The Past Presidents’ Council of the Scottsdale Area Chamber of Commerce announced the 2023 inductees for the 28th Annual Scottsdale History Hall of Fame event to be held Thursday, May 18, 2023.

The event honoring individuals, local companies, and non-profit organizations is presented by the event sponsor, the Scottsdale Charros, according to a press release.

Over the past 28 years, the chamber has inducted 143 Scottsdale leaders and 29 organizations into the Scottsdale History Hall of Fame. These individuals and organizations have had a great impact on the rich heritage of Scottsdale, dating back to its modern-day founding in 1888 by Army Chaplain Winfield Scott.

The event honors the people and organizations who have contributed so greatly to the legacy of making the city of Scottsdale one of the “best cities to live in” in the nation.

The 2023 honorees are:

Sandy Bruner

• A volunteer docent at Scottsdale’s Museum of the West and a member of their marketing committee and scholar programs. She is also a volunteer with Creative Women of Pinnacle Peak, HonorHealth Honor Ball Committee, and the Franciscan Renewal Center. Bruner was the recipient of the Spirit of Literacy Award from the Scottsdale Public Library in 2021. She has also been active in numerous political campaigns and former delegate to the RNC.

Phil Carlson

• President/CEO of Scottsdale Chamber from 1989-2002 and past board member of American Chamber of Commerce Executives. Carlson is a Scottsdale Charro and was the past president of the Scottsdale Rotary Club and a past LINKS board member. He is also an ordained member of St. Barnabas of the Desert.

Marion Kelley

• Director of Community Affairs at Mayo Clinic since 2000, Kelley is also co-founder of the Diversity Leadership Alliance, board member of Community Celebrating Diversity Scottsdale and the Scottsdale Chamber. He is a national and regional healthcare advocate who received the Scottsdale Leadership Frank Hodges Award in 2017. Kelley is also an accomplished opera singer.

Dr. James Schamadan

• At 94, Schamadan is still a physician consultant to the VA. President/CEO of Scottsdale Memorial Health Systems (now HonorHealth) from 1982 to 1992, he advanced the emergency medicine and outpatient surgery departments at the Osborn Campus, opened the Shea Campus and established the Scottsdale Memorial Hospital Foundation. He served as director of the Arizona Dept. of Health Services, and also became an Air Force pilot at Williams AFB in 1951 pioneering air ambulance service in Arizona. His medical innovations are internationally recognized, and he and his wife Nancy are generous donors to numerous Scottsdale organizations.

Parada del Sol Parade

• Started in 1951 by the Scottsdale Chamber and Scottsdale Riding Club as the Sunshine Festival, it featured a parade, square dance, and BBQ. The Scottsdale Jaycees took over in 1954, and renamed it the Parada del Sol, and added the rodeo in 1956. The Parada provided volunteer and support opportunities to residents and businesses during Western Week, the Parada parade, and countless other affiliated events. The parade is Scottsdale’s oldest continuously held community event. The Parada del Sol Parade is now produced by the Scottsdale Charros Organization.

Scottsdale Airport

• Opened in 1942 as Thunderbird II Airfield to train Army Aviation cadets for WWII. Operated by Arizona State College as a vocational training school from 1947-1951 and acquired by Seventh Day Adventists in 1953 for use as its Thunderbird Academy Boarding and Day School (still operating). Opened as Scottsdale Municipal Airport in June 1967 after Elder Daniel Butherus made land and available to the city. Today, it is the busiest single-runway airport in the U.S., having a significant impact on Scottsdale’s economy, tourism and special events. It is the catalyst for the surrounding Scottsdale Airpark — one of the top 3 employment centers in Arizona.

A portion of the proceeds benefit the Scottsdale Historical Society and its Little Red Schoolhouse, and community members and guests are welcome to attend, the release added. The event will take place at the Scottsdale Resort at McCormick Ranch from 6-9 p.m. on May 18, 2023.

Tickets are $125 for an individual ticket, $1,200 for a standard table of 10 and $1,700 for a corporate sponsor table of 10. These can be purchased by contacting Ann Deasy at 480-355-2712 or adeasy@scottsdalechamber.com.