Meet Our 2026–2027 Board of Directors
Susan Miller-Cochran
A member of our Alto II section, Susan is a professor of English at the UA, teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in rhetoric and writing. Her leadership roles at the university have included directing the writing program and, more recently, leading the revision of the undergrad general education curriculum. She was also recently elected as incoming secretary of the faculty. Susan also serves on the board of directors for the Food Conspiracy Co-op and has been active in the Mt. Lemmon community as an HOA board member and editor of the monthly newspaper, the Mt. Lemmon Echoes.
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 and currently serves on the boards of the Governor’s Commission of Service and Volunteerism, St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, and Tucson Summer Chorus.
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. A lifelong student of vocal music and singing, Jane has sung with AWC since 1995. She has served as our president (2005–2006); chair-elect, chair, and past-chair (2023-2026); and board of directors president (2025–2026).
Amy Simonds Taylor
Most of Amy’s professional life has been in the nonprofit sector, including stints as president of the Maine Clinical Counselors Association and as North Atlantic region director (a board seat) for the American Mental Health Counselors Association. She holds degrees in marriage and family therapy as well as organization leadership and management. Prior to moving to Tucson in 2024, she spent 6 years as the executive director of Juneau Youth Services, a nonprofit behavioral health organization serving all of Alaska. Amy brings us skills in strategic and sustainability planning, fundraising, grant writing, and grants management.
Joni 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. She has served on the AWC board since 2024.
Aleksandra Weichsel
Born and raised in Poland, Aleksandra came to the U.S. in 1991 for a position with a biotech start-up in Oro Valley, eventually becoming a medicinal chemist for Sanofi Pharmaceuticals, where she spent 25 years. After retiring from Sanofi, she continued her career at Pima Community College for another 7 years, overseeing labs and chemistry experiments, and recently became a career coach. She has frequently coordinated company events, conferences, and holiday parties. Aleksandra plays piano and graduated from elementary music school in Poland. She has sung with many groups, including the UA choir.
Kim Avery
A Boston native, Kim earned a BA in economics from Harvard and an MBA from Simmons University. She sang with, and served as tour manager for, the Kuumba Singers of Harvard and Radcliffe Colleges. Kim brings us professional skills in budgeting, marketing, financial analysis, strategic planning, and coaching leaders on organizational effectiveness. Kim worked as a program manager in the Eller College of Management’s Economics Department and sang with the UA’s Faculty and Staff Choir, serving a term as president. She helped Terrie develop AWC’s vision and mission statements and create the Arizona Choral Arts Association 501(c)(3).
Rici Peterson
Rici is a retired consultant, planner, and professional development trainer to nonprofits, parks, museums, nature preserves, and similar community-serving institutions. She also spent a few years as executive director of the Santa Fe Conservation Trust and served on a handful of boards, including serving as president of the Sangre de Cristo Chorale in Santa Fe. She especially enjoys helping parties with diverse (and, at times, conflicting) views build a shared understanding of, and commitment to, strategic paths to success — and then helping them walk those paths.