Priscilla & Michael Nicholas are fixtures of the local philanthropic community, but they see themselves as humble Midwesterners who were blessed to fall in love with Arizona. They moved here from Chicago in 1981 after a friend prompted Michael to visit for a business trip. “I got off the plane and loved it immediately,” he said. Priscilla was […]

“The best thing about doing well is being able to give. After a while, ‘things’ don’t count as much as interacting with others and joining forces to make a difference.” Making a difference had humble beginnings for Michael and Robyn DeBell. “We got started with bake sales and soccer while raising our daughters in Tucson,” […]

When Howard and Ellen Katz decided to escape New York winters and spend them in Arizona back in 1998, the couple was initially planning to relax and play some golf. But with a longtime philanthropic mindset and a drive to help the communities of which they are a part, they soon found themselves becoming involved with various […]

Billie Jo and Judd Herberger are committed to a thriving arts culture. “We feel art is a beginning for everybody’s life,” Billie Jo says. “Looking, hearing, seeing… the arts are energizing.” Each of their parents was philanthropic, and giving is “just a natural thing,” Judd says. “It’s sort of built into our DNA.” “We feel […]

Ellie and Michael Ziegler’s impact on the community is evident in the lives they’ve touched, and the places they’ve created. The Ziegler Fiesta Bowl Museum in downtown Scottsdale showcases the greatest moments in college bowl history. For 20-plus years Ellie volunteered for the Fiesta Bowl, serving on the board and then as the 2006-2007 chairman. […]

In 2004, the Mary Ellen & Robert McKee Branch of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale in Fountain Hills opened its doors, an honor Mary Ellen says was a “huge surprise.” While a surprise to the McKees, it was a fitting tribute to a couple that has given so much to the organization […]

As guests meander into the Desert Botanical Garden, they pass through the Jan and Tom Lewis Desert Portal. The feature in the heart of the garden is a place where visitors can enjoy the plantings – and shade from an architectural trellis. The portal, which debuted in 2015, was conceived by Tom Lewis as a […]

If you live in Arizona and look closely, you will see the handprints of Karl Eller. His success, community mindedness and generosity have impacted the entire state. In March 2016, the Arizona Chamber of Commerce presented Eller with the 2016 Heritage Award for his accomplishments and commitment to Arizona. Married to his college sweetheart, Joan […]

Former Commissioner of Major League Baseball Bud Selig and his wife, Sue, gave $2.5 million in March 2015 to Phoenix Art Museum. Sue Selig is on the museum’s board of trustees. The Seligs, who live in Scottsdale, also support arts and cultural groups in their home state of Wisconsin, where before he assumed MLB’s top […]

The Valley is fortunate to be home to so many generous businesses, founda- tions, volunteers and philanthropists who support a variety of causes in our community. From the arts to health care to the environment, so many put their success and good fortune behind their passions, making the Valley – and the world – a […]