Sylvia Lee appointed to vacant Pima County Board of Supervisors seat

In a 3-to-1 vote Tuesday, Lee was chosen from eight people who applied to replace Sharon Bronson on the board. Bronson, citing injuries from a fall, resigned last month. District 4 Supervisor Steve Christy was the sole no-vote and board clerk Melissa Manriquez abstained from voting.

Lee will be joining the Board on Jan. 9, according to a Pima County news release.

“My family helped instill in me the importance of giving back to the community, as many of them were dedicated Pima County servants. My great aunt is the namesake of the Theresa Lee Pima County Health Center in Midvale Park; my cousin, Lorraine Lee, was the CEO of Chicanos Por La Causa in Tucson and served on the Pima County Board of Health; and my mother, Sophia (Pia) Lee, served as a Pima County Health Department nurse for 42 years, and served much of her career at the El Pueblo Neighborhood Center site,” Lee wrote to the Board.

She will represent the west side’s District 3, the largest in Pima County. The district covers about 7,400 square miles in the western part of the county and shares about 130 miles of international border with Mexico.

Lee is a former board member of the Pima Community College governing board. She was elected to the post in 2012 and served from 2013 to 2018, including a term as chair, according to the county. She worked as PCC campus president and dean between 1996 and 2011.

Lee has over 30 years of experience in higher education and has served as head of PCC’s Northwest and Community campuses. She earned her associate degree from Pima Community College, a bachelor’s in psychology and a master’s degree in counseling from the University of Arizona. She later earned a doctorate in educational leadership and policy studies at Arizona State University.

Lee has said she will not be running for the seat in the 2024 general election, when all five district seats are up for election. She will hold the seat until Dec. 31, 2024.

District 5 Supervisor and Board Chair Adelita Grijalva first moved to appoint April Ignacio, then Jennifer Allen to the seat. Both motions produced tied 2-2 results, with Christy and District 1 Supervisor Rex Scott voting no.

Scott, a Democrat, said he voted against the applicants because they have shown interest in running in the next election. He said he was concerned that such an appointment could give them an unfair advantage by serving for a year prior. Manriquez broke both ties with her no-vote.

District 2 Supervisor Matt Heinz’s motion to appoint Kristen Randall failed for lack of a second. Lee was then appointed.