The Pilot Parents of Southern Arizona was established in 1979. One of their programs is theArizona Partners in Leadership program that teaches parents who have a child with a disability how to be a parent leader. They teach parents and self-advocates how to affect systems and policy changes at the local, state, and national levels.

Bio: Marianne Scott is the AZ Partners in Leadership Program Coordinator for eight years at Pilot Parents of Southern AZ. She has taught personal, team, and community leadership courses and provides mentoring for systems navigation. She is a determined advocate in the community that has successfully worked with the town and local leadership to install accessible swings at public parks and a school in Sahuarita, Ariz. She is also currently working on a neighborhood pocket park and a fully-inclusive town park and is a Dignified Changes founder. Volunteer efforts include chair of the Parent Advisory Committee at Jumpstart, St. Alphonsus Hospital,PTO, church callings, and Cub Master. She received her Associates at Northwest, PowellWyoming, and her Bachelor’s Degree at Boise State University in Early Childhood Education, graduating Cum Laude with certification in Special Education and is a graduate of the Partners in Policymaking Program. She was a business owner educating the early learner and is a first-generation Sib Shop Facilitator trained to implement classes for siblings of those with disabilities. Marianne’s oldest child is diagnosed with multiple disabilities allowing her to understand the challenges of navigating systems and further advocating for inclusion and universal design. She and her husband have been married for 20 years, and together they have three children. She loves her beautiful family foremost and sees God in all things.