Sedona Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors
Board of Directors Nomination Form 2011 CLICK HERE
Board Member's Memorandum of Understanding 2010 CLICK HERE
Board of Directors Nomination Press Release 2010 CLICK HERE
Executive Committee
Linda Goldenstein, Chairman
A native of Arizona, born on the Hualapai Indian reservation on Route 66, Linda moved to the Sedona area in 1969 and has maintained a home here ever since. She was in the branch banking business for 12 years while raising her two young children. She then followed a job offer in Santa Fe, NM, which led her to opening the Santa Fe Craftsman's Guild, a high-end custom furniture and architectural product company. She sold the company in the late 1990's and partnered in an art gallery on Canyon Road, Santa Fe. When 911 brought down the Towers she felt it was time to return home to Sedona and to her parents, her children and her grandchildren. Linda is the Founder and President of Goldenstein Gallery in Uptown Sedona, a gallery known for it's innovative approach and sense of community. The gallery is in its 5th year of business, with a local following and collectors that span the globe. Goldenstein Gallery has worked with many charity organizations and supported the performing and visual arts such the Canyon Moon Theater and Sedona Chamber Music as well as humanitarian interests including the Verde Valley Sanctuary.
Armor Todd, Vice Chairman
Though born in Washington DC, Armor grew up in southern California, graduating from Corona Del Mar High School in Newport Beach. His first tour guide job in 1969 was aboard the Pavilion Queen, a harbor cruise boat in Newport. His first trip to Sedona was in 1970 and he knew he would live here someday. After graduating from the University of California, Berkeley in 1974, he traveled Europe and the US for several years. He lived in Chicago, New York City, Lake Tahoe, Laguna Beach and finally settled in San Francisco. However Sedona was always in the back of his mind. While in the Bay area he became involved in the fledgling sport of mountain biking eventually publishing a guidebook and owning a bike rental and touring company in Marin County. Upon selling that business in 1992, he moved to Sedona. Fate came knocking in the form of a trolley that was operated by Red Rock Jeep Tours who he worked as a guide. Learning that he had a Commercial Driver's License, the owner put him to work driving the Sedona Trolley as it was back then. He bought it a year later, starting the 'new' Sedona Trolley on September 10 1993. Since then the company has grown steadily and now operates four trolleys with seven employees. The company prides itself on being a positive and friendly part of the Sedona community.
Ralph Woellmer, Treasurer
Ralph is the owner of the Matterhorn Inn & Matterhorn Shoppes, a Sedona hotel and retail shopping plaza located in uptown Sedona. Mr. Woellmer is responsible for the operations of the Matterhorn Inn and shops and is responsible for future planning at the family owned properties. Mr. Woellmer is also the General Manager/Director of the Arroyo Roble Resort a Gold Crown Resort located in uptown Sedona.
A Sedona resident since 1979, Mr. Woellmer is actively involved in the local community, serving currently on the Board of Directors of the Sedona Main Street Program, the Sedona Lodging Council as its Past President and is an Elder at Damascus Road Community Church. Mr. Woellmer is actively working closely with the City of Sedona on various projects including the Uptown Enhancement Project, Route 179 issues and the City of Sedona/Sedona Chamber of Commerce Marketing Committee. Mr. Woellmer, in August was named as the "2007 Arizona Main Street Individual of the Year" for his work with the City of Sedona and Sedona Main Street Program over the past year.
Brenda Pakay, Secretary
Believing strongly that we should each give back to the community that we love & thrive in, Brenda previously served 6 years on the Chamber Board of Directors and several times on the executive committee. She also chaired 30 members of the Chamber Ambassadors for 2 years and even volunteered at the Chamber visitor center. As Chair of the Community Issues Committee, Brenda involved the City, Chamber, US Forest Service, Airport Management & other leaders to meet and learn of each other's important issues. She served on the "Mayor's Think Tank", which evolved into the "Focused Future" study for economic sustainability in Sedona. Brenda represented Sedona on the Central Basin Regional Economic Development Council and the Verde Valley Regional Economic Development Council.
