Q: What inspired you to do what you do?
A: I came to Sedona in 2013 and worked until 2017. I became much more involved in the community at that time. I was in Hawaii and would come back to Sedona often. I was never in one place long enough to get involved in the community, except the arts. I’m passionate about the arts. When I moved to Sedona, I reached out to the Sedona Art Center to be a volunteer. Within a few short months, I was appointed to the Board of Directors. Currently, I am the president of the Sedona Arts Center – since June 2019. I will be leaving that term in a couple of months and retiring from the board, but I’ve been in service on that board for eight years. I also joined the Rotary Club of Sedona, and I was president of our local club in 2019. I also joined the board of the Sedona Women. Sedona Women will always have a special place in my heart.
Q: What do you like about Sedona Women?
A: When we moved here, we knew no one except for our real estate agent. It was a great place to meet women and to get involved. It has everything that you could want.
Q: How’d you end up on the city council?
A: I think there was an ad in the Red Rock News, 2014, thereabouts that the city was looking for an overarching group, I applied, and they asked me if I would serve the Citizen’s Budget Advisory Group. For five years, I served on that group, as well as a fiscal sustainability workgroup. We looked at home rule and how the city should approach that subject. As a result of being involved in these committees, I was asked to run for council.
Q: What is the one trait you consider essential to your success?
A: Passion and commitment. When I get involved in something, it speaks to me.
Q: What keeps you motivated?
A: What keeps me motivated is when I see progress made.
Q: How long have you lived or worked in Sedona?
A: Seven and a half years.
Q: What advice would you give to people?
A: It’s important to get the facts straight, and then we can determine whether we agree or disagree. What I noticed is that some people don’t listen. So my advice is to hear what is being said and then communicate clearly.
Q: Who is the most interesting person you’ve met here in Sedona?
A: There are so many interesting people here. I have a lot of respect for many people, but one person who was a great mentor was Barbara Littrell.
Q: What are a couple of your favorite restaurants in Sedona?
A: My new favorite restaurant is the Shorebird, and I love their tuna burger. Another favorite restaurant is Elote, and I like the new location.
Q: What is something on your bucket list?
A: We’re going on a trip to Egypt and Jordan next year, and that is a bucket list item. Even though I traveled for years and years, travel is still one of my favorite things to do because it’s educational for me. I love meeting different people and experiencing their cultures.
Q: When friends or family come to visit, where do you take them?
A: We go hiking, which is getting more and more challenging to do. We will take people to the wineries or the Mary Fisher Theater, and we’ve gone on kayak trips on the Verde River. Sometimes it’s just about looking at Thunder Mountain from my porch and having a glass of wine. When my sister visited a couple of years ago, we even went to Bryce and Zion.
Q: What do you do for fun?
A: I like to read, walk, hike, and swim. I enjoy studying different issues or problems and try to find solutions. Even when I’m relaxing, my mind is going a mile a minute. And I love going to the movies, which I’ve finally done after a year.
Q: What is your favorite music?
A: I like jazz and classical music. There’s almost no music that I don’t like. I love going to concerts, and I miss that.
