Kiana Maria is an award-winning speaker and co- author of “Empowering Women to Succeed by Turning Tragedy into Triumph”. Kiana Maria Sears is also a well known civil rights and community leader who believes that K-12 public education, economic and climate justice are the most essential issues in the United States of America.
KianaMaria has dedicated her life to the field of public administration and public service receiving a Master of Public Administration from Arizona State University. KianaMaria is the founder and architect of the” RISE Leadership Institute” at Arizona State University, which celebrates and nurtures the educational excellence of Black and African American scholars as they prepare for their collegiate pursuits.
As a proud Black woman, Kiana Maria believes and advocates for Black people and especially Black women, to be in places of leadership and governance in every field of modern society. Kiana Maria serves in her second term as the only minority and the 1st African American woman to be elected to the Mesa Public Schools’ Governing Board and has served on numerous national boards and commissions over the last decade.
The love of community and ensuring the wellness of being community inspires KianaMaria to extend herself to also serve as the President of the East Valley NAACP. Ms. Sears is extremely passionate about public policy and truly believes “ to whom much is given much is required’ and the best way she can thank our ancestors is to live a life of service that upholds the work of those whom came before and to live the life of their dreams.