Marcelino Quinonez has a passion for education and community service that fuels one of the most unique and compelling profiles to Arizona politics. A resident of District 27 (an area that includes South Mountain, Guadalupe, and parts of the Gila Indian Reservation) for more than 16 years, Quinonez is campaigning to represent the district in the Arizona House of Representatives. A committed leader, experienced educator and dedicated father, Quinonez strives to apply his energy, myriad accomplishments and powerful insights to improve the lives of Arizonans from all walks of life.
Marcelino Quinonez' family can trace its roots to Durango, Mexico. His is the quintessential American story- a proud heritage with strong family values, a tireless work ethic, and the conviction that a man's character is defined by how much he betters the lives of those around him. The proud father of five-year-old Mia Amor Quinonez, he combines his diverse background in education, public service, and grassroots community outreach to form indissoluble ties with family, colleagues, and supporters.
After earning his Bachelor of Arts in Theatre from Arizona State University, Quinonez worked as a high school English and drama teacher at Espiritu NFL YET Charter school in south Phoenix from 2007- 2011. During his time as an educator, set goals and advanced strategic efforts to achieve them. Among them, Quinonez led 78% of his final sophomore class pass the AIMS Reading and Writing Exam, and unprecedented accomplishment. Inspired by progress, he was elected to the Roosevelt School District Governing Board in 2012. Roosevelt serves 10,000 students at 19 different sites, and has allowed Quinonez to engage and partner with teachers, parents, and school staff from a wide cross-section of populations and communities. In addition to his work as an educator, he proudly contributed to multiple community art initiatives.
For his hard work, creativity and dedication, Quinonez received the 2013 Cox Communication Hispanic Heritage Award; the 2008 '40 Hispanic Leaders under 40 Award' from Univision Radio and the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce; and The Phoenix New Times' Big Brain Award. Based on these accomplishments, Quinonez was selected to appear on the cover of TIME Magazine (March 5, 2012) for a special issue dedicated to the importance of the Latino vote during the general Presidential election.
A firm believer in the value the arts hold in building stronger communities and schools, Quinonez also serves as the Director of Programs and Development for the Arizona Latino Arts and Cultural Center (ALAC) in downtown Phoenix. Under his leadership, ALAC's First Friday Celebrations have become a community point of pride, free weekly drawing classes for local children have been implemented, and countless theatre and dance performances have been produced as part of the performance season. ALAC currently operates a $248,000 annual budget comprised of government grants, arts organization grants, ALAC Memberships and retail revenue from La Tiendita - funding diversity that reflects Quinonez' demonstrated success in forging public and private partnerships to generate effective community advancement.
Quinonez is set to obtain his Master of Fine Arts in Theatre Performance from Arizona State University in 2014.
As a State Representative from District 27, Quinonez' priorities will be to promote early childhood education; prepare all Arizona students to successfully complete college degree and career development programs; advocate for the needs of the disabled and their independence; and create an economic environment that allows mutually beneficial positive business/community partnerships to thrive. He will work diligently to give the diverse residents of District 27 a voice in the Arizona Legislature and to represent their interests with wisdom, dignity and compassion. |