Why civic champions work to rebuild democratic trust in Arizona
Posted
Don Henninger
Submitted photo
Jane Andersen
Submitted photo
The Civic Champions project is a call to action. It reminds us that civic engagement doesn’t begin or end at the ballot box. It lives in classrooms, boardrooms, newsrooms, community centers and faith communities. It happens every day, in small ways and big ones, when people show up with courage and care for the common good.”
By Don Henninger and Jane Andersen
In a time when our national discourse feels more like a shouting match than a shared conversation — and when trust in democratic institutions continues to fray — it’s easy to lose hope.
But in communities across Arizona, another story is being written. It’s a quieter story, one that doesn’t often make headlines. It’s the story of neighbors stepping up, leaders leaning in, and everyday citizens doing the work to sustain democracy from the ground up.
Arizona’s Civic Champions
The Arizona Civic Champions project was designed to shine a light on the people and organizations quietly leading efforts to strengthen civic trust and engagement across our state. This initiative — led by Mormon Women for Ethical Government and the Arizona Democracy Resilience Network — is not just about recognition. It’s about restoration. It’s about reminding Arizonans that our democracy is worth investing in, and that real leadership isn’t always loud — it’s consistent, principled and rooted in service.
We recently honored seven exceptional individuals and organizations who exemplify what it means to be a civic champion:
• Nonprofit impact: Courtney Osterfelt, executive director and founder of The Launch Pad in Prescott • Business leadership: John Fees, co-founder and managing director of GradGuard, and Adam Goodman, CEO of Goodmans — co-chairs of Leadership Now Arizona • Unsung hero: Susan Bustamante, a Pinal County election-cycle worker whose behind-the-scenes service keeps democracy functioning • Civic innovator: Carlos Alfaro, founder of the Arizona Talks Foundation, creating space for civil discourse • Faith in action: Dr. Warren H. Stewart, senior pastor of First Institutional Baptist Church of Phoenix, whose voice has long championed justice and community • Community media: Ilana Lowery, Arizona regional director of Common Sense Media, working to equip families with the tools to navigate our digital world
Each of these honorees demonstrates that democracy is not self-sustaining. It must be cultivated through truth-telling, participation, transparency and a shared sense of responsibility.
Whether it's through mentoring youth, guiding ethical business leadership, facilitating tough conversations or ensuring integrity at the polls, these individuals model what it means to put principle over partisanship and community over chaos.
In an age of misinformation and polarization, cynicism can feel like the only rational response. But cynicism isn’t a strategy. Civic trust is. And each civic champion is working — quietly and persistently — to rebuild that trust.
Arizona stands at a crossroads. We are one of the fastest-growing states in the nation, rich in diversity and shaped by a culture of independence and innovation. What we do here matters, not just for our own future, but for the health of American democracy. How we choose to engage, to lead, to listen and to serve will shape the kind of state we pass on to the next generation.
The Civic Champions project is a call to action. It reminds us that civic engagement doesn’t begin or end at the ballot box. It lives in classrooms, boardrooms, newsrooms, community centers and faith communities. It happens every day, in small ways and big ones, when people show up with courage and care for the common good.
Arizona’s future depends on that kind of leadership. And thanks to our civic champions, that future is already being built.
