MEET OUR BOARD
Herb Wisdom – President
Bree is a spirited and standout font that takes its inspiration from handwriting. It’s sure to grab your reader’s attention, especially in short paragraphs.
Les Harris - Treasurer
Bree is a spirited and standout font that takes its inspiration from handwriting. It’s sure to grab your reader’s attention, especially in short paragraphs.
Jim Nelson - Vice President
Bree is a spirited and standout font that takes its inspiration from handwriting. It’s sure to grab your reader’s attention, especially in short paragraphs.
Nick Kalinichenko
Bree is a spirited and standout font that takes its inspiration from handwriting. It’s sure to grab your reader’s attention, especially in short paragraphs.
Dr. Kent Blumenthal
Bree is a spirited and standout font that takes its inspiration from handwriting. It’s sure to grab your reader’s attention, especially in short paragraphs.
Carlos Armijo
Bree is a spirited and standout font that takes its inspiration from handwriting. It’s sure to grab your reader’s attention, especially in short paragraphs.
It takes a team of dedicated volunteers to make a dream come true. We're fortunate to have some of the best dedicating their time, energy, and expertise to our cause.
Herb Wisdom – President / Founder
Herb Wisdom grew up in Tumacacori. He spent his youth in his family home – now Wisdoms Café – and he has fond memories of the weekend rodeo organized by his father and held in the property north of his home. His remembers that there were few opportunities for sports. The only sports fields were in Nogales and he and his friends did not have easy access to them.
In 1957 and not sharing the desire or many of his friends to become a cowboy or pursue a future in the rodeo Herb decided to enlist in the Navy. From 1958 to 1962 he had the wonderful opportunity to play with and against some of the greatest pitchers and players the Armed forces had to offer. Names like Buck Brown, Jim Hines – the competition was tough.
Jaime Vasquez - Treasurer
Jaime Vasquez is a Personal Banker at BMO Harris Bank, where he processes loan applications, opens
new personal and business checking accounts, and helps with the overall operations of his branch.
Jaime received his Business Administration Associates Degree from Pima Community College. He has
been in the banking a total of 17 years and has extensive knowledge in all fields of the banking industry.
Raised in Nogales, AZ, Jaime has lived in Santa Cruz County for 35 years. He is an avid sports fan and
really enjoys playing soccer and basketball as a hobby. He coached middle school basketball for Lourdes
Catholic School and soccer for AYSO.
As elected Treasurer for Wisdom Sports and Scholars, Jaime has taken on the responsibility of
overlooking the finances for WSS.
Greg Hansen - Secretary
After 27 years in the residential real estate industry in Tucson, Arizona Greg, and his wife Amy, opened the Sahuarita’s Twist and Shout 50’s Diner in January 2009. In the summer of 2011 Greg and Amy were offered the opportunity to open a second restaurant in Green Valley. In January of 2012 they opened the 19th Hole Bar & Grille in the Best Western Green Valley Inn. Plans to open a third venture are underway. The Santa Cruz Valley Catering Company will operate under the umbrella of both Twist and Shout and 19th Hole.
During his working career Greg has been a sales manager, business coach and motivational speaker. Always active in the community, he is currently enjoying a position on the Wisdom Sports and Scholars board. An easy mark to sponsor almost any community charity event, Greg and Amy have chosen the Community Food Bank, Relay for Life and the Lustgarten Foundation as their primary charities to support.
Serving the communities where they live and work are what drives both Greg and Amy. During our private time we enjoy geocaching, Jeep excursions and wine tasting! Thanks!
Jim Nelson - Executive Director
Jim Nelson came to Green Valley to serve as the Superintendent of Continental Schools. With a graduate degree from the University of Iowa, Jim has spent his career as an educator. He and his wife of 43 years, Candy, have two grown children. Giving back to this community is Jim's reason for serving on the Board of Directors.
Carlos Armijo - Vice President
Carlos has been playing ball and coaching for over 35 years. He has coached little league and men’s Fastpitch during that time. Most recently he has assisted his son with coaching the Junior Varsity Pueblo High School Girls Fastpitch team. Carlos started coaching and playing for Herb Wisdoms Si Senor Team about 20 years ago. During his time on the team they won World, National and State titles and several local and regional tournaments. In Tubac they hosted tournaments for several world class fastpitch teams from across the USA as well as several local teams.
Carlos has a commitment to aid Wisdom Sports and Scholars in bringing those tournaments back to the area and to assist in the creation of an organized adult slow pitch league so that we can continue to support the local youth programs in this area.
We are fortunate to have Carlos, his wife Mary and children AnaMarie and Carlos on our team at WSS.
Nick Kalinichenko
Nick is a Journeyman Plastic Injection Mold Maker with an Associated Degree from Triton College. He is from Chicago, IL and moved to Phoenix, AZ in 2001 with his wife Liz and two children Nick III and Haley. After becoming empty nesters, they moved to Rio Rico in 2013.
After meeting Herb, Nick found out he shares the same passion for softball and children sports. This is when he became involved with WS&S. Nick found his passion for softball through his daughter, Haley. She started out playing T-ball and finish being a collegiate fastpitch softball player. Nick spent his time either coaching or cheering her teams from the stands
Bill Manzanedo
Arizona native, Bill Manzanedo has lived most of his life in Rio Rico and Nogales. Bill served in the Army and was with the 7th Bayonet Chorus in Korea. He has spent his working life in the construction industry. He is a well know area musician playing regularly in Tucson and at Wisdoms Café in Tumacacori. Where kids are concerned he is a willing and generous volunteer and his passion is helping kids in our community - a perfect fit for his participation as a board member with Wisdom Sports & Scholars. Wisdom Sports and Scholars is also the happy beneficiary of his musical accompaniment at many of our events!