Vince Mariscal has been selected to participate in Class 33 of Project CENTRL.

Mariscal is the current assistant public works director for the City of Globe. As a Globe-Miami native and father of three, Mariscal carries his love for community into the leadership training provided by Project CENTRL. “I’m really excited to take on this opportunity to learn and grow,” said Mariscal.  “There’s nothing quite like the satisfaction of seeing a project come together and knowing it benefits the community.”

Arizona Center for Rural Leadership sets out to equip and empower leaders to meet the needs of rural Arizona. According to their website, the flagship program, known as Project CENTRL, has trained over 700 Arizona leaders since 1983. Project CENTRL’s impact on rural Arizona is significant as participants hold many leadership positions around the state.

For Class 33, 16 participants were selected. The class will be traveling all over the state and the country over the next 12 months to participate in several seminars and activities. “It was a very competitive interview process,” said Mariscal. “I was really surprised to get picked but I think they found something in each of the participants that was worthy of selection.”

Over the past few years three other Globe-Miami leaders were selected for Project CENTRL classes. In Class 30, Regina Ortega-Leonardi of Love Where You Live was selected. In Class 31, Michelle Yerkovich of the City of Globe was selected and in Class 32, Lisa Fletcher of the City of Globe was selected.

According to Yerkovich, Project CENTRL gave her the opportunity to step out of her bubble and see real world issues firsthand. “The project really opens your eyes as to what being a public servant is really all about,” said Yerkovich.

Every year the current class travels to Sonora, Mexico; Gettysburg, Pennsylvania; and Washington, D.C. to explore leadership lessons from different perspectives.

With an emphasis on how to preserve the rural lifestyle through a better understanding of all things agriculturally related, participants are given hands-on lessons to promote solving some of rural Arizona’s challenges. For Fletcher, traveling to the border to witness its innerworkings was enlightening. Fletcher was also able to witness government at work when the class visited the Arizona State Senate. “We were able to get involved with the state senate and fight for or against something we cared about,” said Fletcher. “Meeting senators on the floor along with others that had graduated from Project CENTRL was great for creating contacts and understanding how government works.”

The previous City of Globe graduates added that the program provided them with life-changing experiences. For Yerkovich, participating in the project allowed her to step out of her comfort zone. “Thanks to the public speaking training provided by Project CENTRL, I’m so much more confident and I’ve been able to spread what I’ve learned to others,” said Yerkovich. “I also have this lasting thing in my head that I need to do something bigger than myself.”

Fletcher added that she was able to make lifelong connections and friends through the program. “It’s a real network of people throughout Arizona and the country that become more like family that acquaintances,” said Fletcher.

Arizona Center for Rural Leadership is a nonprofit organization committed to ensuring rural Arizona is healthy, vibrant and sustainable. Its focus remains on developing leaders and establishing a network of problem-solvers, decision makers and spokespersons for rural Arizona. For more information visit www.centrl.org.