Mary Vanis, Ed.D   President of the Santa Cruz Valley Citizens Council -SCVCC 

Interview  October, 2024

Mary Vanis is off to a great start as she leads the most important public watchdog group in our county, the Santa Cruz Valley Citizens Counsel. The SCVCC has protected our community in the past from many infringements that would have been very detrimental for our Community.   She has already shown her signature spunk & grace under pressure and has won our confidence in her leadership abilities. Godspeed Mary !

Interview  October, 2024

1.   You were raised on a farm in Nebraska. Now, many productive years later, you are here in Tubac as the President of the Santa Cruz Valley Citizens Council. Can you tell us a little about how this journey happened?

For those of us born and raised in Nebraska, there is a saying about “the good life”.  Living in rural America is not always the easiest of lives but it is a very rewarding one.  We grow up respecting our communities, work hard and know that we must all persevere to ensure that our quality of life continues.  Completing our education was part of that.  I completed my undergraduate and master’s degree at the University of Nebraska then eventually moved to Arizona which is where the bulk of my professional life has been.  I’ve been very fortunate that life has treated me well in Arizona which then means that as Homero and I decided to make our retirement home in Tubac I hoped to have time to share some of what I learned about “the good life” with the community.  I’m now President of the Santa Cruz Valley Citizens Council, honored to have the support of the members and feel we are off to a good start.

2.   What is the most significant event in your life?

There was an important convergence of events that all seemed to triangulate in my life which I have always felt set me on my next, and most important path in life.  I was completing my dissertation for my doctoral studies at Northern Arizona University while working full time; my mother passed away the spring before I hoped to complete my studies and graduate; and I met and fell in love with my husband, Homero, while I navigated life.  My mother was an incredible strength to me, teaching me the value of perseverance when life gets challenging.  With Homero, I learned to lean on someone who loved me during the difficult times and to celebrate when times are good. All of that gave me the strength to complete my education and pursue my career.  My mother was “the winds beneath my wings” getting me to pursue my education and career, Homero has continued to be the wind that continues to make the difference in my life.

3.   What inspired you to get your Doctorate in Education and what did your career look like after that accomplishment,  Challenges and accomplishments?

In the 1980’s I had the good fortune to get a job and begin my 30 plus year long career with the Maricopa Community Colleges, one of the fastest growing systems in the country and one of the best.  While my many Maricopa positions provided the opportunity to work in higher education and in the community, it also provided many opportunities for me professionally.  I also knew it would be important to pursue my doctorate if I wanted to advance my career. While pursuing a doctorate is not for the faint of heart, I knew I had to chart out how and where I would do this and continue to work full time.  It was a significant time when I had to draw on my inner strength and persevere.  I was fortunate to receive two grants and assistance from the colleges involved in my research to complete my studies.  The faculty and colleges involved continued long after the project was completed to use the research to design new curriculum and work differently given their new knowledge.  

The success of my research and its application provided new opportunities in academic administration and as a president in the Arizona community colleges.  This success also led me to work with the national accreditation body for higher education, based in Chicago. I had the privilege of traveling to over 19 states during that time to work with various academic institutions and to many of the tribal colleges.

Most of those opportunities I would not have been eligible for had it not been for the pursuit of my Doctorate.

4.  How did you get to be a Tubac resident, and what do you enjoy the most in life in this beautiful valley?  Anything you sorely miss where you lived prior?

Homero and I were initially looking for a vacation home away from Phoenix where we worked.  While we pursued Northern Arizona it wasn’t the right fit.  I had lived in Tucson earlier in life and had always enjoyed coming down to Nogales and visiting the area.  In 2005, we booked a long weekend at the Tubac Golf Resort, and we just kept coming back and eventually bought our home in the Cielito Lindo neighborhood.  Around 2018 as I was planning retirement, we began to look for a larger home and now live in the Cerro Pelon neighborhood.  

I enjoy the quiet, the beautiful and diverse environment and the solitude.  I enjoy the diversity of the people I meet and their intellect.  We are a very fortunate community!

While they say you “can never go back” I wouldn’t mind occasionally going back to a Nebraska football game, Go Big Red!

5.   The Santa Cruz Valley Citizens Council is in its 40th year.  As the new President can you tell me the value of the Citizen's Council to Tubac, and what have been its accomplishments, and what are its challenges? 

The value of the Citizens Council to our communities continues to be embedded in our mission, and it is still to inform and educate our community on local and regional issues affecting our communities from Amado to Tumacácori.  Overall, the SCVCC has a history of being a watchdog organization that relies on the diligence of its Board of Directors and District Representatives as well as the collective help of community members to ensure that Tubac remains the type of community we want it to be.   As members of the Board, we work hard to identify those issues, monitor them and gather information, then determine when it’s the appropriate time to take any action with the support of our community. 

Rarely is a community fortunate enough to only have one issue to worry about.  Tubac and its surrounding communities currently face significant issues. These include the impact of South 32 and its mining pursuits, preserving our waterway and protecting the Santa Cruz River, and working with the County to identify strategies to address issues with our sewer, roads and technology given the financial crisis of Santa Cruz County.

These issues require our community to exercise their VOICE and pursue avenues to protect our community.  2024 is an important election year.  One of the most important things any American does is VOTE!  Voting has the most direct impact for both who is in office and what legislation is passed.  Remember to take your neighbor with you to vote

7.   What can people do to preserve the unique village character of Tubac? 

While the Santa Cruz County Comprehensive Area Plan covers the whole county, the section that discusses the Northwest Area character captured the complexity of our community.  The Plan referenced that people choose to live in Tubac for many reasons such as a serene rural lifestyle with deep cultural, artistic and historical roots.   Most seek to escape intense residential/cultural development, urban sprawl, and traffic congestion.  Tubac provides a welcoming social environment, well-educated and active citizens, and a wide array of organizations and opportunities to be involved in their areas of interest.  People explore nature, physical well-being, social, and intellectual pursuits.   I believe Tubac residents seek to preserve its unique character and will participate in activities to do so.  

I encourage residents to support  SCVCC as we collectively protect our Village and Regional Character.  The SCVCC is committed to guiding Tubac’s future by examining all pertinent matters as the community is guided by our mission: “The Santa Cruz Valley Citizens Council is a nonprofit organization whose purposes are to inform and educate its members as to local and regional issues affecting the community interests of its members and to advocate for the views of the members regarding such issues.”