Brenda serves on the Board of Trustees of Chamber Music Sedona and the Sedona Elk's Lodge. She was awarded "Kiwanian of the Year" by Sedona Sunrise Kiwanis. She is a Certified Master Gardener volunteer and has assisted the Yavapai County United Way Allocations Committee, since she moved to Sedona full-time in 1992. In prior years she served on the boards of the Phoenix Symphony Council and the Paradise Valley Chamber of Commerce. A Realtor since 1966, now with Coldwell Banker First Affiliate, Brenda enjoys the nurturing process involved in re-locating families to and from Sedona.
Malachy G. Wienges, Immediate Past Chairman
Mal was instrumental in forming the Sedona Chamber's Film Office in 2006. Mal also serves on the City of Sedona's Public Works Quality Assurance Committee, Sedona's Main Street Design Committee, and Saint John Vianney's Finance Committee. Last year Governor Napolitano appointed Mal to serve as an Arizona State Film Commissioner. He was also elected to, and currently serves on, the Executive Committee of The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (The Emmy Organization.) Mal spent an illustrious 31 years at the CBS Television Network. He began as a management trainee and rose to position of Vice President. Wienges is credited with originating the concept of remote production for daytime dramas when he took The Guiding Light to the Bahamas. Since then, Mal has produced more than 158 television and film productions. Mal received two National Emmys, including one for technical achievement for the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway, and a second National Emmy in 1992 for the NFL on CBS.
Wienges, an honors graduate from C.W. Post College with a B.S. in atomic and nuclear physics, obtained a Masters of Science degree in engineering management from Long Island University. Mal is President of Sedona Broadcasting, and serves as a television consultant to the Warner Brothers Television Network and IBM. Contact Mal Wienges via email.Mal was instrumental in forming the Sedona Chamber's Film Office in 2006. Mal also serves on the City of Sedona's Public Works Quality Assurance Committee, Sedona's Main Street Design Committee, and Saint John Vianney's Finance Committee.
Last year Governor Napolitano appointed Mal to serve as an Arizona State Film Commissioner. He was also elected to, and currently serves on, the Executive Committee of The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (The Emmy Organization.) Mal spent an illustrious 31 years at the CBS Television Network. He began as a management trainee and rose to position of Vice President. Wienges is credited with originating the concept of remote production for daytime dramas when he took The Guiding Light to the Bahamas. Since then, Mal has produced more than 158 television and film productions. Mal received two National Emmys, including one for technical achievement for the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway, and a second National Emmy in 1992 for the NFL on CBS. Wienges, an honors graduate from C.W. Post College with a B.S. in atomic and nuclear physics, obtained a Masters of Science degree in engineering management from Long Island University. Mal is President of Sedona Broadcasting, and serves as a television consultant to the Warner Brothers Television Network and IBM.
Board Members
David Biermann
David Biermann has a Bachelors of Science in Business Administration & Economics from St. Mary's College of California. He has been married to Angela for 20 years and they have a son Brenden 18, a freshman at U of A and a daughter Brooke 15, a sophomore at Sedona Red Rock High School. David has been in the construction business for 25 years. He established the successful Biermann Construction and Development, Inc., a commercial and residential construction company, 5 years ago. His projects have included the Chamber of Commerce Visitors Center, Village of Oak Creek Health Center, Parkway Plaza, The Fork in the Road Restaurant, Northern Arizona Rehabilitation and Fitness, Bell Rock Vista townhouses, Cathedral Hideaway Bed and Breakfast and 4 custom residences. Community involvement is important. He supports the Boys & Girls Clubs of Northern Arizona, Sedona Red Rock High School, and many other community programs.
Carol Golden
Carol was recently named Executive Director of Sedona Jazz on the Rocks, a non-profit that annually produces Sedona's well known Jazz Festival that raises funds for scholarships and other programs to support talented young Arizona jazz musicians to keep the American Jazz tradition alive. Shortly after moving to Sedona in 2002, Carol began working for Sedona Red Rock Jeep Tours as director of sales and marketing. Carol's understanding of the tourism industry and her ability to market is one of her valuable strengths. During this period Carol also served on the board of the Philanthropic Committee for Verde Valley Medical Center and was one of the original members who created the Copper Ball Fundraiser for VVMC Foundation.
