About VVHC

Chip Norton retired from the private sector in 2009 and began an encore career as a community volunteer in the Verde Valley of central Arizona. Since that time, Chip has served on more than ten governmental and nonprofit boards and commissions. His focus has been sustainable land and water use, with an emphasis on river and stream conservation. He also served as an officer for the National Alliance on Mental Illness (Sedona Chapter) and as an instructor of their twelve-week Family-to-Family course. He is currently a Director of the Forever our Rivers Foundation (Colorado) and Chair of the Verde Natural Resource Conservation District. He is also President of Sinagua Malt, Inc., a Public Benefit Corporation.

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A native New Yorker, Laura Cox arrived in Arizona in 1972 and made her move to the Verde Valley after retiring from a thirty-year career at Wells Fargo Bank as a Senior Institutional Trust Administrator and Vice President. She went back to work almost immediately during the summers as the Director of the Outdoor Adventure Program at a girl’s camp in Vermont, and then returning to Arizona in the fall as the Home-Based Visitor for Sedona Head Start. Laura spent ten years on the Cave Creek, Arizona Town Council, serving terms as both Mayor and Vice Mayor. She was a founding director of the Desert Foothills Land Trust and served for eight years on the board of Family Service Agency in Phoenix. She is also an old kayaker and hiker, and still enjoys the out-of-doors.

Babette Cubitt is the publisher for Verde Valley Newspapers, covering the Verde Valley & Sedona. Prior to relocating to the Verde Valley she was the General Manager/Advertising Director of the Daily Courier in Prescott and Regional Advertising Director for Western News & Info. Babette served 18 years with the New York Times in various roles; she is member of the Verde Valley Rotary Club, a prior Paul Harris Fellow, and was recognized as a Women of Achievement by the S.C. House of Representatives. Prior non-profit boards & associations include the Boys & Girls Club, United Way , Arts Partnership and Girl Scouts and Rotary.  She has won numerous Press Associations awards in various states.

I grew up and went to college in rural Pennsylvania.  My career was in Health Care in the areas of research, product development and regulatory affairs, which led me to jobs in Virginia, Connecticut and Ohio.  My husband and I left Ohio in the rear view mirror in 2013 and moved to Cottonwood because of the Verde Valley’s natural environment, its wonderful history and culture, and the rural lifestyle.  Since moving to the Verde Valley, I have been involved in a wide range of volunteer projects that have helped integrate me into the community and deepen my appreciation for our community.  I look forward to serving our community on Council.

 uring his time of service.

​Gareth Braxton-Johnson began his law enforcement career in 1999 with the Scottsdale Police Department before joining the Cottonwood Police department in 2005. Over the past 20 years he has worked in numerous assignments such as patrol, gangs, bicycle patrol, school resource officer, investigations, internal affairs, narcotics and SWAT. He is a graduate of the 254th session of the FBI National Academy as well as the DEA/Arizona HIDTA Drug Unit Commander Leadership Academy.

He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice from Lindenwood University in Missouri, and a Master's degree in Educational Leadership from Northern Arizona University. He has served as an adjunct instructor there in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences. Along with teaching, he also enjoys outdoor activities, all athletic competition, and reading.

Rob Biggs is a licensed minister and currently Sr. Pastor at Living Water Foursquare Church. He grew up and went to school, graduating from college in Arizona. He spent 21 years in banking as a Branch Manager at First Interstate Bank (merged with Wells Fargo) and ITT Finance Corp before going into full time ministry 29 years ago. He has a heart for the Verde Valley by currently serving as a chaplain at Verde Valley Medical Center, a certificate holder with NA Health Foundation and a member of a network of pastors/churches in Cottonwood. Living Water supports several community impact organizations such as House of Ruth, Old Town Mission, Cottonwood Community Garden, Mingus High School, as well as VVHC.

Ryan is originally from Bend, Oregon but has called the Verde Valley home after being hired by
the City of Cottonwood's Parks and Recreation Department in 2007. Ryan continues to work for
the city as the Library Director, a position he began in 2018. He holds a B.S. in History from
Eastern Oregon University and an MLS - Organizational Leadership from Fort Hays State
University. He served seven years on the City of Cottonwood Historic Preservation Commission
and also is a volunteer coach for local youth sports organizations. Ryan enjoys all of the outdoor activities Arizona has to offer with his wife and three children.