Man from Mars Among Speakers at Sun Lakes Dems Meeting

Dwight Flatt

Local Sun Lakes area Democrats attending the Sun Lake Democratic Club’s (SLDC) Aug. 12 meeting will have the rare opportunity to meet a man from Mars—actually, ASU’s Mars Space Flight Facility.

Jonathan Hill, a graduate of ASU, worked the last 17 years as an engineer and scientist at the ASU Mars Space Flight Facility and is one of three Democrats running for three open seats on the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC). Joining Hill is Joshua Polacheck, a Harvard Kennedy School graduate who served for nearly 20 years as a commissioned foreign service officer with the United States Department of State, and Ylenia Aguilar, a University of Arizona graduate who currently serves on the boards of the Osborn School District, the Vitalyst Health Foundation, and the Central Arizona Water Conservation District. The ACC regulates corporations, securities, utilities, and the safety of railroads and pipelines in Arizona.

Other speakers slated for the meeting include Heather Macre, a law school graduate of the University of Florida running for re-election to the Water Conservation District Board where she has served since 2013. While undoubtedly not looking for water on Mars, Macre did help negotiate the recent state and federal government-approved drought contingency plans.

Legislative candidates will include Sharon Winters, Democratic candidate for AZ Senate, LD13. Winters, a retired teacher with degrees from Illinois State and the University of Texas, will discuss her platform on women’s rights, voter rights, and public education.

Rounding out the speakers running for two spots in the AZ House, LD13, are Brandy Reese, a graduate of Oklahoma University in forensic science, and Nicholas Gonzales, a graduate of Chandler High and ASU. Reese, a Chandler resident, will discuss her platform, which includes public education and women’s rights, while Gonzales, an urban planner, Chandler resident, and business owner, will share his priorities that include women’s reproductive rights, public education, and affordable housing.

Bringing the discussions closer to everyone’s orbit is Barb Mozdzem, a retired legal assistant with service on several nonprofit boards of directors. She is running for re-election as president to the CUSD Board.

SLDC is made up of like-minded individuals, part of over 2,500 registered Democrats throughout the Sun Lakes area promoting an Arizona that works for everyone. We invite you to join us at 6:30 p.m. for a social hour, with the meeting starting at 7 p.m. on Aug. 12 in the Navajo Room at the Sun Lakes Country Club at 25601 E. Sun Lakes Blvd N., in Sun Lakes.

We also invite you to join us at 10 a.m. for our First Friday Coffee the first Friday of every month at Kneaders Bakery on West Queen Creek Road in Chandler—good coffee, good treats, and even better conversations.

We support Matthew’s Crossing Food Bank. Donations can be dropped off at the meeting or made online at matthewscrossing.org.

If you have any questions, please call Roxy Banta at 480-899–5696 or email [email protected].