Kyrsten Sinema was born in Tucson, Arizona,
in 1976 and has lived in Phoenix since 1995. She was first elected to
the State Legislature in 2004, and in 2006 was re-elected to continue
serving central Phoenix in District 15.
Kyrsten holds a juris doctorate and a Master’s
degree in Social Work from Arizona State University. Kyrsten is an adjunct
professor in the School of Social Work at Arizona State University and
practices criminal defense law in the Phoenix community. She also works
for the Center for Progressive Leadership, teaching tomorrow’s political
leaders about leadership and the political process
Prior to her work at the Legislature, Kyrsten was a social
worker in the Washington School District. She created and directed the
Sunnyslope community’s first Family Resource Center. She focused
on community development and organization, adult and community education,
grant writing and administration, and advocacy for low-income, minority,
refugee, and undocumented families.
Kyrsten is actively involved in the community, serving
as the Board President for COAR (Community Outreach and Advocacy for Refugees),
Board Member of the National Young Elected Officials’ Network, Board
Member of the Progressive Democrats of American, Board Member of Girls
for a Change, Advisory Board Member for the Arizona Death Penalty Forum,
Board Member of the Center for Progressive Leadership, and a member of
the Governor’s Commission to Prevent Violence Against Women. Recently,
she served as the Chair of Arizona Together, the first group in the country
to defeat a same-sex marriage ban on the ballot.
Kyrsten is dedicated to serving the community, focusing
on advocating for disadvantaged and oppressed populations, environmental
justice, and social justice. Her work at the Legislature over the last
two years has earned numerous awards, including the 2005 and 2006 Sierra
Club’s Most Valuable Player, the 2006 Planned Parenthood CHOICE
Award, 2006 Legislator of the Year Award from both the Arizona Public
Health Association and the National Association of Social Workers –
Arizona Chapter, a 2006 Legislative Hero of the Arizona League of Conservation
Voters, 2005 Stonewall Democrats Legislator of the Year Award, and others.
