Governor-Elect Katie Hobbs Announces Environmental and Natural Resources Cabinet Members for Incoming Administration

PHOENIX –  Governor-Elect Katie Hobbs is making a second round of cabinet member  announcements. With a proven track record of success and years of expertise, these are the dedicated professionals who will run Arizona’s Environmental and Natural Resources state agencies and help build an Arizona for everyone. Governor-Elect Katie Hobbs will announce additional cabinet members in the coming days.

Creating a Resilient Arizona means tackling some of the toughest problems we face as a state, "said Governor-Elect Hobbs". These are just the leaders we need in order to address the burgeoning water crisis, preserve our natural resources, and build a 21st-century clean energy economy that puts Arizona on a path to long-term prosperity.

Cabinet Members:

Karen Peters - Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ)
Karen Peters is an Arizona lawyer and currently serves in executive leadership at the City of Phoenix. She has over 30 years of experience in environmental and water law and policy, and helped write Arizona laws and regulations on critical issues like protecting rivers and streams, cleanup of groundwater and soil contamination, and air quality. She earned her undergraduate degree from Arizona State University, studied law at Georgetown University, then returned to Arizona to begin her career. She and her husband have three adult sons and live in Phoenix.

Tom Buschatzke - Department of Water Resources
Tom Buschatzke has over 40 years of water management experience in Arizona. He has been the Director of the Arizona Department of Water Resources since 2015 and previously held multiple positions at ADWR. At the City of Phoenix from 1988-2011, he was a Hydrologist and the Water Resources Management Advisor. He holds a Bachelor Science Degree in Geology from SUNY Cortland. He has been married for 38 years and has three daughters and two granddaughters.

Cynthia Zwick - Residential Utility Consumer Office (RUCO)
A consistent and passionate advocate for those whose voices often go unheard, for nearly 20 years Cynthia Zwick served as Executive Director of Wildfire: Igniting Community Action to End Poverty in Arizona, a non-profit dedicated to stopping poverty before it starts, ensuring low-income individuals and families have access to systems and tools to become financially stable and thrive. At Wildfire, her team intervened in utility rate cases in support of affordable rates, and created and managed the Home Energy Assistance Fund which helps families with utility bills and weatherization. Recently Wildfire has been engaged in housing policy and tenants’ rights advocacy.

om Torres - Department of Forestry and Fire Management (DFFM)
Tom has worked for the US Forest Service for 33 years in a variety of roles in the Western United States and the previous 10 years in Arizona. Tom studied civil engineering technology at New Mexico State University and graduate level management at Portland State University. Tom has considerable experience in wildfire management, forest restoration, partnership development and organizational leadership. Tom and his wife, Dr. Cynthia Doane, have two sons who are both military veterans.

Bob Broscheid - State Parks and Trails
Bob Broscheid currently serves as Executive Director for Arizona State Parks and Trails. Prior to that, Mr. Broscheid served as Director of the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Division. He is a graduate of Arizona State University and the National Conservation Leadership Institute, and has 24 years of experience working for the State of Arizona. He is an avid outdoorsman and recreationist, and is passionate about providing outdoor recreation opportunities for the public, especially to first-time users.

Ty Gray - Arizona Game and Fish Department
Ty Gray has worked for the Arizona Game and Fish Department since 1993 in several capacities including biologist, Education Chief, Fisheries Chief, Assistant Director and Deputy Director. He was appointed Director by the Arizona Game and Fish Commission in 2017. The Arizona Game and Fish Department receives no general funds, has approximately 600 employees, and is charged with managing the State’s 800 + species of wildlife and providing safe and compatible outdoor recreational opportunities.