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Greg Stanton
9th District Representative at US CongressThroughout his career, Greg Stanton has worked tirelessly to deliver results for Arizona families. Serving as Phoenix mayor from 2012 to 2018, he focused on building an economy rooted in innovation and trade. Under his leadership, Phoenix created thousands of quality jobs and recently saw the highest wage growth in the nation.
Greg has earned a reputation for working across the aisle to get things done. His biggest accomplishments in Phoenix were passed with bipartisan support: the City’s investment in the biosciences and higher education, support for small businesses, and national recognition for leadership on LGBT equality. In 2015, Stanton won reelection and successfully led one of the most ambitious transportation initiatives in the country—a bipartisan, voter-backed plan that is now working to triple Phoenix’s light rail system, expand bus service, and improve thousands of miles of roadways over the next 35 years.
Before his election as mayor, Greg served nine years on the Phoenix City Council and as Arizona’s Deputy Attorney General. He attended Marquette University on the Harry S. Truman Scholarship, and earned a law degree from the University of Michigan.
Greg and his wife Nicole have two children.
Kate Smith, M.S.
Interim President at Rio Salado CollegeKate Smith was appointed interim president of Rio Salado College (RSC) and Maricopa Corporate College (MCOR) in August 2018. Both RSC and MCOR are located in Tempe, Arizona and part of the Maricopa Community College District which serves 200,000+ students annually. Rio Salado College is the largest of the District’s ten colleges and serves nearly 53,000 students each year with nearly 28,000 students accessing their courses online. Maricopa Corporate College provides customized non-credit training for business and industry.
Smith has more than 24 years of experience in education. She is a highly regarded and enthusiastic leader who advocates for student success on all levels. In addition, Smith understands the barriers that non-traditional students face and is dedicated to providing them with flexible, affordable access to college.
Smith joined Rio Salado in 2016 as the vice president of academic affairs and chief academic officer. In this role she was responsible for adult basic education, community development and partnerships, continuing education, curriculum, early college, faculty, library services, the honors program, incarcerated re-entry programs, institutional research and effectiveness, instructional design, instruction helpdesk, military programs, online and hybrid/blended learning, certificates and degrees, and corporate and government partnerships. She has a master’s degree in mathematical education from the University of Rochester and a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and German from William Smith College.
Before becoming a member of Rio Salado College’s Executive Team, Smith served as the dean of the academic foundations division at Monroe Community College in Rochester, New York. Early in her career, she was an instructor, was then promoted to the roll of full professor and later served in administration. Prior to her time at Monroe, she taught high school mathematics and served as a consultant to Hobart and William Smith Colleges and local companies on college and career mathematics readiness.
Smith is passionate about learning, giving back, mathematics and supporting friends and family. She and her husband Dennis live in Ahwatukee and enjoy spending time running and hiking Arizona trails.