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Annie Loyd’s first trip to Mexico started as a vacation, but ended with an avocation to help those who struggle within a country (Mexico) that doesn’t provide basic necessities for its poorest countrymen and a country (USA) that needs workers and has a broken system for immigration.
It was in May 2005 when Annie and friends traveled to Puerto Vallarta for a week-long vacation. On the last day while two friends engaged in tourist activities, Annie and her traveling companion took a taxi to the landfill, where she witnessed 300 families living in squalor and without running water. Families scavenged the landfill for food, recyclable containers and “material” for their homes, most of which were made of cardboard. Witnessing the families living in such deplorable conditions was the impetus for Annie’s desire to participate in immigration reform. At about the same time, National Guard troops were placed at the border in Arizona, and friends who were citizens, born and raised in the U.S. began being harassed by the local sheriff. For that, any many other reasons, Annie took a stand and ran for US. Congress.
Annie Loyd, Social Architect During her 2007-2008 Congressional race in Arizona’s District 3 (Phoenix, Paradise Valley, Cave Creek, Carefree, New River), Annie Loyd brought transpartisanship to all conversations and collaborations. "We all have ideas, solutions and opinions and it is important we create structures and processes encouraging and honoring diverse, civil and respectful dialogue as the most important tool to creating a prosperous community," states Loyd.
Specializing in community collaboration, mediation, negotiation and development, Loyd is the founding member and chair of Voices for Civil Dialogue, a coalition of leaders from all sectors of society currently focused on creating a path to successful immigration reform, a collaborative program of civic engagement of the FUSION Foundation.
On July 12, 2008 Annie Loyd was knighted a Dame into the Sovereign Medical Order of Knights Hospitaller, a 1,000+ year old order of Knights focused on delivering natural health care to indigenous peoples and those remotely removed from sophisticated allopathic health care. Annie's focus on the healing power of diplomacy through communication was her invitation to join this historic order, recognized by the Vatican. www.smokh.org Annie is the founder/president/CEO of The FUSION Foundation, (local action - global vision), which identifies and addresses unmet and unfulfilled challenges in our communities with resources and proven solutions for success www.thefusionfoundation.org, Annie is intent on creating opportunities for community collaboration through building new relationships and strengthening existing ones. Since commencing her 15-month run for U.S. Congress in District 3 in Arizona, Annie has made a commitment to deliver information that inspires and engages and that educates and empowers leaders from all sectors of society, communities and individuals to work together to create the new paradigm of political process — the art of possibilities.
Annie has worked in politics as a volunteer, consultant and staff for more than 20 years in local, state and national campaigns in the field, coordinating, recruiting and organizing volunteers, fund raising and strategizing for Democrats and Republicans. Through her experiences of working in public health, owning a construction company, working in politics and co-founding and leading the FUSION Foundation and its social entrepreneur e-venture One Planet magazine, (www.oneplanetmagazine.com, documenting community based solutions with a global vision), Annie has acquired a vast understanding of community, statewide, national and global challenges. Annie utilizes her experience of the "work on the ground" and problem-solving to create opportunities for community collaboration.
Annie is a woman of uncommon insight with a passionate commitment to create a world where our shared humanity is celebrated and our unity emphasized. "We are experiencing a convergence of crises throughout all sectors of our society — from health care to education, from immigration to job creation, from energy resources to the financial industries — it is time for a fresh perspective and strong, effective leadership and a process for entry and engagement.
Raised in South Dakota, Annie witnessed a host of challenges regarding the Native American and mental health communities, business owners, farmers and ranchers. She was educated at St. Martins Academy and through her parents, learned about the importance of leadership and giving back to her community.
She moved to LA in her 20s, where she managed an 82-bed residential youth facility. Following the Rodney King incident, she organized and led the facility to a peaceful resolution during ensuing riots. With family roots dating back 50 years in the "Valley of the Sun," Annie settled in Phoenix, Arizona, the fifth largest megalopolis community in the United States, in 1992 and has served as a dedicated community leader, liaison and consultant to many politicians, community organizations and businesses.
As a small business owner, Annie was the managing partner of a design/build residential construction company reaching out and training and educating women for the unique workforce development. Annie's higher education career began in communications and she continues her engaging and unique style of communication with diverse audiences through speaking engagements, as a radio talk show host and guest, educational facilitator, guest lecturer, moderator and keynote speaker. Whether traveling to New Orleans to help victims in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, working in the diverse community of 5,500 people of Guadalupe, Arizona, designing youth gang prevention and building resilient and sustainable and community development program models or discovering and mapping the path for successful immigration reform, Annie has consistently demonstrated her willingness, desire and unique talent of bringing diverse and sometimes divisive individuals and groups together to find common ground. For more than 25 years Annie has worked from a transpartisan model with Independents, Libertarians, Republicans and Democrats. Most importantly, she works with people matching needs with resources — Annie is a "social architect," one who sees things that aren't quite right and tries to find solutions. During her bid for Congress, Annie relates the stories of hearing from person after person: "I want to do something but I don't know what," to "I want to get involved but I don't know what to do." The final decision for Annie that catapulted her out of the Congressional race and into the challenge of immigration reform occurred after she had convened a diverse group of distinguished community leaders from all sectors of society together to "vision map" the Politics of Fear.
The outcome was phenomenal, some believed it to be too “Kumbaya;” however many emerged with enthusiasm, a sense of purpose, and engaged and committed to moving forward in their self identified manners. After the group meeting, artist made signs, activists planned public engagement activities, a specific group of us left knowing it was time to have many meetings and define a workable process. Annie made the decision to step down from her Congressional race and assembled incredible community leaders and challenged them to conceptualize how to create paths to immigration reform.
The coalition, Voices for Civil Dialogue, was formed and since then, more than 100 meetings have taken place in less than three months with individuals and leaders from all sectors of society. From business leaders to government officials, we continue to hear: "What can we do?" and "We have tried, but continue to fail" and "We need someone to coordinate the coalitions." Loving a challenge, Annie has answered that call. Leading Voices for Civil Dialogue, a quickly growing coalition of all sectors of society, the coalition is working to create a path and process for immigration reform.
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