Director / Phoenix Team Lead

Jennifer Tuchband has been a part of the Arizona climbing community for 15 years. She appreciates climbing for its independent, meditative nature while also being conducive to social gatherings and building communities. Through climbing, she has developed a deep appreciation and respect for nature and the outdoors.

As an AZWCC board member, Jennifer aims to utilize her professional experience consulting for nonprofits to help the organization grow and promote access to climbing for diverse individuals.

Director / Phoenix Team

Nicole started climbing in college and fell in love with the mental, physical, and social aspects of the sport as well as the close community. She moved to Phoenix from Ohio several years ago and has enjoyed the varied outdoor spots in the southwest. Besides climbing, Nicole also enjoys hiking, camping, baking, and board games.

As an AZWCC board member, Nicole intends to use her engineering mindset and love of spreadsheets to help the coalition stay organized and she is excited to meet, connect, and empower more women and genderqueer climbers in the wonderful community here!

Director / Tucson Team

Sydney started climbing in 2019 when she moved to Tucson to pursue her masters in Oboe Performance. She is currently working on her PhD in Applied Intercultural Arts Research with a focus on intergenerational programming and evaluation. Her current work partners with community organizations layering creative practice and the emotion of awe.

Sydney loves climbing outside and is always exploring new crags on Mt. Lemmon. She believes climbing is both a sport and a metaphor for life and as such shouldn’t be taken too seriously. Sydney is a gym lead for AZWCC Tucson. First starting to climb as a way to find community, she now loves bringing climbers together in a fun, welcoming environment and hopes that her love of the activity helps foster the same for others.

Phoenix Team

Stephanie was brought to the Phoenix area to attend Arizona State University in the summer of 2018. She’s currently pursuing her PhD in Geology. Stephanie moved from Lexington, KY where she fell in love with single pitch sport climbing at the Red River Gorge. “The Red” is world-famous for its overhanging sandstone cliffs with large holds. Since moving to Arizona, Stephanie has expanded her skillset to include traditional and multi-pitch climbing. As a scientist who studies mountain ranges and an aspiring mountaineer, her goals include climbing some of the world’s most magnificent peaks.

Stephanie is the Community Outreach Coordinator for the AZWCC Phoenix team, and in that capacity aims to foster connections between the organization and community members at the local, regional, and national level. This includes other local and national non-profit climbing organizations, local businesses, and national brands.

Phoenix Team

Nichole began her climbing journey in New Zealand, where the rugged landscapes fueled her passion for the sport. Over the years, she has embraced all types of climbing from bouldering, sport climbing, to ice climbing. She is drawn to climbing for its unique blend of mental and physical challenges, helping her push her limits while staying grounded and focused. When she isn’t projecting routes, Nichole applies the same strategic thinking to her role as a UX research scientist, leading projects in the consumer product and medical device industries. She also enjoys spending time outdoors with her four rescue cattle dogs — Pepper, Sol, Checkers, and Oatmeal.

As a member of the AZWCC Phoenix team, Nichole is passionate about empowering women and genderqueer climbers, fostering a sense of belonging, and igniting excitement for the sport within the Phoenix community.

Tucson Team Lead

Jennifer, originally from Delaware, moved to Tucson 3 years ago with her active duty military husband and was immediately obsessed with all the things that the desert had to offer. She attended an AZWCC meet-up on a whim one evening roughly a year ago and has never looked back. She fell in love with the community and the newfound sense of strength she had tapped into. A natural born lover of the mountains and all things outdoors, you can usually find Jennifer with her husband and two dogs camping, climbing, fishing and hiking. She has become passionate about including others in the climbing community and making sure that all feel welcome in this space!

Tucson Team

As an Arizona native, Tina fell in love with the outdoors at a young age. She started climbing early in her life with her brother but got seriously into it during 2020. She loves climbing and exploring different crags all over Arizona. If she’s not climbing, she’s either hanging with family, watching a soccer game or kayaking.

After graduating from ASU in 2021, she moved to Tucson for her job as a journalist for KGUN9. She’s gotten the opportunity to tell Tucson’s stories, especially several about the climbing community here. She found climbing as a way to connect to nature and relax with friends. And now being apart of AZWCC, she hopes to spread the passion and love of climbing to others.

Tucson Team