Tohono Chul
7366 North Paseo del Norte
Tucson, AZ 85704
ph: (520) 742-6455
fax: 520-797-1213
General inquiries: info@tohonochul.org
Donation requests: philanthropy@tohonochul.org
Media requests: marketing@tohonochul.org
Membership inquiries: membership@tohonochul.org
Event inquiries: eventdept@tohonochul.org
Staff
Administrative Offices
Jamie Maslyn Larson
Executive Director x. 212
executiveDirector@tohonochul.org
Ethan Cox
Director of Strategic Growth x. 260
ecox@tohonochul.org
Nicollette Daly
Director of Finance x. 243
ndaly@tohonochul.org
Rae Vassar
Director of Operations x. 219
rvassar@tohonochul.org
Katy Shaw
Human Resources Manager x. 221
humanResources@tohonochul.org
Denise Wiscount
Accounting & Payroll Manager x. 216
accounting@tohonochul.org
Hailey Cheek
Marketing & Communications Manager x. 222
marketing@tohonochul.org
Guest Services
Linda Wolfe
Director of Guest Services x. 213
museumShops@tohonochul.org
Exhibits, Education & Volunteers
James Schaub
Director of Arts & Engagement x. 218
education@tohonochul.org
Karen Hayes
Assistant Curator of Exhibits & Collections Manager x. 217
exhibits@tohonochul.org
Stephen Spikes
Interpretive Programs Manager x. 235
docent@tohonochul.org
Vivianna Sanchez
Public Programs Manager x. 228
Facilities
Ryan Trimpe
Facilities Manager
520-742-6455
Philanthropy & Membership
Frank Vidal
Philanthropy Manager x. 261
philanthropy@tohonochul.org
Doreen Wolf
Membership Coordinator x. 246
membership@tohonochul.org
Retail Greenhouse & Gardens
Hanna Blood
Propagation Manager x. 239
Chris Kibler
Senior Gardener x. 232
Events & Event Rentals
Sylvia Verbais
Community Programs Manager
sverbais@tohonochul.org
Erika Segura
Events Coordinator
eventdept@tohonochul.org
Visit our Private Events page for more information!
Board of Directors
Sasha Case | Board Chair
California native and world traveler, Sasha has called Oro Valley home since 2011. As an artist, educator, and environmentalist, she has always found solace and sanctuary in the exquisite, complex beauty of nature. Being a part of the TCP team, bringing the Wilsons vision to an ever-growing audience is both an honor and a delight.
Expertise: Arts, community outreach
Affiliation: Independent artist and Arts Educator
Andy Swarthout | Treasurer
Andy is the former CEO of Bear Creek Mining Corporation. He is a graduate of the University of Arizona with a degree in Economic Geology from the College of Earth Sciences. He has been a member of Tohono Chul since 1976 and has served on the board for ten years. He also currently serves on the boards of four public companies in Canada and the United States. Andy brings many years of expertise in corporate finance as well as mineral exploration geology.
Expertise: Geology, finance
Affiliation: Retired Chief Executive Officer of Bear Creek Mining Corporation
Jamie Maslyn Larson, FASLA
Jamie is the Executive Director of Tohono Chul and an award-winning landscape architect whose career has focused on creating transformative public spaces for people to enjoy. Her commitment to creating inclusive community engagement processes and innovative ideas insures that projects not only look good, but perform better socially, environmentally and economically.
Expertise: Landscape architecture, masterplanning
Affiliation: Current Executive Director of Tohono Chul
Rodney Pond
Rodney has a 30+ year career as an ecologist, horticulturalist, natural resource manager, and educator. He holds a MS in Forest Resources from the University of Washington and has approached his life work with a passion for nurturing mutual healing between people and our ecosystems through hands-on restoration and sustainable gardening and farming. Rodney is currently working on a MS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling through Prescott College to refocus his life work on alleviating human trauma through meaningful reciprocal healing relationships with the land.
