Board Officers
President
Keith Otsuka
Keith Otsuka
Keith is originally from Pearl City, Hawaii. His father’s military assignments brought the family to various places, including Sierra Vista, where Keith graduated high school. Upon graduation from the U.S. Air Force Academy, his career took off as a test pilot and he then followed an impressive career in various aspects of the aviation industry overseeing a number of commercial and miliary programs at Boeing. Keith is now on terra firma, retired and living in Cave Creek for the past 4 years. His interests in history and archaeology drew him to the Museum where he is excited for the wonderful opportunity to serve on our Board. Keith noted, “My first visit to the Museum stirred my interest and I was hooked.”
Vice President
Steve Greenberg
Steve Greenburg
Steve Greenberg is a long time Cave Creek area resident. He is the founder and President of Thin Client Computing, a leading data center virtualization company. He is a musician and composer, and he has been active in charity and not-for-profit organizations for many years. Together with his wife Lori, they recently purchased the land of Harmony Hollow and the historic Stamp Mill site to preserve the natural beauty and history of Cave Creek.
Treasurer
David Smith
David Smith
During David’s 16 years in Cave Creek, he has volunteered in many capacities, including the Cave Creek budget committee, the
Cave Creek Planning Commission, the Cave Creek Water Advisory Committee and as a member of the Cave Creek Town Council. David’s 40+ years working for the State of New York honed his skills in management, budgeting and policy analysis that should greatly benefit the museum’s future. David says, “I do not get involved in any activity expecting to be a bystander. I take responsibilities very seriously and will work to support the Museum, its historical messages and its continued success.”
Recording Secretary
Wendy Whitman
Tamsin Wolff
Tamsin comes to the Cave Creek Museum with museum, board and programming experience including: The Holland Community Center, The Museum Education Roundtable (co-editor “Network”), Sonoran Arts League, Desert Foothills Library and Desert Foothills Land Trust. Additionally, she has served as vice-president, program chair and fundraising chair at several PA religious organizations.
At Towson University she majored in American Studio Craft and then taught K-8 art. She has worked 40 years as an educator and consulted in major east coast museums. That mindset migrates into the art she creates, “American Story Nests.” These art nests are prototypes for an upcoming book, “Nests Reimagined: Epic Yarns, Collections, and Collectors.” She also donates her art to special projects.
“Growing up in a multicultural family of makers, I learned and valued handmade things. I enjoy problem solving and creating one-of-a-kind art forms that tell visual stories. I continue to collaborate with museums and cultural organizations supporting projects that lift all voices.”
Board Members
Colin “Buck” Columna
Buck Columna
Colin “Buck” Columna has extensive experience in marketing and fundraising in the non-profit sector. His career with Arizona Opera, Arizona Theatre Company, San Francisco Opera and Tucson Symphony Orchestra provides our Board with a unique perspective into the business of arts management. He is a long time resident of Cave Creek (albeit below Carefree Highway) with an intense curiosity of the history of the area’s land and those who lived upon it. In addition to Buck’s commitment to the Cave Creek Museum, he has volunteered with Arizona Equine Rescue, the Cave Creek Rodeo, Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art and the Pioneer Living History Museum.
Marcia D’Alessandro
Marcia D'Alessandro
In addition to the Cave Creek Museum, Marcia is an active member of the Desert Awareness Committee, lecturer at the Holland Center, and a certified Master Gardener.
Marcia was a founding committee member of the Cave Creek Museum’s Veterans Memory Garden project. As such, she was integral in helping the museum grow and nurture what was a vision on paper, to the exciting moment of breaking ground on this important garden environment dedicated to the lives and memories of those who served our country.
“I am not a native of this area,” she says, “but the flora, fauna, and people have made me feel at home.”
David Griffiths
David Griffiths
David moved to Arizona three years ago from Seattle after falling in love with Carefree and Cave Creek in 1989 on a Father-Son golf trip at The Boulders Resort. He visited the museum shortly after moving here to learn about the history of the area. David was hooked on his first visit, “the combination of history, industry, and art is magnificent.” David’s professional life includes Griffiths Foundation president since 2014 to present, Salon TEWL founder and owner from 2000-2008. That entrepreneurial spirit led him to be owner and founder of David & David Hair Care from 2012-2022.
Pat O’Brien
Pat O'Brien
Pat and his wife Andrea moved to Cave Creek from the East Coast in 2002 when Pat retired as a senior manager from a NYC publishing company. He also retired from the Military in 1996 as a C-130 pilot for the Maryland Air National Guard.
Pat served for several years on the Cave Creek Board of Adjustments and has been a longtime supporter of the Cave Creek Museum. He also served on the Board of Directors for the Black Mountain Conservancy, the Desert Foothills Land Trust, the Desert Foothills Library and Art at the Nativity in Scottsdale.
In Pat’s “spare time” he is active in fine art photography, exhibiting his work in Phoenix, Scottsdale and New Mexico. Pat, Andrea and their two 4-legged children now live in rural Maricopa County where they designed and built their dream home in the amazing Sonoran Desert.
Tamsin Wolff
Wendy Whitman
Wendy has an engineering degree and worked in the semiconductor industry since the early ‘80s. She came to the valley in 1987 when she was hired by Intel. Wendy is now professionally retired and lives in the Desert Mountain community all year and loves summer! Her interests are hiking, native plants, the environment, and learning about and preserving our desert.
“I make a point to volunteer and be involved in my community.” Wendy is currently on the Desert Mountain Landscape Committee and their External Affairs Committee. She has been a member of the Desert Botanical Garden since 1989 and has volunteered there throughout the years. She completed the Desert Botanical Garden Desert Landscaper School series of classes and took plant science related classes in college. Wendy participates in the Desert Botanical Gardens Tonto Rare Plant project, Friends of the Tonto Photo Point and Milkweed for Monarchs projects.
Museum Staff
Executive Director
Evelyn Johnson
Evelyn Johnson
Evelyn’s arrival in the Cave Creek area was an opportunity to put her lifelong commitment to educational opportunities, for all, in the not-for-profit world. She holds an Associates degree in Museum Administration from the Virginia Piper Trust and Museum Association of Arizona. Evelyn, as a former Executive Director of the Cave Creek Museum, put her networking talents to work with the Carefree, Cave Creek Chamber of Commerce and the Cave Creek Merchants- Events Association, serving each organization as its President. She is an active member of the Desert Foothills Woman’s Club and has served on their board. Evelyn’s priority is creating historical materials for Home Schoolers, Boy & Girl Scouts, and summer camp experiences.
