The Lower Verde Valley Hall of Fame committee each year inducts a cadre of hardworking residents into the “hall.” They hail from Fountain Hills, the Verdes and Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation. However, the group each year also presents a “Legacy Award.” The award was created to recognize an individual or organization that has played a […]
Habitat for Humanity of Rio Verde 2020 Legacy Award Winner The volunteers of the Verdes’ Habitat for Humanity are nearing completion of their 24th home. The Rio and Tonto Verde communities in Rio Verde have sponsored and built these homes which have become a proud tradition. The residents of the communities have contributed over $1.4 […]
Dennis Meyers, 2020 Inductee Dennis began work for Alexander Homes in 1983 as a master plumber. He and his wife, Terri, lived in Fountain Hills at the time. They moved to Tonto Verde in 1996 and in 2016, they moved to Rio Verde. After retiring from Alexander Homes, Dennis formed his own plumbing company serving […]
Greg Harvey, 2020 Inductee Greg Harvey first set his eyes on the Lower Verde Valley when his parents, Don and Mickey Harvey, purchased a vacation home on East Poco Vista in the early years of Rio Verde development in 1977. Over the ensuing years, he became captivated by the beauty and charm of the area, […]
Burdena “Birdie” Pasenelli, 2018 Inductee Birdie moved to Tonto Verde with her husband, George in 1999. George still lives in Tonto Verde. She died in 2016. After her 26 years of service with the FBI, Bridie and George moved to Tonto Verde to enjoy golf, hiking and biking in retirement..Birdie enjoyed all these activities but […]
Hiawatha Hood, 2018 Inductee One of the most respected members of his tribe, Hiawatha Hood is this year’s inductee into the Lower Verde Valley Hall of Fame from the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation. He was born in Camp Verde, Ariz., in 1912. He was elected Tribal Chairman in 1977. He was a strong, passionate leader and […]
Verde Cares, 2017 Legacy Award Winner The Lower Verde Valley Hall of Fame has announced that VerdeCares, a non-profit home health provider based in Rio Verde, will be the recipient of the Hall of Fame’s 2017 Legacy Award.The volunteer organization was nominated by the Verdes Hall of Fame members. “We feel strongly that VerdeCares best represents […]
Jim Urban, 2009 Inductee A retired orthopedic surgeon, Jim Urban has been one of the Verde Communities’ premier volunteers since moving to Rio Verde in 1999. He began assisting another Hall of Fame member, Bob Mason, in the Rio Verde hiking program in 2001 and assumed his role as hike leader in 2005. An active […]
Dave Ritchie, 2006 Inductee A Flint, Michigan native and Williams College graduate, Mr. Ritchie worked in the banking industry in Michigan prior to moving to Rio Verde in 1974. He served on the first Rio Verde Community Association as treasurer. One of the original five incorporators of the Rio Verde Country Club in 1979, he […]
Peter O’ Reilly, 2012 Inductee Peter O’Reilly has been an active community member of the Verdes since he and his wife, Lea, purchased their home in Rio Verde in 1998. He was born and worked for most of his career in New York City. He earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in marketing management from […]