At their first annual fundraising event on Thursday, November 8th, 2007, Emerge Arizona honored Maricopa County Supervisor Mary Rose Wilcox for her hard work in recruiting, training and inspiring women to run for office.
Emerge Arizona is a political leadership training program for Democratic women in Arizona that started as Emerge in San Francisco, CA in 2002. The mission is to identify, educate and inspire Democratic women who want to pursue a career in politics at the local and state level in Arizona. Emerge is dedicated to making a long-term investment in these future leaders by developing their political and media skills, expanding their knowledge of local issues and connecting them with mentors.
Supervisor Wilcox’s combined public service as a Phoenix City Council member and Maricopa County Supervisor totals almost 25 years. She says, “I believe it is the duty of an established politician to bring up the next generation of policy makers and it is critical that women are at the table for their perspective. It is my honor to help our community by mentoring other women.”
A few of the women Supervisor Wilcox has mentored include, Laura Pastor, recent Phoenix City Council candidate for District 7; Marie Lopez Rogers, Mayor of Avondale; and the late Anna Hernandez, who was mayor of Guadalupe.