Randy Parraz

Randy Parraz has spent the past sixteen years of his professional life fighting for change and committed to civic engagement, civil rights and working families.

Randy’s commitment to public service was inspired by his father, John Parraz, who as a Sergeant with the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, co-­‐founded an organization to improve the recruitment, hiring and retention of Latinos in the field of law enforcement. Thirty-­‐one years after his death, the Latino Peace Officers Association has become a national organization with a presence in twenty-­‐five states, Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico. Because of his father’s commitment to community, public safety and equal opportunity, Randy learned at a very young age the importance of using one’s skill, talent, education and energy in service to others.

Politically, Randy believes strongly in breaking down barriers and empowering individuals to succeed. When it comes to solving problems, Randy has said, “We need to fundamentally alter the way we think and act as stewards of democracy and caretakers of our human condition. People need to feel that who they are, what they do and what they think matters to those who they entrust to represent them. We need to create opportunities for others to assume responsibility for the challenges we face. And we need work together, act together and take risks together so that we can eventually celebrate all that we achieve together.”

Similar to President Obama, Randy started his career as a community organizer. From organizing house meetings in East Dallas to solve neighborhood issues, to establishing the National Strawberry Commission for Workers Rights for strawberry pickers struggling to form a union in the fields of California, to organizing residential construction workers in Arizona so that workers could receive fair, just and timely compensation for their labor, Randy has spent a considerable amount of time working with others in pursuit of progressive, positive change.

From 2002-­‐2004, Randy’s commitment to helping Arizona’s middle and working families began when he moved to the state to fulfill his duties as the Arizona State Director for the National AFL-­‐CIO. In the fall of 2007, Randy returned to Arizona and began work in the housing industry as a political organizer for the Laborers’ International Union of North America. The residential organizing campaign not only exposed the unfair treatment of workers, but it also shed light on the shady lending practices and treatment of home buyers.

In the spring of 2008, Randy, in partnership with other organizations and individuals, helped launch a new coalition -­‐ Maricopa Citizens for Safety and Accountability (MCSA) -­‐ to expose the misplaced priorities, abusive practices and ineffective policies of Sheriff Arpaio and the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO). From crime suppression sweeps that unfairly and unjustly targeted the Hispanic community, to millions of dollars in legal settlements, to the harassment and intimidation of citizens, elected officials, county employees and judges who took positions in opposition to Sheriff Arpaio, MCSA lead the fight to hold Sheriff Arpaio and the Board of Supervisors accountable for their actions.

Randy was born and raised in Sacramento, California. He attended the University of California, Berkeley where he studied history and sociology. Randy continued his graduate studies and earned a law degree from Boalt Hall School of Law at U.C. Berkeley and a master’s degree in public administration from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

Randy currently works as a consultant specializing in organizational change and leadership development. He resides in Scottsdale with his two daughters, Natalia and Mikabella.