Inductees into the 16th annual Lower Verde Valley Hall of Fame have been announced.

This year, seven recipients are being honored. An eighth honoree, receiving the Legacy Award, will be announced in The Times Jan. 31. Two people will receive a humanitarian award.

Those named from Fountain Hills are Gail Appeldorn, Gerry Colbert, Deborah Fisher, Phyliss Kern and Tony Pistilli. Rio Verde’s inductee is Mary Derby. The late Mike Harrison from Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation also will be honored.

The inductees will be installed at a banquet set for Wednesday, March 27. That is the regularly scheduled March dinner meeting for the Fountain Hills and Lower Verde Valley Historical Society, which initiated the Hall of Fame.

The inductees were selected by the Hall of Fame Committee, headed by Barb Hansen, who also is president of the River of Time Museum Foundation. The public is invited to nominate area individuals who have contributed to the betterment of their communities. There currently are 145 members, including Legacy Award winners, who have been inducted since the Hall of Fame was initiated in 2004.

Biographies of each of this year’s Fountain Hills honorees follow:

Gail Appeldorn – Gail Appeldorn started her career as a “Professional Volunteer” at the age of 14, as a Candy Striper in her local New York hospital. She polished her skills with the Junior Leagues of Toledo, Ohio, and Chicago, Ill.

After moving to Fountain Hills in 1999, she was quickly brought into volunteering by Evelyn Breting while serving on the committee selling bricks to fund the furnishings of the Community Center through the Civic Association. In 2005 Evelyn asked her to be the first volunteer at the reception desk at Town Hall. A friendship with Eleanor Bentson evolved in 2008 to a job in the Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center. For many years she was a Courier/Transporter at Scottsdale Healthcare Shea.

Gail volunteers at the Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show, makes salad for Kiwanis meals at Ronald McDonald House, and hands out water to the Tour de Scottsdale. Very active in Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church, Gail loves to greet visitors on Sunday morning and is the founder of the Compassion Ministry. She loves to help her husband, Paul, with the blood drives five times a year and enjoys working on Make a Difference Day.

Membership in Four Peaks Women’s Club has given Gail endless volunteer opportunities, including ushering at the Community Theater and helping with Broadway in the Hills, hosting at In-Home Concerts and Community Chorus Concerts, making crafts for Home Delivered Meal trays, making jewelry for the Back to School Clothing Drive, making sleeping mats for the homeless, decorating the Community Center Christmas tree and cleaning streets for the Adopt a Street program.

Gail is very grateful for the countless opportunities she has been given to work for the town that she loves.

Gerry Colbert – Gerry and his wife, Marge, moved to Fountain Hills 21 years ago from Illinois. He has been an active participant in the community ever since.

He was raised in Duluth, Minn. After returning from two years in the Army, he attended the University of Minnesota – Duluth, obtaining a bachelor’s degree in business and economics. Upon graduation, he went to work as a claim representative for State Farm Insurance Companies. He worked his way through the ranks, eventually being named vice president in charge of the company’s auto claim operation in its corporate headquarters in Illinois.

Gerry is a member of the Church of the Ascension and has served on the Pastoral Council, including two years as president. Additionally, he currently is a hospitality usher and Eucharistic minister as well as serving on other committees.

He served on the Library Association Board for nine years, while acting as treasurer for eight of those years. He also managed the library’s bookstore for a number of years.

He has been active helping senior, promoting driver safety, preparing tax returns each year for seniors and served on the Senior Advisory Commission.

Gerry was involved in the Chamber of Commerce as an ambassador and worked the information booth during the two art fairs.

He is a member of the Men’s Club, serving as treasurer, board member and past president.

Gerry serves on the finance committee of the SunRidge Canyon HOA. He also is on the board of the L. Alan Cruikshank River of Time Museum, serving as president. He is actively involved in the success of the organization.

Gerry and Marge have six children and 15 grandchildren spread across the United States. Even with the large numbers and distances, they are able to get together for family reunions on a regular basis.

If you want to find Gerry, you can find him on the golf course on Tuesdays and Thursdays and at the poker or bridge tables at the club during the week.

Deborah (Debbie) Fisher – Debbie Fisher is well-known in Fountain Hills. With her angelic voice and musical talent, Debbie appears at numerous events as part of the main entertainment.

She also serves on a number of committee for various organizations in Fountain Hills.

She was born in Minnesota and lived in South Dakota, Germany, Texas and Idaho on military bases. She moved to Arizona in the mid-1980s, teaching K-8 music in the valley during that time.

She married her husband, Greg, and moved to Fountain Hills. Debbie now has been teaching music locally for more than 16 years. She works with about 200 children each week.

