Community Ambassadors

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Who are the Community Ambassadors? 

Community Ambassadors are an integral part of the Tucson Norte-Sur Phase I community engagement efforts to help ensure that community voices are centered in guiding the plan. They have deep ties to their various communities across the study-area. They have been recruited based on their breadth of knowledge, community involvement, and valuable perspectives in order to carry out a variety of on-the-ground engagement activities. The group is representative and reflective of this corridor.

Community Ambassadors literally meet the community where they are. Instead of asking people to come to public meetings, the Ambassadors go to them and engage community members in conversations about the Tucson Norte-Sur Plan. They host diverse community dialogues with small groups of residents at times and places that are convenient for them. They meet community members at places where they already congregate such as transit centers, grocery stores, or neighborhood events. They also bring their own talents and creative connections to this project whether it’s getting people to fill out surveys while serving them out of a food truck or hopping on a bus and engaging the riders about the plan.

These engagement activities are focused on hearing from the people who live, work, travel and have history in the study area to make sure that the Tucson Norte-Sur reflects their vision and priorities.

Community Ambassadors have completed a series of trainings, including background information on Tucson Norte-Sur. They are working closely with Selina Barajas, the Lead Community Ambassador, who's overseeing the program and supporting the ambassadors in their outreach and engagement efforts.




Come share with the Community Ambassadors at one of our upcoming events!

  • 12 pop-up events with information about the project and activities to share ideas (April - May) – Check out the upcoming pop-up events on the right to get involved!
  • 12 Community Dialogues with community stakeholders (May - June) – Interested in hosting a community dialogue? Contact Selina Barajas at sbarajas@azplanningcenter.com or (520) 209-2636, ext. 7118.

Community Ambassadors play a crucial role in making public engagement more approachable, inclusive, and accessible. Through community dialogues, pop-ups, and other creative outreach/engagement activities, they gather thoughts, ideas, and concerns from community members and share them with the rest of the project team to guide the Tucson Norte-Sur strategic plan. The first phase of their engagement work will wrap up at the end of June 2022.





What We've Been Hearing

 Check out what the Community Ambassadors have been hearing so far here. 

Who are the Community Ambassadors? 

Community Ambassadors are an integral part of the Tucson Norte-Sur Phase I community engagement efforts to help ensure that community voices are centered in guiding the plan. They have deep ties to their various communities across the study-area. They have been recruited based on their breadth of knowledge, community involvement, and valuable perspectives in order to carry out a variety of on-the-ground engagement activities. The group is representative and reflective of this corridor.

Community Ambassadors literally meet the community where they are. Instead of asking people to come to public meetings, the Ambassadors go to them and engage community members in conversations about the Tucson Norte-Sur Plan. They host diverse community dialogues with small groups of residents at times and places that are convenient for them. They meet community members at places where they already congregate such as transit centers, grocery stores, or neighborhood events. They also bring their own talents and creative connections to this project whether it’s getting people to fill out surveys while serving them out of a food truck or hopping on a bus and engaging the riders about the plan.

These engagement activities are focused on hearing from the people who live, work, travel and have history in the study area to make sure that the Tucson Norte-Sur reflects their vision and priorities.

Community Ambassadors have completed a series of trainings, including background information on Tucson Norte-Sur. They are working closely with Selina Barajas, the Lead Community Ambassador, who's overseeing the program and supporting the ambassadors in their outreach and engagement efforts.




Come share with the Community Ambassadors at one of our upcoming events!

  • 12 pop-up events with information about the project and activities to share ideas (April - May) – Check out the upcoming pop-up events on the right to get involved!
  • 12 Community Dialogues with community stakeholders (May - June) – Interested in hosting a community dialogue? Contact Selina Barajas at sbarajas@azplanningcenter.com or (520) 209-2636, ext. 7118.

