Paul Lovelis is the Operations Manager for Pinal County Public Defense Services. Paul manages programs, projects, and the budget for Public Defense Services. Paul is also the President of Project Management Institute - Tucson Chapter, and has over 20 years of serving on various other public leadership boards, including the Casa Grande Alliance, the Metropolitan Education Commission (Tucson), and the Community Prevention Coalition (Pima County). 

Paul was raised in Arizona, and visited family many times throughout the year right here in Pinal County. In high school, Paul found peace and beauty in the desert landscapes of Pinal County, his wife and him sparked their love in the many sceneries of Pinal County and continue to enjoy its beauty ever since through hiking, camping, and other adventures. The museum has been a place to explore the past of his family before him, and to ensure preservation of everything we work so hard to build in Pinal County. 

Before her retirement in 2004, Karen worked in both public and private sector organizations and was a small business owner of an executive suite company. Since moving to Florence in 2007, Karen has been active in the community, including being a charter member and chairman of the Sun City Anthem Neighborhood Representative Community, served on the Florence Town Council, and now is a Board Member of PCHS. 

Along with his wife Hermalene, Ed is half of the Interpolacion musical duo. With a background in Finance, Ed joined PCHS as our Treasurer in 2022. Ed has volunteered at museums, civic clubs, schools, churches, temples, and V.I.S.T.A. Upon arriving in Florence, the museum was one of the first places Ed visited. 

When Sabine retired from her position as Court Interpreter Supervisor and Law Librarian for the Pinal County Courts, one of her goals was to become more involved in the community that she has called home for over 30 years and relocating from Germany. Volunteering at the museum and serving as the Board Secretary, learning more about the history of Florence, and interacting with the public is a great way to give back to the community and stay connected to the history of the area. 

Sophie Dessart is the Manager of Communications and Public Affairs for Florence Copper, based in Florence, Arizona. Sophie heads Florence Copper’s community/media relations, charitable initiatives, and communications strategy. Sophie holds a Masters of Global Management in Global Affairs and Global Business from the Thunderbird School of Global Management. 

Sophie has been named an Emerging Sustainability Leader by Arizona Forward and is Vice-Chair of the Arizona Mining Association Communications Committee. A proud resident of Florence, Sophie is passionate about giving back to her community and volunteers with various organizations like the Florence Rotary Club, Lions Club, and Woman’s Club. Aside from her role on the Board of PCHS, Sophie serves on the Board of Directors of different regional organizations, including Central Arizona College, the Pinal Alliance for Economic Growth, the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce, and the United Way of Pinal County. She also is President of the Florence Copper Community Foundation.

Doris joined the museum in 2015. As a retired high school social science teacher from Wisconsin, she arrived in Florence to be near elderly parents. As her Mom showed her around her new community, she encountered Lynn Smith, who was giving a presentation in the “old” library about the need for volunteers at the museum. What a better fit than to be able to be a part of preserving history! Over Doris’s time at the museum she has been able to participate directly in the many exciting changes at the museum. Presently she enjoys working with Executive Director, Stephanie Joyner, in grant writing and assisting in whatever capacity she can. 

Carroll was born and raised in Tucson, AZ. After being honorably discharged from the United State Marine Corps, he attended college in southern California and then started a successful career as a builder in California. Carroll relocated to Florence and went into the construction business with his father and brother and was the Town of Florence’s Building Inspector. After retiring, Carroll joined PCHS’s Board and advises on building projects and repairs, including a recent roof replacement. 

David was born in Arlington VA, but grew up in N.Y., north of New York City. Upon graduating from High School David moved to Arizona to attend the University of Arizona in Tucson. After graduating with a degree in Electrical Engineering he began work at Fort Huachuca as a department of the Army civilian engineer. Most of his career was spent evaluating telecommunications and computer networking equipment to aid in procurement decisions. During this time David graduated with a Masters in Telecommunications from Southern Methodist University.

After 31 years with the Army David retired, got married, and moved to Florence. As a retiree David wanted to spend some of his free time giving back to the community. He is also a big history buff, and enjoys spending free time reading books about early American history. David has found the PCHS Museum to be a great outlet for both community service and expanding his knowledge of history. He is now going on his third year as a volunteer with the museum and his first year as a board member. 

Lynn has left her stamp on the community of Florence as the President Emeritus of PCHS, Commissioner on the Town of Florence Historic District Advisory Committee, and on the Town of Florence Home Tour Committee. In the early 2000’s, Lynn and her sister Pax Faux joined the museum and began the major transformation into the jewel that the museum is today by displaying our huge collection of artifacts in an organized manner for the public. Immersing herself in our history, Lynn is one of five authors of the Arcadia book “Images of America Florence”

Steve was a school teacher for 31 years, primarily teaching biology.  Being part of the Town of Florence takes Steve back to his great grandparents who are buried at the Florence Cemetery. Being a PCHS Board Member means a lot to Steve. His passion at the museum is to touch all bases, not just the history of the county. By focusing on the natural things (birds, plants, etc), we can interweave that with the human settlement and do a great job not only explaining the who, but the why and the how.