Meet Our 2025–2026 Board of Directors
Joan Hall
Joan was born in Delaware and moved to Tucson at 16. She has a B.A. in psychology and a B.S. in biology from the UA, along with master’s in International Development from the American University. Joan worked in the field of microfinance, living in Viet Nam, El Salvador, and West Bank (Occupied Territories). She returned to Tucson in 2007 and retired last year. Joan has served on the boards of Watershed Management Group and Iskashitaa Refugee Network. She has also served on the board for Jefferson Park Neighborhood as president, secretary, treasurer, and chair of numerous committees.
Victoria (Tori) Carlson-Foscz
Tori was drawn to Arizona from the Chicago area because of her love for the Grand Canyon. She holds a B.S. in geophysics from the UA and M.S. in earth sciences from Dartmouth. Previous careers were in exploration geophysics, education, and managing a large volunteer program. She is a trainer with ASU Lodestar Center and the Engagement Manager with The Center for Community Mediation & Facilitation. Tori is past president and treasurer of SAVMA (Volunteer Management) and currently on the boards of the Governor’s Commission of Service and Volunteerism and St. Andrew’s Presbyterian.
Jane Hamilton
Jane was born and raised in New York and then lived for many years in Boston before moving to Tucson in 1990. A licensed psychologist since 1981, she currently maintains an independent clinical practice. She has served as the president of the Southern Arizona Psychological Association and as a board member for various community agencies serving the needs of families, women, children, and the arts. Throughout high school and college, Jane studied vocal music and singing and has been in every choir she could find since third grade. She has sung with AWC since 1995. From 2005–2006, she served as the chorus president.
Debbie Shoemaker
Debbie’s work career was in business and customer service management for Rockwell International, AGM Electronics, and First Magnus Mortgage. She started her own business and worked with Rain Bird Irrigation Corporation and Ventana Medical as a consultant, writing production processes and training. Retired in 2020, Debbie does volunteer work for the Angel Heart Pajama Project and Haven Totes and serves on the Mission Team at Christ Presbyterian Church.
Joan Olson
Joan has a degree in psychology and, as a business owner, founded and managed hand-crafted retail jewelry stores. She has skills in advertising, graphics, personnel management, and fundraising, as well as previous board experience.
Diane Foray
Diane is a Los Angeles native who has lived in Tucson since 1993. A graduate of UCLA, her career includes working as a clinic coordinator at the Venice Family Clinic, serving the homeless; as a data analyst for the UA Space Management Department; as an urban planner for the City of Tucson; and, for the past 17 years, as a cycling instructor, currently teaching at VASA and on Zoom. She has been a member of AWC since 2017, has served on the executive committee, and is currently the outreach coordinator for the chorus.
Susan Petrus
Susan moved to Tucson in 1998 and worked here as an architect until 2004, when she joined her husband in their commercial construction company as project manager. Susan has worked with many local nonprofits, helping them build and renovate their facilities, and served on the boards of Literacy Connects and Aviva Children’s Services. She currently enjoys volunteering at Tucson Village Farm, is a member of the Contemporary Arts Society of TMA, and serves on the board of the Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of Southern Arizona. Susan has always loved music and played the alto saxophone in jazz and symphonic bands in school.
Kathy Lalley
Kathy is a long-time research and marketing professional specializing in understanding how people connect with products and messages. After earning an M.A. in communication research, she joined Leo Burnett Advertising, where she worked for 22 years at every level for clients such as General Motors, Kellogg’s, Toys R Us, Crayola, McDonald’s, and the U.S. Department of Transportation. She also served as senior director of innovation research for McDonald’s, where she managed multi-country explorations of new product and business opportunities. Since retiring in 2008 and moving to Tucson, she has worked with several local nonprofits.
Peggy Sanders
Peggy is a new Oro Valley resident and chorus member. She comes from a musical family; her grandfather taught high school band and orchestra for 40 years and her mother was a grammar school music teacher. In Washington, she was an active member of the Millcreek Chorale for 5 years and later joined the Everett Community Chorale and Everett Symphony Orchestra to sing Mozart’s Requiem and Leonard Berstein’s Chichester Psalms. Prior to Millcreek Chorale, she was a founding member of the Spirit of the Sound Choir, where she recruited members and organized rehearsal schedules. Music has always been an important part of her life.
Nancy Riccio
Nancy Riccio has been serving as AWC’s webmaster for the past few years, bringing over 20 years of experience to this role. She moved to Arizona from the east coast in 1980, driven by a yearning to explore the canyons and rivers of the Southwest. She has spent most of her career working as a freelance web designer and science writer / editor, bouncing between Flagstaff, Seattle, and Tucson. An award-winning songwriter, she was a staple of the Seattle bluegrass scene for many years, playing and singing in various bands. Now semi-retired, she spends her time silversmithing, birding, and learning to play swing guitar.