Political Quotes

“Today, I rise to honor the life and legacy of a great Phoenician, Frank Barrios. Frank was a giant among us, a champion for the Latino community, a renowned conservationist, and a historian who preserved the legacy of generations gone by. A second-generation Arizonan, Frank spent his career working to preserve our most precious resource, water. As a young hydrologist, he worked for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and later the Arizona Department of Water Resources. He played pivotal roles during key moments in Arizona's water history, from planning the Central Arizona Project to groundwater management. Even after retirement, Frank found many ways to serve. He was appointed by Governor Janet Napolitano to the Central Arizona Water Conservation District Board of Directors, where he served with distinction, ensuring that even amidst the State's rapid growth, our water resources were well managed. A man of deep faith, he spent his later years caring for our most vulnerable neighbors as president of the enormously impactful St. Vincent de Paul Society. Frank knew the healing power of St. Vincent de Paul. His deep love for Phoenix was obvious to anyone who had the good fortune of crossing paths with him, particularly through his work chronicling and preserving the rich Mexican-American history in the valley. He fought to restore the historically Latino Sotelo-Heard Cemetery in south Phoenix, after years of neglect, to honor those who found eternal rest there.…”