MPA Advisory Board

Leo is a member of the International City/County Management Association (ICMA), an association of more than 11,000 members dedicated to creating and supporting thriving communities worldwide. He serves on the Board of Directors for the Arizona City/County Management Association (ACMA) and the Leadership Development Advisory Committee for ICMA.

He has served in local government for over 18 years, having previously worked for the cities of Sacramento, CA and Scottsdale, AZ.

As a strong proponent of leadership development, he has completed the Senior Executive Institute at the University of Virginia and the Senior Executives in State and Local Government program at the Harvard Kennedy School. He has a bachelor's in business administration and is a Certified Public Accountant, having begun his professional career with Deloitte, a Big Four professional services firm.

Leo enjoys surfing, mountain biking, paddle boarding, yoga, live music and spending time with family.

As a Faculty Associate, Mr. Gorgey teaches leadership in the School of Public Affairs. He has served on both the SPA Advisory Board and the MPA Advisory Board for several years.  A member of the International City-County Management Association, Mr. Gorgey begins a three-year term on ICMA’s Graduate Education Committee, soon to be renamed the Academic Relations Committee, in October 2025.   

Mr. Gorgey has served as a local government attorney, manager, and recruiter for nearly 25 years. He holds an undergraduate degree in English from the University of Colorado, as well as a Juris Doctor from the University of South Carolina School of Law.

Lisa is a proud two-time ASU grad with her Bachelor of Science in Political Science (2000) and her Master of Public Administration (2002). A passionate and creative leader, she believes life is too short to not have a sense of humor and a sense of purpose.

From 2021 - 2025, Kelly served as Oakwood’s Director of Lifestyle Operations. In his role as Director of Lifestyle Operations, Kelly oversaw Oakwood’s active adult lifestyle experience efforts across three active adult communities in Colorado and Utah. From 2017-2020, Kelly served as Oakwood’s Executive Vice President for Community Operations overseeing Reunion, a 2,500-acre master planned community, including community engagement, public affairs, the development of an initial 3rd party builder program.

In January 2016, Denver Mayor Michael B. Hancock appointed Kelly to serve as the Executive Director for the Mayor’s Office of the National Western Center (NWCO). Kelly started the new office, which included managing the planning, strategic partnership coordination, and implementation of the initial $1.2 billion investment in the creation of the National Western Center, a dynamic 250-acre global destination for agricultural heritage and innovation across five partners. Prior to taking the helm of NWCO, Kelly served as the Mayor’s Executive Director of the North Denver Cornerstone Collaborative (NDCC) from 2013-16, founding the new multi-agency team, charged with the strategic alignment, planning and implementation of six major projects impacting over 3,000 acres located just north of downtown Denver. From 2011-2013, Kelly served as the Mayor’s Director of Development Services.

Before joining the City and County of Denver, Kelly worked for Denver Public Schools (2008-11), the Denver Metropolitan Football Stadium District (1998-2001), and as ASU’s Events Operations Manager, overseeing 250 sports and entertainment events annually (1991-1996).

Kelly graduated from Arizona State University with a degree in general business and an MPA. He also holds an MBA from the University of Denver. In 2022, Kelly was honored by Governor Polis with the Colorado Citizens Award for growth and innovation as a co-founder of the STEAD School, a next generation agriculturally-focus high school. Kelly is a 3rd generation Coloradoan, growing up in Arvada.

Kelly and his family reside in Phoenix, Arizona.

Gina is a past President of the Arizona City/County Management Association (ACMA) Board and the 2022 recipient of the ACMA Catherine Connolly Outstanding Assistant City/County Manager Award. She completed the 2017 Senior Executives in State and Local Government at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. She holds a bachelor’s degree in history and political science from Texas Christian University, and a master’s degree from the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, the University of Texas at Austin.

During his 10 years as City Manager, Mr. Phelps instilled a positive work culture, cumulating in the City being named one of the top 5 large organizations as The Best Places to Work. This culture allowed Glendale to attract top talent at every level of the organization. Part of this new culture was establishing itself as a data driven city with the creation of the City’s Department of Organizational Performance. 

Recognizing that it is in Glendale’s interest to have a robust business sector, his focus was to see that Glendale would become both a major job center and the most business-friendly city in the Valley. His focus established initiatives that grew the city’s economy, increased employment and encouraged growth for businesses large and small. in 2025, the Arizona State Chamber of Commerce awarded Glendale with the designation as the Best City to Do Business in for the entire. state.

After being appointed as the City’s top executive, Mr. Phelps began a comprehensive strategic planning process using the City Council’s mission, vision and value statements. The intent was to insure Glendale demonstrates measurable results toward being the community of choice for residents, businesses and employees. To accomplish this work, he has introduced the Balanced Scorecard approach to lead organizational development and set priorities for city staff.

Under his leadership, the city stabilized financially and operationally after experiencing a serious fiscal crisis that occurred several years prior to his hiring. The turnaround resulted in credit rating upgrades and a growing fund balance that was achieved through policy reforms, growth of new revenue streams and a long-term financial plan.