“I absolutely love working with younger children,” Debbie said. “I love to impress the love of music in a natural way, and I try to make sure they continue to love and seek musical education through their lives.”

She has taught music at Fountain Hills Charter School for 21 years and at private schools for 14 years prior to that. She also gives private music lessons.

Debbie has been singing in adult choirs since she was 14 and loves choral music, which was her major emphasis through college.

In 1993, she joined the Fountain Hills Presbyterian Church and in 1994 became the director of youth ministry. She became assistant choir director for the Presbyterian Church in 1999 and now is director of music there. She has served in that capacity since 2008.

In her musical world, Debbie plays and sings in the Fountain Hills Community Band and is chair for the Community Band committee for the Board of Directors of the Fountain Hills Cultural and Civic Association. She plays trumpet and sings for all the various veterans ceremonies. In 2016, she co-chaired and in 2017 and 2018 chaired the annual FHCCA Choir Fest. She sings and plays often for residents at Fountain View Village. She also organizes musical events for children at the Community Center.

Debbie’s “non-musical” life revolves around service to the community. She is a member of Noon Kiwanis.

Phyliss Kern – There are few things Phyliss Kern has not done for Fountain Hills.

“She has done more for Fountain Hills than anyone else,” according to one of Phyliss’ nominators. “Fundraisers, events for the town, St. Patrick’s Day, fireworks, Oktoberfest, Thanksgiving Day Parade, Balloon Glow, etc.”

Phyliss is a long-time resident of the community. An Iowa farm girl from Owatonna, Minn., Phyliss came to Arizona in 1977 as a visitor. She fell in love with the desert and the climate and became a Fountain Hills resident in 1983.

Arriving in Arizona, she was ready to start a new career and take on new challenges. She has more than 35 years’ experience in the Arizona real estate market, including residential, commercial, new construction, horse properties and land sales in the area.

Her professional memberships include or have included the Scottsdale Area Association of Realtors, Arizona Department of Real Estate, Fountain Hills Contractors Association, Scottsdale Convention and Visitors Bureau, Arizona Bed and Breakfast, Fountain Hills Chamber of Commerce and the Greater Fountain Hills Business Alliance.

Throughout the years, Phyllis has been involved in various community projects: the Chamber of Commerce building the annual Thanksgiving Day Parade, the Fountain Hills Skate Park, chaired the “Circle of Peace” sculpture for the RMS Realtor Group, and she has attempted to get a movie theater to town for 20 years (still a work in progress).

Her most recent endeavor is with the Wenger ShowMobile – a mobile stage. The stage has been utilized by numerous church, civic and private parties to use in town and nearby events. She works tirelessly to help bring exciting events to town such as the annual Fountain Hills fireworks, Oktoberfest, Arch’s Chili Cook-Off, St. Patrick’s Day, Balloon Glow and others.

Phyliss has been awarded numerous real estate awards from Coldwell Banker’s President Circle Award to the Century 21 Double Centurion Award recognizing her annual sales. In 2003, Phyllis and her daughter, Lisa Kern, formed Century 21 Kern Realty. In 2004 and 2005, Phyliss was awarded the highest individual awards for sales production, the Century 21 Grand Centurion and she continues to maintain a top agent standing in Arizona.

In early 2011, the Kerns decided to go off on their own and became Kern Realty, Real Estate, and Rentals with a focus on Residential Sales, Rentals and Property Management.

She was named the Chamber of Commerce Business Person of the Year in 1995. She has been a member of Elks Club Lodge 2846 and was a trustee. She has been a member of Fountain Hills Presbyterian Church since 1983, serving as deacon for three years.

When she isn’t busy with projects for the community, Phyliss enjoys movies, traveling and family.

Another person who nominated Phyliss for the Hall of Fame said, “If you want something done, call Phyliss. Her outstanding contributions to the bettering of the Lower Verde Valley makes her the perfect candidate for inclusion into the Lower Verde Valley Hall of Fame.”

Anthony J. (Tony) Pistilli – Tony Pistilli has been active with Fountain Hills youth for many years.

He has been a major part of the Boys and Girls Club, McKee Branch, helping with fundraising events, as well as mentoring children, offering ideas to improve the branch and helped get the branch involved with the Rotary Club of Fountain Hills.

Tony moved to Arizona from the San Francisco Bay area, after retiring from United Airlines in Engineering and Maintenance for 16 years, completing a 35-year career in aviation with Pratt & Whitney Aircraft (15 years) and America West Airlines (4 years).

He retired to Fountain Hills in 2007. Soon after moving here he began looking for a barbershop quartet to sing tenor and play guitar. In 2008, he joined the OK Chorale and performed in 250 shows in 10 years. As a member of the OK Chorale, he performed at private parties to help sponsor the Fountain Hills High School band and its instrument fund. Tony and the group became honorary members of the band and band boosters.

