Mitra Khazai

About Mitra Khazai

I love creating and reimagining innovative and sustainable organizations that serve a higher good. Here are highlights about me and my work.1. Building organizations makes me giddy. Helping people learn, grow and achieve is the icing on the cake. I have taken over organizations and programs and helped them successfully navigate through bankruptcy, financial fraud and complacency. I have built an organization from an idea to a critical community service provider and led the reimagining and rebuilding of legacy organizations.2. I have a wide swath of professional and personal experiences that give me a unique perspective and access to out of the box ideas and solutions. I’ve worked in multiple state governments and agencies, nonprofits and public education policy bodies. I can successfully operate at a high decision making level or navigate the weeds of data. I am a connector of people, institutions and ideas. I have an extensive and varied network that gives me access to solutions, relationship building and collaborations.4. I am the mom of three boys. To survive, I have adapted and am insanely organized, unflappable, patient and can manage chaos with the best of them. Parenting them has been my highest calling in life and I feel honored to be their mom. And I am saying this about young adults; can you even believe adolescence doesn’t end until 25?5. As a bonafide elected official I have learned a number of skills, including how to engage in productive conflict, adopt a powerful positive mindset to solve stubborn problems, deeply listen and to keep my mind open no matter who’s doing the talking. I also know a thing or two about running a campaign and connecting with voters.6. I’m a pretty driven person and every once in a while I need to recharge my batteries. I find it in the outdoors where I love to push the boundaries of my abilities and fear through backpacking, canyoneering and river running. These experiences have given me a healthy respect for nature, dare I say.humbled me. I once had a deputy sheriff tell me that if my husband had drowned on a river trip, what he ate would play a role in when his body would appear. Don’t worry, there was a happy ending to this story. As a result, I always do my research and am prepared.

Experience

1. President, Board of Directors

   Arizona School Boards Association

   Dec 2025 — Present

Education

• Northwestern University

  Bachelor of Arts - BA, Political Science and Government