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ABOUT ME

Working Mom. Latina Leader. Daughter of Immigrants. 

WHERE SARAH COMES FROM

Sarah is the daughter of a Guatemalan immigrant, who raised her and her brother as a single mom. At 15 years old her mom's temporary protective status ended, leaving her and her brother in the care of their grandmother who spoke no English. Sarah was responsible for the finances of the household until her mom was able to return several months later with her greencard as a recpieint of NACARA. 

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Her personal experiences have led to a life of public service and dedicating herself to ensuring a better community for all citizens of Northern Arizona. She is a recognized Latina leader, the proud mom to her daughter and a loving wife to her partner.

A THRIVING CAREER

Sarah has been serving as Coconino County Treasurer since 2014, becoming the youngest County Treasurer in the history of the State of Arizona. Since coming to office, she has fought hard to ensure the safety of public funds. Most recently she has been leading the nationwide fight to protect ESG risk analysis and the free-market bidding process for local governments. She most recently took the fight to Washington D.C., testifying before the House Financial Services Committee on the harm of anti-ESG legislation. 

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She proudly advocates for her community as President of the Arizona Association of Counties (AACo), a board member of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO), and as President of the National Association of Hispanic County Elected Officials (NAHCO). Sarah is an experienced professional in the public sector, having worked for United Way of Northern Arizona, the National Park Service, NASA, Eugene 4J School District, and DNA People’s Legal Services.

 

She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan, completed legal coursework at the University of Oregon, was awarded a Chancellor’s Certificate in Public Administration and Government Financial Management from the University of Missouri – St. Louis, and holds the Certified Government Investment Professional (CGIP) designation. Sarah is the recipient of the IRS Community Service Leadership Award, Young Athena Award, and a fellow of the American Council of Young Political Leaders.

Sustainable Public Fiduciary

Sarah is a recognized leader in government finance and treasury management. She has been called upon to speak as an expert in local government treasury and investment management including:​

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  • Witness before the U.S. House Financial Services Committee hearing entitled "Climate-Risk: Are Financial Regulators Politically Independent?" 

  • The Nuts and Bolts of Budgets: Counties and Municipalities, National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) National Conference

  • Portfolio Risk Management: What Are You Ignoring?, Opal Group 2022 Public Funds Summit

  • Public Officials as Fiduciaries, NALEO Policy Institute on Public Finance Management & Bonds

  • Transforming the Payments Experience for Coconino County, Arizona Case Study with PayPal

  • Building Financial Resiliency: Adopting Technology to Streamline Operations, Governing Summit on Financial Leadership 

  • FAQs About Public Pensions – What Elected Officials Should Know, National Association of Counties Annual Conference

  • Financial Forecasting, NALEO National Policy Institute on Public Finance and Pension Fund Management and Bonds

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