Monica Cañez career in public service commenced in 1995 with Pinal County government, and since May 2011, she has been an integral part of the Pinal County Attorney's Office, initially serving as an Administrative Clerk in the Major Offender Bureau. Currently, she excels as the Support Staff Manager, overseeing the secretaries and assistants who support our dedicated prosecutors in the Criminal Division.Monica’s extensive knowledge of office procedures and processing makes her a natural leader with any project or changes within the office. She exemplifies a proactive approach; if a request falls outside her formal duties but aligns with her capabilities, she ensures it is executed efficiently. Monica firmly believes in eliminating unnecessary delays, stating, “If I can do it, there’s no need for it to go in circles.”Her unwavering availability, regardless of day or time, underscores her commitment to providing assistance and guidance to her colleagues. Monica’s professionalism and dedication have made her an invaluable asset to the Pinal County Attorney's.

Lynn Coyer began her career with the City of Phoenix Prosecutor’s Office in 1995. Her commitment to excellence quickly distinguished her as an indispensable leader and visionary in the department. She has advanced through multiple supervisory administrative roles within the Office, beginning as Lead Legal Clerk, progressing to Administrative Assistant I, Diversion Unit Administrator and now serving as the department’s Budget Analyst. Lynn has been instrumental in managing critical functions such as technology transitions, contract administration and budget tracking. Lynn is a mentor and source of inspiration for her colleagues. Her institutional knowledge and collaborative spirit have made her a trusted advisor to both staff and leadership alike. For her exceptional contributions to public service, program innovation, and her passionate commitment to justice and community, Lynn Coyer richly deserves the APAAC Administrative Professional Lifetime Achievement Award.

Anu Gunnala is the Legal Services Manager for the Diversion Strategies Group (DSG) at the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office (MCAO). She is responsible for the daily administrative operations of DSG and ten staff. Throughout her 27 years of experience at MCAO, Anu has exemplified hard work and dedication, managing with patience, respect, and kindness. Anu continues to lead the work in the Check Enforcement Program which for the past two decades has resulted in millions of dollars of restitution being paid to victims of bad check writers. As DSG has grown by adding more diversion programs and processes, Anu has been the consummate professional, team player, and mentor to her staff. As her workload and responsibilities increased, Anu positively rolled with the changes, ensuring that her staff were well trained and DSG operations remained efficient. Anu steps up every day and her work greatly contributes to DSG’s success..

With 30 years of dedicated public service, Christine Kolesar has exemplified the highest standards of professionalism, leadership and commitment to justice. Her career reflects a steady progression of increasing responsibility within the Prosecutor’s Office, where she consistently demonstrates exceptional skills in managing operations, mentoring staff, and ensuring that day-to-day functions run seamlessly. Christine has set a high standard for administrative excellence in the pursuit of justice. Her career embodies the very qualities this honor is meant to recognize, making her truly deserving of this distinguished award.

Kristy joined the Yavapai County Attorney’s Office 18 years ago and has been an integral part of the success of our office for almost two decades. She is a skilled, compassionate, motivated individual, and highly respected by her co-workers. She is the definition of a team player, always willing to lend support to others, and truly cares about the quality of our work, the community we serve, and doing the best she can do every single day. Her dedication to the office and her team members is visible in everything she does. She is a mentor and the go-to person in our office and can be counted on to help anyone, even outside of her own assignment, in all departments. Kristy is an essential part of the Yavapai County Attorney’s Office’s success and is truly deserving of the Administrative Professional Lifetime Achievement Award.

Office Administrator Maride Newhart joined the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) in 2007. During her distinguished career, she has worked in the Criminal Division as a Legal Secretary, Legal Assistant, and Office Administrator in the Drug and Racketeering Enforcement Section (DRG). After working under four Attorneys General, and on many high-profile wiretap cases, Maride is an expert in her profession. She has an excellent knowledge of the criminal justice system, is relied upon for her in-depth proficiency related to filing in-custody cases across the State, and is sought out due to her familiarity of grand jury procedures. Maride is highly respected by her peers and colleagues within the prosecutorial and law enforcement community as well as court staff. Maride is an excellent ambassador for the AGO and her unsurpassed demonstration of competency is highly regarded. The AGO recognizes the incalculable contribution Maride has made to the criminal justice profession in Arizona.

