Glendale council selects Leandro Baldenegro to fill Ocotillo District seat

Glendale leaders voted to appoint Leandro Baldenegro to represent the Ocotillo District on the City Council after he and four others made their pitch to the public.

Baldenegro, a welder who's worked with the Glendale Elementary School District since 2007, will be sworn in before the next regular City Council meeting April 23, the city announced to Ocotillo District residents in an emailed newsletter Friday.

The City Council landed on Baldenegro's appointment after reviewing applications from 14 candidates who vied for the seat Jamie Aldama held before he resigned earlier this month to campaign for mayor.

Baldenegro will serve through December 2026. The position pays an annual salary of $34,000.

Councilmembers initially narrowed the pool to five candidates: Baldenegro, Rebecca Ontiveros, Natalie Stahl, Denise Quintana and Mickey Nunez.

The finalists were invited to a Friday special meeting to make a public presentation before being interviewed by the council behind closed doors.

During the public portion of the meeting, the candidates were given three minutes to speak about their qualifications to hold the Ocotillo District seat.

Born and raised in downtown Glendale, Baldenegro noted that he had a front-row seat to the changes around the Ocotillo District over the past 50 years.

“I have learned to live with a healthy balance with respect for the past and excitement for what the future holds,” he said. “It shows that I plan to work with the rest of the council to do what is best for everyone.”

Baldenegro said he has worked at the Glendale Elementary School District for the past 17 years, “actively participating in several important events that directly impact all the employees, all the families, and of course, all the students.”

Using some of his experience as both a football player and coach, he said he wants to be part of a council that works as a team toward a common goal.

“As with every team that I have been a part of, I will know my role and do my job,” he said.

Here’s what the rest of the four finalists had to say about why they would have been a good fit for the Glendale City Council (in order of their appearance):

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Rebecca Ontiveros

Ontiveros, a customer service associate, is a third-generation resident of the Ocotillo District, which she called “the heart of Glendale.”

She was called to civil service and volunteerism around 2005 when she inherited the adobe home her grandfather had built in the city.

Her father, who had inherited the home from his parents, implored her to “take care of the house (and) his legacy.” He also told her to care for the district — "the home of his generations and its people.”

“This charge became my cause,” she said before telling a story about how she aided one of her father’s longtime friends by working for the Arizona-based nonprofit Operation Enduring Gratitude.

Raised in Glendale, she graduated from Apollo High School and earned a master’s degree from Gateway International Bible Institute.

Over the years, she’s volunteered at Phoenix-area churches and sat on local boards and commissions including the city’s Community Development Advisory Committee.

Natalie Stahl

Stahl, a local business owner, said she’d make the best choice for the council seat because of her love for the city that she and her husband have called home for 27 years. Together, they’ve raised two daughters and built her event venue business in Glendale.

“I can represent everyone, not just one group or the other,” she said. “I live here, I work here, I spend all my time here because I choose to.”

During her presentation, she touted her background serving on local volunteer boards, including Glendale’s Planning & Zoning Commission.

As a leader in her Orchard Glen neighborhood, she's also worked with city departments and other agencies to improve the area.

Those experiences, she said, have provided a view into the inner workings of local government.

“I believe that Glendale is at a historic crossroads,” she said. “With the redevelopment of City Hall and the changes happening downtown, we need somebody with enough history to preserve it and have foresight to welcome it.”

Denise Quintana

Quintana has worked in Glendale for 17 years, living in the Ocotillo District for the past three. She owns three local family-run businesses: Delfina Salon & Day Spa, Coyote Oatie Cookies and The Mercantile.

“I have worked very hard to make a difference in all that I do,” she said. “I love the city and I have a fire and passion and to drive to see the city grow and prosper.”

She’s also been a member of the Glendale Women’s Club and served in leadership positions with other local organizations such as the Historic Downtown Merchants Association and the Glendale High School football booster club.

During her presentation, though, Quintana indicated she wouldn't be in the running for the seat after learning of a city planning and zoning issue with her business and home.

“I look forward to working with whoever wins this position,” she said. “I would like to be an ally with the mayor, councilmembers and all city employees to make this a great place to live, and most of all, those who choose to call Glendale home.”

She added that she didn’t want to waste the council’s time and wouldn’t participate in the closed-door interviews after the public meeting.

Mickey Nunez

For 43 years, Nunez has lived in Glendale, where he now raises his children.

He earned a bachelor’s degree from Arizona State University in 1993. In 2017, he got his master’s from Grand Canyon University, where he now works as a professor.

“My grassroots were here in the city of Glendale. It gave me the foundation that I needed for success,” he said, noting that this first job was at the Glendale Community Center.

There, the educator said, he learned about responsibility through after-school programs including leadership training classes.

Eventually, he became the center’s program director, guiding about 350 students a week who were participating arts and sports programs.

“We need to empower our community, and the key is education,” he said. “Education is a key to breaking the cycle of poverty.”

The more educated a city is, the more it will see voter participation, Nunez said. He added that he wants to provide residents with avenues toward educational opportunities.

Shawn Raymundo covers the West Valley cities of Glendale, Peoria and Surprise. Reach him at [email protected] or follow him on X @ShawnzyTsunami.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Leandro Baldenegro named to represent Ocotillo District in Glendale