John Flint (BFA ’72, Studio Art) will be the keynote speaker for the Fall 2023 Graduation Convocation for the College of Fine Arts at Crowder Hall on Dec. 14.
Flint is an alumnus for the college and graduated with his BFA in Studio Art in 1972. He will speak on the value of an arts degree.
However, his career path took a different direction. He worked in senior management in local government and spent most of his career in public policy at the local, state, and federal levels. He co-founded the City of Weston, Florida, in 1996 and served as their first city manager for over 22 years. Throughout his career, he’s won multiple awards including the Safest Small Cities in America for 2019, Florida’s 50 Safest City of 2019, 101 Safest Cities in America, and The Best Small City to Start a Small Business in 2019.
He spent his career structuring a city and he came to recognize the value of his fine arts education at the University of Arizona and how it related to his career. He has continued to stay in touch with the university.
After his long career in government, Flint retired in 2019 and moved back to Tucson with his wife, Sandi. Since moving back, he serves on the Town of Marana’s Planning Commission and has sponsored the CFA’s Racial Justice Studio with his wife.