Mr. Phelps’ government leadership included serving as the highest-ranking appointed official in Pierce County, Washington, an area that includes greater Tacoma and is the state’s second largest county. Prior to that, he was Deputy State Auditor for the Washington State Auditor’s office and was a council member for the city of Tacoma, Washington.

Before his tenure in government, he had more than 30 years of experience in the private sector as a businessman, which includes being the founder and managing partner of the Landmark Convention Center in Tacoma.

During her tenure at Maricopa County, Jen served as one of three assistant county managers where she oversaw seven departments that have direct interaction with the public including Air Quality, Animal Care and Control, Environmental Services, Flood Control District, Planning and Development, Real Estate, and Transportation (MCDOT). Jen has also had leadership roles as director of Planning and Development and director of the Ombudsman’s Office.

Prior to joining Maricopa County, Jen worked for several different government and non-profit organizations in Phoenix and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Her focus throughout her career has been to work with staff to reduce unnecessary regulations, streamline the regulatory process and provide exceptional customer service.

Jen has served on a variety of boards and committees and is currently an ex officio member of the Valley Partnership board and a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and a Master of Science in Urban and Environmental Planning from Arizona State University.

During his time at Pima County, Heath has overseen the creation of a new Economic Development Strategic Plan for the County as well as several new partnerships and programs focused on workforce development and training, regional local business support, and more. He has also overseen the retention and expansion of companies like World View, Inc. and Accelerate Diagnostics, and led point on the attraction of American Battery Factory, a proposed $1.2B, 1,000 job battery manufacturing investment announced in Pima County-Tucson. 

Heath graduated from the University of Arizona with a bachelor’s degree in political science and Spanish and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration with an emphasis on local government. His past roles include Management Assistant, Economic Development Specialist, Assistant to the Town Manager, and Airport Director, all for the Town of Marana, AZ. In these capacities, Heath carried out special projects for all departments, engaged in economic development activities, acted as the designated public lobbyist and chief legislative liaison for the town, and implemented and coordinated all activities for Marana Regional Airport. 

Heath is also a certified AZ Economic Development Professional through the Arizona Association for Economic Development (AAED), and he received the New Member of the Year Award in 2016 and the Member of the Year Award in 2019 from AAED for his contributions to local Economic Development. Most recently, Heath also received the Economic Developer of the Year for a Large Community Award from AAED for 2024. Heath was also named a 2019 40 Under 40 Honoree by the Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, as well as appointed to the Judicial Performance Review Commission for the State of Arizona. He also received the Gabe Zimmerman Public Service Award for Emerging Leader in 2021. Lastly, Heath is a 2023 graduate of the Flinn Foundation Flinn-Brown Fellowship Program.

Heath also designed, implemented and currently teaches a class at the University of Arizona School of Government and Public Policy, focusing on teaching the essentials of Economic Development and Local Government Administration to Masters of Public Administration students, which is currently in its 11th year. He is also heavily involved in the Greater Tucson-Arizona community, currently sitting on the Executive Board for the AZ Town Hall Association, the Executive Board of the Arizona Association for Economic Development, and the Board of Greater Tucson Leadership. Heath was born in Scottsdale which he then left to Tucson where he pursued his academic career at the UofA. He currently lives in Tucson, AZ, in ZIP code 85745.

Mr. Wright previously served the City of Chandler, Arizona, from 2017 to 2025, first as Assistant City Manager and then as City Manager. He also served as Town Manager of the Town of Wickenburg, Arizona, from 2011 to 2017, and in several positions for the Town of Marana, Arizona, from 2006 to 2011, including Assistant to the Town Manager and Director of Strategic Initiatives. He began his public service career with The University of Arizona in 2002.

A native of Tempe, Arizona, Mr. Wright attended The University of Arizona and holds undergraduate degrees in psychology and religious studies, a graduate degree in public administration, and a certificate in middle eastern studies. Additionally, he completed the Harvard University Senior Executives in State and Local Government program and is a doctoral candidate in public administration at Valdosta State University in Valdosta, Georgia.

Kari remains involved in the Arizona City/County Management Association (ACMA), a professional organization dedicated to increasing the knowledge and ability of local government professionals in cities, town and counties in Arizona. She served on the ACMA Board for five years including one year as President. Kari currently serves on the NAU Alumni Association Board, the NAU Social and Behavioral Sciences Dean's Advancement Council, the ASU Master of Public Administration Advisory Board and the ASU Master of Public Administration Accreditation Council. She also volunteers at the Sojourner Center with their workforce development program.

Kari’s professional award honors include NAU Dr. Cliff Harkins Distinguished Citizen of the Year, ACMA Cathy Connolly Outstanding Assistant City Manager, Women Leading Government Trailblazer, Arizona Capital Times Women Achievers of Arizona and ACMA Life Membership. Kari has a B.S. in Political Science from NAU and has her Master of Public Administration from ASU.

Singla’s research has been published in venues such as Public Budgeting & Finance and Public Finance and Management. Before joining the School of Public Affairs, he completed his doctorate in Public Policy and Management at The John Glenn College of Public Affairs at The Ohio State University.