Build What Doesn’t Exist: Tucson Mayor Regina Romero on Leadership, Redefining Public Safety, and Opening Doors
What happens when you spend years opening doors for other women, and then find yourself being asked to walk through one?
Regina Romero wasn’t planning to become mayor of Tucson. She had spent years organizing women, building community power, and serving on the city council. But when the opportunity came, the people around her kept asking her to step up.
In this episode of Carry As You Climb, Nan Whaley sits down with her friend and fellow mayor Regina Romero, the first woman and first Latina elected to lead Tucson, Arizona.
Raised in a family of Mexican immigrants, Regina worked in the fields as a teenager and decided early on to go to college. Years later, she helped establish Las Adelitas, an organization dedicated to bringing more Latinas into public office. That commitment to creating opportunities for others has shaped how she leads.
From rethinking public safety and addressing homelessness to building economic opportunity and navigating the challenges of being the first, Regina shares what it takes to make lasting change in local government.
This conversation is about building what doesn’t exist, staying in the work long enough to see change happen, and making sure you’re not the last woman through the door.
Conversation Highlights:
- Build the bench before you’re asked to lead: How Regina’s early organizing with Las Adelitas helped prepare women for public office, including herself.
- Put the right work in the right hands: Why Tucson is rethinking which emergencies require a police officer and where clinicians, care coordinators, and other professionals can better serve residents.
- Playing the long game: What Regina learned about the time it takes to turn ideas into lasting programs, from economic development to housing and homelessness.
- Be the first, but not the last: How Regina navigates unequal treatment, finds strength in mentorship, and works to make leadership more accessible to the women coming behind her.
Resources Mentioned:
- Las Adelitas Arizona
- Center for Biological Diversity
- City of Tucson Community Safety, Health & Wellness Program
- City of Tucson Housing First Program
- Public Rights Project
- United Farm Workers
- Dolores Huerta Foundation
- Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
- Bridgerton (Netflix)
About Our Guest: Regina Romero is the Mayor of Tucson, Arizona, and the first Latina elected to lead the city. First elected in 2019 and reelected in 2023, she previously served 12 years on the Tucson City Council. Raised in Somerton, Arizona, in a family of Mexican immigrants, Romero was the first in her family to graduate from college. She helped found Las Adelitas Arizona to expand opportunities for Latinas in public life. Her work as mayor focuses on community safety, housing, climate resilience, economic opportunity, and supporting working families.
About the Host: Nan Whaley is a longtime community leader and public servant. She's currently the CEO of Planned Parenthood of Southwest Ohio. She served as Mayor of Dayton, Ohio, from 2014 - 2022. Nan has also presided over the United Conference of Mayors. She's a feminist, daughter, aunt, sister, and friend.
About the Show: Carry As You Climb elevates the voices of women in leadership from Ohio and across the United States. The podcast features guests who not only bust through doors to lead but also hold the door open for more women behind them. In other words, they carry as they climb. We focus on leadership development and leadership lessons. Plus, we share personal experiences to inspire the inclusion of more diverse leaders in business, government, and the nonprofit sector.
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Stay up to date with Nan's Substack: substack.com/@nanwhaley
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Produced by: Collective Change Communications - Kelly Sakalas & Jeni Keeler
Note: The opinions expressed by host Nan Whaley on this podcast are hers alone and do not represent any organization with which she is affiliated.