Trico employee becomes a leader in our community

One of the unique things about cooperatives is how they provide education and training for their Members, elected representatives, managers and employees so that they can contribute effectively to the development of their cooperatives.

Trico encourages employees to get the training and education they need to excel at their job. Tanya Mitchell is a great example of this.

Tanya began at Trico in 2006 as a Summer Intern and performed a variety of tasks including filing and data entry in numerous departments including Member Services, Design, IT and Accounting. She continued as an on-call employee while she attended the University of Arizona. Tanya graduated in May 2009 with a degree in Public Administration from Eller’s College of Management.

In 2010, she was offered the position of Renewable Resource Specialist, where she ensured that Trico’s renewable and demand-side management programs ran smoothly and continued to improve upon the processes and procedures of each program. While in this position, Trico was awarded Utility of the Year in 2012 by Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA).

“It was a rewarding experience to be able to take a program that was just beginning and develop it into what it is today, while also helping the Members,” Tanya said.

In 2014, Tanya transitioned to Commercial Account Specialist. In this position, she built and maintained strong, long-lasting relationships with Trico’s Commercial Accounts and Small Businesses. She also represented Trico at promotional events, trade shows, conventions, and participated in communication and business organizations, including multiple town chambers.

“In this position, I learned a lot about our service territory, and I enjoyed meeting with Members one-on-one,” she said.

Tanya was promoted to Senior Business Planning Analyst in 2019. The experience she gained from her previous positions has helped prepare her to be a better analyst.

“I have a better understanding of Trico and the Members we serve,” she said.

Tanya is also active in the community, volunteering for the Girl Scouts of Southern Arizona, Junior Achievement and United Way. She is also involved in the Tucson Metro Chamber’s Emerging Leaders Council and serves as Vice President of the Therapeutic Riding of Tucson (TROT) Board.

In 2020, she participated in Greater Tucson Leadership, a 10-month program designed to teach adult learners how to be leaders and to engage in their community in more meaningful and impactful ways. She graduated from the program in June 2021.

“One of the key takeaways I learned from the training is that a leader doesn’t need a title to be a leader in their community,” Tanya said.