The Camp Verde Town Council interviewed eight candidates on Thursday, June 5, to fill an open seat caused by the resignation of Mayor Dee Jenkins, who was appointed to the Yavapai County Board of Supervisors to fill the District 2 seat on April 16.
With Jenkins’ departure, Vice Mayor Marie Moore was promoted to mayor, and Councilwoman Wendy Escoffier was elected vice mayor by her colleagues, leaving her council seat vacant.
Between 1:30 p.m. and 5:55 p.m., council interviewed seven applicants in executive session: Patricia Seybold, Cristine McPhail, Sylvia Strobel, Fredrick Hayman, Stephen James Reynolds, Ph.D., Tanner Bryson and Megan Asbury. Applicant Jerry Martin requested his interview be held in open session.
Council will discuss the interviews at a special meeting on Wednesday, June 11, before voting to fill the seat.
â—Ź Asbury is president of the American Legion Auxiliary.
â—Ź Bryson is a former board member of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association and Verde Valley Rangers.
● Hayman worked for the Buckeye Police Department, Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office and Camp Verde Marshal’s Office.
â—Ź Martin is an enrolled member of the Yavapai-Apache Nation and a public speaker about Apache history.
â—Ź McPhail served on council from 2020 to 2024 and also served on the Camp Verde Planning and Zoning Commission.
â—Ź Reynolds is a retired geosciences professor at Arizona State University and worked with the U.S. Geological Survey.
â—Ź Seybold served as chairwoman of the Camp Verde Planning and Zoning Commission and in other public positions in Michigan and Kentucky.
â—Ź Strobel is the former executive director of the Sedona Community Center and Humane Society of Sedona.
Seybold and Martin previously ran in the 12-candidate Camp Verde Town Council general election in July 2024 and the six-candidate runoff election in November. Bryson had campaigned for mayor, but was disqualified due to a paperwork issue. He instead ran as a write-in candidate for council in July, but did not make the runoff.
A total of 10 applications were received. If more than eight were received, council directed a selection committee of Camp Verde officials and community members to rank their top eight selections to be interviewed. Longtime Councilwoman Jakie Baker and Tonya Freeland Wiertzema, a local ranch owner, were not selected. Baker ran in the general and runoff elections in 2024, coming in fifth for the three open seats.
The Town of Camp Verde posted on Facebook on Friday, June 6: “The Camp Verde Town Council has recommended Patricia Seybold for appointment to the vacant Council seat. Official action on the appointment will take place at the June 11th Council meeting. Ms. Seybold has been actively involved in town affairs, most recently serving on the Planning & Zoning Commission, and was a candidate in the 2024 council election.
Daulton Venglar/Larson Newspapers
“We’d like to extend a sincere thank you to all of the incredible applicants who stepped forward. The Council was thoroughly impressed by the passion, experience, and dedication shown by each candidate. Camp Verde is fortunate to have so many community members willing to serve. We’re excited to welcome Ms. Seybold to the Council and look forward to the insight and energy she’ll bring to the role.”
Seybold won 1,586 votes in the November runoff election, fewer than Baker’s 1,733 votes and Martin’s 2,010 votes.
