Linda Lopez
Linda Lopez spent her formative years in the American Midwest living much of her childhood in Indiana along with her brother Terry. In 1964 at the age of sixteen Linda's family moved to the San Francisco Bay area. Since moving to Tucson in 1973 Linda has been involved in the community in numerous manners. She has been a foster parent a member of the Sunnyside School Board an advocate for children through her employment at La Frontera Center and since 2001 Linda has served as the State Representative for District 29 in the Arizona State House of Representatives. Linda is the biological mother to two daughters Toni and Bobbi and a son Aaron and the proud grandmother of two grandsons Kyle and Dylan. For ten years she worked as a professional foster parent serving as the foster mother to 44 abused and neglected children many of her foster children had special needs such as schizophrenia learning disabilities depression developmental delays and behavior disorders. When her children grew older Linda decided to return to college. She attended the University of Arizona where she excelled academically as demonstrated by her academic achievements including her membership in Phi Beta Kappa and National Golden Key Honor Society. In 1990 she completed her B.A. Degree in Women's Studies with a minor in Psychology. Linda was one of the first two Women's Studies majors to graduate from the University of Arizona. After the attainment of her degree Linda's commitment to children's issues was again seen by the job path that she chose to pursue Child and Family Specialist at La Frontera Center Arizona's largest community health provider. She continues to be an employee at La Frontera working currently as the Community Relations Coordinator. The precedent of excellence Linda set in her college career has been extended to her political career. Her commitment to the needs of women children mental health issues and education in the state of Arizona is illustrated by the political offices she has held the committees and organization that she belongs to and the legislation that she has introduced. In 1986 she was elected to the Sunnyside School Board where her initial tenure would last until 2002 serving as the Board President for five years and Board Clerk for two years. After a two-year break from the school board she returned to serve another two years. She was first elected to the Arizona House of Representatives as the Congresswoman for District 29 in 2001. Linda has served as both the Minority Whip and Assistant Minority Leader in the seven years that she has served in the House. She serves on the Appropriations Committee Health Committee Rules Committee Joint Legislative Budget Committee CPS Oversight and the Governor's Commission on Reforming CPS. Linda's service to the community has not gone unnoticed. She has received numerous accolades. Among them: NOW Woman of Courage YWCA Woman of the Year and Distinguished Service to Exceptional Children. It is said that she has "a great capacity for hard work and enjoys serving the public". When asked about her various accomplishments Linda humbly responds that "she is honored to serve the district and the people of the great state of Arizona"
-- Written by: Celina Valencia