Keep Sedona Beautiful will hold its next Preserving the Wonder Speaker Series event on Wednesday, April 12 at 5:00 pm. This month’s speaker is Tom O’Halleran, former US Representative from Arizona’s 1st Congressional district and Past President of KSB. He will be speaking about “How Congress Does and Doesn’t Work – Misperceptions and Changes Needed”. Please visit the KSB website, www.keepsedonabeautiful.org for details.
In this presentation former Representative O’Halleran will discuss how Congress operates and will provide an insider’s view on what does and doesn’t work. As a strong activist for our environmental resources, he will also share his perspective on the greatest natural resource issues now and into the future.
Tom O’Halleran was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. In 1966 at 20 years old, he joined the Chicago Police Department, where he was an officer and then a sergeant in a special operations unit. O’Halleran was later commissioned to be one of the youngest homicide investigators in the city’s history. He served with distinction, receiving three department commendations and over 30 other awards. He then earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from DePaul University, became a member of the Chicago Board of Trade, and operated his own futures trading business.
He and his wife Pat moved to Arizona where Tom transitioned into politics and served as an Arizona state representative from 2001 to 2007 and as an Arizona state senator from 2007 to 2009. He was elected to the US Congress in 2016 and served for three terms, sitting on the Agriculture and Energy and Commerce committees. Throughout his career, O’Halleran has been known for his work on issues such as veterans’ affairs, public safety, and protecting Arizona’s natural resources. He is also a strong advocate for expanding access to healthcare and improving education. Tom served as President of Keep Sedona Beautiful from 2010 – 2014.
For over 50 years, Keep Sedona Beautiful has been dedicated to protecting and enhancing the scenic beauty and natural environment of Sedona and the Verde Valley. For more information about Keep Sedona Beautiful, please visit http://www.keepsedonabeautiful.org/.