Background: Sharolyn Hohman is a long-time West Valley resident.  From 2013-2017 she served as a council member to the City of Goodyear.  Since 1980 Ms. Hohman worked professionally in the Southwest Valley and currently resides in Goodyear.

Interests/Facts: Sharolyn led the Southwest Valley Chamber of Commerce for twenty-five years as President/CEO retiring in spring of 2013. Sharolyn has a BA degree from Grand Canyon University and a MA degree from Northern Arizona University and is a graduate of Institute of Organization Management.

Why I enjoy being involved with the commission: Sharolyn is a longtime advocate for the parks and other recreation amenities so important to the quality of life in a city.  For many years she has attended the public meetings to have a voice in the development in the city of Goodyear both in newly developed communities but also in the mature communities. Sharolyn is the mother of two grown children and proud grandmother of four. She now serves as a commissioner to the Goodyear Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission.

Background: Born and raised in Arizona and  lived in the Goodyear/Avondale area since I was a child. I am also currently raising my own children who are attending the same schools I did! Our family has always actively volunteered, so this is something I enjoy being apart of.  

Interests/Facts: I enjoy everything outdoors and can be found hiking, biking or generally anything active. You can also find me watching football on Sundays most weekends.  

Why I enjoy being involved with the commission: I want to make a difference in the City we live in for my neighbors, my community and my kids. Having a voice to help shape the future is one of the most fulfilling accomplishments I can think of. 

Background: City of Goodyear resident since 2009.

Why I enjoy being involved with the commission: I like that the city takes an active and inclusive role in the community. It is truly an honor to serve our great city.

Background: My wife, Laura, and I moved from the Twin Cities (Minnesota) to the city of Goodyear in 2019 upon retirement.  Professionally, I worked 40 years in municipal planning and management which I enjoyed immensely.

Interests/Facts: I enjoy traveling, golfing, cycling, reading and community volunteering.  Recently, I started a podcast showcasing a Minnesota community that I served.

Why I enjoy being involved with the commission: I’m the product of park and recreation programs.  I grew up in communities that offered easily accessible, nominally free, quality programming.  As a youth, my days started with a bowl of cereal, a short bike ride to the community center and a day of pick-up or organized games with friends.  Later, my first job was at one these centers. Park and recreation programs helped me build my social network, taught me how to compete and to work on a team.  Later, it taught me about training, sportsmanship, and developed my self-esteem. I’m indebted to park and recreation programming.  I appreciate living in the City of Good year; a city that values and invests in park and recreation and allows me the opportunity to pay it back.

Background: Born Gerald D. Wilson in Canton, Illinois and raised on or around the farm, I got an early farm license and learned to plow a straight row. While serving as an Army MP, I participated in the first inauguration of Richard M. Nixon, as well as several demonstrations in and around the DC area. I won't call them 'Peace Marches', that was not our experience. After the Army, I returned to school at Northern Illinois University, then took my first career position in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Interests/Facts: Jerry Wilson worked in technical fields as a project manager and software implementation, primarily in Healthcare services, but also did a stint with utility companies, including APS. Wilson worked in all but four states, but also served clients in Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Canada. The year after I completed the APS project, I was on the shore of Hudson Bay, inside the Arctic Circle. Wilson retired from Cableone in 2014 and enjoy traveling with my wife Sharon to visit our 31 grandkids.

Background: Benita Beckles was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois.  However, after college and several years in the Air Force she lived in Michigan for over 20 years.  While in Michigan she served in a corporate position before working in city government for 15 years as a Human Resources Manager in the City of Detroit. She moved to Arizona in 2013 to work in Human Resources for the City of Phoenix.  Upon moving to Arizona, she chose to reside in the City of Goodyear. She was a commissioned officer in the Air Force for 30 years (7 years active duty and 23 years in the Air Force Reserves) achieving the rank of Full Colonel.

Interest/Facts: Benita Beckles has a BA degree from Hampton University and an MA degree from George Washington University.  She has been involved with several activities while living in Goodyear.  She is a graduate of the Goodyear Leadership Enrichment and Development (LEAD) program, and the Goodyear Citizens Police Academy.  She serves on the Goodyear Community Action Network and Juneteenth Planning Committee.  She volunteered for the Super Bowl three times: Arizona in 2023 and 2015 and in Detroit as a Volunteer Captain in 2006.  She is a member of the Tuskegee Airmen Inc. (Arizona – Archer Ragsdale Chapter), Military Officers Association of America-MOAA (Luke Chapter), Delta Sigma Theta Sorority (Arizona West Valley Chapter), 40+ Double Dutch (Goodyear Sub-club), and Agua Fria High School District – Senior to Senior program.     

Why I enjoy being involved with the commission: Benita Beckles feels Parks and Recreations programs are a vital and important asset to a city. She says her children benefited from robust and strong programs in a suburban community in Michigan and they helped shape the positive character of her sons.

Background: I'm originally from Denver but have been in Arizona for 20 years.  19 of those in the west valley. My wife and I bought our first home in Avondale where I volunteered with the Avondale Police Department as VIP. I was a volunteer for several years until we moved to Goodyear in 2011. My volunteer work with Avondale and their volunteer coordinator ignited my desire to help my community. My pilot career brought me to the Valley. The last place on earth I thought I would live but I love it. I can't imagine living anywhere else. 

Interests/Facts: I was one of the original members of the Goodyear Parks Commission. I'm excited to return. I helped start the West Valley Trail Alliance, a local non-profit that advocates for mountain biking and hiking access in the west valley. I've served as the President since the inception in 2009. We work with public and private land managers with our biggest recipient being Maricopa County Parks and Recreation. 

Why I enjoy being involved with the commission: I'm very, very proud of the commission and the accomplishments of seeing the GRC come to life. That was one of our core projects as we helped with the last master plan. The original staff I worked with way back then are still in the Goodyear Parks department. A testament to their dedication to the city and the quality workplace Goodyear has created. I'm excited to work with them and help make more visions and dreams come to life. The parks department is the heart of our city. Nearly every public event is due to their hard work. I really enjoy being a small part of creating a community and city we are all proud to call home.

Background: I graduated from Agua Fria High School and Goodyear was home before I joined the Air Force. I received my commission after graduating from the University of Arizona in 1994. I served 21 years, retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel in 2015 in Beavercreek, Ohio. I am married with twin 24-year-old sons who both still live in Beavercreek. My wife and I moved back to Goodyear in 2019. I currently work for the United States Space Force providing education and training to the acquisition workforce.

Interests/Facts: I have varied interests. I am an avid sports fan; participating in various fantasy sports leagues and following the Red Sox, Bruins, Celtics, and Patriots. I am also a huge Star Wars fan. We’ve named all of our dogs after Star Wars characters and even spell our son Jacen’s name based on a character in an old Star Wars novel. I have a side hustle providing youth recreational sports coaching clinics. My Hustle & Attitude philosophy, which emphasizes every child plays and plays equal amounts, resonates with parents and league directors.

Why I enjoy being involved with the commission: I enjoy being on the commission because I have been a life-long consumer of recreation activities, particularly through the Air Force bases where I have been assigned. Now that we are in Goodyear as our permanent home, I look forward to contributing to building on the quality programs the city already provides.