The Sedona Women (TSW) are pleased to salute two of our local women veterans — Sedona Division Fire Chief Dori Booth (below left) and Sedona veteran and educator Sara McAtee (below right). The panel discussion will be moderated by veteran and TSW member Camilla Ross in honor of National Veterans and Military Families Month. November is a time to recognize the sacrifices and contributions of veterans and military families to the nation's armed forces.
Dori Booth, Division Chief of Sedona Fire’s Community Risk Reduction Division, enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserves in 2005, where she continued to serve until she was medically retired in November 2017. During her tenure in the military, she deployed to Iraq/Kuwait as a motor vehicle operator and Incident Commander from 2007 to 2009 and as a Civil-Military Operations Non-Commissioned Officer in Ghazni Province, Afghanistan, in 2012. During her time in Afghanistan, she was awarded several military commendations, including the Combat Action Badge and the military’s fourth-highest award, the Bronze Star Medal, for exceptional service and leadership on the battlefield.
Dori studied fire protection engineering and arson investigation at Eastern Kentucky Univ., and interned at the Phoenix Fire Dept., eventually working her way up to Deputy Fire Marshal. She earned her master’s degree in public safety leadership and administration at Arizona State Univ. In December 2021, Dori joined the Sedona Fire District, becoming the first female Fire Marshal and Community Risk Reduction Division Chief Officer, as well as Wildland Fire Investigator. She is currently the Secretary of the Arizona Fire Marshals Association.
Sara McAtee grew up knowing she wanted to follow her dad and serve her country when she wrote a letter to the Marine Corps recruiters in Kansas at 8 years of age. When her letter reappeared years later, accompanied by two U.S. Marines, she knew her dream to serve would be granted. She left for boot camp after completing high school, becoming one of the first women to move into the position of Combat Engineer, proving herself amongst a crew of men. After becoming injured later in her career, she was placed in the difficult position of being in charge of Marines who had been injured or were waiting to be discharged. She saved a life and earned brothers and sisters in arms as a proud United States Marine.
Sara went on to receive a degree in Elementary Education in 2012 and shares her love of education with the local schools of Sedona. Sara is a member and serves as secretary of SAVCO (Sedona Area Veterans Community Outreach).
