Mila Besich was elected Mayor of the Town of Superior in 2016, and previously served on the Superior Town Council since 2013. As a lifelong resident of the community, Mila has devoted her life to public service and volunteerism to advancing education, community and economic development in Superior and the entire Copper Corridor region of Arizona.

As Mayor of Superior, she has provided strong and focused leadership in galvanizing the residents and businesses of Superior and neighboring rural communities to identify and capitalize on opportunities as well as to resolve or minimize economic, environmental and social challenges.

Preserving the majestic natural environment of Superior and the entire Copper Corridor region of Arizona, Mayor Besich has played a key role in leading her community through the Resolution Copper Environmental Impact Statement and also tackled many significant infrastructure and budget challenges for her town. As Mayor and also as Executive Director of the Copper Corridor Coalition, she was the driving force in assembling a regional coalition from this region to apply for a U.S. EPA brownfields grant for Phases 1 and 2 that encompasses seven historic and active mining communities. In addition, Mila is leading the implementation of rainwater capture gardens to return water to Superior’s natural aquifers. She presently is negotiating with Resolution Copper Mining Company the return of water flows to Queen Creek to repair the damage from previous mining operations to the aquifer in this important body of water. Because of climate-caused natural disasters that hit states like Arizona particularly hard, Mila also has advocated for and led the implementation of firebreaks surrounding the Town of Superior and the Boyce Thompson Arboretum.

During what has been characterized as one of the most complex EIS processes, she led her team and council to develop a series of long-standing agreements for mitigations regarding water, infrastructure and socioeconomic measures to ensure the mining project would have a positive impact on her community. As part of her work on behalf of her own community and the surrounding rural communities, Mila has testified to the U.S. House of Representatives Natural Resources Committee to advocate for responsible mining.

On the professional front, Mila Besich is a proven entrepreneur and business leader, using her many talents to establish and grow several business enterprises. Since founding her company, Miracle Executive Services in 2004, she has delivered project management, administration, event planning and marketing expertise to more than a dozen small businesses, non-profits and governmental entities in Arizona. Mila also serves as the Advertising Director and a reporter for the Copper Area News publishers.

Collaborating, communicating and connecting groups and organizations for the greater good are critical skills that Mila utilizes to accomplish the many projects she manages in her public service, volunteer leadership and business engagements.

On the hospitality and tourism front, Mila has been actively involved in several projects in the Copper Corridor including: the opening and management of the Caboose Visitor Center; a founding member of the Legends of Superior Trail Inc. where she volunteers as the Executive Director. She is also committed to helping the Copper Corridor area diversify its economy by developing regional tourism programs as the Executive Director for the Copper Corridor Economic Development Coalition.

She has been a much sought-after speaker for state and national organizations, including the International Trail Symposium, the Arizona Trails Symposium, the National Scenic and Historic Trails Conference, Governors Conference of Tourism, Rural Policy Forum, the Arizona League of Cities and Towns and the National League of Cities Hispanic Elected Officials Summer Leadership conference.

As an actively engaged member of the community and region, Mila has a pulse on rural communities and their needs. She was the founding chairperson of the Superior Optimist Club, and currently serves as Vice-Chair of the Pinal County Regional Transportation Authority, and is a member of the board of directors for the Boyce Thompson Arboretum and Rebuild Superior Inc.  She has served in leadership positions for the Superior Chamber of Commerce, the Superior Little League and the Superior High School Hall of Fame Committee.

Mila also is a member of the Executive Committee for the League of Arizona Cities and Towns and serves as the Vice President of the organization. She is a member of the National League of Cities Energy, Environment and Natural Resources Committee and was appointed to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Small Communities Local Government Advisory Committee.

In 2014, Mila was awarded the Valle del Sol Exemplary Leadership award, recognizing her for her leadership in her community and region. She is a Flinn Brown Fellow and Graduate of the Valle del Sol Hispanic Leadership Institute. In 2021, she was honored as the Central Arizona Champion within the Flinn Brown Network. She has a bachelor’s degree in communications from Grand Canyon University.

Mila is a mother of two adult children and enjoys traveling with her family.