About Us

About Us

A distant Pavilion seen through palm trees and yucca plants
Kelly Hadden

is found in the middle of a rural oasis in the Arizona Sonoran Desert outside Eloy, midway between Phoenix and Tucson. Composed of halls, meeting spaces, a large professional kitchen, dormitories, a swimming pool, and rental units, DRBI is a charitable, not-for-profit 501(c)3 organization that is inspired by the peaceful and unifying teachings of the Bahá’í Faith

Our Vision

Desert Rose is a community-based center of learning, guided by Bahá’í principles, that creates an atmosphere of spirituality which inspires positive human development.

Our Mission

The Mission of Desert Rose is to serve the community at large through phased development of activities and institutions that promote spiritual, artistic, intellectual, agricultural, and other practical education for people of all ages and backgrounds.

Governance Structure

The Board of Directors is appointed by the Corporate membership of the Institute, the Local Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Scottsdale Arizona, and consists of the following members:

 

A smiling man with salt and pepper hair, smiling for the camera.

Taj Sabet BBA:  Chair.  Taj is a trilingual businessman /entrepreneur who is currently focused in real estate investment. Taj has served as Chairman of the  Board for the past six years, has lived and worked around the world and is also the great-grandson of Shu’a’u’llah ‘A’la’i, one of the two Hands of the Cause to whom the institute is dedicated. 

Kelly Hadden B.A.  Secretary. Kelly is a Canadian artist with a professional background in change, human resources and operations management.  This serves her well in her current capacity as a semi-retired business consultant.  Her connection to DRBI comes through her father, David Hadden, one of the founding members.

A bearded man wearing glasses and smiling at the camera

Dwight Cox: Vice-Chair.  Dwight joined the DRBI Board in 2015 after he moved his Aviation business into the Eloy Sky Dive property just down the road.  Dwight’s degree in Aviation Mechanics belies his passion for reclaiming the desert as viable land.

Chad Jones

Chad Jones. Chad and his family came to DRBI from California, where he was an integral member of a school dedicated to the study of Baha’i texts.  His deep experience in school administration paired with his status as a resident of Casa de Rosas will provide many benefits to the Institute. 

a young woman looks off to the side. She has blonde hair and a big smile.

Marguerite Sears: Board member.  
As the namesake and grand daughter of the founder of DRBI, Marguerite has a unique connection to the Institute. She specializes in envisioning events and activities that will inform even more people about Desert Rose.

Our Team

As a Not-for-Profit 501c (3) DRBI has long relied on the generosity of skilled  individuals within the community to administer the day-to-day activities of Desert Rose.  This can mean everything from answering queries on the phone to scheduling tours, managing accounts payable, completing maintenance and orchestrating landscaping. 

You may call them Volunteers; we call them
EXTRAORDINARY!

DRBI’s extraordinary current and past team:

Tim McKenna – Facilities Manager              ROBIN SPRINGFIELD – Facilities Assistant
Bonnie Tozer, Nancy Sloman, Doris and Roger Rasmussen, Sandra Parm, DEEPALI JONES, MARYLOU STRAWWAY, JANN AND DUFFY SHERIDAN, LADJAMAYA GREN, GLENN AND NANCY DARLING, CHRIS RUHE AND JANET RUHE-SCHOEN, KITTY AND MARK LUTNESS, Mooi Yong Ng Khosraviani   

 

Our core team keeps the Institute running like a charm, assisted by other on-site and off volunteers who are happy to serve DRBI in any way they can. 

                                                                                         The team can be reached at (520) 466-7961 and at info@drbi.org.

Volunteers  

Volunteers are the lifeblood of any non-profit operation. Volunteer service allows DRBI to offer exceptional programs to our local, national, and international audiences. And what’s in it for you? Volunteering can help you make friends, learn new skills, advance your career, and even feel happier and healthier.

Service opportunities exist in the areas of farming, landscaping, food service, housekeeping, maintenance, programming, events coordination, bookstore, library, and more.

DRBI could not exist if it were not for the generous, skilled involvement of our many volunteers. Please click on a title to view the position description of each current opportunity:     

Hiring: Opportunities at DRBI We are currently accepting applications for the positions of Board Treasurer and Program Administrator Interested in learning more? Please contact info@drbi.org. Position Descriptions may be reviewed on drbi.org\about us

 Job Postings

 As a not-for-profit organization DRBI relies primarily on Volunteers for the day-to-day operations of the Institute  That said there are occasional opportunities for full or part-time, Regular or Contract positions, but none currently.