Staff

Daniel M. Finley

Executive Director

Dan holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Geography from the University of Wisconsin. He formerly served as the president and chief executive officer of the Muzéo Museum and Cultural Center in Anaheim, California; the Autry National Center of the American West in Los Angeles, California; and the Milwaukee Public Museum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He is noted for his development of innovative programs, team-building skills, fiscal management, fundraising ability, and for creating strategic alliances with staff, board members, volunteers, and the community.

Dr. Tricia Loscher

Chief Curator & the Dita and John Daub Curator of Western Women’s Art

Dr. Loscher holds a PhD in Art History and Education from the University of Arizona and a MA, and BA in art history from Arizona State University, with minors in Latin American art, anthropology, and museum studies. Her academic journey has taken her across Arizona, Oklahoma, and international universities, where she has taught courses on contemporary art and non-Western art history.

Hailing from Wickenburg, Arizona, Dr. Loscher’s connection to the Southwest runs deep. She fondly recalls her upbringing in the Arizona desert, where even a rare snowstorm left an indelible mark on her childhood memories. From early art lessons at the Kay El Bar Ranch to painting skies and clouds with her sister, Dr. Loscher’s roots in the artistic landscape of the Southwest shaped her trajectory.

Dr. Eduardo Pagán

Adjunct Curator of History

Dr. Pagan, Arizona State University’s Bob Stump Endowed Professor of History, will spend a portion of each week working on special projects, exhibitions, and programs for the Museum. He received his Ph.D. from Princeton University in U.S. history. In addition to authoring numerous books on the history of the Southwest, he was one of the hosts of History Detectives (PBS), a historical consultant with American Experience (PBS), and has appeared in national and international documentaries and television shows.

Hillary Harnasch

Director of Business Operations

Hillary has a B.S. in Business Marketing from Indiana University. Her career has included accounting, office management, and event planning . Hillary previously worked at DCWM as the Visitor Services Manager.

Kathy Clark

Director of Development

Kathy and her family reside in Wickenburg and she has worked at the Museum since 2016. She is responsible for coordinating the Museum’s special event fund raising, grant writing, annual appeals, planned giving programs and all levels of membership. Previously she worked at Princeton University in HR, Molecular Biology, and Annual Giving departments with the Annual Giving campaigns, alumni events, supporting research scientists, and support with the Board of Director’s meetings.

Caesar Chaves

Director of Marketing

Caesar was previously the Creative Director for the Heard Museum in Phoenix since 2007 and Marketing Director from 2017-2020. There he managed diverse range of projects that included: exhibition design, social media, print, outdoor and web advertising. Caesar earned his B.F.A. in Graphic Design from Corcoran College of Art + Design (now part of the George Washington University) in our nation’s capital. His professional design work has been seen in public institutions such as the Public Museum in Grand Rapids, Virginia Historical Society in Richmond, The Textile Museum in Washington, DC and Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix. After starting at the Museum in 2021, Caesar now owns horses with his girlfriend and, he happily embraces the Western lifestyle.

Emily Gordon

Director of Education, Associate Curator

Emily holds a B.F.A. in Drawing and Minor in Art History from Ball State University. She began her museum background by serving as an Education Intern at the David Owsley Museum of Art in 2015, leading her to continue on as a Visitor Services Associate, Docent, and Collections Management Intern until her graduation in May 2017. After moving to Congress, AZ she began working as a part-time Visitor Services Associate for DCWM and now works full time as our Director of Education.

Noah Gordon

Director of Facilities

Noah Gordon began his career in the trades after graduating from Calumet Welding Center in Indiana in 2015. He then worked as a certified Welder & Fabricator until he moved to Arizona fall of 2017. Noah worked for Johnson Lumber in Wickenburg for several years while operating his Arizona Mining Claims business.

Lisa Wallace

Visitor Experience Manager

Lisa grew up in Connecticut and moved to Phoenix in 1997 with her husband. (They now consider themselves AZ natives). In 2022, wanting to get out of the “city”, her family (2 teens and a dog) moved to Wickenburg.

With over 15 years of experience in administrative and retail roles, working at DCWM as the Visitor Experience Manager combines the best of those worlds for her and has greatly increased her appreciation for the Western way of life!

Tarah Reed

Development Coordinator

Tarah is an Arizona native who has always been immersed in the Western lifestyle. Whether traveling to rodeos across the country or training horses, she truly lives and breathes the cowboy way of life. She has qualified for the Grand Canyon Professional Rodeo Association finals in the breakaway roping, with many rodeo wins scattered throughout her career. At the Desert Caballeros Western Museum, Tarah brings her passion for history, art, and Western culture together, making it the perfect place for her to work.

John Kyritsis

Collections Manager

John holds a Master’s Degree in Environmental Science and a Master’s in Library Science. He began as an intern at DCWM, assisting with a remodel of collection storage spaces. He now oversees the collections database and care for the art and history pieces owned by the Museum as well as those that come on loan for exhibitions and Cowgirl Up!

Jessica Kuemerle

Assistant Director of Education

Jessica is a native Arizonan that grew up in Wickenburg, and she holds a Bachelor’s degree from Grand Canyon University. Jessica’s passion for creativity and education stems from raising her four children. She returned to Wickenburg in 2020 and joined the Museum in 2022.

Julia Harn

Accounting Manager

Julia is an Arizona native who has a B.S. in Elementary Education from NAU. Her career has included accounting assistant/corporate president for a home-based engineering business, IT assistant for Gary Yamamoto Custom Baits, records clerk for Scottsdale Police records, Night Auditor/Manager of Amangiri, and a serious commitment of hours to her grandchildren who earned multiple Jr. Ranger badges and toured countless parks, museums and giftshops in national parks and venues in the Southwest and abroad.

Marilu Rix

Senior Visitor Services Associate and Weekend Supervisor

Marilu began in business in 1968 working in accounts receivable for Spencer Foods in Spencer, Iowa. From 1973 to 1986 she was a co-owner of Rudy’s Stateline Club in Spirit Lake, Iowa. From 1986 to 2004 she was employed as the Manager for the America Inn Hotel and Restaurant while also becoming a member of the Wickenburg Chamber of Commerce, the Soroptimist International Organization, board member for the Wickenburg Community Services Corporation and a member of the Wickenburg Ducks in a Row Foundation.

Kerri Crawford

Facilities Assistant

Kerri is a retired licensed professional chemical engineer who loves living in Wickenburg. For fun, she performs with the Tombstone Vigilantes and the Hassayampa Range Riders doing Old Western historic and hysterical skits. Desert landscapes and plants fascinate her and she tries to explore Arizona at every chance. Say “Hi!” if you see her working at the museum or performing in town and around!

Position open

Visitor Services Associate/Administrative Assistant

Shelli Stibbens

Visitor Services Associate

Minnika Sullivan

Visitor Services Associate

The Museum's Cultural Crossroads Learning Center

Kathy Strom

Visitor Services Associate

Josh Cochran

Housekeeper

More to see

© 2024 Desert Caballeros Western Museum - Privacy Policy - Accessibility