2026 Greater Sedona Chamber Board of Directors
The Greater Sedona Chamber of Commerce & Tourism Bureau’s Board of Directors meets regularly on the fourth Thursday of the month from 7:30 – 9:30 a.m. At the beginning of the meeting, there is an allotted time for member/public comment. Please fill out the Request to Speak form and hand it to the Chairperson or CEO at the beginning of the meeting.
Cheryl Barron
Chair
Whispering Creek B&B
Cheryl is the owner of the Whispering Creek B&B. A Sedona resident since 2015, Mrs. Barron came from Washington DC where she was a Regional Manager for multiple brands within Marriott overseeing the total operations with the focus on Quality Assurance. Previous to that she worked in many cities throughout the US opening Marriott Hotels with an emphasis on Residence Inn's and Courtyard Brands. Cheryl has worked for major chains such as Marriott, Hilton, Best Western and Sheraton Hotels and started her career in Denver while attending the University of Colorado. Married in 1992, Cheryl and Joe have two daughters, Stephanie and Karina and are now empty nesting with their two dogs, Cooper & Leo. For fun, they take full advantage of their Marriott benefits and travel the world.
Lonnie Lillie
Vice Chair
Aiden by Best Western
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 2000. In January 2001, Lonnie's father-in-law Leon Lunsway retired as General Manager of the Best Western PLUS Arroyo Roble Hotel and Creekside Villas. Lonnie was the General Manager at the Best Western from 2001 to 2017, where he received certification as a "Certified Hospitality Sale Professional" and a "Certified Hospitality Administrator." In 2015 Lonnie was Arizona Hotelier of the Year. He is currently the General Manager at Aiden by Best Western. For over a decade he has served on numerous business committees throughout the greater Sedona region.
Julie Richard
Treasurer
Sedona Arts Center
Julie Richard is the CEO of the Sedona Arts Center. She most recently held the position of the Executive Director of the Maine Arts Commission which is a government agency that supports and promotes the arts. Prior to her work in Maine, she held the position of president & CEO of the West Valley Arts Council which operates in the West Valley of Greater Phoenix, Arizona and Executive Director of the Metropolitan Arts Council in Greenville, South Carolina. Julie earned BS degrees in Psychology and Music and a MA in Business from the University of Wisconsin Madison. Previous positions include Managing Director of Tulsa Opera in Tulsa, Oklahoma; Managing Director of Syracuse Opera in Syracuse, New York; and Executive Director of the Cayuga Community College Foundation in Auburn, New York. She has held positions on numerous boards and has presented at many national conferences on topics such as board governance, strategic and cultural planning, fundraising, arts education programming, marketing the arts and more.
Ed Rose
Secretary
Sedona-Oak Creek Airport Authority
I have been employed in the field of Airport Management for 39 years. I've worked at airports in New York, Texas, California, North Carolina, and now Arizona. I've worked with Law Enforcement, Emergency Services, local governments, economic development corporations, military, Tourism Promotion Agencies, and Chambers of Commerce to target markets for use of the airport facilities and for special events. I'm co-founder of the Great Hudson Valley Balloon Race and The Autumn Warbird Fly-In. Both events were located in Southern New York. I served as President of the New York Airport Manager's Association which included the Port Authority of NY /NJ, Capital District Transportation Authority, Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority, I operated my own Guide business for 20 years, Outdoor Services of the Hudson Valley, sharing my passion for the outdoors through hiking, camping, hunting, fishing, rock and ice climbing, and remote kayaking adventures. I'm super keen on protecting our environment. I'm a husband, father of four, and grandfather of two. Public speaking is part of my everyday duties. I'm very community minded and seek to increase the airport's utility and contribution to the community through cultivated partnerships.
Mike Wise
Ex-Officio, Immediate Past Chair
Realty ONE Group Mountain Desert
Mike Wise is an active realtor serving residential and commercial properties in Sedona and the Verde Valley with Realty ONE Group Mountain Desert and is co-owner of the Sycamore Group.
He serves on the Sedona Economic Diversification Team and the Cottonwood Economic Development Council. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from La Sierra University.
