Anna Darian

Anna Darian joined Save the Santa Ritas in March 2024 and serves as the Director of Advocacy and Community Engagement.

Anna is an urban planner, community organizer, and storyteller with over 15 years of community and economic development experience. She previously served the City of Phoenix’s economic development team, where she led high-profile revitalization and transit-oriented development projects. Additionally, she led community education at Arizona FORGE, an initiative of the University of Arizona’s Research, Innovation, and Impact Department. Most recently, Anna turned her storytelling hobby into a consulting business where she has helped countless individuals and teams harness the power of storytelling. Past clients include the Office of Governor Hobbs, Living Streets Alliance, Local First Arizona, and many more. Anna holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Arizona and a master’s in urban planning from the American University of Beirut.

Anna is a third generation Tucsonan, raised in France, and the daughter of Armenian immigrants. Her interest in mining began when she learned that her own great-grandparents met in Bisbee while her great-grandfather worked at the Copper Queen mine, and her activist great-grandmother was investigating the labor disputes. Her grandfather, Joseph F. Park, would go on to be a respected historian at the University of Arizona where his research focused on labor relations in Arizona’s mines. His research is still cited today and can be found at the Arizona Historical Society. Following in this tradition, Anna assisted Dr. Katherine Benton-Cohen with a research project on Phelps Dodge history and has plans to tell new stories.

In joining the team at Save the Scenic Santa Ritas, Anna is proud to continue her family’s legacy of bringing truth to power in the face of Arizona’s complicated relationship with the mining industry.