House Member

Pamela Powers Hannley grew up on the shores of Lake Erie in the small town of Amherst, Ohio. Pam's family has a long history of fighting for economic and social justice. Her ancestors were abolitionists who worked on the Underground Railroad in Oberlin, Ohio. Her father was a proud member and officer of the United Steel Workers in Lorain County, Ohio and a lifelong advocate for workers' rights.

Although Pam is an Ohio native, she has lived in Tucson since 1981, and for most of that time, she has lived in Legislative District 9. Pam holds a bachelor's degree in Journalism from The Ohio State University, and her early career focused on corporate communication and public relations.

In the late 1980s, as a stay-at-home Mom, Pam started her own home-based business as a freelance writer, photographer, and graphic designer. Working for clients like the Arizona Cancer Center, University Medical Center, and the Sarver Heart Center prompted her to shift her career to focus on health/medical communications. In 1996, she earned a master's in public health from The University of Arizona. After having earned her MPH, Pam became program director for the Arizona Tobacco Information Network and the Arizona Smokers' Helpline at The University of Arizona. She also taught health at the UA and at Pima Community College and was a consultant for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In 2004, Pam left the University of Arizona to become managing editor for the American Journal of Medicine, a position she held for 12 years, until deciding to run for the Arizona House. She currently works part-time for the Journal as a social media editor and an occasional author.

Pam is a long-time political blogger and progressive activist. In 2012, she was chosen by the Huffington Post to be a citizen journalist covering the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, NC. Pam has been a Democratic Party precinct committee person for several years and served as co-chair for the Arizona Democratic Progressive Caucus of the Arizona Democratic Party. She also is very active in Progressive Democrats of America (PDA Tucson) and has been a member of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) for many years.

Pam and her husband Jim Hannley live in an old adobe home in midtown with their three cats and an underemployed red heeler. Between them, Pam and Jim have four grown children—Alexandra, Edward, Sean and Stephen—and two grandchildren—William and Isabella.