Az Big Media will be profiling one of the Most Influential Women in Arizona for 2026 each day leading up to the celebratory dinner on August 20, 2025. Today, meet Ginger Sykes Torres, vice president of resiliency programs for Local First Arizona.
From a field of more than 2,200 women under consideration, the Most Influential Women in Arizona were selected by the editorial board of Az Business magazine and a panel of 12 former Most Influential Women. The Most Influential Women in Arizona Business for 2026 will be honored at a celebratory dinner on Aug. 20, 2026, at Chateau Luxe in Phoenix. The Spotlight Award Sponsor for the Most Influential Women of 2026 is CORE Construction, the Special Gift Sponsor is Tarbell’s, the VIP Sponsor is GCON, the VIP Reception Sponsor is Cullum Homes, the Cover Photo Shoot Sponsor is Greenberg Traurig, the Beverage Sponsor is Arizona Escrow & Financial, the Valet Sponsor in Stevens-Leinweber, the Floral Sponsor is PCL Construction, the Dessert Sponsor is SottoPelle and Tutera Medical, the 360 Photo Booth Sponsor is Clayco, the Step-and -Repeat Sponsor is Morris Hall, the Digital Sponsor is Desert Diamond Casinos, the Floral Provider is PJs Flowers and the Production Sponsor is Merestone.
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Ginger Sykes Torres, vice president of resiliency programs, Local First Arizona
Background: Ginger is vice president of resiliency programs at Local First Arizona where she leads climate, energy, and food systems initiatives, working with urban, rural, and tribal communities to foster resilience and promote the growth of enduring, local economies across the state. She has spent nearly two decades navigating environmental policy, land-use planning, renewable energy, and climate preparedness across the Western U.S. In 2022, she was appointed by the White House to serve as State Executive Director of the USDA Farm Service Agency where she championed sustainable agriculture and expanded access to federal resources. She is a mom, a proud citizen of the Navajo Nation, and a passionate advocate for issues impacting tribal communities in Arizona. She serves on the boards of the Greater Phoenix Economic Council, Heard Museum, The Nature Conservancy, Valley Leadership, and the Phoenix Environmental Quality and Sustainability Commission.
Advice to younger self: “Trust your path — success isn’t always linear. When you are in school or just starting a career it’s easy to focus only on achievement and personal success. When I became a mom, I was surprised that I wanted to step away from my career to stay home with my baby, but I trusted my path. That path led me to join local boards, respond to a humanitarian crisis, and organize a relief effort when the pandemic threatened the Navajo Nation. I didn’t realize that using my talents to strengthen my community would make me a better communicator, a stronger leader and inspire me to do more good in the world. When I returned to work, it led me in a more fulfilling professional direction than I could have ever predicted.”
Surprising fact: “I am a Native American hoop dancer, which is a traditional dance form symbolizing interconnection between human, plant, and animal relatives, and our relationship with mother earth, with dancers using hoops to make formations reflecting those sentiments. As a high schooler, I became the first female to win a world title at the Heard Museum’s World Championship Hoop Dance Contest. At the time, I didn’t realize that my victory would help pave the way for future female hoop dancers. I do my best to pass this tradition on – I co-founded a program in partnership with Ballet Arizona to offer free hoop dance classes for Native American youth across the Valley, and my three kids are now accomplished hoop dancers in their own right.”
