Meet Danielle Sonn.

Q: Please tell us a little bit about what you do here in Sedona.

A: I am the General Manager for the Hampton Inn here in Sedona. I’ve worked in hospitality for over 21 years, and I absolutely love it.

Q: How long have you lived or worked in our community?

A: I’ve been here since I was 4 years old. My family relocated us here. I experienced living in other places after high school, but was pulled back to Sedona.

Q: Who is the most interesting person you’ve met here in our community?

A: I like the film festival people, Patrick Schweiss, Glenn Scarpelli, and some others who are amazing to work with. And I also like the athletic coaches at Sedona Red Rock High School. Some of the coaches are NCAA record holders. Plus, they volunteer their time to train our kids, which is pretty exceptional.

Q: If you could choose anyone (dead or alive) with whom would you love to have lunch? Why?

A: Marilyn Monroe. She would be extremely interesting to have lunch with. She was popular at a time when women were viewed as objects as opposed to career-oriented, or even powerful, so I think her life experience would be very interesting to hear.

Q: What piece of advice changed your life?

A: “Know Your Worth”. A really good friend gave that piece of advice to me one day, while I was contemplating some major career transitions. It was one of the most effective things I heard at that time.

Q: When friends come to visit you, where do you take them?

A: Hiking. I love to hike, so any time anyone comes to visit, we hike the hidden spots, not the well-known trails that are heavily photographed. Afterwards, we like to eat out at one of the restaurants in town.

Q: Which restaurant do you like the best?

A: I am a huge fan of Javelina Cantina, because I love Mexican food. But I can’t pick an all-time favorite because it just depends on what I’ve got a taste for.

Q: How would your closest friend describe you?

A: Driven, outgoing, and social.

Q: What’s something interesting about you that most people don’t know?

A: That I’m a runner. I’ve run ultra marathons, including trail running, and I’ve completed distances up to 50 miles. It is an amazing feeling.

Q: What do you love about Sedona or the Verde Valley?

A: I love our community and culture. I love that we all came to this town from different walks of life, from different parts of the world, yet we all have something in common. Everyone’s story is magical. You can walk up to anyone in public, start a conversation, and they’ll tell you where they came from, why they’re here, and what brought them here. We’re a very friendly community.

Q: What three words come to mind when you think of the word home?

A: Comfort, Gratitude, and Love.

Q: Anything you’d like people to know about you that I haven’t asked?

A: I’d like people to know that I have a deep desire to contribute positively to our town, specifically with furthering our tourism economy, as well as strengthening the bonds within our community. Being raised here, from such a young age, has made me very community-driven. In the future, I see myself being part of impactful change for Sedona.