Leila Gamiz is a tenured public servant having worked in local and regional government for over 16 years. Leila began her career at the City of Phoenix in 2007 working in Mayor Phil Gordon’s office as an assistant to the Mayor handling constituent relations. In that role, Leila served as a liaison between the Mayor and the public assisting constituents in navigating City departments and resources, in addition to staffing the Mayor in the community and supporting boards and commissions.
In 2010, Leila left the City to join the communications and public outreach team at the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG). At MAG, Leila worked to connect the public to MAG’s functions and led efforts in gathering public input in the transportation planning process and serving as the organization’s Spanish speaking liaison. Leila continually sought to expand her skill set with her willingness to support other MAG divisions which included the web maintenance team and serving as a facilitator for focus group outreach conducted by the agency.
After over seven years with MAG, Leila returned to the City of Phoenix working in the Public Transit Department (PTD) as a public information specialist assisting the department with both internal and external communication needs. During her time with PTD, Leila also lent her expertise to supporting the Street Transportation Department. In Streets, Leila worked to increase public awareness and information related to pedestrian safety and in expanding public notification regarding street improvements and construction.
In 2018, Leila transitioned to working in the City Manager’s Office as Management Assistant II in the Office of Government Relations, co-leading the 2020 Census effort for Phoenix. In this role, Leila was able to work with diverse stakeholders and community partners in motivating Phoenicians to participate in the 2020 Census to secure continued federal resources, state shared revenue, and representation for Phoenix and the State of Arizona. Following the completion of the 2020 Census, Leila transitioned to the Finance Department, Real Estate Division as an Assistant Real Estate Administrator working on property acquisition needs for the Northwest Extension II and South Central Extension Light Rail projects and managing the Property Management section.
In all, Leila’s professional career is supported by her academic achievements from Arizona State University where she obtained a bachelor’s in interdisciplinary studies with concentrations in Public Administration and Mass Communication.