Expertise: Ecology, environmentalism, mental health
Affiliation: Tohono Chul Planning Committee and Governance Committee
Charlotte Cordes | Vice Chair
Charlotte’s expertise lies in Education (Biology) and Fundraising. Charlotte has been a longtime supporter of Tohono Chul, as a retired Docent, she lends her expertise now to our Philanthropy Committee supporting the fundraising goals of the organization. Charlotte is also a member of the American Guild of Organists.
Expertise: Education (Biology), fundraising
Affiliation: Retired Director of Foundation Relations at Claremont McKenna College, Retired Docent (Tohono Chul)
Penny Crutchfield
Penny moved from North Carolina to an older home near Tohono Chul Park in 1979. She often went to the Haunted Book Store and walked around the area regularly. She was one of the first members of TCP and later became a docent. Her professional career was as a CPA, first for a public accounting firm and later at the University of Arizona and retired in 2004 as the Associate Controller after 18 years.
Expertise: Finance
Affiliation: Retired from the University of Arizona in 2004 where she served in Financial Services for 18 years as Associate Controller.
Koren Manning
Koren is Deputy Director for the City of Tucson Department of Planning and Development Services, where she helps advance community goals of sustainability, equity, and economic vitality. She is a graduate of Catalina Foothills and the UA and returned to Tucson in 2018 after living in Brooklyn, NY for over a decade.
Expertise: Sustainability, equity, development
Affiliation: City of Tucson Department of Planning and Development
Penny Poynter
Penny joined the Tohono Chul board in 2022. She was the Director of Finance at Tohono Chul previously to joining the board. She now works in the Finance department of TMC Healthcare.
Expertise: Finance
Affiliation: Former Director of Finance at Tohono Chul
Jacquelyne Mingle | Secretary
Jacquelyne is an estate planning attorney at Moeller & Conway, PLLC. Her J.D. is from the University of Arizona and undergraduate degree from the University of Kansas. Before law school, she was a journalist at USA Today. She and spouse Stephen live in Oro Valley in a house evenly divided between dogs and cats.
Expertise: Estate planning, law
Affiliation: Fleming & Curti, PLC
Stephan Donovan
Stephan has lived in Boston, Manhattan, Madrid, Mexico City, Chicago and now resides in Oro Valley. He speaks Spanish and Portuguese. He spent twenty years in computers and banking in Massachusetts, New York, and Chicago. In Chicago he later spent 20 years in Development and Fundraising. He was the founding Executive Director of AIDS Walk Chicago in 1990, raising a million dollars for education and services for people living with HIV. Moving to Tucson in 2019, Stephan is also a Docent at Tohono Chul and serves on TCP’s Philanthropy Committee.
Expertise: Fundraising, philanthropy, volunteering
Affiliation: Current Tohono Chul Docent
Lesli Pintor
Lesli is a retired financial and nonprofit leader, working 30+ years in banking, including 15+ in commercial real estate construction lending. She taught business communication at UA’s Eller College (overseeing 13 nonprofit student consulting projects) and led Growth Partners Arizona, a nonprofit loan fund. Lesli serves on UPI Loan Fund’s board and is a committee liaison for Tucson Festival of Books.
Expertise: Finance
Affiliation: Tohono Chul Governance Committee and Finance Committee
Michael Racy
Michael heads the lobbying and government relations firm of Racy Associates, Inc., a Tucson based public policy and government relations firm representing private and public clients before all levels of government. Mr. Racy has over 30 years’ experience in the government relations field and represents a broad range of southern Arizona based businesses and public entities.
Expertise: Lobbying, government relations
Affiliation: Racy Associates, Inc.
Our Vision
Core Values
Mission Statement
The mission of Tohono Chul is to enrich people’s lives by connecting them with the wonders of nature, art, and culture in the Sonoran Desert region and inspiring wise stewardship of the natural world.
Vision Statement
Tohono Chul’s vision is to be recognized internationally as the premier center for understanding and appreciation of the Sonoran Desert region through its fusion of nature, art, and culture. Tohono Chul seeks to be an indispensable resource for helping people learn about, celebrate, and conserve our region’s natural and cultural heritage, and to be a model institution for other unique regions around the world. Every element of Tohono Chul will reflect excellence and beauty, creating a pleasurable, inspiring, and enlightening experience for all.