OV enjoys a high level of community involvement, and with ILoveOV’s 2023 Citizens of the Month we tried to focus on those leaders in our community that exemplify this spirit.
Covering Mayor Winfield, Police Chief Sharp, and Fire Chief Brandhuber allowed us to pay tribute to our most prominent community servants (and as the articles show, we learned a ton about the inner workings of OV in the process.) When the old Chamber of Commerce burnt down, we had to include a feature on its “lifetime member” Dave Perry (who describes the fire first-hand in the article.)
We also enjoyed the opportunity to profile El Conquistador golf pro Darryl Jannisse and OV real estate’s “first couple”, Don and Kathy Vallee. And just in time for the Heroes Memorial, we got to have a long chat with OV’s well-loved community champion, Dave Eggerding. – Ed.
“When I’m speaking with constituents, they are often under the impression that we are rapidly growing. But our fastest growth was back in the 1990s. Today, OV is growing at about 1% per year. That is still significant given the size of the population, but our growth today is manageable and relatively predictable.”
– Tim Winfield, Oro Valley Mayor
“In looking at what makes a successful community, art is not optional,” he explains. “While the infrastructure is like the heart of the community, art is like the soul. It reflects the inner thinking and the intellectual plane that the town operates from.”
– Dick Eggerding, Communitarian
“Government is a service organization: you serve the people of the community. The community members are stakeholders. They are our bosses. If I pull someone over and they say, ‘I pay your salary,’ I say, ‘you’re right.’”
– Daniel Sharp, Oro Valley Chief of Police (retired)
“You can’t stop growing. Communities either grow or recede. There’s no standing still. How do we want to grow? Can we develop the kind of revenue we need for police, and parks, and support for seniors? It’s a balancing act. We are always trying to find that balance.”
– Dave Perry, President & CEO (retired), Greater Oro Valley Chamber of Commerce
“You always miss being on the trucks and answering service calls.”
– Tom Brandhuber, Chief of Golder Ranch Fire District
“During the Covid lockdowns, golf exploded. It was the catalyst that many people needed to come play.”
– Daryl Janisse, General Manager, El Conquistador Golf
“How many people will tell you they should have listened to their mother-in-law earlier?”
– Don Vallee, Co-Founder, Vallee Gold Team
