YAVAPAI COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS DISTRICT 4 CANDIDATES
CRAIG BROWN
Craig was born in Detroit, Michigan in 1948. His father served as Captain in the Army Air Corp during WWII and Craig was raised in the rural San Fernando Valley of California from 1952 until his enlistment in the U.S. Army in 1967. During his enlistment, he served in Vietnam with the elite Green Berets on the Cambodian Border and was cited several times for his actions.
After his Military Service, he began a career in law enforcement with the Santa Monica Police Department. For seven of his 15 years, he was a Detective in Robbery/Homicide and rose to the rank of Sergeant before injuries forced him to retire in 1985.
During his police career, although raising a family, he attended night school and achieved a degree in the Administration of Justice and eventually an additional degree in Public Administration from Redlands University.
While with the Santa Monica Police Department, Craig was a Board Member and then Chairman of the Santa Monica Police Officers Association as well as a Board Member and later President of the Santa Monica Employees Federal Credit Union. With his law enforcement career cut short, he was immediately hired by the Superior Courts of Los Angeles as a Senior Investigator and then by the Los Angeles County Probation Department as a Director. As a Director / Administrator with the County Probation Department, Craig’s skills at organization in funding and budgeting were utilized to bring many new and innovative programs to fruition, despite budget shortfalls and staffing issues. LA County Probation had a $300 million annual budget and more than 6500 employees at that time. Craig and his wife Sandi left California in 2005 to purchase a home that reflected the rural lifestyle they grew up with and longed to return to. Having visited Prescott in 1992, they returned here and settled into retirement in Williamson Valley’s Inscription Canyon Ranch. They have two sons, one daughter and three grandchildren who reside in Oklahoma and California.
Craig is the former President of the Williamson Valley Community Organization and was the Vice President of the Fraternal Order of Police, Prescott Lodge 19. He is a current Member of; American Legion Post 40 in Chino Valley, Chino Valley Chamber of Commerce, Prescott Chamber of Commerce and the Citizens Water Advisory Group. He is an Associate Member of; Juniperwoods Landowners Association, Republican Women of Prescott and a proud Endowment Member of the NRA. He has also participated in the Chairman for the Central Yavapai Metropolitan Planning Organization Executive Board and a member of Prescott Area Wildland Urban Interface Commission, also known as Yavapai Firewise.
Since taking office in 2013 he has served as the Chairman of Yavapai County Board of Supervisors in 2015, 2020, 2021 and now in 2024. As of January 2023, he has been serving as the Chairman for Central Yavapai Metropolitan Planning Organization (CYMPO). His other accomplishments have included:
Keeping taxes low for 9 years with a balanced budget
- Development Services procedure revisions including a new on-line permit system
- Establishment of Scarlet and Almosta Ranch Equestrian Trail heads
- Initiation of the large animal shelter for emergency evacuations
- Established County ordinance for hands free driving/lobbied for State Law
- Initiated and completed the new detention center
- Oversaw the response for the COVID outbreak and projects taking place in the county by proclamation and Executive Order from the Governor
- Establishing Del Rio Springs Historical Area as a State Park
His Promise:
“I will always be available and responsive to the citizens of Yavapai County. Your continued input into the democratic process is vital to me and the community.”
~ Craig L. Brown, Sr.
CHRIS KUKNYO
AN EXPERIENCED CONSERVATIVE WHO IS NOT AFRAID TO LEAD
My family and I settled in Prescott in 1978 and I graduated from Prescott High School with the class of ’84. In my youth, I am pretty sure I worked almost every job in Prescott trying to earn a living from being a clerk at J.C. Penney to working 1500 feet underground in a mine and every job in-between. I know how tough it is to make a living here because I lived it.
In the summer of 2000, I took a huge risk and I co-founded Patriot Disposal with a friend by putting a mortgage on my house and buying a used trash truck and a semi-load of garbage cans. Over the next seventeen years we used innovation and community involvement to become the leader in trash hauling and recycling. We were the first to offer a real curbside recycling service to Yavapai County. We were also the first to run environmentally friendly natural gas trucks. We developed Smart Stream recycling which reduces the number of trucks needed by 50% and we designed a processing facility that increased the recycling diversion rate by 400%. In 2017, I sold my shares to my partner so I could pursue other interests.
I initially got involved in politics because my company got into a fight with the city of Prescott. The lack of respect and concern of elected officials and staff demanded action. My election to the Prescott City council started my service to the community which has been long-term and varied. I have also served in government roles as chair of CYMPO (road projects), Yavapai County Industrial Development Authority (Bonds for major projects) Yavapai College Board (Helping to educate the people of Yavapai).In non-government roles I have served as Chair of the PV Chamber of Commerce (Promoting small business) PVEDF (Bringing jobs to the area) President of the Citizens Tax Committee (Holding government accountable for unjust taxation).
I have served in government, and I have fought against government, I have signed the front of a paycheck and the back of a paycheck. I know what it’s like to struggle and I have seen prosperity. My love of this community and doing what is right for the citizens through service has been an honor. Over the last ten years we have seen unprecedented growth with almost no consideration to the needed infrastructure to maintain our quality of life and essential services. Ignoring these problems will not make them go away. Just identifying issues is not enough.
I am not looking for a position to hold onto, I am applying for a job and I’m ready to go to work. I would be honored to have your vote for Yavapai County Supervisor District 4.
Chris Kuknyo
LUCI WHEAT
Luci Wheat moved to Prescott Valley in 2017. Driven by her unwavering commitment to her community, she has made it her mission to connect with its residents. She resides with her husband Steven and share their lives with two children and two stepchildren. Although, she was born and raised in Houston, Texas, where most of her family still resides, fate brought her to Napa, California, where she met her husband Steven who is a retired Sergeant with the California Highway Patrol. Steve is currently working at the Arizona Superior Court in Yavapai County as a Court Officer.
Her journey began with becoming a member of the Republican Women of Prescott, from there she noticed a need. In collaboration with her friend Kari Cook, they founded XYZ Inclusive, a dynamic conservative organization dedicated to hosting events and educational opportunities tailored to the XYZ generation. Through this platform, they aimed to promote conservative clubs and events throughout Yavapai County. This was merely the inception of what was to come. She currently sits as the Chair of the Republican National Hispanic Assembly and First Vice Chair of the Yavapai County Republican Commitee. Luci has also consulted for numerous local and federal campaigns.
