Lea is president of Márquez Peterson Group, a public affairs firm specializing in business development and community relations in Arizona. Lea has been an entrepreneur in the Tucson community for many years and served as the President/CEO of the Tucson Hispanic Chamber from 2009 until November of 2018. Lea is the elected Chairwoman of the Arizona Corporation Commission, which regulates utilities and business incorporation in the State. She is the first Latina to serve in a statewide role in the history of Arizona.
Lea also ran for Congress in Arizona Congressional District 2 in 2018 and won a competitive primary race. Additionally, Lea previously served as executive director for Greater Tucson Leadership and owned and operated a business brokerage firm as well as a chain of six gasoline stations/convenience stores with 50 employees in the region.
Lea was appointed by Governor Doug Ducey to co-chair the Arizona Zanjeros, a business leadership group formed to ensure the state continues to flourish economically by driving business growth and promoting Arizona’s extraordinary assets. She was selected to serve on the Governor’s Transition Team and co-chaired the subcommittee on Economic Development, Entrepreneurship and Trade. Lea has also been appointed to serve on the Arizona Judicial Council. She chairs the Board of Directors of Carondelet Hospitals and is former chair of the Pima Association of Governments Economic Vitality Committee. She also serves on the Boards of the University of Arizona Foundation and the Pima County Workforce Investment Board as well as on the national board for the United States Small Business Development Centers.
Additionally, Lea served as chairwoman of the Southern Arizona Business Roundtable, past chair of the Southern Arizona Chamber of Commerce Alliance, founder and past chair of the Pima County Small Business Commission, chairwoman of the University of Arizona Hispanic Advisory Council and past president of the NAWBO-Tucson chapter.
The Obama Administration also appointed Lea to the National Women’s Business Council, where she served for three years. Lea has been recognized with numerous awards and accolades. In addition, she is a Flinn Brown Fellow and an Honorary Rotarian. She is married with two children.