For Immediate Release

October 21, 2009

Phoenix – Silvia R. Arellano, former Maricopa County Superior Court Judge, has been named Maricopa County Public Fiduciary.

"We are pleased to have found a good leader in the Public Fiduciary’s Office to fulfill the valuable roles of protecting the legal rights and financial interest of vulnerable adults needing guardianship and conservatorship and to administer decedent estates where there is no one else able to do so," said Supervisor Mary Rose Wilcox, District 5.

The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the appointment Wednesday at a formal board meeting.

A native of Casa Grande, Arellano brings 20 years of judicial experience to the position, as well as administrative experience as deputy real estate commissioner in the 1980s. She served as Maricopa County Superior Court Judge from 1990-2009 in the criminal, juvenile, family and civil divisions.

"I studied social work in college and social service is in my heart," Arellano said. "I became interested in this position because it combines the judgment, knowledge and precision of law with a view to community service."

According to the search committee that recommended Judge Arellano, she was recommended for her experience on the bench, her emphasis on teamwork and service.

"We have had very good public fiduciaries in Maricopa County, it is a significant county agency that does important work," Arrellano said. "I hope to reach community-based organizations to raise the profile and resources of the office. We can teach people of high integrity to become guardians and conservators so that friends and families can do this work, and not leave it up to strangers from government."

Arellano holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Arizona State University and a Juris Doctorate from the Armstrong College of Law at Arizona State University.