In 1956 Dwight D. Eisenhower established the "Sister Cities Program" to promote greater understanding and peace among citizens throughout the world. Tucson embraced this vision and has adopted formal relations with communities in Hungary, Kazakhstan, Spain, Ireland, Greece and Mexico.
The Tucson-Mexico Sister Cities Committee has enjoyed a very special relationship with Guadalajara, Jalisco since 1972, Ciudad Obregón, Sonora since 1980 and now Mazatlan, Sinaloa.
"Increased collaboration with our friends in Mexico presents outstanding opportunities for our cities. Our shared interests are the foundation of our strong relationship."
- Mayor Bob Walkup, City Of Tucson
|
Claisalia Robertson - President Claisalia Robertson is a " Pata Salada " native of Mazatlán, Sinaloa, and earned Bachelor and Master degrees in Education. She attended the Superior Pedagogy School in Nayarit. Even at a young age, Robertson was disturbed by the poverty of the pupils she taught; although they were only in first grade they had to work in order to eat. Claisalia is a single mother of three girls and grandma of six. Her jobs after being a teacher for 15 years are related to social work, business management of artists such as Ana Gabriel, Music Director Enrique Patron de Rueda and vote coordinator of many political campaigns in her state of Sinaloa. Claisalia has been working for the Mexican Consulate for the past 15 years. This year she became a U.S. Citizen and is very proud of her two nationalities. She has served as counselor for many organizations throughout Tucson, such as the Club de Oriundos de Santa Ana, Club de Oriundos Sonora, Club Sinaloenses en Arizona, Fundacion Mexico Events Coordinator, and the Tucson Mexico Sisters Cities Mazatlán. |
|
Donna Whitman - Vice-President Donna Whitman is a native Tucsonan. She graduated from the University of Arizona earning a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Romance Languages. Having immigrated to Mexico in 1971, she had two children, Alejandro and Arturo Alcantara. As Director of Interpreter Service with Arizona Superior Court in Pima County, she worked for 32 years coordinating languages services for the court system in Tucson. She also worked as an interpreter practitioner, which was her first love professionally. She is federally certified by the Administrative Offices of the United States District Courts. Donna also teaches interpretation and translation at the University of Arizona as adjunct faculty. In her spare time, Donna works as a free-lance interpreter specializing in forensic evaluations and loves to travel with her husband. |
|
Amy Lopez - Recording Secretary Amy Lopez is a Phoenix, Arizona and moved to Tucson, AZ when she was six years old. She is a public relations manager employed by Southwest Ambulance. She has been a member of the TMSC for four years and has been involved in various other non-profit organizations throughout Tucson. She has participated in various TMSC activities and trips to Guadalajara and Ciudad Obregon. The activities and trips have demonstrated to her the strong ties that have been built and the importance of maintaining those ties with our sister cities. She is married and has two beautiful children, Isabella 14 years old and Carlos 12 years old. |
|
Gloria Corral - Corresponding Secretary Gloria Corral is a familiar sight at Tucson’s Fred G. Acosta Job Corps where she has worked for 29 years. She has developed her cultural and culinary heritage and is very proud of her up bring in Tucson. Gloria came to the United States when she was 1 month old and has lived in Tucson ever since. Gloria has been very active in community service and serves in El Centro Cultural, TMSC and Los Descendientes del Presidio de Tucson. She is also involved in assisting Las Doñas de Tucson and is one of right-hand women for Doña Cele Peterson. She is also a board member of the International Mariachi Conference. She and her husband have 5 children, 10 grandchildren and one great-grandchild. |
|
Enna Cassler - Treasurer Enna Cassler is part owner of Cassler Accounting Service and Makoti Realty, LLC. She is a native of Panama and earned a degree in Business. While in Tucson, she attended the University of Arizona taking business administration and accounting courses. She has served as Treasurer in many organizations throughout Tucson, such as the League of Mexican American Women, Los Descendientes del Presidio del Tucson, and Community Outreach Committees to mention of few. She has served as special and social events coordinator, fund raising and nominating committees. She is currently the TMSC Treasurer and is active in all TMSC activities. Enna and her husband, Ken, have three grown university-graduate children and have called Tucson their home for 41 years. |
|