Throughout Angela’s 26 years of service with the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, she has been the constant exemplary professional who epitomizes the words leading by example. She treats everyone with the utmost respect. She is courteous, kind, and caring. Angela is dedicated and passionate about her job, which in turn spreads to the division, creating a positive work environment.Angela wears many hats from training, to mentoring, to coaching and assisting not only the staff but the attorneys throughout the office as well. She is extremely positive and hard-working. Her typical response to any request for assistance is “I sure can.” She graciously steps up and handles any type of overflow of work that the leads and staff would normally handle.

Connie Barnell is the Office Administrator (OA) for the Healthcare Fraud & Abuse Section (HCFA) of the Arizona Attorney General’s Office (AGO). Not only is she responsible for the extensive day-to-day administrative operations of the legal side of HCFA; she also assists the 17 Special Agents assigned to HCFA cases. While Connie has loyally served the AGO for the past 20 years, she has worked in the criminal justice system for 26 years, starting her career at the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office. Connie is a hard worker, whose honesty, integrity and no-nonsense attitude define her approach to all that she does. Connie is a model of what it means to devote a lifetime of public service as an Administrative Professional.

Colleen has been an invaluable asset to the Flagstaff City Attorney's Office, consistently displaying exceptional skills and dedication. In particular, Colleen has made significant contributions in organizing office events, and has been instrumental in helping our team achieve a number of impressive milestones. In 2018, our office went paperless, and when this change took place Colleen was one of the few people that stepped up to assist with entering over 800 cases into our new software program. It wasn’t an easy task, but she finished it flawlessly. Colleen has demonstrated a commitment to excellence in all aspects of her work, consistently going the extra mile to get the job done. She is always prepared to lend a helping hand to co-workers. Further, Colleen sets an excellent example for the other members of our team and is respected by everyone who works with her.

Barbara Jackson has almost 30 years of experience in the prosecution field. She began at the Pima County Attorney's Office, and she joined the Town of Sahuarita as a Criminal Paralegal in 2022. Barbara has an exceptional understanding of criminal law and procedures. She understands the strengths and weaknesses inherent in every misdemeanor case and has become an excellent liaison to victims when answering questions about court, restitution and their rights. Barbara has a servant's heart, volunteering in the community and working to save our community money by finding a less expensive legal research package for the Town, as well as investigating the availability of grants related to victim advocates and body worn-cameras. Barbara has devoted her entire career to helping victims of crime navigate the criminal justice system and worked with many attorneys to hold criminals accountable.

Ashley joined the Yavapai County Attorney’s Office 20 years ago and has been an integral part of the success of the office for nearly two decades. She is a skilled, compassionate, motivated individual, and highly respected by her co-workers. She is the definition of a team player, always willing to lend support to others, and truly cares about the quality of her work, the community she serves, and doing the best she can do every single day. Ashley's dedication to the office and her team members is visible in everything she does. She is a mentor and the go-to person in the office and can be counted on to help anyone, even outside of her own department, including attorneys

Penny Cramer has over 25 years in prosecution offices in the state of Arizona working for both the Yuma and Yavapai County Attorneys’ Offices. She joined the Yavapai County Attorney’s Office over 18 years ago and has been an integral part of the success of our office for nearly two decades. She is a skilled, compassionate, motivated individual, and is highly respected by her co-workers. She is the definition of a team player, always willing to lend support to others, and truly cares about the quality of our work, the people we serve, and doing the best she can do every single day. Her dedication to the office and her team members is visible in everything she does. Penny is an essential part of the Yavapai County Attorney’s Office’s success.

