Pima County’s Office of Community and Workforce Development is one of the region’s most ambitious, human‑centered engines for economic mobility, housing stability, and opportunity. At its helm is Director Dan Sullivan, a lifelong Tucsonan whose personal history is woven tightly into the fabric of the county he now serves. Director Sullivan’s father not only worked for the county, but the Sullivan Jackson Employment Center, is named after him.

Sullivan’s own path to leadership was shaped by journalism, political work, and years advocating for trade unions before joining Pima County nearly a decade ago. His tenure has spanned homeless services, workforce development, and dislocated worker programs, culminating in more than five years as director. Under his leadership, the department has grown into a broad, interconnected network of programs that touch tens of thousands of residents each year—from the Kino One Stop and youth workforce initiatives to rent and utility assistance, home repair, weatherization, and the nationally recognized Emergency and Eviction Legal Services (EELS) program.

The department’s mission, as Sullivan puts it, is prosperity. “It is our mission to bring prosperity to this community”. That mission is reflected in CWD’s innovative navigator model that ensures “there’s no wrong door” for residents seeking help, and its commitment to meeting people where they are—literally and figuratively—during some of the hardest moments of their lives.

Youth services have become a cornerstone of this work. The Pima County Youth Center now sees roughly 6,000 young people annually, offering a trauma‑informed, welcoming environment where teens and young adults can pursue GEDs, pre‑apprenticeships, and career pathways that lead not just to jobs but to long‑term stability. Early childhood education has also emerged as a defining priority, with the PEEPs program reducing barriers to high‑quality preschool and laying the foundation for lifelong success.

Across all these efforts, Sullivan’s leadership philosophy is unmistakable: honor the people doing the work. Sullivan emphasized that his role is to empower staff, nurture internal talent, and foster a culture grounded in “heart and urgency”.

Pima County’s commitment to digital equity has accelerated dramatically in recent years, and at the center of that effort is Michelle Simon, Director of the Office of Digital Inclusion. With 15 years of service to the county and a professional background spanning workforce development, nonprofit administration, public administration, and even network and database administration, Simon brings both technical expertise and deep community experience to the role. As she explains, her journey began in the public library system, where she taught residents how to use computers—“It’s funny how life comes full circle”. That early work eventually helped lay the foundation for the county’s digital inclusion strategy and the creation of the office in 2023.

The Office of Digital Inclusion was formed to ensure that every resident has access to high‑speed, affordable internet, the devices needed to get online, and the skills to use technology safely. Simon describes the mission succinctly: the office “is the driver of the strategic efforts behind making sure that all of the county residents have access to high speed affordable internet, devices… and that they understand how to use it safely”. This work is tightly connected to Pima County’s broader economic development and prosperity initiatives, recognizing that digital access is now essential infrastructure.

A major component of this effort is the Middle Mile project, funded through the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Pima County secured a $30.3 million grant to build a 134‑mile fiber‑optic ring that will serve as the backbone for future broadband expansion. The route spans every municipality in the county and reaches into rural and remote areas where private providers have historically been unwilling to build. Simon emphasizes that the Middle Mile “is the backbone… that connects the Internet to an Internet service provider so they can reach people’s homes”.

The county’s digital inclusion strategy also includes Connect Pima, a comprehensive plan developed with community input, and a network of more than 120 public Wi‑Fi hotspots installed after residents were forced to access library parking lots during COVID‑19 closures—“people were attempting to use the internet in our parking lot”. Digital navigators further support residents through one‑on‑one assistance, warm handoffs to other county services, and personalized help with devices and digital literacy.

These efforts have earned national recognition. The National Digital Inclusion Alliance named Pima County a Visionary Digital Inclusion Trailblazer in both 2024 and 2025. As Simon notes, Pima County is the first county in Arizona with a dedicated digital inclusion office and among the first with its own digital equity plan.

In southern Arizona, the shift into heat season is unmistakable. Mornings warm-up earlier, evenings cool down more slowly, and the desert sun begins its months‑long climb toward triple‑digit temperatures. For Pima County, this isn’t just a change in weather—it marks the start of one of our most challenging public‑health periods. This episode of Inside Pima County focuses on how we prepare for that challenge and how residents can protect themselves as the hottest months arrive.

Supervisor Rex Scott is joined by Dr. Theresa “Terry” Cullen, Director of the Pima County Health Department and a leader whose experience spans frontline medicine, national health‑informatics work, global health consulting, and nearly six years guiding one of the county’s largest and most complex departments. Her work is shaped not only by her professional background but by her personal connection to Pima County—her children, husband, and extended family all live here, giving her a deeply rooted commitment to community well‑being.

The Health Department oversees nine divisions that touch nearly every part of daily life: food safety inspections, clinical services, disease prevention, substance‑use response, and more. But one of its most important responsibilities during summer is serving as the convener of Pima County’s heat‑mitigation network. This network includes more than 80 organizations—nonprofits, local governments, universities, and community groups—working together to prevent heat‑related illness and deaths. Weekly meetings throughout the heat season allow partners to coordinate cooling centers, share data, identify gaps in service, and ensure that vulnerable residents are not left behind.

Dr. Cullen explains the risk factors that make some people more susceptible to heat illness: older adults living alone, people on certain medications, individuals with limited access to cooling, outdoor workers, and the unhoused population. Yet she also emphasizes that heat can affect anyone, even lifelong desert residents who think they “know” the climate. Understanding early signs of heat exhaustion, staying hydrated, limiting outdoor activity during peak hours, and checking on neighbors are among the simplest and most effective prevention steps.

Listeners will also learn where to find reliable information about heat advisories, cooling centers, and county resources, including PimaCounty.gov/heat and materials available through public libraries. The episode highlights the importance of community awareness, shared responsibility, and simple acts of care that can save lives.

This introduction sets the stage for a conversation about preparation, prevention, and the power of coordinated community action as Pima County enters another desert summer.