Community Ambassadors play a crucial role in making public engagement more approachable, inclusive, and accessible. Through community dialogues, pop-ups, and other creative outreach/engagement activities, they gather thoughts, ideas, and concerns from community members and share them with the rest of the project team to guide the Tucson Norte-Sur strategic plan. The first phase of their engagement work will wrap up at the end of June 2022.





What We've Been Hearing

 Check out what the Community Ambassadors have been hearing so far here. 

Ambassador Bios

Learn a little bit more about our Community Ambassadors and why they care about their community!

Thank you for sharing your story with us.
CLOSED: This discussion has concluded.
  • Share Edilia "Dee" Toro on Facebook Share Edilia "Dee" Toro on Twitter Share Edilia "Dee" Toro on Linkedin Email Edilia "Dee" Toro link

    Edilia "Dee" Toro

    by Nora Bland, about 4 years ago


    Places I call home: City of South Tucson, West Barrio Ochoa Neighborhood

    What I love to do: I like to do a lot of things, art stuff like drawing, painting, crocheting, beading but I also like cooking, baking, walking my neighborhood and other close neighborhoods

    My favorite place along the corridor and why: I have several places along the corridor that I like but the one closest to my heart is the John A. Valenzuela Youth Center. This place is like home to me, I was in the opening ceremonies to the JVYC so many years ago and was fortunate... Continue reading


    Places I call home: City of South Tucson, West Barrio Ochoa Neighborhood

    What I love to do: I like to do a lot of things, art stuff like drawing, painting, crocheting, beading but I also like cooking, baking, walking my neighborhood and other close neighborhoods

    My favorite place along the corridor and why: I have several places along the corridor that I like but the one closest to my heart is the John A. Valenzuela Youth Center. This place is like home to me, I was in the opening ceremonies to the JVYC so many years ago and was fortunate after my youth to be able to work there with the youth. Officer Valenzuela had such a large impact on the youth in the City of South Tucson and his life and legacy are written on the walls there. The staff are caring and devoted to the families they serve always have been and are so caring and understanding of the diversity of each child and each family that attend their center. It had such a large impact on me and the person I became because they showed me there was a world outside of my Barrio but always reminded me to never forget who we are and where we came from. To cherish who we are as people and always cherish our culture no matter our backgrounds. They left a very large imprint on my heart and I am proud to say that this place these people are my home, my heart. Now my son is fortunate enough to experience the same things his father and I had the opportunity to experience and more.

    Organization I belong to: Currently I am an alternate to my grandmother for the Chukut Kuk District Council for the Tohono Oodham Nation. I also served two terms from age 18 to age 26 as primary for my community for my district. At that time I was the youngest to have a seat council.

    Bio: I live on the line between the City of South Tucson and the City of Tucson. My family home has been there for over 100 years I am 5th Generation to live there with my son who is the 6th. We love where we grew up and following in the footsteps and traditions of our family. As you can tell family and our community are an important thing to me, because what we leave for our children and our future generations, the legacies we leave for them is important, they are the ones who will continue our traditions and care for what we leave behind. Like now, I am the owner of E and J Frybead, I am carrying on my grandmother's recipes that she passed down to us and that I now pass down to my nieces and nephews who help us with sales so that others can enjoy what we were so blessed to have growing up.

  • Share Valentina Vavages-Andrew on Facebook Share Valentina Vavages-Andrew on Twitter Share Valentina Vavages-Andrew on Linkedin Email Valentina Vavages-Andrew link

    Valentina Vavages-Andrew

    by Nora Bland, about 4 years ago

    Places I call home: Chuckson (Tucson) the great Tohono O'odham Nation, the Sonoran Deserts are my ancestral lands!

    What I love to do: I love to travel, I'm a radio dj/podcaster, I love the outdoors, I enjoy learning, experiencing, & carrying on my cultural traditions, I collect 90s toys, I'm always down for unplanned adventures.

