United States in 2009 and has called Arizona home for almost 11 years.
Dajana is passionate about politics and has been actively engaged in positive social change in the political realm. Before working for the Arizona GOP, she worked for the Arizona State Senate, the Arizona State Treasurer’s Office, Arizona State University, Arizona Republican Party, and various campaigns.
Dajana holds a bachelor and master’s degree from Arizona State University and is looking forward to using her expertise to advance the Arizona Talks’ presence in the media and further increase civil dialogue in our community.