Gilda Martinez is the Office Administrator (OA) for the Fraud & Special Prosecutions Section (FSP) of the Arizona Attorney General’s Office (AGO). Not only is she responsible for the day-to-day operations of FSP, she handles numerous tasks for the entire Criminal Division all while assisting several AAGs and supervising a staff of nine secretaries. Gilda has loyally served the AGO for the past 17 years. She is an expert in her profession. Her title as OA does not convey the reality of the positive impact of the breadth, depth, and value of her contributions to the Criminal Division’s mission. As the FSP OA, Gilda has mentored countless administrative professionals over the years. Those who work with Gilda know her as a hard worker and problem solver. The AGO recognizes the incalculable contributions Gilda has made to the criminal justice profession in Arizona throughout her 17-year career.

Marty Trujillo began her career as an Administrative Professional with the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office in March of 1997. During her twenty-six year (and counting!) career, Marty has served as a Legal Support Supervisor in the Mesa and Downtown trial divisions and in the Grand Jury/Charging Bureau, she has also worked as an assistant to multiple Division Chiefs. Her current role has her managing the staff for the entire Trial Division, which is tremendous considering the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office is the third largest public prosecutorial agency in the nation. Marty is trusted and well-respected. She is an incredibly hard worker whose honesty, integrity, and no-nonsense attitude define her approach to all that she does. She has served under five County Attorney administrations and has always been committed to making the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office the very best it can be. Marty defines what it means to give a lifetime of public service as an Administrative Professional.

Jodi Karlan has kept the Charging Unit running for more than 20 years. During that time, she's become an indispensable part of our office. Ms. Karlan is the one person every employee in the building can go to for help. She's built relationships with our law enforcement partners, the entire defense bar, and our courts. Ms. Karlan has trained hundreds of employees and is lead for more than 20 staff members including those working in Initial Appearances, Victim Notification, Priors Unit, Felony Records, and Arraignments. The best way to sum up what Ms. Karlan means to this office is the question we all think every day: “What in the world are we going to do when Jodi retires?” She touches every single case this office handles, and she has an uncanny ability to recall cases from the past.

Sheetal Kumar has been supporting the work of prosecutors for over 20 years. Ms. Kumar’s unassuming manner belies the intelligence and drive hidden below the surface. Ms. Kumar is always learning and always seeking opportunities for improvement. She currently assists the division chief in supporting the work of six prosecution bureaus. She is responsible for many of the internal processes that have resulted in greater efficiency and information gathering throughout the office. Ms. Kumar is a problem solver and is one of those people who either knows the answer or knows how to get the answer to any question about the organization or its processes. If every other person in the office called out sick one day, Ms. Kumar could singlehandedly keep operations going—she is that good! Ms. Kumar is a consummate professional, dedicated to the mission of our organization.

Signe Lindquist joined the Yavapai County Attorney’s Office in July 2003 as a Legal Clerk and has been an integral part of the success of our office for nearly two decades. She has served in nearly every capacity of our criminal division, including the Charging Unit, the Grand Jury desk, Juvenile Court, Justice Court, and the Felony Trial Unit. In 2017, with the Office’s implementation of an electronic case system, the Central Intake Unit was created. Ms. Lindquist played an integral role in the development of our Central Intake processes. Ms. Lindquist is a skilled, compassionate, and motivated individual. She is highly respected by her co-workers and the definition of a team player, always willing to lend support to others. She is dedicated to the success of the Yavapai County Attorney’s Office.

Lisa Rodriguez has had a distinguished 30-year career as an administrative professional at the Arizona Attorney General’s Office. After starting in the Civil Division, Ms. Rodriguez transferred to the Criminal Division in 1996, where she has been the Office Administrator for the Financial Remedies, Drug and Racketeering Enforcement, and Fraud and Special Prosecution Sections. Assuredly due to her tireless work ethic and high quality work product, Ms. Rodriguez was promoted to Legal Administrator of the entire Criminal Division in 2007. After working under five Attorneys General, and on cases such as Sammy “the Bull” Gravano and the Baptist Foundation of Arizona, Ms. Rodriguez is an expert in her profession. She has mentored countless administrative professionals across the state. Those who work with Rodriguez know she has an unrivaled passion for her profession and her coworkers. The Attorney General’s Office recognizes the incalculable contribution Ms. Rodriguez has made to the criminal justice profession in Arizona.

