It is with profound sorrow that we share the news of Joe Anderson’s passing, whose generosity and commitment to the Sandra Day O’Connor Institute left an enduring mark. A longtime friend of Justice O’Connor, Joe was a significant supporter of the Institute. He served three terms on our Board of Directors and, for many years, continued his service on our National Advisory Board.
Joseph P. Anderson was a native Arizonan and a graduate of Arizona State University. Mr. Anderson held executive positions in Arizona state government for 17 years, including deputy director of the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System, the Arizona Department of Administration, and the Arizona Department of Economic Security. While at the state government, Joe was tapped by then-Governor Bruce Babbitt to address the state’s failing Medicaid system. Working with Dr. Donald Schaller, they rebuilt Arizona’s health plan for the poor, created a new model of managed health care that cut costs while providing high-quality care, and made it a model for other states. Mr. Anderson was also instrumental in drafting and securing Federal approval on legislation for Arizona’s Long Term Care System, which was the nation’s first statewide prepaid long-term care system for the elderly, physically disabled, and developmentally disabled Medicaid populations.
Mr. Anderson was co-founder and chairman of Benovia Winery in Sonoma County, California. In 2003, he purchased the Cohn Vineyard, the oldest Pinot Noir vineyard in the Russian River Valley, and two years later he purchased a winery and an adjacent vineyard in Santa Rosa. Benovia Winery produces some of Sonoma County’s finest Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Zinfandel wines. In 2016, Benovia Co-Founders Joe Anderson and his wife, Mary Dewane, were named winery owners of the year by the California North Bay Business Journal. Continuing his community service, in 2015 Mr. Anderson and his wife co-chaired the annual Sonoma Wine Country Weekend, an event that raised $4.5 million to support literacy programs in Sonoma County.
Mr. Anderson’s other passion was his fully restored World War II-era DC3 airplane named “The Spirit of Benovia.” The plane has been involved in air shows throughout the country. In June 2019, the Spirit of Benovia proudly represented the United States with the Tunison Foundation’s D-Day Squadron of WWI-era planes, making the crossing from the United States to Europe to participate in the 75th D-Day Anniversary in Normandy, England, and Caen, France.