Staff

Rita Marko has been with the City of Phoenix for slightly more than 16 years.  Initially hired as the Library’s Development Officer, Rita staffed the Phoenix Public Library Foundation and raised funds for critical library services.  She was promoted to the position of Library Community Relations Manager, where she was responsible for media relations, marketing and the development of the Library’s website – the City’s first responsively-designed site.

Rita transferred to the City Manager’s Office, where she supported two Deputy City Managers, and staffed three City Council Subcommittees and two task forces.  Most recently, Rita served as the Management Assistant II in the Public Works Director’s Office.

Prior to coming to the City, Rita worked for the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, raising $1.5 million in about 18 months.  She also worked for the Skokomish Indian Nation in Washington state, serving as the community’s Health Planner, Economic Development Planner and Director of Economic Development.  Rita has a Bachelors and Masters degree in Anthropology from the University of Arizona, where the focus of her studies was culture change and economic development.  Her Masters thesis focused on the Cuban Women’s Federation as an agent of change for women in Cuba.

Rick Gerrard is Vice President of Phoenix Sister Cities Inc. and Deputy Director of the City of Phoenix International Relations Office. Phoenix Sister Cities is a non-profit corporation that manages ten sister city relationships on behalf of the city. He has served in this capacity since 1999. His work includes the design and coordination of international exchange projects and events around the world.

Among the major projects that he has managed was the fundraising initiative to finance the construction of a new kindergarten school in Chengdu, China, built after the 2008 earthquake in Sichuan Province. The kindergarten, named for the City of Phoenix, replaced a school that was destroyed during the earthquake. Rick also took the lead in the development of a training program for doctors and nurses in partnership with the Maricopa County Burn Center to address a critical need for the care of burn victims in Hermosillo, Mexico after the tragic day care fire of 2009 which took the lives of over 50 infants and toddlers. In addition to his sister city related duties, Rick works with international delegations visiting Phoenix on official business, briefing the mayor and city council, and managing matters of protocol for international visitors on official business with the city.

Prior to his arrival in Phoenix, Rick served as Deputy Director at Sister Cities International (SCI) in Washington, DC. He spent ten years with SCI in various capacities. Among his major achievements, Rick organized political, educational, and trade delegations to more than a dozen industrialized and developing countries including some sponsored by the US Department of State. These included the first visit of US mayors to South Africa after the collapse of apartheid (1995); the first visit of US mayors to Vietnam after the normalization of diplomatic ties (1996); and the first visit of US mayors to Northern Ireland, just prior to the Good Friday Agreement (1997). Rick also worked closely with the SCI Board to organize and conduct four Western Hemispheric Fora for municipalities held in the US and Latin America.

Rick has been involved in international affairs for over thirty years. He served for two years as SCI’s State Representative in Arizona and served one year as President of the Arizona State Sister Cities Association. Rick received his Master of Arts in Latin American History from George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Social Sciences and Education from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He speaks Spanish and Portuguese and served for two years as a United States Peace Corps volunteer in Paraguay.

Marie graduated from Arizona State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Global Studies and minors in French and Nonprofit Leadership and Management. The first in her family to go to college and the oldest of five adopted siblings, Marie is passionate about creating opportunities for students and youth around the world. In high school she had the opportunity to teach abroad in Santo Domingo and served as a youth ambassador to China with People to People International.

As a young professional Marie has had the opportunity to continue engaging with numerous cultures around the world working with international communities in education, development, and humanitarian fields. She has volunteered in Ímuris, Mexico, studied tourism and national identity in the west of Ireland, and spent a semester abroad in Meknes, Morocco. While in Morocco Marie partnered with a local non-profit organization where she prepared educational activities focused on English language learning for children, facilitated community workshops, and worked on renovation projects within the organization. These experiences were prefaced by her studies in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences as well as Barrett, the Honors College which centered on migration, international development, resource management, human rights, and geopolitics.

Prior to Phoenix Sister Cites, Marie worked with ASU as a Community Assistant where she mentored first year students and helped them find community and academic success on campus. Marie served as a camp counselor for ASU SummerUp Camps and has been an Ignite Fellow at Teach for America where she facilitated virtual reading intervention programs for third grade students. In the summer of 2019 Marie interned with Phoenix Sister Cities where she helped with the Youth Ambassador Exchange Program. Marie hopes to use her past experiences and her position at Phoenix Sister Cities to cultivate sustainable international relationships that will contribute to the development and peace of communities abroad.

Cynthia Rodriguez has been a self-employed Bookkeeper since 2001, working with various industries such as, a non-profit organization called Arizona RBI Youth Sports, various branches of the Medical field, Real Estate, Title and Escrow and the music production industry . She has also worked with the finance industry serving clients with banking and investment needs. She is excited to be working with Phoenix Sister Cities as their Bookkeeper and look forward to what the future holds with this new relationship.

Madison is a senior at University of Arizona. She is double majoring in Law and Political Science and minoring in Spanish. Madison’s emphasis in Political Science is International Relations. She plans on attending University of Arizona’s graduate school for Public Policy and International Security Studies next year.

She has experience working with In N Out Burger for four years, with a personality to match. With interests in foreign policy making and international government interaction, Madison hopes to work closely with or as a U.S. Ambassador. Through interning for Phoenix Sister Cities, she gets to dip her toes into subnational international relations. The internship will provide her with the steps she needs to make connections with diplomats in Phoenix and abroad.

Keara is entering her Junior year at Grand Canyon University. She is currently double majoring in Business Management and Administration and is an active member of the Honors College.

Keara is also a member of GCU’s Women in Business Club and campus Life Group. Additionally, she is a member of Public Square Series, a club focused on government policy and public relations. Between classes and her campus job, Keara enjoys hiking, reading, and spending time with family and friends. She is excited to take on this role at Phoenix Sister Cities and learning the intricacies of international policy and relations.

Xavier is currently a Senior at Arizona State University majoring in Global Management. Xavier was raised in Hermosillo, Mexico, which is a Sister City with Phoenix. He has previously worked with Sister Cities, just from a different city and perspective. He has an interest in International Relations and Public Policy as well as Cross-Cultural Management and Communications.

After graduation he plans on pursuing a career in the international organizational communications field.

Ashley is a senior at Arizona State University majoring in Nonprofit Leadership and Management. After graduation, she plans on either joining the Peace Corps or working for a nonprofit that assists children in foster care.

Ashley enjoys spending her free time exploring Arizona and finding new hiking spots. She is involved with the community, mostly through volunteering. She has a passion for helping her community and communities all over the world. Ashley is excited to be interning with Phoenix Sister Cities, where she can gain hands-on experience working for a nonprofit.