Athia Hardt, the owner of Hardt & Associates Public Affairs in Arizona, started her career as an award-winning news reporter for The Arizona Republic and a bylined stringer for The New York Times. She later was press secretary to Governor Bruce Babbitt, the first woman in the role. She freelanced at home while raising two daughters and writing two books — Phoenix: America's Shining Star and Arizona Waterline. Politics again beckoned and she joined the transition team of Governor Rose Mofford following the impeachment of Governor Evan Mecham. She then became a special aide to Phoenix Mayor Terry Goddard. She has a BA in journalism from Arizona State University and a MA in communications from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana.