FOCUS on European Art is a charitable organization that promotes education in the arts, with special emphasis on European art and art history. FOCUS sponsors credentialed speakers and supports art education and collections in public art museums by funding acquisitions, exhibitions, conservation, educational programs and other board approved donations.
Officers 2023-2024
President Stephen J. Taddie
Vice President Gwendolyn Tierney
Recording Secretary Colleen Coltvet
Treasurer Diana W. Worthington
Immediate Past President Phyllis S. Rector
Members-at-Large 2023–2024
Nancy Claussen
Karen H. Easton
Gary Egan
Elaine (Bunny) Gordon
Matthew Jimenez
Sherry Koopot
Judee Morrison
Michael Sillyman
Georgia Wolfe
R. Stephen Wolfe
Board of Directors
Coltvet, Colleen
BA, University of Hawaii; Flight Attendant with North Central Airlines and Delta; Retired docent at Phoenix Art Museum; Member of Friends of European Art and now FOCUS; Member, Literary Society of the Southwest; Committed volunteer with her church and in her children’s school
Eastman, Karen
BS Political Science University of Oregon, minor Art History; Corporate
Real Estate positions with ARCO, Chevron, Southland Corp and Comerica Bank. R.E. Consultant
Licensed in Texas & California. Boards of CoreNet Global California and Arizona, AAUW Board, San
Mateo,CA.; Univ.of Oregon Alumni Board; Northern and Southern California, World Affairs Councils;
Arts & Business Council Sacramento, CA, Sacramento Symphony Board, Habitat for Humanity Real Estate Committee, Sacramento, CA, Phoenix Committee on Foreign Relations, Phoenix Art Museum Circles Member
Real Estate positions with ARCO, Chevron, Southland Corp and Comerica Bank. R.E. Consultant
Licensed in Texas & California. Boards of CoreNet Global California and Arizona, AAUW Board, San
Mateo,CA.; Univ.of Oregon Alumni Board; Northern and Southern California, World Affairs Councils;
Arts & Business Council Sacramento, CA, Sacramento Symphony Board, Habitat for Humanity Real Estate Committee, Sacramento, CA, Phoenix Committee on Foreign Relations, Phoenix Art Museum Circles Member
Egan, Gary
BS Georgetown University Finance; MBA George Washington University. COO/CFO
The Mariner’s Museum in Newport News, Virginia. Various financial management positions at
Georgetown University. Vice President for Finance and Administration for the Association of American Colleges and Universities. Vice President of Finance at Sun Health Senior Living in Sun City.
CFO Phoenix Symphony. Interim CEO/CFO forSouthwest Center for HIV and AIDS. Deputy Director of Finance and Administration at Phoenix Art Museum 2005-2016.
The Mariner’s Museum in Newport News, Virginia. Various financial management positions at
Georgetown University. Vice President for Finance and Administration for the Association of American Colleges and Universities. Vice President of Finance at Sun Health Senior Living in Sun City.
CFO Phoenix Symphony. Interim CEO/CFO forSouthwest Center for HIV and AIDS. Deputy Director of Finance and Administration at Phoenix Art Museum 2005-2016.
Gordon, Elaine (Bunny)
Graduated University of Nebraska, Lincoln. Business owner for 25 years in Phoenix.
Phoenix Art Museum: Docent 2007. FEA President and FOCUS Founder.
Phoenix Art Museum: Docent 2007. FEA President and FOCUS Founder.
Jimenez, Matthew
Brophy College Prep, BS Computer Science Arizona State University. After graduation, worked for The Weitz Company as Network Administrator. Founder Matek Media 2009, an agency for web development, print design and digital marketing. Extra time spent with wife and two daughters, nine and eleven. Native Arizonan.
Koopot, Sherry
BS Wheaton College, Illinois. BSN Nursing at Cal State. Surgical nurse two
years at City of Hope and 14 years at West Suburban Hospital, Illinois. Volunteer work raising
family included Boy Scouts, PTA, School Board Creighton Elementary. Phoenix
Art Museum Docent Class ’89, President 2021-2022.
President and founding member of Friends of European Art.
years at City of Hope and 14 years at West Suburban Hospital, Illinois. Volunteer work raising
family included Boy Scouts, PTA, School Board Creighton Elementary. Phoenix
Art Museum Docent Class ’89, President 2021-2022.
President and founding member of Friends of European Art.
Llazani, Rei
BS in Business Law Arizona State University; technologist and entrepreneur; Founder/CEO of
MadeMay.com, a platform to commission expert artists for custom artwork. Born in Albania, grew up in Arizona, lived & worked in Washington DC after graduating ASU. Now resides in Phoenix, Arizona.
