Community Led by Community

Our Philosophy

 An all-volunteer Board of Directors works closely with the DeafBlind community to collectively discern and choose new directions for the organization. We will expand to officers and staff in 2021. It is believed this model of shared ownership and shared authority will allow DeafBlind Retreat of Arizona (DBRAZ) to truly work as community for the community.

Board

(Acts as Advisors and help with Fundraising)

The background is a wooden outhouse frame with a wooden toilet seat. Andrew Cohen's, who has white skin, has his face framed with an orange pumpkin that has arms/hands and legs/feet made of the stems of pumpkins. In the right hand of the pumpkin, is being gripped hard while the left hand has it out in a gesture of "You caught me in the outhouse going to the bathroom"! He is wearing black sunglasses and has a short black beard. He is a closed mouth smile.

Andrew
Cohen
2023-2024

The background has various trees with green, yellow, and orange leaves on the trees and a cream colored porch showing thick railings. Bonnie Faye Gibson-Brydon has straight blonde hair past her chest, medium green t-shirt, and black shawl over it. She is a white woman wearing dark red lipstick smiling with teeth.

Bonnie Faye
Gibson-Brydon
2024-2025

The background shows a smooth wall rock with waves of orange, yellow, and red hues. The photograph shows an African American male from the top of his head to his shoulders. He has a shaved head, black framed glasses, a smile showing white teeth, a white t-shirt, and then a long sleeve collared black shirt over the white t-shirt.

Earl
Terry
2024-2025

The background shows a purple sky, mountains of green plants, scrubs, and trees, red dirt on the ground, and Saguaro cacti in the red dirt. The photograph shows a white female from the top of her head to her shoulders. She has shoulder length black hair, a side smirk to the left side of her face, and a long sleeve collared black shirt over the white t-shirt.

Katie
Sienko
2024-2025

The background has trees with green leaves and brown trunks with Mark Mellenger standing in front of it. He is white with short dark gray hair and a short white beard. He is wearing a dark gray t-shirt while smiling showing teeth.

Mark
Mellenger
2023-2024

The background has a glass sliding door in the distance with various green plants seen through the glass sliding door. On the left side of the photograph, are three tulle pieces of fabric hanging on the wall in light blue, red, and dark blue. On the right side of the photograph, is a yellow wall with a lantern pendant floor lamp that is silver with a glass cover in green and yellow, and then an orange and gold designed pillow under it. The photograph has a white woman with dark long gray hair in a braid down the right side in in front of her body. She is seen from the top of her head to the middle of her chest. She has black framed "cat eye" glasses, is smiling showing teeth, and then is wearing a dark gray t-shirt with six brown buttons down the middle of the chest.

Petula
Oster
2023-2024

The background shows green grass with hits of the sun shining on it. The close photograph of the white male has on a medium green hunting boonie hat, black framed and lens sunglasses, a white beard down to his chest, a tan long sleeve collared hunting shirt, and a dark green hunting vest.

Shawn
Whitley
2024-2025

Officers

(Runs the organization and report to the Board)

The background has layers of blue, purple, pink, orange, and then yellow from top to bottom with the "arm" of a Saguaro Cactus on the right side. Krista Caudill is seen with a close shot showing the top of her head to her shoulders. She is a white woman with shoulder length red hair. She is smiling while showing teeth.

Krista
Caudill
President
(2025)

The background has a mixture of yellow, green, and teal ombre colors with Casey Hassett, a white woman, being shown from her shoulders to the top of her head. She has shoulder length dark brown curly hair that has the front portion of the hair in a ponytail while the remaining hair is down. She has bright green eyes with a smile showing her white teeth. She is wearing a sleeveless top that has a dark blue background with light green and teal leaves.

Casey
Hassett
Vice President
(2025)

The background shows a gray seat inside a vehicle with a filter used around a brown woman's face. She is seen from the top of her head to her shoulders. The woman has her long black braided hair pulled back, is wearing teal cateye framed glasses, has a smile showing teeth, a leopard printed scarf wrapped around her neck, and a light jean blue long sleeve button down shirt. The filter around her face has various pink balloons, golden stars, and a pink and gold cone hat on the right side of her head.

Ashley
Dillard
Treasurer
(2023 - 2024)

The background is faded out with a close shot of a white woman. The woman has shoulder length blonde/brown hair, wearing large cateye framed glasses, and has a smile showing teeth.

Alexandra
Thornburg
Secretary
(2024 - 2025)

Retreat Team 2024

(Runs the retreat and report to the officers)

The background shows a cloudy sky with colors of light blue, dark blue, dark purple, pink, orange, and yellow, and then Saguaros, various types of green desert plants, light tan sand, and a small stream. Blaise Perry is a white mane seen from the top of his head to his shoulders. He has short brown hair, light blue eyes, a brown beard, a smile showing teeth, and then a blue collar long sleeve shirt.

Blaise
Davis
DeafBlind
Coordinator

The background has a clear blue sky with the sun setting and dark red and light red colored canyons. Victoria Urshan is a white woman seen from the top of her head to her shoulders with dark brown hair and light blonde highlights in a ponytail and two pieces of hair flowing down both sides of her face. She has blue eyes, an open mouth smile showing teeth, large silver hoop earrings, and a black long sleeve turtleneck.

Victoria
Urshan
Volunteer
Coordinator

The background shows various green desert plants and tan sand. Lauren Raley is seen from the top of her head to her shoulders. She has short blonde curly hair pulled back with several curly pieces on the left side of her face. She has blue eyes, a closed mouth smile, and is wearing a dark gray collared polo t-shirt.

Lauren
Raley
Accommodation Coordinator

Past Leaders

  • 2023
    • Board: Richard Vanover (4 years)
    • Officers: Andrew Cohen (President), Caryn Tenin (Vice President),  and Mark Mellenger (Secretary)
    • Retreat Team: Krista Caudill (DeafBlind Coordinator), Pablo Felix (Volunteer Coordinator), and Martin Greenburg (Facilities & Accommodation & Transportation) Coordinator
  • 2022
    • Board: Brenda Barrett-Rodriguez (3 years) and Laura Ellington-Pierre (3 years)
    • Officers: Brenda Barrett-Rodriguez (Vice President) and Casey Hassett (Treasurer)
    • Retreat Team: Caryn Tenin (DeafBlind Coordinator), Alex Thornburg (Volunteer Coordinator), and Ashley Dillard (Facilities & Accommodation & Transportation) Coordinator
  • 2021
    • Board: Kelly Brittingham (2 years)
    • Officers: Richard Vanover (Treasurer)
    • Retreat Team: Andrew Cohen & Mark Mellenger (DeafBlind Coordinator), Brenda Barrett-Rodriguez & Laura Ellington-Pierre (Volunteer Coordinator), and Kelly Brittingham (Facilities & Accommodation & Transportation) Coordinator
  • 2020
    •  Postponed due to COVID

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