2008 Women on the Move 

Joan Ashcraft is the Director of Fine and Performing Arts for TUSD. She is co-creator of Opening Minds Through the Arts, and integrated arts program that has demonstrated positive and significant results in all tested areas (reading, writing, and math.) She has twice received the Governor’s award for Arts in Education and has received Arizona Music Educator of the Year, UofA Faculty of Fine Arts Distinguished Alumni Award and has been honored by the Instituto de Folklore Mexicano Y Ballet Folklorico Mexica.

Rosemary Badian is a Community Volunteer and former Engineer, Manager and Program Director for Raytheon. After a very successful technical career, she elected to switch roles and developed the Bright Tomorrows program, dedicated to helping children achieve academic success. She and over 160 volunteers work with the Boys & Girls Clubs and the Sunnyside School District to help students with homework, science projects, AIMS tutoring and mentoring.

Magdalena Barajas is an Intergovernmental Relations Program Liaison for the City of Tucson. She is also the youngest Sunnyside School Board member in the district’s history. She is a member of the Metropolitan Education Commission, Secretary of the Board of Directors of Child and Family Resources, and founding member of the Arizona Latino Leadership Institute. She has been selected for a Tucson Business Edge “40 under 40” honor.

Carolyn Campbell is the Executive Director of the Coalition of Sonoran Desert Protection, an organization dedicated to the preservation, protection and restoration of the natural desert. She has had a pivotal role in the creation of the Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan. She serves on the City of Tucson and Town of Marana Habitat Conservation Plans stakeholder committees and is Vice-Chair of the Pima County Bond Advisory Committee

Barbara Eiswerth is founder and director of Iskashitaa Refugee Harvesting Network, and innovative food delivery system that enables newly arrived refugees to harvest, process and preserve locally grown produce. Together, refugees and volunteers participate in ESL classes, harvest produce in local neighborhoods, familiarize themselves with city resources and services, and overcome mutually held stereotypes.

Maura Grogan is Director of Administration of the BIO5 Institute at the University of Arizona. In addition to her work at BIO5, Maura has led key projects for community organizations, including the Community Foundation for Southern Arizona, the Beacon Group, the LGBT&S Alliance Fund, Opening Minds Through the Arts, Critical Path Institute and the Women’s Foundation of Southern Arizona. She currently serves as Chair of the Women’s Foundation Board of Trustees.

Sylvia Lee is the president of the Pima Community College Northwest Campus. She has served on numerous boards, including the Arizona Hispanic Women’s Corporation, the Tohono Chul Park and Goodwill. She has received the Pima Community College Chancellor’s Diversity Award and has expanded such programs as AZTEC Middle College, America Reads and Sexual Assault and Relationship Violence Prevention.

Cecilia Ramirez is Advanced Program Coordinator for Pima Community College and former Spanish Literacy Instructor with Pima County Adult Education. She has served as President of the Tucson Area Literacy Coalition and has been a guest speaker for numerous literacy and math/science education events. She has been recognized as the national Family Literacy Teacher of the Year and with the Arizona Department of Education’s Education for Excellence Award.

Oprah Jrenal Revish is a student at the University of Arizona. She volunteers as co-director of Pride Alliance, the campus resource center for LGBT and allied students, as a leader in the student group Sisters of Unity and with the Women’s Resource Center. Through the YWCA Racial Justice Program she has participated in the YWCA’s Bright Futures program. In addition to her volunteer work, Oprah is a Desk Manager at UofA’s Residence Life.

Regina Romero is the City of Tucson Councilor from Ward 1. She is co-founder of the Cesar Chavez Holiday Coalition, a participant in the Latina Leadership Project, sponsored by the Arizona Women’s Political Caucus, and serves on the Metropolitan Education Commission. She is also a co-founder of Las Adelitas, an organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for Latinas and their families through political empowerment.

Mary Rowley is President of Strongpoint, LLC, a public relations firm which offers discounted rates and pro bono services to non-profit organizations. She is President of the Tucson Advertising Federation and has served on the boards of the Tucson Chapter of Ad2, the Arizona Theater Company, the Southern Arizona Women’s Foundation and is Chair-elect of the Pima Community College Foundation.

Soyeon Shim is a professor and the director of the John and Doris Norton School of Family and Consumer Sciences at the University of Arizona, where she guides the educational and professional development of students in two academic divisions: Family Studies & Human Development and Retailing & Consumer Sciences. She was instrumental in raising $25 million to build McClelland Park, the new home for the John and Doris Norton School.