By Admin1 (admin) on Sunday, April 13, 2003 - 5:26 pm: Edit Post |
Arizona State Senator Phil Lopes was was among the first Peace Corps Volunteers selected, working for two years in Colombia in 1961-1963, and as staff in Brazil 1963-1965
Arizona State Senator Phil Lopes was was among the first Peace Corps Volunteers selected, working for two years in Colombia in 1961-1963, and as staff in Brazil 1963-1965
Phil Lopes
Democrat
District 27
House of Representatives
1700 W. Washington
Room 331
Phoenix, AZ 85007
Phone Number: 542-3278
Fax Number: 417-3127
Email Address: plopes@azleg.state.az.us
Personal Information:
Home City: Tucson
Occupation: Independent Consultant
Member Since: January 2003
Phil Lopes (low-pus) came to Tucson in 1969 to help establish Pima Community College and has been actively contributing to the Tucson community for most of the ensuing 33 years.
A founding faculty member of PCC, Phil planned and implemented the College’s first continuing education, extension, and community services programs. He also taught Anthropology and Community Development classes.
Phil is locally and nationally known for his work in public health, a field he entered in 1973 following his years at PCC. He is currently an independent consultant specializing in improving access to health services for uninsured persons. He is widely known for his relentless volunteer activity as founder and member of the board of the Arizona Health Care Campaign and other organizations, dedicated to the establishment of a system providing affordable health care for all Arizonans. He was a leader of the Tucson/Pima County Community Profile. As the interim Executive Director of El Pueblo Clinic (2000-2001), he is credited with saving the financially ailing Southside health institution that serves poor and uninsured area residents.
During his tenure as a senior manager at the Arizona Department of Health Services, he was responsible for the distribution of the Tobacco Tax funds earmarked for services to uninsured people. Before joining the Department of Health, he was Senior Lecturer in Community Medicine and Assistant Director of the Rural Health Office of the UA College of Medicine. He is a founding faculty member of the UA College of Public Health and has taught at the University of Phoenix since 1981.
Phil was the Executive Director of the Health Systems Agency of Southeastern Arizona from 1981-1987, and prior to that held senior administrative positions with the Arizona Health Foundation, which provided health care to low income families and individuals, and with the Visiting Nurse Association Home Health Services.
The Peace Corps in early 1960’s gave Phil Lopes his first opportunity for public service. He was among the first Peace Corps Volunteers selected, working for two years in Colombia in 1961-1963, and as staff in Brazil 1963-1965. Later, he returned from Tucson for Peace Corps duty from 1976-1981 as Country Director for Ecuador and then as Co-Director with his wife Pam for Brazil. Phil speaks fluent Spanish and Portuguese.
Other community activities have included membership on the Independent Citizens Committee, responsible for review of the TUSD court-ordered desegregation, Board member of the Arizona Public Health Association, and chair of the District 11 Democrats.
Born in California in 1941, Phil received his B.A. in Latin American Studies at UCLA, and an M.A. in Anthropology from the University of Wisconsin. He and Pam (who he met in the Peace Corps), married for 35 years, have two adult sons. They have lived in the same house on the west side of Tucson since 1970.