Carol and her husband have three daughters, three son-in-laws, two of which are local to the Sedona area and two wonderful grand children. She enjoys hiking, singing, and playing "tea party" with her grandkids.
Mike Hermen
Mike Hermen has been a Sedona resident since 1992. He previously resided in Park City, Utah for 7 years where he was in the hotel and resort industry. He has been the director of Sales & Marketing at Pink Jeep Tours for ten years. Mike is a previous member of the Destination Marketing Program and has represented the Sedona Chamber of Commerce at trade events in Germany and Canada. He is very active in the community and currently serves as a board member of the Sedona Chamber of Commerce, the Village of Oakcreek Association, and the Sedona Main Street Program, and also chairs the Business Enhancement Committee of the Sedona Main Street Program. Mike and his wife Heather live in the Village of Oakcreek.
Annika Jackson
Annika Jackson is the Managing Director of Enchantment Resort and Mii amo spa in Sedona's stunning Boynton Canyon. Enchantment Resort is a member of The Leading Hotels of the World, and offers 220 guest accommodations and a vast array of amenities and activities including enjoy hiking, tennis, swimming, and mountain biking. Enchantment Resort & Mii amo Spa provides jobs for 400-500 residents of Sedona and the surrounding communities. As Vice President of the Enchantment Group, the management company of Enchantment Resort and Mii amo, Annika assists with spa and resort development and management services to owners and developers. Her primary responsibilities include assembling and managing the teams to assisting with design and construction phases, creating property-specific programming, determining appropriate services, and working with marketing teams to launch and position new or renovated spas and resorts as the company grows their portfolio. In addition she lends her expertise to the Tides Inn, another award-winning Enchantment Group property located in Virginia. Previously, Jackson was the opening general manager of Mii amo, the first-ever destination spa to be combined with a resort community. Under Jackson's leadership since its opening in January 2001, Mii amo has received high praise and accolades, including being named the "World's Best Destination Spa" and the "#1 Resort Spa in Arizona" by readers of Travel + Leisure and Condé Nast Traveler. Born in Stockholm, Jackson offers extensive language and managerial skills acquired during nearly 20 years of working in the hotel and travel industry in Europe, the Caribbean and the United States. Prior to joining the Enchantment team, Jackson was general manager of L'Auberge de Sedona, a 56 -room luxury resort in Sedona. Jackson has been a Sedona resident since 1996 and lives with her husband and 3-year-old son in West Sedona.
Mary Ann Johnson
Mary was raised in Phoenix. Sedona was always a second home after her mother, Viola Shirley, moved to Sedona in 1967 and opened her first antique and furniture business at the 'Y'. Mary Ann graduated from high school in Phoenix and attended the University of Houston, TX receiving a Bachelors of Business degree. She moved permanently to Sedona in 1995 and took over Saddlerock Barn Consignments. For over 22 years Saddlerock Barn Consignments has assisted Sedona and Verde Valley residents in selling their furniture, antiques and treasures. As the area grew, Mary Ann opened a second location on Southwestern Drive in West Sedona to better serve her customers, handle larger furniture pieces and more consignment merchandise. The Southwest Drive location was bursting at the seams in less than a year. Having faith in the local business community and growth in the area, Mary Ann moved the business to the Bashas Shopping Center in September 2003. The original location also remains open on Saddlerock Circle in West Sedona.
Lonnie Lillie
Lonnie Lillie graduated high school in June of 1984 and moved to Sedona one week later. His first job was a bus boy at the Hideaway Restaurant. In three years Lonnie worked his way up into assistant manager and shortly after became manager. Married in 1990 Lonnie and Lori now have two children, Ryan and Rachel. Lonnie maintained the manager position at the Hideaway Restaurant through the year 2000. In January 2001Lonnie's father-in-law Leon Lunsway retired as General Manager of the "Best Western Arroyo Roble Hotel. Lonnie accepted the offer of General Manager from the Evans family and proudly maintains the position at the present time. Through the Best Western International Lonnie has had the opportunity to further his education and has since received certification as a "Certified Hospitality Sale Professional" and a "Certified Hospitality Administrator".
