Jennifer Nagel-Pasich
Jennifer Nagel-Pasich was drawn to the restaurant industry at a young age. Her jobs have ranged from a cocktail waitress in a biker bar to serving and cooking at fine dining venues. She honed her
fine dining skills at the private country club The Minikahda Club in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Next, Jennifer spent time traveling around the country in a van and getting restaurant jobs when she could. In the late ‘90s, she decided Jerome was where she wanted to be. Today, she’s the co-owner of The Asylum, along with her husband and executive chef, Rich Pasich, who founded Jerome’s fine dining establishment The Asylum in 2001. She says she never has a typical day, especially since the restaurant is housed in the 100-year-old Jerome Grand Hotel. The most rewarding part of her job? “Making a good all-encompassing unique experience for guests: quality, nutritious food, good service and a fun historical location with those extensive views overlooking the entire Verde Valley,” she says.
Favorite way to spend your free time in Sedona?
Hiking, camping and four-wheeling. My husband Rich and I started a “club” we dubbed “The Fondue four-wheel Club.” We find challenging spots to go and have a fondue party.
Janeen Trevillyan
Janeen Trevillyan was born and raised in South Dakota on a farm and ranch. As a professional, she worked as a corporate facilities and real estate manager. After retiring and moving to Sedona in 1999, she was appointed to the City of Sedona Historic Preservation Commission. She didn’t know anything about local history and started volunteering at the Sedona Heritage Museum. She gradually took on more work and is now the president of the Sedona Historical Society Board and the historian of the Sedona Heritage Museum. Her favorite part of the gig? The people. “I have especially loved being an ambassador to the pioneer families who still interact with the Museum and share with us,” she says. “I also love the continued learning. I’ve had opportunities thru the Museum to attend state and national conferences and learned about the business of museums.” She says she loves the small town living Sedona provides. “I hope when I’m gone, they’ll be good things for Sedona that I leave behind and people will acknowledge that I tried to achieve that,” she says. “Every day I’ve lived in Sedona has been a gift.”
Favorite way to spend your free time in Sedona?
I love road trips to great and obscure places. Repeat visits (of course) to local museums. You’ve gotta do it every time you have house guests. Having guests so we can show off where we live.
Cathy Stonecipher
As a child, Cathy Stonecipher always had a strong competitive and entrepreneurial spirit. That’s more than evident today. She met her husband in 2016, and the pair own a total of four business based in Northern Arizona including the Whiskey River Tavern in Prescott and a handful of helicopter companies including Guidance Air Services. As co-owner of helicopter tour company based in Sedona, Guidance Air, gives customers a unique perspective of Sedona. “What I find the most rewarding about my work is that people of all ages can have a bird’s eye view of Sedona. They get to see the beauty and breathtaking views without having to spend a whole day hiking or driving. When they come back from their flight, they can’t stop talking about everything that they saw,” she says. She’s a native of Queens, New York, but has spent most of her adult life in Prescott.
Favorite way to spend your free time in Sedona?
I like to spend my free time hiking in Sedona or Prescott.
Paula Woolsey
Paula Woolsey, CSW, grew up surrounded by people who were very passionate about food and wine. Her father was a fine wine importer and a culinaire, and her grandfather was an amateur grape grower and winemaker. During college, she helped her father at his wine shop. Her family moved to the Verde Valley in 1988. She started as the beverage director at L’Auberge de Sedona and has been involved with the industry ever since. Paula – whose nickname is “the wine witch,” and there’s a story there that we don’t have room to print – is dedicated to local wine. She’s serves as the president of the Verde Valley Wine Consortium and vice president of the Verde Valley Wine Trail. She’s also currently organizing major local wine festivals include the Camp Verde Pecan and Wine Festival, Cottonwood’s Verde Valley Wine Festival and Sedona Winefest. “The part of my work I find most rewarding is teaching. For the past 14 years I have worked in the viticulture/enology department at Yavapai College as an instructor. Watching the students realize they too have the talents to access a bottle of wine, create a perfect wine pairing or just learning the seasons in the vineyard, really makes me smile,” she says. She’s also a mother of four who has been married for 43 years to her husband, Eric Woolsey. They have four daughters. “We are blessed and proud of them all,” she says. When she’s not immersed in the wine world, her days are filled with picking up her grandkids at their schools, watching her grandkids and cooking family meals.
Favorite way to spend your free time in Sedona?
I spend my free time gardening, reading historical books and visiting local restaurants with friends and family.
Carolyn J. Martin, OD, MS, FAAO
Columbus, Missouri, native Carolyn J. Martin had every intention of becoming a music teacher. But she felt burnt out from music following her first year of college. So she took a career aptitude test that pointed her toward her current profession: optometry. She earned her doctor of optometry degree from The University of Alabama at Birmingham and has worked as an optometrist throughout the Southwest in states including New Mexico and Colorado. She’s an early riser who likes to practice yoga and gratitude in the early morning hours before heading to her office. As the owner and optometrist of the Eye Boutique of Sedona, she first takes care of the business side of things and then meets with her patients. “I love my job,” she says. “Eye Boutique of Sedona is a beautiful space with great energy. My staff is second-to-none. Our patients are like family. Eye care is changing rapidly. So it keeps me on my toes to stay up-to-date with the latest innovations.”
Favorite way to spend your free time in Sedona?
I enjoy hiking and mountain biking the gorgeous trails of Sedona.
Linda Goldenstein
Linda Goldenstein started her arts career as the owner of a custom furniture and architectural company in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She sold that business and was asked to work at an art gallery in town. Her career took a key turn at that moment. “When I realized the acceptance of the beauty of the art, the joy of the clients collecting and my love of the artists and their art – I was hooked,” she says. She opened her eponymous gallery in 2001 in Sedona after leaving Santa Fe. She went to grade school and high school in Camp Verde and wanted to return home. She says that you have to earn a living, and you might as well as enjoy what you’re doing while uplifting others. In over two decades as a gallery owner, she’s showcased the art of movie star Tony Curtis and the original drummer of Foreigner, Dennis Elliot. Sacred art holds a special place in her heart. She secured a commission for sculptor James Muir of the iconic Christ of the Holy Cross that hangs in the Chapel of the Holy Cross. “Art often touches people on a deep level, and I can see how the art uplifts both the artist creating it and the viewer experiencing it, and I’m blessed to be the conduit for that connection,” she says.
Favorite way to spend your free time in Sedona?
Enjoying the view. To be out in nature. Yet I also love the arts and culture Sedona has to offer. We have great restaurants and entertainment.
Kathy Louderback
Owner of The Artist’s Kitchen and BowWow Pet Boutique, Kathy Louderback, has worked in retail throughout her adult life. Her and her husband, John Louderback, sold their business of 30 years and left the Jersey shore for Sedona. She is dedicated to finding the absolute best products for her customers. “From the perfect burrito to the most exquisite fabric from Provence, for me, it needs to be unparalleled. It is so satisfying to discover the very best product and helping my customers find the perfect match for their wants and needs. Whether it be the ideal tableware at The Artist’s Kitchen Shop or at BowWow, perfect boots for their four-legged hiking buddies,” she says. She says an average day is like a three-ring circus. “I’m either sourcing products, assisting customers, following up on orders placed or orchestrating my phenomenal staff of talented ladies,” she says.
Favorite way to spend your free time in Sedona?
Free time? I’ve heard of it. One day I will look into that. For now, I just love to catch a little snuggle with my firstborn grandbaby, or at the end of the day, sit on the back deck with my husband, a nice local wine (served in Riedel stemware, of course) and drink in the beauty of my surroundings.
