2022 Stanley Lifetime Achievement Award winners announced

Wenatchee — The Numerica Performing Arts Center is proud to announce the 2022 Stanley Lifetime Achievement Award winners: Rhona Baron as the recipient in the professional division and Daina Toevs as the recipient in the volunteer division.

Baron and Toevs were honored at the Numerica Festival of Trees’ productions of Holiday Spice on December 1 and 2 at the Numerica PAC, sponsored by Community Glass and Marilyn Everhart.

The Stanley Lifetime Achievement Awards were designed in 2002 to honor the life-long arts and cultural commitment of Mr. Bob Stanley. The winners are honored at Holiday Spice.

Rhona Baron - Professional Division

Rhona Baron is a multidisciplinary artist who grew up surrounded by art and nature in Coos Bay, Oregon. Deeply influenced by her early years, Rhona’s dedicated her artistic career to the transformative power of nature and art, rather than art for art’s sake alone.

Holding a degree in Fine Art, Rhona worked for the Wenatchee/Okanagon National Forest as an interpretive illustrator and designer in the 1990s. Her large illustrations can be viewed at Nason Creek Campground and other locations. Rhona’s accomplishments also include singing lead with the acapella group Mixed Company, teaching voice in the Wenatchee Valley, creating sing-along “edutainment” for the Wenatchee River Salmon Festival, directing the choir at Faith Lutheran Church in Leavenworth, and host of “Icicle Jazz” on KOHO radio.

At the age of 47, Rhona trained to become among the first Zumba instructors in Washington State. Going a step further, she was inspired by Zumba’s Latin styles to choreograph and co-create Dancing With Birds, a Latin dance and visual art troupe that educated bi-cultural audiences about migratory birds. Currently, Rhona serves as the Artistic Director and Producer of Dangerous Women, a regional artist’s collaborative that brings the forgotten stories of women from history to life on stage. In 2022, Dangerous Women staged their third, all-original, themed production. The most racially diverse production ever staged in North Central WA, the show features the Native American perspective. Rhona’s position with Dangerous Women pushes her to utilize her full array of artistic skills to do what she loves best—uniting, educating, and inspiring the community through the arts.

Daina Toevs - Volunteer Division

Daina Toevs is a product of her upbringing. Her parents, Phyllis and Gerald Goecke, brought classical, secular, and - of course - Broadway music into their home, so Daina has been drawn to music since childhood. In college, she developed her own love of jazz, and she has since sung with Easy Money in Wenatchee and Kind of Blue in Spokane. Daina has been involved with the Wenatchee Valley theater scene since 1996, with her first show being Most Happy Fella. Being on stage and directing has been her greatest passion. As an actor first, Daina finds joy working with others to create the magic only felt on the stage. Over time, she has expanded her wings to touch all areas of theater life including directing, acting, costuming, producing, set building, lighting, theater parenting, and more.

Through theater and the arts, Daina hopes to enrich the lives of audiences and other artists. Daina states, “We learn so much when we participate in the arts. Group responsibility, sense of community, endurance, diversity, teamwork, and interpersonal communication skills. To participate in the atmosphere of creative joy is an experience unmatched!”.

Daina Toevs has been married to her husband Ken for 42 years. They have two grown children Jacob and Katelin, who have wonderful spouses and brought them three delightful grandchildren.

Former Stanley Lifetime Achievement Award Winners

A Stanley Lifetime Achievement Award Winner is someone who has left a profoundly positive and lasting impression on the arts in Central Washington. Baron and Toevs join a list of local legacy lifetime achievement winners:

Professional Division: Rhona Baron (2022), Tracy Trotter (2021), Melissa Miller-Port (2019), Suzanne Carr (2018), Leslie McEwen (2017), Scott Bailey (2016), Terry Valdez (2015), Dan Jackson (2014), Keith Sexson (2013), Tamera Lopushinsky (2012), Glenn Kelley (2011), Jan Cook Mack (2010), John & Susan Wagner (2009), Harriett Bullitt (2008), Beth Jensen (2007), Sherry Krebs (2006), Pam Cole (2005), Richard Lapo (2004), Edward Sands (2003), Joan Shelton Mason (2002), Ruth Allan (2002)

Volunteer Division: Daina Toevs (2022), Katy Marr (2021), Ford & Marlys Barrett (2019), Cynthia Brown (2018), Gina Jans (2017), Ron Lodge (2016), Adele Wolford (2015), Marilyn Everhart (2014), Sue Lawson (2013), Rudi Pauly (2012), Terry Johnson (2011), Sherry Schreck (2010), Paul Atwood (2009), Harriett Bullitt (2008), Glenn Isaacson (2007), Arlene Jones (2006), Jane Hensel (2005), Gary Montague (2004), Wilfred & Kathy Woods (2003)

The Numerica Performing Arts Center at the Stanley Civic Center is a non-profit organization and naming partner with the Numerica Credit Union.