Wendy Lippman
In 1998, Wendy Lippman was living in Manhattan after 4 years as national sales manager for the footwear division of Tommy Hilfiger. She was burning out, boarding planes nearly every day of the week, and missed the sunshine of her native city of Los Angeles. As a consequence, Wendy jumped at the opportunity to move to Sedona and manage Tlaquepaque Arts and Crafts Village. A graduate of Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri with a double major in French and Art History, Wendy worked as a retail buyer for Macy's in San Francisco prior to being hired by Hilfiger in New York. Fast forward eleven years and Wendy, Tlaquepaque 's resident partner and general manager, is proud to be an owner of what the community refers to as the "Art and Soul" of Sedona. While Wendy is responsible for Tlaquepaque's accounting, marketing, leasing, event planning and property maintenance and development, she dabbles in other business interests as well. From 2002 to 2006, she and her husband Max Bacon owned and operated Don Hoel's Cabins in Oak Creek Canyon. Most recently, Wendy opened up her own specialty toy store, in May 2009, called Tlaquepaque Toy Town. The store is another "reality check" to see what is happening in our market place as well as offers a wonderful and creative diversion. Wendy also believes in working and giving back in the community - she was a past President for the Verde Valley Sanctuary, sat on the Board of the Chamber of Commerce and she is the current treasurer of the Sedona Gallery Association. Wendy is interested in leading a healthy lifestyle. She lists hiking, running, weight training and yoga as passions. And of course, her two year golden retriever, Floyd, is her best buddy and mascot at Tlaquepaque.
Doug McDaniel
Doug has extensive experience with governmental organizations, serving as Regional Director coordinating Federal, State, Education, and Labor programs; and as Director of a County Economic Development program. He focused this experience as a Lead Consultant for the May Company out of Chicago, specializing in saving small and midsized companies in danger of failing throughout Western Canada and the U.S., into Latin America, and later, in his own consulting company.
Today, Doug is a Financial Advisor with the Edward Jones Company, helping individuals and companies set goals and use financial assets to achieve the proper risk/reward balance to succeed. He specializes in Benefit Packages for smaller companies to help attract and retain quality employees in a tightening job market. He also serves on many civic/business organizations (Chamber of Commerce Board, President/ Village Business Association, Kiwanis, and others)
Michele Moore
Born in Los Angeles, first generation raised on the west coast, most of my family is from New York. I attended San Diego State University for a short period as I wanted to work in Hollywood. In 1986 I moved to LA and put myself through beauty school so I could work with the "STARS". In 1993 I met my husband on a Film in Cleveland, Ohio. While working in the Film Business I started a mobile coffee business on the side that I relocated to Sedona in 1994. I decided to retire from the Film industry after 7 years. In 1997 I opened my current restaurant of 11 years "the Marketplace Cafe". I currently supervise and provide jobs for 25-30 employees. I recently opened an international Travel Business with a growing team. I enjoy studying marketing, finance and well being. I enjoy helping others succeed beyond their wildest dreams. I have been a member of the Chamber of Commerce since 1994.
Paul Zienka
Paul Zienka and his family have lived in the Verde Valley since 1996. For the past 11 years he has served as Branch Manager and Vice President of the M&I Bank in Sedona. His contributions as project leader at M&I includes the creation and maintenance of a statewide employee training, sales recognition and reward program. His involvement in the Verde Valley has included Chairman of Verde Baptist Church and youth leader, work with the Sedona International Film Festival, and various other nonprofits in town. As a team member with M&I Bank he has organized and directed M&I Bank's annual Community Day that helps various charities. Paul considers his three children his greatest accomplishment with whom he, and his beloved wife of twenty years, spend most of their spare time. Known for his leadership skills, Paul is anxious to expand his contributions to the Sedona Chamber.