Introducing Our Staff

• Pete Kushibab, General Counsel
• Ingrid Austin, Administrative Assistant
• Susan Chiara, Administrative Assistant
• Diana Davidson, Assistant to General Counsel
• Richard Galván, Assistant General Counsel
• Sheri Klein, Administrative Assistant
• Margaret McConnell, Assistant General Counsel
• Sarah Meland, Risk Analyst
• Teresa Toney, Manager, Maricopa Governance
• Ruth Unks, Risk Manager
• Janice Bradshaw, retired General Counsel 1974-1999

Pete Kushibab

As general counsel, Pete Kushibab has overall responsibility for supervising the legal services supplied to the District, with primary service counseling the governing board in its activities and providing legal advice to the chancellor and other executives of the Maricopa Community Colleges.

Pete joined the Legal Services Department in August 1995 as Assistant General Counsel specializing in employment law. His areas of expertise are administrative, employment and education law.

Before joining the District, Pete worked in the civil division of the Arizona Attorney General's Office for eight years; before that, he was a Maricopa County deputy public defender for four years.

A native of Phoenix, Pete earned both his Bachelor's and Doctor's of Jurisprudence from Arizona State University.

Direct Line: 480.731.8878
E-mail: pete.kushibab@domail.maricopa.edu
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Ingrid Austin

Ingrid joined the Legal Services Department in 2007, previously working for one of the Maricopa colleges since 2004.  She has spent the past 9 years working in higher education, including at Arizona State University and the University of Phoenix in the area of student services.

Ingrid’s primary responsibility is to provide administrative support to Maggie McConnell. She is responsible for processing over 2,000 contracts and agreements per year including intergovernmental agreements, clinical agreements, leases, and dual enrollment.

Ingrid has a Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies with an emphasis in Education Technology / Communication from Arizona State University, as well as a Masters of Education in Educational Leadership from Northern Arizona University.

Direct Line: 480.731.8881
E-mail: ingrid.austin@domail.maricopa.edu
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Susan Chiara

Susan Chiara has been an employee of the District Office for 15 years. Her previous experiences include working with Think Tank and the National Center for Teacher Education.

Susan's primary responsibilities in the Legal Services Department will be to assist Ruth Unks with Risk Management programs, including the Maricopa Integrated Risk Assessment (MIRA) project, insurance certificates, claims administration, and insurance policy administration.

A native of Wisconsin, Susan earned her Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education from Lakeland College.

Direct Line: 480.731.8157
E-mail: susan.chiara@domail.maricopa.edu
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Diana Davidson

Diana Davidson has been with the Legal Services Department since 1989, serving as Assistant to the General Counsel and the Risk Manager.

Her responsibilities include a broad range of legal assisting to the General Counsel, maintenance of budget and office management systems, scheduling, and document drafting.

An Ohio native, Diana attended North Harris College in Texas and Scottsdale Community College in Arizona.

Direct Line: 480.731.8877
E-mail: diana.davidson@domail.maricopa.edu
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Richard Galván

Richard Galván joins the MCCCD Legal Staff with more than 33 years of legal experience.  He specializes in employment and civil rights law.

His legal career began as an attorney with Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in Washington, D.C.  Later, he became the District Counsel for the Phoenix District Office of the EEOC.  He then spent the next 29 years in private practice in Phoenix where his practice focused primarily on employment law.

A Vietnam War Veteran, he received his undergraduate degree in economics from Utica College of Syracuse University and his law degree from Georgetown University Law Center.

Direct Line: 480.731.8875
E-mail: richard.galvan@domail.maricopa.edu
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Sheri Klein

COMING SOON!

Direct Line: 480.731.8876
E-mail: sheri.klein@domail.maricopa.edu
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Margaret McConnell

Maggie McConnell, who joined the MCCCD Legal Services Department in September 1997, specializes in construction and contract law. She is responsible for reviewing and signing all contracts, intergovernmental agreements, and clinical agreements for the Maricopa Community Colleges.

After working as a partner at the Phoenix law firm of Lewis and Roca, she left to become State Procurement Administrator for the State of Arizona. More recently, Maggie consulted with public entities, public and private lawyers, and vendors on policy and legal issues relating to state and local government procurement.

She is an active member of the Public Contract Law Section of the American Bar Association and in 1996 received its Distinguished Service Award.

A native of Tucson, Maggie received both her undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Arizona.

Direct Line: 480.731.8888
E-mail: margaret.mcconnell@domail.maricopa.edu
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Sarah Meland

Sarah Meland joined the Legal Department in December 2006. As Risk Analyst, Sarah is responsible for the review and processing of claims, research, trend reporting, and assisting with the development of risk control policy and training materials/procedures.

Prior to joining the Legal Department, Sarah worked at the District Office for nearly two years in the Arizona Small Business Development Center Network as Project Manager.

Orginally from Minneapolis, Sarah earned her Bachelor's Degree at the University of Minnesota. Her past experience includes Section 8 housing management, consulting for insurance receiverships, document management, and extensive world travel in various consulting capacities.

Direct Line: 480.731.8698
E-mail: sarah.meland@domail.maricopa.edu
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Teresa Toney

As Manager of Maricopa Governance/Ombuds Services, Teresa plans, evaluates and administers the overall evaluation of Maricopa's Governance system. This includes analyzing and transferring former Governing Board policies into administrative regulations, as well as coordinating annual monitoring reports of the Governing Board's Goals.

In the area of Ombuds Services, Teresa serves as a liaison for members of the external community who wish to address disputes and concerns regarding the Maricopa County Community College District.

Teresa joined the Legal Services Department in 1990 and previously served as EEO/AA Manager. She received a Bachelors of Science degree in marketing and Masters of Public Administration from Arizona State University.

Direct Line: 480.731.8880
E-mail: teresa.toney@domail.maricopa.edu
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Ruth Unks

As Risk Manager, Ruth is responsible for the administration of the District's risk management program. She is a resource to the District on insurance coverages, risk-control programs, and insurance language for contracts. Ruth recently accepted the assignment of project leader for the Maricopa Integrated Risk Assessment (MIRA), an enterprise risk management project championed by the District's Chancellor.

Before joining the District, Ruth was executive director of the Valley Schools Insurance Trust and the Valley Schools Workers' Compensation Pool. Ruth was also Risk Manager for the City of Tempe and the City of Coconut Creek, Florida.

Ruth has earned the Associate in Risk Management ("ARM") designation. She has a Master of Arts degree in Organizational Management from the University of Phoenix and a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Eastern Michigan University. Ruth is currently serving as national Past President for the Public Risk Management Association ("PRIMA").

Direct Line: 480.731.8879
E-mail: ruth.unks@domail.maricopa.edu
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