Joan Stevens “Stevie” Eller

Mrs. Eller was born and raised in Paxton, Illinois where her father owned and published the local newspaper, The Paxton Daily Record. She graduated from the University of Arizona, earning a Bachelor of Science degree. She was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta and served as President of the sorority during her senior year. Stevie was elected President of the Phoenix Alumnae Chapter of Kappa Alpha Theta, and also served as State Chairperson of District VII for three years. She was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1993, receiving the Mary Coldwell Award. In December of 1999, Mrs. Eller was presented with an honorary doctorate from the University of Arizona as an acknowledgement of her substantial contributions to the cultural enrichment, health, and quality of the citizens of Arizona. She continues to remain active with her alma mater by presenting to undergraduate and graduate MBA students “The Stevie Eller Enterprise Creation Awards”. These scholarships are given annually to those students who have excelled academically and who have promise as future entrepreneurs and community leaders.

After her marriage, Mrs. Eller taught English for four years at Washington Grammar School and then became active in Phoenix civic affairs. For five years, Mrs. Eller conducted special grooming seminars for those girls and women who were about to re-enter society from Good Shepherd Home for Girls and from the Arizona State Mental Hospital.

For two years, Mrs. Eller coordinated and hosted a television program on the Phoenix Public Broadcasting Channel (KAET-TV, Channel 8) which listed organizations’ public needs for volunteers. During the program, she outlined where volunteers could put their time to community improvement uses. She founded a Women’s Auxiliary for Gompers Rehabilitation and was a member of the Phoenix Motion Picture Board. She was a member of the Phoenix Art Museum League where she served as a volunteer Docent and, subsequently, was a two-term member of the Board of Directors.

In the Visiting Nurse Service Auxiliary, Mrs. Eller chaired the Organization’s Annual Book Sale and raised a record at that time of $50,000. Following that, she served as President of VNSA the next year. As a member of the Arizona Heart Association, Mrs. Eller was Chairperson of the Organization’s Heart Sunday. She was also a member of the Arizona Town Hall and served on the Zoo Auxiliary Board for many years.

Stevie has served for 16 years on the Foundation Board for the University of Arizona, the Board of Trustees of Barrows Neurological Hospital and Chaired the ’99 fund raising project, which raised over $2 million for the hospital, the Board of Trustees for the Herberger Theatre, and the Board of Trustees for Achievement Rewards for College Scientists. In 1991, Stevie served as Chairperson of the Phoenix Presidents’ Club for the University of Arizona. She also served as Chairperson of the 1992 Reunion Committee for the University of Arizona, and was honored in the bicentennial celebration in 1998. For ten years, Stevie was President of Circle K Travel, now Carlson Travel Network. She was honored as an Arizona Historymaker for her extensive personal commitment within the community by the Arizona Historical Society. In November of 2003, Mrs. Eller received the Outstanding Philanthropist Award from the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

Mrs. Eller served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Arizona Cancer Society and as a member of that organization, was Chairperson of the highly successful Cancer Ball. For the quintcentennial celebrating the arrival of Columbus in North America, Stevie was named to the Presidential Commission by George Bush to represent the United States October 9-14, 1992 in the Dominican Republic. She served as State Chairperson of Arizonans for Reagan and Citizens for America and was appointed to the Women of the Western Hemisphere commission organized by Reagan. In 1988, she represented the United States at the Bicentennial of Australia. In February of 1999 Mrs. Eller joined the board of the National Committee for the Performing Arts at the Kennedy Center as the National Representative for the State of Arizona. In July of 2002, President George W. Bush appointed her to the Advisory Committee on the Arts, to serve for two years. In May of 2004, Stevie and her husband Karl joined President and Mrs. Bush at the White House to show their support for the America’s Promise Campaign. In December of 2005, Mrs. Eller received the honor of being appointed to the Kennedy Center’s Board of Trustees by President George W. Bush.

Mrs. Eller served for five years on the Multiple Sclerosis Board of Directors, five years on the City of Phoenix Human Relations Commission, and was a community advisor to the Phoenix Junior League for two years. She is a founding trustee of the Children’s Science Museum, and also a founding trustee of the Harrington Arthritis Research Center of St. Luke’s Hospital, served on the Board of Governors for the Hon Kachina Awards Dinner held annually, and the Maricopa County Bond Committee. Mrs. Eller concluded a three-year term as a member of the Board of Directors of KAET-TV, Channel 8, the Public Broadcasting outlet in Phoenix. Other community activities included a term as President of the Junior Women’s Club of Evanston (Illinois); a member of the Board of Directors of COMPAS (a Phoenix organization dedicated to supporting the arts) and she was Chairperson of the Salvation Army Ice Cream Social for several years. In addition, Mrs. Eller was an organizer of the Fiesta Bowl Women’s Committee and has been active as an advisor to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. For over 20 years, Stevie was a Patron of the American Academy of Achievement, which honors high school honor students and other outstanding teen-agers from all 50 states, enabling these young people to gather and chat informally with the adult honorees, including Nobel & Pulitzer Prize winners that share their personal and career interests in business, the sciences, professions, arts, sports, industry, literature and public service.

On February 18, 2011, the Arizona Board of Regents honored Stevie and Karl Eller with the Regents’ Award for Outstanding Service to Higher Education, recognizing their commitment to the University of Arizona for over 25 years through the development and growth of the Eller College of Management, scholarships to undergraduate and graduate MBA students, and Stevie’s role as a lead supporter of the UA’s School of Dance.

In January 2011, Stevie accepted the challenge to Co-Chair the AZ Centennial Commission’s 2012 Foundation Capital Campaign at the request of Gov. Jan Brewer, along with her husband, Karl, heading up the fundraising effort for developing a new museum as well as other events over the next year to commemorate the celebration of Arizona’s statehood on February 14, 2012. In April of 2012, the Trends Charitable Fund honored Mrs. Eller as a Fabulous Phoenician for her work with the Centennial. Additionally, the Harp Foundation honored Mrs. Eller and her work for the state as one of the five Significant Women of the Centennial in May 2012.