OUR HISTORY

Resident of Fountain Hills since 1998, volunteering in many community organizations to achieve her goals of: improving the local business environment through the Chgamber of Commerce; froadening educational opportunities through the Golden Eagle Foundation' preserving and educating people about our local history through the River of Time Museum; soliciting and encouraging donations to support local nonprofits through the Community Foundation; advancing fiscally responsible policies in organizations and government.

LuAnn decided after 30+ years in the corporate world that life was too

important to take so seriously, so she and hubby Terry headed to Mexico

with only their backpacks, spending time exploring beautiful colonial cities.

A year later they returned to their Sedona home, but soon wanderlust took

them to Yellowstone NP, where they lived and worked for two years,

soaking up the wild spaces.

Next adventure… gypsies, traveling as full-time RVers across the US for 6+

years, hiking through as many national parks as possible. LuAnn wrote a

travel blog of their adventures, complete with her photography, another love

of hers.

They moved to Fountain Hills five years ago and LuAnn came out of

retirement to work in the senior living industry.

Once again retired, LuAnn is excited to be a part of the Encore family and

also have time for more international travel, a passion of theirs.

After retiring in 2006, leaving the snow and winter of Minnesota behind, Mary moved to Fountain Hills.  She is active with the River of Time Museum and Exploration Center as well as her church. Mary loves her book club but also leads a very active and adventuresome lifestyle that include extensive traveling, hiking and scuba diving logging over 500 dives! In 2019, Mary joined the Encore for More Board (formerly Senior Services Inc.) and assumed the responsibility for building, coordinating and scheduling the Speakers Bureau Program. 

  After living in Chicago, Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles, Cathay and husband Burt retired to Fountain Hills in 1998.  Cathay said it was easy to make new friends in their Eagle Mountain community.

In 2004 she enrolled in a digital camera class at the Community Center and witnessed the spirit of volunteerism that makes Fountain Hills so special. This prompted her to become a Technology Learning Center volunteer, serving as Coordinator of the program since 2017 where she taught tech workshops assisting seniors to stay current in technology. TLC brought Cathay and Encore’s President Gail Pape together and in 2023 Cathay was recruited to the Encore Board.  “Fountain Hills reminds me of the small Chicago suburb in which I was raised. The enthusiasm and willingness to help others is very apparent. It is a joy to live in this wonderful town.”

Cathay enjoys her early-morning walking group, her dog Buddy who was rescued off the streets of Yuma, and socializing with friends and neighbors. She and Burt always look forward to the annual visits from their five grandchildren.

Jill has a passion working with seniors.  Her career began in Senior Living as a Sales Director/Specialist and Director of Sales/Marketing for Emeritus Senior Living, Brookdale Senior Living and Senior Lifestyles where she assisted hundreds of resident's transition into those communities.  She became involved with our community in 2019 while working at Fountain View Village, transitioning into a position with our Chamber of Commerce assisting local businesses and residents in promoting and enhancing our community.  Currently a Fountain Hills Realtor with designations of Senior Real Estate Specialist (SRES) and Military Relocation Professional (MRP), she assists seniors, their families, snowbirds, etc. with downsizing, relocating and transitioning to multi-generational homes, Senior Living and everything in between.  Jill is a proud Daughter of the Daughters of the American Revolution and a volunteer with Honor Flight Arizona.  

Moving to Fountain Hills in 1989, Cassie and Bruce worked on the third and successful incorporation election.  Cassie was hired by the Interim Council as the first Town Clerk/Director of Administration and served for 13 years.  Four years later she was elected as Councilmember and served 2 terms.  Installed in the first class of the Museum Hall of Fame, she and Bruce received the Biz Persons of the Year Award.  Affiliations include the Civic Association, Chamber of Commerce, Noon Kiwanis, Arts Council, Sunridge Foundation (now FHCCA), Museum.

Carleen Watts served as a Special Agent (Criminal Investigator) for the United States government for over 32 years. She worked within the Inspectors General community investigating internal fraud for the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Defense, the Veterans Administration, and the U.S. Postal Service. During her tenure she also served as a Senior Instructor and Program Coordinator at the Financial Fraud Institute, a division of the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center located in Glynco, Georgia. She’s been a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) since 1996.

In 2012, after retiring from federal service, Carleen accepted a contract position with the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), regaining her Special Agent title while following the path of US dollars sent to Afghanistan to support reconstruction projects. Her first year’s assignment was spent at the US Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan followed by five more years at SIGAR’s headquarter office located in Arlington, Virginia.

Carleen now lives in Fountain Hills, Arizona. She is a graduate of the Fountain Hills Leadership Academy, Class 7 and a FHLA board member. Prior volunteer work includes the Fountain Hills Crisis Response Team, Fountain View Village, Make-A-Wish Foundation and Streetlight USA.