For more than thirty years, Rita Bobis has served the Phoenix City Prosecutor’s Office with distinction in a Secretary II position as our receptionist and as an exceptional representative of the prosecution community. Rita has always been everything one could ask for in a receptionist. Even more impressive is the way Rita represents our office and our profession. She has always demonstrated the type of ethical and professional standards our community should expect from its public employees. Rita has been an excellent ambassador for the office during her entire career. Rita has been an absolute joy to work with and is universally valued and respected. She has earned her reputation as a fair, open-minded, even-tempered professional who works hard and always treats others with dignity and respect. Prosecution offices need people like Rita.

Brenda Crowther joined the Yavapai County Attorney’s Office over 25 years ago and has been an integral part of the success of the Office for more than two and a half decades. She is extremely knowledgeable, professional, compassionate, and proficient and, thanks to her expertise and mastery of so many issues, is often relied upon for guidance by others. She is respected among all the partners in the criminal justice system in the Verde Valley, whether it be court clerks, judicial assistants, law enforcement personnel, defense attorneys and staff, or records employees. She often knows what to do and whom to talk to when others do not. Her stellar professional demeanor and reliability reflect her career commitment to her work and her passion for her role in ensuring justice to the community and victims. The Yavapai County Attorney’s Office is very fortunate she has chosen to fulfill her career with us.

Administrative Assistant Maria Magana joined the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) in 1997. During her 24-year distinguished career, Maria has worked in the Office of Victim Services (OVS). She has extensive knowledge and experience in crisis intervention and advocacy which lend to her value within OVS and the Criminal Division. She is instrumental in keeping OVS' grant data, assisting Spanish-speaking victims, training and mentoring intern advocates, and providing day-to-day victim services. She has played a major role in many of the programs and projects developed by OVS’ leadership. Maria's institutional knowledge is extensive given her longevity with the office and she is able to see the bigger picture of how issues and problems may affect the office and other Criminal Division sections. AGO recognizes and presents its appreciation for the service and dedication she has given throughout her career.

Jolie Panyon is undeniably deserving of this nomination for her decades of dedication to MCAO, prosecutors across the state, and crime Victims. She is a difference maker, consummate team player, and extraordinarily compassionate. Jolie has been a leader within MCAO for 28 years and is an exceptional supervisor. She leads by example and strives to help those whom she supervises develop into exceptional employees. Her calm demeanor, dedication, and solution-oriented mindset has been invaluable for our office, including during our recent move to a new building and dealing with the impacts of the world pandemic. Jolie ensures her bureau runs smoothly and we can successfully seek justice in the worst-of-the-worst cases. She is acutely aware of secondary trauma impacts and consistently takes steps to support everyone within her bureau. Jolie never hesitates to go the extra mile, with a heart of gold, for any of us, or our Victims.

Lillian Christine (Chris) Hancock personifies the attributes of a deserving APAAC Lifetime Achievement Award recipient. She has worked in the Greenlee County Attorney's Office for twenty (20) years serving in every role from Victim Advocate to Senior Paralegal. Chris manages all our office's grants, supervises our Administrative Professional, trains, and performs all functions of a paralegal for three busy prosecutors. In short, Chris is and has always been a miracle worker. She is the bedrock of our office and one of the chief reasons people love working for the Greenlee County Attorney's Office. There are few coworkers that people stay in contact with their entire career, but Chris has a myriad of loyal friends working all over the State who stay in touch with her and are grateful for her influence in their lives and careers. As Greenlee County Attorney, I can think of no greater gift than starting my term in office with such a wise, talented, and kind Senior Paralegal

Norma Medina started with MCAO in 1990. Her career has included supervisory positions in Check Enforcement, Victim Services, and a long career in the Juvenile Division. Norma joined Juvenile as Legal Support Supervisor at Durango. In 2006, Norma was promoted to Juvenile Division Executive Assistant which is now known as a Legal Management Assistant. Through four Division Chiefs, Norma was a constant. She continued to ensure that the business of the Division was well supported and organized. As an assistant, Norma has a knack of anticipating needs and pointing them out to her supervisor. Norma is the “go to” person for most non-legal questions. She is a team player who is always willing to pitch in and never complains. Norma is a consummate volunteer for numerous charitable events including Drug Free AZ, Friday Night Football, Law Enforcement Torch Runs, Veteran's Day Parade, Suicide Prevention, Shred-a-thons, and Special Olympics fundraisers.

