Arizona Capitol Reports Staff//March 30, 2009//[read_meter]
Gov. Jan Brewer named former EPA assistant water chief Benjamin Grumbles as the next director of the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality.
Grumbles, who served as assistant administrator for the office of water at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, will also join Brewer's cabinet as an advisor on environmental issues before transitioning to ADEQ. He will commute and telecommute between Arizona and his home in Arlington, Va., before relocating to this state in June with his wife and two school-aged children. Grumbles' parents and siblings already reside in Arizona.
Rumors had circulated that Grumbles would be named to the post after Brewer's Web site listed him as an environment advisor. His name was only briefly on the list of Governor's Office staff, and was removed on March 25.
At EPA, Grumbles led the agency's National Water Program, which was responsible for safe drinking water, wetlands protection, ocean dumping and the American Indian Environmental Office. He also served as associate administrator for congressional and intergovernmental relations and as deputy assistant administrator for water.
Before joining the EPA, Grumbles served as deputy chief of staff and environmental counsel for the U.S. House of Representatives Science Committee, and he spent more than 15 years as a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee staff, where he held numerous positions, including senior counsel for the Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee.
Grumbles will replace acting ADEQ Director Patrick Cunningham, who took over following former Director Steve Owens' resignation in January. Cunningham will return to his previous post of deputy director of the agency.
"I am thrilled that Mr. Cunningham has agreed to continue at ADEQ and resume his leadership as deputy director," Brewer said. "I have the utmost confidence in Patrick's background, knowledge and experience as he has served so well at the helm of ADEQ during this interim period."
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