    My favorite place along the corridor and why: The Cesar Chavez Bridge on I-10 & S. 6h Ave, because it represents much of what I fight for every day. The freedom and dignity to be indigenous, to represent my roots, my culture, language, lifestyle, but... Continue reading

    Places I call home: Chuckson (Tucson) the great Tohono O'odham Nation, the Sonoran Deserts are my ancestral lands!

    What I love to do: I love to travel, I'm a radio dj/podcaster, I love the outdoors, I enjoy learning, experiencing, & carrying on my cultural traditions, I collect 90s toys, I'm always down for unplanned adventures.

    My favorite place along the corridor and why: The Cesar Chavez Bridge on I-10 & S. 6h Ave, because it represents much of what I fight for every day. The freedom and dignity to be indigenous, to represent my roots, my culture, language, lifestyle, but most importantly my people.

    Organizations I belong to: KXCI Community Radio, Tohono O'odham Young Voices Podcast

    Bio: Prior to my current personal and professional background, I spent 8+ years working in environmental outreach, education, and research, both as a student and as a professional career. Since then my direction in life has changes, just as my career path has. As a radio dj and podcaster, I enjoy sharing community stories in the utmost and honest way. Allowing people to share their truths, unedited, uncensored, unapologetically, stems from my own experiences feeling suppressed from media outlets. Podcasting helped shift my activism to a digital platform, it has also gained much support and credibility for sharing indigenous stories. Aside from that, I love my city, I've learned so much from so many individuals within the various communities, and I've established so many great relationships.

  • Share Mike "Slick" Edmonds on Facebook Share Mike "Slick" Edmonds on Twitter Share Mike "Slick" Edmonds on Linkedin Email Mike "Slick" Edmonds link

    Mike "Slick" Edmonds

    by Nora Bland, about 4 years ago


    Places I call home: Tucson House, Barrio Blue Moon Neighborhood, Thrive in the 05 area, Ward 3

    What I love to do: Read, write, perform, troubleshoot, "hack"

    My favorite place along the corridor and why: Super Target: one bus to it, and one bus back to home...

    Organizations I belong to: Barrio Blue Moon Neighborhood Association, Thrive in the 05, CEHD, RAB, HCD, CAC/RTA/PAG...

    Bio: Born, raised, and mugged in D.C.; performer, musician; high school in West Germany; broadcast (radio/television/internet) personality; Liaison for Ward 3;
    hacker/cracker"


    Places I call home: Tucson House, Barrio Blue Moon Neighborhood, Thrive in the 05 area, Ward 3

    What I love to do: Read, write, perform, troubleshoot, "hack"

    My favorite place along the corridor and why: Super Target: one bus to it, and one bus back to home...

    Organizations I belong to: Barrio Blue Moon Neighborhood Association, Thrive in the 05, CEHD, RAB, HCD, CAC/RTA/PAG...

    Bio: Born, raised, and mugged in D.C.; performer, musician; high school in West Germany; broadcast (radio/television/internet) personality; Liaison for Ward 3;
    hacker/cracker"

  • Share Grecia Ramirez on Facebook Share Grecia Ramirez on Twitter Share Grecia Ramirez on Linkedin Email Grecia Ramirez link

    Grecia Ramirez

    by Nora Bland, about 4 years ago

    Places I call home: Tucson & Sonoran Desert

    My favorite place along the corridor: Anything south of Congress Street

    Organizations I belong to: Currently working for Sunnyside Unified School District

    Bio: Grecia grew up walking, biking and taking the bus. She's a nurse who understands how streets, mobility, and health are interconnected. She's a mom who loves all things "hood" including toddlerhood & motherhood.


    Places I call home: Tucson & Sonoran Desert

    My favorite place along the corridor: Anything south of Congress Street

    Organizations I belong to: Currently working for Sunnyside Unified School District

    Bio: Grecia grew up walking, biking and taking the bus. She's a nurse who understands how streets, mobility, and health are interconnected. She's a mom who loves all things "hood" including toddlerhood & motherhood.