By Jay Lickus

Special to Independent Newsmedia

Benevilla’s board of directors appointed five new members to the 2018 Benevilla board.

Appointed were Shannon Arriola, Merlyn Carlson, Delaine Donohue, Patricia Lewis Finnell and Dick Stuckey. Board members provide leadership and guidance for the long-range planning and policies of Benevilla, the West Valley’s premier nonprofit serving the needs of seniors, developmentally disabled adults, children and the families who care for them.

New Benevilla board members are, from left, Robert Duea, board chairman; Joanne Tomson, Benevilla president and CEO; Patricia Lewis Finnell; Shannon Arriola; Delaine Donahue; Merlyn Carlson; and Richard Stuckey.

Shannon Arriola, MC, is Arriola & Associates executive director. The company is an organizational coaching and consulting company formed in 1992. She has successfully established herself as a consultant to companies including Vanguard Healthcare, Mayo, Apollo Group, Boeing, American Express, Best Western, Safeway, Inc. and Xavier College Preparatory. Ms. Arriola has served as adjunct faculty at Sandra Day O’Connor School of Law at Arizona State University and has taught undergraduate and graduate business and counseling courses with University of Phoenix, Ottawa University and Western International University.

Merlyn Carlson and his wife, Janice, moved to Sun City West from Washington, D.C. A Rotary Club of Sun City West past president, he has a long and tenured career in the national agricultural industry. While in Washington, D.C. he had a presidential appointment as Deputy Undersecretary of Natural Resources and Environment in USDA. He also served as Secretary of Agriculture for the state of Nebraska, National Cattlemen’s Association president, National Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion Board chairman, US Meat Export Federation chairman, US Telephone Bank Board vice president and was a member of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange.

Richard Stuckey graduated as biology major with a math minor from Goshen College, Goshen, Indiana. He received both his M.S. and Ph.D. in plant pathology from Michigan State University. He has served as Goshen College Alumni Board past president; Board of Crestwood Christian Church chairman in Lexington, Kentucky; National Association of Wheat Growers’ Foundation director in Washington, D.C.; and Council for Agricultural Science and Technology executive vice president. Mr. Stuckey, Rotary Club of Sun City West past president, is a returning Benevilla board member. He served on the board from 2009 to 2015 and was board chairman in 2011-12. He was the recipient of the prestigious Benevilla Bill Wolfrey Award in 2015.

Delaine R. Donohue is a graduate of University of Nebraska who began his career with Dun & Bradstreet Corp. following his discharge from the U. S. Air Force. He was instrumental in the formation of D & B’s National Business Information Center. During his career he served as officer/director of many business and civic organizations, including National Association of Credit Management, International Information Association and the Union County Chamber of Commerce. Upon retirement in Pennsylvania he continued to serve on boards of United Way Lehigh Valley, the Allentown Chamber of Commerce and the Allentown Rotary Club. Since coming to Sun City West he has served as Lord of Life Lutheran Church Foundation president and served on the Spirit in the Desert board, a full retreat center in Carefree. In April, 2017 he completed four years on the Arizona Broadway Theater board.

Patricia F. Lewis, ACFRE, serves as Sr. Professional-in-Residence at the ASU Lodestar Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Innovation. Ms. Lewis has acquired more than 35 years professional experience in nonprofit leadership, management, governance and fundraising. Prior to moving to Arizona, she served in the faculty position of Nonprofit Professional-in-Residence at George Mason University in Virginia and managed the graduate Nonprofit Management Studies program. Ms. Lewis is a Association of Fundraising Professionals past president and chief executive officer in Alexandria, Virginia. Concurrently, she served as Secretariat to the World Fundraising Council. Ms. Lewis previously served as chief operating officer of the National Center for Nonprofit Enterprise. She has served on numerous nonprofit boards both as a member and an officer, including AARP Foundation treasurer, the Alexandria, VA Symphony Orchestra and the Women’s Philanthropy Institute board chairman. Currently, she serves on the Board of Trustees of Sun Health Foundation, and the MORE Foundation, both of which she has also served as chair.

Board members whose terms ended this year were John Bridgford (still on the Benevilla Development Committee), Larry Vering (still on the Benevilla Finance Committee), Kelly Crane, Adam Carlat and Katie Pearson who resigned Jan. 26.Call 623-584-4999 or visit www.benevilla.org.

Editor’s Note: Mr. Lickus is Benevilla marketing coordinator.