Legislative District 3

 

Home City: Fountain Hills

Occupation: Retired

Member Since: 2007

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2023 Committees: 

• Judiciary Committee Vice Chair 

• Elections

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Senator John Kavanagh is a twenty-year resident of District 4, which covers most of Scottsdale, Fountain Hills, Rio Verde, and the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation. John and his wife, Mayor Linda Kavanagh of Fountain Hills, have been married for more than 40 years and have two sons, Jonathan and Nicholas. John is a professor of criminal justice at Scottsdale Community College and director of the college's Administration of Justice Studies and Forensic Science Program. Prior to teaching at Scottsdale Community College, John taught at Arizona State University and served 20 years as a police officer with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Department, retiring as a detective sergeant.

John served six years as a town councilman in Fountain Hills and served three years on the Lafayette, New Jersey Town Council. He is also a Republican State Committeeman.

John was awarded a BA in Liberal Arts from NYU, a Masters Degree in Government from St. John's University (Queens, NY), and a Ph.D. in Criminal Justice from Rutgers. He is also a military veteran.

John has also served on or belonged to many other government boards and community service organizations, including a Parks and Recreation Commission, Board of Health, School District Advisory Panel, Planning Advisory Group, Community Center Volunteers, Senior Services Board of Directors, the American Legion, the Civic Association, Historical Society, Friends of the Chamber of Commerce and Scottsdale Republican Forum.

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