Our Team

At Arizona Blinds, Shutters and Drapery, it’s our sales team that truly sets us apart from our competitors. Their experience, eagerness to help our clients, dedication and overall compassion has made our company what it is today.

Briana Benton, Interior Designer

Briana, a Mid-Western native, moved to the valley in 1995 to attend Arizona State University, where she obtained a degree in art history. Realizing interior design was her true passion, she obtained a design degree from Scottsdale Community College while working for an interiors company in the Valley. In her eight years there, she designed window treatments and drapery, as well as custom bedding and upholstery. Briana‘s attention to detail and knowledge of style allow her to create beautiful interiors through custom window treatments. Because she understands outstanding interior design doesn't happen by accident, she has dedicated herself to setting the standard of excellence in the design industry.

Debbie Evanich , Interior Designer

Debbie has worked for twenty years in the design business in Phoenix. Her experience and creativity has served a wide range of residential clients throughout the valley, from new construction to remodel. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin Waukesha in Interior Design. Debbie builds her client-designer relationships on trust, and she also prides herself on her intuitive ability to understand her client’s tastes and needs. She specializes in the look of up-to-date window treatments, color consulting and room planning. Her signature look is comfortable elegance for today’s lifestyles.

Diane Pirman, Interior Designer

Diane Pirman moved to Phoenix in late 2010 from Chicago, where she was born and raised. In Chicago she owned a successful window treatment company from 1991 to 2008. In addition to her professional life, Diane prides herself on her active role she played in her daughter's lives. She was a cheerleading coach, Girls Scouts of the United States of America leader as well as room mom during multiple school years. Diane is extremely dedicated to her work; she has received top recognition awards with Hunter Douglas, including becoming a certified Hunter Douglas installer. Her understanding of transforming a house into a home through window treatments is extensive. Her secret is light control. This requires the understanding of window treatments that are stylish, well- built and adjustable to accommodate the changing brightness throughout the day. Diane has found the perfect match with Arizona Blinds, Shutters and Drapery to continue her reputation of outstanding customer satisfaction.

Debi Robey, Interior Designer

Debi moved to the Valley of the Sun with her husband and 2 young daughters 25 years ago. Happy to be out of the snow from the east coast and the midwest, she says there is no place like Arizona! She raised her two daughters here in Scottsdale. They eventually attended the U of A (Go Wildcats!) and then onto graduate school at Penn State and U of FL. She has owned several businesses over the years but really fell in love with the window coverings industry in 1994 where she realized her true passion. Except for a few years away from the business, she has been involved in the window coverings industry for 16 of the past 19 years. With her knowledge of

window coverings and design

as well as her attention to detail and professionalism, you will find Debi to be most helpful in your choices and decisions for window treatments, etc for your home.

Renee Thurber, Interior Designer

Renee Thurber is a third generation interior designer with over 25 years experience in the

window covering industry.

She has lived in Tucson since 1970, and attended the University of Arizona where she met her husband Carl in the 80's. They have two children, boy girl twins, and many family members living in and around the Tucson area.

Tracy Doane, Interior Designer, CID

Tracy graduated from Western Design Institute in San Francisco, California as a certified interior designer and has been in the residential design field over 25 years. Her professional experience has been in new and custom home building and remodeling, specializing in window coverings. Tracy had her own residential design business prior to working in the home builder field.

Originally from Minnesota, she relocated to Phoenix from Southern California in 2004.

Matt Funicello, Motorization Specialist

Matt Funicello has called Arizona his home since 1976. As a resident of Chandler he has been involved with local charities to improve the city he calls home. Matt began his career in sales working for Enterprise. After leaving his career as an area sales manager for the window covering industry, Matt has enjoyed his role as a design consultant. Understanding the importance of community involvement Matt is involved with the local Chandler Chamber of Commerce, currently serving as an ambassador. He and his wife Amy have two children; Jack and Sam.

Thomas Dawson, Motorization Specialist

Wes McLaughlin, Vice President, G.M.

Wes McLaughlin moved to Arizona and has been a resident of Chandler since 1999. He is a veteran of the U.S. Navy, and served a total of 13 years. After that, he returned to Ohio, and worked many years in sales. Soon, he decided that it was time to get out of the cold and leave his beloved Ohio. He spent his first years in Arizona working at Enterprise, leaving his career as an Area Sales Manager for the window covering industry. He has been with Arizona Blinds since 2006 and enjoys his role as the General Manager. He understands the importance of community involvement, and because of that, he has served on the Board of the YMCA, and active in the Scottsdale and North Scottsdale Chamber of Commerce. His efforts also helped Arizona Blinds to be voted 2009 Business of the Year from the Ahwatukee Chamber of Commerce. He and his wife Sonja, have three children; Carson, Brennan, and Tatum.

Michael O’Daniel, President

Mike is a third generation native of Arizona. After graduating from Arizona State University in business, Mike held various sales and marketing and management positions with major consumer product manufacturers and lived in several U.S. cities over the years. Mike enjoyed looking for that “fix-up" property when he was relocating. So when it was time to return home and buy a business, construction and/or design was right up his alley.

Arizona Blinds, Shutters and Drapery was a much smaller company in the 1990’s. By 2009, after manufacturing their our own plantation shutters and growing the old fashion way, “Arizona Blinds" was changed to “Arizona Blinds, Shutters & Drapery" and was recognized by Inc. 5000 as one of the fastest growing small businesses in the US.

Mike recognizes that being a part of the community and doing the next right thing is important, and that his number one responsibility is to make sure his customers get the very

best quality window treatments for the best price possible

and that his employees and their families have every opportunity to grow. “Trying to be the best in a business full of so-so isn’t rocket science!"