MadeMay.com, a platform to commission expert artists for custom artwork. Born in Albania, grew up in Arizona, lived & worked in Washington DC after graduating ASU. Now resides in Phoenix, Arizona.
Morrison, Judee
Art Institute of Chicago: Docent 1990 – 2008
Phoenix Art Museum, Docent Emeritus 1980, Circles, Friends of European Art
Saint Barnabas on the Desert: Memorial and Fine Arts Acceptance
Mirabella at ASU: Chairman of Field Trips
Phoenix Art Museum, Docent Emeritus 1980, Circles, Friends of European Art
Saint Barnabas on the Desert: Memorial and Fine Arts Acceptance
Mirabella at ASU: Chairman of Field Trips
Rector, Phyllis
BA Russian History, Cornell University; MBA Arizona State University. US-USSR Trade and Economic Council in Moscow more than three years. In the U.S., principal in factoring business for ten years; bond trader and trading manager. Phoenix Art Museum: Master Docent ’06, Circles.
Girl Scout Leader; Active at St. Barnabas on the Desert Episcopal Church.
Girl Scout Leader; Active at St. Barnabas on the Desert Episcopal Church.
Sillyman, Michael
JD ASU College of Law, Associate Managing Editor of Arizona State Law Journal
Retired Senior Parter, Kutak Rock LLP
Admitted to AZ Bar, Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, U.S. Supreme Court, and
White Mountain Apache Tribal Courts
Past President: Hispanic National Bar Association, Public Lawyer’s Section of Arizona State Bar Association; past Chair Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference; Past Vice President on the Board of Trustees for Desert Botanical Gardens and currently on the Board of and former Vice President of the Herberger Theater Center
Retired Senior Parter, Kutak Rock LLP
Admitted to AZ Bar, Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, U.S. Supreme Court, and
White Mountain Apache Tribal Courts
Past President: Hispanic National Bar Association, Public Lawyer’s Section of Arizona State Bar Association; past Chair Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference; Past Vice President on the Board of Trustees for Desert Botanical Gardens and currently on the Board of and former Vice President of the Herberger Theater Center
Somers, Jeanne
BA Majors Art and Education, University of Minnesota; School District Art Director. B.S. in Interior Architecture, Arizona State university; interior designer with Brady’s Interior Design and Florist. Founded White House Interiors and Flowers. Currently consulting on interior architecture.
Taddie, Stephen J.
BS in Business and Economics from Lehigh University, an MBA from the University of Phoenix, Certified Business Economist™ (CBE™) and Certified Financial Manager (CFM™). Partner of HoyleCohen Wealth Management, Co-founder and Managing Partner of Phoenix based Stellar Capital Management prior to HoyleCohen merger. Panelist for Bloomberg, the NABE and the Blue Chip economic forecasts. Formerly Madison School District Financial Oversight Committee, Executive Board of the Desert Botanical Garden Foundation, Phoenix Camelback Rotary Club, Junior Achievement, Foundation for Burns & Trauma, coached youth sports teams. FOCUS Founder.
Tierney, Gwendolyn
BA in History; professional outside sales, Systems Analyst/Engineer.
Phoenix Art Museum: Master Docent ’99.
Phoenix Art Museum: Master Docent ’99.
Wolfe, Georgia Ray
BA Political Science Arizona State University; two years art and architecture courses with WICE in Paris. Bell System thirteen years Manager Marketing and Business Services. Industrial broker CBRE Commercial Real Estate. Executive Director COMPAS, Combined Metropolitan Phoenix Arts and Sciences. Formerly Boards of AWEE AZ Women’s Education and Employment and Florence Crittenton Services, Phx Rotary 100. Phoenix Art Museum: formerly President of Latin American Art Alliance, FEA, VP of Contemporary Forum; currently Circles, 21st Century, Master Docent ’09. FOCUS Founder.
Wolfe, R. Stephen
BS Engineering Penn State University, MBA Arizona State University. Manufacturing career in Phoenix with Honeywell International; Liaison Honeywell Bull for three years in Paris. With Inter-Tel, negotiated contracts for telecom hardware in China, Philippines, South Korea, Japan. Currently, Governance Chair Board of Copper State Credit Union. Phoenix Art Museum: formerly President Men’s Arts Council; currently, Circles, 21st Century. FOCUS Founder.
Worthington, Diana Welch
BS Business Accounting University of Southern California. Accountant with Palo Seco Corp., assistant controller Northwestern Development Co., Principal, Diana Worthington Accounting Company. National Charity League. Phoenix Art Museum: Master Docent ’88; formerly active with InFocus, FEA and Contemporary Forum. Currently Circles. FOCUS Founder.