For Immediate Release
January 13, 2010
EMILY’s List Endorses Felecia Rotellini for Attorney
General and Penny Kotterman for Superintendent of Public
Instruction in Arizona
WASHINGTON, D.C. – EMILY’s List, the nation’s largest financial resource for women
candidates, today announced its endorsement of Felecia Rotellini for Attorney General and Penny
Kotterman for Superintendent of Public Instruction in Arizona.
“We are thrilled to support Felecia Rotellini and Penny Kotterman – two great Arizona women
running for statewide office,” said Jonathan Parker, EMILY’s List Political Director. “For years,
both women have been at the forefront of the issues critical to Arizona families. I know that they
will make great public servants for the people of Arizona.”
“As Superintendent of the state banking department, Felecia Rotellini earned a reputation as a
tireless advocate and a voice for victims of consumer fraud. Working with then-Governor Janet
Napolitano, Felecia worked to confront the developing crisis in home mortgage lending by beefing
up enforcement and making loan officers more accountable. She also gained notoriety for her work
as the state’s lead litigator in its investigation of Arthur – Andersen returning a $217 million
settlement to investors who had been swindled in a ponzi scheme. As Attorney General, Felecia will
always put the safety of the people of Arizona first.”
“With over 30 years in education, Penny Kotterman is clearly the best choice for Superintendent of
Public Instruction,” said Parker. “As President of the Arizona Education Association for six years,
she worked with Governors Janet Napolitano and Jane Hull to build the policies that are central to
education in Arizona today, including AZ Learns, Arizona’s school accountability system. Penny’s
accomplishments and experience in education clearly set her apart from her opponents.”
Felecia Rotellini is a veteran prosecutor and consumer advocate with over 23 years of experience in
private and public law. In 1992, after six years in private practice as a trial attorney, Felecia joined the
Arizona Attorney General’s Office where she gained experience in both the Civil and Criminal
Divisions. An early voice warning of the home mortgage lending crisis, Felecia cracked down on the
banking industry. She partnered with HUD and formed the Mortgage Fraud Task Force that united
regulatory agencies and city, state and federal law enforcement. In August 2009, Felecia received the
“Excellence in Cooperative Law Enforcement” Award, from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, for her
agency’s participation in “Operation Cash Back” that indicted 36 individuals involved in mortgage
fraud.
Penny Kotterman is a lifelong teacher, teacher trainer, and teacher mentor. She served as the
President of the Arizona Education Association for six years. Currently, Kotterman is the Associate
Director of New Programs and Policy at the Arizona K-12 Center, where she develops and oversees
professional development for educators statewide. In this capacity she has provided policy advice
and support for former Governor Napolitano’s committee on teacher quality, the Arizona P-20
council, and the State Board of Education, among others.
EMILY’s List is the nation’s largest financial resource for women candidates. EMILY’s List’s
Political Opportunity Program (POP) helps pro-choice Democratic women run and win for state
and local office. Since the program started in 2001, POP has helped elect hundreds of women across
the country.
In the 2007-2008 cycle, EMILY’s List raised more than $43 million to support its mission of
recruiting and supporting women candidates, helping them build strong campaigns, and mobilizing
women voters to turn out and vote. With more than 100,000 members across the country, EMILY’s
List is one of the largest political action committees in the nation. Since its founding in 1985,
EMILY’s List has worked to elect 80 pro-choice Democratic women to the U.S. House, 15 to the
U.S. Senate, nine governors, and hundreds of women to the state legislatures, state constitutional
offices, and other key local offices.
For more information on EMILY’s List, please visit www.emilyslist.org.
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For more information contact:
Matt Burgess
press@emilyslist.org
Office: (202) 326-1400