Mike holds vintage roots in Sedona. In 1955, Mike moved to Sedona with his mother and father. His father was an excavator/earth mover responsible for building many roads, such as Soldiers Pass Road and Mountain Shadows Drive, building sites, and athletic fields in the area, including the ball field at Posse Grounds Park. The late 1960s saw difficult economic times in Sedona, and the family moved away. Mike returned to Sedona with his family in 2004.
Due to Mike’s early experiences in Sedona, his degree and real estate licensing, he is passionate about economic development and quality of life in Sedona and the Verde Valley. When he is not out within the community, he enjoys cycling, mountain bike riding, and skiing. These interests make Sedona just about the perfect place to live.
Brett Labit
Creative Gateways
Brett Labit is the founder and Chief Empowerment Officer of TribeUp. President and partner of Creative Gateways Art Galleries in Sedona, Arizona. A speaker, trainer, author, and coach.
He began his professional life in small business and eventually translated his skills to be an effective coach to small struggling owners. He has a track record of bringing clarity, a plan, and execution to stuck or starting organizations that are striving to hit their next milestones.
Through a unique experiment in 2012, Brett grew significant influence and impact without social media and was one of the first six-figure monetized influencers being paid by companies such as Chick Fil A and BMW, along with many others. This earned him an interview and article published by the Huffington Post that referred to him as “The Evolution of Business Networking”. He has also coached candidates for high offices on building their tribe.
Al Comello
Comello Media Services
Al Comello is a seasoned marketing professional and community leader with deep roots in Sedona. As the owner of Comello Media Services, he has managed a variety of marketing projects, including website development, branding, and promotional campaigns. His expertise has helped businesses and organizations throughout the region connect effectively with their audiences.
Ryan Glass
The Blazin' M Ranch
Ryan Glass is the Cowboy in Charge at the Blazin’ M Ranch in Cottonwood, Arizona. He welcomes guests three to five nights a week at the family-owned western-themed dinner theater and even performs in their Country Western show! Ryan received his bachelor’s degree from NYU in theater and went on to produce and direct for film and television. After his stint in entertainment at an early age, Ryan decided to pursue a different career path as an educator and became a successful high school algebra teacher in the South Bronx of New York. After nine years in education, Ryan decided it was time to change paths once again, which eventually led him to Prescott and then to Cottonwood. There, he and his family bought the Blazin’ M Ranch from Lori and Dan Mabery. The Blazin’ M has been a Sedona Chamber member for over 30 years and Ryan is proud to continue the legacy of the fun, family-friendly entertainment that the Mabery’s brought to the Verde Valley.
Gary Glenn
The Sedona Image Maker
Gary Glenn has lived in Sedona full time for 4 years and has quickly become a recognizable contributor to the community. Gary is a professional photographer specializing in Event Photography and Personality Portrait Photography.
Gary lived and worked in Australia for 40 years, working as a professional public speaker and business consultant. His experience gave the opportunity to intimately view hundreds of businesses and work with them with the aim to build their sales processes, their management practices and their staff motivation.
Gary's introduction to Sedona occurred when he had a Film accepted in the Sedona International Film Festival in 2013 and he visited here, from Australia, almost every month before moving here full time in 2016.
Throughout his career as a speaker and consultant, Gary has worked as a professional imagemaker specializing in photography and video.
Eben Hartzenberg
Bennali Management Group
Eben Hartzenberg is an entrepreneur who is passionate about business and loves Sedona. For the past 30 years he has operated in multiple fields including banking and finance, the automotive industry and specialty retail. During the last three decades he developed and honed a strong set of skills that are necessary to effectively manage a healthy business. Hartzenberg has a proven track record of successfully running multimillion dollar enterprises, both in the United States and abroad. In Sedona, he and his wife currently own and operate seven well-known retail locations in Uptown and Tlaquepaque. The Hartzenberg business vision is to create an exceptional shopping experience for Sedona visitors, and it is their mission to educate and elevate their nearly 50 employees.
