After graduating from high school in 1967, Steve Graham attended UCLA for four years and graduated in 1971 with a BA in HISTORY. 

While going to UCLA, he spent three years working at Disneyland as a “Ride Operator” in FRONTIERLAND and ADVENTURELAND. It was there that he began developing his “people skills”; as employees, we were “ON STAGE” and the visitors were “GUESTS”. 

Steve started his “career vocation” in November of 1971 at ABBEY RENTS. It was a national company in the “RENTAL & SALE BUSINESS” of party and medical equipment.

Between 1971 and 2014, Steve spent 39 years specializing in “DME” (durable medical equipment) providing people in need of assistance with everything from oxygen, ambulatory aids, wheelchairs, and hospital beds. They also needed to provide the intangibles of positive input, direction, & hope. 

Steve retired from the DME INDUSTRY in 2014 and moved to Rio Verde. He was aware of Verde Cares from friends that had moved here prior to moving to the area with his wife.

In his career, Steve trained his staff to understand that the services and direction they provided were important, and that they needed to be better at it than all others. This is the attitude he wanted to bring to VERDE CARES. As the past 10 years have passed, he not only focused on the “loan closet”, but became instrumental in the training of new volunteers. He explains the normal progression of client’s needs; the use of the equipment; the fitting of the equipment; and the goals and limitations of their offerings. He also provides first hand help to clients as needed (driving, repairs, advice, friendship, & equipment service). 

In addition to Verde Care, Steve likes to spend his time supporting our community. He helped build two homes with Habitat for Humanity; which was such an experience!  Many of them moved on to Reigning Grace Horse Ranch and helped to build the corrals for the new ranch.  He stayed on for another two years working/mentoring children and feeding the horses. He became involved with the Verde Christmas Project when they approached him to help provide a specialized “sport wheelchair” for a recipient. Steve stayed on as a board member for the next three years. 

Steve likes to think that, like the Tin Man, he is a “Good Deed Doer”!