Chris is the Founder and President of Engage AZ, Southern Arizona’s only strategic engagement consultancy. A native of Southern Arizona, Chris was raised…. wait, why am I talking about myself in the third person? This is my company! Let’s try this again….

A native of Southern Arizona, I was raised in the binational and bicultural town of Nogales, learning English and Spanish simultaneously. I attended the University of Arizona (Bear Down!) and received a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Business and Economics with minors in French and General Business Administration. I then earned my Master of Administration in Leadership degree from Northern Arizona University. 

With nearly 20 years of experience engaging members of diverse communities, government agencies, nonprofits, and private organizations, I’m an accomplished strategist, public affairs, and public policy expert. I have led issue advocacy campaigns at all levels of government ranging from high-profile federal legislation and regulation to regional, state, and local policy issues for clients across a variety of industries, including advocacy organizations, business interest groups, coalitions, healthcare, household product companies, fitness, tech, wireless telecom, and trade groups.

While I specialize in my home-state of Arizona, I have managed projects and teams across more than half of the U.S. states: Alaska, California, Colorado, the District of Columbia, Idaho, Indiana, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Montana, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.

I learned the ropes of consulting working for one of the top public affairs firms in the country, DCI Group. Prior to becoming a consultant, I served as an advisor to governors and U.S. senators on domestic and international policy issues, working alongside business leaders and international dignitaries from the US, Mexico, and Canada on issues of common interest. I’ve championed Hispanic engagement efforts working for the Arizona-Mexico Commission and serving as the United States Senate’s first Hispanic Outreach Director under U.S. Senator Jeff Flake of Arizona. I started my career at the University of Arizona in the department of Real Estate Administration where I spent nearly a decade managing the university’s capital footprint of over 15 million square feet of space.

Awards and Affiliations:

Profiles of Success - Raúl Yzaguirre Community Leadership Award, 2018

Tucson 40 under 40, 2017

Flinn-Brown Fellow, 2015

University of Arizona HIspanic Alumni Service Award, 2009

University of Arizona Hispanic Alumni 

University of Arizona College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Alumni