Nancy Pascuzzi has been an integral part of the success of the Yavapai County Attorney's Office for more than 20 years. Nancy currently provides support for four civil attorneys and three criminal felony trial attorneys; and, as such, she has the largest caseload for a litigation specialist. She is also the only litigation specialist assigned to civil and asset forfeitures. Nancy has mastered multitasking and organization. She can anticipate the needs of the case and the attorneys; and, because of this, she is often a sought-after litigation specialist. Every attorney with whom she has worked has verbalized their praise for Nancy and fights to keep her assigned to them. During her tenure Nancy has gained a reputation of being knowledgeable, professional, and proficient in her duties. She is often relied upon for guidance and has a keen eye for detail. Nancy's expertise has made her a vital member of the Office.

After 21 years of service, Sandra Apodaca will soon let loose the reigns as the Executive Secretary at the Casa Grande City Attorney's Office. She played an integral role in the evolution and expansion of the prosecutor's office and gave unwavering support to several prosecutors. The effectiveness of her nurturing leadership has resulted in incredible consistency as her administrative team has had no turnover in more than a decade. Former city prosecutor Kevin White, now an esteemed judge at the Pinal County Superior Court, remembers Ms. Apodaca as a “truly exceptional administrative assistant and an extraordinarily nice person.” Kay Bigelow, former City Attorney for the cities of Casa Grande and Chandler declared her as “one of my best Administrative Assistants throughout my 30+ year career.” And Casa Grande’s current career prosecutor (26 years) Rockne Anderson proclaims Ms. Apodaca to be “the administrative assistant that every prosecutor should wish for.”

Diana Campos was hired in 1995 as a Legal Secretary. Since day one, Diana’s work output was exceptionally high and consistently surpassed all expectations. Her abilities were extremely impressive, and she possessed a capacity to carry out multiple duties and responsibilities with little oversight. Equally important was the pleasant, professional and courteous demeanor she extended to staff, attorneys and others, and as such, she was consistently promoted. In 2013, she was promoted to Administrative Administrative Professional to handle all Administrative Professional duties associated with the Chief Deputy’s caseload and directly assisted the Chief Deputy by handling all administrative responsibilities for the criminal division. She did all of this in the same manner since her first days as a legal secretary – with a true sense of dedicated service to justice, her community, associate employees and self. It is with much enthusiasm that we nominate her for the 2019 Administrative Professional Lifetime Achievement Award.

Sylvia Chappell has served as the primary Administrative Professional with the Yuma City Prosecutor for more than 18 years. Sylvia began her career working as a Administrative Professional with the Yuma County Attorney's Office and has combined experience greatly beyond 18 years and has considerable knowledge and expertise in all aspects of the criminal justice process. Sylvia is a very distinguished Administrative Professional and is highly regarded in the legal community. Sylvia provides services to two prosecuting attorneys as well as being responsible for the daily operations of the prosecutor's office. The office does not employ a victim's assistant. Many tasks and responsibilities concerning interaction with victims, victim notification and reporting requirements are performed by Sylvia. Although the Yuma City Prosecutor's Office may be small in size, this office processes on average more than 4,300 cases per year. Sylvia should be recognized for her length of exemplary service to the Yuma community.

Sheree Hunt has been with the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) since August 2003. Prior to coming to the AGO, she worked in both the Apache County Attorney’s Office and La Paz County Attorney’s Office. Sheree has a combined total of 30 years working in a prosecution office. For the AGO, Sheree has worked in numerous Sections within the Criminal Division, including the Drug & Racketeering Enforcement, Financial Remedies and Fraud & Special Prosecutions. Sheree has an excellent knowledge of the criminal justice system. She is an efficient and professional employee and an asset to the AGO. As retirement is on the horizon for Sheree, the AGO recognizes and presents its appreciation for the service and dedication she has given throughout her career.

