Meet Us
Foundation Staff & Board
Our staff and Board members are dedicated to the health of Wickenburg, generously giving their time and skills to further local, quality healthcare. Our Board is all-volunteer, and each year we are grateful for their full participation in annual donations and fundraiser planning.
Our Staff

Richelle Crook
Senior Accountant
Richelle moved to Arizona in 2017 after living in seven states throughout various parts of the country. She was born and raised in Malvern, Pennsylvania, and studied at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and Virginia Commonwealth University where she majored in accounting.
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After working for more than a decade as an accountant, Richelle went to work for the airlines, traveled the world, experienced different cultures, and met new people. After being furloughed from the airlines, she returned to finance and started working for a video game development company in California.
Richelle volunteers at St. Mary’s Food Bank. She is married to her best friend, Terry. They love traveling, dogs, and football.
Our Board

Hunt Spear
Foundation Board Chair
Hunt has been a resident of Wickenburg since 2011, moving from the Carlsbad area. Hunt has lived in Maryland, Nigeria, Jamaica, El Salvador, Guam, Florida, Colorado, California, and Arizona. After working in banking, sales and personnel, he went to work in information technology for the federal government. Recently he retired.
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Soon after arriving in Wickenburg, Hunt began volunteering for many different organizations. He spent two three-year terms on the board of the Wickenburg Community Hospital Foundation serving three years as Chairman of the Board, one year on the board of the Wickenburg Citizens Patrol, three years on the board of the Wickenburg Elks Lodge more recently returning for another three-year term with the Wickenburg Community Hospital Foundation Board of Directors.
Hunt is also a twelve-year volunteer of the Amigos Trail Ride and Drive, as Chairman for five years.
Hunt is excited to be on the Wickenburg Community Hospital Foundation Board and looks forward to supporting our local community. His life these days involves work, volunteering, and motorcycling.

Brenda Crissman
Foundation Vice Chair
As a former corporate executive and now small business owner, Brenda has acquired a broad range of practical business skills to include areas of finance, business development, customer relations, and problem-solving.
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Brenda has more than two decades of developing and implementing short-term and long-term business growth strategies in both medical and behavioral health industries. Most recently, she served as Executive Director for non-profit Wickenburg Community Hospital Foundation successfully leading a team through capital campaign tactics, both writing and managing grants, and stewarding multi-level donors.
Brenda is experienced and understands financial statements, budgeting, cash flow and funding security. She graduated cum laude from Northern Arizona University with degrees in Public Administration, Non-profits, and minored in law.

Lea Way, FNP-C, PA-C
Treasurer
Lea has been practicing medicine for over 30 years. Her career began serendipitously as a nursing assistant at Wickenburg Community Hospital. While working, she also completed Nursing School at Yavapai Community College in Prescott, Arizona.
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Then she entered the Primary Care/Emergency Nurse Practitioner Program at Maricopa County Hospital and became a Physician Assistant. Lea believes medicine and care go together, and all patients should have a voice in their care.

Douglas J. Bell
Foundation Board Director
Doug embarked on a 30+ year military career following graduation from Eastern Washington University. Doug holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice, and is a graduate of the US Army Command and General Staff College.
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He has served a variety of command and staff positions in the US and abroad. His overseas deployments include Bosnia, Kuwait and Afghanistan, as well as overseas postings to Germany and Korea.
Doug is passionate about Wickenburg Community Hospital following a life changing medical event in 2023. “I am very grateful for the dedicated staff and the resources available at Wickenburg Hospital. Without this hospital, my life and that of my family would be drastically different.”

Ed Buscis
Foundation Board Director
Ed retired in 2004 from his thriving distribution and manufacturing business, and has an educational background in mechanical engineering. Ed’s mother once spent time at Wickenburg Community Hospital for over a month and was treated “in a manner that was so extremely special.”
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He currently volunteers at the Peeples Valley Fire Department, and is motivated to be a part of future initiatives connecting Hospital services with our surrounding rural communities.

Ernest James Dale
Foundation Board Director
Ernest has lived in Wickenburg since 2016, and has 45 years of experience in executive, business and technical management. His senior executive roles have included leadership at Computer Sciences Corporation, CAP Gemini Sogeti and Electronic Data Systems. He also founded E.J. Caimen, which over 20 years became the largest manufacturer of shelf merchandising strips for retail chains.
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His interest in serving on the Foundation board lies in assisting with the development and improvement of facilities and operations, because “the quality of medical services available at Wickenburg Hospital is important to the community and to me.”

Jennifer Priest Mitchell, MA
Foundation Board Director
Jennifer is a community liaison with Hospice of the Valley (HOV), focusing on the West Valley. She joined the nonprofit agency in 2020 after working many years in higher education. Jennifer was part of the Supportive Care for Dementia team at HOV and is now in her second year as a liaison providing education and resources to physicians’ offices and community agencies.
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She holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Capital University in Columbus, Ohio and a master’s degree with a focus on Cultural Communications from Arizona State University. When she is not working, Jennifer enjoys writing, baking, and hiking with her family and dogs.

Melissa Brinkman
Foundation Board Director
BIO Coming Soon
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Melissa Brinkman is a member of the Foundation Board and supports the organization’s mission to strengthen and sustain quality healthcare for our community.
