AZ Water Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational organization founded in 1928 with a membership of 2,100 water/wastewater professionals dedicated to preserving and enhancing Arizona's water environment. Although AZ Water is an independent organization, it also serves as the Arizona section of the American Water Works Association (AWWA) and the Arizona member association of the Water Environment Federation (WEF).
During our virtual conference AZ Water will provide value to our members by offering live and pre-recorded on-demand sessions designed to provide professional development, continuing education, and technology transfer to support our vision of “a vibrant Arizona through safe, reliable water.” Attendees at our conference have the following opportunities:
Mayor, City of Phoenix Welcome Remarks Monday, July 20th at 11:00 AM
Mayor, City of Phoenix
Mayor Kate Gallego has spent her career working to find solutions to complex problems. Prior to being elected as Mayor, she served for five years as the City Councilwoman for District 8, a large district covering much of South Phoenix. Her record of proven results includes leading the campaign to pass Phoenix’s citywide transportation plan through 2050 and working to ensure equal pay for equal work. While on the council, Mayor Gallego helped make Phoenix a leader in job creation, and worked with police and firefighters to improve public safety and make neighborhoods more secure.
In March 2019, Mayor Gallego became the second elected female Mayor in Phoenix history and the youngest big city Mayor in the United States. Mayor Gallego is passionate about building a Phoenix that works for everyone, including her two year old son, Michael, and she led the effort to partner with AARP to make Phoenix a city where seniors can thrive. She believes everyone should have access to cutting edge medical care, and has led on expanding Phoenix's biomedical campus. Mayor Gallego is working to grow the city’s economy, create jobs, and stand up for the city’s core values.
Prior to being elected Mayor to the city that she loves, Mayor Gallego worked on Strategic Planning and Economic Development for the utility company, Salt River Project. She worked to attract new companies and jobs to Phoenix. Mayor Gallego graduated from Harvard University and earned an MBA from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.
Senior Fellow, Kyl Center for Water Policy at Morrison Institute Monday, July 20th at 11:00 AM
In 1977, at the age of 28, Kathy was appointed Executive Director of the Arizona Groundwater Management Study Commission. Her work with the Commission and Governor Bruce Babbitt culminated in the passage of the 1980 Arizona Groundwater Management Act, which continues to be one of the nation's most visionary laws for managing groundwater.
For over four decades Kathy has championed wise water management in the desert. She has served as Director of the Arizona Department of Water Resources and as Executive Director of the Arizona Municipal Water Users Association. Currently a lawyer in private practice, she is a Senior Fellow at the Morrison Institute for Public Policy at Arizona State University, where she consults with the Kyl Center for Water Policy. She recently co-authored with Kyl Center Director Sarah Porter The Elusive Concept of an Assured Water Supply - The Role of CAGRD and Replenishment.
In 2015, along with Michael Schiffer, she produced the documentary Groundwater - to enact a law for the common good.
2019 - 2020 AZ Water President
2019 - 2020 AZ Water President Tucson Water Director
Tim Thomure is the Director of Tucson Water, a 585-person operation providing potable and reclaimed water service to 730,000 people in southern Arizona. Tim is a licensed PE with 25 years of experience working in public utilities, private industry, and consulting. His areas of expertise include strategic planning, water supply, water recycling, and organizational development. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois and a Master of Engineering degree from the University of Arizona. He is currently pursuing his PhD in Geography from the University of Arizona.
Tim currently serves as Past President of the AZ Water Association, Past Chair of the AZ AWWA Section, and Past President of AZWEA. Tim is also a Past President of WateReuse Arizona and has served on the National Board of the WateReuse Association and the Water Research Foundation. Tim chaired the Steering Committee on Arizona Potable Reuse (SCAPR), co-chaired the ADEQ Reuse Rulemaking Technical Committees, and served on the Arizona Drought Contingency Plan Steering Committee. He currently holds appointments to the Governor’s Water Augmentation, Innovation, and Conservation Council (GWAICC), the Tucson Groundwater Users Advisory Committee (GUAC), and the recently formed Arizona Reconsultation Council (ARC) tasked with preparing the State of Arizona for the upcoming, post-2026 Colorado River negotiations.
Tim has been a member of AZ Water since he gave his first presentation at the 2001 Annual Conference. Since then, Tim has been an active member through his employment with both Tucson Water and HDR, giving frequent presentations at our Annual Conferences, Technical Luncheons, and Specialty Conferences. He has served as a Board Member since 2015. Prior roles have included: Reuse Committee Chair (2010 – 2015) and Annual Conference Technical Chair (2011). From 2013-2015, Tim facilitated the work group that developed the Association’s 2014 Strategic Plan Update and 2015 Business Plan Update. Tim is a member of the 5S Society in recognition of his long service to AZ Water.
2020 - 2021 AZ Water President
2020 - 2021 AZ Water President Hazen and Sawyer, Senior Associate
Doug Kobrick has been a member of AZ Water since 1987. He is a Senior Associate in the Tempe office of Hazen and Sawyer and has worked with water and wastewater utilities large and small throughout Arizona. Doug holds a B.S. degree from Brown University and an M.S. from Arizona State University, both in Civil Engineering; and he is a registered Professional Engineer in Arizona. He is a longtime member of AWWA, WEF, and APWA. Doug has presented numerous papers at the AZ Water Annual Conference and was a member of the biosolids committee and the conference program task force for several years. He got more actively involved in 2012, taking the role of chair of the wastewater treatment committee, and helped lead that group to become of the largest and most active in the Association, developing a number of innovative and well-received programs and activities. He was honored with election to the Select Society of Sanitary Sludge Shovelers in 2014. He also is a member of the water resources, wastewater collections, and leadership committees.
Doug joined the Board of Directors in 2016 and was elected Vice President in 2018, proceeding through the chairs to his current role as President.