Meet our contributors!
They say, “It takes a village to raise a child.” And the same holds true for a community magazine. It takes a village to engage, entertain and, we hope, inspire the community we serve. That’s our mission, and we could not do it without the help of our valued contributors. They do so much more than just write about our community; they live, work and play in our community. They represent the very best of Prescott’s public and private sectors. And, every other month, they bring us the stories and reports that matter. On behalf of our team, our readers and our advertisers, we thank you!
Martha Baden
Manager, Public Services, Prescott Public Library
Martha is library manager, public services at Prescott Public Library. Still enjoying a lifelong love of connecting people with information they need and books they’ll love, she has worked in school or public libraries in four states over the last 20 years.
Margo Christensen
Vice President of Marketing and Public Relations, Ponderosa Hotel Management Services
Margo serves on the board of directors for the Prescott Chamber of Commerce and the Arizona Lodging and Tourism Association. She is also a founding member of the City of Prescott Tourism Advisory Committee.
Tod Christensen
Managing Broker, Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty, Sedona
Tod Christensen is the father of three and a longtime youth sports coach and businessperson. The son of two poets, he remembers writing poems as early as 7 or 8 years old. He’s recently felt a calling to share some very basic human emotions in a format he hopes will spark discussion.
Phil Goode
Mayor, City of Prescott
Sheri L. Heiney
President/CEO, Prescott Chamber of Commerce
Sheri was hired as the President/CEO of the Prescott Chamber of Commerce in January 2017. She moved to Arizona from Michigan, and has over 23 years of chamber professional experience.
John Hughes
Mayor, Town of Dewey-Humboldt
Dewey-Humboldt Mayor John Hughes, Arizona native and fourth generation cattle rancher, was recently re-elected for another four-year term. He grew up in Page Springs, is the retired owner of H&H Diesel and currently enjoys working with excavation construction. Most of all he enjoys loving on his adorable daughter and having quiet time with his high-spirited wife.
Ken Lain
Owner, Watters Garden Center
Ken grew up in Prescott, attended Yavapai College and obtained his degrees from ASU. He married his college sweetheart Lisa Watters-Lain and has four children. His garden advice can be heard each week on the radio. Throughout the week, Ken can be found at Watters Garden Center.
Jack Miller
Mayor, Town of Chino Valley
Chino Valley Mayor Jack W. Miller moved to Prescott after completing high school, and in 1987 he joined the Chino Valley Fire District as a firefighter, retiring in 2010. Elected mayor in 2020 and 2022, the most rewarding thing for him has been to be a public servant.
Ray Newton
Journalist and Professor-Administrator Emeritus, Northern Arizona University
A veteran of mass media ranging from weekly and daily newspapers to directing writing workshops for the Reader’s Digest, from book editing to book writing — Ray has been there. He is a professor-administrator emeritus from Northern Arizona University, now retired and living in Prescott with his wife Patty.
Kell Palguta
Mayor, Town of Prescott Valley
Kell Palguta moved to Prescott Valley in 1996 from a small town in Maine. In 1998 he began his career in public service as a police officer, where he earned numerous honors. Palguta earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Northern Arizona University and a master’s degree in criminal justice administration from New Mexico State University. He takes great pride in being elected the youngest Mayor in Yavapai County, and his goals are to ensure that every citizen’s voice is heard and to ensure that the Town of Prescott Valley constantly strives to be the best community in Northern Arizona.
Michelle Stacy-Schroeder
Recreation Services Administrative Supervisor, City of Prescott
Maggie Tidaback
Economic Development Project Manager, Town of Chino Valley
Maggie Tidaback is the economic development project manager for the Town of Chino Valley. She loves bringing a better quality of life to the community. Maggie came into the public sector late in her career, and it has quickly become her calling in life.
Marnie Uhl
President and CEO Prescott Valley Chamber of Commerce
Marnie has been the President/CEO since 2006 and successfully led the Chamber to a national accreditation through the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Federation. She was selected as Prescott Area Leadership’s Woman of the Year 2017 and serves on many professional and nonprofit boards. Marnie has been in the Chamber industry for 20 years.
Loree Walden
Marketing Manager, Yavapai Humane Society
Loree is originally from Hawaii and moved to Prescott in 2010. Her background spans a variety of careers, including 20 years of taxes, 8 years of radio traffic and now as marketing manager for Yavapai Humane Society, where she gets to advocate for and help animals find furever homes.
Donna Werking
Owner, Marketing Agency, Northern Arizona Social, LLC
Donna holds 15 years of marketing experience. Her agency produces Northern Arizona’s most powerful and innovative marketing strategies for web, social and traditional media. She supports Prescott by serving on committees, promoting events and volunteering for nonprofits. She currently sits as board marketing chair for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Arizona (BGCCAZ).