Gena Wikstrom
Susan Eastman
Gena Wikstrom and her husband Bob hail from Redmond, Wash. For 30 years, Gena served as executive director of a nonprofit organization representing private post-secondary vocational schools throughout Washington, Oregon, and Idaho.
Her organization supported more than 200 vocational schools that trained students for careers in the skilled trades for specific career paths. As executive director, Gena was a tireless advocate for those students. She regularly worked with state agencies and legislators to secure funding and policy support for vocational education.
While deeply rewarding, the position was also demanding. After three decades of leadership, Gena retired in 2018, to begin a new chapter.
She and Bob purchased a condo in Scottsdale, since Bob’s work allowed him to live virtually anywhere. Two years later, they found their permanent home in PebbleCreek. But the timing was less than ideal.
It was 2020. COVID-19 arrived, and life abruptly shut down.
As Gena laughs today, “We picked a bad year to move to Goodyear!”
Gena first visited the Ceramics Club in 2021, when masks were still the norm. Members continued gathering until the worst of the pandemic passed.
Anyone who knows Gena quickly recognizes her remarkable organizational skills. The club’s bylaws were original but vague and outdated. As an experienced parliamentarian, Gena was asked—twice—to revise and modernize them, most recently in 2024.
With a natural flair for both organization and fun, she served three times as Vice President of the Ceramics Club Board of Directors. Seeking to strengthen membership connections, she helped establish a Social Committee that launched monthly Happy Hours hosted in members’ homes. She also helped initiate two popular annual events: the Holiday Party in November and the Spring Picnic, first held in 2023.
One of Gena’s most meaningful contributions began as a community partnership with the Agua Fria School District’s Senior to Senior program. Led by Superintendent Yslas, Gena met Ryan Williams, Art Department Director at Desert Edge High School. The result was a creative exchange program between the Desert Edge art students and PebbleCreek Ceramics Club members.
Three years later, the program has become a cherished tradition. Students visit PebbleCreek to work alongside club members, and club members travel to Desert Edge High School to participate in the students’ art program. This year Pottery Club members created handmade plates for students’ decoration, and donated financial support to facilitate the event.
Interestingly, Gena’s own journey with ceramics began decades ago. She first experimented with the art in the 1970s so when she and Bob moved to PebbleCreek, Gena rediscovered ceramics.
Under the guidance of the club’s certified instructors, Kelli Frederickson and Linda Galowitch, Gena has explored new techniques and expanded her artistic range. Among her favorites are sgraffito, silk screening, and the use of shimmer paints on graceful Art Deco and traditional forms.
Within the creative environment of the Ceramics Club, its supportive and often hilarious community, Gena feels her work has truly evolved.