Sheila Moeur is a 31 year veteran of the Oro Valley Prosecutor's Office. She has worked her way up and educated herself from Administrative Professional through Paralegal I, Paralegal II and finally, the Senior Paralegal who supervises all legal staff (Criminal and Civil) in the Legal Services Department. As part of her many duties, she is the contact person for all prosecution, forfeiture requests and Risk Management at the Town of Oro Valley.

Robin Traxler began her career in the criminal justice field in 1980 as a dispatcher for the Mohave County Sheriff’s Office. She joined the Mohave County Attorney’s Office in November 1993. Robin is an intricate part of our “business” and is a go-to person for most every process and function of the office. Robin singlehandedly implemented our current case management system back in 2000, and her expertise has allowed us to continue to refine office processes to utilize an approach of easy access electronically to all of our documents, interviews, photos, and more. Robin is our SSO for ACJIS, is our case management administrator, has developed and implemented our office policies and procedures, and is someone who has an insatiable work ethic! Robin’s contributions to the Mohave County Attorney’s Office are immeasurable, and we would be lost without her!

Administrative Professional of the Year

Angie Vera is one of the finest Administrative Professionals in the Pima County Attorney’s Office. It is an honor to nominate her for APAAC’s 2018 Administrative Professional of the Year Award for her outstanding work in the State v. David Watson case and trials. Success in the courtroom is the culmination of hundreds of hours of work, none of which is possible without excellent support staff. Angie is always aware of what her prosecutors need and ensures they have everything to succeed in court. Angie has been with the Pima County Attorney’s Office since 1996. She is a highly valued employee. Angie always knows exactly what to do. She makes her team solid and goes above and beyond what is expected from a secretary. Her secretarial skills, her organization skills, her ability to coordinate witnesses and interviews are unparalleled. Her work is above reproach and is consistently of the highest quality.

Administrative Professional of the Year

Debbie Barnes has been with the Graham County Attorney’s Office for more than 20 years. Debbie started as a secretary and worked her way up to being our office manager. As the office manager, she keeps everything running as smooth as possible, even in the face of having our office flooded due to a horrific storm. She has a great attitude and is always willing to go above and beyond what is required of her, including working after hours. She possesses more knowledge about how to draft a plea agreement and what motions need to be filed than most attorneys. She has the capability of typing up any legal document on a moment’s notice and is exceptionally fast. Not only does Debbie manage our office, she runs our adoption program. We would be completely lost without Debbie. She is the glue that holds our office together.

Administrative Professional of the Year

Misty Price is a consummate professional and the "backbone" of the Gila County Attorney's Office. Misty has been employed with GCAO since 2002, and is currently the Executive Administrative Assistant to the County Attorney. While Misty does an excellent job managing the day-to-day operations of the office, she excels in the courtroom where she takes copious notes during criminal trials. In fact, Misty's notes are so accurate and detailed that prosecutors frequently ask to review them before cross examining defense witnesses. A common practice among DCAs in our office is to ask Misty for a copy of her notes prior to putting the finishing touches on their closing arguments. In 2015, Misty helped get justice in two of the most significant homicide cases in the history of Gila County. In both cases Misty played a significant role in the prosecution and her adept note-taking helped the assigned DCA fashion effective and persuasive closing arguments. Misty is an asset not only to our office and our community, but to the entire criminal justice system.

Administrative Professional of the Year

Throughout her 16 year career, Angela has proven to be a dedicated, professional, and talented member of MCAO’s support staff. During the past year, Angela has had to shepherd several of MCAO’s groups through a complex caseload management software transition and she has taken on new duties within her division to help implement our geographical organization. She supports the functions of the entire division by helping with any and all secretarial tasks particularly when bureaus have to deal with vacancies or unexpected absences. Her dedication to the work and her willingness to take on any tasks that are asked of her has a significant contribution to the successful prosecution and administration of thousands of cases throughout her division and this Office. Her outstanding efforts this year on behalf of Maricopa County warrant recognition as APAAC’s Support Person of the Year.