MEET THE TEAM
Jen Marson
Executive Director
Jen Marson is AACo’s Executive Director. She manages the daily operations of the Association and the Government Services Foundation, directs the state and federal government affairs program and cultivates new business and membership opportunities. She also serves as the primary liaison to the National Association of Counties, other state associations, and coordinates the Association’s educational outreach programs.
Jen’s research and advocacy areas of expertise include property taxes, elections, public records, criminal justice, law enforcement, justice and superior courts, and education. Jen has been with AACo since 2002 when she started as the legislative intern. Since then, she has worn nearly every hat in the Association before being selected as Executive Director in 2013. Jen received the “Friend of Education “award in 2011, the “Affiliate Champion Award” in 2022 and has been a Certified Election Officer since 2007. Since 2017 she has been consistently nominated by the capitol community for her work at the Legislature, most recently winning “Best Government Lobbyist” in 2022 and 2023.
She serves on several boards and committees including: the Academic Advisory Board for ASU’s School of Public Affairs, the Audit Committee for the National Sheriffs Association, and the Membership Committee of the National Association of Counties.
Jen is a yoga enthusiast and native of Arizona. She received both a Bachelor of Arts and a Master’s degree in Communication Studies from Arizona State University with an emphasis in rhetoric and advocacy.
Megan Kintner
Sr. Legislative Associate
Megan serves as a liaison between county governments and the variety of different agencies with which they interact including the Arizona Legislature, state executive agencies, Congress, and other agencies and offices of the federal government.
Prior to joining AACo in 2014 Megan was with the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT), where she was a member of the Government Relations and Policy Development team. Megan began her 4-year tenure at ADOT in the Communication Division, where she served as a Public Affairs Manager throughout Mohave, La Paz, Yuma, and Yavapai counties. Prior to joining ADOT, Megan was a staff member on a successful Arizona Gubernatorial campaign and an Oklahoma United States Senatorial campaign. Megan has served at the state capitol in several capacities; first as a legislative attaché in the House of Representatives during college and later as a legislative associate at a local lobbying firm.
Megan holds a Bachelor of Political Science from Arizona State University and a Masters of Public Administration from Grand Canyon University.
Gideon Wagner
Finance & Event Manager
As AACo’s Finance & Event Manager Gideon is responsible for performing a number of mission-critical tasks on behalf of the Association and its membership. He is primarily responsible for the administrative functions of the office including maintaining financial operations, membership databases and conference coordination. He is responsible for developing all content for external publication tools including the association’s website, newsletters and annual publications. Gideon also coordinates the production of several promotional materials for the Association, its conferences, training, research products, program reports, and special events.
Citlali Chimal
Legislative Liaison
Citlali Chimal is AACo’s Legislative Liaison. In her role, she works to represent Arizona’s 15 counties and identifies the fiscal and policy impacts of impending legislation. In representing the counties, Citlali acts as the liaison between AACo and other agencies as she communicates AACo’s viewpoints at the Arizona Legislature, to state agencies, and other offices.
Prior to working at AACo, Citlali interned at the Arizona State Senate during the 56th Legislative session. At the Senate, she was responsible for conducting thorough research, reaching out to stakeholders, and creating and presenting policy analyses to the members. Citlali is an Arizona native and enjoys traveling, hiking, and exploring new coffee shops on the weekends.
Citlali received her Associates of Arts and General Sciences degrees from Rio Salado College at the time of her high school graduation. She is currently working towards her Bachelors of Arts degrees in Law and Political Science from the University of Arizona. She is on track to graduate with her B.A.’s in Law and Political Science in December 2023 and her Master’s degree in Legal studies in May 2024.
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