Arizona Republic - Dec 21, 2003
The Arizona Republic -December 21st, 2003
Young Motivators excel at Arizona Leadership
by Chris Fiscus
Marco A. Lopez Jr. became mayor of Nogales at age 22. He hopes to become governor by 40.
Phil Hinz, at 29, is a leader in the race to capture images of extrasolar planets and is the lead researcher in a NASA-funded instrument.
Then, there's Kimberly Loui.
She holds degrees in molecular and cellular biology, plus a master's from Columbia. At 28, she is charged with carrying out President Michael Crow's top initiatives at Arizona State University.
Other 20-somethings are storming the fashion industry or music scene, turning heads in kitches at top restaurants or helping make policy decisions that could shape the state for years.
They are among the Arizonans younger than 30 who have accomplished more than some will in a lifetime. Leadership groups are noticing, offering training and advice to help mold them into Arizona's elected officials, business leaders and charitable givers of the coming decades.
Although nothing is new about one generation pushing the previous one, a new dynamic is at work now. This group has lived only in the Computer Age, with immediate access to information and an expectation of immediate results. These emerging leaders see diversity and gender equality as the norm, not the exception.
Once upon a time, you had to be 30 before anyone would listen to you, recalls Darwyn Linder, chairman of ASU's psychology department.
 Heather MacLean 27, Phoenixoccupation: Realtor, Realty Executives How I got here: Named as a "Top 30 Under 30" nationally in 2003, from Realtor magazine, Thousands of agents were looked at across the country, and I was chosen. I've accomplished so much so young because I have worked my tail off to become a well-respected agent not only to my clients but to the many agents that I work beside every day AKA my competitors! Everyone seems to know someone in real estate, so I strive to be different and approachable on every level in the business, and that goal has become my reality. By age 40, I hope to: Have a balanced life between raising a family and having a successful career. My career is my life and has been for the past six years, which I truly have enjoyed. However, I hope to have another avenue of fulfillment by the time i reach this chapter. |
Consider Janice Palmer. At 26, the lobbyist for the Arizona School Boards Association routinely faces off with state lawmakers at least twice her age about how their votes could shape state classrooms.
She believes that with youth comes a certain energy and passion. That's especially crucial for education advocates in this era of state budget cuts, she said, noting, "If you're not in the game, you're not going to get what you want."
As more doors are opened, emerging leaders will continue to grab positions traditionally reserved for the middle-aged.
We're already seeing that shift," said Mike Gardner, who spent six years in the state Legislature. He points to Sen. Dean Martin, who at 29 runs the powerful Finance Committee in the state Senate.
"He writes tax laws for the entire state," Gardner said. "Thats pretty powerful for a 29-year-old."
Still, today's potential leaders are yesterday's prom dates, and many believe it's wise to downplay their age.
"I didn't really talk too much about my age when i first got it because I didn't want people to know I was only 23," Jason williams said of landing the job as executive director of Teach for America in Phoenix. His demeanor, though, probably fooled some.
"You know my mother always said I was born at 35... My mother used to always yell at me that I needed to hang with the kids instead of the adults."
Others are regularly quizzed about their ages, and plenty of scenes scream "Age gap!"
Real Estate agent Heather MacLean has racked up more than $40 million in sales and was named a "Top 30 Under 30" agent by one national group. At just 21, she broke into the highly competitive market of selling homes in Arcadia. Despite six years of sales and a six-figure income under her belt, she continues to stick out in the real estate crowd.
"I'm always the youngest person in the room and not just by one or two years," she said. "I was in a meeting the other day where there was a quote from The Brady Bunch thrown out."
Yes, she got it. She, of course, had watched the show in reruns.
Others routinely sit through meetings where people make references to Hill Street Blues or Columbo, or to musical groups of a different era.
Age can be more than a punch line.
It also can be a legitimate hurdle.
"When I first got into the business, it definitely was a challenge I had to overcome," MacLean said.
Many people in their early 20s can't buy a home.
Yet, she was in charge of helping people make an enormous financial and emotional decision.
"It was definitely an obstacle, meeting with people that were the age of parents or grandparents, and they had a hard time thinking that they would trust me with their largest financial asset," she said.
Palmer can relate. "I've had instances when I was seen as a young woman lobbyist who didn't have a clue about an issue or the legislative process. I was completely underestimated."
That made for plenty of satisfaction when she prevailed. Yet she understands the risks in hiring young people. Are they able to grasp the position? Have they learned yet what they can say and can't say? Will they be "professional"?
Even now, the person in the office next closest in age is 10 years older than she is. Age, though, can be the reason that opportunity knocks.
ASU's President Crow reflected on hiring Loui as his special advisor and executive director of university initiatives: "Her age was not a factor in that she is wise beyond her years but was a factor in that she was born in '75, of all things," he said. "That means she has only known things like the Internet anda new kind of thinking, which gives her a tremendous new perspective."
"He advanced in a similar way," Loui said of Crow. "Age doesn't mean a lot to him."
Youth also worked for Williams, who beefed up local Teach for America efforts. Under his watch, the program ballooned to 151 local teachers from 60. Annual fund-raising increased in three years to more than $750,000 from $400,000. He's 27 now, having been offered the job of executive director at 23 because the organization's founder believes in giving young people shot.
Williams says his boss believes in "a little bit of naivete that kind of allows you to just really dive in and take risks that maybe you wouldn't necessarily take if you were a bit older and more seasoned."
"We want to be the next leaders. We want to effect change," said Sam Holdren, a 22-year-old who helped found a gay fraternity and a gay rights coalition at ASU. Along the way, he helped launch a website to report hate crimes, and helped make gay rights a prominent issue on the campus of more than 44,000 students.
Holdren is focused, driven and wants to get things done. "There's so much more I want to accomplish."
So does Robby Walker. At age 16, he earned his bachelor's degree. He added a master's at 19, and is pursuing a Ph.D. He's 20 and hopes to revolutionize the way music files are stored.
There's Hinz, the astronomer from Tucson. He hopes to find a new planet.
Linder, the ASU psychology chairman, scanned a list of accomplishments and goals for several of those in their 20s and was struck by the number working to serve and improve their communities.
"It's almost an altruistic orientation... They're really focused on community good, the creation of better conditions of life," he said. "It's counter to the certain stereotypes we have."
Of course, young leaders are still, well, young.
They talk of being addicted to the TV show Alias or living it up a bit while out of town at conferences. Then, there's Williams, who's a big Transformers fan.
"I never shy away from using the cartoon analogies when I'm trying to make a point," he said. "so that tends to remind people, "Yeah, he really is in his 20s."