KC Kinsey
Hilton Sedona Resort at Bell Rock
KC Kinsey has been a full-time resident of the Village of Oak Creek with his wife Sunni since September 2018. As General Manager for the largest resort property in the Sedona/VOC area, he is responsible for all aspects of the day-to-day operations at the Hilton Sedona Resort, eForea Spa and the Sedona Athletic Club. Prior to relocating to Sedona, he was a resident of the greater Palm Springs area for 18 years where he and his wife raised their two children. KC has operated some of the finest resorts on the West Coast, including the Historic Waldorf Astoria La Quinta Resort & Club and PGA WEST. His hospitality career of 30 plus years includes Executive level positions in Sales, Marketing, Membership, and Operations at Convention Hotels to Boutique Resorts. In addition, he has overseen major capital renovations and property conversions, most recently being selected by Hilton to lead the conversion in Las Vegas of the Mandarin Oriental to Waldorf Astoria. In 2015, and continuing through today, KC was asked to join the Board of Directors for the Warburton, an annual three day Gala Event that benefits St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital; and to date has generated $17 Million Dollars to treat and defeat childhood cancer and other lifethreatening diseases. In addition, he has served on several tourism councils, community boards, and steering committees in the various destinations he has resided within. He is a graduate of USC Marshall School of Business and enjoys spending his free time hiking with his wife in our beautiful destination.
Leslie McLean
Pink Jeep Tours
Leslie moved to Phoenix, Arizona as an infant and has been a Sedona resident for 25 years. She began the first two years of her career in Phoenix door-to-door copier/facsimile sales. Shortly thereafter, she joined the Management Trainee program at Enterprise Rent-A-Car. She worked in what were two of the busiest locations in the Valley. There she gained experience in the customer service industry working in the rental car dealership/service industry as well as the airport car rental side of the business. After being promoted to Management Assistant, she transferred to the Sedona branch. After hearing such great things about a pillar company in Sedona, Pink Jeep Tours, she accepted a position as Customer Service Representative. In 2005 she moved into Group Sales. In 2008 she was promoted to Group Sales Manager. For over 20 years now, Leslie has enjoyed being an integral part of America’s first Jeep tour where she continues to enjoy creating memories worth repeating for family reunions, corporate retreats, weddings and more! Leslie, husband, Robert McLean and daughter Kaylee McLean, reside in the Village of Oak Creek.
Frank Sanderson
APS
Frank Sanderson is the Northern Arizona Division Director at Arizona Public Service (APS). He is an experienced operations and distribution manager with over 15 years of progressive leadership within APS, specializing in reliability, strategic planning, and utility operations across generation, transmission, and distribution.
Mithat Evirgen
Mercer's Kitchen
Mithat Evirgen is a seasoned restaurateur with 30+ years of global hospitality experience, from Royal Caribbean cruise ships to leading 5-diamond dining at JW Marriott Camelback Resort and directing restaurants and bars at the Grand Sheraton in Phoenix.
He made Sedona home in 2012 and, alongside his close partner and celebrated chef Mercer Mohr, has built a collection of restaurants loved by both locals and visitors, along with a thriving events and catering division.
Known for his warm, hands-on leadership and passion for creating welcoming spaces, Mithat continues to develop new concepts, event venues, and community-focused projects while staying deeply involved in the guest experience and the teams who bring it to life.
Mark Tufte
Pinnacle Bank
Mark is a native-born Arizonian. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Management and has been in Banking for over 26 years. He is Branch President with Pinnacle Bank, and recently played a key role in opening the Sedona office in 2022. His primary functions at Pinnacle Bank are branch oversight, commercial lending and residential construction financing. He is excited to get involved in Sedona and thinks the Sedona Chamber is a great place to start.
Anette Spickard
City Liason, City of Sedona
Anette Spickard has served as the City Manager since April 2024. Sedona functions under a Council-Manager form of government in which the City Manager is appointed by the Mayor and City Council, and reports directly to the elected officials. As the City’s chief administrative officer, Anette is responsible for carrying out policy enacted by the Council, overseeing the administration of the City, and maintaining intergovernmental relationships. She also oversees the City’s Annual operating budget of $106 million.
Hailing from McCall, Idaho, Anette brings over 25 years of public service experience, including six years as McCall's City Manager. In McCall, she addressed challenges like those in Sedona such as workforce housing and balancing resident quality of life in a tourism-driven economy. Her background includes roles as Lane County Assessor and Community Development Director for Springfield, Oregon.
Anette has served as a Board Member for the McCall Area Chamber of Commerce, focusing on economic empowerment, and was a member of the McCall Art & Humanities Council. She holds a Master's Degree in Public Administration from the University of Washington and a Bachelor's Degree in Business Management from Loyola Marymount University.