Tony also joined the Rotary Club of Fountain Hills in 2008, serving as youth leadership chair for 10 years. He initiated sponsorship by the Rotary Club for the Keystone Interact Club at the Boys and Girls Club where a partnership was forged to co-sponsor the Teen Club.

He attended the Keystone weekly meetings to help plan, implement and co-sponsor events such as the Water Park events for youth. He developed a partnership with the Rotary District where McKee members began attending leadership conferences and Rotary Youth Leadership Academy in Heber, sponsoring two teens each year by the club.

Tony served as president of the Rotary Club in 2014-15, 2017-18 and currently is co-president. Rotary activities he has worked on include Feed My Starving Children, Save the Families in Mesa, Make a Difference Day, McKee Golf Car Wash and McKee Car Wash, Fountain Hills Adopt-a-Street program, Ken Burling’s Ton of Trains set up and engineer program at the Community Center and Fountain Hills Salvation Army bell ringers.

He has raised and distributed more than $20,000 each year to charities, youth organizations and individuals including Junior Achievement, Golden Eagle Foundation, Bob’s Free Bikes, Boys and Girls Club and Reigning Grace Ranch. He is a member of the fundraising committee for the Boys and Girls Club’s annual “Youth in the Hills” event.

An aviation aficionado, Tony joined the Commemorative Air Force Museum as an honorary colonel and later became a docent and fundraising volunteer to help raise funds for a new World War I project and qualify for assistance to open the museum to active military and their families. He also is a “Phoenix Navigator” at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport.

His interest in flying extends to space, too. He is a member of the Fountain Hills Astronomy Club to help facilitate the Star Parties at Centennial Circle. He is a member of the Dark Sky Annual Festival committee coordinating event exhibitors. He also serves as a volunteer in development of the Fountain Hills Astro Science Center.

Tony developed a solar system presentation for seniors in Fountain Hills.

The Verde communities

Mary Derby – Mary Derby has been active in the Verde communities since arriving in 2008.

She has been an organizer and participant in a number of social and educational events held at Rio Verde Community Center.

For a number of years she has co-chaired and worked for the annual Verdes Christmas Project, which links volunteers from the communities with needy families to help provide positive Christmas experiences.

She is active in her church and its bell choir.

Mary is involved in supporting the Verdes Firewise Program, which maintains a fire prevention perimeter around the Verdes communities. She also works with VerdeCares, which brings a variety of health, nutrition and transportation services to residents in need in both the Verdes and along Rio Verde Drive.

She is a member of the Rio Verde Community Association and the Rio Verde Country Club. She participates in pickleball and golf. She serves on the RVCC food and beverage subcommittee.

She volunteers at the Rio Verde Library.

Mary’s community services extend beyond the Verdes. She has been a volunteer mentor in the Fountain Hills School District. She also is an active supporter of the annual Veterans Day program in Fountain Hills schools.

Additionally, she works with Reigning Grace Ranch, an organization west of the Verdes that provides therapeutic support to a wide-range of children and teens.

Mary is described as a “can-do person” who is always available to pitch in and help her neighbors.

Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation

Mike Harrison – The late Mike Harrison is described as a bold, strong, proud Yavapai. Instrumental in having the book, “Oral History of the Yavapai,” Mike asked his friend Carolina Butler to “help him write a book to give the Indian’s side.”

She met with ASU anthropologist Sigrid Khera, Ph.D., who soon started recording sessions with Yavapai elders Mike Harrison and John Williams. The recordings went on for years. In addition to his stories, Mike’s photo graces the cover of the book. (oralhistoryoftheyavapai.com)

As a proud member of the tribe, Mike possessed an outstanding knowledge of the Yavapai’s history and way of life. He was a driving force in the community and was one of the early opponents of the proposed Orme Dam, which threated the relocation of the tribe and loss of their land.

He spoke at a December 1972 press conference, demanding that Uncle Sam be told, “We don’t want the dam here.” Significantly, the same day 100 years previously in Yavapai history was the tragic Skeleton Cave Massacre, raising the question, “Is there any wonder why Mike Harrison always dreamed of recording the Indian’s side of history?”

Mike was a singer and played the flute and fiddle. He made both instruments. The fiddle was made from a big mescal, and he used horse tail hair for the strings.

Not formally educated, Mike’s father, Oskannya, a spiritual leader at Mayer and a healer, said he would never let Mike go to school. The government boarding school took Mike’s two older brothers and two sisters; they never returned home and weren’t seen again.

Mike served on the Tribal Council in 1927. He spoke Yavapai, Spanish and English.

His legacy lives on.