Pima Town Councilmember Teresa Bailey has been selected for Class 33 of Project CENTRL

Contributed Photo: Pima Town Councilmember Teresa Bailey has been selected to take part in the leadership program Class 33 of Project CENTRL.

Contributed Article

PIMA – Teresa Bailey is thrilled to begin her next leadership journey with Class 33 of the Arizona Center for Rural Leadership. She currently serves as a Pima Town Councilmember in Pima, Arizona. Her hometown has grown substantially recently, and she remains deeply rooted there. Beyond her civic responsibilities, she actively engages in professional and community organizations, which includes her current role as president for the Arizona Association of Institutional Research (AzAIR), member of the GFWC Women’s Club of Safford, grant review committee member for United Way Graham and Greenlee Counties, Alumni of Gila Valley Leadership, class XIII, and a member of Arizona Women Leading Government (AZ WLG). 

Her educational foundation is a bachelor’s in operations management from Arizona State University and a master’s in business administration from Grand Canyon University. She further strengthened her credentials with a Six Sigma Green Belt certification. Leveraging this expertise, she has successfully managed several local businesses through the years. Currently, she is applying her skills as the Associate Director of Eastern Arizona College’s Institutional Research Department.

Arizona Center for Rural Leadership equips and empowers leaders to meet the needs of rural Arizona. The flagship program, Project CENTRL has trained over 700 Arizona leaders since 1983. Project CENTRL’s impact on rural Arizona is significant as participants hold many leadership positions around the State.

Sixteen participants were competitively selected for Class 33, which held its first seminar from May 30-June 1, 2024 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Flagstaff in Flagstaff, Arizona. Project CENTRL Class 33 will be traveling the state over the next 12 months participating in nine seminars including Effective Communication, Natural Resources, and the Rural Economy, State Budget Basics: Healthcare, Education & Corrections, Agriculture in an International Border Community, and Public Policy in Arizona. They will travel to Sonora, Mexico; Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, and Washington, D.C. to explore leadership lessons from all perspectives. The program culminates with a team “Make A Difference” project where class graduates address how they would help address and solve some of rural Arizona’s crucial issues and challenges.

The Fundamentals of Leadership seminar at DoubleTree by Hilton Flagstaff provided important opportunities to learn personal communication and learning styles and make connections among each other and alumni.

The venue also served as the final seminar and graduation ceremony for the outgoing Class 32 of Project CENTRL. Scott Koenig, MBA and alumnus of Class 21 serves as the program’s fifth Executive Director based out of the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension.

Arizona Center for Rural Leadership is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization committed to ensuring rural Arizona is healthy, vibrant, and sustainable. Since 1983 it has developed leaders and established a network of problem-solvers, decision makers, and spokespersons for rural Arizona. Visit www.centrl.org for more information.