Gillian Driscoll
As PebbleCreekers begin to return from their summer in cooler climes, the PebbleCreek Democratic Club resumes its monthly meetings in September. We are energized about the upcoming election and continue our mission to keep our members and residents informed about both the top of ballot candidates and those who are running further down the ticket. The winners of these races are the ones who will influence our daily lives by making the decisions that keep our needs met at the local level.
In line with this mission, the club is pleased to welcome Jonathan Hill to the September meeting. Jonathan is one of three Democrats running for the Arizona Corporation Commission. The three are running as a team and Jonathan will represent them and expand on the issues and concerns they have for the Commission. He is an Arizona native who works at ASU’s Mars Space Flight Facility in Tempe. His responsibilities include operating ASU’s camera on NASA’s Mars Odyssey Spacecraft and ASU’s instruments on the Spirit and Opportunity Mars rovers. He has also provided support to the U of A’s OSIRIS-Rex asteroid sample return mission and NASA’s Clipper mission to explore Jupiter’s frozen ocean moon Europa. He believes that the Commission’s mission will benefit from more members with technical and scientific backgrounds.
The other two Democratic candidates for the Corporation Commission are Ylenia Aguilar and Joshua Polacheck. Ms. Aguilar is currently a member of the Central Arizona Water Conservation District of Maricopa County and a graduate of the University of Arizona.
Mr. Polacheck earned a degree from Brandeis University and a graduate degree from Harvard Kennedy School. He has been a foreign service officer and was affiliated with the U.S. Department of State.
The second speaker for September is Heather Macre who is running for the Central Arizona Water Conservation District, commonly known as the CAP. Heather has been a member of this 12–person board since 2012 and is running to secure her seat. Among the many projects she has been a part of as a member of the CAWCD, Heather created the CAP 101 program, a series of free webinars about what CAP does, she chaired the Communications Task Force which launched the statewide, award-winning “Protect Lake Mead” campaign and helped negotiate and finalize the federal and state Drought Contingency Plans to preserve water resources in Arizona and the Colorado River Basin. Heather is a lawyer who also raises funds for children’s charities.
Join us on Wednesday, Sept. 4 in the Tuscany Falls Ballroom to hear these speakers and club news. The social hour begins at 6 p.m. and the meeting begins at 7 p.m. All are welcome.
Please note: We will be collecting school supplies for local schools. Please bring these items to the meeting.