Program Description

A silver lining of the COVID-19 pandemic? Maybe... but right now, a spotlight is being shone on the Digital Divide in the State of Arizona. Efforts across telecommunications providers, libraries, grassroots organizations, institutions of higher education and Departments of the State are working to bridge this divide and bring digital equity and inclusion to all Arizonans.

• Learn about Digital Equity and Inclusion work going on in the State
• Learn about resources you can use in your work, and share with your patrons
• Learn about the ways you can get involved!

Presenter Bios

Erin Lorandos is the Digital Inclusion Consultant for the State Library. Prior to joining the Library Development team, Erin worked in public and academic libraries in both Arizona and Wisconsin. Most recently, she worked as a branch manager with the Maricopa County Library District. Erin has a B.A. in English Literature from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a Master’s of Library and Information Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Dr. Erin Carr-Jordan is the President/CEO of the Digital Equity Institute and Executive Director of Digital Equity and Social Impact of ASU's Enterprise Technology office. She has nearly two decades of experience in higher education, where her roles have included faculty, department chair, national director, and associate dean. As CEO of the Institute, she leads state-scale digital equity planning and ecosystem- building efforts designed to ensure people of all ages can safely and fully participate in every aspect of society, the economy, and democracy. She architects human-centered, large-scale, multi-sector initiatives that leverage technology and meaningful human connection to effectively address the complexities of vulnerability. Her portfolio includes leading projects with the Arizona Commerce Authority, NSF, USAID, NASA, the World Bank, CDC, and Battelle. She holds an Organization Leadership certificate from MIT, and is a triple alumna of Arizona State University, where she earned degrees in Broadcasting (BA), Human Development (MA), and Educational Psychology (Ph.D.).

In 2020 Cindy Hogan began two consecutive AmeriCorps terms addressing Digital Equity in Tucson and Pima County, Arizona, with the United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona and Literacy Connects of Tucson. Her AmeriCorps experiences prepared her as a consultant Digital Inclusion Ambassador for Literacy Connects, a Tucson non-profit committed to digital literacy. In 2023 Cindy spent five months as the Digital Equity Program Manager for the State of Arizona under the Arizona Commerce Authority Broadband Office. Currently, she is the chair of the Arizona Digital Inclusion Alliance, a coalition of practitioners and organizations across the state of Arizona affiliated with the National Digital Inclusion Alliance.

Ilana Lowery is the Arizona Director for Common Sense Media, a San Francisco-based nonprofit that studies how media and technology affect youth. in 2018, the 20-year-old child advocacy organization launched operations in Arizona. Ilana is the former editor-in-chief of the Phoenix Business Journal, where she worked for two-plus decades in reporter, managing editor and editor roles. Before moving to the Valley in 1989, Ilana was a reporter and editor for Pulitzer Newspapers in Chicago.

Maryanna Milton is the Impact Manager for Arizona Students Recyling Used Technology (AZ StRUT), a state-wide computer refurbishing non-profit. With a Masters degree in Education and years of teaching and empowering adults with ESL, basic Math and Literacy skills, she moved to Arizona in 2016. Here she continues to focus on the intersections of digital skills, adult education, and sustainability.

Mikhail Sundust is the Executive Director of Digital Connect, an initiative of Gila River Telecommunications, Inc. The Digital Connect Initiative (DCI) provides both structured and open-ended digital skills trainings for members and residents of the Gila River Indian Community. Our feature class is the Tech Skills Workshop, which empowers people to learn digital skills using the devices they already have. Previously, Mikhail worked for the American Indian Policy Institute at Arizona State University. 

Alexa Tarvid started as a self-taught visual designer before earning her B.A. in English. She then ventured to South Korea to teach mul ple subjects such as composi on and public speaking. A er coming back to the US, she took the opportunity to serve her community at her local library, which prepared her to become a digital navigator. Now, Alexa supervises a team of digital navigators within the Experience Center at Arizona State University.

Nicole Umayam a Federal Program Officer for the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, supporting the State of Arizona in broadband and digital equity programs from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill. Previously, she worked as the digital inclusion library consultant for the Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records and as a project archivist for various language and cultural preservation efforts.