Alejandra M. Dreisbach - Guadalajara Liaison  Alejandra has more than eighteen years of leadership experience in healthcare organizations, both in the US and Mexico. She has published in topics of healthcare finance and administration in textbooks and other publications and has presented at international and national conferences. Ms. Dreisbach has held faculty positions at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey and in universities in Mexico. Previously to her work in the healthcare industry, Ms. Dreisbach spent four years in Saudi Arabia working for the Ministry of Science and Technology as a program manager. Here in Tucson, at TMC HealthCare, she was the CEO of TMC de Mexico becoming a leader in the Hispanic market in Arizona and northern Mexico. Ms. Dreisbach has been a member of nonprofit organizations dedicated to improving healthcare in both sides of the US-Mexico border and has developed key prevention and cooperation programs with the Cruz Roja de Guadalajara and the American Cancer Society. Among her recognitions, in 2004 she received the Bienvenidos and Excellence in Service award from the Tucson City Government. In 2007, she was named one of Tucson’s Ten Women of Influence by the Tucson Inside Business newspaper. |
|
Janina Latack-Board Member Janina Latack is a Counselor and Faculty member at Pima Community College. She earned her PhD in Organizational Behavior from Michigan State University. Her career experience includes 13 years as a faculty member in Human Resources at Ohio State University and 5 years as adjunct faculty at University of Arizona. She has been a Tucson resident for over 15 years. Along with TMSC, Janina’s community interests include tutoring for Literacy Volunteers of Tucson and studying Spanish. She has traveled to Guadalajara to complete a Spanish immersion course, has completed Spanish courses at Pima Community College and is a member of a weekly Spanish conversation group. She has one son who is an attorney with a sports and entertainment agency in New York City. |
|
Norma Pernisco - Special Events Chair Norma Pernisco is originally from Honduras, Central America, daughter of an author and journalist. Her father wan an entrepreneur. She came to the United States in 1966 to attend school and got married and has to beautiful daughters, Vanessa 29 and Natalie 28 years old. She was an entrepreneur for many years and worked for the University of Arizona in the Athletic Department, until her retirement. She has been a member of the TMSC for 10 years and hopefully for many more. |
|
Marilyn Civer - Membership Co-Chair Marilyn Civer is a native Arizonan and was born and raised in Douglas, Arizona. Marilyn is a graduate of Arizona State University and did graduate work in Public Health at the University of Arizona. She considers growing up in a border culture, a great gift. Currently, Marilyn is a Realtor with Long Realty and is a Certified International Specialist and has a Transnational Certification in Real Estate for Mexico. She is a former Sales Manager and Trainer for Long Realty. Marilyn was involved in the Kazakhstan Sister Cities program for three years where she assisted with event planning and fund raising. Prior to her career in Real Estate, Marilyn worked in Health Promotion and Wellness for 25 years. As a Health Education Program Manager for Worksite Wellness for Intergroup, she taught and coordinated wellness programs for 100 Tucson Companies. Prior to that time she served on the Public Health Committee of the Arizona Mexico Commission and organized the first Substance Abuse Prevention Conference between the United States and Mexico in the city of Hermosillo, Sonora. Marilyn received the L.U.L.A.C, FBI Community Service Award for organizing health screening at the El Pueblo clinic for three years. Marilyn taught a number of personal development and business related courses for the U. of A. Extended University for seven years. Marilyn loves Mexico, has traveled extensively, speaks Spanish and plans on retiring to Mazatlan, Sinaloa. Marilyn has three grown children and six grandchildren. Her youngest grandson was adopted from Guatemala. |
|
Dr. Ricardo Castro-Salazar - Board Member Dr. Ricardo Castro Salazar has an international trajectory as an educator. He started his educational vocation as a middle and high school teacher in Mexico. Later, he continued in higher education at Pima Community College District (PCC) in Tucson, Arizona. At PCC, he has worked as a Coordinator in the Office of International Projects, a Faculty Member in International Business Studies, as Business Department Chair, Executive Assistant to the Chancellor, Division Dean, and is now a History and Political Science Professor, as well as a Research Associate for the Center for Latin American Studies at the University of Arizona. Dr. Castro has traveled extensively throughout the world and has lived, worked and studied in different countries, including Mexico, Holland, Brazil, China and the United Kingdom. He graduated from the Technological Institute of Sonora (ITSON) with a Bachelor’s in Business Management. He holds masters’ degrees from universities in the US, the Netherlands, and Mexico with specialties in Latin American Studies, International Relations, and Educative Innovations respectively. He also has a doctoral degree in Education with a focus on Intercultural Studies from Durham University, England. |
