Rene Lopez, Rachel Walden, and Lea Marquez Peterson
Mark your calendars—the SaddleBrooke Ranch Conservatives in Action (SBR CIA) general meeting will be 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 23.
The SBR Conservatives in Action meet the fourth Thursday of each month at 3:30 p.m. Meetings are held at the SBR La Hacienda Clubhouse (La Mesa/La Montana Rooms). Women and men are welcome to join our club!
The mission of SBR CIA is to educate and empower like-minded members to take action to further Conservative/Republican goals. In upcoming months, our speakers will share information leading up to the 2024 presidential election, and to especially address issues pertinent to Pinal and Pima counties. We will plan and conduct fundraisers to support local candidates. To date, guest speakers included:
January—Sheila Muehling spoke on Ranked Choice Voting
February—Tracy DuCharme, executive director for American Majority, shared information on Ballot In-Ballot Out
March—retired Judge Andrew Gould informed us how to vote for Arizona judges
April—Peter Norquist addressed the importance of being politically educated.
Guest Speakers
On Thursday, May 23, CIA looks forward to welcoming current Arizona Corporation Commissioner, Lea Marquez Peterson, and candidates running for the Commission: Rachel Walden and Rene Lopez.
Lea Marquez Peterson. Lea was appointed to the Commission by Governor Doug Ducey in May 2019, and was elected in November 2020. The majority of her time has been spent holding utilities accountable to Arizonans and fighting for affordable, reliable energy. Lea is the only Commissioner based outside the Phoenix area, and has worked diligently to provide financial relief for Arizona customers and ensure energy reliability. Her decades of small business experience have helped in streamlining the business incorporation process, and prioritizing the economic recovery of Arizona. Lea served as the Chairwoman of the Commission from 2020-22. Lea and her family reside in Tucson.
Rachel Walden. Rachel had a 13-year career at Vanguard, working to create policies to gain efficiencies and navigate government regulations. Rachel has been a precinct committeeperson, served on the Mesa Board of Education, and has spent many years serving her community in various positions. Rachel has a B.S. from ASU and attended ASU for post-graduate work in history. She was employed by the university as a research/teaching assistant and received a fellowship to study in England. Rachel and her family reside in Mesa.
Rene Lopez. Rene is a former Chandler City Councilman. He was born and raised in Mesa. Rene attended Maricopa Community College, and graduated with a B.S. in nuclear engineering from U of A. Rene earned a Commission through the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) for the U.S. Navy in 1995, and served as a Cryptologic Naval Officer at Fort Meade, Md. Rene became interested in politics in junior high, when his father took him “door knocking” for a Phoenix mayoral race. In 2007, as a member of the Maricopa County Republican Party, he was Second Vice Chair of the Executive Guidance Committee. After serving on the Chandler Parks and Recreation Committee, he was elected to the City Council in 2014. He was re-elected in 2018, and served twice as Vice Mayor of Chandler. Rene and his family reside in Chandler.
For meeting/event details, please contact [email protected].