Meet Our 2024–2025 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.
Lauri Latack
Lauri has been active in singing and dancing groups since childhood and has held leadership positions in both areas. Lauri received her MS in speech language pathology from the University of Michigan and ran a practice specializing in accent modification. She has also had careers in marketing and management, and she co-owned a designer lingerie firm. Her passions include travel, writing poetry, music, cooking, and all types of creative endeavors. Her two children live in NYC.
Denise Cochran
A Minnesota native and snowbird, Denise currently sings in five choirs in Minnesota and two in Arizona. She credits her love of music to her grandmother. Denise retired as a school counselor, both in Minnesota and in international overseas schools. Her husband is also a retired educator and they have two Cardigan Welsh Corgis. When she’s not not singing, you can find her playing bad golf and even worse pickle ball. Denise uses her guitar and therapy dog when she volunteers at hospice organizations.
Janelle White
Check back soon for Janelle’s bio.
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.