State Land Department director resigns 

Arizona State Land Department Director Mark Winkleman has submitted a letter of resignation to Gov. Jan Brewer and will stepping down from his position on May 22.

Winkleman told the Arizona Capitol Times he resigned on May 8 as part of a "mutual agreement" reached with the Brewer administration, and that he will be returning to work in the private commercial real estate sector.

"This has been a great run," he said. "I have enjoyed it and I'm truly privileged to have done it."

In a letter addressed to friends and colleagues, Winkleman thanked his co-workers and noted the agency under his tenure set several state trust land sales records, including sales of $382 million in 2008.

Winkleman was appointed the position in 2003 by then-Gov. Janet Napolitano, and played a key role in efforts to reform state trust land sales, which ultimately were unsuccessful. His tenure ended roughly five-months after Brewer assumed the position of governor in January.

Much of the state's agricultural community, as well as key elements of the homebuilding industry opposed a 2006 ballot initiative that would have allowed the department to create a self-sustaining funding mechanism by collecting a portion of revenue derived from trust land sales. Right now, the department relies on money from the state's general fund.

A similar effort, also supported by Napolitano, failed to qualify for the 2008 ballot due to a lack of necessary qualifying signatures.

The Arizona State Land Department oversees the sales and management of more than 9 million acres of state trust land. The proceeds from the sales are used by beneficiaries such as K-12 public schools, health care programs, agricultural and mining interests and state prisons.

In 2008, the department raised $454 million in revenue that was distributed to 13 beneficiaries.

Paul Senseman, a spokesman for Brewer, did not respond to requests for comment.