Cindy Cole is a freelancer for the Independent. She is a writer, editor, photographer and artist. Reach her at cindycole@live.com.
Sedona musician Dan Vega released his fourth full-length album, “Desert Queen,” on Nov. 11. The album features eight new original songs and is available on most streaming platforms.
Tom Swaninger joined the Sedona-Oak Creek School District (SOCSD) as its new superintendent this school year. After entering college to pursue a dental career, Swaninger changed gears and decided to become an educator.
In April 2023, Scotty Douglass was appointed by the Cottonwood City Council to be their new city manager. Having lived in Arizona before, he jumped at the opportunity to return, and he’s happy to now call the Verde Valley home.
The 14th Annual Sedona Winefest will be at Posse Grounds Park in Sedona on September 23 and 24.
Arizona native Michelle Conway returned to her home state in 2009 to take a position as the director of marketing for the Sedona Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Bureau. She was appointed president and CEO of the organization in June 2022 after serving as an interim in those positions for three months.
After visiting Sedona for almost 20 years, Jennifer Perry and her family moved here permanently in 2003 and haven’t looked back.
Sir Alexander Fleming, the Nobel Prize winning scientist who discovered penicillin, once said “Penicillin cures, but wine makes people happy.” For Lauren and Johnathan Maldonado, making people happy through the enjoyment of fine wine is a way of life.
If you’ve spent any time in the Verde Valley, whether enjoying a wine tasting room in Old Town Cottonwood or attending an event at a local school, you’ve seen the work of Clarkdale architect Reynold “Rennie” Radoccia.
When Dee Jenkins was elected mayor of Camp Verde, there was no time to ease in to her new job. Both the city and the world were in the midst of enormous challenges, and Jenkins had to hit the ground running.
Kevin Adams is the kind of guy you’re just as likely to meet in the boardroom as out on the trail hiking or mountain biking. The retired U.S. Marine and Fortune 500 executive has immersed himself in the Sedona and Verde Valley communities through acts of service as well as activity.
