Information and Photos Courtesy of the City of Scottsdale
The city of Scottsdale recently announced some of their latest hires to top positions. Read on to learn more about the city’s newest diversity program director and presiding city judge.
New Diversity Program Director
The city of Scottsdale recently named Jackie Johnson as its new diversity program director. Johnson will set the strategic direction for Scottsdale’s DEI initiatives, integrating diversity with the city’s core mission and values.
Johnson was recently Sun Valley Academy School District’s director of people and culture, where she provided leadership on diversity, equity and inclusion subjects and oversaw the district’s human resources projects. Prior to her most recent position, Johnson was an executive special assistant at Rio Salado College and served in several cross-functional management positions for the city of Phoenix.
“Jackie has extensive experience and a proven track record of successfully engaging underrepresented populations and communities,” says Scottsdale Mayor David D. Ortega. “I am pleased that Jackie Johnson will champion Scottsdale’s diversity programs and initiatives.”
“I am very excited to join the city of Scottsdale,” Johnson says. “For more than 20 years I have served various communities by championing diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. The city has a great legacy of leaders who have served in this role. I look forward to building upon the foundation laid by my predecessors by engaging with employees and the community as we continue to ensure Scottsdale is a place for all.”
Johnson holds a master’s degree in public administration and bachelor’s degree in social work from Arizona State University. She is a member of the Arizona State University Mentor Network and certified in diversity and inclusion from Cornell University.
Scottsdale’s New Presiding City Judge
Marianne T. Bayardi has been selected to be Scottsdale’s new presiding city judge. Bayardi holds a Juris Doctorate from the University of Arizona College of Law and has more than 30 years of experience in the legal field.
Since 2019, she has served as Assistant Chief Presiding Judge of the Phoenix Municipal Court, which is among the top ten busiest municipal courts in the United States. Prior to taking that position, she served for 12 years as an Associate Judge of that court, presiding over misdemeanor cases as well as civil traffic hearings and protective order hearings. Bayardi is active in many legal, community and educational organizations in Arizona, and has previously worked in the Office of the Arizona Attorney General, the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, and the Arizona Office of Administrative Hearings.
“We are pleased to extend this offer to Judge Bayardi, whose commitment to building the best possible justice system in Arizona has been well demonstrated over the course of her distinguished career,” Mayor Ortega says. “I am confident that Judge Bayardi’s expertise and experience will be an invaluable contribution to our community.”
“I am honored to be selected and excited to join the Scottsdale City Court; it has a great reputation for being a court that is innovative and always seeking to leverage technology and other means to best serve the community. I am looking forward to working with the judges, staff, and stakeholders in expanding upon that reputation,” Bayardi says.
Bayard has stepped into the role previously held by Judge Joseph Olcavage, who retired on March 4 after 42 years of service in Scottsdale.
